Page 39 of The Big Bad Duke

A part of her knew she had been right to uncover the truth. But another part still grappled with the consequences of that knowledge.

She couldn’t reconcile the loving uncle she had known—the man who had raised her—with the egotistical, cold-hearted figure depicted in those damning pages. She didn’t know how to hold both versions of him in her heart without breaking apart entirely.

Since that terrible revelation, she had tried harder than ever to do good, dedicating her life to helping others. It was the only time she felt a surge of energy, the only moments when the crushing weight of her uncle’s legacy seemed to lift—if only briefly.

Well, that and—

A loud shriek erupted from somewhere on the first floor, followed by the thunderous pounding of footsteps across the floorboards. Caroline looked up just in time to see her husband, Dane, barreling down the stairs with their daughter, Jane, clutched securely in his arms. The little girl screeched with delighted excitement, her chubby arms flailing as her father took the steps two at a time.

—and when she was around her little family.

“Mama! Mama!” Jane called out, her voice high and breathless with laughter.

Caroline felt the first genuine smile of the day cross her face as she reached out to take her daughter from Dane’s arms. Jane immediately wrapped her small arms around her mother’s neck, still giggling from her wild ride down the stairs.

“What did you do all day, my darling?” Caroline asked as they made their way upstairs together, with Dane following close behind.

“Play! Play horses with Papa!” Jane announced proudly, bouncing slightly in her mother’s arms.

“Horses? Oh my, how exciting!” Caroline cooed, her voice taking on the sing-song quality that came naturally when speaking to her two-year-old daughter. “Did you gallop very fast?”

“Fast, fast!” Jane agreed, making galloping motions and testing the strength of Caroline’s grip.

“Oh, I bet your father was the fastest horse in all of England,” Caroline said, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s dark curls.

“Yes!” Jane giggled, and Caroline couldn’t help but laugh.

“Did you have your luncheon yet?”

Jane nodded vigorously, and Caroline glanced back at Dane, who shook his head.

The nursemaid appeared at the top of the stairs just as they reached the landing.

“Miss Brown, you’re just in time,” Caroline said, then looked at Jane with exaggerated solemnity. “Now we shall find out the truth about luncheon, won’t we?”

Miss Brown smiled. “I was just coming to say that her food is ready.”

“Excellent.” Caroline handed Jane over to the nanny, though her daughter protested with a small whimper at being separated from her parents. Caroline felt a pang as well, but she needed to clean up from her journey before she could spend more time with her daughter.

“How about we go for a stroll in the park in about an hour?” Caroline suggested, smoothing Jane’s hair back from her face. “Would you like that, sweetheart?”

Jane’s face immediately brightened, and she clapped her hands together. “Park! Park!”

The nursemaid smiled and nodded in agreement. “That sounds lovely, my lady. The fresh air will do her good.”

As the nursemaid carried Jane away, still chattering excitedly about horses and parks, Caroline felt the familiar wave of exhaustion creep back over her. Dane seemed to sense it immediately. His hand found the small of her back, gently guiding her into her bedroom.

He led her into her dressing chamber and moved behind her, his fingers working at the small pearl buttons of her day dress. His breath was warm against the nape of her neck as he asked softly, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she replied, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease with each button that came undone.

“You’ve been feeling tired a lot lately.” He pushed the dress down her shoulders, and it pooled at her feet, leaving her standing in her chemise, stockings, and stays.

“It’s like this fog in my brain that just won’t lift, and this weight on my shoulders that keeps pressing me down.” She stepped out of the fabric, grateful to be free of its confines. “Or like stays that were laced too tightly.”

His hands stilled at her waist before he began unlacing her stays. “Let’s get you out of them, then.”

She smiled and said, “Thank you, that helps,” as she felt him loosen the restrictive garment, allowing her to breathe more deeply as it fell away.