Preview: Worthy of her Love- Chapter 2

Welcome back! We’re up to Chapter 2 today. Is the duke who lives down the street the father of our wayward little girls? Read on and we shall see! If you have not read Chapter 1, click and read here.

This is the fourth book in the Montford Cousins series with the last being Georgiana’s story as an honorary Montford cousin 😉 Release of Worthy of her Love is May 21st!

Chapter 2

“What do you mean they have not returned? How long have they been gone?” Henry Granville, the Duke of Albemarle paced behind the desk in his study as his voice boomed through the room. In the seconds after his butler informed him his daughters had not come home from their morning walk in Hyde Park, his insides had instantly twisted and wound so tight they could have doubled him over in pain had his fury been any less.

“Two and a half hours, Your Grace.”

He halted mid-stride and turned to level the heaviest of glares upon his butler. “I beg your pardon? Did you say two and a half? Two and a half hours—in this frigid weather—and no one thought to question it? No one thought I should be informed?” His voice had increased in volume and ire until Taft winced at the last. Henry was not an ill-tempered man, by any means, so his butler’s response was telling. Even so, what had his butler been thinking? Had the man become an imbecile without his notice?

“Sir, we did not question their absence until about an hour ago. Mrs. Tanner and I sent footmen to scour the park, but we found naught of the girls or their servants. You only arrived back from your club moments ago.”

Henry placed his hands on his desk, leaned over it, squeezed his eyes closed, then blinked hard more than once. His heart beat in his chest with such vigour that the blood rushed through his ears with a deafening roar. “You could have sent a bloody footboy to Brooks! You could have hastened my return! I could have gone out on horseback and helped with the search! I should have been told!” After slamming his fist upon the hard surface, he whisked a piece of paper from a drawer and picked up his pen. “Find a boy to bring a message to the Bow Street Runners. Ensure no one leaves and nothing enters this house without the utmost scrutiny.”

“I beg your pardon, but what are we searching for, Your Grace?”

He ground his teeth against each other. Must he explain everything? “Any hint of where my daughters are. If servants are missing, they may be suspect. Any post that is delivered may be a note demanding ransom and will be brought to me without sorting. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Before he could put a pen to the paper, a rap at the front door made him straighten. “See who that is,” he barked.

Taft bowed and scurried out while Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. Miss Fletcher had begun serving as the girls’ governess in the autumn but had come highly recommended by her previous employer. How likely would it be she had a part in his daughters’ disappearance? He could not credit the possibility, but she had not been in his employ for long.

“Your Grace, the Earl of Richmond requests to speak with you.”

“I am not acquainted with the Earl of Richmond.” He was aware of the man, of course, but they were not friends. They had never so much as been introduced since they rarely attended the same events during the Season. Truth be told, Henry had attended a paltry few since he completed mourning for his wife three years ago.

“I have come with word of his daughters,” called the voice of an older man from the hall.

Henry’s entire body gave a jolt. “Well, Taft, are you just going to stand there or present him?”

The butler gestured the earl into the room, and Henry gave the briefest dip of a bow as a courtesy. “Forgive me if I am abrupt—”

“I do not blame you your brevity, Your Grace. From what I heard as I approached outside, you are missing two little girls. Would they happen to be named Lady Emmeline and Lady Juliana?”

“My servants tell me they did not return from their morning walk with their governess.”

“Your daughters were found alone near the Serpentine by my granddaughter. She would not leave them in the cold and by themselves, so she brought them to Richmond House until you could be found.”

“Thank God.” Henry’s body relaxed so much he could have sunk into his chair if he had not forced his knees to straighten rather than buckling. “What of my servants?”

“The girls have told my granddaughter that they did not wander off, but that the servants disappeared while your daughters watched the swans near the water’s edge. Neither my granddaughter nor the maid and footman who accompanied her saw any servants. Very few were in the park at all from what they have said, and they happened upon no one on their return.”

Henry made to rush into the hall. “Did you bring my daughters with you?”

The earl shook his head. “Forgive me, but no. My granddaughter realised you are a duke while trying to learn your name from your daughters. They knew the servants called you ‘Your Grace’ but no more. My housekeeper knew the Duke of Albemarle lived on this corner, so I walked down to ask if you were missing daughters. Since I was not certain this was the correct home, I left them where they were safe. Even you must admit the disappearance of your servants is alarming. I do not know if you have done so, but I sent a note to the Bow Street Runners in the event they were asked to investigate.”

“Yes, of course,” said Henry. The earl had been prudent to exhibit such care. “I understand your caution, and I am thankful for it, but I should like to see my daughters as soon as possible.” His entire body itched with the need to see them safe!

“Of course; may I suggest you prepare a carriage. While I am certain we can both manage the distance on foot, your daughters may be fatigued from the events of the morning as well as the distance they have already walked. They are quite young.”

Henry scrubbed his face with his palms. “Yes, you are correct. I must apologise for my terseness. I went to meet someone at my club this morning only to discover my daughters were missing upon my return. You must understand my distress. None of my servants thought to notify me when they realised something was amiss.”

“Pray, do not worry over my feelings. I would be as unsettled as you in your place.”

After Henry pulled the bell, Taft hurried in and stopped, snapping his feet together. He was, no doubt, being overly formal out of fear of losing his position. If not for his current temper, Henry would have stifled a laugh at the man’s ridiculous show of precision. “Your Grace.”

“I require a carriage readied and sent to Richmond House, which is…”

“On the corner of Upper Brook Street and Park Lane.”

After another bow, the butler almost tripped over himself as he rushed from the room. Henry released a heavy breath of air. “I would accept that offer to depart now, if you do not mind.”

As soon as they were in their coats and on their way down Park Lane, the earl cleared his throat. “If you will forgive my presumption, your butler fears being released.”

“As he should. He knew the girls were missing for over an hour and had not thought to fetch me. Brooks’s is not that far.”

“No, it is not, and your irritation with his delay is warranted, I assure you.”

Henry nodded. He had not decided what he was to do about his servants. Would they have learnt from his anger over the incident, or should he search for replacements? Bringing in someone new could be problematic. How could he trust them? What if they took the job for some nefarious reason? The questions and the happenings of the last ten minutes had caused his temples to throb mercilessly.

As they strode down Park Lane, the chill of the day seeped through his great coat and the clothing underneath to prickle his flesh. How long had his daughters been exposed to this weather? What condition had Emme and Jules been in when they were found?

“How are my daughters?”

“They were frightened, of course, and their cheeks and noses were pink from the cold, but my granddaughters ensured they were warmed. They have had chocolate and our cook’s Shrewsbury cakes. Last I looked, my granddaughter Jane, the one who found them, had taken them to the library and was reading them a story. We have kept the books from when our grandchildren were young for when my great-grandchildren visit.”

Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “You have great-grandchildren?”

“I have two. My granddaughter Amelia, who is wed to Sir Anthony Greene, has a daughter Isabella, and my granddaughter Elizabeth is married to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. They have a son named Alexander.”

“You also have a grandson, Lord Hatton, if I recall correctly.”

“Yes, though he was married late in the summer in Ireland. He and his wife have yet to be blessed.”

When they approached the large house on the corner of Park Lane and Upper Brook Street, the door opened, and the butler stepped aside as the earl gestured Henry to enter first. “Sir,” said the butler, “Miss Montford is still in the library with the girls. Mrs. Taylor has prepared a room for them to refresh themselves, but I believe Miss Montford wished to wait until your return to take them up. The younger was getting sleepy.”

Henry withdrew his pocket watch. “I believe Juliana takes a nap around this time.”

As soon as a footman took their coats and hats, the earl led him to a well-appointed library that at a glance appeared empty, but when they walked around a wall of shelves, he came to a sudden halt at the picture before him. A lady with flaxen hair and a soft expression read to Emmeline while Juliana slept in her lap, his younger daughter’s cheek resting upon the lady’s bosom. His chest seized at the sight.

He cleared his throat softly as to not wake Juliana. Emmeline’s head popped up and her countenance brightened. “Papa!” She started louder but dimmed her voice when Jules squirmed. He held out his arms, and his oldest ran and jumped into them. When he hoisted her to his hip, he ran his hand over her head and her shoulders. She appeared well. Thank God!

“I hear you had a bit of an adventure in the park today. How did you become separated from Miss Fletcher and the footmen?”

“We were down near the water watching the swans. When we turned around, they were gone.”

As he began to approach the couch, the lady made to stand, still cradling Juliana. “Pray, remain where you are. I do not expect you to rise when my daughter is using you as a cot. Lord Richmond, will you introduce us?”

After receiving the briefest of nods from his granddaughter, the earl held out his hand in her direction. “Your Grace, may I present my granddaughter, Miss Jane Montford. Janey, this gentleman is the Duke of Albemarle.”

“I am pleased to meet you,” he said. He returned Emme to stand upon the floor. “Perhaps I should relieve you of Juliana.” He paused at the first full view of the lady’s countenance. She was beautiful.

“Your daughter is no bother. I should have brought her upstairs, so she was more comfortable, but if Grandpapa met with success, I would not have delayed your reunion.”

When Miss Montford leaned Jules forward, he slipped his hands under his daughter’s arms, but not without brushing some part of Miss Montford. His breathing hitched in his chest, making him clear his throat. A blush began to bloom upon Miss Montford’s cheeks as their gazes met over his daughter’s head.

“Forgive me.” He lifted Jules to his shoulder. For the first time since Taft had told him the girls were missing, his heart calmed. They were safe. “If your butler would let us know when my carriage arrives, I shall relieve you of these two. I do hope they were no bother.”

Once she was free of her burden, Miss Montford stood and curtseyed. “They are lovely girls, Your Grace. My cousin Lady Fiona and I enjoyed their company immensely.”

The earl nodded. “I assure you, we hardly knew anything was different. They were well-behaved, particularly when you consider the mischief my own grandchildren would get up to at this age.”

Henry smiled, though his expression was surely tight given how his head now ached. “If you would allow me a gesture of appreciation, I would be honoured if you would join me at the Haymarket on Friday for Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Angelica Catalani is singing the role of Susanna. I would be honoured if you would attend with me. We could return to Albemarle House for dinner afterwards.”

Lord Richmond clasped his hands behind his back. “Your Grace, you owe us naught for what we would do again without question. I would never have presumed to leave two young children alone in the park and would have never expected my granddaughter to do so.”

“I could have lost them if Miss Montford had not intervened, so I do wish it. In fact, I insist.” He spoke nothing but the truth. For but a brief moment, he had a glimpse of his life without the girls. If it were not for Miss Montford, would he have found them? Would they have been returned to him at all?

“Then we shall accept, shall we not, Grandpapa?” Miss Montford’s head tilted towards her grandfather as she regarded Henry with a soft smile. While he had glanced at her before, he now had more of a chance to take in her appearance: blue eyes, pale skin, and golden hair with the curls so popular with society framing her face, though Miss Montford’s locks were not as tightly wound and complemented her well.

“Yes,” said the earl. “We shall accept. Thank you.”

“Excellent.” Henry shifted Jules so he could offer Emme his hand. “I shall send ’round a note tomorrow with the particulars.”

“Miss Montford, will you come read to me sometime?”

Miss Montford knelt down. “I should be happy to do so if your father does not object. All he need do is send my grandfather a note of when, and I shall be there.”

His eldest grinned and rushed forward to embrace her new friend. “I hope you come soon.” Emme was usually wary of strangers, but Miss Montford seemed to be a new favourite.

Henry thanked the earl and Miss Montford once more before they saw him to the door. A footman brought his great coat and hat as well as the girls’ coats to his carriage, and once he and the girls were settled into the squabs, the equipage carried him back in the direction of Albemarle House.

He buried his nose into Jules’s soft locks and took in a deep inhale. Soon, his daughters would be home where they belonged. Thank heavens!

So, we have met Henry! What do you think?

Next post goes up Thursday!!