Page 33 of An Arranged Betrothal with an Icy Duke
“Thank you, Miss Tidemore. Given that we are soon to be family, I thought it best to advise you on something which you must be cautious of.” Lady Frankton knitted her fingers together, turning to look directly into Edith’s face. “Believe me, I have wrestled with whether or not I ought to say anything to you but I have decided that yes, I should.” She took in a deep breath and set her shoulders. “Miss Tidemore – Edith – you mustnottrust the Duchess.”
The shock which wrapped around Edith’s chest was so tight, she could barely breathe for some moments. Lady Frankton looked back at her without so much as flinching, her eyes searching Edith’s, perhaps afraid that she would not be believed.
“The…theDuchess?” Edith repeated, her voice a little hoarse now. “What can you mean by such a thing?”
Instantly, Lady Frankton’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “I do not know what you have heard about me and the situation that was to go before but I will tell you regardless.” She sniffed but kept her gaze fixed. “The Duchess did not much like my courtship with the Duke of Fairglen.”
Edith frowned. “Whyever not? You are the daughter of an Earl and from what I understand, the Duke cared for you.”
The lady smiled. “And I for him,” she said, softly, “though those feelings are long gone now, for I find myself quite madly in love with his brother.” She offered another small smile, then shook her head. “But at the time of the wedding, the Duchess made it very clear to me that I was not to marry her son. She went as far as to offer me payment, should I end the engagement. She also suggested that she would be able to make certain I had an excellent match elsewhere, so that there would be no shame or other difficulty.”
The astonishment of all that was being said was so great, Edith could barely take it in. She stared back at the lady, hearing nothing but truth in her voice. “But why? That does not make any sense to me.”
“It did not make sense to me either,” the lady replied, “until the Duchess explained that the only lady she deemed worthy for her son would be the daughter of either a Duke or a Marquess. As the daughter of an Earl, I was not deemed worthy enough.”
“Goodness.” Edith blinked furiously. “But I am only the daughter of a Viscount and she has not seemed to be particularly angry towardsmymatch with her son.”
Lady Frankton put out her hand and grasped Edith’s tightly for a moment. “Which is why I have come to warn you,” she said, fervently. “Do you not understand? I was entirely unaware of this until the moment that the Duchess took me aside – a sennight before the wedding – and told me that I was to break the engagement. She offered money first and thereafter, threats. I told her that I cared for her son very much and that I would not like to step away from him and that nothing she said would prevent the wedding. You can imagine my shock – my disgust, even – that this was what was said to me, but the Duchess didnot seem to care. Instead, she simply offered more and more and more and I continually refused.”
“But… but I thought you had been long encouraging a tryst between Lord Frankton and yourself,” Edith interrupted, her face flushing suddenly as she realised just how bluntly she had spoken. “Forgive me, I did not mean – ”
“That is what happened.” Lady Frankton smiled sadly, no anger in her voice. “I was found with Lord Frankton but it was not as the Duchess described. He came to my aid. He came to help me.”
“Help you?”
Lady Frankton nodded. “I was deceived. I was tricked into entering a parlour one evening, when I was in attendance at a ball. Instead of my injured friend waiting for me, as I had been told, there was, instead, a rogue waiting – Lord Venables. This gentleman, thisscoundrel, shut the door the moment I came in and with strong hands, gripped my wrists and pulled me to him.” She shuddered violently, the color draining out of her face, and Edith’s heart tore a little. “I cried out, begged him to let me go, having no understanding as to what was taking place. It was only then that I saw someone else grab at him, practically throwing him from me. My vision was blurred with fear and fright, my heart pounding and sending such weakness through me, I had no other choice but to sink down. This gentleman demanded that the scoundrel take his leave and then came to make certain I was quite well.”
Slowly, understanding began to fill Edith’s mind. “That gentleman was Lord Frankton.”
“Yes, it was.” Lady Frankton’s smile, this time, was one that spoke of an affection for the very gentleman she was speaking of. “But at the very time that he was making certain I was quite well, the Duchess herself came into the room. She was seeminglyrather shocked and instantly, of course, the Marquess explained what had happened.”
“But she did not believe you,” Edith said softly, as Lady Frankton nodded. “She saw an opportunity which she could not help but take.”
“More than that.” Lady Frankton’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “It was an opportunity that she herself had caused to come into being.”
For a long moment, Edith did not understand what was being said. It was only when Lady Frankton closed her eyes tightly and let out a ragged breath that it finally made sense.
“You believe that the Duchess was the one who organised the whole thing? It was she who sent you to that parlour, albeit indirectly?”
Lady Frankton nodded, her chin wobbling a little at the clear emotion which wrapped over her. “The Marquess found Lord Venables some time thereafter and demanded to know the truth and from what he said, from what he told him, it became clear that the Duchess was the one who had arranged it all.”
“And you think that now, she will try and do something similar to me?” Edith asked as Lady Frankton nodded. “I do not understand why she would do so when she has appeared so delighted with our connection thus far.”
“As I have said,” Lady Frankton reminded her, “you are in the very same position as I. The Duchess appeared to be quite contented with the marriage up until one particular moment.”
“And thus far, I am not certain I evenshallbe Duchess,” Edith murmured, half to herself, seeing the curiosity spark in Lady Frankton’s eyes. “The Duke states that he must determine whether or not I will be able to do all the duties required of a Duchess, but the truth is, I think, that he seeks to know whether or not I can be trusted.”
Lady Frankton let out a small sigh. “I am sorry for that.”
“It is not your doing. Not directly.”
The lady’s eyebrows lifted. “Then you believe me?”
Edith found herself nodding before she had even had the chance to think about what it was she was going to say. “Yes, Lady Frankton,” she said, quickly, “I think that I do. There have been some things that the Duchess of Fairglen has said and some that she has done which, now that I consider it, could be an attempt to break apart my connection with the Duke. Why, only before dinner, I was in conversation with the Duchess about final preparations for the ball. All that she said and the sharp looks and small, rather wry smiles she sent towards me were not encouraging.”
Lady Frankton reached out and took Edith’s hand again, though this time, Edith did not mind in the least. “I am so grateful to know that you believe me. It has filled my heart with a great deal of relief. Though the Duchess has attempted to ruin her son’s happiness once, I am hopeful that she will not be able to do the same again.”
Edith pressed the lady’s hand back with a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for telling me. I am truly grateful.”
