The Forgotten Duchess

Chapter Fifty-Three | Hope

Agatha gave him a small smile. "You should take care of that, Your Grace." Her smile dimmed a bit, "There is no indication that she will awake anytime soon. Doctor Ballard will be here first thing in the morning."

James nodded, he would ring for a tray once he went back to his room. He watched the governess as she sat down in the chair, holding Vivienne's palm in hers. He saw that her dressing gown was soiled, and it seemed that she had not changed from the morning either.

"You should rest as well," he commanded. "One of the servants will draw a bath and there may be a gown you can change into."

The governess shook her head her eyes filled with grief, "No, I can't leave. I abandoned her once and feared that I would never see her again. I need to make sure that she is alright, I owe it to her father to tell her the truth at least."

"I'll have the servants prepare the room next door for you Miss. Agatha."

When she opened her mouth to protest, James cut in with a note of finality in his voice. "It does Vivienne no good to have someone who can barely stand caring for her. Rest, and recuperate. After all, you said yourself that Vivienne will not be waking up anytime soon."

He could see the war wagering within her. But finally, she nodded, accepting his help. James stepped closer to Vivienne until he was standing across from Agatha. He gathered her small hand into his before he squeezed lightly, "Goodnight Vivienne, I'll be back soon."

It was difficult to leave the room, but James forced himself to put one step in front of the other. When he reached his room, he rung for a tray and some paper. He had rested but still needed to deal with the aftermath of the events. With a steaming plate of food on his desk and pen in hand, he began to write.

***

James entered the building, surprised to find Gilford awaiting him in one of the finely crafted chairs.

"You're early for once."

Gilford stood, giving him a smile, "I would never want to offend His Grace with my lack of punctuality."

James snorted, before his face turned serious. "I am grateful to you for answering my summons. Even though I relieved you from my service, you still came, which I can say is much more that a lot of other people would have done. I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do, let me know and I shall try my best to accomplish it."

The Bow Street Runner was silent for a moment, as if shocked by James' words. But James had told the truth. Gilford had stood by his side and loyalty was a trait that he valued very much.

"There is no debt between us," Gilford answered, scratching his head uncomfortably. "I failed you and Baldwin when I did not notice the deception. As far as I'm concerned, the scales have been cleared."

A pang entered James' chest upon hearing Baldwin's name. The solicitor had been a casualty of a decades long war between the French and English, yet his family would be the ones to suffer the most. Unfortunately, James had also missed Baldwin's funeral since he had been unconscious yesterday. "I've set up a trust for Baldwin's widow," James said somberly. "It is my hope that you can keep a closer eye on them when I cannot."

Gilford nodded, "I was going to pay my respect to his missus, I'll take your message along as well."

A door swung open and heavy footsteps echoed their way. "Lennox, you've arrived."

"Wellington," James echoed. "I can't say that its good to see you but thank you for meeting us on such short notice."

"Of course," the duke's gaze turned to Gilford and James introduced the two.

They walked towards Wellington's office and sat down. James took note of the war paintings in the study but didn't comment on them. Wellington offered them a drink, but James waved his hand. He needed this visit to be as short as possible. Ballard was set to arrive at his townhouse in a couple of hours and James wanted to be there to speak to him.

"Shall we get into it?"

James nodded, relaxing into the plush chair. "It all began when my father and the Earl of Westmorland signed a contract..."

James went on to describe how he had been looking for his betrothed and hired Gilford to investigate the matter for him. He explained figuring out Vivienne's identity and her departure to her uncle's house. James spoke about the pendant and his findings. Reaching into his tailcoat pocket, he pulled out the stack of letters, passing them onto Wellington.

The duke reached for his quizzing glass, as he scanned the contents of the letters. James went on to explain how they learned about the Earl's betrayal and had faced the French on the ship. Gilford added his own bits and pieces to the story, speaking about seeing the earl in a pool of blood on the lower deck, as well as the eventual bodies of the French soldiers.

"Bloody hell," Wellington said in amazement. "Westmorland? I would have never expected anything from him. I knew he had been injured during the French Revolution, but he seemed to be an honest man."

"Not everything is as it seems," James said coldly.

"No, of course it isn't," Wellington echoed before putting down the letters with a sigh, "I am truly sorry for your loss Lennox. It is my hope that some closure was provided."

James merely nodded. Although he was sure that Westmorland was not directly responsible for the murder of his father, the latter letters revealed the French threatening the late Earl's life if Oswald did not follow their directions. James connected the missing pieces of the puzzle from there.

The French wanted to take out Vivienne's father because he knew of their secrets, but they had instead murdered both the Duke and Earl, posing it as a carriage incident to avoid suspicion. Two aristocrat lives loss seemed more innocent when they were travelling together late at night.

"I'll place men in charge to look out for the rest of the names provided in the letters. As for Westmorland, it might be best to keep silent about his involvement as it can prove to be quite a precarious subject. I implore that you both do the same. His Majesty will agree with this, I am sure."

James clenched his fist, before releasing his fingers slowly. He wanted to argue and have Westmorland's name printed as a traitor for all the harm he had caused Vivienne and their fathers. However, James was also aware that the earl had a widow and a small child. Their lives would be changed immeasurably if something of this nature got out. The Westmorland name, and by extension the people he loved would be damaged.

Grabbing his hat, he stood, placing it on his head. "That is all Wellington. I must be off now; I have another appointment."

Wellington dipped his head, glancing between the two of them. "The crown is in your debt. Your work could earn you a medal of honour from His Majesty, should you wish for it."

Gilford's eyes seemed to light up, but James snorted. A medal from Prinny seemed rather a small and ridiculous prize when his heart yearned for something much larger. Yet James was not a fool. "I don't need a medal, but a promise of a favour is not something I would turn down."

Wellington laughed as he shook James' hand. "Lennox, you remain as crafty as ever. It is a deal then, a favour in your name." The duke's gaze turned back to the Bow Street Runner. "Stay for a few minutes, will you? I would like to speak to you about a few more missions that would be perfect for your expertise."

James left the two of them chatting in the office. He exited the building and stepped into his awaiting carriage. He needed to make one last quick stop before heading back to his house.

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So it seems that James if fine but Vivienne has yet to wake :( Where do you guys think James' next stop is? Also, updates will continue to be on Friday, but will be later in the evenings since I start my full-time job on Monday. Wish me luck!