Page 42 of The Duke's Scandal
“A capital idea.” He looked back at Lady Isobella. “If you would be willing, of course?”
Her head lifted, her eyes sparkling whilst pink flushed her cheeks. “I would be, Your Grace.”
“Then I shall see you – see youall –very soon,” he said, making his way from them all, knowing he now had to return home to prepare for the fashionable hour. “Thank you all, from the very depths of my heart.”
Walking arm in arm with Lady Isobella, Amos felt his heart squeeze with the vast affection and admiration he felt for her. It was easy enough to ignore the glances that certain members of thetonsent them, for he did not care for anything other than Lady Isobella and her presence beside him.
“You have done so much for me, Lady Isobella,” hemurmured, as they walked. “I do not think I will ever be able to express my gratitude.”
She looked up at him, her copper curls brushing her temples. “There is no need, Your Grace. I am only glad that it is all soon to come to an end and your good name restored.”
“I only really needed your acceptance of me,” he said, revealing just a little of his heart to her. “If you had trusted me, then my heart would have been satisfied.”
The smile on her face grew, but she dipped her head, letting her gaze pull from his. A trifle frustrated with himself, Amos opened his mouth to say more, only for someone to catch his elbow.
“You have walked directly past him, Your Grace.” Lady Amelia’s eyes twinkled. “There, on your left. Lady Rosalyn and Miss Trentworth have already seen Lady Victoria and have gone to speak with her. Lady Deborah is also present, and they may bring her to join you.”
A little embarrassed, Amos thanked her and then turned his head, seeing Lord Welton laughing at something another fellow had said. With a look at Lady Isobella, he took in a deep breath and then, setting his shoulders, strode towards the gentleman. Now was the time for confidence, for determination. He had to find a way to make Lord Welton admit what he had done.
“Welton.” His voice was commanding as he approached, dropping Lady Isobella’s hand from his arm so she could stay a little back from him. “You have been spreading yet more rumors about me, I see.”
Lord Welton’s smile grew dark as Amos drew near, the other gentlemen with him stepping back at once. “Your Grace,” he said, his lip curling. “I have said nothing but the truth, I assure you.”
“Except I did noteverinsult Lady Deborah,” Amos answered, loudly enough for more than a few present to hear. “She herself has said such a thing.”
Lord Welton snorted. “A likely story. You say such a thing only to cover your guilt.”
“There were many present in the library who overheard our conversation,” Amos replied, firmly, refusing to show a single iota of uncertainty or discomfort. This, even though his heart was beating wildly, worry nipping at his mind. What if Lord Welton did not admit to anything?
“They will all have been manipulated by you,” Lord Welton responded. “I know what I heard, andI,at least, am a gentleman. I acted just as a gentleman ought when a lady is insulted.”
“Except I was not insulted by the Duke.”
Amos’s head turned, just as Lady Deborah, Lady Victoria, and the other bluestockings came to join them. Lady Victoria, Amos noticed, moved to stand a little closer to her cousin, her expression pinched.
“I was upset by you and your determination to have my agreement to marry you,” Lady Deborah continued, her eyes glistening with a hint of tears. “The Duke said not a word about me. I am utterly ashamed of you, Welton. How could you have struck the Duke so without cause?”
This brought a hesitancy to Lord Welton’s expression, his mouth opening and then closing again, the cruel smile now gone completely. “I – I am sure I heard him – ”
“You did not.” Lady Isobella spoke now, coming to stand beside Lady Deborah. “I was there also, and he did not say a word against her.”
Lady Victoria let out a loud sigh, drawing everyone’s attention. “Why must you be so disagreeable towards mycousin? He was only doing his best to protect Lady Deborah.”
“By spreading malicious rumors about me?” Amos countered as the color began to drain from Lady Victoria’s face. “By pretending that I had attacked Lady Clara in the gardens when, in fact,hehad been the one to do it, with the sole intention of making sure that my name was sunk into the mud?”
It felt as if the entirety of Hyde Park fell silent as Amos spoke, but he fixed his gaze on Lady Victoria, wondering if, given her pallor, she might be the one who would admit the truth before Lord Welton did.
“And he convinced you to help him, did he not?” Lady Isobella spoke quietly, but her words sounded like thunderclaps. “It was all in aid of him gaining Lady Deborah’s acceptance of his hand, was it not?”
“Preposterous!” Lord Welton threw up his hands, anger sparking in his eyes. “All of this is nonsense.”
Lady Deborah took a step closer to Lady Victoria. “We are friends, are we not?” she asked, her voice thin with tears. “You would not have done something so terrible, would you?” When Lady Victoria said nothing, Lady Deborah closed her eyes, a tear falling to her cheek. “You were so determined to have the Duke rush into the gardens, to hear what that sound was. Thereafter, you nearly dragged me into the ballroom, rushing over to Lady Clara and leaving me behind. What was it you said to her?”
“We can ask her easily enough,” Miss Trentworth said, her eyes narrowing as she looked to Lord Welton. “I am quite certain she would say that Lady Victoria convinced her that itwasthe Duke of Exeter who had frightened her so.”
Amos clasped his hands behind his back. “Yourdetermination to have Lady Deborah is verging on cruel manipulation, Welton,” he said, as Lady Deborah let out a sob. “Why would you do such a dreadful thing? She has already refused you, has told you that she does not want to accept you, and still, you pursue her? You chase her so relentlessly that she is near broken by your attempts to convince her!”
“Oh, Deborah.” Lady Victoria’s eyes welled with tears as she reached out for her friend, as Lord Welton’s face turned a shade of deep red. “I did not know you had refused him. He told me that you were considering him, begged me to help him convince you, and pull you from the Duke. He told me about the state of his affairs, about your connection would restore all and – ”
