Page 13 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
She took a deep breath, turning back to the view. The sun had almost set entirely now. Dusk was falling across the sky, a cacophony of purple and pink intermingling with the orange. Her breath caught in her throat.
It was so beautiful here. But this was not her home. And now, the duke’s sister was here, along with her friend. A feeling of panic assailed her. She needed to find out her background and her life. Who was she? What was she going to do?
Chapter 7
“Do you remember anything?” The duke stared at her intently. “Anything at all?”
Christina sighed heavily. “Nothing yet.”
He nodded. They kept walking along the top of the cliffs. A soft breeze lifted the bonnet’s ribbons tied beneath her chin, cooling her enflamed cheeks.
They had been walking here for the past twenty minutes, gazing out over the sea, watching tall ships on the horizon. The duke hadn’t spoken much – he had simply watched her.
I wonder what his sister and her friend are doing this morning. I wonder if his sister knows about this excursion and if she would approve of it.
“Are your sister and her friend visiting Newquay Hall for a while?” she asked suddenly, turning to him.
The duke gave a short laugh. “Oh, Lydia lives at Newquay with me,” he said with a lopsided grin. “I forgot that you did not realize that. She has been staying at Lady Frances’s London residence with her family for a month … and then the ladies decided they could not bear to be separated, so Lady Frances returned with my sister.”
“Oh,” said Christina, feeling surprised and a little unsettled. “And how long will Lady Frances be staying for?”
The duke shrugged. “An indefinite period. Newquay Hall is large enough to accommodate many guests for a long time.” His grin widened. “She will leave when she and Lydia grow tired of each other, I suppose.”
Christina nodded, biting her lip and turning her gaze back to the sea. The feeling of disquiet increased. She was sure that Lady Lydia Cavendish did not like her at all.
The lady’s gaze had been very cold. But then again, Christina could hardly blame her, could she?
The lady had returned home from a trip away to find a usurper in the house, a strange woman who couldn’t remember if she was a servant, a governess, or the Queen of England herself. She couldn’t blame the lady for being a bit suspicious and wary of her.
Lady Frances seemed friendlier towards her and genuinely curious. But Lady Frances was a guest at Newquay just like herself. She had limited sway there. She glanced back at the duke.
Lady Frances was very beautiful, with her shining red-gold hair, sparkling blue eyes, and willowy figure. Surely the duke must have noticed that before? Was there something between them?
Quickly, she turned away, her heart beating hard. The feeling of disquiet increased. For some reason, she didn’t like the thought of it. Was it a small knot of envy that had lodged in her breast and stuck there?
But how could that be? She was a stranger to the duke. He owed her nothing. And there was no way he could ever contemplate her in that way. He didn’t know who she was. She didn’t even know who she was!
He is a duke. He would be attracted to a great lady, not a strange, bedraggled woman who fell into a mine and has forgotten who she even is. A lady like Lady Frances.
“This must be the spot where you fell,” said the duke suddenly, interrupting her reverie. “Think, Georgina. Is anything coming back to you?”
Christina sighed heavily, looking down. The cliff face reared dramatically. Hesitantly, she took a step forward. It was a dramatic drop. Her head started to spin a little. Was she suffering from vertigo … or was it something else?
She gasped, feeling her body go hot and then cold. She felt a sweat break out, small drops running down the back of her neck. What was happening to her?
She saw a bird … a large bird … and then, she was falling, tumbling, over and over, as if it would never end …
“What is it?” The duke put his hand on her arm, gazing at her intently. “What is it?”
“I … I do not know,” she stammered, feeling as if she were going to be sick. “I … I see a bird in my vision, and then I am falling … I cannot recall anything else!”
The duke looked pained. “Well, at least it is a start.” He turned, peering over the cliff. His face clouded as he pointed downwards. “Look, Georgina. There is a bird’s nest. Maybe that is what you are referring to? Maybe you were looking over the ledge at the bird’s nest … and lost your balance?”
“Perhaps,” she whispered, staring at the nest, feeling rather mesmerized by it. There were three shiny eggs in it, but no sign of the bird that had laid them. Perhaps it was out foraging for food. She frowned. “But that is all I can remember.” She turned back to the duke. “You think that was the beginning of it? The moment when I fell?”
“Most likely,” he replied slowly. He smiled at her. “Do not look so solemn. It is a good thing that you are remembering that, at least. It means that your whole memory may be returning … and you will soon recall who you are and where you live.”
Christina gulped hard. “No one has come forward to say they know who I am?”
