Cavendish Brothers 01 - An Unintended Journey by Catherine Gayle Read Free Book Online Page A

set her sample aside on the bench next to her and reached across for Abby’s hand. “Sweetheart, your face will be all red and spotted. You really must stop crying before we arrive at the castle.”
    How could she, though, when each turn of the carriage wheels brought her ever closer to Father having a confrontation the thought of which chilled her blood, and brought Wesley Cavendish ever closer to marrying someone else?
    “ Yes, Mother,” was all Abby murmured in response. She retrieved a handkerchief from her reticule and dried her face with it, taking deep breaths in time with the pace of the horses outside the carriage walls.
    When they came around the bend near a copse of trees, Danby Castle came into view.
    At the same moment, Abby’s heart hammered to life, deafening her with the thunderous roar of her pulse. She tried to swallow, but her mouth suddenly grew as dry as wool. Her efforts were fruitless.
    It was massive and imposing, standing on an estate that sprawled out, seemingly into forever. The Duke of Danby’s principal seat dwarfed Henley Green, and even Blacknall Manor, by comparison. The closer the carriage drew, the more insignificant she felt—something she’d not believed to be possible after the last several days.
    The men’s muted voices rumbled outside. Moments later, the deafening racket of three horses racing off ahead of them startled Abby. They soon disappeared in the distance.
    After what seemed an eternity, the carriage rattled to a stop and a liveried footman rushed forwards. He opened the carriage door and set down the steps, and then he handed first Mother and then Abby down as Father alit from his horse. “The boys and Mr. Cavendish came on ahead to inform His Grace of our arrival.”
    “ Indeed, they did, sir,” said another uniformed man, coming down from the main entry hall of the castle. He seemed agitated…put out, even. “You may call me Milne. I’ve been asked to escort you in to the gold parlor for tea while you wait.”
    Shaking, weary, and thoroughly disgruntled, Abby took one of Father’s arms and followed the butler into the castle. He led them through resonant corridors until they reached the most opulent room she’d ever laid eyes upon.
    Robert and Thomas stood when they entered, setting their Wedgwood china teacups down on dainty saucers. Their eyes were wide.
    Robert fidgeted with the buttons on his waistcoat. “Cavendish is meeting with the duke now.”
    “ Hopefully he can ease our way into this,” Thomas said. “It seems we’ve not only interrupted His Grace’s Christmas celebrations, but we barged in on a wedding. The duke is not happy, to say the least.”
    “ We tried to tell him that maybe you ought to speak with him first, Father, but…”
    “ But I’m no one to Danby, and Cavendish is at least Fordingham’s brother.” Father took a seat on an entirely too delicate looking gilded armchair covered in white silk and gestured for the rest of the family to follow suit. “So we’ll wait.”
    Mother poured three more cups of tea and passed them around, then took a seat next to Father. Thomas and Robert resumed their seats and took hasty sips from their cups.
    Abby just stood there, staring, wishing the floor of the castle would open up and swallow her whole, or that there had been a moat in which she could be washed away, or that the sun had stopped rising when Grandmama had died.
    But nothing ever seemed to happen as she wished of late.
    *
    The heavy oak door thudded to a close behind Wesley, ringing out like the lock of a prison cell in his mind. The Duke of Danby moved behind his mammoth desk and sat, then turned narrowed eyes on him. “What in God’s name is the meaning of this, Cavendish?”
    There was nothing for it but to be out with it. “I must apologize for interrupting—”
    “ That you should,” the old duke spat. “My granddaughter Emma was being married—the first of all my grandchildren to finally do so, mind you—and yet