Page 38 of The Duke's Scandal
She blinked. “Yes, you did, but I had forgotten.” Her fingers touched the Duke’s hand again, clasping them tightly as thought after thought began to pour into her mind. “Then there must be a connectionthere, then! Lady Victoria was quite determined that we believe Lady Clara. Lord Welton is a cousin of hers, and he has always had a dislike of you.”
The Duke began to nod slowly, not pulling his hand away but running his other hand across his chin. All the while, the noises of the ball went around them, but no one seemed in the least bit interested in their conversation.
“He said something, before he punched me.” With a snatch of breath, he returned his gaze to Isobella, her heartlurching at the light in his eyes. “He was speaking to Lady Deborah, but she responded to him very harshly, stating that there wasnothingbetween them, no matter what his family said. No connection or the like.”
It was as if she were walking up a steep path, a hint of the sunrise before her. All she had to do was reach the top, and the light would be shining in its full glory, spreading out in front of her. “Lady Deborah is unwilling to pull towards Lord Welton but Lord Welton wishes it,” she said, half to herself and half to him. “There might be something there, then. Something that we have not yet seen.”
“A connection thathewants but she does not.” The Duke pressed her fingers, leaning down towards her so he could speak quietly but with great fervency. “A connection that the family clearly expects but that she will not give.”
“That does not give us a reason for Lady Clara’s statement about you, however.” Biting her lip, Isobella looked away from him. “But it is something, however. To discover why Lord Welton treated you so, why he has such a dislike of you, that will be pertinent, mayhap.”
The Duke smiled gently. “You are taking great pains on my behalf, Lady Isobella. You and the other bluestockings. I cannot tell you how much I value it though, more than that, I value your trust in me.”
Isobella gazed up into his eyes and found herself lost. She did not respond to what he had said, her thoughts coming to an instant stop. The green and gold in his eyes melded together, the swirl they created enchanting her.
“Lady Isobella.” There was a huskiness about his voice that sent a tingling up her spine. “If I might be honest, I – ”
“I cannot.” She turned away from him sharply, beginning to stride blindly forward, aware of just how much she had longed to do, just how much she had wantedhimto do.Right there, in the ballroom, she had felt her heart begin to yearn for him, to long for him to bend his head and kiss her. Why was she so foolish? Why could she not keep control of her emotions? Why was she so willing to throw aside all that she had determined and lose herself in the eyes of the Duke?
“I did not mean to startle you.” His hand reached out, caught her arm, and then dropped again as she turned to look at him, breathing hard. “Forgive me, Lady Isobella. Now is not the moment for any sort of discussion on matters of the heart… although I pray that you can tell just how much I have begun to care for you.”
Isobella swallowed at the knot in her throat, trying to find the words to rebuff him, to push him away from her, but she could not. To say such a thing aloud would sever their connection, and for some reason, she could not bring herself to do so.
“But we must concentrate on the matter at hand, of course.” When she did not respond, the Duke offered her a small smile, looking a little uncertain. “And such conversations should certainly not take place at a ball.”
“Indeed not,” she managed to say, glancing over the Duke’s shoulder and seeing Lady Amelia looking at her with careful eyes, watching everything that was going on – no doubt to keep Isobella safe. “The rumors and the story with Lady Clara are the thing we ought to focus on at present.”
He nodded, a redness growing in his face. “Of course. So, what must be done?”
Isobella took in a calming breath and then released it, allowing her heart to quieten as practicality took over. “I will return to the library and look for anything in there about Lord Welton’s family line and their connection toLady Deborah. I shall have the other bluestockings ask quietly amongst their acquaintances also, and I might very well speak to Lady Deborah also.”
He nodded. “And what can I do?”
“Keep your head held high,” she answered, with what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “Believe that soon, we will have all the answers you need.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Ithink I am in love with her, Galbraith.” Amos swirled his whisky in the bottom of his glass and then looked at his brother-in-law. “I do not think I have ever felt such a way before.”
Lord Galbraith smiled his understanding.
“I cannot bear to be away from her,” Amos continued, looking away now. “She is intelligent, kind, gentle of heart, and nothing but beautiful. I do not wish only to court her now but to think of the future!”
This made Lord Galbraith’s eyebrows lift. “Is that so?”
“It is,” Amos continued, with a grimace, “I cannot tell how she feels about me. That is a little difficult.” Remembering how she had twisted away from him when there had been a moment of importance growing between them, he shook his head. “When I asked if I could call on her some time ago, she did not answer in the affirmative. In fact, now that I think on it, I would say that she looked almost afraid.”
“Of you calling to take tea?”
Amos nodded. “Yes. That is strange, I know, but I am sure that is what I saw in her expression.”
“And so you dare not ask her again?” Lord Galbraith shook his head as Amos frowned. “Is that it?”
“There has not been an opportunity.” With a sigh, Amos spread out his hands. “The rumors and the lies began soon after, and I did not have a chance to do so.” His chest rose and then fell with a heavy breath. “Lord Granville himself did not appear to be particularly pleased with my desire to stand up with Lady Isobella either. Yes, he apologized for his remarks thereafter, but there was still concern there.”
“As you can understand, I am sure.”
Amos rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. A good gentleman should be worried about his sister and her prospects, wanting to shield her from the very worst of fellows, but I amnotas society says!”
