The Duke in Question by Amalie Howard

Author:Amalie Howard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2022-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Bronwyn felt the threads of panic catching in her throat, making it hard to breathe. She kept expecting to see the Duke of Thornbury around every corner. She was convinced they were going to get caught because the man was always watching. Even when she hid in her rooms, she could sense his attention on her. It was infuriating!

“This way, my lady,” Cora whispered as they snuck down the gangplank during dinner, while Rawley’s men kept a close eye on the duke and his companion, Lady Lisbeth. It was dark, but the ship was well lit enough to see…and to be seen.

The ship had docked in Brest as Rawley had said they would. As promised, the explosion necessitating the change in course had been small, but had still made a screech of fright tear from her chest when she’d felt the walls of her stateroom rumble. Most of the passengers had been assured they weren’t in any danger and the stop in France was simply a precaution. The captain promised that they would be en route to England within the matter of a day or two…which meant the window of escape was narrow.

At first the plan had been to sneak off the ship during the first night, but Thornbury had not slept, keeping a keen eye on the decks as though he was expecting trouble. His vigilance had frustrated Rawley, but he had adjusted the plan without losing a beat. The duke might not sleep, but he did have to eat. Bronwyn had made an appearance at dinner the next evening, flirting with her usual entourage though it had taken enormous concentration to play the part of the coquette, and then on to the gala. During the ball, she’d had to time it exactly when both Thornbury and Lady Lisbeth were dancing, and not with each other.

She’d met Rawley’s gaze when he’d asked Lisbeth to dance, and made eyes at the silliest of her admirers, Lord Daley. The earnest buck was quick to take the bait and usher her onto the ballroom floor. Bronwyn had made sure to be seen, if not heard, with her habitual tinkling laughter, before she’d excused herself mid-dance to the retiring room.

From there, it’d been a matter of changing her bold, daffodil-yellow gown with the help of a quiet maid—one of Rawley’s trusted few onboard, no doubt—and donning a dark cloak over her garments before slipping outside to meet Cora. Precious, hurried minutes later, they were in a coach on the wharf and heading toward the train station in Brest where a private rail car would be waiting. They’d toyed with the idea of traveling in disguise in public, but it was too dangerous. Luckily, Rawley seemed to be quite industrious at making arrangements.

“How did he do all this so quickly?” Bronwyn asked Cora, whispering though she didn’t have to, now that they were alone in the carriage.

Cora smiled. “Noel is smart, personable, and has friends in many places, high and low. There’s a reason your brother trusts him with his life and yours.

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