And that he would understand.
CHAPTER 36
Michaelraisedhisheadfrom the reports he was attempting to read, the familiar figures and words dancing before his eyes and making no sense to him. Handling the ducal estates required plenty of work, but he had always managed. And yet, in the past week, his mind refused to focus on anything but Josephine.
He needed to talk to her. He had allowed her enough time to think. To come to her senses. To realize they belonged together. But days were slipping by and still no word from her. He would go visit her this evening. To hell with patience and restraint. It had gotten him nowhere. It was time to fight for what he wanted.
A short rap on his study door and then his butler walked in. “Your Grace, Lady Rutledge is here to see you.”
A frown tugged at his brow. He knew Lady Rutledge was Edward’s maternal grandmother but could not imagine why she would come to call on him at this hour. He stood from his desk at once, a premonition of disaster slithering down his spine. Thisinstinct had saved his life countless times during the war, so he had learned not to discount it.
“I’ll see her at once. Where is she?” he said as he walked past the butler.
“The main drawing room, Your Grace.”
He zoomed down the corridor to the drawing room so fast he couldn’t even remember how he got there. He burst into the room just as his mother was greeting the lady. He noticed at once that little Edward was clinging to her skirts. The image did little to reassure him.
“Lady Rutledge,” he said without preamble. “Is something the matter? Has something happened to Josephine?”
“I-I don’t know, Your Grace. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t know where else to go,” the older lady said, looking at him with wide eyes. Her words and expression heightened his sense that something was horribly wrong. And it involved Josephine.
Modulating his voice so as not to scare the lady, he commanded, “Tell me.”
“You see, earlier, I went to visit my grandson, as I have been doing every day this past week. Today, it all seemed normal at first. When I arrived, Lady Josephine greeted me and we talked for a few minutes. I decided to take Edward to play on the square and she stayed behind. We stayed out a bit longer than usual, I admit. But my darling Ed was having so much fun with his hoop and a new friend he had made in the park, that we lost track of time.”
Michael gritted his teeth with impatience as the lady digressed and took her time to get to the point.
“When I brought him back home, I was told Lady Josephine had gone out with a friend. Which seemed odd because she had not mentioned she was planning to attend any event that evening. But what I found truly strange is this note she left me,asking me to take Edward to my home. She wouldn’t do that if she just planned to go out for the evening, would she?”
Before she even finished the question, Michael had taken the note out of the lady’s hand and was scanning it frantically, looking for any clue that would tell him what was really going on. Was that a slight tremor he detected in Josie’s usually elegant calligraphy? Lady Rutledge was right. It didn’t seem congruent that Josephine would ask her to take Edward if she was just planning a regular outing.
And the words she had used… they seemed to echo the fake letter of before. A chill ran down his spine.
“I visited Lady Josephine this afternoon as well,” his mother contributed. He shot her a surprised look.
“You did? Why?”
“To talk about you, darling, of course.” His mother raised an imperious brow, unimpressed with his curt manner. “I wanted to understand what’s going on between the two of you. Why you seem to be at odds.”
He clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply to try to contain his annoyance. He knew his mother meant well, but if she said something to Josephine to make her bolt…
“Tell me exactly what you two discussed,” he gritted out.
“I asked her why you two are apart and miserable when it’s obvious you love each other. And she told me of… her problem, and why she doesn’t think she’d make a suitable wife.”
“Good God, Mother. Did you tell her she shouldn’t marry me?” he exploded.
“Of course not!” His mother shot to her feet, every inch the duchess. “Who do you take me for, Michael? If you must know, I did the exact opposite. I encouraged her to accept you and told her that your happiness meant more to me than the succession or the dukedom.”
Instant shame washed over him. Along with relief and an unseemly emotion he couldn’t indulge right now. He knew his mother loved him deeply and had never wanted anything but his happiness. But he had still hesitated to tell her about Josephine’s belief that she couldn’t have children. He had wondered if his mother would try to discourage the union then.
“Forgive me, Mother.” He went to her, grabbed her hands and brought them to his mouth in a penitent kiss. “I should not have doubted your kindness and generosity.”
His mother’s eyes softened. “It’s not kindness. Much less generosity. It’s motherly love. I just want you to be happy, Michael. And I know you love her. She loves you too. She told me so, and it was plain to see on her face. She promised to think about what we had discussed. I got the impression that she was planning to accept you.”
“You did?” Unbearable hope exploded in his chest. And yet she had mysteriously gone out tonight, and not to come to him. That same nagging sensation that something was horribly wrong rose up like bile on his throat.
“Lady Rutledge, do you know who the friend was she went out with?”
