by Leah Conolly
“Of course.”
Elizabeth went off and soon brought Felicia back with her. James greeted Felicia as he would a close friend, because he knew she meant the world to Elizabeth.
“It is so good to see you again, Lady Darwin,” he said. “Elizabeth has told me how valuable your friendship is to her.”
“And she has told me much about you as well, my lord.”
“The Earl of Presport is an old friend of mine, and Elizabeth tells me that you are acquainted with him. I was just about to introduce Elizabeth. Would you care to join us?”
Felicia agreed, though James could tell she was anxious. As they approached the earl, he caught James’ eye and smiled.
“James! It has been such a long time since I have seen you!”
“And I, you, Daniel. May I introduce Lady Elizabeth Gladstone?”
Daniel bowed to Elizabeth with a smile. “So, you are the young lady I have heard so much about. Good things, certainly,” he added quickly. His gaze turned to Felicia, and his eyes softened.
“I believe you are already acquainted with Lady Darwin?” James asked.
“Indeed, we met at a ball only a week or so ago.” He bowed. “It is wonderful to see you again, Lady Darwin.”
“And you, my lord,” she said, with a curtsey.
“James,” said Elizabeth, “I believe Miss Hannah Nott is calling us over there.” She insistently tugged on James’ arm and cast a grin at Felicia.
James laughed as Elizabeth led him away. “You would abandon your friend?”
“For her own good. She is much too shy to request to speak to the earl privately.”
Just then, everyone started to file into the dining hall. James caught the look of wonder on Elizabeth’s face as they stepped into the grand chamber, which was spacious enough to seat the large party of people with ease.
“Good heavens,” she breathed, looking up at the vaulted ceilings.
James smiled, amused at her wonderment. They were seated next to one another at the table, and, just across from them sat Felicia, the Earl of Presport beside her, due to some fortunate act of Providence. James noted that they were already deep in conversation and smiled to himself. From what he knew of Felicia, she would be a good match for Daniel.
Elizabeth was also watching them and smiling. As the courses were served, they talked idly and conversed with those around them. Elizabeth was true to her word and ate with decorum.
As they walked back out to the carriage after the evening was over, Elizabeth leaned on James’ arm. She blinked wearily.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It was a wonderful evening.”
James smiled, thinking of how he had touched her cheek earlier. “It had nothing to do with me. I am glad, however, to see your friend happy.”
“Yes, so am I. Only I meant—” Her words were cut off when they reached the carriage. When they were both settled inside, James opened his mouth to ask her what she had started to say, but Elizabeth leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
The whole way back, James listened to the sound of Elizabeth’s even breathing and contemplated what it would mean if they were in love with each other.
Chapter 21
Once again, Elizabeth was enjoying a short reprieve from wedding planning, as she sat at tea with Felicia, Hannah, and Clarice. She found their company refreshing after the demands of her godmother and the Countess of Chester.
“Felicia has told us that you grew up together,” said Hannah to Elizabeth.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said. “We have been friends ever since I was four-years-old.”
“Elizabeth would always get me into trouble when we were children,” added Felicia.
Hannah and Clarice laughed.
“You agreed to get into trouble with me,” amended Elizabeth with a giggle. “That is not my fault.”
“Do you remember when you tried to teach yourself how to ride a horse when you were six, and forced me to come with you?”
Elizabeth had to set down her tea because of she was laughing so hard. “We barely avoided being kicked!”
“We could very well have died!” Felicia explained to Hannah and Clarice.
“It was Tom’s schemes that were always the dangerous ones,” Elizabeth corrected.
“Tom?” asked Clarice.
Elizabeth wondered at the burning curiosity in her voice. It became even stranger when Hannah immediately cast a warning glance at her sister.
Felicia, seemingly oblivious to the odd behavior, simply sighed and shook her head. “Tom Stapleton. He was our friend too, and Elizabeth is right. He would get us both into the most trouble!”
Clarice, ignoring further looks from Hannah, stared at Elizabeth. “Are the rumors true, then?”
“Clarice!” Hannah hissed harshly.
Elizabeth frowned. “What rumors?”
“Just rumors,” Hannah said quickly. “There is no need to concern yourself.”
“A rumor about me?” An uneasy feeling settled in Elizabeth’s stomach. “If there is one, I would like to know about it.”
Hannah and Clarice shared a long look. Finally, Hannah nodded and looked sadly at Elizabeth. “There are rumors about you and a boy named Tom when you lived in Deuney Keep.”
Elizabeth could feel Clarice and Felicia’s eyes on her, but she only looked at Hannah, dreading what she was about to say. “What kind of rumor?”
Hannah looked down and wrung her hands. “I never believed it was true—”
“What rumor?” Elizabeth pressed, raising her voice.
“A rumor of, forgive me, impropriety with Tom...”
“Impropriety!”
Hannah wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m afraid it is even worse than that.”
Unable to believe what she was hearing, Elizabeth immediately stood and paced across the room. Her three friends were silent.
“This is ridiculous! Of course, it is not true!” She locked eyes with Clarice, who was watching her. “From whom did you hear it?”
Clarice stared with her mouth open for a moment, before stuttering, “Lady…,Lady Fletcher! I overheard her talking about it to someone else.”
Lady Fletcher. The name rang a bell. Wasn’t she one of the countess’ friends?
Then it hit her. Had James heard?
Elizabeth felt she could hardly catch her breath, as she strode back to the table. “Is this rumor being widely circulated?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Hannah frowned. “When someone spoke of it to me, I tried to put in a word for your good character, but the gossip has already been spread.”
Elizabeth felt as if her entire world was suddenly turning upside down. An accusation of that magnitude could have disastrous consequences. Even if it were proven untrue, the damage to her reputation would already be done.
“I am sorry,” she breathed, collecting her things, “but I must leave.”
Felicia stood. “Elizabeth—”
But Elizabeth didn’t want comfort. She needed to think this through. She shook her head. “I need to be alone. I will call on you tomorrow.” She saw herself out and paused for a moment, as she emerged onto the streets of London. People passed by. Some eyes met hers. Had they heard the terrible gossip?
She started on her way home, her thoughts swirling. She stared at the ground and avoided everyone’s eyes. The worst possible gossip was circulating about her. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t.
Trying to calm her thoughts, Elizabeth considered it logically. James knew her. He wouldn’t believe the rumor even if he did hear it. Would he? He had to know she wouldn’t do such a thing.
Finally, Elizabeth arrived at Lady Kinsley’s house. As she entered in a flurry, she noticed the very last person she wanted to see, the countess.
“Elizabeth,” the countess said, jumping a little as Elizabeth stormed through the front door. “We didn’t expect you home this early. Isabelle went out briefly, but she should be back at any moment.”
Elizabeth cou
ldn’t even process her words. She huffed, tearing off her bonnet and her gloves. She clenched her hands into fists and turned to go up the stairs to her room without even greeting the countess.
Suddenly, the countess was in her way. For once, her stare of hatred wasn’t hidden. She glared at Elizabeth and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I knew I was right about you,” she said, with a sneer. “You are wild and uncontrollable. James thinks you’re like his late wife, but I know better. You may look a little like her, but you have no class or sophistication. You cannot hide it forever, and it is only a matter of time before James sees it too.”
Rage and sorrow boiled inside of Elizabeth. “You are the one with no class or sophistication, running after James as though he is some sort of prize and insulting me, though I have done nothing wrong.” She pushed the countess out of the way and ran up the stairs. “Leave me be!”
She got to her room out of breath, slammed the door, and fell onto the floor in a heap. She let out bottled up tears of frustration. Just yesterday everything had been picture-perfect, but now she was starting to hate London.
Chapter 22
James was instantly on the alert when he entered Isabelle’s dining room. Though he was accustomed to Elizabeth looking up at him with a smile every time they met, now she barely raised her eyes. Her smile was only half-formed. She looked pale, and her form was a little slumped.
“Elizabeth! Are you ill again?” he asked, coming to sit beside her.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No. I had a trying day yesterday. That is all.” Her expression lightened. “I am already feeling better now that you are here.”
James smiled at the compliment and turned his attention to his friend across the table, noting she had been rather quiet. “How are you this morning, Isabelle?”
“I am doing fairly well.” She pushed food around on her plate. “Elizabeth told me you had plans to go to the Royal Armories today?”
“Yes, I’m very much looking forward to it. When Elizabeth told me that she had never been to the Tower of London, I knew we had to go.” He smiled over at Elizabeth, but once again she didn’t quite meet his gaze.
James’ enthusiasm ebbed. He was getting the feeling something was going on that no one was telling him about.
As he and Elizabeth were about to leave, Isabelle pulled him aside while Elizabeth collected her bonnet and her gloves. “James,” she whispered, though no one else was in the room. “I heard something very disturbing while I was out yesterday, and Victoria corroborated the story when I returned.”
James frowned. “Yes?”
Isabelle pressed her lips together, looking sincerely troubled. “I have heard some terrible talk about Elizabeth.”
“About Elizabeth?” he repeated. “Surely it is nothing more than criticisms of her normal character?”
“This is something different altogether.” She glanced over as Elizabeth came down the stairs and turned back to James shaking her head. “Elizabeth has been very troubled. We will speak later.”
Elizabeth barely forced a smile on meeting James at the door. He longed to ask Isabelle what she meant, but she was already turning away, and the door was opened for them. He led Elizabeth out to his carriage and helped her inside.
“Are you sure you are well enough to go out today?” he asked, noting that she still didn’t look well at all.
“Yes, I am perfectly well. I promise you.”
“What happened yesterday that has affected you so?”
As the carriage started forward, Elizabeth wouldn’t tear her gaze away from the window. “I became aware of a rumor that has been spreading about me all throughout London.”
“People will talk and say things that are unkind.” James placed his hand on top of hers. “It’s not every day that a duke is engaged to a lady from the country.”
Elizabeth sighed. “This is different, but it is no matter. I am trying not to let it trouble me.”
James squeezed her hand. “Good.” He wanted to ask her how she had enjoyed her time with her friends yesterday but decided that talking of events from the previous day would probably not cheer her up. Elizabeth seemed more troubled than he had ever seen her.
The short journey was spent mostly in silence, and James was content to give Elizabeth some space. They soon arrived at the Tower of London and stepped out of the carriage. Elizabeth’s loose hair fluttered about her head in the breeze blowing off the Thames.
“What do you think?” asked James, gazing at the ancient building.
Elizabeth fought to keep her hair out of her eyes. “I will tell you once I can see.”
James chuckled and carefully pushed some of her hair to the side. Elizabeth beamed at him, the first real smile he had seen all day. However, it faded in a moment. James followed her gaze and saw a lord and lady they had spoken with at the ball eyeing Elizabeth and whispering as they walked by.
“Pay them no heed. Come.” He offered her his arm and led her towards the entrance of the tower. Elizabeth’s expression grew thoughtful as they approached.
“It is such a magnificent place, but it has such a gruesome history.”
James nodded. “That is all behind us now. I believe that you will find the display most interesting. It is called the Line of Kings.”
As they stepped inside the old tower, Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “It smells old.”
James chuckled, finding himself more at ease at the sound of her normal lightheartedness. “That is because it is old.”
They encountered only a few people once inside. James didn’t recognize any of the faces, but there were a couple of young ladies who seemed to recognize him. Though they never addressed him directly, he heard them talking once he and Elizabeth had passed by. A woman who was with them, perhaps their governess, chided them. And yet they continued.
James found himself unable to concentrate on the display. Then came the moment where he caught one of their whispers and heard them say Elizabeth’s name.
He suddenly realized that they didn’t know him. They were gossiping about Elizabeth.
James felt a flare of anger. Beside him, Elizabeth’s eyes were downcast. This is becoming ridiculous, he thought. He turned to the young ladies. “Ladies, if you please, do not speak of things you know nothing about.”
Elizabeth turned to him, shocked. “James—”
He shook his head. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. “I think it’s time we were leaving, Elizabeth.”
He guided her back outside, and, fortunately, didn’t run into anyone else on the way to the carriage. He instructed the driver to take them back to Isabelle’s house. He wasn’t sure that he or Elizabeth could stomach being out anymore.
This time, the carriage ride was utterly silent. James was torn between wanting to ask more about the rumors and leaving Elizabeth alone to her thoughts. He began to wonder if perhaps the reason that she was so silent was that this rumor, whatever it was, was true.
But what could it possibly be?
They arrived back at Isabelle’s house and entered the sitting room to find that the countess had arrived.
“I did not expect you to be back so soon!” Isabelle said. “Did you enjoy the exhibit?”
“I wanted to enjoy it, but I was rather distracted,” Elizabeth sighed, walking away from James. “Excuse me. I will rejoin you in a few minutes.” She went up the stairs silently.
James looked to Isabelle, who looked helpless as she watched Elizabeth’s progress. “I’d better make sure she is all right.” She followed Elizabeth up the stairs.
James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had been looking forward to today, but it was turning into a nightmare right before his eyes.
“James? You and Elizabeth don’t seem quite yourselves today. What has happened?”
James had almost forgotten the presence of the countess. Still, with confusion and frustration building up inside of him, he couldn’t help but let some of it out.
�
�There is some sort of rumor following Elizabeth,” he said, collapsing into a chair. He shifted, unable to find a comfortable position. “I did not realize how serious it was until we went out today.”
“Yes,” mused the countess, taking a seat beside him, “it is a very serious accusation indeed.”
James frowned. “I was speaking of how widely it has been circulated. What is the accusation?”
The countess raised her eyebrows in surprise. “You mean that you do not know?”