Page 43 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
Sebastian turned to the window, his friend’s voice fading slightly. A flash of colour and movement had caught his eye. His heart contracted violently.
It was Georgina atop the black horse, cantering across the lawn towards the stables. Abruptly, she stopped, dismounting, leading the horse by the reins. The next moment, she vanished from view.
A wave of relief swept over him. She had returned. She hadn’t fled Newquay Hall. It told him all he needed to know about how he felt about her.
He frowned. But his feelings were not the issue. It was whether she could be trusted. And he still just didn’t know. The doubts about her had wriggled into his heart like worms, and he didn’t know how to dislodge them. Or even if he should try.
Chapter 22
“Come along, boy,” whispered Christina, leading the horse by the reins towards the stables. The horse’s flank was glistening with sweat. It had been a long, intense ride, and she knew the horse was exhausted from it. “Let us get you to your stable where you can have a long, cool drink and a rest …”
Her voice drifted away. Lady Lydia was walking quickly along a garden path just ahead of her, her hands clasped firmly in front of her, looking as neat as a pin in a pink and white gingham gown, her hair slicked back into a firm bun. Lydia had a determined look on her face, but she also looked distracted.
Christina hesitated. Indignation started pulsing in her veins. She needed to try to find the duke to tell him quickly what Hester was up to, but she wanted to confront his sister, as well.
This was the first time she had encountered Lydia since she had become aware of the rumours circulating about her – rumours that Lydia had spread.
Before she had time to think about it, she veered to the right, pursuing the lady. Her heart was pounding hard now.
“Lady Lydia!” she called.
The lady stopped, turning around slowly. Her face hardened when she saw it was Christina who had called out to her, but she didn’t flee. She stood her ground, her hands still firmly clasped together, waiting for Christina.
“I need to speak to you,” rapped Christina, without preamble. She knew she sounded abrupt and rude, but she no longer cared. The gloves were definitely off regarding her relationship with the duke’s sister, and she didn’t see the point in pretending it was any different now. “Why are you spreading vicious rumours that I am pretending to have lost my memory? It is untrue! I fervently wish that I could remember my life and not have to be in this terrible situation.”
“I really do not care,” Lydia said coldly, her eyes flickering over her. “I do not care if you are authentic or not.” She assessed her carefully, studying her like a strange insect beneath a microscope. “You are in the way, Georgina. You have infiltrated yourself into my brother’s affections … and that will not do at all. You must leave Newquay Hall.”
“How am I in the way?” Christina gaped at her. “I do not understand.”
Lydia sighed heavily. “I am his grace’s only sibling,” she said in a pained voice. “I am his older sister. I expected to play a pivotal role in the important decisions of his life – and that includes who he decides to marry.” She paused. “Your arrival has jeopardized that position – it has jeopardized it within the household, and my status is threatened. You are an interloper, Georgina. You are a cuckoo in the nest … and you must be turned out.”
Christina’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to say.
“You are commandeering my brother’s attention,” continued Lydia in a pensive voice. “You are threatening my position as lady of the manor … and I am determined that the next Duchess of Newquay will be a dear friend of mine – and not an outsider.”
Christina frowned. The lady spat the last word as if it were obscene. Clearly, Lydia was closing ranks. She wanted Lady Frances to marry the duke to secure her position in this household.
She thought that if an outsider, as she termed it, became duchess, then her own status would diminish. Lydia would end up as the fading spinster sister of the duke, with little power or influence, spending her days as an annoying burden in her brother’s home.
But just as she was about to open her mouth and assure the lady that she was no threat to her, Lydia gave her a frosty smile, turning on her heel and marching quickly away. Christina watched her. Lydia’s back was as stiff as a washboard.
Christina sighed. There really was nothing she could do to convince Lydia that she wasn’t her enemy and wasn’t a threat to her.
The lady had branded her as an interloper and a troublemaker from the start, and there was simply no way to change her mind now.
Her eyes flickered to the house, resting upon the window of the duke’s study. Her heart flipped over. She must speak with him about what Hester had said. The problem of Lydia would have to wait until another time entirely.
Her mouth went dry. Would he believe her? Or had his sister completely convinced him she was a troublemaker?
***
Sebastian turned at the sound of the knock on his study door.
Daniel was still here – they were sharing a brandy now as they discussed how to tackle the problem of Walter Hester and his stubborn intention to create a mining empire monopoly in the district.
“Enter,” he called out.
The door opened, and his heart shifted. It was Georgina. Their eyes locked, and they gazed at each other steadily across the room. He felt a small crackle between them.
