Why did she still feel intense feelings towards a man who was actively trying to split her from Lord Neville? Did he do this for fun? Diana wished he would find someone else to focus on.
Chapter 7
Discovery of
Intimate Letters
M oments later, Bedford entered the room. Diana’s mouth went dry. She wished she didn’t have such an intense reaction towards this man. There was something wrong there.
She curtsied.
“Your Grace. What are you doing here?”
“I heard that you were getting married to Lord Neville.” Bedford was breathing as if he had been running. “Is that true?”
Diana glanced at Eloise, who looked just as surprised. News spread very fast as they had only been back in London two days. Diana turned back to Bedford.
“Yes, it’s true. Lord Neville asked me to be his wife, and I accepted.”
Bedford stared at her as if she had gone mad. Diana almost took a step back but managed to maintain her composure. Why was she always unnerved by this man?
That went away when Bedford spoke, his tone cutting to the bone.
“Are you that desperate that you’ll marry the first person who asks you to marry him?”
Diana stared at him.
“I beg your pardon?”
“He doesn’t love you. He just wants to be firmly in Society and marrying someone already established there will do it for him.”
Diana couldn’t believe it. The duke was very sure that Neville was nothing more than a fraud. It had gone on long enough that the duke really believed it.
“You really think he’s a fraud, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
Diana snorted.
“Just because you think he is doesn’t mean that Lord Neville is a fraud.”
Bedford shook his head and took a step towards her. Diana didn’t know if he was angry or desperate.
“I still think you’re going to fall into disrepute because of that man. You’re too young for that. You won’t be able to recover.”
Diana had no idea what was going on. She hadn’t expected anyone to compete for her affections in her first Season, let alone at all. She had thought she would become a spinster and nobody would want to marry a shy wallflower. But now, within the space of a few months, Diana had a duke and a baron practically fighting over her. She didn’t know what to do about it.
Diana knew she shouldn’t be so upset except that the man she was due to marry was having his reputation muddied by someone else. She should be on Neville’s side and standing up for him. So why did she feel like she was on the wrong side?
And what was Bedford’s motivation? He was a duke, so close in terms of nobility to the royal family that he could breathe the same air. Diana was much further down the ranks. Why was he so fixed on her?
“Why do you care, Your Grace?” She demanded. “You’re not my father or my brother. Why do you care who I get married to?”
For a moment, she thought that Bedford was going to do a song and dance and not answer the question. But he stood and looked at her with a wistful, sorrowful expression that gripped hold of her heart.
“Because I fell in love with you when you walked into that ballroom at Lady Astor’s home. I love you enough to worry about your welfare.” He sighed and turned away. “I may not have a chance with you now but I won’t stand by and let you be hurt by this man. But you have clearly made up your mind so trying to reason won’t do any good now.” He reached the door and flung it open, giving Diana one last look. “Good day, Miss Diana.”
Diana started after him but then Bedford was gone. Moments later the front door slammed.
***
“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Eloise asked.
Diana shook her head as they climbed the stairs.
“Not really. But I need to know what’s going on.”
Bedford’s sudden arrival and abrupt departure, along with his declaration of his love, had completely thrown Diana. She had had no idea the duke felt this way about her. Having someone openly declare his love for her put her off-balance.
Now she thought about it, Neville had never said he loved her. He had said he admired her but never loved her. That was important and Diana knew it was this driving her to go up to Neville’s room, where he was staying as a guest, and look through his things.
Eloise was looking concerned.
“I thought you trusted him.”
“I do.” They reached Neville’s room in the guest wing. Diana sighed. “And I’m hoping that I find nothing that makes me feel guilty for doubting him.”
If there were any doubts before the wedding, Diana wanted to address them. She couldn’t marry a man who made her distrust him. That could be Bedford’s way of placing the seeds but Diana needed to do something to disprove it, that she was doing the right thing.
“I’m not sure that makes any sense.” Eloise muttered as they entered the room. “And this feels very strange.”
“I didn’t ask you to come with me.”
“I’m joining you on this, whether you like it or not.” Eloise went to the closet and opened it. “You’re my little sister and if there’s something wrong, we need to address it. I don’t want you hurt.”
Diana had a feeling she was going to get hurt. And she felt guilty sneaking into Neville’s room when he was out, but Diana had a feeling Neville wouldn’t give her a logical explanation. He was good at telling a good story.
So they began to look around. Diana searched through Neville’s trunk but didn’t see anything there. Just his clothes. There was nothing of interest on the dresser, either. She was beginning to think that Bedford was just attempting to smear someone’s name.
“Look at this.”
“What?”
Eloise came out of the closet, a stack of letters tied together in her hands. She joined Diana at the dresser and undid the ribbon.
“Lots of letters. And they look like they’re all from the same person.”
They all had the same writing. And there were a lot of them. Diana wasn’t sure she wanted to see them. It looked like a feminine hand.
“Who are they from?”
Eloise opened the first letter and scanned down to the signature.
“A Pauline Hardy. Whoa.” Her eyes widened, and she fanned herself with the letter. “And they’re far too intimate for relatives or casual acquaintances.”
Diana didn’t want to read it. The realization that he had been carrying on an affair through letters made her feel sick. She sagged onto a chair, a hand over her stomach.
“He’s been having an affair?”
“I’m afraid that’s what it looks like.” Eloise looked pain. “I’m so sorry, Diana.”
Diana was sorry, too. Neville wasn’t due back until later with her father after a session at Parliament. She would have to wait until then.
And Diana didn’t think she could wait that long.
***
Diana was pacing around the library when she heard the front doorbell. She then heard her father’s deep baritone and Neville’s softer timbre float through the foyer to her ears and her heart picked up speed. She hated confrontation, and this wasn’t going to go well, she knew it.
Diana knew she shouldn’t have snooped, but she had to know. There was no way she was going into a marriage without knowing everything about her future husband. Secrets and lies before they married was not going to work for her. It was cards on the table or nothing.
It was a few moments before she heard footsteps heading in her direction. Then the door opened and Neville entered the room. He beamed at her and hurried over, taking her hands and pressing a kiss on each hand.
“Forgive me, Diana. Your father and I were waylaid as we were leaving. That took longer than I thought.”
Diana had thought about what to say but it didn’t come to fruition. She knew she would be dancing around the issue and, right then, Diana didn’t want to make small talk. She pulled
her hands away and stepped back.
“Who’s Pauline Hardy?”
Neville’s smiled faded. It was like a light had died in his eyes.
“Where did that name come from?”
“Answer me. Who is she?”
“She’s just someone I grew up with. She married a few years ago but we still correspond.” Neville’s eyes narrowed at her, his mouth twisting into a scowl. “Have you been going through my things?”
“I found the letters.” Diana wasn’t going to put her sister into trouble. This was her fight. “And they weren’t merely correspondences, not with the steam coming off them.”
“You went into my room?” Neville looked outraged. He advanced on her. “How could you? I thought you trusted me.”
Diana didn’t like doing it but she darted back. Suddenly she wanted to run from the room. Neville had never displayed a show of temper, even when it was warranted. Diana had no idea he could change so drastically. And it was frightening.
Chapter 8
Betrayal
“Y ou don’t tell me everything.” She shot back. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t leading me on. Turns out I was right, wasn’t I?”
Neville huffed.
“I’m not leading you on. I haven’t replied to Mrs. Hardy for months. She sends the letters but I don’t respond.”
“How can I believe you?”
Diana could see Neville’s hands clenching into fists. She swallowed and focused on his face. Neville was trying to get himself under control but it was a struggle.
“Believe me, Diana. I wouldn’t do that to you. Mrs. Hardy has been obsessed with me for years, even when we were children. I tried to remain friends with her because of the fallout it would incur but she wasn’t having it. Even when she married, she wrote letters saying what she wanted from me.” He sighed and turned away. “I’ve told her to stop many times, but she keeps sending them. I don’t reply to her because you’re my priority now, not her.”
Diana faltered. It sounded very convincing. But she didn’t know what to think. Bedford had put forward his concerns and Diana knew they were somewhat founded. However, he believed Neville was a fraud, and she had found reason to believe Neville wasn’t going to be faithful to her.
Either way, it was putting things in jeopardy and she was going to look a right fool.
“Is this true?”
“Of course.” Neville sighed. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me.”
Then he left. Diana knew she should run after him and beg for his forgiveness but something stopped her. Somehow, she didn’t really care what he did. He could leave and she wouldn’t be as upset as she should be.
Those letters had changed everything. Diana didn’t care if he had walked away from the woman and refused to answer letters. It was there, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to trust him.
***
What possessed him to confess his love for her? Bedford couldn’t understand why he had said that to Diana. Surely that could have been the worst thing to say to her, given the circumstances. Diana wasn’t going to change her mind on who she was going to marry simply because of that.
It was a stupid, weak move and Bedford was furious about it. He moped around the club and his townhouse for most of the week, trying to find something, anything, to distract himself from the impending wedding. Even Cambridge couldn’t get him out of his mood and eventually gave up, avoiding Bedford himself. Bedford couldn’t blame him; he wasn’t the best company right now.
But he did keep himself busy. His gut instinct about Lord Percy Neville said that he was no good, and he wasn’t often wrong. Bedford wanted to go with his gut and find out; he wouldn’t be able to rest until he knew. So he had looked up a friend from his childhood and a former scout in the army who now worked in the docks, to do some snooping for him. His friend could find out the entire history of anybody and was the best chance of Bedford finding out anything at all about Percy Neville.
If his friend found evidence that Lord Neville was the genuine thing, Bedford would gracefully accept defeat–or as close as he was able–and walk away. It would be gut-wrenching but he would do it. However, if there was proof that Neville was false, and he was lying, then Bedford had every intention of letting everyone in Society know. Especially Diana and her family.
It had shocked him that David Price had been taken in by Neville–Price was a shrewd man and had a good sense of judgement. But Neville was that good, and he had woven a very good web.
It was three days before the wedding between Lord Percy Neville and Miss Diana Price when Bedford received the information he had been waiting for. And while he was relieved that he hadn’t been going mad, it left a heavy feeling in his stomach. He was going to have to break the news to the Price family. Diana was going to be devastated and Bedford, while relieved she wouldn’t become Lady Neville, didn’t want to hurt her.
However, if she did marry him, she would do that herself.
Bedford hurried around to the Price residence, only to find that they had departed for Wilro Park. They were going to have the wedding at the chapel on Lady Latterly’s estate, her wedding gift to them. It was less than a day’s ride and it was mid-afternoon by the time Bedford discovered this. That would mean it would be the dead of night by the time he arrived at Wilro Park.
Bedford wasn’t about to wait.
It felt like the ride was taking forever but Bedford finally arrived at the Price house, leaping off his horse before it had even stopped at the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited. There was candlelight inside–Bedford could see it through the windows–so someone had to be still awake. If not, they were going to be rudely awakened.
He banged on the door. After a while, the door opened, and the butler was standing there, looking surprised at the sudden visitor. Bedford pushed past him and hurried inside. It had just started to rain, and he was getting soaked. He tugged off his gloves.
“Where’s Mr. Price? I must speak with him.”
“Mr. Price is otherwise occupied, Your Grace.”
“I don’t care if he’s entertaining the prince regent. Fetch him!”
Bedford knew he was being rude, but he didn’t have time for that. If Neville was in the house and he was carrying out the plan he used on other families, they needed to contain him. Price needed to be alerted.
The butler huffed with his nose in the air and stalked off, disappearing into a room just off the foyer. Moments later, Price came out. He looked very surprised to see Bedford.
“Your Grace.”
Bedford gave him a curt nod.
“Mr. Price. Forgive me for bothering you at this hour.”
“We’re all still awake. You didn’t rouse anyone.” Price frowned and folded his arms. “What are you doing here, Bedford? If you wish to speak to my daughter that is impossible. Diana is engaged now and I’m not going to have you try to change her mind.”
“This isn’t about Miss Diana.” Bedford shot back. And hesitated. “Well, not really. But I do need to speak to you. It’s very urgent and Miss Diana does need to hear this.”
“Really?” Price looked skeptical. “I presume this is about Lord Neville?”
“It is.”
Price shook his head with a heavy sigh.
“Come on, Your Grace, can’t you find another woman to focus your attentions on instead of upsetting my daughter? Are you trying to sabotage her wedding?”
“No, I’m not.” Bedford gritted his teeth. “I’m trying to make sure her reputation doesn’t get ruined.”
Then he saw someone in the doorway behind Price. Diana was there. Bedford swallowed. She looked lovelier than he had last seen her, wearing a simple powder-blue dress and her hair piled up on her head. She looked the epitome of grace and elegance.
Bedford did his best not to stare. Diana blinked in surprise when she saw him.
“Your Grace.” She ventured into the foyer to join her father. “What’s going on?”
Price shook his
head.
“It’s nothing, Diana. Bedford is just making a fool of himself again. Go back to your mother.”
But Diana didn’t listen to her father. She focused on Bedford, a frown drawing between her eyes.
“Why are you here, Sir?”
“Percy Neville.”
The frown deepened and Diana sighed.
“We’ve been through this before and I’m very tired with telling you otherwise. Just leave.”
“He’s a con artist, Miss Price.”
Diana shook her head.
“I told you, I’m not doing this again. I’m getting married in a few days and I would like to…”
“His real name is Percival Hardy.”
Bedford saw the moment the name sank in. Diana froze. Her face went pale and her mouth dropped open. For a moment Bedford thought she was going to faint; she looked like she had seen a ghost.
“What did you say?”
Had he just got through to her? Bedford hadn’t expected that type of reaction from her.
“His real name is Percival Hardy. He’s not a lord at all; he’s a lower-class thief who was raised in Putney all his life. The man’s never been to India.” Bedford was amazed at what his friend had found. “He and his wife Pauline go around the rich houses in London and the surrounding boroughs, taking what they can get to fund Neville’s rich lifestyle. They’re partners in crime.”
Chapter 9
The Truth
Revealed
D iana looked ill. She swayed and Bedford hurried to her side, reaching out to steady her. Diana didn’t push him away, merely leaning on him as she gained her balance.
“Oh, my goodness.”
“Diana?” Price was looking confused. He looked from his daughter to Bedford and back to Diana. “Diana, what’s going on? What have I missed?”
Diana swallowed hard, her voice cracking.
“I found letters in his room a few days ago. They were from Pauline Hardy. He said they were from an obsessed woman and that there was nothing going on.”
She had found out about Pauline? Bedford was surprised that Neville had managed to carry out a deception for so long. He was interested to know how he had managed to talk his way out of that but that wasn’t for now.
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