Regency Engagements Box Set Read online

  “She was such a rebellious young woman, who existed only to cause frustration to her mother. That poor Lady Sheffield was not equipped to have such a rebellious child. Not after Lord Munthorpe being predictable and obedient. He had been the apple of his mother’s eye ever since he was born, and Lady Anna’s rebellious nature only caused the countess to grow closer to Lord Munthorpe. That, in turn, was most certainly the reason why she pretends to be ill,” Lady Catherine spoke slowly, but her words did not seem to make any sense to the duke.

  Why on Earth would Lady Anna pretend to be ill to receive attention from her mother? Lady Anna would not do such a thing. The manner in which Lady Catherine described and spoke of Lady Anna was entirely absurd, and it was completely inaccurate. The duke had spoken to Lady Anna every day since her arrival at the Keep, and he had come to know her as a delightful and kind woman, who could not utter as single lie in her entire life.

  The duke stepped away from Lady Catherine, scoffed, and said, “Perhaps my lady should be careful of the untrue tales you tell to other people.”

  “What on Earth do you speak of, Your Grace? I am only telling you of what I had heard of Lady Anna,” Lady Catherine said, batting her lashes innocently.

  “Perhaps you should check your resources beforehand,” the duke said angrily and stepped away from her, “before you speak of things of which you have no knowledge.”

  “Your Grace, I meant no disrespect. I was merely informing you before you decide to commit to someone as deceptive as Lady Anna,” Lady Catherine answered and eyed the duke.

  The duke was growing tired of the profanities Lady Catherine continued to spew regarding Lady Anna, and he was no longer interested in listening to her. He gave her an angry look before passing her by, leaving her alone in the center of the ballroom. Her cheeks colored from embarrassment, and although the duke heard her threaten him that he would regret speaking to her in such a tone, he did not care in the least. The only thing on his mind at that moment was that he needed to get to Feldham Manor in Cheshire as speedily as he could.

  There was nothing that could prevent him from getting there, not even the thick black clouds which had already formed in the sky, blocking out any form of sunlight.

  6

  October 1815

  Feldham Manor

  Cheshire

  England

  Lady Anna was in a dream, a terrible dream she could not escape, which caused her to weep uncontrollably. The tranquil harsh beauty of the moors was hazy in her mind, as distant as the Duke of Richmond’s bright shining green eyes, the way he smelled, and the touch of his hand on hers. The feel of the wind against her cheeks as she clung onto his shoulders as they rode on Midnight, passed the rolling hills and away from the guests, who now despised her even more since they learned of her close acquaintance to the duke.

  A memory, or perhaps it was a dream, drifted in her mind. She remembered the pleasant way he smiled at her and her alone when he walked across the drawing room to speak with his guests. The way he would glance at her from the other end of the dining table, his eyes shining brightly as the rest of the guests faded away, and it felt as though she and the duke were the only two people in the room, the world.

  Lady Anna recalled the musty smell of the hallways as they approached the door which led to the lake. She recalled the aroma of the polished wood in the library, and the leather and paper mixture which seemed to embrace her heart with no intention of release. She recalled the sounds of the fire, muffled by the sound of the duke’s baritone voice as he spoke to her about himself and his family. She remembered the loneliness she felt in her heart. She was not certain whether she would ever hear that voice again.

  As consciousness crept upon her, the familiar scent of lavender and hazelnut filled her nostrils, and it became apparent that she was no longer at Cragshead Keep. She was home, in Cheshire, in her father’s estate, Feldham Manor. More than a day’s travel from Cragshead Keep, and the duke. Her heart instantly noticed the distance, and the cruel realization that she would indeed not see the duke ever again crashed upon her, causing even more pain in her chest.

  Lady Anna opened her eyes sleepily and drearily, and she groaned. The bed felt as it always had, her own curtains sewn in cream and rose framed the garden outside. Drifting into a world of sleep once more, she was not able to discern between being asleep and being awake, and she could not find comfort no matter how she turned. She was cold, so cold she could not imagine she could ever be warm again. The cold inside her had been such a loyal companion to her for her entire life; she knew of nothing else.

  Lady Anna wished for her mother or for Katie to be at her side, but she was alone in her bedchambers, the place she had considered her solace from the world. Only now, it suffocated her, swallowed her. There was no one and no possible way to summon help. She was far too weak to stand or reach the bell pull. Closing her eyes, she tried not to sink into the darkness that came for her. She was so alone. She was afraid. What happened to her? She did not know, but she wished someone, anyone would come to her.

  In her state of neither wakefulness nor dreams, she was surrounded by the damask wallpaper of her own room. The pale blue fabric was a delight that she often took for granted. How beautiful her room was, with it the country scenes painted in cheerful colors hanging from silken ribbons along the walls. Her own couch and chairs covered in embroidered silk fabric were arranged around the fireside.

  When she thought of the fire, why, she wondered, was it not blazing? If she could reach the bell pull, she would summon the scullery maid at once.

  “Doctor, what is the matter with my daughter?”

  Lady Anna hears her mother’s voice, but it is only a whisper, coming from beside her. Perhaps she was indeed still dreaming.

  “She murmurs. She opens her eyes, but I do not think she sees me. I cannot understand what she is saying,” Lady Sheffield said, as she sat at Lady Anna’s bedside, her hand wrapped around her daughter’s limp, nearly lifeless fingers.

  A stout man of middle age answered in a tone of complete confidence. “My lady, I fear that she is suffering from a weakness of the blood,” the doctor said in a grave tone.

  “A weakness of the blood, are you quite sure it is not consumption? I fear she may have contracted that wretched disease in that horrid weather in the North,” Lady Sheffield scoffed. “I was well aware of the strain it would take on my daughter’s health. I informed my husband, but he insisted that my daughter was fit enough to make the journey.”

  “No, my lady,” the physician answered and cleared his throat. “She does not possess the symptoms of consumption, but I would remain vigilant should she develop any sign of the illness. Yes, I am convinced it is but a weakness of the blood.”

  “This cannot be. Upon your previous examination of her, you informed me that it was her lungs. Now it is her blood?” Lady Sheffield asked in a rather irate tone. “What will it be the next time you come to see her?”

  “My lady, I am certain you are worried and impatiently waiting for your daughter to show signs of improvement, but I am afraid that there is not much we can do for her at the moment.”

  “Whatever there is to do for her, we must do. What would you suggest, Doctor? Please, you are our family’s only hope,” Lady Sheffield pleaded helplessly. “Is she not too feverish or weak for a treatment?”

  “Bloodletting is the cure for her blood ailment. We must rid her body of the weak blood. I recommend a regime of leaches twice a day or other methods as you wish.”

  Lady Sheffield released Lady Anna’s hand and stood from the edge of the bed. She followed the physician to the far corner of the bedchambers to discuss in vivid detail the practice of bloodletting. Katie swooned at the foot of the bed and cringed as she listened to the physician speak, finding the entire practice of placing live leeches on Lady Anna’s body rather barbaric and atrocious. Katie was well aware that Lady Anna would most certainly not agree to such a practice.

  “I am not entirely co
nvinced, Doctor, but I am willing to allow it. Anything to save the life of my precious daughter,” Lady Sheffield agreed, and she nodded at the physician.

  “Very well, my lady. I will return in the morning. Ensure Lady Anna rests and keeps warm,” the physician said before leaving the bedroom.

  Lady Sheffield bit her bottom lip and approached the bed once more. “I do not have the strength to go through this once more, Katie.”

  Lady Sheffield sighed and spoke to the maid with a candor Katie was not prepared to hear. In the sick room, at Anna’s bedside, the distinction among classes was forgotten.

  “Katie, that is the fifth physician we have brought from London to see Anna. Not even our family physician is certain what ailment haunts her. Is there no one who knows what has happened to my daughter?” Lady Sheffield uttered helplessly, and her shoulders slumped.

  “We must have faith, my lady. Anna’s body may be fragile, but her heart is strong, as is her mind. She will fight this.”

  “And if she does not?” Lady Sheffield asked, tears in her dark eyes. “I cannot lose my daughter, Katie. I cannot lose her.”

  “We will not lose her, my lady. We will find someone who can take all her ailments away,” Katie said, placing an encouraging hand on Lady Sheffield’s shoulder.

  “Who? This man? I do not trust him with my daughter. Bloodletting? Live leeches? Anna would be furious and morbidly disgusted if she were to discover live leeches were placed on her body. Mortified. She would never speak with us again,” Lady Sheffield answered.

  “Indeed,” Katie answered and glanced worriedly at Lady Sheffield. “Is bloodletting truly the only other way, my lady?”

  “According to the physician. Bloodletting is a common method to cleanse the blood,” Lady Sheffield said.

  “But what of her weakness, my lady, and her fever? I fear for her,” Katie expressed her concern.

  “As do I, Katie,” Lady Sheffield admitted.

  “My lady, what of the apothecary, Mr. Lawson? Have you sent for him?”

  “Yes, Katie,” Lady Sheffield nodded and turned to Lady Anna. “He was the first one we sent for upon our arrival home from the den of illness and fever. Why my husband ever agreed to a hunting party in the poor air of the North, I shall never understand. I tried to change his mind, to allow myself and Anna to stay behind, but he was insistent that we joined him and Munthorpe. Why did I agree to it? Should a mother not know her child the best?”

  “You are not at fault, my lady,” Katie attempted her hardest to reassure Lady Sheffield, but the countess was not noticing it at all.

  “What are we to do?”

  “We must save my lady’s life, she is so young. All she has known is sadness. What if she suffers from a broken heart?” Katie whispered.

  “A broken heart?” Lady Sheffield asked. “Over the dead vicar? The poor man who had gotten himself killed in the West Indies?”

  “Your daughter loved that man dearly, my lady. Had my lady not noticed that Anna’s health had deteriorated significantly when she learned of his passing?” Katie asked.

  “He was not the right man for my daughter, Katie, and you should be aware of that,” Lady Sheffield said with agitation.

  “Indeed, my lady, but that does not change the fact that Anna loved him, and she was greatly affected by his death. The poor dear was not even allowed to mourn his death, as per the insistence of yourself and my lord,” Katie said, as tears formed in her eyes. “One cannot choose whom one loves, my lady.”

  “Indeed not,” Lady Sheffield sighed.

  The touching scene between the lady of the house and the maidservant was interrupted by a knock on the door. Katie wiped away the tears that nearly spilled over onto her cheeks as she jumped from her perch at the foot of Anna’s bed and opened it. A footman stood in the hallway and glanced blankly at her.

  “What is it?” Katie practically hissed at him. “Her ladyship is at her daughter’s bedside.”

  “Katie, let him in,” Lady Sheffield gave Katie a dismissive wave, and Katie stepped aside allowing the footman to enter the bedchambers. “Jones, tell me your business, whatever it is,” the countess said to her staff, as she assumed the air of lady of the house once more.

  The footman announced to Lady Sheffield, “There is a gentleman downstairs, my lady. He claims he has traveled a great distance, and he insists upon seeing Lady Anna.”

  “What gentleman? We are not entertaining; there is sickness in the house,” Lady Sheffield answered with a frown.

  “The Duke of Richmond, my lady. He says he is known to you and his lordship,” the footman answered.

  Lady Sheffield exchanged a surprised glance with Katie. “The Duke of Richmond is here? He wishes to see my daughter?”

  “Yes, my lady, that is what he says.”

  “Send him up, have the cook prepare tea for him, a sandwich and soup if she has it,” Lady Sheffield ordered.

  “Right away, my lady,” the footman answered obediently and quickly left the bedchambers.

  Lady Sheffield and Katie glanced at one another once again in anticipation. Neither of the two women had ever expected the duke to journey all the way from Cragshead Keep to see Lady Anna.

  “What on Earth is His Grace doing here?” Lady Sheffield asked. “And why would he possibly wish to see Anna?”

  Katie smiled happily and clasped her hands together. “There is only one thing which springs to mind, my lady, and that is love.”

  In her bed, Lady Anna heard the sound of voices in the distance. She did not know she was never alone, nor did she know that her mother remained at her side and so did her maid. She struggled to sleep, finding no peace in sleep. She could not breach the walls and make herself heard in the waking world.

  Lady Anna was in a fevered state, unable to remember how she came to be in her bed, when she imagined she was in a castle. Then suddenly, the deep tone of his voice was the first sound she clearly heard as more than a whisper, more than murmur from far away. She heard the Duke of Richmond and wondered if she was dreaming.

  “Forgive the intrusion, my lady. I am well aware that it is not the normal state of things to invite myself into the bedroom of a young woman, but I insist you allow me to see her,” the duke said with gravity, his presence filling the room as if he was taking command.

  Lady Sheffield curtseyed to him, and Katie nearly wept in joy and astonishment as he entered into the dazzling bedroom that resembled more of a garden than a bedchamber. Hot house roses were arranged in porcelain vases along the mantle, and their sweet scent filled the bedchamber. Crystal sconces and candelabras were arranged around the room, giving a dazzling hue to a room that was clearly the sanctuary of a wealthy young woman.

  The duke approached the bedside of Lady Anna with solemnity. Lady Anna lay under a pile of thick covers, her head rested on pillows of silk. Her long golden hair framed her face as a halo, creating an ethereal and angelic feel in the air. Her skin was pale, and as he removed his glove, he reached for her hand, sighing at the coldness of it. Without apology or asking for permission, his hand involuntarily lifted to touch her cheek. He was startled as he drew back from her, his expression no longer solemn but filled with a sudden fury.

  “She is burning, her skin is scorching with fire,” the duke uttered, worry and anger consuming him instantaneously. “How long has she been feverish?”

  “Ever since the journey back home, Your Grace,” Katie answered.

  The duke turned to Lady Sheffield with a swiftness that made Katie gasp. “I should never have permitted you to bring her home to Cheshire, the journey may have done her more harm than good!”

  Lady Sheffield rose to her full height and leveled a glare in the duke’s direction, uttering, “I had to take her away from that house of yours. The damp was killing her. While I appreciate that you found her on the hillside, that you saved her life, I could not allow her to languish in the countryside without benefit of an apothecary or doctor.”

  “You may have done more to
hasten the spread of her illness; your attitude towards the North may have diminished her condition. She is in a terrible state. I fear for her life,” the duke countered and paced along the width of the bedchamber. He stopped abruptly and glanced at Lady Sheffield, his green eyes filled with fury. “Tell me, my lady, what has been done?”

  Lady Sheffield stepped forward, undeterred by the fury besieged by the duke and answered calmly, “I have summoned every doctor I know; they all want to begin bloodletting immediately.”

  “Bloodletting? That is preposterous. I will not allow it,” the duke said sternly.

  “Your Grace, I find the practice to be repugnant, and the results are never certain, but I don’t know what else there is to be done for her. If you know what can be done, I shall listen, but I will not apologize for removing her from Cragshead,” Lady Sheffield said to him, steadfast and unwavering.

  “She was too weak to travel, and yet you insisted she come home. What good can it do to argue? I tried to be patient to wait for news, but I could not, not when I knew her to be in grave danger,” the duke answered, and he raked his fingers through his hair to compose himself.

  He did not wish to appear hostile, or to blame anyone for being at fault, but something needed to be done for Lady Anna, and he would see to it that something was indeed done for her. He loved her, and he would not allow his love to perish at the hands of anyone, especially not himself.

  “Forgive my intrusion and my tone. I am concerned for Lady Anna’s life. If you would allow my personal physician to attend to her, I would be grateful.”

  “Your grace, I forgive your intrusion, and I understand that you have come to care greatly for my daughter,” Lady Sheffield said, her voice calm and collected. “No other doctor or apothecary seems to understand her illness. I would be willing to entertain any suggestion you may have as to her condition if it would only make her better. She has a fever; she is weak; and she does not know I am here.” The countess spoke without anger, as her shoulders slumped in exhaustion.