Page 77 of The Odd Riddle of the Lost Duchess
“Thank you, Lord Ellenborough.” Noah replied calmly. “I appreciate your efforts.”
A few more words and then parting farewells had Noah climbing back into his carriage and ordering the coachman to go to his place at Mayfair.
The carriage came to a stop but Noah didn’t leave at once–instead, he sat back and tilted his head back on the seat. Looking at the house through his peripherals, he felt everything just fall down on him like a load of bricks.
“Your Grace?” The coachman asked after a prolonged silence. “We’ve arrived.”
Levering himself up, Noah nodded, “Yes, yes. Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Leaving the carriage, Noah approached his house and sighed. It was going to be another long night.
* * *
A long night stretched into three long days where Noah had sequestered himself, but on the evening of the fourth, he looked at the door of White’s with a bit of distaste.
As a public figure who was just been cleared of a crime that he hadn’t committed, it was a strategic move to make himself present at social gatherings. Ensconcing himself at his home would only further the irrational rumors and mar his image even more.
Honestly though, at this point in his life, Noah didn’t give a fig about his social image and couldn’t care less if the masses thought he was the devil incarnate. They could leave him alone for the rest of his life as, since the death of his beloved, he had counted himself lifeless.
The only purpose he had in life was to care for the people under his governance and make sure they prospered. If they did, he did. Gritting his teeth, Noah pushed the door and stepping in, greeted the doorman and handed over his coat.
“Have a good evening, Your Grace,” The man said while hanging up the coat.
Noah could only muster a nod before he entered the room. The ambiance was the same–dark, with muted lighting and the tails of cigar smoke lingering in the air.
The moment he did venture more than three feet inside the first room the activities came to a halt. More than a dozen, or possibly fifteen pairs of eyes were on the Duke, and morbidly, Noah thought that he should have painted his forehead with the words “NOT GUILTY” in bright red ink before arriving at the establishment.
Ignoring them, he went to the bar and ordered a stiff drink before secluding himself in a seat near the middle of the room. It was a blatant dare to anyone who thought he was higher than a judge to come an accuse him–luckily, no one did.
“Noah,” Lord Alford said, as he hurried out from the nearby room, his silvered beard parting with his smile, “I’m glad to see you, my good man. I was in London when the real criminal of St. Maur’s crime was sent to prison.”
He was just a henchman, my friend, the real criminal is still alive.
Noah felt a bit humored–the man’s voice had been pitched loud enough that it had carried over half the room and the men around him. Some who were glaring at him suddenly turned away. Lord Alford had done him a service by being his “town crier” instead of forcing him to outwardly state his innocence.
“May I get you a drink, my friend, and join you?” The older man offered graciously.
“Thank you for the offer, Alford,” Noah replied soberly, “But I think I need some time to myself for the present.”
Lord Alford knew Noah was still grieving over Emmeline’s death and a small commiserating smile crossed his face as he laid a hand on the young Duke’s shoulder. “I mourn with you, my friend.”
Noah tried to smile but his heart was heavy, “Time will not heal this wound, Alford, but it might make it numb. I’ll still love her to my dying day.”
Noah had not made any move to hush his voice or to keep his grief from it, as there was nothing for him to be ashamed about.
“As any lady worthy of such devotion should be honored,” Lord Alford replied with a last touch, and then walked away.
Despite the almost-empty room–as most of the patrons had decided to suddenly be interested in a game of Quinze in the adjoining parlor, neither Newberry nor Alford had noticed the pair of tawny eyes that were pinned on Noah’s person from not too far away.
Noah watched as the older man walked away, and then braced one elbow on the table and ran a callused hand over his face. He was just about to start wondering where his drink was when a hand settled it before him.
“May I join you?”
Noah’s head snapped up, to see Leverton standing beside him and after a quick moment, the Duke nodded, “Please.”
The room suddenly felt quiet as the gentlemen assembled knew that these two men, interacting in the same room, was a recipe for disaster. In the past, the two had stayed away from each other as the feud between both families was still raging. So, what caused this miraculous turnabout?
The Duke of Newberry felt the stares of eyes on them, but like before, didn’t try to address them. In fact, he was so disenchanted that he didn’t care if the drink Leverton had given him was poisoned. Noah felt like he was at the end of his rope.
