Page 29 of The Odd Riddle of the Lost Duchess
“So, Duke of Newberry,” a voice slurred loudly as the speaker was soused in his liquor. “Do you have any claim over Lady Emmeline, or may I claim her?”
The fine hold Noah had on his temper snapped and the Duke bolted from his place, grabbed the drunken man, and planted his fist in his face.
* * *
Emmeline had just started playing a new tune when a loud commotion came from the card room, accompanied by enraged shouts, the shattering of glass, and the snapping of wood.
A particular shout had Emmeline darting up from her seat and rushing towards the card room with her heart pounding, but she was stopped by two men who immediately blocked the door. She wasn’t the only one, but she pushed to the front, only to be denied entrance.
“Don’t, Lady Emmeline,” one gentleman said kindly but resolutely. “This is not for you to see.”
What is happening?she wondered.
Tipping up on her toes, Emmeline could see two men–Lord Bexley and another were holding Noah back. The Duke’s face was livid, dark red with rage, his hair standing on end. Noah’s head briefly twisted towards her and the look of rage shifted to one that made her breath catch.
“What on this good earth has happened?” the Duchess of Newberry demanded from beside her. Emmeline, however, had an inkling. From the fierceness on Noah’s face, she knew the squabble had to be about her.
In the short time, she had been in the Duke’s presence, she knew Noah was not one to jump into violence quickly; something had pushed him there.
“Nothing, Your Grace,” a man said, as he came from the room and blocked the view inside. “It is only a…misunderstanding.”
“One that evoked fisticuffs?” the Duchess demanded, “or even pistols?”
“Just a misunderstanding, Madam,” the man replied calmly. “Please resume the evening, we will have it sorted out quickly.”
Over the man’s shoulder, Emmeline saw Noah shrug off Lord Bexley’s hand from his shoulder and shoot a deadly look to a man with light blond hair, who was nursing a bloody lip and a bruised jaw.
As there was nothing she could do, Emmeline turned away, feeling another set of eyes on her–the Duchess. Resuming her seat at the pianoforte, she thought about what she should play next.
The dark murmurs around the room about the men’s disgraceful display didn’t make any mark on Emmeline’s mood. She wasn’t prone to presume, but there was no doubt in her mind–she believed she knew what had happened–that Noah had defended her. In what way she wasn’t sure, but she knew the quarrel had been over her.
Her fingers traced over the keys, and after flitting over them pensively, the strains of Beethoven’sSonata No. 14started to permeate the room. The soft, lovely, and haunting sounds drew the attention of the gentlemen and ladies surrounding her, but Emmeline was lost in her mind.
The song, dedicated to the composer’s lost love, was an audible projection of Emmeline’s emotion towards Noah, but only the most astute picked up on it. A part of her noted that she was being scrutinized, but she still played with a soft smile on her face.
Beethoven’s sonata was a complicated piece, but Emmeline had practiced it for years, hoping that someday the right man would give her leeway to play it for him. The lovely sonata drew to a close and, with the last trembling note hanging in the air, Emmeline smiled, excused herself, and went to the nearest powder room.
Her reflection was one she was unfamiliar with–her face was flushed and her eyes bright. Braced on the vanity, she wasn’t surprised when the door opened and Ann stepped in.
“Are you all right, Em?” her stalwart friend asked, with her eyebrows in a tight line.
“I am,” Emmeline sighed, “I just…came to a conclusion Ann, and it is scaring me to death.”
“About the His Grace, I suppose,” Ann mirrored her expression. “I know, and anyone who knows the language of music knows. But Em…are you sure about this? Loving him will estrange you from your family. George will never forgive you for this.”
“How can I change what my heart feels, Ann?” Emmeline mourned, “My head knows it’s wrong, but my heart feels it is right. Maybe this is God’s way of saying it’s time this feud ended.”
The distraught lady felt her best friend envelop her in her arms. “I’m sorry Em, I do not know how this can be, but…if it’s truly God’s plan, it will come about. Take heart, my dear.”
After hugging her friend, Emmeline asked, “Walk with me, please. I need some fresh air.”
“Gladly,” Ann replied with a smile.
The two briefly went back to the music room and told Lady Alford where they were going. Even though it was late, since Emmeline was with her friend, the matron gave her consent.
The gardens of Bexley Manor were magnificent. Emmeline was not sure what kind of science or magical arts the Countess used to have splendid white roses all year round, but the garden was flush with them. The moon was high enough for its silver rays to transform the garden into an ethereal fantasy.
Lightly brushing her fingertips on the silky petals as they walked, Emmeline tried to conjure some way to be with Noah, but by the end of the walk couldn’t fathom any way to do so.
