The Duke Is Mine

Olivia smiled. “That’s Rupert.”

“Did the marquess sustain his injury in the fight?” Quin asked.

Grooper shook his head. “It was the damnedest thing—if you’ll pardon me, my lady. We was all done and we held the fort for three days, till the English forces could get back to us. They didn’t think we had a chance, you see. Not after all the earlier attempts had failed.” The disgust in his voice spoke for itself.

“We held that fort, and we did it nice, too. We had all the Frogs in the stockade, but we gave ’em blankets and plenty of food. Because the major said that a Frenchman deprived of his food will fight like a cornered rat. Sure enough, once they were all snug and well fed, they didn’t seem to mind much. Never even tried to get out.”

“Then what happened?” Olivia asked.

“The major, well, he liked to walk about on those battlements at night,” Grooper said. “The guard up there . . .” He cleared his throat. “Well, he said as how the major was reciting poetry.” The last word came out reluctantly, as if he were confessing that Rupert had begun smoking opium.

“Reciting poetry is not generally considered to be a hazardous activity,” Quin observed.

“Not one for poetry myself,” Grooper acknowledged, managing to imply that he considered poetry to belong in the same category as treason. “The major was up on those battlements, walking around and looking at the moon, and he took a header.”

“He was looking at the moon?”

“We found a scrap of paper behind with a bit of verse on it, all about the moon. At any rate, the fall knocked his brains about. He didn’t even wake up for a day and we thought he was gone for sure. But then he started talking of this Lucy—we thought she was his lady wife—so we decided as how we should get him back to England. Wellington’s doctor, he said that we had to wait till the major died and just bring back the body.”

“I’m glad you didn’t wait,” Olivia put in.

“The major wasn’t like the rest of them commanders. He really cared.” Grooper’s voice was a bit rough. “We put him in a cart and brought him to the shore, then we took a sloop and brought him up the north coast of France easy as pie. And we would have come across to England, except we thought it was making him worse, with the pitching of the waves. It hurt his head.”

Olivia put a hand on Grooper’s sleeve. “You did just the right thing. His father may not have been able to say this before he collapsed, but he is tremendously grateful to you, as am I.”

The sergeant looked at his hands and said, “Iffen we’d known Lucy was a dog, I don’t know that we would have done it.”

“In that case I’m glad you had no idea.”

“We must be nearing the shore,” Quin said, breaking in. “Olivia, you will wait here with Sergeant Grooper.” He seemed to think that he had the ultimate say in that matter. “The captain will drop anchor and I will take the rowboat to the hut and fetch the marquess.”

“No,” Olivia said, keeping her tone even. “I intend to be in that rowboat.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I did not come all this way to sit safely offshore. If Rupert is alive, he may not be well enough to venture a ride in a rowboat as, indeed, Grooper and his fellow soldiers surmised.”

“When we first discussed this possibility, we did not realize that there is a garrison of French soldiers a handsbreadth from the hut. I am extremely doubtful that Rupert and the two men who remained at his side are still at liberty.”

Olivia pressed her lips together before they could tremble. “It is true that Rupert is not a very lucky person.”

“I am certain that we can retrieve his body from the French if we pay enough,” Quin said bluntly. “We will bring it back to England and he will be buried with honors, as befits his rank and his deeds. But you need not risk yourself in that particular endeavor, Olivia. I will bring Rupert home.” There was a fierceness in his voice that turned the words into a vow.

Now tears were pressing against her eyes. Other than his father, Rupert had never had a champion. And now he had this magnificent, uncompromising duke. She felt sure that Quin would never allow the slightest insult against his erstwhile rival.

“Rupert would have been honored to know you,” she said, her voice unsteady despite her best efforts. “And I shall be in that rowboat with you.”

“No.”

“If you do not permit me to accompany you, I will join you a few moments after I strike poor Grooper on the head and swim to shore.”

“No need for that,” Grooper said. He seemed to be enjoying the skirmish. “Never let it be said that I came between a married couple.”

“We are not married,” Quin said, eyes fixed on Olivia.

Grooper shook his head. “And here I thought nobility didn’t have the loose ways o’ the rest of us. You surely fight as if you’d taken the vows.”

“I am an excellent swimmer,” Olivia insisted, ignoring the sergeant’s less-than-helpful comments. She was trying to make a point, but the moment the words left her mouth, and she saw the pain that flashed through Quin’s eyes, she realized she had made a terrible misstep.

She was at his side in an instant, her arms tight around his waist. “I won’t go in the water. I promise I won’t go into the water.” She brushed her lips across his. “If Rupert is still alive, I must be with him. He will recognize me; he has never met you.”

“I’ll bring Lucy with me.”

Olivia knew in her heart of hearts that she had to have her way on this. “You cannot make this decision for me.”

“You won’t be safe.” His voice was ragged . . . raw.

Though they scarcely noticed him, Grooper went up the steps to the deck, gently shutting the door behind him.

“You cannot keep me safe.” She pulled him closer until she could feel his hard chest against her. “I cannot keep you safe either.”

“Damn it, Olivia, these idiots stowed Rupert in a hut under the very noses of a whole garrison of French soldiers. If the Frenchmen were to capture you . . . no.”

“They will not capture me,” she said. She felt the knifelike agony in his eyes sink into her own heart. “I didn’t come all the way to France simply to wait in the Day Dream.” Then she had an inspiration. “They won’t capture me because I will be with you.”

“With me,” Quin muttered. His jaw clenched.

“I want to remain with you. Not only will I be safer, but I couldn’t bear the tension of not knowing how you were faring.” She felt a pang of guilt. She was manipulating him. “What if those soldiers catch glimpse of the Day Dream?”

“They will not,” he said flatly. “We will anchor offshore and shutter the lantern.” But his eyes searched her face. He was listening to her.

“I cannot leave him to die alone.” She put every bit of willpower she had in her voice.

“Dear heart.” He rubbed his thumb gently along the line of her lower lip. “Rupert is dead. I’m trying to work out how to carry his body down the inlet without alerting soldiers. And if by some remote chance he is alive, I will have Lucy with me. Surely she will be introduction enough.”