He could not imagine a reality in which he would not be able to have her by his side, to not have any more days such as this one with her. It was inconceivable.
By the time they’d returned to the carriage, he was utterly discontent. Hastings, of course, noted this at once.
“Your Grace, you cannot allow yourself to fall into the pits of despair. Your Grace must find a solution. And, if I may say so myself, it appears rather obvious to me.”
Jonathan frowned. “Obvious? In what way? Do speak up, Hastings for I am all out of possibilities.”
The old man shrugged. “If Miss Gordon is using her friends to keep you from speaking to her, then speak to someone else you must. In this case, her brother. Is Mister Gordon not Your Grace’s very best friend? I remember the two of you roaming the estate together as children, alongside Mister Brown. Surely her brother would be willing to intercede on your behalf, would he not?”
“I do not know, Hastings. He is aware of my feelings for his Sister. But he does not know the details of it all, and he certainly does not know his Sister and I have met in secret many a time, and that I had plotted to undo the betrothal. I fear he would be most upset if I told him now. In addition, he appeared rather surprised by the announcement himself.”
Hastings shrugged. “Your Grace, if I may be so blunt, what is there to lose? Mister Gordon might be upset for a period, yes. But he will want what is best for his Sister. Certainly, he would be quite willing to forgive you if it results in happiness for those closest to him.”
Jonathan leaned his head against the back of the carriage.
“You are right, dear Hastings. I shall pay him a visit this very afternoon. Yes, once we have handed out the gifts, I shall take the carriage to Roselawn once more.”
“Indeed, Your Grace. There is nothing to lose but everything to gain.” He had to at least find out what had befallen his beloved Isolde to make her turn so cold toward him, for if he did not know what was wrong, how could he fix it? And Eric had to know the reasons for her change in behavior, certainly.
* * *
Jonathan spent the rest of the morning visiting his tenants, many of whom he had not met in person since he was a very young man, and some of whom he had never met at all. He was pleased to see that most appeared to live comfortably and seemed to appreciate his visit. Some, such as Jones, a surly fellow, were less than pleased at his visit. While this may have bothered him in the past, today he did not care. Business was for another day. Today, he intended to spread the joy among his tenants and servants, even if he did not feel it himself.
By the time the last of the gifts had been distributed, and all the servants back at the castle had received their presents as well, it was late afternoon.
He decided to make his way to see Eric by carriage. By Jove, he hoped Eric would be able to assist him in resolving the matter satisfactory. Surely, he would. Surely, Isolde would agree to speak to him if only her brother prompted her to. Then, finally, he would know what ailed her and he would be able to resolve their differences. They would then once again be on the path that he felt certain was destined for them. Yes. He was certain despite the discord, despite all that had happened, Isolde was destined to be his wife.
She was destined to be by his side until the end of their lives. He felt it deep in his heart and with every fiber of his being. Certainly, something that was felt so deeply could not be wrong. Could it?
Chapter 27
“I cannot believe it. Ekhard placed a wager on winning your heart? Isolde, are you quite certain? Are you certain Portsmouth and York did not simply play a trick on you?”
Isolde stared straight ahead and hugged her arms around her waist, both in an effort to keep warm and to comfort herself. She and Eric were walking the gardens of Roselawn at dusk.
“I am certain. I suspect just like their Sisters, York and Portsmouth enjoy nothing more than to take a fact and turn it into a weapon. Like how their Sisters enjoy using my shy nature against me. Besides, not many knew of my feelings for the Duke, other than you and my friends. It would be odd for them to make up something they would not have had any knowledge of.”
Eric nodded. “It is true. Someone had to have told them of the entanglement between the two of you and given the limited number of people involved…Still. I cannot imagine what would have led him to be so cruel. It is just not like him.”
“Yet, you yourself warned me not to disavow Mister Downey in favor of the Duke, unless I was certain. Did you not?”
Eric sighed. “Yes, I did. My concern was with his being ready for marriage and ready for a commitment. Not with his making a wager on your heart. I worried about his past behaviors of flightiness, not about outright cruelty.”
Isolde glanced at her brother. It hurt her to have to tell him the truth about his best friend. After the Duke’s sudden departure the night before, Eric had already suspected something was amiss.
“A person changes over the years, Eric. The Duke has been away for many a year and you have only communicated by way of letters. Truly, we do not know his nature anymore. The kindhearted man he presented to me certainly is not who he truly is. And, Eric, I have spent much time thinking about it, and there were signs all along.”
It had snowed again that afternoon and the fresh snow crunched beneath their feet as they walked. Isolde turned toward the house and saw Olivia and Henrietta sitting in the window in the drawing room. They had returned earlier in the afternoon, after handing out their St. Stephan’s Day gifts at their respective homes. They had been so wonderful to her, keeping her company and distracting her with games and music. She did not know what she would have done without them.
“Signs such as what? Isolde?”
She turned her attention back to her brother.
“I am sorry. I was lost in thought. Brother, I have not told you all the details of what occurred between him and I but sufficient to say, he promised to undo the betrothal with Mister Downey, yet nothing ever came of it. He promised to find some dark secret he could use against him but then said the information he gathered yielded nothing.”
“That is not proof of anything, Isolde.”
She exhaled and shook her head. “No. It is not. If he was so true about his love for me, if he was so sincere, why not speak to Father? Even though I told him not to, if he was true then …”
Eric interrupted her. “But you just said you told him not to. Would you rather he go against your wishes?”
“Must you continue to make excuses for him?”
Eric raised his hands. “I am not. As you pointed out, it was I who encouraged you to be cautious. I am only pointing out things you may not see in your current state. You are governed by your emotions. I simply want you to remember the facts.”
She sighed. It was true. She had asked him not to speak to her father. Still. If he loved her as much as he claimed, what would have stopped him? Nothing, certainly. No. He would have insisted on speaking to her father. He would not have stood by and let her wed Mister Downey. She told Eric as much. Begrudgingly, her brother agreed.
“I will say if the roles were reversed, if I were as powerful and wealthy as Ekhard, and as high up in the peerage as he, I would not hesitate one moment before asking Miss Brown’s father for her hand, no matter what. Whatever damage done to the business could be balanced by Ekhard’s wealth.”
Eric sighed and placed an arm around his Sister’s shoulders. “I am sorry, Sister. I really am. I do not know what drove him to do what he did, but I regret it on his behalf. I regret bringing him into your life once more, my dear Sister.”
Isolde smiled at him as brightly as she could muster. “I shall be fine, Brother. I will be wed to a wealthy man with a beautiful home, as you said yourself. And Bath is beautiful. I shall start over far away, and perhaps this will all turn out for the best. Oh no!” She stopped in her tracks, causing her brother to tumble.
“What is it, Isolde?” He caught himself and looked at her, his eyes wide. Then, he f
ollowed her gaze and saw what she saw. The Duke’s carriage was arriving.
“Eric, I do not wish to speak to him, please.”
“Do not worry, Sister. I will deal with it.”
Eric walked ahead of her, each of his step echoing in the crisp snow. There was a determination in the way he moved, the anger her brother felt was almost palpable. Isolde followed in small steps, hesitantly. From the corner of her eye she saw Olivia and Henrietta rise in the drawing room and their figures disappeared from the window.
“Ekhard, what brings you here?” Eric asked loudly when the Duke stepped out of his carriage. He was dressed in simple clothing, a pair of cream-colored pantaloons visible beneath his great outer coat. Isolde was close enough to where she could hear their exchange.
“Gordon! I was in the hope that you may play go-between between me and your Sister. I wish to…“
Eric cut him off. “I do not care what you wish, Your Grace. My Sister does not want to speak to you. And you will respect her wishes.”
Isolde watched as the Duke gestured widely in her direction.
“Gordon, please. I do not understand what has changed her opinion of me. I simply wish to speak to her to see what I have done to upset her.”
“She knows about your wager, Your Grace. So, it is time to drop the charade and turn your attention on to another lady you can attempt to fool into loving you. You shall upset my Sister no further.”
“Wager? What wager? I have placed no wagers since my return from India.”
Isolde heard her brother laugh out loud.
“And there you go, Your Grace. A boldfaced lie right to my face. And you expect me to believe your claims of innocence? You have placed a wager with me not two months ago.”
The Duke’s face fell and he closed his eyes as the wind whipped through his long blond hair.
“I had forgotten, Gordon. There has been no other wager, I assure you. In any case, please, do let me know what it is I am supposed to have done. Or better still, ask your Sister to speak to me so I may seek forgiveness for whatever transgression I may have committed.”
To her shock, her brother took two large steps toward the Duke and grabbed him by the back of the neck.
“Ekhard, you have been my closest friend since childhood and it pains me to have to do this, but if you do not depart from here this very minute, I shall challenge you to a duel. I will challenge you and I will kill you if you show your face here again.” He pushed the Duke, who struggled with all his might, toward his carriage.
Isolde’s hands flew to her mouth at the display. Olivia and Henrietta burst out the front door and ran to her side, flanking her and guiding her toward the house.
“Isolde! Please Isolde, speak to me!” the Duke called out as Eric pushed him further toward the carriage.
“Come inside, Isolde, you do not need to see this,” Etta said soothingly and together the three girls walked up the steps into the house. Once there, Isolde broke free from her friend’s arms and placed herself in front of the window.
She could not hear the exchange between the Duke and her brother anymore, but she saw Eric let go of the Duke’s neck and the man climbed into his carriage. The way he moved, and then the way he looked when their eyes met across the courtyard, made her shudder. He appeared broken. Utterly and completely broken.
Chapter 28
Jonathan sat at a table and held onto a cup of ale without drinking. He couldn’t believe that in the space of one week, he had not only lost the woman he loved, but also his best friend. And over what? A wager?
Jonathan lifted the cup to his mouth and swallowed a gulp when he saw his friend Thomas enter the club. He was dressed in his greatcoat, his nose red from the cold. He acknowledged Jonathan with a nod of the head and, after shedding his coat, approached him.
“Ekhard, you look Friday-faced, old chum. May I?” Thomas pointed at the empty seat across from Jonathan. He nodded. At least Thomas still spoke to him. He slid into the seat and leaned back, eyes straight ahead. He did not speak but studied Jonathan’s face, making Jonathan feel uncomfortable.
“What is it, Brown? I trust you are here because you have heard of my altercation with Gordon. Do you hate me as well?”
His friend shook his head.
“I have heard about it, from my Sister. I have also heard you have been spending the better part of the past few days here at Rover’s, drinking your sorrows away.”
“And so, what of it? My best friend challenged me to a duel to the death should I ever grace his doorstep again. Is that not a reason to drink?”
“I am sorry. I would have come sooner, but as you know I had to go to London on behalf of my Father.”
“It would not have mattered even if you had been here. Eric would have said what he did regardless.”
“Be that as it may,” Thomas replied as he motioned to a servant to bring some ale, “I can’t say I blame him. He is only looking to protect his Sister.”
“From whom? Me? I have done nothing, Brown, nothing!” Jonathan felt the rage rise up inside his chest and he slammed his fist on the table, startling his friend.
“I am sorry, Brown. I have had a difficult time containing my emotions. If only I could have a chance to speak to Isolde, then I could prove my innocence.”
Thomas looked at him intently and shook his head. “So, you deny you made a wager then?”
Jonathan slumped his shoulders. “I do not know what this wager is of which everyone speaks. I only know it has cost me my best friend and the woman I love. Yes, Brown, it is true. I know I have not shared the finer details of my and Isolde’s involvement, but I love her and I wanted to make her my wife and now…what is this blasted wager?”
“I have made some inquiries into the matter, Ekhard. It appears that a rumor has spread through parts of the ton that you made a wager, here at Rover’s, stating that you could make one Isolde Gordon fall for you.”
Jonathan slammed his fist onto the table once more. “A wager for Isolde’s heart? That is what Eric referred to? Brown, you cannot believe this lie. By Jove, do you and Gordon not know me at all?”
Thomas shrugged, “Zooks, I believe you, but I had to ask. I will say our nearest and dearest all appear to believe it. The rumor has slowly spread since just before St. Nicholas Day. Truthfully, it is a surprise it only now reached Miss Gordon’s ears.”
Jonathan’s mouth dropped open. “Since then? That is nearly three weeks.”
“Indeed. It appears two gentlemen have taken it upon themselves to spread it further in recent days. This is how it came to be known by Miss Gordon.”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes. “Two gentlemen? But whom?”
Thomas leaned back. “Mister Portsmouth and Mister York. Their sisters have a long-standing quarrel with Miss Gordon. I heard there was an incident at a ball just after you returned that went rather terribly for Miss Gordon.”
Jonathan frowned and thought back to the day he’d first met Isolde. Indeed, there had been two young ladies in the supper room that had been the leaders of the torment against her. Had they been these men’s sisters?
“Olivia told me they were approached by them on their morning walk on Christmas Eve and proceeded to taunt Miss Gordon regarding the wager.”
So, that was what happened, Jonathan finally understood. It had been that day everything changed. It all made sense now.
“Brown, it is not true about the wager. If only Isolde or Eric would listen to me. As you know, Gordon has threatened me with a duel should I ever return to Roselawn.”
Thomas sat and scratched his chin, deep in thought. Then, after contemplating the situation for some time, he snapped his fingers.
“If they will not listen to you because they believe the lie, then all you must do is prove it is a lie.”
“How am I to prove it is a lie, old chum?” he paused and thought about it. Then he broke into a smile. “Portsmouth and York? Something tells me that perhaps they are themselves the source of the lie. What do
you say? Their sisters are sworn enemies of Isolde, and they went out of their way to humiliate her. Thus, it stands to reason that they are the ones who made up the story about the wager to begin with.”
His friend leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Indeed. But how shall we force them to confess?”
Jonathan tilted his head from side to side.
“Leave that to me, Brown. However, I shall require your assistance in finding the two so that I may question them.”
Thomas smirked. “By Jove, there has never been a request granted with more ease than the one you’ve just made, Ekhard. I am certain one or the other is here tonight. They are both avid gamblers and are found here most nights. All we must do is seek them out.” He stopped and scanned the room, “It might be beneficial if I was the one to find them. I am certain they will run the other way if they see you.”
A Mistletoe Match For The White Duchess (Historical Regency Romance) Page 24