Page 46 of A Virgin for His Grace
"Get out," he said with deadly quiet. "Get out of my house before I do something we will both regret."
Whitmore straightened his rumpled cravat with obvioussatisfaction, apparently pleased to have provoked such a violent reaction.
"As you wish, Your Grace. Though I feel I should mention that I have been making inquiries about Miss Greystone's... activities during her residence here. Most illuminating inquiries."
The threat was delivered with such casual malice that Devon felt ice settle in his stomach. "What manner of inquiries?"
"Oh, nothing too specific," Whitmore replied with false innocence. "Merely questions about her daily routines, her access to various parts of the house, the frequency with which she was observed in private conference with her employer."
"You bastard," Devon breathed, understanding immediately what game Whitmore was playing. "You are attempting to manufacture evidence of impropriety where none exists." He was lying of course. There had been plenty impropriety, and Devon had loved every second of it.
"Am I?" Whitmore asked with mock surprise. "How very cynical of you to assume such a thing. I am merely concerned about my bride's reputation, naturally. After all, any irregularities in her conduct while residing here would reflect poorly on both our families."
The barely veiled blackmail sent fury coursing through Devon's veins, yet he recognized that he was trapped as neatly as a fox in a snare. Any attempt to defend Arabella would only provide more ammunition for Whitmore's campaign of character assassination.
"What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"Want? I want nothing more than to marry the woman I love and live happily ever after," Whitmore replied with sickening sweetness. "Though I confess I would sleep more soundly knowing that her former associations would not intrude upon our domestic felicity."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that after Saturday, I expect no further contact between Miss Greystone and this household. No visits, no correspondence, no... lingering entanglements that might cause tongues to wag. A clean break, as it were, for the good of all concerned."
The demand was exactly what Devon had expected, yet hearing it spoken aloud felt like a dagger to the heart. Not only was he to lose Arabella to this despicable creature, but he was to be denied even the comfort of knowing how she fared in her new life.
"And if I refuse to agree to such restrictions?" he asked quietly.
Whitmore's smile was sharp as a blade. "Then I fear I would be forced to share my concerns about Miss Greystone's conduct with certain influential members of society. Lord Huxley, for instance, has expressed considerable interest in the true nature of her relationship with you. I am certain he would find my observations most... educational."
The threat was clear enough—agree to Whitmore's demandsor watch Arabella's reputation be destroyed by carefully orchestrated gossip and innuendo. Either way, she would be lost to him, but at least this path might preserve some measure of her dignity.
"You have made your point," Devon said with bitter resignation. "After Saturday, there will be no contact between Miss Greystone and this household. You have my word as a gentleman."
"Excellent," Whitmore said with obvious satisfaction. "I knew you would see reason eventually. After all, what choice did you really have?"
As Whitmore took his triumphant leave, Devon remained standing in his study, surrounded by the books and memories that had witnessed so many of his encounters with Arabella. In three days, she would be gone from his life forever, bound to a man who would never appreciate her intelligence, her courage, or the passionate heart that beat beneath her composed exterior.
He had thought himself prepared for the pain of losing her, had convinced himself that noble suffering was preferable to selfish happiness. But now, faced with the reality of permanent separation, he began to understand that some losses were too great to be borne with dignity.
The question was whether he possessed the courage to fight for what he truly wanted, regardless of the consequences to his reputation, his position, or the expectations of a society that had never understood the value of authentic feeling over artificial propriety.
As the afternoon shadows lengthened across his study floor, Devon found himself contemplating choices he had never imagined he would need to make, and wondering whether love might indeed prove stronger than duty, honor, and the crushing weight of social expectation.
Chapter 14
The following morning brought news that would change everything, though it arrived in the most innocuous possible form. A letter bearing the seal of Devon's man of business, delivered with the routine correspondence that typically required no urgent attention.
Devon was in his study, attempting to focus on estate matters whilst his thoughts constantly drifted to Arabella and the approaching catastrophe of her wedding, when something in the letter's content made him sit forward with sudden attention.
Your Grace,
I write to inform you of certain irregularities that have come to my attention regarding Mr. James Whitmore's financial circumstances. As you requested that I conduct a discreet investigation into the gentleman's background prior to his marriage to Miss Greystone, I feel obligated to share these findings with all possible speed.
Mr. Whitmore's debts are considerably more extensive than he has represented, totaling nearly fifteen thousand pounds owed to various gaming establishments and moneylenders throughout London. His creditors have become increasingly impatient, and there are rumors that he faces potential imprisonment for debt if payment is not soon forthcoming.
More concerning still is information regarding his previous betrothal to Miss Catherine Fitzwilliam, daughter of Sir HenryWynn of Yorkshire. The betrothal was broken by the lady herself after what she described to her family as increasingly cruel and controlling behavior. According to my sources, Mr. Whitmore flew into violent rages when he was angry, made unreasonable demands upon her time and attention, and treated her with such public rudeness that her family felt compelled to intervene.
Miss Wynn's brother has confirmed that she remains deeply affected by the experience and has refused all subsequent offers of marriage. While no formal complaints were lodged, the family's unanimous condemnation of Mr. Whitmore's character suggests a pattern of behavior that I felt you should be aware of.
