It appeared his little stunt at Bristol didn’t scare the man enough. Apparently, Miss Clifford was more than ever, against their marriage and her father was being a coward and almost falling for his daughter’s desires instead of being a man and just telling her what to do.
Oh, the things he would do to Selina Clifford the moment she was his wife. She wouldn’t enjoy it at all, but Reginald sure would.
He needed to be more convincing, and somehow persuade stupid Mr. Clifford, yet again, that his daughter deserved to be a Duchess, part of royalty. Reginald needed the money of Mr. Clifford’s company. His beautiful daughter would have been just a prize, but now, the money seemed to matter less and less.
The last person who told him ‘no’ suffered dearly for it.
Lord Reginald Ainsworth was not a man to be messed with. He always won, one way or the other.
He needed an ally, but who can he turn to?
His uncle, another fool, had already fallen into McAlister’s graces and, at the moment, was meeting with the King to see if he could legitimize the little bastard.
The King!
As if the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland would ever pay attention to such trivial matters! The Duke’s indecency and bastard would soon be known throughout all of Great Britain and Ireland.
He wasn’t the first to have a bastard child, but certainly, one of the few who would try to legitimatize them.
The action of it could as well be a legitimization itself when society was concerned.
Who, besides Reginald, would lose the most if everyone knew about Edward McAlister being The Duke’s son?
Reginald stopped his frenetic pacing around, and his eyes widened at the thought of the one person he knew would side with him in all of this and had some say in the matter, as small as it was.
She had as much to lose as Reginald.
Time to visit dear Auntie.
* * *
Anne Egremont, Duchess of Bellford
Since Edward didn’t have siblings and all his cousins were distant, their family life was limited to Anne’s brother and sister and their children, who were now having their own children.
Kathleen would have been at that age as well. She would have been celebrating her twenty-third birthday in a month, most likely married to the wonderful Lord Kilcanny. They were such a handsome match. They would probably be expecting their first child. Perhaps even the second.
Instead, she was gone from the world. They never even found a body to bury, just used a casket filled with stones. Her daughter had been lost at sea and since then, Anne’s life lost its color.
Five years, since that awful day.
Her niece, Grace, the daughter of her brother, had been visiting whenever she could and kept her company, but now was being courted by a nice gentleman and hadn’t been around since the bastard McAlister appeared.
Anne thought her visitor who had shown up would be her, but instead, she found her husband’s nephew and heir in her drawing room.
Such a handsome man, Reginald was. A little rough around the edges, but handsome and soon, a Duke. That is, if that wretched husband of hers didn’t get his foolish wish granted by the King.
After bowing her direction and kissing the back of her hand, Reginald smiled. “Hello, Aunt. It is lovely to see you.”
“You as well, Reginald.” She sat down and he followed, sitting opposite of her. “You have not been here in a while.”
“I was otherwise occupied, Your Grace.” He told her and Anne waited. “As you probably know already, I was courting Miss Selina Clifford and… I think you are aware of what is happening regarding a certain Mr. McAlister.”
Anne’s jaw was set and she straightened her back. That man again.
“Yes, I am aware of the events, Reginald.” She told him, tone even and tight. “I have met Mr. McAlister.”
“So you are aware of his blackmail? Uncle doesn’t see it that way.”
Anne sighed. “No, he doesn’t. He sees… the son I never gave him, not a vile man who came barging into our lives, wrecking everything we knew and for what? For a title he never even wanted.”
Lord Ainsworth nodded in agreement. “I met him as well, a few days ago in Bristol. I went to confront him, bribe him to stay away from this family. He is a greedy man, Your Grace. Do you think he only wants the title, in order to be married to poor Miss Clifford?” Reginald asked and Anne frowned. The boy seemed genuine enough about that when they met, at least. “He is using Miss Clifford to get to Uncle’s tender heart. Mr. McAlister knows Uncle never had sons as much as you both longed for one. He knows about Kathleen, God rest her soul.”
Anne knew she was angry about the whole situation, but could it be true? Could Mr. McAlister really have planned it all from the beginning? If so, he was a very good actor and he had them in the palm of his hand.
“Did he admit this to you, Reginald?”
Reginald looked appalled. “Admitted? He was all but gloating about how he would now be heir to the Bellford fortune, and I would just get the title and some income. He had no one to impress, so he showed me his true self.” He shook his head. “I think he has been planning this for years, Your Grace. Long enough, he has his own money and the Duke’s loss is not as recent. I think he planned to get his way in for a long time, he was just waiting for the perfect way and he found it with poor Miss Clifford.”
Anne couldn’t believe her ears. The man was really a vile rat and bastard if what Reginald was saying was true. Using her husband’s loss of Kathleen, his wish to have had a son and kind heart as leverage to take advantage of him.
“I thought about going to Uncle about this, Your Grace, but I know he is too close to that man now.”
“They are,” the Duchess put a hand on her temple. “They are exchanging letters and I was informed one of them is about a visit to Bristol.”
“I am sorry, Aunt,” Reginald said and sighed. “I thought, then, that I should come to you. We need to stop this madness. This will stain the Egremont name, the Bellford’s, even business. Everything will change, if we let it happen.”
* * *
Lord Reginald Ainsworth
Seeing the Duchess’ blue eyes widen, Reginald knew he had her right where he wanted her. If there was something his dear Aunt hated, it was to be reason of gossip, especially one as scandalous as the discovery of a bastard son.
“How…” she cleared her throat. “How do you propose we do that? The Duke is with the King as we speak. He will change the will as well if he cannot legitimize Mr. McAlister.”
Reginald pretended to think for a moment. “I think we should show him Mr. McAlister’s real intentions.” When the Duchess looked confused, he explained. “If we convince Miss Clifford that I am the best choice for marriage, then Mr. McAlister has no reason to claim he is doing this for her. The poor thing thinks she is in love with him.”
The Duchess almost snorted at that. “Love? What would she know of love? So young and naïve.”
“My thoughts exactly, Aunt,” Reginald used his most concerned tone.
“What would you have me do? We need to save as much of our name and honor as we can as well as Miss Clifford, from the claws of this… this… monster!”
“I agree.” He nodded, almost smirking. His plan was working. “I can’t seem to change her mind, especially being chaperoned all the time. What if you were to try to talk to her?”
“Me?”
“Yes. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, an invitation from you for tea or luncheon,” Reginald said, slyly. “She will join the family one way or the other. If you invite her, no one will even question and she cannot refuse the Duchess of Bellford.”
The Duchess looked away and seemed to be thinking about it. ‘Come on, you old woman’, Reginald thought, ‘help me get Miss Clifford and revenge on Mr. McAlister’.
“I will send a letter to Miss Clifford today, Reginald,” the Duchess said. “I will make her see sense, if no one else arou
nd her is doing so. I will not let that bastard ruin her life as well as he is ruining ours. His mother first, now him? It is unacceptable! Taking advantage of people’s feelings like that!”
“I agree, auntie. I agree.” Reginald had to hide a smirk.
It was going according to plan.
* * *
Miss Selina Clifford
Dear Miss Clifford,
We haven’t met in person, yet your name has been mentioned so many times during the past few weeks I feel I already know you, truly.
I know it is not the way things are done – and I should know, I am very strict with rules – but I think we should meet for tea and know one another.
I hear you will join the family one way or the other and I would like to meet you before an engagement dinner is in place.
Please, let me know when you can join me. No need to chaperone. It will only be us.
Anne Egremont, Duchess of Bellford.
Selina looked at the neatly written handwriting and felt her hands sweat, as well as her heart beating faster.
If what Edward had told her about the woman were true, the Duchess was not rooting for him. On the contrary, she hated Edward with all her heart.
A feeling of dread came over her, but she couldn’t deny the invitation, not from a Duchess.
She was no coward, though. She would do whatever it took and if one of the predicaments she would have to overcome was the Duchess of Bellford, so be it.
Selina was ready.
Chapter 23
Miss Selina Clifford
“I just think it is very unusual for you to be going on your own,” Mrs. Clifford said, accompanying her granddaughter to the manor’s door. “I should come with you, at least.”
Selina held her grandmother’s hands. “The letter said I need to go on my own, Granny. The Duchess is expecting me for tea and we haven’t officially met yet. I can’t bring a guest.”
Granny pursed her lips. “I still do not like this. A woman with her status should know better.”
“She doesn’t want to murder me, Granny,” Selina reassured her grandmother, pretending she wasn’t as nervous as she actually was. “We need to know each other, as she said, as I most likely will join the family one way or the other.”
Mrs. Clifford shook her head slightly. “Even so. Please, Selina, be careful with what you say and do in front of her. I do not think she is doing this out of the kindness of her heart. I never met her, but you said Mr. McAlister tried to get legitimized by her husband? Surely the news of her unfaithful husband came very poorly to her.”
“You are right, as usual, Granny,” Selina agreed. “I will be careful, but cordial.”
Mrs. Clifford almost snorted. “Of course you are, my dear; I helped raise you most of your life. You know very well what to do.”
Selina smiled and gave her grandmother a kiss, leaving the house while putting on her long white gloves and bonnet.
* * *
The house was as beautiful outside as it was inside as she imagined, for a Duchess. Selina shuddered with the prospect of being the Duchess with Lord Ainsworth by her side.
As Edward said, chances of his legitimization were very slim, so her hopes of being Duchess and married to him were near impossible.
She followed the butler to what she could guess was the small library and was not surprised to see only a dark-haired woman with an impeccable hairdo, dressed elegantly for just tea. Her blue eyes were sharp and knowing, watching Selina’s every step.
She started to study Selina the moment she entered the room and even though Selina was wearing one of her best dresses, she suddenly felt as if she lacked finesse.
“Miss Selina Clifford, Her Grace, Anne Egremont, Duchess of Bellford,” the butler announced; Selina took her cue and curtsied.
“Very nice to meet you, Miss Clifford.” The Duchess got up from her settee and Selina felt nervous. “Please, do sit down. Tea and biscuits will be served promptly.” She gave a look to her butler, who understood her silent request.
“Of course, Your Grace. The maids are ready and will be here promptly.” He bowed and left the room.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Grace,” Selina said with more confidence than she was feeling. Smiling, the Duchess waited for the younger woman to get closer to the chair across from her and after she sat down, so did Selina. “You have a lovely home.”
“Thank you. My husband, though,” she chuckled, “I don’t think he has noticed I have changed most decorations from the original home to this day. Almost thirty years married and I am sure he still thinks the curtains are burgundy instead of purple. I tell you, he is great with numbers but when it comes to the house, he’s helpless. But what to do? He is a man, after all.”
Selina couldn’t help but to chuckle and relax a bit. She was seeing the Duchess as a human being instead of the monster Edward had painted her to be. She didn’t seem so bad until then.
“I think Papa is the same.” Selina smiled at the older woman. “Granny and I changed the table of our dinner room last year, and we are still waiting for him to notice, Your Grace, even though he paid for it.”
The Duchess chuckled.
“Men.” She said and soon, two maids were entering the room with trays to serve them tea and the Duchess waited until they were gone before speaking again. “As you know, dear, my letter to you wasn’t purely out of curiosity to meet you; we would have, eventually, of course, when your engagement with Lord Ainsworth was announced.”
Selina’s smile froze on her face. “Now, I was very curious to meet the woman my nephew and my husband’s…” the Duchess cleared her throat and poured some tea in their cups, “Mr. McAlister were so keen on fighting over. Since my husband is not here at the moment – he is traveling, you see – it is just us. I figured we will be family either way, so why not meet beforehand?” she asked and smiled. “I can see what the fuss is about though. You are a beauty, dear.”
Selina could feel her cheeks get hotter.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” the Duchess tried to comfort her. “You are a pretty girl, Miss Clifford; of course you would have plenty suitors. I would never imagine you would catch the eyes of my nephew and Mr. McAlister, at a time.”
Selina took a sip of her tea to stall for a moment. “I was most surprised to learn Mr. McAlister and Lord Ainsworth were… related in any way, Your Grace.”
The Duchess seemed to mull over her answer for a second before finally deciding Selina was telling her the truth. “I see. Isn’t the world filled with coincidences?”
“It is, Your Grace.” Selina replied, politely, noticing a little bit of sarcasm in the woman’s tone.
They stayed in silence for a second. “I don’t think this time was a coincidence, though, Miss Clifford.” Selina was confused.
What was the Duchess talking about? What else could have been? “I have in good authority that Mr. McAlister had a plan to blackmail my husband to get the title of Duke for a long time. He even gloated about it.” She looked at Selina with pity. “I am afraid, my dear, you were a means to an end.”
“I apologize, Your Grace, but I do not understand,” Selina frowned.
“Mr. McAlister had a plan to become the next Duke of Bellford, it appears. I do not think he knew how difficult it would have been to actually make it happen. Since the next in line to be Duke is Lord Ainsworth, and he and your father were negotiating your marriage, I think he wanted a… noble reason to be Duke, and claiming to be in love? My husband would fall for that, as he did.”
Selina couldn’t believe her ears. Where did the Duchess hear those awful accusations from?
“Your Grace, I… I do not even know what to say.”
The older woman looked at her with sympathy. “I know this must come as a shock to you, especially since it seems you would like to marry him rather than Lord Ainsworth, whom, by the way, is a lovely man.” Another person fooled by Lord Ainsworth, it appears, Selina thought. “I just felt as if I needed to
talk to you about this, dear. Marriage is… difficult and much more so when you are just a means to an end. I should know.”
From what Edward had told her – which wasn’t much, really – Selina knew the Duke married right after his father died to stabilize him status and get himself an heir.
The Duchess might have married because she was besotted with the Duke, but he did not have feelings towards her.
“Your Grace, I am touched by your concern. We did not even know one another and you worried about me, so I need to thank you for that.” Selina smiled fondly at her.
A Hidden Duke For The Passionate Lady (Regency Historical Romance) Page 16