Page 92 of A Duchess Bound
Lady Hart laughed. “How could it possibly be amisunderstandingfor a young lady to be in a room with an unmarried man?”
“Who was that?” Lord Ashmore joined them. “Do tell. I have been starved for want of a scandal this Season.”
Dorothy’s eyes widened.
Gerard took one look at her and realized at once that the young woman had not the faintest idea of what to do. And why would she? Dorothy had never before weathered a scandal. Oh, the tonknew that Leedway was a little rakish, and Dorothy had engaged in several dalliances with him. But a rakish brother was a trifle, scarcely worth mentioning, and he and Dorothy had never been caught.
Dorothy needed his aid. Gerard cleared his throat. “Were you not going to the gardens to converse with Leedway on the matter, my lady?” he asked.
Her lower lip quivered a little. Gerard ached to pull her into his arms and soothe her, but he knew it was not the time for sentimentality.
“You should join him,” Gerard continued. “I will answer the questions about this supposed scandal.”
Dorothy stared at him for just a heartbeat, her face stricken and her body tense. He ached to cup her cheek and smooth away the harshness of her furrowed brow. Gerard curled his hands into fists to keep some semblance of control.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
She turned away and followed Elias out. Tenderness bloomed in Gerard’s chest as he watched her retreat. He longingly traced the curves of her body, only alluded to in her pale blue dress. Then, she was gone.
“What do you know about the matter?” Lady Hart asked. “I was unaware of you being particularly close to Lady Bridget.”
“I am not,” Gerard said, waving a dismissive hand.
It was the truth, but Gerard knew that he must be careful with how he spoke of Lady Bridget. He was a rake, and there wasevery chance that his word would not be believed. He might well deny having ever spoken to the lady, only to have one of them—perhaps, Lady Hart or Lord Ashmore—insist that Gerard was lying, in some vain hope of saving the young lady’s reputation.
“Is Lady Bridget involved in the scandal?” Lord Ashmore asked, his eyes wide. “I had expressed an interest in courting her.”
“Oh, yes!” Lady Hart exclaimed.
“We do not know yet,” Gerard said. “It is only a rumor. We ought to wait until we know the truth before spreading gossip about Lady Bridget.”
“The truth is clear enough to me,” Lady Hart said. “I have heard that it was Lord Beaumont who found them, and he is a man with a spotless reputation.”
“But you did not hear of it from Lord Beaumont, did you?”
“No,” Lady Hart scoffed. “But the matter is easily verifiable.”
“Then, we should wait until wecanverify it,” Gerard said between clenched teeth.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw ladies and gentlemen speaking to one another, their gazes drifting toward Gerard. He heard the low murmur of Lady Bridget’s name among the whispered conversations. The word of the scandal had already spread across the ballroom.
Maybe Leedway and Dorothy would have found Lady Bridget and left already. There was no way to stop a scandal, especially not one involving a man as notorious as Fourton, but maybe he could keep anyone from following Leedway and Dorothy.
“I am unsurprised,” Lord Ashmore said. “I always did suspect that there was something disreputable about her.”
“Why would you say something so dreadful?” Gerard asked. “Lady Bridget is a respectable, young woman. Anyone can see that.”
“Evidently not.”
“Are you speaking of Lady Bridget?” Lord Darlington joined them.
Gerard straightened his spine. “Yes,” he said. “I was just saying that we ought not to speculate about what may have happened until we have proof. It is uncouth of us to gossip.”
“Uncouth,” Lord Darlington echoed. “Since when do you care about gossip, Layton?”
“Yes, sincewhen?” Lord Ashmore asked.
“Perhaps, I am trying to be a better man,” Gerard said stiffly.
