The Scandalous Secret 0f The Tempting Duchess (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Scarlett Osborne

  “I was coming to see you, Father.”

  “Hopefully, it can wait. Timothy is here and he mentioned in his letter that he would like to speak to us all. I reckon he’s ready to settle on a date for the wedding.”

  “Father, before we see him—”

  “Come, Jonathan,” the Earl snapped. “Let’s not keep your future brother-in-law waiting.”

  Jonathan watched as his father made his way to the parlor they would all gather in, excitement evident in his steps. He followed behind. His father had no idea what he was about to walk into.

  Lady Ferbriand and Lady Nancy were already in the room. Jonathan chose a corner to sit in and watched as his father hummed lightly to himself while he poured Timothy his drink. Timothy hadn’t arrived at the room as yet, but for some reason, it angered Jonathan to see his father be so eager. He clearly had a soft spot for Timothy. Everyone could see it, even Timothy himself. Yet, he had the gall to do something like this?

  As usual, Lady Nancy and Lady Ferbriand sat next to each other whispering excitedly. He didn’t have to overhear them to know they were talking about wedding details and when his mother whispered something in Nancy’s ear and his sister blushed, he figured the topic of conversation had turned to something a little racier.

  Jonathan stuck to his silence. It was too late to mention anything to his father. He didn’t even have the time to warn him of what was to come when Timothy entered the room.

  Everyone rose to greet him when he did, except Jonathan. He was so still and silent in his corner that Timothy didn’t even notice him until after he was seated.

  “I’m happy you’re all gathered here,” Timothy started off. “I know it must have been unusual for me to ask for you all to come together.”

  “Oh, think nothing of it.” Lord Ferbriand handed Timothy his drink and then he sank into his favorite chair. “Please, feel free to speak whatever is on your mind. I believe this is about the wedding. Have you settled on a date yet?”

  “No, My Lord,” Timothy said, shaking his head. Jonathan braced himself. “In fact, I have come to inform you all that I will not be marrying Lady Nancy.”

  The words drifted into the room like a ghostly whisper. The smiles fell from the ladies’ faces and Lord Ferbriand frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  Timothy set his glass down. A shadow of guilt passed over his face as he straightened his shoulders. “I have realized, for a while now, that I cannot marry your daughter. It isn’t because of her. Lady Nancy is lovely and I’m sure whoever she marries will be happy with her. But I cannot be that person, despite the promise my father made with you, Lord Ferbriand. I do not love Lady Nancy.”

  Lord Ferbriand stared at Timothy a second longer before he burst out laughing. “Love? Is that what’s causing you to say such things, Your Grace? If love is what you are worried about then fear not. Many successful, even happy, marriages exist without the spouses loving each other. She will make you happy and bear you many children, I’m sure of it.”

  “I believe that to be true, My Lord—”

  “Good!”

  “—but that isn’t what I want.” Lord Ferbriand’s smile fell once more. “I know now that I cannot bring myself to marry someone I do not love. My father loved my mother, even after she died, and that is the sort of marriage I would like to have. That is the sort of marriage I want to be an example to the children I have.”

  “Such an example does not have a place here, Your Grace,” Lord Ferbriand said through tight lips. “You know that.”

  “I do,” Timothy agreed with a calm nod. “But I have faith nonetheless.

  “Why don’t you stop beating around the bush, Timothy?” Everyone looked at Jonathan. He straightened, sneering at his friend. The man he thought he knew. “Why don’t you tell my father why you really want to end this engagement?”

  “Your Grace?” Jonathan’s father probed. “What is he talking about?”

  Timothy sighed deeply. “I have fallen for another lady. My heart belongs to her and, as such, I know I cannot in good faith go through with this marriage. I hope you can forgive me for the inconvenience and wrong caused.”

  “Forgive you?” Lord Ferbriand roared. “You not only come into my home telling me you refuse to marry my daughter but you ask me to forgive you as well?”

  “The only way we plan on forgiving you for such a thing, Timothy…” Jonathan sneered, unable to hold back the rage boiling in him. Unlike his father’s explosions, he was cold and cutting, “…is if you take back all that nonsense you spoke about and continue with the promise you made.”

  “I cannot do that.”

  Jonathan hated how calm he was. It spurred him on even more. “You want to reject my sister for a spinster who bore a child for another man, Timothy? Are you out of your mind?”

  “Oh, dear.” That bit of information was clearly too much for Lady Ferbriand who went limp against her daughter. Lady Nancy held her upright but she didn’t take her eyes off Timothy.

  “A spinster?” Lord Ferbriand frowned. “Do you mean the eldest daughter of the Viscount of Roburg? You would go against your father’s wishes for a lady like that?”

  “It is as you said, My Lord. It was my father’s wishes. Not mine. I won’t be able to give Lady Nancy the life that she deserves.”

  “You don’t have to worry about my daughter. She knows how to be content with what she has. Now, you will marry her!”

  “I will not.” And with that, Timothy rose. “Once more, I apologize for this, My Lord.”

  “No, no, no!” Jonathan could hardly contain it any more. He shot to his feet, advancing on Timothy. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen and you know it. You’re about to throw it all away! The monopoly, Timothy. Think about the monopoly we’ll have on the wool industry if our families became one?”

  Timothy looked at Jonathan as if he didn’t recognize him. “A tempting thought but surely that isn’t all you care about, Jonathan?”

  “Of course it is! Why else would I have wanted you to marry my sister? Do you think it’s because we were friends? Because I wanted you as a brother? I never thought of you as a friend, Timothy! I only tolerated you because you were next in line to your father’s company as I was with mine. Imagine the power we would have if we merged? We would have been like kings, Timothy!”

  He began to back away. “In that case, Jonathan, I’m happy this marriage is no longer happening. And to think I had true fondness for you.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Lord Ferbriand broke in. “You will marry my daughter. You will stick to what we agreed on.”

  “Father?” A tiny voice peeped up among the loud boisterous ones. Lady Nancy steadied her mother and got to her feet, brushing her skirt down. She looked sadly at Timothy then pulled her shoulders back as she faced the Earl. “I do not want to marry His Grace.”

  Jonathan could hardly believe what he was hearing. He turned to his sister the same time his father did. “Nancy?” Lord Ferbriand said. “What are you going on about? This was what you wanted. We all wanted this.”

  She nodded. “That is true. I did want to marry His Grace with all my heart. But I know now that I cannot truly be happy with someone who is not happy with me. If he does not love me, Father, I cannot marry him.”

  “What is with this sudden talk about love?” the Earl demanded angrily. “Love doesn’t have to define marriage. You two can be perfectly happy without it.”

  “No,” Lady Nancy said with a shake of her head. Jonathan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d never heard her tell their father no in all her life. She was much too complacent and soft hearted for such a thing. “I won’t be happy without it. And isn’t that what you want, Father? For me to be happy?”

  The Earl refused to respond so Jonathan did. “We will all be happy when this marriage happens. You will see that.”

  Lady Nancy only looked at him sadly. She approached her father, taking his hand in hers. “Father, I know you want to s
ee me happy, so please, allow me to marry a gentleman who will truly love me the way I love him. And Your Grace,” she turned to Timothy, “I admire you for being able to say what you believe to my father. I know he can be quite a terrifying man. Also, you know how news travels fast. I had heard of what happened between you and the Duke of Dunstead, as well as the truth of Miss Jones’ scandal. I hadn’t allowed myself to think that perhaps that meant you had grown to love her but now I know. I hope you two can be happy.”

  “And I hope you are happy with whoever you marry in the future, Lady Nancy,” Timothy said with a soft smile filled with apology. Jonathan watched, unbelieving, as his sister offered one back to him, though it was laced with sadness.

  “I believe it’s time for me to take my leave,” Timothy said by way of farewell. He gave everyone in the room one last look, lingering on Jonathan who couldn’t help but glare. Timothy didn’t react to it, at least not outwardly. He only gave him a nod of goodbye and made his way out of the parlor.

  “Are we simply going to allow him to leave?” Jonathan demanded. “Father? What of our plans to merge the company? Did you forget all about that?”

  “I only want my daughter to be happy.”

  Jonathan staggered backwards at the words. The fight had gone out the lord’s voice. “She wishes to marry someone else, then she shall.”

  “Thank you, Father,” Lady Nancy said, squeezing his hand. “Jonathan, I hope you will come to terms with this as well. And I do hope you can make up with Timothy one day.”

  Jonathan didn’t bother responding to that. He only made his way back to his seat, picking up Timothy’s untouched drink on the way there. That was it, he knew. He lost. The betrothal was severed and his friendship with the Duke had ended. His plans to control a monopoly in the wool industry was now torn to pieces and he had nothing but his wistful aspirations to cling to. One by one, they filtered out of the room, leaving Jonathan to stew in his anger.

  Chapter 35

  Matilda hadn’t seen her mother since that day. She had been locked away in her bedchamber, one separate from her father’s chamber, who had stated clearly that he couldn’t bear to share his bed with her any longer. A few times, the urge to seek her out grew tempting, but Matilda busied herself with other matters to keep from acting on it.

  Elizabeth’s suitors stopped calling as word spread throughout London. Soon enough, everyone now knew that Matilda was not the lady who bore an illegitimate child for an unknown man but that it was really Elizabeth who had the child for the Duke of Dunstead. Elizabeth hadn’t said much about the fact that her suitors stopped coming by and though she remained upbeat, Matilda knew it bothered her. She wished there was something she could do to help, but Matilda knew there was nothing. Now that the truth was out after all these years, Elizabeth would have no choice but to suffer a little, no matter how much Matilda wished she could take that suffering away.

  “Do you think he will come today?” Elizabeth asked her. She was sitting in the spot their mother would sit in nearly every day since she drew into herself, doing needlework. Matilda wasn’t very good at needlework, nor did she particularly like it, but she joined Elizabeth, wanting her company.

  “I’d hope so. Or else, he’ll have me to answer to.”

  Elizabeth shot her a glance. “Does he know of your terrifying anger?”

  Matilda frowned at her. “What’s so terrifying about my anger? I think I do a splendid job of holding it in.”

  “That’s what’s terrifying,” Elizabeth said. “Anyone looking at you will be able to see it simmering right below the surface. If he does know of your anger then I have no doubt he won’t waste another day stopping by the manor, lest you unleash it on him.”

  “You make me sound like a monster.”

  “Why do you think I always try not to get on your bad side, Matilda?”

  Matilda huffed a laugh. It had been a few days since everything came to light following Timothy’s visit to the Roburg Manor, which meant a few days since he proposed to her in the gardens. Matilda hadn’t hesitated to tell Elizabeth about it the moment day broke and they had both been waiting eagerly for him to return since. He would have to ask her father for her hand in marriage for it to be official. “He’ll come,” she said confidently. “In the meantime, tell me. How are you feeling?”

  Elizabeth didn’t ask what she meant. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Within a matter of days, I’ve become the spinster they all thought you to be but, other than the initial snub of my suitors no longer stopping by, I don’t know what I’m feeling. I suppose when I do gather the courage to leave the manor and face the whispers head on, I will know.”

  “I wish things could have been different.”

  “So do I. But I can’t forget that I do have one blessing through all this. Jackson.”

  The smile on Elizabeth’s face told Matilda that she truly believed that. “He is precious, isn’t he?”

  “The most precious little terror I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

  They both laughed. Matilda opened her mouth to say something else but the appearance of the butler distracted her. “Miss?” he said, directing his gaze to Matilda. “M’lord has called you into his study.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile and looked excitedly at Elizabeth. “You don’t think that means he’s here, do you?”

  “You won’t know until you see what it’s about, will you?”

  Matilda was already on her feet by the time she finished that question. She left her needlework next to Elizabeth and tried not to hurry too much as she made her way to the study.

  Matilda knocked once. “Father?”

  “Come in.”

  She slipped into the room and a wave of disappointment washed over her when she noted that Timothy wasn’t here. “You wanted to speak to me?”

  “Have a seat.”

  Her father’s voice was serious and it wiped all thought of Timothy out her mind. Matilda sank into the chair opposite her father with a frowned. “Is something the matter?”

  Her father said nothing at first. He only stared into his glass as he swirled the brown liquor within it. Then he murmured, “What is wrong?”

  “Is this about Mother?”

  At the mention of Lady Roburg, the Viscount put his glass down a little too heavily. “No,” he said, releasing a loud breath. “This isn’t about my wife. This is about Elizabeth. She is now unmarriageable.”

  “That is so,” she said sadly. She watched her father, noticed the way he fidgeted only a little. It put her on edge. “What is it you truly want to say Father?”

  “She should marry the Duke of Dunstead.”

  Matilda couldn’t believe what she just heard. “What?”

  “It is out in the open now. The reason we had let him go is because we didn’t want the public to know of her pregnancy. There’s no need to allow him to get away with what he’d done now.”

  “But… but…” Matilda tried and failed to think of a good reason why that shouldn’t happen. She loathed to think of her wonderful, beautiful sister shackled to that rake, but, like before, she knew there was little that could be done about it. Elizabeth would live a much better life as his wife and Jackson as the heir to the dukedom than on their own.

  “What do you think?” the Viscount leaned closer, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He too didn’t like the idea of having his daughter marry such a man, Matilda knew. She could tell it bothered him that he had to do this.

  Nonetheless, she nodded. “I don’t like the idea any more than you do. But we have to do what’s in Elizabeth’s best interest, don’t we?”

  “That we do.” He sighed heavily. “I will meet with the Duke tomorrow. I’m sure he’s expecting it.”

  “You should tell her before you do,” Matilda suggested and her father nodded. He called for the butler and told him to fetch Elizabeth.

  They waited in silence for her to arrive. Matilda was tempted to mention that Timothy would be stopping b
y the manor soon, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. A tiny, annoying part of her half wondered if this was too good to be true.

  Thankfully, Elizabeth arrived before that thought could grow louder. She took one look at her sister’s and father’s face and sighed herself. “I don’t think I’m going to like whatever it is you plan on telling me.”

  “Elizabeth, we think it’s in your best interest that you marry the Duke of Dunstead.”

  Elizabeth went still. Matilda watched her, waiting for her to reveal her true reaction. Finally, her sister nodded and said, “That is a wise decision, Father.”

  “Are you not disturbed by it?” Matilda asked.