Page 50 of The Iron Duke's Flaming Christmas
“Good morning, Miss Bomind!” called a young woman, who she knew vaguely. “And how is the Iron Duke? Are you enjoying warming his bed?”
Selene froze, gaping at her. The woman’s friend pulled her away, their laughter echoing down the street. Selene’s heart gave an almighty pump. She turned, looking around blindly, before running down a cobblestoned lane, leaning against the wall, panting hard.
They know. The whole village knows about the duke and me. My reputation is ruined. How is this possible?
Her mind was spinning violently, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She leaned over, her hands on her knees, staring at the ground, fixating on the skeleton of a fish that had been thrown from a window.
It must be the same person who altered my father’s letter. They must have spread rumors about the duke and me. There is no other explanation.
She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. Mrs. Kittles was in the toy shop with Lady Lenore. Even now, someone might be spreading this gossip, telling the housekeeper that the new governess was sleeping with the Iron Duke. Lady Lenore might be listening to it, as well.
Suddenly, Selene was knocked sideways, flying to the ground so hard she hit her head. She cried out, holding her head, gazing up in a daze. What had just happened?
A tall man wearing a black cape was looming over her, his long black boots, flecked with snow, mere inches from her face. The hood on his cape was drawn low over his head so that his entire face was in shadow. She couldn’t see it at all.
“What… why did you do that?” she gasped, staggering to get to her feet. She looked at the hand that had been holding her head. It was covered in blood. She cried in distress. “Who are you…?”
The tall man didn’t reply. He grabbed her tightly, picking her up, as if she were a doll, dragging her, kicking and screaming, to a waiting carriage.
“Help!” she cried desperately, as the man forced her into it. “Oh, please help me!”
The last thing she saw was the startled face of a man looking at her from the window of a house, before her head started spinning brutally, and everything faded to black.
Chapter 26
Selene blinked, slowly opening her eyes. Her head was splitting, and she felt like she was going to be sick. Horrified, she gazed around. She was in a dark, dilapidated room, with cobwebs hanging in long strings from the ceiling.
She tried to move and then realized that she was bound fast with rope.
“Help!” she screamed, terror overtaking her. “Help!”
A tall man in a black cape entered the room. She realized it was the same man who had kicked her in the lane, dragging her to the carriage and this place, wherever it was.
She could see his face, now. A long, aquiline face. He had a small white scar above one eyebrow. She didn’t recognize him.
“Who are you?” she stammered, her voice thick with tears. “Why have you done this to me?”
His eyes flickered over her. “Ah yes, we have not been properly introduced, Miss Bomind,” he said, in a polite voice, as if they were meeting in a drawing room. “I am the Marquess ofEaton.” He smiled, in an unpleasant way. “The Duke of Trenton and I go back a very long way, but I was closer to his late wife, Mary.”
Selene’s head was spinning with confusion. “What…?”
“Do not be impatient,” he snapped, glaring at her, the polite voice vanishing. “I have a friend, Miss Bomind… a very close friend, who desires that you leave Trenton House. Permanently.” Abruptly, he smiled at her again. “You see, my good friend and I have a plan that involves the Iron Duke, and you are standing in the way of it.”
Selene gaped at him. “I still do not understand.”
“Are you a dunce, Miss Bomind?” he sneered. “I heard you were a clever woman but clearly, not clever enough to connect the dots.” He sighed dramatically. “The duke’s affection for you is standing in the way of my good friend getting what she wants… which is to marry him.”
“Lady Gwen,” said Selene faintly. “She has orchestrated this?”
“Very good,” said the man. “Now you are starting to piece it together!” He smiled. “Lady Gwen tried to discredit you by altering a letter from your father, letting the duke read it, which said that you planned blackmail but alas, that did not work, asthe duke did not kick you out as we hoped, and you are still ensconced at Trenton House.”
Selene’s head started to clear. It was all making sense, now—why the duke had been so cold with her recently. He had read that letter. He thought she was planning to blackmail him.
She took a deep breath. “And she started spreading rumors about me and the duke.”
“Exactly,” said the man, in a patronizing way, as if she were a foolish child who had finally discovered the answer to a troubling sum. “But we decided that would take too long, and the duke might still not let you go. His affection for you seems quite strong. He is enamored with you. Quite touching, really.”
Selene was silent, digesting this. “But why are you doing this for Lady Gwen? You abducted me, which is a capital offense. Why would you do such a thing for her?”
