Page 2 of The Duke's Scandal
“I am afraid I have no desire to speak on this matter.” Lord Hogarth drew himself up, but Isobella caught a slight tremble in his frame, as well as the way his eyes flicked towards her brother and back again. “The engagement is ended. That is all that matters.”
Seeing her brother’s eyes flare, Isobella held up one hand towards him, trying to get Granville to calm himself. “I do not think detaining Lord Hogarth any longer will do anything good,” she said, her voice quavering. “We can speak once he has departed, can we not?”
Lord Granville glared at Lord Hogarth, refusing to move out of his way. For a long moment, both gentlemen stood facing each other, neither of them saying anything more. Isobella held her breath, her fingers twisting together as her mother stood beside her.
“Very well.” His lip curling, Lord Granville stepped to one side. “And do notevercome near to my sister or think to set foot in this house again.”
Watching him walk away, Isobella felt as if she were crumpling inwardly. This was the end of everything she had put her hope in for the last few months, the shattering of the dream she had built for so long.
“I do not understand,” their mother said, sitting back down heavily. “This is the third gentleman who has disappointed you, Isobella. Your first Season, there was Lord Brookmire, who courted you but then stepped away, followed by Lord Pollock, who made so many promises ashe begged to court you, only for him to elope to Scotland with another lady entirely!”
“And now this Season, I have found my engagement ended,” Isobella murmured, rubbing one hand over her eyes before going to sit down again. “If I thought that last Season was disappointing, then this Season has proven to be even worse.”
“It is worse than you know.” Stalking across the room, Granville poured himself a small glass of brandy and, much to Isobella’s surprise, poured another glass which he then handed to her. “I am overwhelmed with anger, I must admit. The moment I found out what he had done, my fury burned.”
“Where did you hear it?” his mother asked, as Granville began to pace up and down the room. “It is only the morning and – ”
“I was in Whites last evening,” Granville interrupted, though not ungently. “There were some gentlemen gathered around the betting book. Naturally, I was interested.”
Isobella shuddered, then lifted the brandy to her lips, taking a small sip of water. “I presume my betrothed’s name was in the betting book?”
“He was.” With another swig of brandy, Granville shook his head, looking away from her. “I spent the rest of the night – or the morning – looking for him. You can imagine my surprise upon returning home to be informed that he had come to speak with you, Isobella.”
“Might you tell us what it is that you discovered?” With a sadness penetrating her voice, the Countess looked up at her son. “What did Lord Hogarth do?”
Granville scowled. “There was a bet in the betting book that said he would be able to… ” His eyes slanted towards Isobella and then back to their mother. “Towoothe widower, Lady Cowden.”
A weight dropped into Isobella’s stomach. She did not need her brother to explain himself to know that thiswooingwould certainly have been more than that.
“The bet had been fulfilled last night,” her brother finished, heavily. “You can imagine my feelings at that moment, I am sure.”
Closing her eyes, Isobella cradled the glass of brandy in her hands before bringing it to her lips for another sip. This, then, had been the ultimate betrayal, and she had known nothing about it!
“I thought that he cared for me,” she said, tears beginning to fall again. “He told me so. He said my heart was a precious gift, something that he would always value and cherish.”
“He lied.” The short, sharp truth from her brother made Isobella shudder violently, tears beginning to burn in her eyes again. “I am sorry to say it, Isobella, but nothing he said was true. He did not care for you as he promised, for he would not have behaved that way had he truly done so. I love my wife desperately, and there is nothing I would do to harm her. I felt that way when we were courting, and that feeling has only increased within my heart in the two years we have been wed.”
Isobella swallowed hard. “That is what I had hoped to find for myself.” She had seen the love shared between her brother and his wife, Louisa. Louisa had become more like an older sister to her, and Isobella had always been grateful for her friendship and her advice. “It seems I am never to find it.”
“There is always next Season,” her mother said, but Isobella did not let that fill her with any sortof hope. This was now the third gentleman who had failed to prove himself, the third and the most severe, given that they had been engaged.
“No, I think not,” she whispered, unable to speak with any sort of strength now. “Mother, I think that there can be no hope for me now. Thetonwill speak of this for some time and I will be whispered about also.”
Her brother closed his eyes, letting out a low mutter of frustration.
“It should not be that way,” the Countess said, with tears in her eyes. “You have done nothing wrong, and yet, society will still whisper about you. Mayhap… mayhap we should return home and come back next Season.”
Isobella threw back the rest of the brandy in what would be considered a most unladylike fashion, letting the heat of it push through her otherwise cold frame. Her mother was determined to come back next Season with her, to encourage her with such a promise, but Isobella knew her heart had shattered into pieces, pieces beyond repair. Her hope for a happy future with a gentleman who cared for her was quite gone, ruined now by Lord Hogarth and the other two gentlemen before him. It was never to be for her, it seemed. Fate was determined to cast her aside, to leave her alone and without a love and comfort of her own.
And all she could do was accept it.
Chapter One
Two years later
“Iam delighted for you!” Isobella beamed with happiness and then hugged her friend tightly. “How truly wonderful for you both!”
Miss Sherwood smiled back at her. “I thank you,” she replied. “Lord Suffolk has acted rather quickly, I must say, for we have not been officially courting for a very long time, as you well know!”
