Page 11 of Snowbound with the Scoundrel
Toddington clasped his hand.“Master Lawrence will be beside himself that you’re back in England.James,” he said, turning to a footman, “go and fetch Master Lawrence.Tell him Mr.Rupert Dupree is here.”
Rupert was so busy catching up with Toddy that he didn’t notice that Clarissa was skulking in the corner until Laurie came striding into the entry hall.“Crikey, Rupe—it really is you!Come here, you old dog,” he said, grabbing Rupert by the shoulders.
“Laurie!”Rupert exclaimed, thumping his friend on the back.“Hope you don’t mind me besieging the castle uninvited.”
“You’re always invited, and you know it,” Laurie said firmly.“Mama will tell you the same thing—here she is.”
Sure enough, the Countess of Helmsley had appeared at the top of the landing.She was peering down the stairs.She’d never much liked wearing her spectacles.Thought they made her look old.But Rupert thought she was an exceptionally handsome woman with or without her spectacles, and the sight of her warmed his heart.
“Lawrence, is that you?”Lady Helmsley asked, squinting.“Tell me, is it true?Has Rupert returned to us at last?”
“It’s true, Mama.”Laurie grinned.“How’s that for a Christmas present?”
Lady H.picked her way down the stairs.“It is the best present, the best one we could possibly receive.”Reaching Rupert, she framed his face.“Oh, dear boy—you have been away from us for far too long!”
Rupert kissed her on the cheek.“Hope you don’t mind my imposing myself upon you.”
“Imposing!”She swatted his wrist.“You are never an imposition.Now, Rupert, I must insist that you stay with us through the Christmas holidays.You must not even consider abandoning us to go be with those horrible people.”
Rupert laughed, taking no offense that the horrible people she was referring to were his father and brother.“I should like nothing better.”
Lady Helmsley noticed Clarissa lurking beside a suit of armor.“Is this a friend of yours?”she asked, looking at Rupert.
“A recent friend,” Rupert said, gesturing for Clarissa to come forward.“We met on the mail coach.May I present Miss Clarissa Weatherby?”
Lady Helmsley’s mouth fell open, and Laurie’s eyes all but bugged out of his head, suggesting that the rumors Clarissa had mentioned had been every bit as bad as she implied.
Clarissa stepped forward, clutching her valise with white knuckles.“Lady Helmsley, I apologize for the intrusion.Is there any way we could have a private word?”
Lady H.glanced at Rupert.He nodded reassuringly.
“Of course, dear.Of course.Have you broken your fast?”Clarissa shook her head, and the countess turned to Toddington.“Have a tea tray sent to the morning room with some morsels for Miss Weatherby.Come, child.”She placed her hand on Clarissa’s back and led her down the hall.
Rupert turned to Laurie.“Say, I was wondering if—”
“Did you truly meetClarissa Weatherbyin the carriage?”Laurie hissed.
Rupert laughed.“I did.”
Laurie was studying him.“And do you know about…?”
“The scandal?I do now.She told me all about it.Come on.”Rupert put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, steering him toward the library.“That’s actually what I need your help with.”
Laurie asked Toddington to send them one of those tea trays as well, and the next thing you knew, they were settling into the pair of leather wingchairs before the fire.
“I can’t imagine Miss Weatherby was too pleased to make your acquaintance,” Laurie said.
“She was not,” Rupert confirmed.“The thing is, Laurie, I didn’t write that letter.Didn’t even know about it until a few hours ago.”
Laurie snorted.“You think I don’t know that?They ran it the day after you sailed for France.I tried to write to you so you’d know what was going on, but I take it my letters never reached you.The timing was wretched.”
It warmed Rupert’s heart that his friend had believed the best of him.“I appreciate that, Laurie.I really do.I was moving around quite a bit.But now that I do know, I want to set things right.And that’s where I need your help.”
It had occurred to Rupert in the carriage.Laurie was the third son of the earl and countess and a very bright fellow.He had set himself up as a solicitor.
Rupert explained what he had in mind.“I want to make it clear that I never wrote that letter, that I never insulted Miss Weatherby.That every word they printed is a bunch of rot.”
Laurie frowned.“The strange thing is that it wasn’t just one paper that ran it.Almost every paper from here to Portsmouth somehow had a copy.I know it wasn’t you.But who could it have been?”
