by Fanny Walsh
As she expected, she still did not spot him, and she sighed. No matter how much she did, indeed, wish to see Duncan again, she knew that she would have nothing to offer him that would satisfy him in the way of an explanation for her letter. She also knew that it was not safe for Duncan to be seen mingling with her.
That he was in danger because of her weighed heavily on her heart, and she sighed again.
She tried to lift her spirits by focusing on the conversation between her friends. She noticed that Mr. Langdon was hanging on Beatrice’s every word, and that his face positively beamed whenever Beatrice laughed.
As she watched the two interact, she became increasingly more suspicious that the investigator was very much in love with her friend. Beatrice, unfortunately, seemed blissfully unaware of that fact, even after he convinced Beatrice to dance with him three separate times. He had asked Mary to dance, which Mary believed was simply out of polite courtesy.
She, of course, politely declined, hiding a smile. Mary made a mental note to mention Mr. Langdon’s attentions to Beatrice when the ball ended.
As the dance neared its end, Mr. Langdon rose to take his leave. The two women stood to see him off. Mary, at last giving up on seeing Duncan that evening, was prepared to leave, as well. However, she knew her friend was enjoying herself, and Beatrice deserved to have a marvelous time.
After bidding the women good night and once again kissing Beatrice’s hand, the investigator departed. Beatrice took Mary’s hand and led her to a small group of women standing just inside the door to the balcony.
Beatrice began introducing them to her, but just then, everyone’s attention was drawn to a small commotion by the entrance to the ballroom. Mary looked up to see Duncan enter.
Her heart stopped. Fresh panic flushed her, and she glanced around for a way out. However, she found that her feet were rooted to the floor, and she let out a barely audible gush of breath.
Duncan had arrived scandalously late, and he appeared quite focused. His face was serious, and he offered little more than a curt nod to anyone who addressed him. His intense gaze swept the crowd, and even before their eyes met, Mary felt sure he was searching for her.
As soon as his eyes fell on her, he stormed through the thinning groups of people, silencing the conversations of all those in his path. Mary managed to resist the urge to flee. She knew he would only pursue her, which would really make a scene.
“May I have a word with you, my lady?” Duncan asked, bowing formally.
“I do not wish to dance,” Mary said.
“That is fine,” he said. “I would simply like a word.”
Beatrice looked inquisitively at Mary. Mary looked at Duncan for a moment, then looked again to her friend and nodded slightly. Beatrice smiled kindly and continued her conversation with the other women. Mary turned and walked back out onto the balcony, reclaiming her seat on the bench.
“Would you care for a drink?” Duncan asked. Mary nodded. Duncan vanished and returned seconds later with two glasses of champagne. Then, he took a seat beside Mary.
They sat in silence for some time, watching the crowds as they slowly continued to thin. Mary noticed that there were still several pairs of eyes looking right at them, and it made her apprehensive.
“How have you been?” Mary finally asked weakly. The silence was becoming unbearable, and she was desperate to break it.
“I know what it is that you are doing,” Duncan said.
Mary looked at him. She did not need to ask what it was he meant.
“It is for the best,” she said. She could not make herself lie to him and say she had wanted to break their engagement. Nor could she risk telling him how desperately she had not wanted to do so.
“Mary, it will not work. I will not be driven away so easily,” he said. He took one of her hands in his. “I promised you that I would protect you, and that is exactly what I will do.”
“You cannot do it if I do not allow it,” she said, struggling to keep the emotion out of her voice.
Duncan leaped to his feet, and Mary saw a few heads turn in their direction. Duncan seemed to notice, as well, because he slowly clasped his hands behind his back and began to casually saunter to the edge of the balcony, as if admiring the scenery in the moonlight.
As soon as the unwanted attention dissipated, however, he turned back to face Mary.
“Would you do me the honor of taking a stroll through the garden?” Duncan asked.
Mary opened her mouth to immediately refuse, but she saw the pleading insistence in his eyes. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw Beatrice watching her with mild concern.
When her eyes met Mary’s, Beatrice quickly excused herself from the group of women with whom she had been conversing and rushed out onto the balcony to join Mary and Duncan.
“Is everything alright?” Beatrice asked, looking between Duncan and Mary.
“Yes, Bea,” Mary said. “Duncan has just invited me to walk with him in the garden.”
Beatrice’s eyes lit up with immediate understanding.
“Oh, that does sound lovely. I believe I will join you,” she said.
Mary looked at her friend gratefully. Duncan nodded, giving Beatrice a small smile. He offered Mary his arm, and the three of them exited the ballroom area and stepped out into the lush, blooming garden.
They walked along for a few moments in silence. Mary’s heart felt as though it were trying to beat right out of her chest, but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm and determined.
She knew that no matter what Duncan had to say, she could not let herself be convinced to agree to marry him.
As the trio passed a large section of beautiful red roses, Duncan slowed his pace, gently tugging on Mary’s arm. Beatrice took the cue at once and moved ahead several more paces. She stood admiring a particularly vibrant bunch of the roses, out of earshot but positioned well enough that she could plainly see Duncan and Mary.
Seeming satisfied, Duncan nodded. Then, he gently turned Mary to face him.
“Mary, you must tell me why you broke our engagement so suddenly,” Duncan pressed.
Mary shook her head, trying to stifle the tears she felt prickling her eyes.
“I simply changed my mind. It is my decision, after all,” she said, grateful that her voice sounded stronger than she felt at that moment.
Duncan let out an exasperated sigh.
“I do not for a moment believe that,” he said.
Mary stood firm, but her gaze faltered.
“Well, you must,” Mary said. Duncan must have noticed her wavering eye contact, because he leaned to the side, trying to regain it. Mary would not oblige.
“I cannot,” Duncan said. “I do not understand.” Mary could not help but notice the pleading in his voice. Despite her fierce desire to keep Duncan from being harmed, she could feel her determination and certainty crumbling.
“I am not telling you to understand it. I am telling you to believe it,” Mary said, discouraged at the increasing trembling in her own voice.
“If you are expecting me to believe that this is what you want, I can plainly see that it is not,” Duncan insisted.
“And who are you to presume to know what it is that I want?” Mary asked, trying and failing to sound tough and angry.
“I presume nothing, Mary,” Duncan said. “I can see it in your eyes.”
At last, Mary looked up at Duncan once more, prepared to give him the harshest lashing she could muster in the hopes of finally forcing Duncan to give up his pursuit.
However, when her eyes met his, the tears that had lingered just beneath her eyelashes began to spill. She began to sob.
“It’s… it’s…” Mary began, dropping her head once more.
Duncan touched her chin again.
“Please, darling. Look at me and tell me what is wrong,” Duncan said gently.
Mary sniffled. She caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye and glanced in Beatrice’s direction.
&
nbsp; Apparently, her friend had heard her sobs and had begun creeping back toward the couple. Mary forced a smile and waved to her friend to let her know that she was fine.
Beatrice looked unconvinced for a moment, then returned to her place in front of the flowers she had been pretending to examine.
“I received a letter,” Mary blurted. She covered her face, angry with herself for doing exactly what she swore she would not and telling Duncan about the letter.
“What letter?” Duncan asked.
“Someone… someone wrote me a letter saying that, if I did not break off our engagement, that they would… they would…” Mary trailed off, choking back more sobs.
Duncan took her hand and patted it gently. His face was kind, but Mary saw understanding beginning to dawn in his eyes.
“It is alright,” he said encouragingly. “I am right here. You can tell me anything.”
Mary’s tears continued to fall, but she nodded and steeled herself. Now that she had begun speaking, Duncan deserved to know everything.
“They said that they would kill you,” she finished. Saying the words aloud brought about another wave of fear, and she succumbed fully to her tears.
Duncan kept her hand in both of his. At that moment, Mary wished that she could collapse into his arms and let his warm embrace soothe her. She knew, however, that, propriety aside, Duncan’s life might well be forfeit if the wrong person saw such a display.
With that thought in the front of her mind, she withdrew her hand from Duncan’s.
“I should not even be here with you,” Mary said. Suddenly, Mary felt as though there were a hundred eyes on the two of them, even though she knew that it was only her fear making her believe that.
“Mary, darling, do not be afraid,” Duncan said.
“How can I not be afraid?” Mary asked. “Your life has been threatened because of me, and I cannot allow—”
“You cannot allow me to decide for myself if marrying you is worth the risk?” Duncan asked. Mary detected a bit of humor in his voice, and she could not help but look back up at him once again.
“Duncan, please, this is serious,” she said, her sobs giving way to frustration and, to her surprise, hope.
“Of course, it is serious, darling,” Duncan said. “And I fully intend to treat it as such. But I know that we can get to the bottom of this and stop the culprit before it ever comes to me being in serious peril.”
“And what makes you so certain?” Mary asked. She meant the question to be stern, but the hope that Duncan was right continued to bloom in her chest.
“Because, I believe I know who the would-be killer is, and why they have targeted you.”
Mary stared at Duncan, her mouth falling open. Her heart began to race.
“Who?” she whispered breathlessly.
“My cousin, Theodore,” Duncan said, rage simmering in his eyes.
Mary was stunned. She knew that Theodore was a gambler and a drunk, but could he be a murderer, too? She remembered rejecting his proposal, and her heart sank. If it was true, and he was the culprit, it would devastate Duncan.
“What will you do?” Mary asked when she could at last speak again.
“I plan to confront him tomorrow night,” Duncan said.
“You must be careful,” Mary said, fear creeping into her mind. “If it is him, it is quite clear that he does not care who he hurts in the process of trying to get to me.”
Duncan gently touched her face, not seeming to care who was watching. Mary wanted to flinch from his touch, in case Theodore was guilty and he was among those watching them. However, she did not.
“I promise you, Mary, I will deal with this situation. Everything will be fine. And then, I will make you my wife.”
***
The next morning, Mary woke early, yet she felt more completely rested than she had in months. She smiled at the memory of the previous night’s events.
Even though she still felt some trepidation about Duncan’s wellbeing if he should marry her, she could not cease hoping that it would come to pass.
Then, she thought about what Duncan had said. If he had indeed identified the killer, she would be thrilled to marry him. However, she did not want to have to limp down the aisle toward him with her cane or, heaven forbid, someone helping her walk.
At that moment, she decided to not hesitate a moment longer. She made her decision about having the procedure on her leg. She waited until the sun had started to peek over the horizon and the first sunrise rays started filtering into her bedroom. Then, she called for Susan.
“Have the staff prepare the carriage for us,” she said, opening her wardrobe to begin deciding what to wear. “Then, return to me to help me dress.”
“Yes, milady,” Susan said. She left the room, and Mary tidied her hair as she waited.
Soon, she and Susan were off. Mary’s stomach was fluttering. Just a few short hours ago, she would never have believed that marrying Duncan would ever be possible. Now, not only was she going to marry him, she was going to fix her leg permanently.
“Forgive me, milady, but this is a rather sudden trip. And quite early,” Susan said as Mary was lost in thought.
“I know, and I apologize for getting you out so early,” Mary said apologetically. “I just want to see to this matter as soon as possible.”
“Not at all, milady,” Susan said, smiling reassuringly. “I just wanted to ensure that all is well.”
“Yes, Susan, everything is fine,” Mary said beaming. “In fact, I think things will be fine from now on.”
Susan looked at Mary, curious, but Mary’s joy seemed to reassure her. She did not ask any more questions.
As the carriage arrived at Duncan’s clinic, understanding registered on Susan’s face. She smiled at Mary as she helped her from the carriage.
For a moment, Mary feared that it was yet too early for Duncan to be there, and that the doors to his office might be locked. Her fears were unfounded, however. The door to the entrance hall swung open soundlessly, and the two women entered.
Mary started to call out to Duncan, but she thought she heard muffled voices coming from down the hall. Mary hesitated, not wanting to interrupt Duncan if he had company. She motioned for Susan to wait at the end of the hallway and then walked silently down the hall.
As Mary got closer, she realized that the voices were coming from Duncan’s office. One was Duncan’s, but the other one she could not identify. Mary froze, thinking that perhaps Duncan had decided to confront Theodore tonight instead.
Perhaps Theodore came to Duncan for more aid and Duncan had used the opportunity to handle the situation at once. Then, she noticed that the voice was deeper and more authoritative than she remembered Theodore’s being.
She had almost reached the office door. She began to feel guilty for eavesdropping, so she raised her hand and prepared to knock to announce her presence. When she heard the subject of the conversation, however, she froze again, stunned.
“Father, that was not the agreement,” Duncan said, his teeth clenched.
“Well, I have taken the liberty of changing the agreement,” Duncan’s father said.
“You gave me six months to find a wife, and I have found one. But I cannot marry her until we get certain matters settled and moving up the deadline will make that impossible.” Duncan’s voice was rising.
“Then I suggest you choose a different bride,” the older man said matter-of-factly.
“I cannot do that in such little time,” Duncan said.
He continued speaking, but Mary had begun backing away from the door. Her eyes stung with tears, and she could not believe what she had just heard.
Duncan was only so persistent in seeking her hand in marriage to satisfy some twisted deal he made with his father.
Betrayal settled over her, suffocating her and making it difficult to breathe. Duncan had never cared about her. He had only been using her.
The room began spinning, and Mary feared that she would faint a
nd alert the men to her presence. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she stumbled away from the office door and back toward the exit.
Chapter 26
After the ball, Duncan sat in his study, mulling over what Mary had said to him.
He still had every intention of confronting Theodore with the evidence that Mr. Langdon had presented to them regarding the knife, but he could not fully convince himself that his cousin would be so bold, or so foolish, as to enter Mary’s home and leave a letter threatening Duncan.
