Page 14 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

Arthur had been used to hearing such things, but it was clear by the look on his mother’s face that she was not. She looked at him pityingly, and his heart ached for her. She’d never asked for such a grotesque son.

“Papa,” Lavinia stated, speaking above the gossiping whispers of Rebecca’s friends. “It is still early, and the night is beautiful. Why don’t you take Her Grace and Agnes around the corner to the ice shoppe? The three of us shall join you shortly.”

“Oh, yes, Your Grace,” Agnes agreed enthusiastically, unaware of the tension surrounding them at the moment. “They have done something divine with blueberries and cream, you will absolutely love it, I promise.”

As if comforted by Agnes’s excitement, Marianne smiled graciously at her and nodded. “Well, that does sound lovely,” she agreed. “Lord Donset, do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Kenneth agreed, shooting a final disappointed look at the back of Rebecca’s head. “Please, allow me.”

“It’s all right,” Arthur assured Lavinia resignedly as they both watched their parents leave.

“It certainly is not,” Lavinia hissed, practically trembling with rage as walked over to her sister and her friends. “How dare you,” she stated, glaring at the group of young women. “How dare you say such cruel things, especially in such an open space?”

“We meant no harm.” Prudence laughed indifferently. “Did we, ladies?”

“It was an honest question,” Eliza said in agreement. “Did our mothers not raise us to be honest?”

“Oh, that’s right, poor darlings,” Prudence said in a pitying voice. “You didn’t grow up with a mother, did you? Of course, you wouldn’t know.”

Arthur felt himself flinch as the young ladies made the distasteful remark. He had been so consumed with issues regarding the rumors about him that he had forgotten Lavinia was dealing with some of her own. Feeling as if he should say something, he stepped toward them.

But before he could say anything, Lavinia stepped in front of him, towering over the younger ladies.

“One thing my mother did teach me was that a lady who speaks so lowly about others is not a lady at all,” she said, her tone low and biting. “In fact, gossipers are the lowliest of creatures, ranked even beneath the beggars and wretches that crowd our London streets. You may have your families’ money to keep you in fine clothes, but to me, you are nothing more than paupers begging for a penny.”

“Lavinia!” Rebecca gasped, and Arthur bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“If youmustspeak, speak with purpose, ladies,” Lavinia advised coldly, pulling Rebecca away by the arm.

Rebecca let out a sound of frustration as she watched her friends all hurry away from the interaction. Silently, Arthur followed them out of the theater toward the ice shoppe.

Once more, he had been impressed with Lavinia’s strength and protectiveness, and he wondered, truly for the first time, if Rebecca really was worth marrying.

* * *

“Why did you embarrass me like that?” Rebecca wailed.

They had both bid goodnight to their father and younger sister, and this time, Rebecca didn’t even go to her own room first. Instead, she followed closely behind Lavinia, demanding an explanation for her outburst.

“The real question is, why are you so comfortable sharing in gossip?” Lavinia retorted, growing weary of being her sister’s protector. “You know how badly it has hurt our family. First when Mother died, and those awful rumors of Agnes being a cursed child. Then when I was nineteen, the rumors circulating about Father and me, and how I’d replaced Mother in ‘every’ sort of way for you and Agnes?”

“Those were different,” Rebecca shot back. “They were lies! What we say about the Duke is true. He does look like a monster, and by the way he looks constantly disappointed in me, I bet he acts like one too!”

“He’s disappointed because you see nothing but his scar!” Lavinia lamented, growing frustrated that she had to explain this to Rebecca. At twenty years old, Lavinia felt that she should be beyond such a need.

“Are you defending him?” Rebecca asked, giving Lavinia an appalled look. “You are supposed to be defending me, Sister, not him! You promised me that you would end this engagement, but after what happened tonight, it seems that you’ve only sealed it! Whose side are you on?”

Lavinia took a deep breath as she rubbed her temples. “Yours, Sister,” she stated softly. “Always yours. But do you need to be so cruel? You were raised to be much kinder than this.”

“I am cruel because he threatens my ability to stay here with you and Papa and Agnes. I am cruel because I have already found my love, and I do not want to betray him,” Rebecca stated. “And I will not stop. Now, I need to be sure once and for all. Are you truly going to help me get out of this marriage? Whatever it takes?”

Lavinia’s loyalty to her family overrode her other feelings, and she nodded in resignation.

“Yes, Sister,” she promised in a defeated tone. “Whatever it takes.”

CHAPTERSEVEN

“Mother,” Arthur called softly, his knuckles rapping on the parlor door. “Might you have a moment?”

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