Page 93 of An Unwanted Widow for the Duke
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked firmly.
“On the contrary. You have arrived just in time,” he replied, walking to her side. “Lady Farnmont was just leaving.”
“How fitting, to see the woman in question before I leave,” Lady Farnmont spat.
“I have to ask you to leave, Lady Farnmont,” Wilhelmina said in a calm voice. “I will not have you insult me in my home.”
Lady Farnmont flushed red but would not back down. “So, you think yourself powerful now? A murderess hiding behind your husband’s title?”
Wilhelmina’s eyes widened. Her whole body stiffened.
“What did you just say?” she asked, looking aghast. “Are you accusing me of murder?”
“You murdered Robert!” Lady Farnmont exclaimed. “Who else? Unless you are hiding more secrets. You never loved him, and you murdered him when you realized that you wanted your freedom!”
“I did no such thing!” Wilhelmina exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes.
“First, you stole him from me. No, you stole himtwice. You married him when you didn’t love him. Then, you killed him! One year later, you found yourself a wealthy duke. It made me think that perhaps you had the Duke of Talleystone waiting on the sidelines all along as you pretended to mourn!”
“Lady Farnmont,” Gerard growled.
“I loved Robert!” Wilhelmina blurted, her voice quivering but fierce. “I loved him like no one else ever could. He was my friend, my companion. He gave me space to breathe in a life that never felt my own. I did not betray him; I wouldneverhave betrayed him. And now that he is gone, you dare to rewrite his memory, to sully it with your insinuations. I will not allow it.”
Gerard was startled by the vehemence of her words. He staggered a little, but he doubted she even noticed.
Wilhelmina had just declared her love for her first husband. She would forever love this man, who could no longer do anything but be remembered.
Gerard might have had her body, but Robert had her heart. It was like Pamela all over again.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“You are a hypocrite, Wilhelmina Brighton! Yes, I am going to call you that! You don’t deserve marriage, much less two!” Lady Farnmont screamed.
She was so hysterical that anyone who didn’t know what was going on might have sided with her. She believed in whatever she was saying.
Red-faced and panting, she continued, “You are a liar and a schemer. You’d been pretending not to care when you were trying to snag a better title. What would Robert think of this? And His Grace, does he even know who you really are? That you purposely ensnare lords with titles?”
Wilhelmina flinched at every accusation. She pressed her lips together tightly, biting back a few choice words.
Lady Farnmont was angry and hurt. Whatever Wilhelmina hurled at her would not make much of a difference.
“Can’t say anything to the truth, Your Grace? So, what was it like to be Lady Silverquill and be privy to everyone’s problems, only for you to criticize them as if you were perfection itself?” Lady Farnmont gave a bitter smile. “I cannot imagine Robert being alive to see you with someone else. His grave is not even cold yet, and you are already married to a duke!”
“We already went through this, Lady Farnmont,” Gerard warned. His large frame took up the space between the two women, effectively shielding Wilhelmina. “This is not the first time you’ve made my wife feel terrible about something that she is already mourning.”
Lady Farnmont’s eyes widened, but then she clenched her jaw, seemingly to stop herself from saying whatever else she wanted to say. She looked at husband and wife as if she were looking for a weakness.
“Ha. So this is what you wanted all along—to become a duke’s pet. I am so sorry, Your Grace, but you must ask your wife more questions if you still believe she is not at fault. That she had nothing to do with Robert’s death. It looks like you don’t know her well enough. The truth will come out.”
“Out,” Gerard bit out, gesturing toward the door.
For a moment, it looked like the woman would not leave. Her eyes were hard. Frosty. She held his gaze, sending a warning, which curiously ended with a flicker that looked like pity. Then, she turned to Wilhelmina, eyeing her with pure hatred.
Eventually, she whirled on her heels and left the room like a violent storm, the door slamming shut behind her.
Gerard wanted to hear what Wilhelmina had to say. She was standing there like a statue. It wasn’t only grief that contorted her face. She seemed anguished, tremors racking her body. Then, she broke down.
Sharp, uneven breaths escaped her lips. Gerard looked at her. There were no tears in her eyes. She was still fighting it.
