Caught in the Storm of a Duke's - Abby Ayles Page 0,80

enthralled in gossip.

Giving them her full attention, she easily overheard their conversation.

“People believe the duke is finally doing better, I tell you! He has been seen out in the villages. He even hosts dinners for the lords these days!” the first woman said.

The second gushed, “I had heard it, but I did not think it was true. And the lords who have visited? Did they confirm the rumors? Is Dunham truly haunted by ghosts? I hear the hallways are so dark and cold, one can feel the chill seeping into one’s bones even on a perfectly warm day.”

The third woman spoke then, a smug smile on her face. “My husband was privileged to attend one of these dinners. He says there was nothing of the like. It seemed like a normal home to him. Warm and full of cheer. Even the duke appeared to be in high spirits. Strange. I wonder if the illness that plagued him is finally gone.”

Illness, Judith wondered? He had not seemed ill to her. Ever.

The first lady spoke again. “If he has indeed recovered, then it must be a miracle. He was plagued for years following his wife’s death. Martha, my sister-in-law, has a friend whose niece works in the household. They say when the fits come, he becomes less than human. His bones fail him. He can scarcely walk, or even stand up straight. He loses his vision as well and becomes quite unhinged. When it finally claims him, he could be asleep for an entire day or more. When he wakes, he locks himself away in his chamber for days, never coming out.”

She paused to drink from her cup. As she swallowed, she continued.

“I heard the illness was sure to claim his life, that he is not long for this world. It’s only a matter of time before he joins his family in death. Many physicians tried all they could to heal him in the beginning, do you not remember? How can he suddenly recover from such a terrible illness? No. I think not. I believe the duke knows his time is near and is only trying to make the most of the days he has left. Pity. He was such a charming, happy young man, with a beautiful life ahead of him. It is terribly sad that fate had to be so cruel.”

“No one knows what really happened to them to this day. He won’t speak about it, I hear,” the third lady said as the first finished.

“What does it matter? It was a terrible accident, they died, he survived, and has never recovered from it.” It was the second lady.

Judith frowned. An accident? Stephen had been in the accident as well?

“I’m not so certain about him never recovering. There might be another reason for the sudden change in that household. My husband tells me the duke has a lovely lady by his side whenever they have these dinners. I have never attended any with him, as I always have prior engagements. My husband believes that His Grace looks upon this young woman with love in his eyes. He only introduces her as his guest. No one seems to know who she is, or where she comes from.”

One of the women suddenly gasped, pausing. Her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widened, and she looked from one friend to another.

“You don’t suppose she’s living in his home, do you? Perhaps, the duke has remarried, and we didn’t know?”

“Goodness!” The woman next to her exclaimed. Turning to her friend, she said, “Do you suppose you could ask your sister-in-law to ask her friend to ask her niece, who this lady is?”

The first lady frowned, shaking her head. “We had a quarrel and aren’t speaking to each other at the moment. We must find out through another means.”

Judith decided she had heard enough then.

She turned to Amy and, as their eyes met, she knew that Amy had also heard it all.

Her head was spinning. She did not think it would be wise to trust such idle gossip, yet something in her could not simply ignore their words.

Memories of the first time she had seen the duke flooded her. It had been at dinner, and she had mentioned his family. He had excused himself from the dining room immediately and, as he walked away, she could have sworn she caught him limping.

In the days to come, she had told herself she must have been mistaken in the darkness. Now, she was no longer so