Page 9 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
“We need your assistance, Mrs Sollock,” he replied in a commanding voice. “This young woman suffered a fall down a mine shaft, hitting her head badly, and needs attention.” He turned to Christina, his eyes resting on her. “She has lost her memory entirely, and we are calling her Georgina. I believe a hot bath is in order and rest. Could you handle it?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” replied the woman quietly, as if he had asked her to fetch him a drink, and it was nothing out of the ordinary at all. “I will take care of her.”
The duke nodded, turning to Christina again. “Mrs Sollock is the housekeeper at Newquay Hall. You are in good hands.” He hesitated. “I will check on you after you have settled. You need to bathe and rest.”
Christina nodded, biting her lip as she gazed at him. She didn’t know what to say to him now. The kitchen was teeming with people, all gazing at her, their eyes burning with curiosity as they went about their business.
Her blush deepened. She knew she must look quite a sight in her torn, dirty gown, with a large bandage on her head.
“Come along, miss,” said the housekeeper in the same quiet but oddly commanding voice. “This way.”
The duke smiled at her, inclining his head, before sweeping out of the room. The housekeeper took her elbow, steering her towards a stairwell. They climbed it, walking down a long hallway, entering a room with a large, four-poster bed and a window overlooking sweeping flower beds, topiaries, and rolling green hills beyond.
After she had bathed and was dressed in a long, plain white nightgown, the housekeeper assisted her to the bed, staring at her.
“You really have no memory of who you are?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Christina. “No memory at all?”
“None at all,” stammered Christina, slipping into the bed. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavier than lead. “It is like a blank in my mind every time I try to think. I cannot even remember my own name.”
She blinked back sudden tears. It was so distressing. And it was so disconcerting being here, in this unfamiliar place, being tended by strangers. A sudden yearning for the reassuring presence of the handsome duke swept over her, which was strange, given the fact he was as much a stranger to her as the rest of them.
“You talk like a lady,” mused the housekeeper, frowning slightly. “But that gown you were wearing belongs to a working woman.” She hesitated. “Could you perhaps be a governess? A gentlewoman down on her luck who was forced to work?”
“Perhaps,” replied Christina, shrugging her shoulders. “Are there any families in this area who have governesses?”
“Aye,” replied the housekeeper. “There is. The Acton family have a governess for their children, as does Lord Babington, who is a neighbour.” She paused. “I can make enquiries as to whether they are missing anyone in their households and at the other grand houses in the district. Do you want me to do that?”
“Yes, I would be very grateful,” said Christina, smiling tremulously at the woman. “I feel terrible imposing like this … but I had nowhere else to go. The duke was very kind.”
“Aye, he is a kind master,” agreed the housekeeper. “And quite a catch. All the young ladies in the district want to become his duchess, but he has never seemed inclined to marry, even though he is nearing thirty now and needs an heir.” She sighed. “We all think he must have suffered a broken heart. Anyway, you should rest. I will come to check on you in a few hours.”
Mrs Sollock turned, leaving the room without another word, closing the door firmly behind her.
Christina gazed around the strange room, which was as silent as the grave, thinking about the duke: the handsome, kind duke who might have suffered a broken heart and needed an heir. Then, she slipped into a deep slumber, losing herself entirely.
Chapter 5
“Would you like a brandy, old chap?” Sebastian turned to his old friend, Daniel Ealing, the Marquess of Falmouth, who had just arrived unexpectedly at Newquay Hall. “It will give you some warmth after the long ride.”
Daniel nodded. “A brandy would be just the ticket, Newquay. Thank you.”
They settled by the fire in the study, nursing their brandies. Sebastian took a long sip. The drink was very welcome after the shock of the day – finding the injured young woman in the mine shaft and bringing her back to his home to recuperate.
He hoped she was resting well – it had been hours since they had returned. Mrs Sollock had told him Georgina was sleeping like a baby when the housekeeper had checked on her an hour ago.
Her name is not really Georgina. I wonder what it is? Is she Jane, or Kitty, or Amelia? Who is she?
“I have had quite an adventure today,” he announced suddenly, gazing at his friend. “A young woman suffered a fall into one of my abandoned mine shafts. I discovered her on my morning ride. She hit her head badly and has lost her memory entirely.” He paused. “I brought her back here. She is sleeping upstairs as we speak.”
Daniel choked on his brandy. “What? How intriguing! She truly has no knowledge of who she is? She cannot remember a thing?”
Sebastian nodded. “She cannot even remember her own name,” he replied, his heart shifting in his chest. “Dr Watson attended the accident and dubbed her Georgina for the King. So Georgina she is … until she recovers her memory and can tell us her real name – or someone comes forward to claim her.”
Daniel shook his head incredulously. “She is a mystery! What is she like?”
Sebastian felt his face flush and warmth spreading through his body as he thought about Georgina. The same warmth he had felt when he had held her in his arms as they had ridden to his home.
“She is quite beautiful,” he replied, taking a long sip of brandy. “She has flaxen gold hair, the brightest green eyes I have ever beheld, and a smile that could break your heart.” He hesitated. “But she is quite a puzzle, Falmouth. She was riding an expensive horse and spoke like a gentlewoman, yet she was dressed like a servant. I have sent letters to all the grand houses in the district already, asking them if any of their households are missing. We shall see if any of them respond.”
