The Duke's Mysterious Lady by Maggi Andersen

Author:Maggi Andersen [Andersen, Maggi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780646924205
Publisher: Maggi Andersen
Published: 2014-07-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Viola lay awake as the hours passed. Every time she closed her eyes, Hugh’s face filled her thoughts. Her treacherous body yearned for him. She hugged herself at the thought, and allowed herself a moment to dwell on what might happen should that passion be unleashed. It was beyond her imaginings, but drove her almost mad with desire. She struggled for objectivity and common sense. Exhausted, she tossed and turned, as if she lay on a bed of stones.

Bashing her pillow, she realized she hadn’t spared a thought for Jeremy’s proposal. Marriage could be the answer to all her problems, and she wished she didn’t shudder at the prospect. She must gear herself to be stronger. To make sound decisions about her future.

At last, in the early hours when she’d convinced herself things would be easier once they’d returned to Vale Park where she and Hugh would rarely see each other, she slept.

The next afternoon, Viola sat alone in the drawing room, with a book open in her lap.

After she’d read the same sentence several times, she left the chair and went to sit at the pianoforte. Her fingers moved over the keys, and soon she was lost in the beauty of Handel. It was so odd how she remembered this. It was as if only a piece of her memory had been removed, leaving in place all the things she most enjoyed. Someone in her past had loved to hear her play.

Someone she loved. She gasped as the wisp of memory hovered close.

Viola had moved on to Mozart when Jeremy sent up his card. She went to sit by the window, fingering her locket. Could she learn to love another man when Hugh filled her thoughts?

At breakfast, Clarissa had urged her to accept.

“Please consider it, Viola,” she’d said. “We would be neighbors. I should like that very much. Jeremy Forester is quite young and attractive, is he not? Not wealthy, of course, but very comfortable, and tolerably well bred.”

A sensible woman in her predicament would accept. Viola waited her throat dry. What would she do? By the time the footman showed Jeremy into the room, she knew.

“Miss Edgeworth.” He bent to kiss her hand. “How charming you look sitting by the window with the light striking your hair. You might be Helen of Troy in that Grecian-styled gown.

“Thank you for the pretty compliment, Mr. Forester, but please, sit. I have an unfortunate story to tell. I pray you’ll forgive me for the falsehoods.” Ignoring his gasp of surprise, as Jeremy perched on the edge of his seat, she took a breath and continued. “But before I do, I must have your promise that you will not repeat any of this to another soul, as the truth could severely embarrass the duke and duchess, who have been so very wonderful to me.”

Jeremy, who was in the process of lowering himself onto the chair, perched on the edge.

“Untruths? Why, Miss Edgeworth! I cannot believe you capable of such a thing.”

She proceeded to tell him her story from the time Hugh first found her.

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