Page 35 of Taming a Beastly Duke
“Thomas and I have talked a bit about Marcus’s condition,” she said. “He has been my one comfort in all this, in spite of my worry for Marcus.”
Adelaide nodded, thinking of the way the Duke made her feel. When she was with him, it was as if nothing was wrong. None of her past followed her, none of his past mattered, and the two of them could discuss poetry and kiss forever.
“It is wonderful that you have such comfort,” she said, smiling warmly at Edith.
Edith nodded, but her eyes grew sad.
“I have deep feelings for him,” she said. “However, that is just the trouble. I know that my family would never approve of me marrying him. They expect me to marry a duke or an earl of great wealth and prestige. I want to believe that him being so close to the family for many years would help. I know it will not, however. To choose him would be to lose my family’s love and support. He is so dear to me, but so are Grandmother and Marcus.”
Adelaide’s heart ached for her friend. The raw emotion as Edith spoke about the choice she believed she faced between loyalty to her brother and family and the yearning of her heart made Adelaide’s chest tighten with sympathy. She glanced up at the men with whom they were respectively smitten as she linked her arm through Edith’s.
The Duke strode ahead with Lord Thomas and the two of them were engaged in their own hushed conversation, ignoring the curious glances the duke drew. The older women walked between the men and the younger ladies, keeping a sedate pace and talking with great animation about something regarding the improvements to the gardens.
Adelaide heard their voices carrying back to where she and Edith walked. However, she could not concentrate on what they were discussing. She had enough thoughts in her mind. She was glad that the older women were enjoying themselves, but her worry about the Duke could not be silenced. She prayed that nothing bad happened while they were in the gardens. But the dread in her stomach granted her no opinions of a successful afternoon in the beautiful gardens.
Chapter Sixteen
The interior of Sydney Hotel was as elegant and tranquil as the gardens themselves. The spacious reception hall with its high ceilings offered a warm welcome as their large group stepped inside. There was a grand staircase with a wrought-iron balustrade which led to the upper floors. A grand chandelier cast light onto the marble floor from above, giving the room a heavenly glow. There were other guests mingling and talking, the large room granting a delicate echo of the spirited voices that filled it.
Adelaide had just begun to allow the peacefulness of Sydney Gardens to soothe her after the earlier turmoil as they all entered one of the tea rooms within the hotel. However, the peace was shattered in an instant as two familiar figures rose from their table.
“Heavens,” Lady Beatrice said, beaming at the group with obvious delight. “What a wonderful surprise to see you all here.”
The dowager duchess and Helena seemed equally thrilled to see the woman and her son. Lord Edwin, however, gave a smile that, as always, did not reach his eyes. But Adelaide noticed that this time, rather than cool consideration in his medium brown eyes, there was something that seemed almost nervous and unsettled. Still, his smile remained steadfast under his mother’s expectant gaze as he bowed, gesturing toward their table.
“Please, join us,” he said. “We just took our seats, and it would be a pleasure to share tea with all of you in this glorious place.”
The older women accepted the invitation with warm smiles and embraces. Edith glanced first at Lord Thomas, then at Adelaide, biting her lip uncertainly. The Duke looked bitterly unamused and brooding, though he did not object. With the decision made, everyone sat around the polished mahogany table. Adelaide tried to dismiss what she thought she had observed during Lord Edwin’s greeting. However, when she looked up to see him looking at the duke with a mixture of fear and disdain, her heart sank. The two men were cousins, and yet the tension between them was all at once very clear to her. Could it have something to do with the death of Mr. Morrison?
The tea was served a moment later, accompanied by Sydney’s famous Sally Lunn buns.
“It is a happy coincidence that you all chose to visit the gardens at the same time we did,” Lady Beatrice said.
Adelaide studied the woman, still unsettled by the manufactured pleasantness of her son. Lady Beatrice had always been nothing but kind to her. But she could not help thinking that Lord Edwin must have learned such odd behavior from someone. She wanted to trust Lady Beatrice, especially since she lacked any reason not to. But another glance at Lord Edwin’s detached eyes made her shiver, and she forced herself to look away.
“It is such a lovely time of the year,” the dowager duchess said, echoing her sentiment from the previous day. “I could hardly allow us to miss such a perfect opportunity to see such elegant grandeur and beauty.”
The polite pleasantries continued, and Adelaide tried to recover the sense of calm she had first experienced upon entering the hotel. However, the rich aroma of the delicious buns did nothing to ease the tension between the younger members of the table, which crackled beneath the light conversation.
When the women finished with the polite niceties, Lord Edwin gave the dowager duchess and Marcus a sympathetic look.
“I heard about Mr. Morrison’s death,” he said. “It is such a tragic way to die. He was a wonderful physician to our family. I offer my sincerest condolences.”
The Dowager Duchess gave her youngest grandson a gentle smile.
“Thank you, dear,” she said. “He was a dear friend to your late grandfather. Our hearts are heavy, but I hope that spending the day here might lift our spirits.”
Lord Edwin nodded.
“I was of the same mind,” he said. “In fact, it was my idea to bring Mother here today.”
Adelaide glanced at Lady Beatrice, who was looking at her son curiously, as though she wanted to ask him something. However, she simply nodded with a small smile.
“It was,” she said, giving Lord Edwin another strange look which he ignored.
Adelaide studied the pair, then glanced at Marcus. His expression was strained, clearly still impacted by his illness, but his eyes held a suspicious curiosity. Adelaide knew he was right to look that way. If Lord Edwin and Lady Beatrice had arrived before them, and it was only late morning, how had they received the news of the physician’s death?
How did we receive the news, for that matter? She wondered again. And why does Lady Beatrice appear confused if they heard about the accident?
