Faith And Her Devoted Duke Read online

  Blushing at his own blunder, Devlin realized he had slighted poor Meg, and quickly sought to make his apology. How callous he must have sounded to her! “I’m sorry, Meg. That didn’t come out right. You’re doing your utmost to help, and I’m grateful,” he said, repentantly.

  “I’m ever so grateful to you, too, Mrs. Trucott,” Faith joined in. Facing Devlin, she added, “And to you, too, Devlin. I wouldn’t know what to do if you hadn’t been there to help me.”

  Meg had turned her back then to wring out a soft cloth which was left to soak in cold water, fresh from the well. If she happened to have briefly looked at the pair, she wouldn’t have failed to notice the adoration that glowed in Faith’s eyes. Instead, Meg was busy arranging the cold cloth around Faith’s sore ankle.

  Hissing at the unexpected cold, Faith was forced to break her gaze away from Devlin.

  Concerned, Devlin inquired, “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

  Warming at the endearment he gave her, Faith smiled up at him and assured him, “I’m all right. I just wasn’t expecting the cold.”

  Meg had finished securely wrapping several cold cloths around her ankle and smoothly drew herself up. “I’ll have you sit still for a spell until you are able to walk. The two of you must stay for a bite of supper until then, and I’ll have my husband take you home in the wagon.”

  “But Mrs. Trucott—“ Faith tried to interject.

  “Ah-ah, my dear girl. It’s Meg. I will not see your belly empty while you are under my roof. By the looks of you, you could use a hearty meal.”

  Forlornly, Faith said, “Thank you for caring for me so, Mrs.—I mean, Meg. It’s just that I will be missed if I’m not home before dinner.” Looking down as she twisted her hands in her lap, Faith worried that the more time she spent there, the angrier her father would be at her prolonged absence.

  Meg’s sharp mind immediately comprehended what Faith was not directly saying. The town knew of the Revelstoke family situation regardless of how they acted civilly, just barely, in public. With the older Revelstoke boys as wastrels and an almost absentee mother, the Revelstokes were viewed as less than filth by the nearby country folk, despite their father’s inherited lofty title.

  Regardless of the indifference the elder Revelstokes bestowed on their children in the presence of others, Meg suspected that little Faith was subjected to cruelty at the hands of her father in the privacy of their own home, given how meek and scared a little mouse she was. Sweet and so unlike her elder siblings, little Faith inspired Meg to want to wrap this dear little one in lamb’s wool and care for her like the little dear she was.

  “All right, love,” Meg finally spoke having mulled over Faith’s situation. “I’ll send for my husband who will take you home at once in the wagon. Milord, you must accompany her safely home to make excuses to her family if necessary.”

  Devlin nodded, understanding completely. He, too, was aware of Faith’s likely home life with a loud, overbearing father who was drunk on most occasions; a mother who preferred living in the City to her own children; brothers who racked up their gambling debts; and an older sister who should have made her debut to society ages ago. And if he remembered correctly, Faith wasn’t the youngest. She had a younger brother, Ethan, about eight, who had taken ill not long after their mother moved to London.

  Goodness knows, how many times his own father, Duke of Prestonridge, complained of the blight to society the current batch of Revelstokes had become of late. Devlin was certain his father was referring to the older Revelstokes and not Faith and her little brother.

  “Of course, I would be happy to escort you home,” he said, as he made a short, formal bow to Faith. “I am at your disposal, my lady.”

  Relieved that she didn’t have to explain why she needed to be home soon, Faith graciously answered with a small bow of her head, “You have my thanks, my lord.” Irrespective of her father’s boorish ways, he did see to it that his children be properly educated as the nobility they were to represent, and Faith had taken her etiquette lessons to heart.

  With such gallant treatment by her real-life hero, it had only reinforced her belief that Devlin would forever be her knight errant in her heart of hearts. Today was the first time she had received kindness from not one, but two people, who didn’t think she was a waste of good breeding like she was led to believe. Faith glowed inwardly at Meg’s insistence she stay just long enough to soak her ankle a while longer. If this is what it felt like to be properly cared for, then Faith wished she could bask underneath its warmth more often.

  Mr. Ben arrived soon after Meg declared her ankle looked much better, and with Devlin’s and Meg’s help, Faith was safely ensconced in the back of the Trucott’s horse-drawn wagon. With her legs splayed in front of her and a pot of stew wrapped up in a clean cloth on her lap for her to take home, Faith waved goodbye to Meg as the wagon lumbered towards the Revelstoke’s drive. “Goodbye, Meg! My thanks for all you’ve done for me today!”

  Meg waved back, with a big smile pasted for the little girl. Her smile wobbled a little bit, hoping that sweet little slip of a girl wouldn’t have to endure as severe of a punishment for not being where she should be. Edwin Revelstoke was not known for his kindness and Meg believed he did not extend an exception to the younger and much more innocent children.

  Since Faith wasn’t privy to Meg’s concern for her welfare, Faith was, at that moment, recalling the events of the day that brought her to an adventure she had not expected. An adventure that brought her into contact with her favored hero, Devlin.

  With Devlin and Mr. Ben chatting in the front, Faith’s eyes roamed over Devlin’s form unhampered by anyone’s notice of her blatant staring. This close to him in the wagon, she could easily pick out his personal scent of warm, masculine youth that was uniquely his. To her, he was probably quite the best scent in the world.

  But alas, the drive home was short, and she would soon be leaving his side. Now that the sky was darkening, she had the foreboding feeling that her absence was already noted. Meg said it couldn’t be helped that she was late, for she wanted to make sure Faith’s ankle was reduced to a more normal size. Both Meg and Devlin assured her that Devlin’s accompanying her home will not only ensure her safety but that an escort who could explain her late arrival could help alleviate her family’s worry.

  Faith was under no illusion that her family would actually be missing her. It was her father’s strict sense of routine and order that would be sorely tried with her tardiness to dinner, regardless of why. Faith knew that no explanation, no matter how reasonable, would calm her father when he was in a temper. It was a rare occasion when he wasn’t. If Devlin thought he could buffer her father’s extreme displeasure, she was not going to say a word to try to dissuade him. She wanted to see someone stand up to her father for once, and if it was on her behalf, she desperately wanted someone to champion her.

  At the front door of Revelstoke Place, Faith was disheartened to see her father standing there, obviously awaiting her arrival. He must have seen them coming up the drive with her red hair bobbing like a flame and came to meet them. To Devlin and Mr. Ben it may have appeared that the earl was there to greet them with paternal concern for his child, but Faith knew it was futile to hope he even had kind sentiments for her.

  Faith watched in trepidation as her father’s gaze finally lit upon her person. He took in Faith’s disheveled appearance and just as quickly swiveled his focus onto Devlin. Recognition flared in his eyes and swiftly turned bright red with rage.

  “You!” the Earl of Revelstoke bellowed, pointing at Devlin. “What have you done with my daughter?”

  Devlin had hopped down from the wagon to meet the earl to attempt to placate the enraged man. Before he could begin to explain what had happened to Faith, the earl slowly advanced on him, each step deliberate, speaking volumes of his upset.

  “Sir, I assure you that your daughter is unharmed by me. She had stumbled in the woods while playing and I had found her— “<
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  The earl roared, and Faith knew her father was now beyond the point of reason. “I know who you are and you have no business here. Leave at once!”

  “But sir! Your daughter has an injured ankle, and we were helping her home. If you would let me explain,” Devlin cried. Never before had he ever dealt with someone so difficult and unreasonable. He was beginning to realize that the neighbors were speaking truth in their assessment of the man.

  “You and your family are not welcome here. Your father saw to that when he broke faith with me years ago. Take yourself off my property or I will call for the authorities!”

  Devlin shrugged inwardly, knowing there was nothing he could do to persuade Faith’s unfortunate parent to listen. Poor Faith, to have to suffer living with this overbearing man.

  Rather than address the earl further, Devlin turned towards the wagon to assist Faith, only to find that Mr. Ben must have helped her down. She was now standing on her own and was even limping her way towards her father.

  “Thank you for bringing me home,” was the last thing she said to him before entering the house. He hoped she would at least look at him if only so he could give her a reassuring smile. But he wasn’t given the chance because the earl filled his vision and angrily said, “You stay away from us. We have nothing to say to each other.” Huffing noisily, the earl turned on his heel to follow his daughter inside.

  Being summarily dismissed by such a horrible man left a bad taste in Devlin’s mouth. Even worse, Devlin felt like he left an innocent lamb with a monstrous lion. He worried for the little girl and vowed he would look out for her when next they met. Someone, he felt, had to.

  2

  Six Years Later

  At sixteen, Faith’s home life neither improved nor worsened. Her father stayed drunk when her mother came home to rusticate in the country when the ton became too much to deal with. Her older brothers thankfully were never home unless they needed more money to pay their gambling debts. But Father must not have been giving them a cent since they were both at home presently.

  Her sister, Erica, had been languishing at home, now twenty-two and still unwed. Father had refused her a season in London, claiming that even if he did cough up the money to finance one, what man in his right mind would want to attach themselves to someone with the hated name of Revelstoke. Faith felt sorry that her sister was not afforded the escape from this wretched life with at least a proper season and was making plans with a Prestonridge footman. Even Faith had to admit that elopement, as romantic as it sounded, was most likely Erica’s only option to leave this house.

  Her little brother, Ethan, now fourteen, was no longer afflicted by the illness that had almost taken his life when he was eight. But neither did he have the vitality and strength that other boys his age possessed. He was given to moments of frailty and was often laid up in bed at the slightest chill in the air. Father mocked him constantly for his condition, but Faith would shield him as best she could from their father’s barbs.

  Living as she did in a house without warmth or affection, Faith had every reason to become embittered and angry. Her sweet and gentle character was as much a result of the friends she kept as it was a strong desire to never treat others the way she herself had been treated.

  After that initial meeting, Faith regularly visited with the Trucotts, eager to be part of something close to what she thought a family should be. Through Meg Trucott, whose niece had married into nobility and had moved with her family close by, Faith was introduced to the Ellesmere’s twin children, Mary and Jackson. It wasn’t long before the trio became a common sight strolling along the country lanes, in town, and riding Ellesmere horses through the countryside.

  When the Ellesmeres were in residence, country parties and soirees abounded when the weather was agreeable. Faith was often invited and was glad of her father’s indifference to her absence when she stayed the night with Mary in Mary’s room. Jackson acted the older brother to both of them, and the two girls together made it hard for him to properly fill that role with their hijinks. As they were the only peerage of the same age in the vicinity, their friendship cemented on the foundation of similar characters and interests.

  Through Mary, Faith learned music and literature. Faith’s own education at home by their governess was not supplemented with anything remotely interesting: numbers and letters were the only requirements her father asked in her governess’ prescribed curriculum. From Jackson, she learned jokes and tricks, which he often demonstrated to her by way of pulling pranks on his own sister. As a quick learner, Faith learned the pianoforte and to read music much quicker than Mary expected, given that Mary was barely accomplished at the skill herself.

  It never occurred to Faith to wonder why her father was now suddenly acquiescing to her socializing with her peers. If she had to guess, her mother’s presence at home may have had something to do with it. Now that she was older, Faith surmised that her father’s blustering and domineering ways arose from her mother’s absence. He seemed to be in better spirits when Mother was about. Faith could only wonder why her father acted as he did and learned to steer clear when he was in a bad mood. His fluctuating moods were the reason why she was often away at the Ellesmeres when he was out of sorts.

  However, the past few months saw her father in a bad mood more regularly even with Mother at home. The country gossip, which had tickled Faith’s ears a time or two, must have finally reached her father’s ears since it concerned him: the Countess of Revelstoke’s name being intertwined with that of the Duke of Prestonridge. With bad blood already between her father and the lofty duke, the current gossip would do more than just raise the earl’s ire. It made him livid when he was sober, cantankerous when he was drunk, and even more difficult to live with in either situation. If relations between the de Chamblays and Revelstokes were strained to begin with, then the countess’ affair with Devlin’s father would only increase her father’s bile. Goodness knew how much the earl hated Prestonridge and everything he represented.

  Her father hadn’t cared overmuch when her mother conducted her affairs away from the family seat here in Donnesbury. His heir and a spare were Mother’s contribution to the marriage, and who was to say that the children subsequent to Frederick and James were not the natural children of the Earl of Revelstoke? The three younger Revelstoke progeny all favored their mother with their luxuriously red hair, and there was nothing of the earl in either of them. And that was just fine with Faith.

  During a brief moment of sobriety, Faith had cautiously asked her father why he was downright aggressive in his hostility toward their neighbor. His reply was eye-opening for Faith, “He had stolen the only woman I had ever loved, knowing I had intentions to ask for her. As my closest friend, he supported me, cheering me on, giving me every hope that she was the one for me. Backstabber that he is, he eloped with her to Gretna Green before I could even mention it to her father. More fool me that I trusted him with the knowledge of my affection for her. My heart hardened against Lorraine when they married, my love for her no longer there. When she died in childbirth with their second child, I did feel remorse for what could have been, but she died knowing I hated her, her husband, and her son.”

  Faith was at a loss for words at her father’s revelation. Her father had known love once, but was burned badly in the knowing. Pity arose in her heart for her father, but she knew he wouldn’t want a scrap of that weak emotion directed at him, and she remained silent until he walked out of the room.

  Faith also came to the awareness that if her father had already heard the gossip, then it stood to reason that Devlin must also know the rumors bandied about his father and her mother. Since their encounter when she was ten, he made himself scarce, probably due to her father’s raging at him that day. There were glimpses of him at the Ellesmere parties, but she was always deterred from saying hello to him when he had a girl, a different one every time she looked, on his arm who looked at him possessively.

  In her heart of hearts, Fait
h still hoped he would one day look at her and see a woman worthy of his love. Her idolization of him still had not waned, but he made it difficult for her to get to know him better with his infrequent appearances in her life. With this infatuation still burning brightly within her heart, Faith lived her life contentedly without his influence. Devlin was a grown man now, enjoying the attractions London had to offer a young man new to his freedom. Knowing she had nothing to offer him as a prospective bride, she satisfied herself with adoring him from afar.

  Although her family was a family in blood ties alone, Faith was comfortable with the life she lived now. She loved her music and tried her hand at writing some of her own short pieces. She wrote short stories when she wanted to craft scenarios as a way of escaping the dreary existence at Revelstoke Place. Mary and Jackson encouraged her hobbies and had even brought samples of her work to relevant publishers in London who had written her with requests for more original work. Neither her father or mother knew of her accomplishments, but she hadn’t wanted them to know for fear of receiving cutting remarks from her father.