The Duke's Revenge (28 page)

Once again he saw his hands covering with
blood, his brother’s blood. He was back there again, at the scene
of his brother’s death. He could remember the salty smell of blood.
He could remember the feel of its warmth against his skin, and then
slowly it went cold.

Even now he could remember the thick, foggy
atmosphere that had been cold and bitter that dawn. He could still
remember his brother’s pale face, for life was about to leave his
body. The heat had faded away, and Dominic’s body had been replaced
with this coldness that, even now, he could not accept. He had
known Dominic was going, and he had had no power to stop it.

“
Max,” Dominic had managed
to whisper. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.

“
Don’t talk, Dominic, I’ll
get help, you’ll be all right.”

“
Nay, I know ‘tis the end.
‘Twas my fault, I am stupid. I know you, Max. I only have one thing
to ask from you.”

“
Anything, brother,
anything.”

Dominic had closed his eyes then, to summon
his strength. When he opened his eyes again, there were tears.
“Don’t avenge my death. Don’t hurt Grace and her family.”

“
Dominic, you don’t know
what you’re talking about.”

“
I know, Max, they are
innocent of all this, promise.”

He had nodded his head. “I promise,
brother.”

“
Thank you,” Dominic had
whispered and closed his eyes. Then there was no more heart beat in
his chest.

Revenge, Max thought as he opened his eyes
and shut his mind from seeing his brother’s lifeless body, had done
him naught but caused him pain. Was Dominic right that Grace and
her family were innocent? That it was merely due to Dominic’s own
folly that had caused his own death? But the earl had shot Dominic
in the duel, and Grace was the cause of it all.

‘
Why did you marry her?’
Grace’s voice echoed in his head.

Why, indeed, did he marry her? It was true
that they were forced into marriage because of that night Lady
Mornington had seen them. But he was a notorious rake, after all,
and as Grace had put it, he could have done anything and didn’t
have to marry Ivy.

He closed his eyes again, and when sleep did
come, he dreamt of making love to his wife in the wilderness of
Westwood Estate where tall grasses and wild flowers brushed against
their naked bodies. This time she was smiling at him. He was
smiling too in his dream.

CHAPTER 24

For one week Ivy woke up feeling lonely and
depress. All she seemed to be doing was wandering from room to room
in the castle. That morning was no different, she woke up with a
splitting headache and feeling very tired.

And then her mind would drift off to her
husband, and her heart would skip a beat. Would he come to Westwood
Castle, she wondered. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried
she could not stop herself from thinking about him. At night her
body and mind would burn feverishly for him. She missed him
caressing her, she missed his rough hands against her skin, and she
missed his hot mouth touching her naked flesh.

She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to
think about him. She hated him. But why did she miss him so much?
Was she in love with him?

No!
That would be impossible.

She turned over and stared out the window.
The sunlight streamed into her room. She sat up. Instantly the
world started spinning before her. She took slow, deep breathes. It
took her a while for the dizziness to go away.

There was a knock at the door and Lisa came
in. She was carrying the breakfast tray.

The moment the smell of food touched her
nose, Ivy gagged. Her stomach churned, and she felt as though she
was about to throw up. She rushed out of bed and ran to the camber
pot. She closed her eyes and supported herself on the table as
liquid came out her mouth.

Lisa rushed to help her. “What’s wrong, m’
lady?” she asked, her voice quivering with concern.

Ivy could not answer. Another churn came and
more liquid came out of her mouth. She wiped tears from her
eyes.

“
I don’t know,” she
whispered.

“
Come,” Lisa said and
helped her back into bed.

“
Would you take the food
away?”

“
But ‘tis your
breakfast.”

“
I’m not hungry, please,
take it away. It smells,” she said.

“
Perhaps a doctor should
attend you.”

“
Nay, Lisa, ‘tis not that
bad. I will be fine soon enough,” Ivy said, closing her
eyes.

“
Very well.” Lisa turned
and left. She was frowning when she reached the kitchen.

“
What’s your problem
there, Lisa?” Mrs. Price asked.

“
I don’t know, it’s her
grace,” she muttered as she placed the tray on the
bench.

“
What’s wrong with her
grace? I seem to notice that she’s staying in her room a lot.” Mrs.
Price watched Mrs. Woods lifted the lid of the tray to look at her
untouched food.

“
What’s wrong with my
cooking?” Mrs. Woods growled.

“
What?” Lisa
frowned.

“
My cooking, her grace
didn’t touch one bit of it. Is there something with wrong my
cooking? If so, I wanna know,” she demanded, firing her glare at
Lisa.

“
Oh, Mrs. Wood,” Lisa
muttered, “you can’t expect her grace to eat when she feels sick,
could you? Perhaps you should make her grace some broth or chicken
soup or something. She couldn’t seem to handle any food at all. In
fact, she was throwing up the moment the smell of food touches her
nose.”

“
What?” Mrs. Price looked
at Lisa, her eyes wide.

“
Err?” Lisa turned to the
housekeeper in confusion.

“
Her grace can’t stand the
smell of food?” the housekeeper asked, her eyes met Mrs.
Woods’.

“
Err, now that you’ve
mentioned it she was saying that the food smells, and she was
vomiting these past mornings. Not to mention that she was feeling
rather tired.”

“
Now, those symptoms sound
very familiar, don’t you think?” Mrs. Price said to Mrs.
Woods.

“
Of course,” the cook
said, nodding her head.

“
You mean you know what
causes her grace’s sickness?” Lisa asked.

“
It’s very common. Her
grace must be—”

“
There you all are.”
Donald appeared at the door. “Lady Grace Westwood is here!” he
announced.

“
What? What is she doing
here?” Lisa frowned.

“
Don’t ask me, she’s
outside. Lisa, you’ll have to carry the bags in. Mrs. Price, you’ll
have to arrange the guest room,” Donald instructed and he quickly
left again.

“
What is she doing here?”
Lisa snapped. “Had she not done enough?” she mumbled to herself and
left.

“
Where ever that woman is,
trouble is sure to follow I tell you,” Mrs. Price said, shaking her
head. “I wonder what she is up to this time,” she muttered and left
the kitchen. As she came out, she encountered two maids and ordered
them to arrange a guest room. She then went to the drawing room.
There, she saw the elegant lady sitting on the sofa near the
hearth, fluttering her decorated fan before her.

“
M’ lady,” she said with a
bow of her head. “Tea would be arriving soon.”

“
How is my daughter?”
Grace asked, looking at the housekeeper.

“
She is very happy, m’
lady,” Mrs. Price lied.

“
And the duke, my
son-in-law?” she said with her eyes narrowed, “how is he, is he
looking after my daughter well?”

Mrs. Price wanted to scream at the woman to
leave her duchess be, but instead she said, “’Tis not my place to
comment on such things, m’ lady.”

“
Indeed, why is he not
here to greet me?” Grace asked, looking around her as though Max
was hiding in the room.

“
He is not here, m’ lady,
he is in London.” –As you well know, my lady—Mrs. Price wanted to
say. “He believes it is better for her grace to return to the
country. The air is good for her here.”

“
Indeed, I did not know
that the duke is still in London. I’ve heard that Ivy has returned
and so I assume that he, too, would have returned. Husband and
wife, you know,” Grace said, waving her hand at the housekeeper to
leave her be. “I assumed you have arranged for my room?”

“
Aye,” the housekeeper
said, bowing her head.

“
You may leave, I know my
way around here. ‘Tis, after all, my house before the duke bought
it.”

“
Aye, m’ lady,” Mrs. Price
said and left.

A couple of minutes later, Ivy entered the
drawing room.

“
Good morning, dear
daughter,” Grace said, her sharp eyes taking in the pale beauty
before her.

“
Good morning to you too,
Mama,” Ivy responded, her voice was soft in the large
room.

“
You’re pale, child, have
your husband left you to your sickness for his beautiful mistress
in London?”

That comment was like a poison arrow
shooting straight at Ivy’s heart. She felt the hurt, and it burnt
deep within her soul.

“
What are you doing here?”
she asked.

“
Couldn’t a mother visit
her daughter now and again?”

“
I believe you have other
intention in doing so. I know you too well.”

“
Such strong words, Ivy, I
am amazed. Did your dear husband teach you how to fight back? I see
that you are braver now. But are you really that brave, Ivy? Could
you really stand up to me?” She laughed.

Ivy shivered. This woman had been
controlling her all her life. But no more, she told herself.

“
What is your purpose
here?” she asked again, her hands clutching on the material of her
gown that her knuckle turned white.

“
Aye, I am here for a
reason, daughter,” Grace said and came around to where Ivy was
standing. “I have debts, Ivy. I need money.”

“
I cannot help
you.”

“
Of course you can. Your
husband is rich and--”

“
You don’t understand. I
don’t ask him for money.” Ivy turned her gaze to her
mother.

“
You are a fool!” Grace
snapped. “He is rich and you, as his wife, should get as much money
from him as possible. Ask him for me.”

“
I won’t because it’s not
my money.”

“
You dare to disobey me?”
Grace said through gritted teeth, her eyes flaring.

“
I won’t.” Ivy tilted her
chin up a notch.

Grace heaved her breath in and out. “You
will, you understand. I am your mother, and if you don’t I will
punish you, do you hear me? I will punish you. I will give you
three days. Find that money for me. Ask that dear husband of yours.
It is five thousand pounds.”

“
I told you, I won’t do
it,” Ivy said, turned, and walked to the door. “Go find the money
somewhere else.” And she shut the door behind her.

CHAPTER 25

Three days was up, and Ivy refused to find
the five thousand pounds her mother had demanded despite the
intimidation she received from the woman. Now she watched from her
bedroom window as the footmen loaded the carriage with her mother’s
belongings.

Her mother had decided to leave for London
because her endless threats did not work where it had been working
before.

Ivy closed her eyes and allowed the sun to
warm her face. This morning she felt a bit better. Her morning
sickness, as Mrs. Price had mention the day before, was not as
intense as it usually was. She was glad because it was market day
at Staffordshire, and she wanted to attend the affair.

Odd that the castle seemed rather quiet. Odd
too that Lisa did not attend her this morning.

“
Your grace,” Meg said
from the door.

Ivy turned and smiled at the maid,
“Hmm?”

“
Her ladyship is waiting
to see you in her bedroom.”

“
Yes, she is leaving,
isn’t she?” Ivy asked. She had to know for sure that her mother was
really leaving.

“
Aye, your grace, her
ladyship has already packed,” Meg said, nodding her head and
smiling with glee.

“
Yes, I’m coming,” Ivy
said, walking toward the door. “Don’t you think it’s rather quiet
today?” she asked as they walked along the corridor. “Where is
everyone?”

“
They’ve gone to the
market, your grace.”

“
The market, they left
already?”

“
Aye, your grace wanted to
go as well?”

“
Yes, I do.”

“
Oh, they left since dawn
and since you are not feeling well, they thought it’ll only tire
you.”

“
I suppose.” Ivy nodded.
“Thank you, Meg, you can return to your duties.”

“
Not a problem, your
grace,” Meg said and walked in the opposite direction toward the
stairs.

Ivy looked at Grace’s bedroom door. She
wondered what her mother wanted now.

It was quite dark inside even though it was
daylight, and she had to adjust to the dimness. She saw her mother
standing near the window.