Page 66 of The Rake's Daughter
Lord Salcott added in a quieter, but no less implacable tone, “Think about it. Did your father make a secret of Isobel’s existence? No, he did not. Did his friends and cronies know? Yes, they did. Are his cronies part of the ton? Yes, they are.” He paused to let his words sink in, then repeated, “Itwillcome out. It’s just a matter of time.”
“So what are you going to do?” Izzy asked. She was shocked, seeing this hostile side of him. Especially after last night.
“Nothing,” he said.
“ ‘Nothing’?” Izzy repeated, puzzled.
“You two have made your bed, and now you must lie in it. The scandal will break, and you must manage as best you can. I wash my hands of you.”
There was a short silence. Izzy thought about what he had said. “Is that it?” she said.
***
Leo blinked. What the hell did she mean, was that it? Weren’t scandal and disgrace enough?
Isobel rose slowly to her feet. “Do you imagine we are some kind of naive ninnies?” Her green eyes glinted with fire. “Weknowthere will eventually be unpleasant consequences. Weknowit will all fall apart eventually, that there are people in the ton who know about my birth and who will happily spread the gossip. Nastily.”
If they knew, then why the hell had they done what they did? Leo wondered.
Clarissa nodded. “But being shunned by society will be nothing new for us.”
Leo frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Until we came to London,” Clarissa said, “we had never visited anyone in their home, had never been invitedfor tea or dinner, or to any kind of party. We’d never been to a dance or a ball.”
Leo glanced at Isobel. She’d said something of the sort the previous night, but he hadn’t really taken it in. “You never visited people in the country?”
She shook her head. “We were not allowed outside the boundaries of the estate. Nor did we have any visitors ourselves.”
“Papa wouldn’t allow it,” Clarissa said. “Even the vicar and his wife were forbidden to call. Only Papa’s own visitors—and those we avoided as much as possible.” Both girls screwed up their noses in distaste at the memory. “So we decided to experience as much of London society as we could, while we had the opportunity.”
“But Miss Studley,” Leo began, exasperated. “Youcould have—”
“Do you imagine I could enjoy myself knowing the same pleasures were forbidden to my sister?” she said hotly. “Besides, I know now that I don’t much enjoy big ton social occasions as much as I thought I would. I don’t like crowds. I prefer smaller, more intimate gatherings‚ though I did enjoy our twilight party,” she added to her sister. “Perhaps because the garden is the place I love the best, and so I felt at home there and could breathe. And because Izzy was with me.” She glanced back at Leo. “But just so you know, when the axe, as you put it, falls, being shunned won’t be too much of a hardship for us to bear.”
“And when the news of my irregular birth breaks,” Isobel said, seeming quite unperturbed by the prospect, “there will no doubt be a bit of a scandal, but everyone will soon realize that you and Lady Scattergood were not at fault, that you were deceived—”
“By us.” Clarissa stepped forward and took her sister’s hand in a show of solidarity. Leo had to admit he was impressed by her loyalty. Misguided as it was.
Not that he relished the thought of appearing to the ton as the dupe of two young women.
“No, by me. I will wear most of the blame,” Isobel said matter-of-factly, as if it were a foregone conclusion. “It’s what invariably happens.”
“It’s true,” Clarissa agreed. “It’s not fair, but it’s what happens. People always blame Izzy, even for things I did. Even if I admit responsibility, they still blame her.”
Isobel nodded. “Because of my illegitimacy, my so-called bad blood. It will be decided that I exerted my unwholesome influence over poor Clarissa. She will be forgiven. Eventually.”
“Only I don’t want to be forgiven if Izzy is being shunned. As we said when we first spoke to you, it must be both of us or neither.” Clarissa smiled tranquilly up at him.
“And in the meantime,” Isobel said, “we are going to experience as much of London society as we can. And when the axe falls”—she shrugged—“so be it.”
Leo was stunned. He’d assumed the girls had gone ahead with their arrangements in a spirit of naivety, not giving a thought to possible consequences, assuming in the way of spoiled and pampered young ladies that it would all work out well in the end.
Instead, they’d calculated the risks and gone ahead, more like soldiers going into battle. Accepting the consequences they knew would result.
He didn’t think they were lying, either. What he’d learned about their lives when he visited Studley Park Hall fitted with what Clarissa had just described. He just hadn’t quite envisaged it.
No visitors—ever. Except for Sir Bartleby’s cronies, whom they avoided as much as possible. Never having visited anyone in their home. Nineteen years with only the company of servants. It was almost inconceivable. And it was a disgrace.
