“I’ve upset her,” Jasper murmured. “For that, I am sorry.”
“Yes, well.” Lord Kirby inhaled, deeply, letting all the air out in his lungs as he tried to figure out what to say. “These things happen,” he said sadly.
“I suppose—yes,” Jasper agreed. He wanted to make sure that Lord Kirby was not, in fact, going to duel him on Lady Leah’s behalf, but didn’t feel that he had the right to do so.
“I think you should return in a few days, Your Grace,” Lord Kirby suggested. “Once my daughter has had the time to calm down. I’m sure the two of you will be able to settle things accordingly between yourselves, then.”
Jasper nodded. “Yes—yes, of course,” he said. “You’re right, My Lord.”
“Come, Your Grace,” Lord Kirby said, with a small smile. “I’ll walk you out.”
Jasper was about a step or two behind Lord Kirby as he ushered him out of Kirby Hall.
“We all have little hiccups in married life,” he said, looking at Jasper pointedly. Jasper had the feeling that he was about to be strong armed into keeping his word.
“For what it’s worth, Lord Kirby,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sure you are, Your Grace,” Lord Kirby said. “Don’t worry. Everything always shakes out in the end.”
Jasper had the feeling that Lord Kirby thought he was apologizing for something else, and not what he was—breaking the engagement. He mounted his horse, then rode home.
Selina had returned to her room, where she’d let herself have a good cry. Her brother had never treated her in such a shameful manner before. His words and his disdain stung. Finally, when she’d let all of her feelings out, she sat in a chair by the fireplace.
It was too warm a day for a fire, so she stared into its depths, wondering how she was going to convince her brother to change his mind. After all, her father valued Thomas’s opinion highly.
“My Lady,” Faith said, coming in. “The whole house is in an uproar!” She closed the door after her, turning the key in the lock.
“What is it?” Selina asked, knowing that Faith was coming up from the kitchen, where she took her meals with the rest of Kirby Hall’s household staff. Selina wiped at her damp cheeks, sniffing.
“Lady Leah’s found out about the Duke’s letters!” Faith said, in a very loud whisper. “The whole of the downstairs is talking over their evening meal!”
Selina felt a wave of panic wash through her—icy, cold. She ran to her writing desk. When she saw the state of the letters, she paled. They were torn to pieces, placed back inside of the drawer for Selina to discover. It was a clear message.
“Oh,” she said horrified. “Oh, dear.” She clutched the ruins of Jasper’s dear, lovely letters in her hands. Leah had been there, and in her rage, had destroyed them.
She sank down into the chair. She looked at Faith, who was equally shocked. Her hand covered her mouth. “My Lady,” she gasped. “Your poor letters.”
“She’s left all of mother’s letters untouched,” Selina said, stating the obvious. Her mind was a whirl of worry.
“Well, I suppose the cat’s out of the bag, My Lady.”
“There’s an understatement,” Selina mused. “I suppose I should go and tell Thomas. He’ll want to leave.”
“I’ll start packing,” Faith said, stoutly.
“Thank you, Faith.” Selina walked toward the door, to find both Thomas and Uncle Latimer, standing in the hallway.
“Oh,” she said. “I was just coming to find you.”
“We must be on our way,” Thomas insisted. “My sister and I shouldn’t be here.”
“No one is going anywhere,” Uncle Latimer stated firmly. “Leah’s beside herself, and she’s blaming it all on Selina.”
Jasper went straight home, where he found Reuben sitting in the parlor with a decanter of brandy.
“How did it go?” Reuben asked, smiling hopefully.
“Not at all how I expected,” he replied, getting himself a glass and joining his brother.
“Good or bad?” his brother wondered.
“Bad. Very, very bad.”
“Tell me all about it,” Reuben said, pouring Jasper a few fingers. Jasper took a large sip of his brandy.
“She’s found out that I’ve been meeting Selina,” he said, watching his brother’s eyes widen.
“How?”
“Someone on the staff tipped her off,” he replied. “Then, she somehow found letters that I’d sent to Selina.” He took another large sip. “She says that she’s going to have her father challenge me to a duel if I don’t keep my word and marry her.”
“Christ, what a mess,” Reuben said, grimacing. “What are you going to do?”
“Give her a few days to calm down, then try and talk to her rationally and reasonably. What else can I do?” He shrugged helplessly. The very worst thing that could happen was that he had to face Lord Kirby in a duel.
Reuben sat, tapping his glass with his fingernail as he thought. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know.”
Selina’s stomach somersaulted at her uncle’s words. She wanted to be gone from there.
“No one is moving from this house until we’ve figured things out,” Uncle Latimer stated firmly.
“You cannot keep us here,” Thomas replied. “I insist that we be on our way.”
“And I insist that we’re going to solve things in a dignified manner. No one is running off until the matter of my daughter’s engagement is settled. She’s demanding that I duel the Duke of Gillingham, and before I risk my life, as well as the life of another gentleman, I want to know the truth of the matter. The both of you will remain here until things have been settled.”
Selina didn’t like how that sounded either. The mention of a duel sent her into an even deeper panic. Her uncle looked them both in the eye, sternly. Selina nodded.
“It seems that there’s been infidelity and secret letters,” he said, looking at Selina with a measure of surprise and concern. “Leah’s accusing that you snuck out to meet with the Duke? That you were exchanging love letters with him? What Devil possessed you to do something like that?”
She swallowed, bowing her head in shame. She sighed, then looked her uncle in the eye. She would not be ashamed of her own actions. The least she could do was to have some backbone and own up to her part in the matter.
“I followed my heart, Uncle. There’s no shame in that. I’ll admit, it wasn’t the best way to go about it, but if you’re not going to let him out of an engagement that his heart isn’t into, then why are you forcing him into a marriage where he does not love?”
“That is a matter, which I myself need to consider, at the moment, Selina,” Uncle Latimer replied sternly. “Until such a time as I have a moment’s peace to think, you are not to stir from this house.” He looked pointedly at Thomas. “The both of you. Don’t make me pull rank on you, Thomas.” The look that he shot her brother could have turned fire to ice.
Uncle Latimer stormed off in the direction of his study. Thomas and Selina looked at each other. Her brother closed his eyes, sighing heavily. He shook his head, and then he left, too.
Selina returned to her room, where Faith was already packing. “Just put it all back, Faith. It appears that we’re to stay.”
Leah was lying on her bed, still fully dressed. Her hair was a complete wreck, and she’d been crying for so long and so hard that she’d given herself a headache. Her mother placed a cool washcloth on her head.
“There, there,” she said soothingly. “Just let it all out, and Papa will solve everything, my love.”
“I can’t believe he’ll have to duel the Duke,” Leah moaned.
“No, no, Love—your father will solve everything peaceably,” her mother said. “There will be no dueling.”
“But then how will he get the Duke to do as we want?” Leah sobbed. “I’m supposed to be Duchess. It has to be me, Mamma.”
“It will be, sweetling,” her mother said, beaming at Leah, a
s she caressed her hair—just like she had when Leah was a little girl. Leah smiled at her mother. She fully believed that her parents would solve everything. She closed her eyes, letting her mother gently bathe her tear-stained face with the cool, damp cloth.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” her mother called out before Leah could tell her not to.
Leah opened one eye to see who had come, hoping that it was Wickes announcing the Duke’s arrival, to apologize and reschedule the wedding. Leah was disappointed to see Selina. She glared at her cousin.
“Make her go away, Mother.”
“Selina—”
“I just wanted to apologize,” Selina blurted out.
“Absolutely not,” Leah stated.
“Leah,” Selina said.
“Out,” Leah roared, sitting up. “You’ve ruined everything.” She turned to her mother. “Why is she even still here? Why hasn’t Papa thrown them out of Kirby Hall?”
“The very last thing that I wanted to do was to hurt you,” Selina insisted.
“Well, you have,” Leah replied coldly. “And now, I demand that you leave. You can apologize all that you want, but I will never forgive you. You’re dead to me. When the Duke returns to make good on his word and to apologize, I want you gone, vile seductress.”
Leah watched the hurt that filled Selina’s eyes with a cold pleasure. Selina nodded, then turned and went out. Leah breathed a sigh of relief, settling herself back down onto the pillows.
“You could be gentler, my love,” her mother said.
“No. Not with her.”
Leah was to be Duchess. Selina was not about to take that from her. If she had to fight for it, then so be it. Leah was made of sterner stuff than anyone had realized. She lay back on the bed.
“Please, Mamma,” she said. “I can’t have swollen eyes when the Duke comes back.” Leah didn’t think that he would be there that night. She needed to change the subject, though.
Jasper and Reuben were still sitting and drinking together when Stephen arrived from Sandbourne.
“Hello, old friends,” Stephen said, entering after Sotheby announced his arrival.
“Have you come to stay, then?” Reuben asked.
“Yes. Sandbourne has been let by a retired captain,” Stephen replied. “He and his wife will take over residence when they arrive, and I will be here, out of their way.”
“Capital,” Jasper said, standing to grab him a glass. “Come sit.”
“So, Stephen,” Reuben said. “What exactly are you planning on doing, now that you’re no longer tied down to your county seat?’
“Once I have income, I’m headed for Italy and Greece,” he said wistfully. He still had that air of exhaustion about him, but it was lessened.
“Jasper has quite the tale to tell,” Reuben said, shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair.
Stephen blinked, sitting down as Jasper placed a glass in front of him, then Reuben filled it.
“Lady Leah found out about Selina and myself,” Jasper said.
“Oh, no,” Stephen said.
“Oh, yes,” Jasper replied, raising his eyebrows. “She’s threatening to have Lord Kirby duel me if I do not continue the engagement.”
Stephen’s eyes widened. “Good Lord. Never a dull moment around here these days.” He placed the glass to his lips and took a long sip.
“That’s the truth,” Reuben said, still tapping his glass with the fingernail of his index finger.
“What are you going to do?” Stephen asked.
“That’s what we were trying to figure out,” Jasper said. “I can’t think of a blessed thing, except how much I need to see Selina.”
“Then let’s make it so,” Stephen announced, decisively. For the first time in what felt like an age, Jasper felt like the usual Stephen was returned. “There has to be some way to get the two of you together.” Stephen glanced at Reuben, nodding emphatically.
“Perhaps,” Reuben allowed. “Although it will be difficult, now that everyone knows.”
“If anyone can make it happen, it’s the three of us,” Stephen said. Jasper smiled at his friend and his brother. He was right, of course.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Selina stayed in her room, where she was brought dinner. From what news Faith brought her, it sounded as though Leah remained in her rooms, as well.
After Selina’s botched apology, it was clear that it was for the best that the two cousins remained apart.
Selina sliced her meat while sitting at the writing table. Her poor dear letters were utterly destroyed; they remained in a pile by the side of her plate. She couldn’t bring herself to put them on the fire.
“My Lady?” Faith asked.
“Yes, Faith?” Selina glanced at her maid, who was seated in an armchair, her book in her lap.
“What do you think will happen now?”
“It sounds, to me, at least, that Leah’s not letting go without a fight. I don’t think that Uncle Latimer will accept a duel on Leah’s behalf…” Her stomach roiled nervously. “But I also don’t know that he won’t.”
She didn’t want things to come to that—not with death. But she knew that Jasper wouldn’t give her up. He loved her.
“I’m frightened, My Lady,” Faith admitted.
“As am I.”
Setting down her knife and fork, she sighed. She pushed her dish away. “I don’t know if I can eat.”
“You must keep up your strength, My Lady. And you must keep your hope.”
She looked over at dear Faith, who was looking at her, smiling in earnest.
“Everything will turn out right,” Faith said, gently. “I’m sure of it.”
Selina smiled, holding out her hand. Faith stood and stepped forward, taking her hand. Selina pressed her fingers gently. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Faith.”
“You’d have no decent clothes left, My Lady,” she replied teasingly.
“You sly thing!” Selina said, laughing despite herself. Faith beamed at her. Selina turned back to her plate, spearing asparagus with her fork.
Despite being cooked in butter and fresh rosemary, it tasted of ashes. She speared another. She would make it through dinner, as well as whatever the next few days demanded of her.
She was resolute—she would prevail. She would do whatever was necessary so that she ended up with the gentleman that she loved. She would.
Leah had spent the night, sleeping fitfully. She kept waking, still full of anger. In the darkness, she promised herself, that all would be solved. She would be the Duchess. The next morning, she was taking her tea in her room, alone, when she received a letter.
“This has arrived for you, My Lady,” Mr. Wickes said, delivering it right to her hand.
“Who’s it from?” she wondered, looking at the unfamiliar wax seal, the unknown hand.
“It was delivered by a courier,” he replied. “I know not, My Lady.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wickes,” she said.
She broke the seal, which was made with green wax—it was of two intertwined snakes. She knew of no one with handwriting such as this—it was so fine, with exquisite flourishes. The ink was dark, very expensive. The paper was fine—very thick. It had to have come from a gentleman.
My Lady Leah,
I have heard all about your current predicament. I have heard the Duke of Gillingham speak of his plans, which are to end his engagement to you in favor of the Lady Selina. I feel that you have been wronged. I would like to offer you my assistance.
If you can, slip out this evening, and meet me in the garden of Kirby Hall at eleven of the clock. Tell no one. You have my word that no harm will come to you.
Warmest Regards,
A Gentleman
Leah folded the letter again. She placed it on her lap, then covered it with her skirt. She needed to consider how best to proceed. There was a great risk involved in this. It might be the evil individual who had killed Lady Langley.
>
Then again, it might be someone else. Someone was willing to fight for Leah. She needed someone strong on her side.
Selina breakfasted in her room the next morning, as well. She sipped from a cup of tea, chewing the fresh pastry that had been brought to her. It was of flaky crust with strawberry jam.
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