Page 81 of The Odd Riddle of the Lost Duchess
Emmeline then shot a look at Noah, whose face was sporting an expression immersed with shock and awe before he spoke. “Mother…you did all this, found all this courage in yourself, for Emmeline?”
“For all of us,” Emmeline replied, while covering Noah’s hand and looking at him before looking at George. “You two finally got to work together, and to understand one another, didn’t you?”
Noah looked over to the other Duke, “We did, surprisingly. We met at White’s the week I was in London and we…we spoke and came to an understanding. I dare not say we’ve become friends, but I will stick to allies, for the time being.”
“And that was the only reason why I sent for Lady Emmeline to come out of hiding,” the Duchess of Newberry explained. “With everything in the open, and the two of you working together, I knew the Dowager Duchess would not be able to sway Noah with her lies anymore. With separate agendas, I couldn’t foresee how the future would play out, until that time when my mother-in-law sheds her earthly mantle. Together, the two Dukes are a formidable force, and I leave everything in their charge.”
“Your note made me wonder ifyouhad lost your mind,” George replied. “Telling me that Emmeline had returned almost made me call the men from Bedlam for you but I had to come and see.”
Emmeline trained her focus on Noah and bit her lip when she saw the pain that still lingered in her love’s smoky eyes. Deep lines that hadn’t been there before, now were grafted into Noah’s face, and Emmeline traced her fingertips over the furrow in his forehead. With her eyes she tried to tell him how sorry she was for being the cause of so much hurt, pain, aggravation and grief.
Their eyes met and emotions–so heavy and loaded that mere words wouldn’t suffice–were exchanged. Emmeline’s hand was grasped and the open palm pressed to Noah’s lips. His eyes closed for a moment as he kissed the soft skin there.
His eyes then flittered open, and the reprieve and gratefulness in his gaze told Emmeline of his joy. She smiled and curled her fingers in his. Though her eyes were on Noah, Emmeline, through her peripheral vision, spotted her brother starting to look uneasy and she frowned, “George? Are you well? Why are you squirming?”
The Duke of Leverton’s eyes glanced over his sister, skipped over to Noah, and then to the Duchess, sighed and swallowed tightly, “I…I have to admit something. I have debated how to do it but I cannot think of a better time. When I got the note that you were alive, I thought it was a hoax but I–”
Now all ears were trained on the Duke of Leverton who was now hunched over with his elbows on his knees while his hands formed a fist before his mouth. The silence in the room seemed to thrum before Leverton took a leather-bound book out of his coat.
“Emmeline, take a look and read what you see,” Leverton said while handing the book over. “The page is marked.”
Noah removed his hand to allow her to take the book and opened it to the marker. Feeling intrigued, Noah leaned forward to look when Emmeline’s gasp was laced with delight.
“Oh, George!” Emmeline cried in happiness, “My goodness–this is wonderful.”
* * *
“Care to enlighten the ignorant, my love?” Noah asked wryly while gently bumping her shoulder.
She turned a brilliant smile to him, another expression that Noah made sure to carve into his memory, “This is my granduncle’s journal…on this page he recalls what happened on the hunting field–the day your grandfather died.”
Noah’s felt his eyes widen a little, as he reached for the book, “Really?”
Emmeline beamed and after swatting Noah’s hand away read, “The hunting party with me, Jacob, the Duke of Newberry, Earl Barton and Viscount Dalton ended in a tragedy. We had just spotted a massive deer and Jacob, my dear friend, was about to level his musket when he dropped it and lurched forward to me, striking me in my arm. As I was the closest to him I reached out to him but he twisted suddenly and my reach was misplaced and he fell off his horse.”
Noah’s eyes darted to Leverton, who was still hunched over with his fists pressed to his mouth, while his eyes were closed, his left foot tapping quietly on the floor.
“I launched off my mount and grabbed him–his face was turning blue and his hand was grabbing at his chest. I thought something had struck him so I ripped his jacket and shirt off, to see his chest palpitating hard. He then gasped, his eyes rolled to the back and he started to shudder. I recalled some medical training and placed my hands on the middle of his chest pressing hard to massage his heart, but though he was gasping, he soon went still under my hands. I did not–could not–move from my friend, colleague, and sometimes competitor, until his body went still and my heart felt frozen in my chest. He died there, under my hand and I have marked that tragic day in my mind for the rest of my life.”Emmeline narrated, “There is more but I think this stands for itself. Where did you find this, George?”
The Duke of the Leverton finally pulled his hands away from his mouth and said, “I was searching through father’s records and I found my granduncle’s journal. I spent two nights reading through it and this is why I have to apologize to you, Newberry, and to you, Duchess. My rancor against you wasn’t warranted and if I had not digested my grandfather’s biased words for so long, I wouldn’t have been so prejudiced. My sincere apologies.”
The Duchess smiled, “It is accepted, Duke, and I extend ours as well.”
“Seconded, Leverton,” Noah managed.
Leverton then turned towards Noah and his mother, and through his eyes were still enigmatic, his words were kindly, “Newberry, I have misjudged you. In the past three months of our mutual grief, I have found you to be a clever man, stalwart in your position for finding vengeance for my sister and… overall, very deserving of my sister’s hand. I know we’ve moved past a few things but I hope this apology will cancel all of the rest.”
Noah controlled his surprise and though delight was running through him, he managed to control his astonishment by arching his eyebrows. “Well, thank you, Leverton, that was very… magnanimous of you.”
“Oh, for the love of–” Emmeline huffed and snapped her head between her brother and her intended, “Will youeverstop calling each other by your titles? You are going to be brothers-in-law soon, so would it kill you to say your Christian names?”
A look was shared between the two Duke’s and their answer was simultaneous. “Probably.”
Standing up, Emmeline grabbed Noah’s hand and George’s and clasped them together, “Be serious, just try it–or me.”
Stepping back, Emmeline and the Duchess of Newberry watched the two shake hands, “Be worthy of my sister…Newb—Fitz–, ah, Noah.”
Noah’s lips twitched, “I swear on my life–George.”
