Page 36 of What's a Duke Got to Do With It
“Are you well?” he asked. Mayhap this trip had been too much for her. Her color seemed quite high, after all. And her breath, wasn’t it coming a touch faster than it should?
“I’m fine,” she replied, yanking her hand from his. Which, of course, made him realize he had retained it much longer than he should have. Which, naturally, caused his own face to heat.
Blessedly they reached the bottom of the path then. Mouse, with a booming bark, bounded across the beach toward some seabirds, sending sand flying up from his massive paws. The creatures squawked in outrage, taking to the sky. Mouse, of course, took no offense, merrily chasing another group.
Despite himself, Sebastian smiled. “I daresay your Mouse is the most cheerful fellow I have ever met,” he remarked as he and Katrina made their way across the sand.
She laughed lightly. “He does bring me joy. I’m ever so grateful Lady Tesh allowed me to bring him when she took me on as her companion. I truly don’t know what I would do without him, not only because he is my dearest and most loyal companion, but that he also was a gift from my brother.”
He gave her a curious sideways look. Once again she’d mentioned Sir Francis. Though this time he did not sense the same agitation as before. Was she ready to talk about him then?
“I recall you telling me all those years ago that your brother’s dog had a litter and Mouse was the runt,” he said carefully. “You seemed happy when he gave you the puppy to care for.”
She nodded, a small smile on her lips that was nevertheless more sad than happy. “Perhaps Francis did it to keep me quiet over the matter, as I was quite vocal in my anxiety over the puppy’s health. Or perhaps it was easier than disposing of it.” She shrugged. “Nevertheless, I still cannot help but cherish the fact that he listened to me and lessened my anxiety. Which, of course, makes Mouse doubly precious to me.”
Sebastian’s chest ached for her. Having known Sir Francis, even though he had not known him well, he could say with certainty that the man had not given the puppy to his sister to benefit her, but rather himself, something she must subconsciously be aware of, though she would insist on looking at it in a more positive light.
Which, of course, made him wonder what had led the man to pawn his sister off as a companion. Yes, he’d lost an arm, and his fortune as well. Yet Sebastian could not understand how the man could have left Miss Denby out to dry. No matter the scandal that had befallen her and the repercussions it had wrought, she was still his sister. He should have taken care of her and protected her regardless of the circumstances.
For a moment he thought of his own sisters, Rachel and Gracie, safe at Ramsleigh Castle. Despite their dire straits, he had never once considered abandoning them. Everything he did, every decision he made, was for the people who counted on him for their livelihoods. But first and foremost were his sisters. Their happiness and future security were everything to him. No matter what they might become embroiled in, no matter what they might do, he would never forsake them.
“And where is your brother now?” The question came without him meaning for it to, peppered with his growing anger at the man.
Thank goodness Miss Denby did not hear the emotions behind the question. She gave a small sigh, looking out over the ocean. “Back at our country estate, Denby Hall, near Lincoln. It was the only property he managed to retain after… well, after. He retreated there upon the loss of his limb and has been there ever since from my understanding.”
“From your understanding? But you did not come here for several years after that. Where were you in all that time?”
She looked down, kicking at a small stone, and so he could not see how his question affected her. But he could hear it in her voice, the slight tightness, the sadness. “A small cottage, in Suffolk. It was our mother’s property and came to the family upon her marriage to our father. Francis thought it was best, you see, that I should be removed from society completely.”
He clenched his hands tight at his sides, the small voice that told him to leave it alone disintegrating in his growing anger for what she had been through. “He packed you off to live alone in some cottage?”
She blushed, her mouth pinching at the corners. “Well, I was not completely alone. I did have my aunt with me.”
“The aunt who acted as your chaperone throughout your time in London?” He recalled the woman well, a Miss Willa Horace. She had been no proper chaperone, forever gossiping and indulging in outrageous outfits and over imbibing on expensive liquor. Was it any wonder Landon had thought he could get away with accosting Miss Denby in her own bedroom, with such people looking out for her? No doubt Sir Francis’s banishment of his sister had been as much to punish the aunt as it had been to punish Miss Denby.
“Yes,” Miss Denby replied, her tone subdued. “But Aunt Willa was not happy there. I daresay we were not a good fit, our personalities too much like oil and water.” She gave a nervous laugh before quickly sobering. “It was during my time there that I received a letter from Lenora, the Duchess of Dane. She had heard of my… situation and wished to know if she could assist me in any way. And then she offered me the position of companion to Lady Tesh. By that time money was quite tight; my brother was not answering my letters or supplying us with the much-needed funds to survive. I suppose there was much on his mind, so I cannot blame him for letting us slip through the cracks. But I saw no other alternative, so I agreed to Lenora’s proposal, with the understanding that I would take on my duties by the end of that year. I had hoped, you see, that things might turn around and I would have no reason to take the position after all. But then Francis lost that property as well, and I was forced to come here as Lady Tesh’s companion much sooner than had been planned. Blessedly Aunt Willa found a home with some old friends of hers. I sent her money whenever I could, until her death just over a year ago.”
“And your brother let you take such a position instead of bringing you to live with him at your family home?”
Finally she seemed to hear the fury in his voice. She glanced at him, eyes opened wide in surprise. “You are angry.”
“Of course I am angry,” he bit out. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath of calming ocean air. Yet it only made him more agitated, reminding him why Miss Denby was in this location in the first place. Yes, it was beautiful here. And yes, she had a good position and friends who cared for her.
But the truth of the matter was, her brother should have taken care of her. He should not have abandoned her to cruel gossip and the vagaries of an uncertain fate.
“If your brother were here right now,” he said in a voice so low it was nearly stolen by the breeze, “I would not be responsible for what I did to him.”
“He did everything he could for me,” she replied, her voice trembling.
“Did he?” he demanded. He looked at her then. She stood several feet away, her arms wrapped about her middle, looking as outraged as he had ever seen her. “Can you truly agree that he did everything he could have, everything heshouldhave, where you are concerned?”
If anything, she appeared more mulish, her chin jutting out and her brows drawing together. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied tremulously. “He treated me much better than I deserved.”
“Than youdeserved?” He could not have heard that right. He took a step toward her, ignoring the faint floral scent of her soap, his focus on her stubborn features. “You deserved to be protected and cared for, not left for the wolves.”
“He did not leave me to the wolves,” she insisted. “I am blessed in so many ways. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, people who care for me.”
“Through no help from him.”
