“Tiller, my lord.”
“My valet,” Giles told Thalia. “What do you want?”
The man cleared his throat, and she could imagine him turning red. “Your Grace, the Duke of Somerset wishes to see the bloodied sheet.”
Thalia bit her lip. “The cur! I cannot believe he would demand such a thing. If you had not insisted on keeping the sheet, he’d say we weren’t married.”
Now all he had to do was find the damn thing. “I think I left it in my bedchamber.” His beloved wife glared at him. He asked Tiller, “Where is the sheet I brought in this morning?”
For several seconds there was silence. “I sent it to be laundered, Your Grace.”
Giles lost any patience he possessed and bellowed, “Find the blasted thing now and bring it here, and it had better not have been cleaned!” He lay back against the pillows. “I can’t believe this. Why in the name of heaven would he have done that?”
“Did you tell him not to? His job includes insuring things are clean.”
“No. It never occurred to me.” He threw his arm over his eyes. “I’m going to have to run away with you and keep you hidden until you’re obviously with child.”
Their situation was dire, but Thalia had to smother her laugh. “Perhaps it will not be that bad.”
Another knock came on the door. “My lady, I mean, Your Grace,” Mannering said. “Do you wish to dress?”
Thalia glanced at her husband. “I suppose I should, but first, can you please help Tiller find the sheet from my bed last night?”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
For the moment, they were alone again, and she felt so sorry for her husband having to deal with her father. “It will be all right. I might be breeding even now.”
Giles rolled over and held her. “The only thing that’s important is that we are together.”
“I agree.” Trying to cheer him, she said, “If need be, I know the way from the chapel to the cottage.”
“You are a remarkable woman, and I could not be happier that you are mine.”
“I am.” Leaning over, she kissed him. “Forever.”
Sometime later, his valet and her maid knocked on the door and were given permission to enter.
“We found the sheet,” Mannering said. “It was not washing day.”
That was a blessing.
“We have your clothing,” his valet said. “You are wanted in the Duke of Berwick’s study.”
They dressed and made their way to Berwick. Kendal was not surprised to find Thalia’s brothers and brothers-in-law there as well as her sisters. What did surprise him was the way in which his wife addressed her father.
“Somerset, what is the meaning of this?” She stood just out of arm’s reach of her father. “To demand the bedding to prove I am married, that is outside of enough.” She pointed a finger at him. “I trust you have seen it and are satisfied that I am no longer a virgin.” Her brothers and sisters quickly masked their shocked looks. “I am waiting for an answer.”
The man’s mouth worked as if he was having trouble responding. “I never gave you permission to marry Kendal.”
Thalia raised one brow and her chin, and Kendal almost started clapping. “Indeed? That was not what I was told. Did you not sign the settlement agreements?”
The old man started to grab them off the desk, but Berwick beat him to it. “He did.” Holding the documents out, he read, His Grace the Duke of Somerset agrees with His Grace the Duke of Kendal that a marriage shall take place between Lady Thalia Somerset and the Duke of Kendal . . .”
Somerset lunged at Berwick and Kendal caught the man. “Don’t do it. You signed the contract. Whether you meant to or not is not at issue. She is now my wife. You will look like a fool if you attempt to repudiate our marriage.”
Shaking with rage, Somerset pointed at Hawksworth. “You knew about this.”
“Of course I did.” His son’s face was as cold as the father’s usually was. “But you signed the contract. You couldn’t wait to sign it even when Berwick suggested you wait until morning. I am a witness.”
“How?” Somerset demanded. “You weren’t even in the room.”
“Not in the room, but we saw everything from where we were.” Kendal released the old duke, and Thalia placed her hand on his arm. “I witnessed it as well. You did not even care that the other signature wasn’t on the contract. I signed it immediately after you left. Thalia is my wife, and I will not allow you or your tools to interfere with her or me in any way.” Her father’s cold blue eyes glared at Kendal, and he glared back. “I suggest you depart. Immediately. The rest of us have a wedding breakfast to attend.”
“Father”—she said as they turned to leave the study—“I wish you well.”
“Where is my wife?” Somerset raged. “Did she know about this?”
“No.” Laia stepped forward. “Mary has not been well, and my mother has been helping to nurse her. She knew nothing. She will no doubt be as shocked as you are.”
He stalked out of the room followed by two of Berwick’s footmen, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s done.” Kendal said. “I see now why you take such precautions to protect the duchess.”
“If he knew what she was doing,” Meg said, “he’d refuse to allow her to see the younger children and send her to some remote estate.”
“Come.” Guy took his wife’s arm. “We have reason to celebrate. Do we not?”
“Yes.” Giles glanced at Thalia. “I certainly do.”
Her eyes shone with love. “I do as well.”
“I have a question,” Guy said as he escorted Laia away. “Do you really still have dungeons?”
“We do indeed,” Berwick said. “One never knows when there will be another uprising.”
“I think Sittle should be prosecuted.” Thalia had a militant look in her eyes, and Kendal was not going to argue with her. She was turning into a formidable lady.
“I agree,” Euphrosyne said. “He was the one who tried to stop my marriage.”
Markville scowled. “Perhaps we should put him on a ship to the Antipodes.”
Somerset departed within the hour with a reduced number of servants. The next day, Kendal arranged for Sittle to indeed be shipped to the Antipodes.
Five days later, Kendal handed his duchess out of the coach and introduced her to their staff. He’d never been so happy in his life.
One month later.
THALIA STROLLED THROUGH THE GALLERY, looking at family paintings, and came across one of Kendal with his dead wife and daughter. “Is that Lillian?”
“Yes.” His arm was already around her, but he needed her closer. “We can put it in the attic if you wish.”
“No, why would I want you to do that? You had a beautiful daughter, and you loved her. That is how it should be.” Thalia turned and kissed him. “We will never forget her.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “And we will not let our children forget her either.”
His throat closed, and his heart couldn’t be fuller. “You’re going to have a baby?”
“No.” She smiled in her gentle way, but her tone was firm. “We are going to have a baby.”
AUTHOR NOTES
The fabric tulle is actually from the French town of Tulle and debuted in 1818.
The year 1819 was, in general, a cold year in England. A severe frost struck as far south as the Forest of Dean and into southern Scotland. This caused crops to fail and added to the hunger and misery started by the extreme cold in 1816 from which England had not recovered. The Corn Laws made the situation much worse as imported grain was out of the reach of most of the population. In August of 1819, there was a large protest against the government’s policies was in the process of taking place when the local militia charged resulting in the Peterloo Massacre.
There was actually a Duke of Berwick-upon-Tweed. He was the illegitimate son of James II. Although, the English title is extinct, the title of Berwick is carried on in a Spanish line.