So she said, “I can’t be here right now.”
Chapter 35
Rowland was following behind her. He said nothing as they made their way to the drawing room and Hannah was grateful for it. Every step she took away from the dining room filled her with such fury that she wanted to be behind closed doors before she unleashed it.
The drawing room might not have been the best place to go but she didn’t know how much longer she could hold it in. She went straight to the other end of the room, pacing as if that would be able to contain the rage within her, while Rowland closed the door behind her. He didn’t say anything, only waited.
This was the first time in days they’d been alone together. Hannah had hoped that when she could finally face him again, she would be able to smile and laugh and hug him the way she had before. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen but, then again, none of this was supposed to happen.
They were supposed to spend the rest of the week happily in love, before they finally tied the knot. They were supposed to butt heads the way other married couples butt heads, with love underlying everything they said and did. She was supposed to bear him a child, an heir, and then more children until they had a full and happy home.
She wasn’t supposed to marching up to him in angry strides, ready to unleash all the pent up feeling she had. She wasn’t supposed to scream and shout at him as if he was the reason for all of this happening. She wasn’t supposed to be doubting him and herself, doubting their love.
“I cannot believe this!” she hissed. She wouldn’t shout. She refused to let Miss Peggy take that part of her as well. “I cannot believe she would say such things in front of me.”
“Hannah, calm down,” Rowland started, but his words only flared her up even more.
There were things she knew she wanted to say now, now that she was finally allowing herself to feel again. “Rowland, tell me the truth. Is she lying?”
Rowland actually looked shocked by her question. “Yes, Hannah, of course she is!”
“Then why do I find it so hard to believe you? If she’s really lying, how could she cry so easily and beg for you with no shame?”
Rowland fell quiet. That only made her angrier. She stalked away from him. “The wedding is only two days from now and now she’s begging for Father to end it. Did you see his face, Rowland? He nearly considered it. He was so moved by Miss Peggy that I have no doubt he believes her over you. We all do!”
“Surely…surely you don’t, Hannah.” Rowland stepped closer. “I know I don’t have much to back up my claim. And though it’s my word against hers, she also has that letter that makes it seem as if I’m lying. But I promise you, Hannah, I’m not. I’m really not.”
“Prove it then.” She crossed her arms and waited. “Prove to me that you are telling the truth.”
“Hannah, if I knew how to do that then we wouldn’t still be in this situation. The only thing I can do is hope that you take my word for it.”
“Even if I do that, Rowland, what about her? What will happen if we do get married?”
He ventured a step closer. “That isn’t our concern, Hannah. She will go back to the colony where she belongs and she will marry the Lord Governor, if he takes her.” Another step. “And I will stay here, Hannah. With you. With the love of my life.” Another step. “I won’t leave you, no matter how much you try to chase me away.”
Now, he was standing right before her and she felt her anger slipping. That emptiness she had been feeling for the past few days was slowly bleeding back into existence.
“I love you, Hannah,” he murmured down to her. “With everything I have in me.”
She knew he was waiting for her to say it back. Even when she was at odds with herself, with him, she never failed to tell him that she loved him. But though her heart screamed the words, they never passed her lips.
Instead, she said the words she never thought she’d ever say. “Perhaps we should not have this wedding.”
The moment the words registered to Rowland was a moment Hannah didn’t think she would ever forget. It looked as if he had been hit by a lead ball and he staggered backwards, eyes searching her face in shock. She quickly wished she could take the words back but before she could, someone entered the room.
“Forgive the intrusion,” said the Duchess in a tone that didn’t sound very sorry at all. “But Hannah dear, I think you’d like to see this.”
Rowland stepped away from her. His face was unreadable. Hannah approached her mother and accept the letter she held out to her. “What is it?”
“Ever since Miss Peggy arrived, I’ve been a little wary of her. There was something about this entire ordeal that struck me as odd. So, I asked the housekeeper to pay keen attention to the things that she did.”
As if she was having an idle chat about the weather, the Duchess chose a seat and reached for one of the treats that were laid out, despite the fact that it might ruin her appetite. “For a while, I thought that my suspicions were wrong and that she truly was who she said she was. But just now, while we were having dinner, one of the servants told me that there was a letter that I needed to see. Because of the urgency of the situation, I gave them permission to interrupt me whenever necessary. It was a good thing I did.”
Her Mother pointed at the letter in Hannah’s hand. “When you left the room, Hannah, I went to see what this letter was about. I think you should read it.”
Frowning, Hannah opened up the letter. The scribbles were hasty, but after a moment she could easily make out the letters. She read through it quickly and when she was done, Hannah looked up at Rowland in surprise.
She handed it over to him and watched him as he too began to read. But when he was done, he didn’t react in any particular way. He only refolded the letter and laid it down on a table without a word.
“Now, I think you know what you have to do,” the Duchess said.
Hannah didn’t know what to think. She was stuck between what she just read and what she had seen over the past few days.
It was all a lie. She lied to us all so convincingly that I even turned against Rowland.
The guilt hit her so hard that she had to sit down. Again she read it, as if she needed to commit it to memory.
Dear Bertha,
Everything is going splendidly. I didn’t think it would be this easy to fool the Duke and his family but as the days wear on, they are slowly beginning to believe me over Mr. Albertson, no matter how many times he tells them that what I’m saying are lies.
At this rate, the wedding will truly be cancelled and I will become Mr. Albertson’s betrothed. How glad I am that he sent his letter about his business in England. Had he not sent it, I would have never known he would one day become a Duke. To think I might have made the mistake of marrying the Lord Governor when I could be a Duchess instead.
Look forward to more letters, Bertha, because when next I write, I will be planning my wedding with the next Duke of Gresham.
Sincerely,
Peggy Flynn, the soon-to-be–Duchess of Gresham
The letter was short but it told them everything they needed to know. Title and honor, that was what she was running after. Those tears, the hopeful smile, the kind way she had spoken to Hannah as if she actually felt bad for doing this, was all an act so that she could be called Duchess.
Hannah looked at Rowland. He didn’t look the least bit surprised, and why would he be? He had been trying to tell everyone how much of a liar Miss Peggy was all this time and no one believed him.
I should have believed him. If there was anyone else here that should have believed everything he said, no matter how much it didn’t look to be so, it should have been me.
The guilt threatened to consume her. Hannah wanted to apologize to him, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t know the proper words to say and she couldn’t get past the raging anger that was now directed at the one person it should have been aimed at all along—Miss Peggy.
“Would you like
to do the honors, Hannah?” the Duchess asked her.
Hannah nodded, seeing red. As she got to her feet, she pictured Miss Peggy’s face, and then imagined just as easily how good it would feel to have her kicked out of the manor.
Chapter 36
The Duchess was the one who called everyone but Lady Rosamund and Lady Violet to the drawing room. It took her some time to calm Hannah down but she finally got her daughter settled enough so that they could go about this in the proper manner.
Rowland planned to just watch.
At this point, there was nothing more he needed to say or to do. Now that clear proof had presented itself that she was a manipulative liar, they only needed to do the one thing they should have done all along—kick Miss Peggy Flynn out of the manor.
Rowland could understand that they didn’t know the truth until now, so they had no reason do such a thing. As much as it frustrated him to see that no one believed him, he knew that there wasn’t much he could do to change that. But what he couldn’t understand was how easily Hannah could suggest not having the wedding. Even now, the words didn’t make much sense to him.
That was why he sat away from everyone, watching as they all came in. Miss Peggy wore a hopeful look on her face, unaware of the fact that she was about to be called out for her terrible lie. She was probably thinking that they would announce the cancellation of the wedding. She even looked at him, not breaking character in the slightest.
Does she think that the reason I am sitting so far from them is because I’m upset?
The thought nearly made him laugh, but he could do nothing but just watch. Hannah was sitting next to her mother, who had a hand on her leg as if that was keeping her from doing something outrageous. Rowland had never seen Hannah quite this angry before. Even when she had shouted at him before the Duchess came in, it wasn’t this sort of anger.
This one had her staring at Miss Peggy as if she wanted to strangle her. It reverberated throughout her body, blaring through her eyes. Miss Peggy had the gall to look at her and Rowland was positive she had misinterpreted Hannah’s emotions.
She has no idea what’s coming to her.
The Duchess, who had decided to take over, said nothing to start off. She only handed the letter over to her husband, who read it silently. When he was done, his only reaction was a slight raise of his brows before he went to stand behind his daughter and his wife.
It was quite a sight to see the family banded together against Miss Peggy, the unsuspecting victim of their inevitable wrath.
“Miss Peggy,” the Duchess started off. “Would you like to explain this to us?”
The Duchess handed the letter to Miss Peggy, who frowned. She took the letter and read it. To Rowland’s surprise, she didn’t even look shocked or embarrassed by it. She simply looked confused.
“Your Grace, how did you get this?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter how I got it. That is your letter, is it not?”
“Yes, but…but I…”
They all waited for her to come up with an excuse. Whatever she said wouldn’t matter anyhow. They had already come to a conclusion about her.
Miss Peggy visibly tried to collect herself, clearly thrown by the confrontation. “I think there might have been a misunderstanding…”
“Oh, quite like the misunderstanding between you and Mr. Albertson, am I right?” Hannah snapped. “We have had enough of your lies and of you trying to come between us. It’s time for you to leave.”
Miss Peggy lowered her hand until the letter fell to the floor. She was shaking her head and…
Is she crying again?
“I know how this must look to all of you,” she sobbed gently. Rowland didn’t have to look at Hannah to know that she was just as disgusted as he was. “And I promise you that I can explain it all. I just…”
“You just need some time to come up with a proper excuse, don’t you?” The Duchess said, shaking her head. “We won’t allow it another time. You came into this home, took advantage of our kindness, and tried to ruin the love between my daughter and Mr. Albertson. I’m not going to let this go on for any longer.”
“We don’t care what you do when you leave here, Miss Flynn,” the Duke added. “You can go back to the colony or you can find some other Englishman to prey on. But you will not stay here any longer.”
When the Duke called in the butler, Miss Peggy launched to her feet. The mask was gone now. She was no longer pleading and crying, hoping for their sympathy. The real lady shone through now that her layers had been peeled back.
“He said he would marry me!” she screeched. “Does it matter that I was supposed to marry someone else? He was in love with me first! All of this should be mine.”
“Ah, there she is,” Hannah sneered. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Flynn.”
“You think you’re so great now that you’ve gotten the chance to keep your title and your land and everything else you own, don’t you?” Miss Peggy sneered at her. “Are you happy now that you don’t have to go find yourself a lowly lord with barely any land or wealth?”
“Enough!” the Duke shouted, making Miss Peggy jump. “I will not tolerate this disrespect any longer. Leave immediately!”
“No!” More servants were piling in, there to drag her out by force if they needed to. Rowland had a sneaking suspicion that it might come to that. “No, this is all supposed to be mine!”
“Take her out of here,” ordered the Duchess.
The butler took her by the arm and she wrenched away from him so violently that Rowland thought she might have jerked her arm out of its socket.
“I can walk on my own,” she hissed to him. But the servants stood around nonetheless, waiting just in case she did something stupid. Rowland himself was on edge, not completely believing she would leave like that. But soon enough, she was gone and the door was closed behind them.
“I’m happy that is over,” said the Duke finally. “She should be out of here within the hour. Are you all right, Hannah?”
“Yes, Father,” Hannah said softly. She didn’t go any further. Rowland knew that anything else she wanted to say, she was going to say to him.
It seemed the Duchess knew that since she said, “Why don’t we make sure she isn’t pocketing our silverware, dear?” She rose and took the Duke’s hand, guiding him to the door to leave Rowland and Hannah alone.
Rowland waited for Hannah to speak first. He watched her as she got to her feet and made her way over to him. Then she sank into the chair next to him, not touching him though he knew she wanted to.
“I have no words,” she murmured. “I…I’m so sorry, Rowland.”
“Did you mean it?” he asked her because that was all he wanted to know in this moment. He could forget everything if he got the right answer. “When you said we shouldn’t have the wedding, did you mean it?”
“I did,” she said honestly, gazing into his eyes. Rowland stared back, letting her see how much he was hurt all over again. “For a second, I truly thought that would be the best course of action. I thought that if we went ahead with it, it would only end up making this situation worse, which would only hurt us both. But then, I realized almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, that wasn’t what I wanted. Even though we were fighting with each other, I was relieved and happy to be in your presence and knew that I could never allow the wedding to be cancelled.”
“And when I saw how badly my words affected you, I hated myself for saying it.” She took his hands in hers. “I love you, Rowland. And though I haven’t been showing it much these past few days, I want you to know that I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m sorry, so terribly sorry, for how I treated you when you were being faced with such a degrading accusation. I should have stayed by your side. But instead, I kept running away.”
Rowland didn’t need to hear all that. He loved it, and he let it nourish the love he had for her in his heart, but her apology was unnecessary. He leaned closer, wipi
ng away the tear that had escaped.
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Hannah,” he said softly. “You’ve been through so much these past few days, things that no lady should ever have to endure. I’m sorry I brought her into your life in the first place.”
“You had no way of knowing she would do that. And you tried to tell us.”
“She was very convincing. She even had me doubting myself at times.”
The confession made her laugh, which made him laugh as well. She sobered up quickly and rested her forehead against his. “I’m happy it’s over,” she whispered. “I’m happy that we can finally look to the future.”
Courteously Seduced By An Enigmatic Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 25
