The Warrior and The Duke: A Historical Romance

Chapter 3

The sun was rising as the Duke settled on the rails of the dock.

He had woken up early in the morning with the intention of going to the island. In the past three days, he hadn't managed to get a good night's sleep because his thoughts were constantly occupied by the mysterious woman he had met at the hotel. He couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance she had with Josephine, which made him wonder if there was some kind of connection between them. Being a member of the well-known Montague family in London, he knew that their family history must have deep connections in different parts of the country. Despite the possibility of being distant cousins, the similarity in their appearances seemed too uncanny to be mere coincidence. Hugh was aware that the Montague family had suffered the loss of a child before he got to know them, but he had refrained from prying into the sensitive topic, as it was a delicate matter for them. As long as the past stayed in the past, he didn't feel the need to delve deeper into the details.

Mr. Reilly and Hugh had devoted a significant amount of time over the past three days to developing a strategic plan aimed at increasing the demand for their business operations in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, their efforts were being jeopardized by a gang of criminals who seemed determined to sabotage their enterprise. Mr. Reilly had looked into the matter and discovered that similar criminal activities were targeting local merchants in Hong Kong. These nefarious individuals appeared to be involved in a scheme to steal and conceal Chinese goods before departing the Qing, thereby hindering the export growth of Western nations. This dire situation was causing concern not only for the British government but also for the Duke of Westford, who had a vested interest in the colony's prosperity.

Prior to his departure for the colony, the Duke of Westford, a member of the royal family, had approached the Duke with a proposition to address the challenges facing their business in Hong Kong. In exchange for helping resolve the situation in the colony, the Duke offered to forgive the debt left behind by the Duke's late father. Tragically, it had come to light that the late Duke had been involved in financial misconduct, swindling money from affluent families in Scotland. This unethical behaviour had apparently commenced following the passing of his mother when he was just seven years old. Arthur Kingsley had then married Adeline Blair, the Dowager Duchess of Kensington and Hugh's stepmother, whose father had made a deal with him to overlook his embezzlement from the family in exchange for financial compensation. The Dowager had remained oblivious to her husband's deceit until after his demise. Hugh was not taken aback by the revelation, as his stepmother seemed more preoccupied with social status and public approval rather than the family's integrity and values.

Hugh had taken on the responsibility of settling his father's debts, even going as far as selling off his own businesses to help clear the debt. Despite the perception of wealth and power associated with the Kingsley family, they were actually forced to lay off staff regularly to prevent the debt from growing further. The families in Scotland who invested their money with them were promised growth, but after Arthur's death, their money was used to maintain the family's lavish lifestyle. Hugh often pondered on why his father had chosen to act in this manner. Memories of his mother revealed that they rarely discussed financial matters, leaving a young Hugh with doubts about his father's affection towards him.

As Hugh breathed in the salty sea air, taking in the ocean views before him, he realized it had been a while since he had enjoyed a holiday. Leaving England had granted him a sense of freedom that he had not felt in a long time. The pressures of his upcoming responsibilities as a duke and the burden of his debts had kept him from taking a break. He worried that if his life remained unchanged, he would start to see signs of ageing before even reaching his thirties.

His belongings were being loaded onto the vessel provided by Mr. Reilly for his journey to the island. The trip would only take an hour before he reached his villa, where his men had been sent ahead to prepare for his arrival. Hugh wondered if Ms. Green had accepted his proposal, which he had only made possible thanks to the financial support from the Duke of Westford. To bring her closer to him, he considered offering her a position at his villa, but she seemed more capable of other matters than housework. Possible a position as his assist or secretary.