Page 97 of The Curious Life of the Unfortunate Duchess
“It cannot be, David,” Leonard mumbled. “It does not make sense.”
“Yet you believed it made sense for me?” David snapped. “It does sound like the same men!”
“This is quite a leap—”
“Out with it!” Catherine ordered. “We will determine what can or cannot be.”
“They match the description of two men we saw,” Leonard offered slowly, again casting David a nervous look. “When we were in London on business.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed.
“That makes little sense. Many men look as I described.”
Elizabeth could see there was more to the story than they had yet to say.
“David, out with it!” Elizabeth insisted. “You cannot keep us in suspense when these men may come back to finish what they started.”
“You may tell her, Your Grace. I do not wish to be the bearer of such news.”
“I should have seen it,” Leonard muttered aloud but he was apparently speaking to himself. “We were all run ragged, falling apart, and he was rested, shaved, clean.”
David grunted at the Duke in exasperation and turned to his sister, regret staining his face.
“Father met with two such characters in the morning while we were in London. The dark-headed one had an Irish accent and the other had eyes as cold as ice. When Father realized we were nearby, he dismissed them both and claimed they were begging for coins.”
“I thought you were brazen for asking me for the ransom,” Leonard continued, his eyes growing larger with each word he spoke. “But it was Lord Gordon who roused the topic in front of you, knowing that you would ask for the money.”
Elizabeth could not believe her ears and she began to shake her head vehemently.
“It is not possible,” she replied flatly. “You believe my own father would have me tied up and held-- for what purpose? You are mad, the lot of you.”
“He had access to the shoe,” Catherine offered softly. “He not only knew you were going to Lord Cooke’s manor house but he encouraged your confrontation with Priscilla!”
“WHY?” Elizabeth shrieked, still unwilling to accept what she was hearing. “Why would he do that?”
“For money, Liza,” Catherine whispered, the final pieces of the puzzle falling into the crevices of her mind. “Gordon suffered great losses despite what your father claims. I had heard about them and I suspect your family fortune is depleted.”
“I second that,” David sighed, lowering his eyes in shame. “Father has been selling off our gold and silver pieces. He swore me to secrecy but I swear Liza, if I had ever suspected him for this—”
“What is the meaning of this?” Percival asked, stalking into the room. “You sent for me? Ah, Liza, good. You look much healthier than when I last saw you.”
Leonard released a guttural cry and lunged for the Viscount who reeled back in surprise. If Herbert had not pulled the Duke back in the final seconds, Percival would not have escaped unbloodied.
“What is this?” the Viscount roared furiously. “If anyone deserves a good knocking, it is you, Duke! Did you tell Elizabeth how you left her for dead, how you did not pay her ransom?”
A pang of unease touched Elizabeth but her eyes remained on her father.
“I know what you have done,” Leonard hissed. “And you will pay with your life!”
“No!” Elizabeth gasped. “No.”
She looked at Leonard and his eyes softened under her gaze but his jaw remained locked in ire.
“Father, is this true? Did you arrange to have me taken?”
Percival straightened himself and brushed his waistcoat as though he had been tossed to the ground.
“What nonsense is this?” he snapped. “You believe the Duke who refused to pay to release you? If anyone has secrets, I would say it is him.”
