(COMPLETED)
It's 1817 and there is nothing more a woman wants than to marry a rich man and live a life of comfort.
But not Nancy Brooks. Having spent half her life helping her mother run her laundry shop and the other half in the local library, Na...
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At the command of Andrew Montgomery, the Duke of Grafton (as far as most were concerned), Duchess Grafton was taken into custody by official authorities for questioning. He also sent guards, under the instruction of Sarah, to Bedfordshire to stay with his father until he could visit him in person. He gave his subjects the command that they were not allowed to take orders from anyone except him, and especially not from the duchess. He personally went to talk to the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, asking them to bear witness against his mother, should the need arise. They were reluctant, but at the insistence of William, they agreed. Things seemed to be working themselves out, but one thing was constantly on Andrew's mind.
"She will come around," Roger and Benjamin constantly reassured him. William remained silent, withholding his opinion, as usual.
But Andrew was the only one who had seen the determination in her eyes and had heard the finality in her voice.
= = =
Unable to sleep, Nancy stepped out into the cold night air. She remembered the last time she had been outside at this time. Two strange men had come up and talked about keeping an eye on her. She was glad that was over. A life of misery was better than a life of fear, she told herself. She would be miserable without him, yes, but at least she would not have to fear for herself—or, most importantly, for him. She had hurt him, she knew that, but there had been no other way.
She looked up at the stars, and, unbidden, the same night she had thought about countless times came back to her: the night after their wedding in London when she and Andrew had gazed at the stars for hours.
Then she saw the figure. It stood there, just a few feet away, watching her. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as her heart began to beat fast, but then she realized it was Andrew who stood in front of her. Sudden relief washed over her. As angry and volatile as he could be, especially when he was hurt, she knew she would always be safe with him.
"Rather a late night for you. Don't you think, Nan? Shouldn't you be safely in bed?" His words were alarmingly slurred. His eyes were red.
"What are you doing here, Andrew?" Nancy asked. "Are you drunk?"
"One must do what one must do. A man has his pride, and I am much more than any ordinary man. In order to come here and say what I need to say, I must throw away all my pride. In order to do that, I must be completely, mind-numbingly drunk."
"How fortunate am I to see the great Andrew Montgomery throw away all his pride for an ordinary girl like me," Nancy said harshly. "If you had warned me earlier, I would have sold tickets for this historical event."
Andrew laughed as he walked toward her unsteadily. "That's the Nancy Brooks sarcasm I've been longing to hear so desperately for months."
"Andrew, I don't have the energy or patience to hear anything you want to say right now."
