Page 62 of A Duke's Temptation Poetess
“Colin,” Russell said quietly, “I am so sorry.”
“So am I.”
Russell put a hand on Colin’s shoulder and squeezed it. Colin felt something inside himself break. Lady Clarissa and her mother had schemed together to ensnare him. What all had Lady Clarissa done in the pursuit of that goal? Had she pretended to like him when she did not? Had she feigned to enjoy his company? How many times had she lied to him?
“Would you like a drink?” Russell asked humourlessly.
“That might be the only thing I want,” Colin replied.
Russell sighed. “It…at least I do not know what to say, but when Lord Creshire tried to force Deborah to wed him instead of me, you were there. You supported me and cared about my happiness. I intend to do the same for you.”
Colin forced a smile. He felt gutted, as if everything of substance had been cut from him and was gone forever. “I could not want for a better brother-in-law,” Colin said. “Truly.”
Colin forced himself to cross the terrace. He would return to the billiards room, or perhaps, the study. Yes, the latter. The billiards room reminded him of that fateful night when he met Lady Clarissa. Perhaps the study would not.
Chapter 29
Two days,Colin thought.I cannot believe it has been only two days.
He sprawled in the armchair behind Russell’s large mahogany desk. One leg was kicked over the chair arm. Colin himself held a glass of scotch in one hand. He stared across the room, trying to see if he could read any titles of the volumes in Russell’s impressive bookshelf across the room.
Books reminded him of Lady Clarissa, buteverythingreminded him of Lady Clarissa. The gardens reminded him of the night he rejected her and of that terrible night where her plan unravelled. The pale pink furniture in the drawing room reminded him of Lady Clarissa’s dress that she wore on that terrible night.
The door opened, and Deborah peered inside the room. “May I come in?”
“It is your house,” he said dryly.
Deborah’s face softened. “I wish to respect your desire for solitude and contemplation.”
“That is kind of you,” Colin replied.
Deborah seated herself across the desk from him. Colin forced a smile. He doubted that his sister would believe he had anything to be happy about, but he still felt as if he ought to make an effort to recover from the revelations two nights before.
“I have given some thought to the events at my ball,” Deborah said.
“Surprisingly, so have I,” Colin replied.
Deborah sighed. “It was regrettable, but you must realise that the Earl of Creshire did all of that out of spite.”
“Of course he did,” Colin said, “but Lady Clarissa admitted that there was a plan. Even if Lord Creshire’s intentions were cruel, there was still a plot to ensnare me.”
“Let us assume that is true,” Deborah replied.
“Itistrue.”
“Do you believe that Lady Clarissa truly concocted such a detestable scheme?” Deborah asked. “Do you believe that shewantedto ensnare you that way? I do not recall Lord Creshire mentioning that precisely.”
“What are you trying to say?” Colin asked. “It is not like Lord Creshire needed to recount the entire conversation for it to be true.”
“Colin,” Deborah said gently. “If Lady Clarissa wanted to ensnare you, she would have done so long before now. I find it difficult to believe that she would wait so long when she has had so many opportunities to arrange a compromising meeting between the two of you.”
Colin frowned and idly ran a finger around the rim of his glass. There had been a handful of meetings between them which might be calledcompromising, and it was true that Lady Clarissa had not taken advantage of those opportunities. He let out a low breath of air. “Maybe she wanted to wait until there was a crowd to witness her misdeeds.”
The excuse sounded foolish even to him. But did he dare hope that Lady Clarissa truly had been an innocent victim? If he was wrong, it would be a terrible mistake.
“Colin, if you love Lady Clarissa,” Deborah said, “I feel like you should go to her. You deserve a chance at happiness, like I have found with Russell, and I do not want you to miss your chance because of Lord Creshire.”
“It is not just Lord Creshire’s doing.”
