Page 93 of Ironvine

“I—”

“Why?” His voice grew louder echoing through the glass room, and her body stiffened. “Do you long for him?”

“No.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I do not long for Hugh! I never have, you know this.”

“Then why? His features are so formidable, so remarkable?”

“No, not to me. This is for the Duchess. I am doing this for her.”

“Doing what exactly?”

“I thought to give her a gift, amemento mori. I’m painting a miniature of Hugh for her, and these are the studies for it. I found a study for his portrait, and I used it to sketch from.”

“You are seeking her out, her friendship, why?”

“I know she has the Graven necklace, and I want to get it back for Brandon and Justine.”

His eyes flared, a sharp breath heaving from his lips. “And how do you expect to do that?”

“Firstly, I shall ask Her Grace how she acquired it.”

“Impossible.”

“But why?”

“I don’t want you to have anything to do with them.”

“Because of Hugh?” Her eyes widened. “Do you think they had something to do with his death?”

“I am convinced of it, yes. The Duke is a very powerful and extremely wealthy man. He can do as he pleases, and he does. Men like Oakley are very possessive of what belongs to them, and a wife is chief among those possessions.”

“Their marriage certainly seems liberal, enlightened?”

“He seemed to allow his wife to keep a lover as he kept a mistress, but who knows what the true boundaries of their liberal way of life are? Hugh may have transgressed in some way, and perhaps that is the reason they broke off. Perhaps the Duke had enough, and he forced them to break? And then the moment they broke off, the Duke took his revenge on Hugh.

“Or perhaps it was her idea to sever ties because she feared her husband’s brewing wrath? Or when they came to the ball, something happened between the Duchess and Hugh, and the Duke saw and became angry?” He let out a groan. “All of these ring true to me, and they do not cease to wreak havoc in my brain.”

“You are right. There are many possibilities to consider.”

“They are all highly likely. Over the years I have come to hear many intriguing things about the Duke’s proclivities. Hugh did not share any details with me, so I cannot be sure they are true or simply rumours based on envy.” He picked up a sketch of his brother and studied it. “Hugh and I have known Oakley since we were boys, and from the very first he struck me as an unusual character, even then. Wiser than his years, fearless. And in some ways, sinister. A character much like my father, though perhaps not as selfish or small-minded as Father was.” A dark scowl shadowed his features. “I cannot explain it, I just know. I have always felt it.” He gave Georgina the sketch as he absently twisted the Ryvves ring on his finger. “You must find that very odd.”

“I believe you.” She gathered all the sketches of Hugh in a pile. “But all the more reason to befriend them. We could find out if they knew about Hugh and Amanda, or if they had anything to do with Hugh’s death for whatever reason.”

He held her gaze. “She had a spy on Hugh in London.They weren’t supposed to be in town that last week, but they suddenly appeared at the ball. She must have learnt of his affair with Amanda, and her jealousy drove her to see for herself.”

“Yet she seemed so at ease at the ball, so poised. She must be a very fine actress.”

“As a Duchess, his Duchess in particular, she has to be.”

“Very true.

“I’m not sure if Hugh and the Duchess spoke at the ball, but that very same night he went to Amanda. Then William caught him and challenged him to a duel.”

“So perhaps the Duchess had heard of the duel and sent her spy to watch and afterward, she went to the house to confront Hugh about Amanda. They argued, and …” She swallowed hard.

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