Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

“ Y ou are silly for fretting,” Madeleine told herself in a hushed, furious voice three days later.

Just because you have not heard from His Grace since that night, that does not mean anything. He is simply investigating.

She inhaled, and tried to stop her pacing in the parlor. She had practically worn a track in the rug for all the restless pacing she had done in there over the past three days. How could the Duke not send word? He knew she waited for it.

“Lady Kinsfeld,” her butler said, interrupting her pacing. “The Countess of Easthall is here to see you.”

“Yes, yes,” Madeleine said, “show her in.”

Moments later, the soft face of her friend appeared in the doorway. “Madeleine!” she greeted happily, embracing her. “I have missed you. I did not see you leave at Lady Morgan’s ball the other night.”

“Ah, I took ill,” Madeleine lied, pulling her friend to sit while tea was prepared and served for them.

She had also made sure her friend’s favorite pink macarons were served. They were all presented before Tessa spoke again.

“You took ill at the Inglebury soiree, too,” she said. “A headache, you said.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “That is true.”

Tessa paused, biting into a macaron. “As delicious as these are, do not think they will distract me from asking again what is wrong with you, Madeleine. Even Colin is noticing. And Heavens knows when that man notices anything, it is important.”

Madeleine slumped, knowing she could not keep it all from her friend any longer.

“I must confess it all, then,” she said miserably. “My head is heavy with everything, Tessa, and I hope that if I tell you it all, I will feel lighter.”

“Then confide in me, friend.”

Tessa took her hand, smiling.

“You know the rumors of Lord Kinsfeld,” Madeleine began. “Well, it is true. At present, he has been missing for nine days. Today is the tenth. There have been sightings of him with women, in gambling halls, in pubs in the lowest parts of London, and even at the dock with another woman. So many women I do not know if I can stand the shame.”

Tessa sighed and gently rubbed her hand.

“I do not love him, Tessa,” Madeleine continued, “I am angry that he is forcing me to endure this. That he is a coward and running from a marriage. Neither of us are—were—happy but I have stayed. I have remained here, doing my duty, and he has been a coward and?—”

She broke off, her throat tight.

“And I have been searching for him with the Duke of Silverton. We have been investigating together. That is the truth of why I left Lady Morgan’s ball.”

The shame of lying spread through her but Tessa only looked at her with empathy.

“Madeleine,” she sighed. “You do not have to keep such things from me. I am always here for you, to support you, and help in any way. Colin, too. I understand it is hard. You have been a loyal wife, and I wish he had not caused you such distress.” She shook her head, her mouth tightening. “I am sorry, my friend.”

“I am only sorry that I have to endure this humiliation of the ton in his absence. The least he could do is weather it with me. He has debts higher than London Tower, Tessa. It is not only the disappearance, and the women. That was how I met His Grace, for he came calling for my husband to pay the debts.”

Tessa’s brow creased. “Madeleine, I cannot stop you from doing this, for searching for him. But you are taking part in a very dangerous hunt. Not only that, but you could be involving yourself in some dark parts of this city. Debts, money lending, gambling… It is not safe for women like us to be around that.”

“I know. I have His Grace’s protection if anything should go wrong.”

“That worries me also. He is reputed to be just as dangerous as the thugs you speak of. Not to mention that it is dangerous for you to be seen with him. After all, he is a bachelor. You have enough problems to think of, Madeleine.”

“I know,” she said. “But we have done our best to remain unseen. So far, that has worked.”

Madeleine thought back to his hands gripping the desk, the slamming of his fists into the door, the carriage, yet he had touched her hand so gently.

“I am safe,” she assured Tessa again. “I am being careful.”

“Good,” Tessa said, squeezing her hands. “I want you to find comfort and peace by concluding this situation. Still, that cannot come at the cost of your wellbeing.”

Madeleine laughed sadly. “My wellbeing, Tessa… Ah, it has been hard not knowing where Donald is, realizing he has truly dishonored me by abandoning me.”

“Whatever you may need, Madeleine, do not hesitate to ask.”

With tears in her eyes, Madeleine nodded. Tessa reached out, toying with the length of her hair, twirling it around her finger as she thought.

“Now, you must tell me how this batch of macarons are,” Madeleine said, eager to change the topic. “My cook said they did not have the same raspberry flavoring she often buys, so she bought a similar thing.”

I do not need to tell her it is because I could not afford the jam I usually buy. Donald’s debts continue to bury me alive.

“They are positively delicious,” Tessa giggled, crunching through another one.

Relief flooded her.

Madeleine scooped one up, and, with her friend, having relieved her thoughts, she felt the most normal she had felt in a long, long time.

“Lady Kinsfeld, there is a visitor here to see you.”

Her butler announced that her visitor was in the parlor, and Madeleine, still in her dinner gown, stood, and went to the parlor.

Surprised, she entered the room to see the Duke.

“Your Grace?” Her voice was thin. “It has been a while. I… I thought I might have heard from you.”

He turned to her, “Lady Kinsfeld.” He gave her the ghost of a smile. “I apologize for my silence.”

The last time I saw you we nearly kissed , her thoughts tumbled over one another, piquing her heartbeat’s interest.

“I have been very busy, but I finally have something to report on. I have found the mysterious woman that your husband was seen with. Would you like to come with me? I can assure you it is not so seedy as the Horseshoe Pass was.”

“But your carriage is at the front gate. I cannot just hop into your carriage. Someone might see,” she replied.

“I thought that would pose a problem. I came through the servant’s entrance.”

“What?” Her butler had not said anything.

“Yes. If we leave from the back of the house, no one will see you leave,” he clarified.

She could not have agreed more quickly..

In the Duke’s carriage, she spoke up. “I am rather surprised you invited me along. I thought your silence meant that you were done with your search.”

“You seem to hear words that I do not say,” he teased her. “It is only fair to invite you along. This woman is likely your husband’s mistress.”

Madeleine’s jaw clenched. Even if she did not love Donald, it was still not pleasant to hear something so bluntly.

The Duke’s eyes tracked over the side of her face until she turned to face him.

There was a dark look in his eyes as he said, “Your husband is a fool. If you were my wife, Madeleine, you would be the only one I would take to my bed. The only one I would need.”

Madeleine’s breath caught, shock stealing all her words. She blinked at him.

He had used her name. Heavens, he spoke it so…

Compose yourself, Madeleine.

Taking advantage of her speechlessness, the Duke leaned in, eyes meeting hers in a way that had her dizzy.

“He is an ungrateful bastard,” he murmured. “If I had a woman like you, I would never let you out of my sight. I would make damn sure you never doubted your place at my side.”

Madeleine gulped loudly, shivering from his dark promise. Her vision blurred slightly as her heart beat faster, and she flushed so hot she might have fainted, had she not gripped the carriage seat so tightly.

He leaned closer still, his mouth close to her ear. “If you were mine, I would never be absent. Neither the staff, nor anyone else, would gossip about our union. The only thing they would have to gossip about would be how loud you call my name at night. Alexander, Alexander, Alexander .”

She imagined herself saying his name and gasped softly. Her voice was lost to her as he lifted a hand to brush down her cheek, as he had that first day in her parlor.

But before he could touch her, the carriage drew to a sudden stop.

“We have arrived,” Alexander’s voice was rough, and he cleared his throat. “Parling’s Boardinghouse. Let us go, Madeleine.”

She bit back a noise at the way he caressed her name, as if his tongue licked every letter of it, tasting and savoring it.

“Let us go,” she whispered, agreeing.

Together, they vacated the carriage and went into the boardinghouse.

It didn’t take long for the Duke to sweet-talk the housekeeper to call for a Miss Nellie Trent.

The woman came down, her hair a dark spill over her bare shoulders.

The dress she wore had Madeleine biting her lip in anger.

Donald had bought Madeleine that dress for their first Christmas together. She had worn it once for a winter ball, and had not seen it since. She had thought it was in the back of her wardrobe somewhere, overlooked by her lady’s maid, or that he had sold it even.

How long had this woman had it?

The sight of it filled her with anger. It was more ridicule and humiliation.

“Well, hello ,” Nellie purred, ignoring Madeleine completely, and setting her sights on the Duke. She sauntered down the stairs, brushing up against him. “Mrs. Carrey said I had a visitor. Might that be you, sir?”

“Your Grace,” he corrected, his jaw stiff. Pointedly, he did not look at her.

Madeleine made herself more irritated with the thought of wondering if he would look at her if she wore her dress. Her rightfully owned dress currently draped prettily on Nellie. And she was indeed beautiful, with deep brown doe eyes, and long dark lashes that she batted at Alexander.

“Your Grace?” she echoed. “Oh, you are a duke . Oh, my. It is my honor to make your acquaintance, then. What are you looking for tonight?” Her gaze swept between the two. “Perhaps something a little more… interesting .”

Madeleine cleared her throat, annoyed, even though she tried to hide it. Alexander shifted.

“We are here to enquire about Lord Kinsfeld,” Alexander told her, his voice hard. “I believe that you?—”

“Are his mistress?” Nellie filled in, looking smug. And then it hit her. “ Ah . You must be the neglected wife, then.”

Her eyes set on Madeleine, a dark, cruel laugh spilling from her lips. Noticeably, she was not saying anything to confirm she knew Madeleine’s husband.

Yet the flicker of being caught was there.

Even so, Nellie quickly covered it up with more bravado. “It is a shame. You are truly as unimpressive as he told me you are. No wonder he fled,” she said.

Her throat burned with shame but she glared back. “Miss Trent, understand one thing. I do not care if you have bedded my husband or not. You are free to him, for all I care. The only thing that matters to me is that I may be free of his debts.”

Nellie laughed again. “You ton women. You are always so desperate to enter a marriage until you realize that being the wife, tied to your husband’s affairs and finances, only brings your downfall about. Me, I am a free woman, doing whatever I please.”

“I am sure,” Alexander said impatiently. “But what can you tell us of the lord?”

“Nothing,” Nellie said airily, shrugging her dainty shoulders. “Nothing at all.”

Madeleine huffed, irritated. “I am certain he has mistreated you, too, Miss Trent. You are beautiful, and my husband enjoys beautiful things—until he finds the next beautiful thing. And then he tosses his previous toy aside. I have learned such a lesson the hard way. Have you?”

Nellie’s eyes flickered, and Madeleine let her shame and anger drive her further.

“‘Dimmer than a dying candle,’” Madeleine said, “That is something he would say to me. Telling me that I had a pebble for a brain when my knowledge made him insecure. Not to mention the many veiled comments about my appearance. I could ‘try harder,’ ‘look prettier,’ even when I was draped in all the fine gifts he had given me.”

Nellie frowned, and Madeleine knew she was right. He had called her one of those things once.

“Fine,” Nellie snapped. “You wish for me to admit anything? Fine! I had an affair with Lord Kinsfeld. He’d pretty words enough, but I ended things as soon as I found out that other women’s beds were being warmed. All but your own, it seems, Lady Kinsfeld.”

Madeleine bit her tongue.

“That was why we met at the docks. As well as that, Donald was desperate for money. I was surprised he could even pay for all the other mistresses, but I suppose he did not have to. Not when he had a disposal of jewelry and dresses to lure them with instead.” She scoffed. “I was taken in easily, but I see it now. He was involved with dangerous men.”

Madeleine could feel Alexander’s gaze on her, and she could only hope he was impressed with her, with how she held her ground. He knew she was no fool, had confirmed as much, and she was grateful for it.

“Miss Trent,” he spoke up, “do you know where Lord Kinsfeld is now?”

The woman shook her head. “No, not really.”

“Then we shall not disturb you any longer.” Alexander nodded his head.

“Thank you, Miss Trent. I hope, in the future, you will find someone better than Donald,” Madeleine nodded at her as well and turned to leave.

Suddenly, Nellie cried out, “Wait!” and looked at Madeleine. “Wait, please.”

She disappeared upstairs, only to return moments later with an open letter.

“I… I always searched his jackets. For evidence of his other affairs. I did not know what I would do with it, exactly, but it was a comfort to have the true evidence in my hand.”

She handed Madeleine the letter.

“I hope this helps, and I am sorry for my behavior before.” Her cheeks flushed as she looked between the two of them. “To both of you. I truly hope that bastard gets what he deserves.”

Madeleine smiled tightly.

Alexander growled, “Oh, trust me, he will.”