AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-Four
The house was in an uproar. Apparently the Duke’s approaching nuptials were causing a great deal of excitement. The entire household had risen to the occasion of planning for the ball while Bertram and Wellington plotted and planned.
Even Letty had fallen into the spirit of things, with endless fittings for not only her ball gown but her wedding trousseau as well. George was over the moon at the prospect of having Letty as his new mother. Were it not for the prospect of the threat, to his life as well as to the country, Bertram would have been as happy as a clam.
He ventured out early in the morning, before most of the household was awake, to visit with his first wife. A ray of sunlight pierced the thick foliage that surrounded her grave, bathing it in brightness. Bertram felt welcomed and as if Victoria was just as pleased with the turn of events as he was.
“Well, my dear, it seems that I will marry again soon. I have to admit, this development took me by surprise,” he murmured as he placed a bunch of flowers on her headstone.
“I cannot pretend to be sad about it, though. She has brought me back to life again. And for some reason, I feel sure that you and she would be fast friends if you ever met.”
The wind soughed through the trees, causing the leaves to whisper secrets as the birds called to each other, quite unbothered by his presence.
He laughed softly. “Am I demented? I must admit I’m whirling with the speed with which everything has transpired.” He sighed. “I have not even had much time to spend with her. There is much to do, not least of which is to catch these conspirators. You’ll wish me luck in this endeavor will you not, dear Victoria?”
He kept quiet, waiting, but nothing stirred but a few leaves. Suddenly there was a crack and a thud as a small tree branch fell to the ground a few yards away. Bertram’s brows lifted in surprise.
“Is it a warning? Must I watch out for traps? Trust me, Vicky, I know that well. I will be careful.”
He pressed his fingers to his lips and then to the gravestone before walking away. Above him the sun disappeared behind a cloud, and the light in the clearing slowly dimmed, leaving the gravesite in gloom.
Bertram decided that whatever else was going on, he would seek Letty out and spend some time with her. Perhaps they could go riding in the downs and just enjoy each other’s company.
With that resolve in mind, he hastened his footsteps, determined to get hold of her before she was caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of planning a ball.
* * *
Letty was walking down the stairs still half asleep when someone grabbed her from behind. Immediately she fisted her hands and lifted them ready to defend herself. That is, until she caught the sandalwood and tobacco scent that told her it was the Duke in whose arms she found herself.
“What are you doing?” she whispered as he dragged her backward into the first floor landing and then down the corridor to the back stairs.
“I’m kidnapping you.”
She huffed a laugh. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No. We have not spent any time together for days. I am remedying that now.”
Letty’s heart warmed at his words, as did her cheeks. “Oh,” she said shyly and followed him as he led her through the twists and turns of the back stairs, and then out through a side door that led to a pathway to the stables.
“Are we escaping the premises completely?” she whispered theatrically.
He grinned at her. “Yes, we are.” He put a finger to his lips to shush her. “If we hurry we might make it undetected.”
She looked down in dismay at her gown. “But I am not dressed for riding.”
He waved a hand. “Oh, I know full well you can ride in anything. Since when are you concerned with decorum?”
Letty had to concede that he had a point. “Very well then, let us go.”
She ran past him to the stables, nodding to the bemused groom before stopping before one stall. It contained a large roan that poked his head out of the stall in greeting. He had a white patch above his snout, shaped like a star, that Letty rubbed before handing him the slice of dried apple that the groom slipped into her hands.
“Good morning, Henry VII, and how are you doing this morning? she asked as she stroked his flank. Are you ready for a ride? Will you let me ride you?”
“Should I be jealous of the horse?” the Duke asked from behind her, sounding amused.
“Well, his coat is certainly prettier than yours,” Letty teased.
“I had no idea you knew the horses so well.”
