will think less of you or be disturbed by your injuries. We will do everything we can to take care of you. We long to have you close again. I have been yearning to embrace you for three years, and I am almost at the limit of my endurance
.
“You must come home. It is as simple as that. You were a commanding officer in battle, and a fine one, from all accounts. A grand hero. As your mother, I have decided I shall issue you a few commands.”
Anne had to stop. To catch her breath. To let the words sink in. This was a private letter. Should she go on? But if she did not read it to him, who would? She bit her lip, then read …
“All of your sisters are here, including Charlotte and her twins, now two and a half years old. Both your niece and nephew are eager to meet their uncle, of whom they have heard so many stories. Charlotte is enceinte once more. Caroline, who is visiting without her husband, is expecting her first child and rapidly approaching her time. They worry about you, as do Win and Lizzie, and I worry about the strain this has placed upon them all
.
“Lord Ashton wrote to tell us you are well yet still stubbornly hiding at your hunting box. My dear boy, this cannot be helping you. It would be far better for
you to be with family. Your family, which has grown by leaps and bounds since you left England, longs to see you
.
“You need love, Devon. From your family, and my dearest hope is that you will soon find love with a bride. A life filled with love would ease your troubles. I am sure of it
.
“Come home to us and we will help you find a wonderful wife. You must find love, Devon, my dear, for love is the most precious thing. It heals. It gives happiness
.
“What you need, my dear son, is a wife who loves you dearly—”
“Stop,” he barked.
The words were blurry and Anne blinked two tears away. She lifted her head. The duke had bit out the word. His mother had poured her heart onto the page, was pleading with him, and he had snapped as though he was irritated. She eyed him fiercely. “Your mother yearns to see you. She’s missed you. For heaven’s sake, why would you not go and see your family?”
“I
can’t
see my family.”
“You won’t go because you are blind? But they won’t care about that.” She thought of her mother, who had been ashamed when she became ill—ashamed she had fallen so low in the world, ashamed she could not take care of her daughter. All Anne had wanted was for Mama to be well. Nothing else had mattered. “They simply want
you
.”
“I thought Ashton paid you to service me,” he snapped, “not lecture me.”
It struck her like a slap, but he was right. She had forgotten herself. “I’m sorry. I won’t use my tongue for anything but your pleasure, Your Grace.”
He groaned. “Damnation. Even when you’re obedient, you make me feel the blackguard.”
She should stop, but she simply couldn’t. “I must say one more thing. Your mother is correct. You shouldn’t stay here. You do deserve to find happiness.”
“That’s more than one thing. And I won’t marry anyone when I can’t see.”
“Surely there are more important things than a woman’s appearance—”
“I am not going to marry anyone when I have to be led around my own home like a dog on a leash.” He glowered. “I won’t have a wife turn into a trembling bag of nerves like most of the servants in the house have become because they are so afraid of me. Do you think I want to fall in love with a woman, then sentence her to life with a lunatic who can’t control his rages, who sometimes crawls around on his belly because he imagines cannons are firing at him? I won’t take a bride when I could have a nightmare and accidentally strangle her in our bed.”
“I don’t believe you can’t be healed.”
“Angel, admit defeat. I appreciate your pretty voice and your exquisite body, but I’ve made my decision—you’re to go home, where you will be safe.”
Not safe, but
.
“You must come home. It is as simple as that. You were a commanding officer in battle, and a fine one, from all accounts. A grand hero. As your mother, I have decided I shall issue you a few commands.”
Anne had to stop. To catch her breath. To let the words sink in. This was a private letter. Should she go on? But if she did not read it to him, who would? She bit her lip, then read …
“All of your sisters are here, including Charlotte and her twins, now two and a half years old. Both your niece and nephew are eager to meet their uncle, of whom they have heard so many stories. Charlotte is enceinte once more. Caroline, who is visiting without her husband, is expecting her first child and rapidly approaching her time. They worry about you, as do Win and Lizzie, and I worry about the strain this has placed upon them all
.
“Lord Ashton wrote to tell us you are well yet still stubbornly hiding at your hunting box. My dear boy, this cannot be helping you. It would be far better for
you to be with family. Your family, which has grown by leaps and bounds since you left England, longs to see you
.
“You need love, Devon. From your family, and my dearest hope is that you will soon find love with a bride. A life filled with love would ease your troubles. I am sure of it
.
“Come home to us and we will help you find a wonderful wife. You must find love, Devon, my dear, for love is the most precious thing. It heals. It gives happiness
.
“What you need, my dear son, is a wife who loves you dearly—”
“Stop,” he barked.
The words were blurry and Anne blinked two tears away. She lifted her head. The duke had bit out the word. His mother had poured her heart onto the page, was pleading with him, and he had snapped as though he was irritated. She eyed him fiercely. “Your mother yearns to see you. She’s missed you. For heaven’s sake, why would you not go and see your family?”
“I
can’t
see my family.”
“You won’t go because you are blind? But they won’t care about that.” She thought of her mother, who had been ashamed when she became ill—ashamed she had fallen so low in the world, ashamed she could not take care of her daughter. All Anne had wanted was for Mama to be well. Nothing else had mattered. “They simply want
you
.”
“I thought Ashton paid you to service me,” he snapped, “not lecture me.”
It struck her like a slap, but he was right. She had forgotten herself. “I’m sorry. I won’t use my tongue for anything but your pleasure, Your Grace.”
He groaned. “Damnation. Even when you’re obedient, you make me feel the blackguard.”
She should stop, but she simply couldn’t. “I must say one more thing. Your mother is correct. You shouldn’t stay here. You do deserve to find happiness.”
“That’s more than one thing. And I won’t marry anyone when I can’t see.”
“Surely there are more important things than a woman’s appearance—”
“I am not going to marry anyone when I have to be led around my own home like a dog on a leash.” He glowered. “I won’t have a wife turn into a trembling bag of nerves like most of the servants in the house have become because they are so afraid of me. Do you think I want to fall in love with a woman, then sentence her to life with a lunatic who can’t control his rages, who sometimes crawls around on his belly because he imagines cannons are firing at him? I won’t take a bride when I could have a nightmare and accidentally strangle her in our bed.”
“I don’t believe you can’t be healed.”
“Angel, admit defeat. I appreciate your pretty voice and your exquisite body, but I’ve made my decision—you’re to go home, where you will be safe.”
Not safe, but
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