Page 41 of The Duke's Scandal
“But Lord Welton persists.”
When Lady Deborah returned her gaze to Isobella, tears were sparkling in her eyes. “He does. I have grown weary of it, and to see how he acted towards the Duke made me all the more disinclined towards him. I cannot tell why he chooses to pursue me so vehemently when there are many other young ladies, but I know he is near enough relentless!”
Sympathy rose in Isobella’s heart. “That must be a weighty burden.”
Lady Deborah’s lips curved just a little. “It has been. For a time, I thought that the Duke of Exeter might be a gentleman worth considering, but after all that has happened, after all these rumors, I confess that I am now very uncertain.”
“And what if that was all that Lord Welton intended?” Lady Amelia spoke gently, but Isobella could still see the shock that rippled into Lady Deborah’s expression. “What if that was precisely what he wanted?”
The lady did not answer for some time, staring first at Lady Amelia and then looking to Isobella. Isobella herself said nothing, waiting for the lady to understand what they meant.
A shuddering exclamation broke from Lady Deborah’s lips. She put her hands over her face, and both Isobella and Lady Amelia drew near at once, wanting both to comfort the lady and to hide her from society’s prying eyes.
“I did not think for a moment that he would ever do such a thing,” Lady Deborah whispered, her hands lowering as tears stained her cheeks. “Now that you have suggestedit, however, I can see just how much truth there might be there! Ofcoursehe would want the Duke away from me, given just how much he wants me for himself.”
Isobella looked at Lady Amelia, hope and sorrow twining together in her heart. “I am sorry to have made the suggestion, but I do think it is a possibility.”
Lady Deborah sniffed, pulled her handkerchief from her pocket, and dabbed at her eyes. “You have been doing your best to defend the Duke, have you not?”
“I have.” Isobella did not hold the truth back from the lady, choosing to be honest. “I believed him when he said he did not do any of those things to Lady Clara, that every rumor is false.”
Another sniff came from Lady Deborah before she pushed her handkerchief away again. “I could not understand why Lady Clara believed it to be the Duke but Lady Victoria was so very convincing, I felt as though I had to accept it.”
“Lady Victoria?”
Lady Deborah nodded. “We were both talking to the Duke and then, a strange noise came from a darker part of the gardens. I was not concerned by it, but Lady Victoria was terribly upset. She encouraged the Duke to go and see what the trouble was – and then, within a few moments, a loud cry came, and Lady Clara and Lady Sara rushed out towards the French doors. Lady Victoria grabbed my hand and tugged me after them, saying aloud that the Duke must have done something dreadful, but I amsurethat the sound came from another part of the garden. She seemed quite determined to speak to Lady Clara and, indeed, caught her as she rushed into the ballroom.” She sighed heavily. “I want to accept all that is said, but I fear I cannot. All thesame, it feels wrong to doubt Lady Clara, given what happened to her.”
This was all the confirmation Isobella needed. Lady Victoria had, for whatever reason, encouraged Lady Clara – and others, it seemed – to accept that the Duke of Exeter had been the one at fault. A deep breath filled her lungs as she closed her eyes, feeling as if a weight was lifting from her heart.
Quite what would happen now, she could not say, but the Duke, at least, would have all the information he needed to confront Lord Welton, if he so wished. What came after that, Isobella would not permit herself to think of. Not yet. Not until she knew for sure that all these lies and rumors were at an end.
Chapter Twenty
“So Lord Welton was the one who attacked Lady Clara?” Amos ran one hand over his eyes as the bluestockings all looked back at him. “Or can you not be sure of that?”
“We cannot be sure,” Lady Rosalyn said. “But it is clear to us that Lord Welton and Lady Victoria are the ones who orchestrated all of this. Lord Welton was afraid that you were about to pursue Lady Deborah – or that she was hopeful that you might – and given that he felt he had a claim upon her already, he did what he had to to end that interest.”
Amos let his gaze turn to Lady Isobella, who simply returned his look with a small smile. Yes, at one time, he had considered Lady Deborah, but that had only been a brief moment and had comebeforehe’d realized just how much of a treasure Lady Isobella was. “This is… concerning.”
“Yes, it is. However, we are sharing this all with you in the hope that you will know what to do next,” Lady Isobella told him, her eyes never leaving his. “Lady Clara was in a great deal of confusion and upset about what hadhappened, so it would not surprise me in the least if Lady Victoria, in rushing after her as we now know she did, made quite certain to emphasize that it had been you who had attacked her. I do not think there is anything that needs to be said to her.”
“No, indeed not.” Amos ran one hand over his chin, trying to think about what he would do and how he would confront Lord Welton. The bruise to his cheek had begun to fade, but the marks were still visible. Would that be enough for him to begin a conversation with the gentleman? It would have to be done in public somehow. “I should like to speak with Lord Welton, however. Mayhap the fashionable hour would be a place to speak with him?”
The bluestockings all glanced at each other, but Amos could not make out whether they agreed with his suggestion or not. After a few moments, Miss Trentworth spoke.
“You would certainly be guaranteed an audience, Your Grace. Although mayhap that is what you want?”
“I want thetonto hear what Lord Welton says, yes,” Amos admitted. “How else am I to free my good name from the darkness that binds it at present?”
She nodded. “We understand entirely. Might I suggest, then, that we stand near to you? It might be that we are able to bring Lady Victoria into the conversation also.”
Hope began to drive him. “I cannot tell you all how grateful I am to you for your assistance in all of this.” Again, his gaze returned – and lingered – on Lady Isobella. “I do not know what I would have done had I been rejected.” Even the thought made pain sting at his heart, though it faded quickly with the gentle smile that spread across her face. She had been his one thought when all of this had taken place, fearing that she would reject him. How grateful he was to her for her willingness to trust, to accept that hewas not as cruel nor as dreadful as others believed! His path might have been a very different one otherwise.
“When are you to go?” Miss Sherwood asked, as Amos forced his gaze away from Lady Isobella. “The fashionable hour is not yet begun, if you were thinking of speaking with him this afternoon.”
And once I have done so, I will be able to open my heart to Lady Isobella.It was that thought which drove him to his feet, to the determination to find Lord Welton just as soon as he could. “This afternoon, yes,” he said, as the bluestockings all rose. “Might we meet in the park?”
Lady Amelia tilted her head. “Why do you not walk with Lady Isobella, and we will all follow at a distance?” she asked, as Lady Isobella ducked her head and blushed. “If we spy Lady Victoria, some of us will be able to go and speak with her also.”
