Page 76 of The Duke’s Unwilling Bride

If you are reading this, then I am no longer in this world. I so wish I could have comforted you as you dealt with my passing. I’m sure it hurt you more than you could have expressed. I suppose it was similar to when your mother left me. But in time, I learned to live again. You helped with that.

It is my wish that you find someone to be the light in your life as you were in mine. And if you choose to be alone, then I pray you find every bit of happiness in the experiments you tinker with or the books you so love to read.

I know I’ve told you that you will be taken care of, but I am convinced that it will never happen. Not unless you happened upon my clue. Such a clever girl to find this note. And so, I feel as if you are able to know and understand the stakes that are against you.

Asher is not what he seems. He is a snake in the grass, the most vile of serpents. These many years, he has been extorting money from me. You see, your mother was of low birth, but that didn’t matter to me. However, he found out and vowed to make life difficult for you at court.

Even if you didn’t want to marry, I couldn’t have your chances ruined. And so, I kept all this a secret, even from you. But more than that, I couldn’t bear the idea of him dragging your poor mother’s name and memory through the dirt. And so, I gave him what he asked, paying debts he accrued.

But fret not. While he was acting like the underhanded rake, I did some investigating of my own. Seems he’s not a blood-born son, as we all believed. He is, in fact, a by-blow, a bastard child born of a bastard child that lay with a harlot. Though I named a legitimate heir to the earldom of Middlehey in my will, I knew Asher would destroy it if he ever got a chance.

And so I hid it, along with evidence of his parentage. The one to oversee this estate should be your cousin, Jeremiah Stutton, a vicar not far from Harhurst Hall. He’s a kind soul that will be good for the workers and a possible friend and ally for you. I can’t even imagine what atrocities Asher has wreaked upon those that depend on the earldom to care for and provide for them. Jeremiah will heal those wounds and hopefully set your world to rights as well. That is, unless you have a husband to assist you.

To find the will, you need simply go to the butler’s room. In the far corner is a trap door. Underneath, you’ll find what should have been a cellar. I have left the will, proof, and some extra treasures for you to find. Knowing Asher, he would never step foot inside a place meant to store vegetables.

Once he’s sold the silver, he would never go into the butler’s pantry again. Seeing as I am renowned as an eccentric, this hiding place felt like the perfect spot. That, and you have never been one to shy away from getting your hands dirty.

My dearest love. Everything I have ever done has been to your benefit. Though it didn’t always seem like it, I had your best interest at heart. Rest now, knowing that your father is well and in another place. I will keep watch over you until you join your mother and me.

Until then, your loving father.

Crumpling the note in my hands, I turn toward Joseph, falling into his open arms. He wraps them around me, surrounding me with his love and strength. There, I cry, sobbing while my heart breaks.

It doesn’t matter if anyone hears me. I’m beyond caring. Besides, if Father’s letter is correct, no one here holds any power over me. Pushing off of Joseph’s chest, I relay the information, just in case some of the words were hard to read from his vantage point.

Shoring up my courage, I go to wrench the door open, but he stops me. “Until we have the will safely in hand, it would not be wise to start a ruckus. Allow me to go distract them, and you get your hands on everything. I have a plan, but for it to work, we need to be stealthy a bit longer still.

I nod, tamping down my urge to cause mayhem. He is, of course, right. As much as I want to go barreling through, we need a plan that’s much better than crashing in on the maid being pleasured.

Before I can ask Joseph when I should head down, he slips out into the darkness, leaving me alone to pace. Seconds turn into minutes and minutes begin to feel like hours. But soon, a large clamor rings out from the front yard. I race to the window, watching as flames lick at the stone gate.

There’s no doubt this is the commotion Joseph intended, but did he have to do something so dangerous? Something that might destroy this home? Shoving that thought to the back, I race down the hall, stepping inside the butler’s room, now empty of its occupants.

I find the trapdoor easily enough and as I move to descend, Joseph is right behind me, a lit lamp in his hand. Cobwebs and dust adhere to my hair as I force myself into the small, cramped room. There, in the very center, is a large chest.

Giddy, I sink down to my knees and open it up, gathering all the papers—presumably all that’s needed to give my hellacious cousin his due. We can sort through them later, but right now, we need to get what we can and leave. Once those are out of the way, I peer down, gasping as I see the large number of pounds sitting in neat stacks.

More money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. It seems as if he’s been piling it away, hiding it from Asher’s greedy paws. But more than that, off in the corner of the chest is a handful of books. Books read to me as a child. Books I myself created.

Memories.

Looking up at Joseph, I give him a watery smile, pleading with eyes. With a soft, loving sigh, he puts the papers back in, closes it, and motions for me to exit the room. With a loud grunt, he lifts the large chest and follows after me.

It takes careful maneuvering, but we manage to get it out of the house with no one the wiser. As we duck past the outside gate, my heart finally relaxes when I notice the fire is just about out, with no massive damage to the home. I squeeze his shoulder in gratitude and we slip through the night, heading back to the house to formulate our plan.

CHAPTER 36

Joseph

My eyes drift over the various people milling about in my house, their clothes as vastly arrayed as a peacock’s feathers. By my side, Teresa smiles and plays the part of a doting duchess; however, through the bond, I can feel that rankling thrum of nervousness she’s so desperately trying to hide. It doesn’t matter how I soothe her. She’s so close to running that I feel the need to wrap my fingers around her to keep her still.

I don’t dare purr, even though I desperately want to. I can’t do anything to give us away until it’s the proper time. Besides, despite the nervous energy, Teresa is actually doing very well at hiding her true feelings. If I purr now, it may disrupt whatever system she has in place to keep her strong.

Turning, I stare down at her, taking in her dress. Though it’s within propriety and fashion, it’s still easy to see the claiming bite peeking out from around the bits of fabric. Just seeing the mark sends a thrill through me, but also a sense of relief.

All here will see it and know she’s mine. I don’t give one twit about the rumors that will now surround us—the talk amongst the Ton about us being a love match. Though we didn’t start out that way, it’s clearly where we’re headed. And in truth, I crave that more than I realized I would.

I pull my attention away, needing to be on high alert. If only I could drag her away from this ball and tie her to my bed. But until we put an end to Middlehey and his dastardly deeds, I will always have that in the back of my mind.