Page 46 of The Rake
“Miss Nettling must have discovered the secret through eavesdropping… and told her son…” Margot stopped herself wondering what other dark secrets the Ashmores had hidden, aside from the diamonds and her bastardy, of course. Margot turned her face towards Hathaway and gazed directly at the butler.
With kindness written on his stately face, Hathaway smiled. “Miss Nettling worked for the family decades ago, with the former duke, his late grace’s older brother. As you say, miss, Miss Nettling must have passed on the secret of what she overheard to her son.”
It fit together. As the discussion continued, Margot wrapped her arms in consolation around herself, wishing that poor Miss Nettling was really dead. After all it would be hideous to have sent her son off to find the diamonds only for the search to be the reason, he was dead.
Mrs. Bowley saw the slight shiver from Margot and got to her feet. “Very well, Mr. Holt, I trust between you and his lordship next door all this will be kept under wraps. The well-being of my good name and my dear charge cannot be involved in this scandal. Speaking of which, Miss Keating is presumably exhausted, and I would suggest she retire upstairs.”
Part of Margot would have liked to resist this idea, but the thought of sinking into her own bed had her nodding, and Mr. Holt got to his feet with a bow. “I think, given it was you who risked life and limb, Miss Keating, you should be the one to give the new duke these keys and tell him about the treasure. It does feel appropriate.” With that the solicitor bowed and departed.
Margot was ushered upstairs and Mrs. Bowley promised to send her a tray shortly. It proved unnecessary, as despite the many hours of rest and recuperation Margot had experienced at Doctor Caton’s, as soon as she lay down on her own bed, sleep found her. It was only half a day later, when a soft knock woke her, that Margot realised hours had slipped by.
Rising, she opened the door and allowed Jessop in with a tray of supper. Her maid set about fussing, making the bed once more, puffing the pillows, and finally moving across and drawing the curtains. Clearly enjoying having Margot back in the house again.
“Oh my.” Jessop giggled and pointed down into the partly lit garden below. “That’s Langley, at it again. We do find it amusing downstairs what a libertine the earl is.”
Moving away from her tray of food, and the crusty warm bread and roast chicken, Margot reached the window and looked down into Langley’s garden. Striding through the dim lawns and towards the house was the unmistakable sight of an elegantly dressed blonde, who Margot recognised all too well as Lady Georgianna Herbert, Langley’s previous lover. Bitterly, Margot thought that for all her notions, neither Langley nor she had ever discussed faithfulness between the pair of them—some naive or forlorn hope that it was obvious she would expect monogamy. The same, it seemed, could not be said for Langley, who looked to have called his lover over tonight.
Jessop and she watched, one pair of eyes dancing with amused curiosity and the other watching with increasing horroras Lady Herbert hurried up the steps, and then onto the veranda. The doorway to Langley’s townhouse opened, light pouring out of it, and Lady Herbert tilted her head up and smiled in greeting at someone hidden inside, but who was clearly well known to her.
“I know he was so considerate to you today,” Jessop said, “but I suppose it is as my mother always said: a rake is a rake, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Isn’t that right, miss?”
CHAPTER 22
Quite why Lady Georgianna Herbert had said it was urgent and concerned his family, Langley had no idea. But whilst his head and concerns were certainly sat squarely next door with Margot, he doubted his one-time paramour would take up too much time.
Lady Herbert sat in his rear facing parlour, her blue eyes darting this way and that. She looked decidedly nervous, as if she suspected someone would jump out of the walls at any moment. “My dear Benjamin will not forgive me for doing this.”
Who Benjamin was and why Langley should care, he could barely fathom, but out of politeness he sank into the opposite seat. There was a faint glow from the fireplace, and his parlour was warm, cosy… It had previously entertained writhing bodies, laughing ladies, and groaning gentleman, but Langley was rather enjoying the sheer comfort and quiet of the room, or he would if Lady Georgianna would depart. Still, manners were everything, and he always tried his best to be as charming as he could to his former lovers.
“I will come straight to the point of my visit. You see,” Lady Georgianna said, “I am now being courted by Baronet Benjamin Topping. He is the sweetest and…” She trailed off.
“You do not wish for him to know of our previous dalliance?” Langley asked. Why, if that was her concern, had she come here, and risked what sounded as if it might be a love match? The risk of being seen made her decision ridiculous.
“That is certainly a potential problem, but no, that is not why I am here.” Lady Georgianna looked uncomfortable and in need of a drink. “I know you think me superficial. That is most definitely the image I have presented to theton,but my Topping knows me better, and I…”
Getting to his feet, Langley moved across to where his bottles were arranged, lifting up a brandy decanter silently, to which Lady Georgianna nodded.
As he poured out two glasses, Langley’s eyes drifted across to the connecting wall. His mind wandered across to whatever was occurring next door. What Margot would be facing, thinking about, how he should be there to bear witness… It was jarring to realise how much he wanted to slide a comforting hand into his Amazon’s, to be there to soothe and answer any questions that might vex or upset her. So much for his plan of seduction meaning an end to emotions, what it meant was he could barely concentrate on the matter in front of him.
Swallowing down her drink, Lady Georgianna lifted beseeching eyes to him and said, “You were seen.”
For a moment, Langley’s mind rioted through the possible answers to what the lady might mean. Normally, when confronted with any consequence for his actions, his reaction would have been to laugh, or possibly to dismiss it. But not now, with his Amazon involved.
Resuming his seat, Langley feigned lazy ignorance, all the while his mind turning over when Margot and he might have been seen. And by whom.
“My Topping overheard it mentioned to a mutual acquaintance?—”
“Please madam, tell me the gist of what was witnessed.”
“I saw him too.”
This reply of hers perplexed Langley no end.
“Quite why I should warn you… I don’t know. But I saw how you were with Miss Keating, and I thought there might be hope for you yet. I suppose I am a romantic at heart, and I wished…”
“Who did you see?”
“I can only assume the man is your brother,” Lady Georgianna said, colour flooding her face, and she hastily downed the rest of her drink. “He would be too old to be your son. So, when the matter was raised and discussed, the only conclusion was… I know you have never cared a penny for rumours, but since your Miss Keating is a vicar’s daughter, she might.” She looked sympathetic for a moment. “It could not be a coincidence, not when you were seen going to and from his home in Bloomsbury.”
