Page 23 of The Duke's Scandal
He turned, seeing not one but three young ladies staring back at him, their faces a little white. “Yes?” uncertain if hewas acquainted with any of them, he tried quickly to remember their names. “Lady… ?”
“Lady Margaret.” The one who had spoken to him at the first, the one whose eyes were very large indeed now, staring up at him as she spoke, blinked rapidly. “What happened, might I ask?”
“Happened?” Amos, unsure as to what he was being asked, looked back at Lady Margaret in confusion. “I do not understand.”
“With Lady Clara and Lady Sara,” she said, turning a little so as to gesture behind her. “They both rushed in and said that you – well, that there was some commotion outside.”
A heavy weight dropped into Amos’ stomach. Was this why everyone was looking at him? Did they believe that he had something to do with whatever had occurred? “I am afraid I cannot tell you, Lady Margaret,” he said, as she and her friends all glanced at each other. “I was not present with them, you see. I was, instead, looking in the gardens for… ”
“For what?” The lady lifted an eyebrow, and a cold hand gripped Amos’ heart. What could he say? If he stated that he had been searching for the sound of someone in distress, would they not then think that he was responsible for the commotion – even more so than they clearly already did?
“For the stars,” he lied, with what he hoped was a confident smile. “The gardens were very well lit, so I took myself to a quieter part in the hope of seeing some of the stars. They are very bright this evening!”
This did not appear to convince Lady Margaret for she sniffed once, then lifted her chin. “Is that so, Your Grace?”
“It is. I am sorry for whatever has happened to Lady Clara, but I can assure you it has nothing to do with me.”Thinking it best to bring the conversation to an end, he bowed to them all and kept a smile on his face. A smile he most certainly did not feel. “Do excuse me. I must go in search of my friend.”
Stepping away, he kept his head low as he began to stride towards the door, worrying now that something amiss had occurred and that he was, for some reason, to be given the blame for it all. To leave the ball might make him appear guilty, yes, but until he knew precisely what it was he was being blamed for, Amos did not know what else to do.
“Did you find her?” Lord Galbraith stepped in front of him, a broad grin on his face. “Your expression is a little dismal, so I must fear you have not.”
Amos looked back at his friend. “Galbraith, something has happened.”
The smile slid from Lord Galbraith’s face at once. “What do you mean?”
Looking over his shoulder, Amos scowled. “I cannot say but there seems to have been some upset out in the gardens.” He looked back at Lord Galbraith. “I was present and I had a very forward young lady come to speak with me, suggesting that I was in some way responsible!”
“That is preposterous!”
“I appreciate your trust in me.” Amos’ heart began to quicken. “But I am not certain what I should do. Remain here and wait to see what is said of me, or return home.”
Lord Galbraith pressed his lips into a thin line, then stepped to one side. “I suggest you go to Whites or some such thing. Donotreturn home, but let yourself be seen there. To make your way home would suggest you have done something wrong, but to go to Whites means you can tell others present that you enjoyed the ball and then thought to find a little quietness in Whites thereafter.That way, thetonwill think that you have made your way to Whites simply because you have had quite enough of the ball!”
Amos nodded. “Very well.”
“I will find out what I can and then come to join you,” Lord Galbraith told him, firmly. “Wait there for me, no matter how late it gets.”
“I shall.” With a word of thanks, Amos made his way from the ballroom without a word to anyone. He kept his head high and smiled at this person and then the other, making sure not to rush his steps. All the while, however, his heart was pounding, his fear growing as he battled worry and doubt. What was it that had happened to Lady Clara? And why did so many seem to thinkhimresponsible?
Chapter Eleven
Lord Ryeland smiled up at Isobella as she served his cup of tea. “I thank you.”
“But of course.” She sat down again quickly, trying to ignore the look of delight that had set itself upon Louisa’s face at the arrival of Lord Ryeland, a look which had not yet dissipated in any way.
“I wonder what you have been reading today?” Lord Ryeland asked, his smile lingering as he continued to hold her gaze, unsettling Isobella a little. “I know from Lord Broughton that you are always with a book in your hand! Just as Lady Amelia is also, I understand.”
Isobella could not help but smile at this. “Indeed. Given that we are both bluestockings, it should not be in the least bit surprising to anyone that we have books with us almost all of the time!”
Lord Ryeland chuckled. “Have you found your reading of great interest to you of late?”
“I have.” Warming to the subject, Isobella told him of the recent discoveries of some new and exotic animals she had read about, seeing his eyebrows lift in surprise. “Someof them do sound quite fantastic,” she admitted, as he reached for his teacup. “I was very glad to know of them.”
“Remarkable indeed!” he exclaimed, as Louisa sat there, doing nothing other than smiling at them both. “I am sure that Lord Preston will be able to pique your interest all the more with his knowledge of birds.” His smile became a little crooked. “He did not stop talking about them all last evening, once the ball was over and we found ourselves in Whites.”
Wondering if this was meant as a slight against Lord Preston, Isobella said nothing and sipped at her tea instead.
“I admit that I was very surprised indeed to see the Duke of Exeter at Whites last evening,” Lord Ryeland continued, clearly unwilling for there to be even a breath of silence. “After all that took place, I was astonished that he would think to set himself out in front of society!”
