Page 36 of The Duke's Scandal
He heard cries of astonishment, of fright, mayhap, as he staggered back, slamming into a stacked bookshelf. Pain tore through his head as he fought to regain his standing, trying to understand what it was that had just happened to him.
“You struck the Duke of Exeter?” he heard someone cry, as he rubbed one hand over his eyes, his vision blurred. “Why ever should you do such a thing?”
“Because he deserved it,” Amos heard Lord Welton shout as he stood up tall, his fingers now running over his jaw. “Mayhap now you will realize the danger you are in when you stay in his company!”
Shame burnt into Amos’s soul as he glanced around the room and saw every eye on him. This was not his fault, not his doing, but at the same time, having everyone looking at him with a mixture of disdain and shock upon their facesmade him feel as though he deserved every dark look. Without another word, without another look towards Lady Isobella, Amos made his way directly out of the library, heat swirling into his chest and core. Keeping his head down, his jaw still aching, he made his way directly back towards his carriage, his heart beating furiously. Despite all Lady Isobella had done, despite her attempts to help him thus far and even in taking Lady Deborah away from the conversation, it had not been enough. He had been mortified and shamed all over again and feared now that society would whisper about him all the more.
Just what was he to do?
Chapter Seventeen
“Whatever was Lord Welton doing?”
Isobella shook her head and then reached for her teacup. “I do not know.” Recalling what had happened the previous afternoon, she took a sip of her tea, her brow furrowing. “Lord Welton was quite determined to prevent Lady Deborah from speaking with the Duke. I went to speak with Lady Deborah to take her away from the conversation, for more than a few people were looking over. Then, as she and I stepped away, Lord Welton planted the Duke a facer! It was an awful thing to witness.”
“But without any real explanation?”
Isobella bit her lip. “I do recall him shouting to Lady Deborah thereafter that he was doing so because the Duke deserved it. It was certainly a very strong reaction.”And the Duke left immediately thereafter,she thought to herself, wishing he had not run from the library as he had done. They had not spoken since then, and whilst she had felt the urge to write to him, to send a note to make certain he wasquite well, she had not done so. It would betray her heart too much, she feared.
“An overreaction, one might say,” Miss Trentworth suggested as the other bluestockings murmured their agreement. “And none of us discovered anything of interest during our search?”
Looking all around the room, Isobella’s heart sank as the other bluestockings all shook their heads. The library had been filled with history books, all detailing the various families of the aristocracy. Each of them had searched for something, some sort of connection that might connect Lady Victoria to Lady Clara, Lady Clara to Lady Sara, or Lady Sara to Lady Victoria in some way, but it seemed that none of them had found anything of note. That was a little troubling, for it felt as though they were walking through clouds, having no certainty about where to put their next step.
“Lady Sara’s family is all quite respectable. None of them has any connection to Lady Clara, however.” Lady Amelia spread out her hands. “I wish there was something more to share with you than that, but there is not.”
“And the same is to be said of Lady Victoria.” Lady Rosalyn winced at Isobella’s sharp look. “Again, I wish that there had been something that caught our attention, but there was nothing.”
“Someonemust have convinced Lady Clara that the Duke of Exeter was the one who had attacked her that night.” Rubbing her hand over her eyes, Isobella’s heart twisted. “Whoever it was had a reason for it. But now neither Lady Sara nor Lady Victoria has any connection to Lady Clara or to the Duke himself! There is no great friendship between any of these ladies, either. So why was Lady Victoria so very determined to have all of us believe Lady Clara without hesitation?”
And what does our lack of success mean for the Duke?Amelia closed her eyes and winced as the memory of him falling back into a bookcase, the pain tearing into his expression, ran through her mind. She had taken a step closer, ready to go to him, but he had turned sharply and run from the library, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed. Was that how he was to be from now on? Ashamed, hiding away, vilified by those who believed lies about him?
A thought suddenly came to her, her breath hitching. “What if Lord Welton is the one whispering rumors about the Duke?”
A few seconds of silence answered her, and for a moment, Isobella feared that she might well be mistaken in her thoughts. Then, however, Lady Amelia began to nod.
“We had not thought of him before, I know, but it would make sense, would it not? Perhaps we have been looking in the wrong direction!”
“It would make sense, yes, given that he has been so very fervent in his dislike of the Duke,” Miss Sherwood agreed, her eyes darting from one to another. “Did not the Duke say that he did not feel Lord Welton particularly warm towards him even before all of this?”
Isobella took another sip of her tea and then set her cup down. “If we suspect that it might be him, surely we must then also think thathewas the one who, somehow, encouraged Lady Clara to think that it was the Duke who attacked her in the gardens that evening?”
“It could be so,” Lady Rosalyn agreed, sounding a little more excited now. “It would be understandable for it all to be the same person.”
“But why?” Isobella, leaning forward in her chair, searched every face. “Why would he do such a thing? What motivation does he have?”
Miss Trentworth frowned. “I do not know. I am not even acquainted with the gentleman, so I cannot even imagine what motivation he might have.”
“The Duke might have some thoughts on that matter?” Lady Amelia’s question sounded innocent enough, but the glimmer in her eye was not something Isobella missed. She frowned, then flushed, wondering if the other bluestockings understood what such a look might mean.
“It would be wise to ask him,” Lady Rosalyn agreed. “Might you discuss it with him?”
“And we have not looked into the family of Lord Welton as yet either, have we?” Miss Sherwood continued, as Isobella nodded in answer to Lady Rosalyn’s question. “Might there be something we can discover from his family history that would connect him to Lady Clara?”
“Or to the Duke himself?” Miss Trentworth suggested. “It would be worth ascertaining, yes.”
Every eye turned towards Isobella, and although she had already nodded in agreement with what Lady Amelia had asked her, she did so again. “Yes, I can speak with the Duke of Exeter and ask him if there is any connection between himself and Lord Welton and if he knows why Lord Welton seems to dislike him so.” A flurry of anticipation writhed in her stomach, but Isobella did her best not to let it show in her expression. Nor did she let herself linger on such a feeling, fully aware as to why she felt such a way. The Duke was becoming more and more important to her and try as she might, she could not pretend she felt nothing for him.
I must find the truth first,she thought to herself.Thereafter, there might be time for such thoughts.
