Page 72 of Snowbound with the Scoundrel
Chapter30
Rupert wasn’t the least bit surprised that the arrests of Phyllis Cuthbert and Oliver Baxter caused no small amount of gossip amongst the house party guests.There was no hiding the fact that Rupert and Claire had witnessed Phyllis’s confrontation with Rosalind in the maze, but everyone assumed the newly betrothed pair had been trying to sneak a romantic moment and stumbled upon the ugly scene by accident.They chose not to disabuse their fellow guests of this notion, and thus did their status as agents for the Home Office remain a secret.
Rosalind decided to sue Oliver Baxter for divorce.It was nigh impossible for a woman to obtain a divorce, even when her husband had committed infidelity.But considering Oliver had impregnated her own cousin and encouraged that cousin to commit murder to clear the way for the two of them to wed, it seemed that this case might be the exception that proved the rule.
The snow finally cleared sufficiently that Rupert was able to jaunt down to York to secure a common license.While he was there, he posted a letter Clarissa had written to her sisters, begging them to come to Helmsley Castle for a special surprise.
One week later, on the morning of Christmas Eve, Rupert found himself happily ensconced in the blue parlor with Claire, listening to her read him selections from a letter she’d received from her former partner, Lady Winnifred FitzSimon:
As vexed as I am to be losing the most promising partner I’ve had in more than a decade, I cannot find it in me to hold a grudge.I had the pleasure of meeting your Mr.Dupree years ago, and he formed the most favorable impression.He struck me as an extremely nice young man and a very fine agent, and I cannot blame you for wishing to ally yourself with such an outstanding gentleman.
As to your concern that you have gained a reputation for being something of a beauty and cannot go back to skulking amongst the woodwork in your brown gowns, allow me to reassure you that there is no more effective way for a woman to conceal her intelligence than by being young and pretty.That you have a thought in your head beyond ribbons and reticules will occur to absolutely no one of the male persuasion.I fear it will be terribly dull for you, smiling vacuously while men explain things you already know using the simplest terms.But I have absolute confidence that you will adapt and be every bit as effective as you ever were in your dirt-colored dresses.
Rupert was chuckling when a footman appeared in the doorway.“Miss Weatherby,” he announced, snapping to attention, “Toddington asked me to inform you that a carriage bearing the Duke of Norwood’s crest is pulling up the drive.”
Naturally, Claire squealed and scurried down the stairs, with Rupert following close on her heels.
They stepped outside the castle just as the carriage drew to a halt.The carriage door burst open before a footman had a chance to approach, and two babbling young ladies came scrambling out.
“Clarissa!”the blonde girl Rupert assumed to be Pippa cried.
“We missed you,” the brunette, who had to be Kate, murmured, pulling her in for a hug.
They were quickly joined by a third woman, a bit older than her sisters and of decidedly regal bearing.That would be Eleanor, per Claire’s description.She strode over and wrapped her arms around all three of her sisters.
The Duke of Norwood unfolded his long frame from the carriage and strolled toward the castle.“Dupree,” he said easily, offering his hand, “it’s nice to see you again.”
“Likewise, Norwood,” Rupert returned, clasping his hand.“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too.”
A few feet away, Pippa laughed.“I say, Clarissa—what on earth are you wearing?”
Claire had on a snow-white gown, topped with a cerulean-blue spencer trimmed in white fur.“I was separated from my trunk on the journey here.Lady Emily de Roos was kind enough to share her wardrobe with me.”
Kate grinned.“I daresay you’ll be relieved when you’re reunited with your dirt-colored dresses.”
“Actually, I’ve found that I quite enjoy wearing bright colors.”Clarissa gave a rueful smile.“I think I wore brown gowns for so long not because I truly liked them, but because I wanted to hide myself from the world.Now that I’m no longer the biggest laughingstock in the British Isles, I don’t feel the need to hide anymore.”
All three sisters were gaping at her in shock, but they recovered quickly.“That’s wonderful, dear,” Eleanor said.
“You look beautiful in blue,” Kate added.
Pippa sounded as if she might burst into tears.“Oh, Claire—I’m so happy for you!”
Another round of hugging ensued.When the sisters broke apart, they were all smiling.
“Well,” Eleanor said crisply, “that was a shock.But a happy one!”
“And that’s not the only surprise I have for you today,” Claire hastened to say.“You’re probably curious why I summoned you here so urgently.”
Pippa laughed.“Do tell us.Although I doubt anything could be half as shocking as learning that you’ve abandoned your dirt-colored dresses!”
Claire caught Rupert’s eye, her grin turning wicked.“The surprise I have in store for you is a wedding.Mywedding.Allow me to introduce you to my future husband”—she strolled over and looped her arm through his—“Mr.Rupert Dupree.”
Kate and Pippa’s gasps were drowned out by Eleanor’s cry of alarm.The eldest Weatherby sister surged forward, pressing the back of her wrist against Claire’s forehead.
She rounded on Rupert, her eyes earnest.“When did she hit her head?”
