by Abby Ayles
He did not want to be presumptuous. It just seemed to him that with the right words from his mouth she would be his. Her father did not have an objection. If he had, he would have mentioned it long ago.
He reached the stables and dismounted, handing the reins to one of the stable boys. He turned on his heel and looked up at the mansion, holding his hat with one hand to scan the entire building. Lady Annabelle was in there somewhere, reading, talking to Lady Julia, playing a game.
He could not hazard a guess as to what she was doing right then. He wanted to know, though. The thought that he was about to find out made him feel a bit nervous. His reaction to seeing Lady Annabelle made him chuckle. He should have been long past the age where girls made him nervous.
He took the steps up to the porch two at a time, reaching the top in four stretches. He walked to the front door and opened it, entering almost silently. He turned around and closed the door behind him. Mary was standing by the dining hall door. He looked at her curiously and raised his eyebrows when she beckoned to him with her small hand.
“My lord! My lord! May I speak with you?” She kept her voice low. Her worried tone concerned him and he went to her quickly.
“What is it, Mary?”
“The girl, Lady Joanna, she has said some terrible things about you to the master, my lord. He is waiting for you in his study. He and the duchess both. They are waiting for you.”
The Duke of Cardinal’s mood plummeted. What would Lady Joanna have said? What could she have said? He had done nothing untoward, not to her, not to Lady Julia, not even to Lady Annabelle. It was not his way.
“They are in his study?”
“Yes, my lord.” Mary studied his face. He could tell she was searching for the truth. He looked back at her and she dropped her eyes.
He turned away from her and went toward the duke’s study, his heart hammering in his chest. This was a bad situation. Not only was his reputation at stake with all of society, his relationship with Lady Annabelle was in jeopardy and it hadn’t even started yet. Not to mention the paintings he was preparing to buy. They were items he had been searching for at least a year. The paintings meant nothing compared to his feelings for Lady Annabelle.
He took in a deep breath before knocking and opening the door at the call of “enter”.
He walked directly to the desk, where the duke was seated. The duchess stood next to him. He tried to read their faces but found it impossible. The Duke of Norrend always had a kind look on his face. He was worried, the Duke of Cardinal saw that his worry lines had come out around his eyes and his forehead. He knew they were worry lines because he had never seen them before. The duchess just looked coldly at him, giving him a sense of dread.
“You wanted to speak with me, Your Grace?”
“Yes, my lord, please sit.”
The Duke of Norrend held out his hand toward the chair Lady Annabelle had been sitting in earlier. The Duke of Cardinal sat down, settling himself in the chair comfortably. This was not going to be a nice conversation. He wanted to at least be comfortable while participating in it.
“Something has come to our attention that we need to speak with you about, Duke Colbourn.” His formality made the Duke of Cardinal more nervous.
“Yes, my lord.” The Duke of Cardinal nodded.
The duchess narrowed her eyes. “You know to what we are referring?”
The Duke of Cardinal nodded again, looking up at her. “One of the maids stopped me to tell me I should come in and speak with you. She said that Lady Joanna has been making some accusations against me. May I ask, please, what it is she claims I have done?”
The look on the duchess’s face eased somewhat, which was a relief to the Duke of Cardinal. He was sure she had been thinking his guilt had made him aware of the situation. She looked away from him, lifting her eyes to stare at nothing.
The Duke of Norrend was the one who answered his question.
“She has told the duchess you were making crude remarks to her during the croquet game yesterday, propositioning her to meet you in secret.”
An abrupt chuckle came out of the Duke of Cardinal unexpectedly before he could stop it. He cleared his throat, looking at the two of them with regret. He lifted one balled-up fist and put it in front of his mouth to hide his smile unsuccessfully.
“I do apologize,” he said through another chuckle. He lowered his head and let out one more, shaking his head. He looked up. “Your Grace, you cannot believe such a ludicrous lie. I am ashamed to say such a thing but the girl is not telling you the truth. I have no interest in meeting with her in secret.”
“You have done nothing untoward against Lady Joanna?” the duke asked.
The Duke of Cardinal shook his head vigorously. “No, my lord. Believe me. I have no interest. She is not the one I would ask for such things if I were to ever do so. And I would never do so.”
The Duke of Norrend stared at him before looking up at the duchess. “I believe him. Do you?”
The duchess was back to staring at the Duke of Cardinal with cold, hard eyes. “You are interested in my daughter, Lady Annabelle, are you not?”
The Duke of Cardinal moved his eyes back and forth between the duke and duchess, who were now both staring at him. He nodded. “I am.”
“Then it would behoove you to watch your behavior around all other women, would it not?” the duchess continued.
The Duke of Cardinal felt like a schoolboy being berated by the headmaster. He forced himself to keep his head high and his eyes on theirs. “Yes, it would.”
“And you will take care that your behavior is not misconstrued in any way?”
The Duke of Cardinal’s temper was beginning to rise. She was making it seem like he was guilty and they were just letting him off easy. “I always do, Your Grace. But I must insist that I have done nothing and said nothing wrong. I spent nearly all my time with Lady Julia and Lady Annabelle yesterday. Lady Joanna was with the Lords Balfour. I rarely spoke to her at all, much less did I have the time or inclination to proposition her.”
The Duke of Cardinal thought the look on the Duke of Norrend’s face suggested the duke was already tired of the whole situation. “I believe him.” He repeated the phrase, looking up at the duchess. She looked from the Duke of Cardinal to her husband and back.
The Duke of Cardinal felt he should say something in his own defense but did not know how to say it without sounding disparaging to anyone. His nature was to be polite but what Lady Joanna had done was nearly intolerable. Why would she try to ruin his chances with Lady Annabelle, therefore ruining his life?
“I am terribly disappointed that she has said something like this, Your Grace,” the Duke of Cardinal looked at the Duke of Norrend. “I am unsure how to act around her. I do hope that you are not asking me to leave the premises.”
“Your precious paintings are safe, Your Grace,” the duchess said. The duke lifted his hand and she clamped her mouth shut, looking down at the Duke of Norrend. He shook his head without looking at her.
“I do not believe that your request to stay has anything to do with the paintings. I am aware of your intentions towards my daughter and have no objections currently. You may pursue courting her with my permission. However, we are walking on a thin line here. You must remember that. If Lady Joanna tells her tale anywhere else, your reputation will be at stake, as well as ours.”
“How do I rectify that situation, my lord?” the Duke of Cardinal asked. He hoped the man would not suggest being nicer to Lady Joanna. That would only lead her to believe he was truly interested in her, which at this point he was not, even if he ever had been.
The Duke of Norrend looked up at his wife. “The duchess will take care of the situation. She will have a talk with the girls, all of them.” The duchess just nodded, her face unchanging. The Duke of Cardinal wondered if the woman had ever smiled. Did she approve of his courtship with Lady Annabelle?
It appeared it would not matter, as long as he had the Duke of
Norrend on his side.
“I will take my leave of you, my lord, if you do not mind,” he said. “I am anxious to speak with Lady Annabelle. May I ask where she is?”
“She has gone to the city with her sisters.” The duchess included Lady Julia and Lady Joanna in the word. “She will be back in several hours.”
“Thank you. I will be here for dinner tonight.”
The Duke of Cardinal stood up and went to the door without looking back. He was a mixture of emotions. The doorknob felt cold under his hand when he turned it. Once on the other side, he let out the breath he’d been holding and leaned over, resting his hands on his knees.
Lady Joanna had nearly done him in. The accusation had come unexpectedly. He’d been blindsided. He felt like he’d been punched.
For the life of him, he could not figure out why the girl would want to do something like that to him. What had he done to stir her ire? He stood straight up, his eyes on the front door. He was not going to wait the hours till the girls got home.
He was going to ride to the city and see if he could find them. He did not care if Lady Joanna saw him or if she was made uncomfortable by his presence. He wanted to see Lady Annabelle. Talking to her was the only thing that would make him feel better.
As he rode down the path leading away from the house, he wondered what Lady Annabelle’s reaction had been to Lady Joanna’s accusations. He had neglected to ask the duke. She must have been shocked, dismayed, hurt…
His anger at Lady Joanna rose up again. She had hurt Lady Annabelle, whether she meant to or not. That was not acceptable. He could imagine the emotions running through her. They had to be similar to the ones he was feeling. Except she may have her doubts. She would not know the truth. She hadn’t spoken to him yet.
His stomach turned over at the thought that she might have believed Lady Joanna. Perhaps that was why she had gone to the city with her? Or she may have been ordered to go by her mother.
There were many possibilities.
The Duke of Cardinal hurried his horse along, no longer enjoying the bright blue sky above or the beautiful scenery around him. The only thing on his mind was getting to the city and finding Lady Annabelle. He hadn’t asked where they’d gone or the purpose for going into the city.
He shook his head. His anxiety to find her had caused him to neglect important questions.
He would find her regardless. He did not care if he had to stop at every restaurant or shop and ask if they had seen the four girls. He was determined to find her.
Chapter 20
Lady Annabelle did not have anything to say to Lady Joanna as they rode to the city. She was upset, unsure whether she should believe Lady Joanna or not. It did not seem possible but she did not truly know the duke. Could he be a scoundrel who would do such a thing?
When they got to the shopping district, the driver stopped and let the girls out. They would walk up the street, cross to the other side and come back. It was a long street. It would take them nearly two hours to traverse the whole thing, if they stopped at every shop and did not purchase anything for lunch.
Lady Annabelle felt a little sick when she immediately saw the Balfour brothers heading toward them. They had seen the girls first and crossed the street to meet them. She looked at Lady Joanna, wondering if the girl had known they would be there or had told them to meet her there. The look on her friend’s face was one of delight, which made Lady Annabelle sick considering the lies she had been telling that day.
She pulled lightly on Lady Julia’s puffy sleeve, moving her head in the direction of the brothers. Lady Julia turned her head and saw them. “Oh dear,” she murmured in a voice so low only Lady Annabelle heard her.
“Lady Julia, we should go in this shop. I do not want to speak to them,” Lady Annabelle murmured.
Lady Julia gave her an understanding look. She touched Lady Joanna on the arm. “We are going in here, Lady Joanna. Please give our regards to the brothers.”
Without waiting for a response, Lady Julia pulled Lady Annabelle and Lady Cecilia with her, making it seem like she was the one trying to get away from the brothers. Looking over her shoulder, Lady Annabelle saw the two Balfours looking their way, only slightly confused. They looked more amused than anything else.
Once they were inside, Lady Julia and Lady Cecilia proceeded to look at the goods and wares around them. It was a shop that sold clocks and other items for the house. Fancy plates and dinner items. Napkins and tablecloths.
Lady Annabelle watched Lady Joanna through the window. She tried to decipher what the three were saying to each other but she did not know how to read lips. The looks on their faces told her only that they were delighted about what they were talking about.
It aggravated Lady Annabelle. She wanted to force Lady Joanna to tell the truth.
“Lady Julia,” Lady Annabelle pulled her friend to the side. “Do you think she is telling them what she told Mother this morning? They will surely go and tell everyone they meet. The lie will damage the lord’s reputation completely. He will be shunned.”
Lady Julia glanced toward the window where her sister and the Balfours could be seen. She shook her head. “I do not know, Lady Annabelle. I do not think they would lower themselves to spreading rumors. It would not make them look like gentlemen.”
“I am not sure they are concerned about looking like gentlemen,” Lady Annabelle responded, her anger coming through her voice.
“You are upset with them, as well?”
“Last night when I was playing the pianoforte, they had her in between them and I must say, she looked terribly uncomfortable. I would not have wanted to be her at that moment. They were leaning over her, speaking to each other.
She looked like she wanted to run away. She was completely distraught. Now she is talking to them as if they are all the best of friends. I am suspicious, Lady Julia, I cannot help it. Something is not right.”
“What can we do, Lady Annabelle? We cannot get someone to do something we want them to do. If she insists on telling these stories, we cannot stop her.”
Lady Annabelle was not satisfied with that. There had to be a way to keep Lady Joanna from ruining the Duke of Cardinal’s reputation with the ton.
Lady Julia shook her head, taking Lady Annabelle’s hand and squeezing it. “Lady Annabelle, you must not worry so much about the duke. He can handle himself. In fact, I am sure he is beside himself with worry that you have believed my sister. I cannot defend her, though I do love her. I do not understand her behavior at all. I am sorry, Lady Annabelle. I know you are in love with the duke.”
Hearing it said aloud made Lady Annabelle feel strange inside. She was coming to accept the reality that she was indeed in love with the man. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
If that was what he wanted, too.
“You must try to relax. We will see the duke in a few hours.”
“Mother may have made him leave.”
Lady Julia looked doubtful. She pursed her pretty lips and shook her head. “I do not think she will. Your parents did not look like they believed my sister. Duke Cartwright…”
She shook her head. “He is friends with Duke Colbourn. He knows the man better than you and I do. He will find the underlying cause of it. And if he does not believe it, he will not allow your mother to get rid of His Grace. You are worrying so much and you must not do that. You will have worry lines in your pretty face before you know it.”
“You sound like my aunt,” Lady Annabelle had to laugh softly. “I will try not to worry. Right now, I only wish I was with the duke. I want to know what he is thinking, if he is angry with me.”
“Why in heaven’s name would he be angry with you? You did nothing wrong,” Lady Julia sounded truly confused. She tilted her head and looked at Lady Annabelle like the woman had lost her mind.
Lady Annabelle shook her head. “I… I am not sure. I just feel as though he is mad at me.”
Lady Julia stood for a moment, biting he
r lips together. She was highly amused. The look on her face irritated Lady Annabelle, who frowned. “Oh, now you are going to tease me. Do not tease me, Lady Julia. I shall have to smack you.”
Lady Julia stuck out the tip of her tongue quickly. “You would never do such a thing, Lady Annabelle Cartwright. And we both know that.”
Lady Annabelle sighed loudly. “You are right, of course. I am being silly.”
Lady Julia nodded. “You are being silly. Are you ready to go out and confront the Balfour brothers now?”
“I suppose I can tolerate their presence for the time being. If I must.” She looked directly at her friend, who blinked rapidly and put on a sober face.
“You must,” Lady Julia said seriously.