Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

" E liza!" Lady Lymington snapped, her voice cutting through the air like a whip. "What is going on here?"

Lady Lymington appeared in the doorway, supported by Lady Somersby, one of her closer acquaintances.

Lady Lymington's eyes narrowed, her sharp gaze darting between Eliza and Anthony with both suspicion and fury.

Eliza stepped back instinctively, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and dread.

"Nothing, Aunt," she stammered, the lie weak even to her own ears. "We were just… talking."

"Talking? Is the Duke hard of hearing to excuse such proximity between you two?" Lady Lymington replied.

"My dear Lady Lymington, I am certain that's precisely what the two love birds were doing," Lady Somersby said with a smirk, her lips curling into a sly grin.

"Although it is well known that the Duke's reputation precedes him," she continued before Eliza could interrupt, "Such a renowned rake, notorious for his exploits… But, surely, he can simply talk to his fiancée? Perhaps it would have been more proper for the couple to talk in a more public setting. Now, in this secluded place, it… It would be a shame if your niece were to fall prey to his… charms."

She said the last word with a wicked glint in her eyes, as though she were already crafting the scandal in her mind.

Eliza's face flushed with a mix of shame and anger, but before she could defend herself, Anthony stepped forward, his expression darkening at the insinuation.

"I assure you, Lady Somersby," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "Eliza's honor is intact. And I would caution you against spreading rumors on matters that do not concern you."

Lady Lymington's eyes narrowed as she took in Anthony's protective stance.

"You may defend her now, Your Grace, but your reputation as a rake is well-earned. I shudder to think what sort of future my niece faces with a man who is more accustomed to scandal than respectability," she said.

Lady Somersby, ever the opportunist, added fuel to the fire. "Why, just the other day, I overheard Lady Bennington saying that the Duke had been seen leaving a certain widow's house in the early hours of the morning. Such behavior is hardly becoming of a man who is supposedly engaged to be married."

Eliza's heart pounded in her chest, her eyes darting to Anthony, who stood rigid beside her.

The accusation hung in the air, thick with the weight of its implications. Her mind raced, fear and defiance battling within her.

She had heard the whispers about Anthony's past, about the women who had fallen for his charm only to be left in ruin. But standing here now, with Lady Lymington's sharp words cutting into her and Lady Somersby's gleeful smirk taunting her, Eliza felt an overwhelming need to protect herself.

Anthony's voice cut through her thoughts, his tone hard and unyielding. "That is simply untrue, Lady Somersby, or yours, Lady Lymington. I will not allow baseless gossip to dictate my actions."

Lady Lymington's eyes gleamed with triumph, as if she had been expecting this response.

She turned on Eliza, her voice dripping with scorn. "You have embarrassed me, Eliza. How could you be so reckless, so foolish? After all I have done to secure your future, this is how you repay me?"

"Enough, Lady Lymington," Anthony said, his voice hard as steel. "You have made your point."

Lady Lymington turned her sharp gaze on him, "And what are you going to do about it, Your Grace? Will you take responsibility, or will you allow my niece to be ruined by your inaction?"

"Aunt, please, that is enough—" Eliza began to say but Anthony, his eyes flashing with anger, cut her off.

"I have already said I will do what is right by Eliza, but I will not be bullied into making hasty decisions."

Lady Lymington scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Bully you? Do not be absurd, Your Grace. I am merely ensuring that my niece's future is secured. She deserves nothing less."

Eliza opened her mouth to end her aunt's pressuring, but Anthony spoke first.

"I will acquire a special license for our marriage," he said finally, his voice tight with barely contained anger.

Eliza's eyes widened, "You'll what ?" she gasped.

Lady Lymington's eyes gleamed with satisfaction though her voice remained sharp. "See that you do, Your Grace. And remember, if you go back on your word, there will be consequences."

Anthony's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger as he met Lady Lymington's gaze.

"I will not go back on my word," he said coldly. "But do not think for a moment that you can control me."

Without waiting for a response, Anthony turned on his heel and marched away, his footsteps echoing loudly in the night.

"Anthony!" Eliza called out after him, but he was too far gone.

She watched him go, feeling as though a heavy weight had settled in her chest.

As she turned to her aunt, her heart pounded in her chest, her eyes stinging with tears about to come down in a waterfall.

"I did not mean for this to happen," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I never wanted to ruin anything."

"Did not mean for this to happen?" Lady Lymington repeated, her voice rising. "You are too busy thinking of yourself, indulging in whatever foolish fantasies you have about this man. Did you really think he'd just fall at your feet?"

"I did not ask for any of this!" Eliza's voice cracked with desperation. "You were the one who insisted I marry, saying I could not find someone. And yet I did! And now you are angry because I did not manipulate him the way you wanted me to?"

Lady Lymington's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch your tongue, girl. You are on thin ice already. If you think I will let you ruin this opportunity, you are sorely mistaken. You are nothing without this marriage. Nothing!"

Lady Somersby took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with malicious glee. "Oh, Lady Lymington, do not be too hard on the girl. After all, it is hardly her fault that she has caught the eye of such a notorious rake. Why, one might even say it was inevitable."

"What you should really do is thank me," Lady Lymington added, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

Eliza stared at her in disbelief, her mind reeling from the realization.

"You planned this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lady Lymington's smile widened, her tone casual as if she were discussing the weather. "Oh, Eliza, do not be so naive. Did you really think I just happened to faint and follow the Duke out here?"

Eliza's eyes widened as the truth sank in. "You used me to trap him?"

Lady Lymington shrugged, her expression unapologetic. "I did what needed to be done. Your engagement to the Duke was not progressing as it should have. He needed a push, and you needed to be saved from your own foolishness."

Eliza's anger flared, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "How could you? You had no right to interfere like this."

"I had every right," Lady Lymington snapped, her tone sharp. "Your future is at stake, and I will not have you ruin it with your childish antics. The Duke of Redfern is a catch, and you were letting him slip through your fingers."

Eliza's voice trembled with fury as she fought to keep her emotions in check. "I was not letting him slip at all. I had it under control."

Lady Lymington's eyes narrowed, her voice growing cold and calculating. "Sometimes, Eliza, we must make sacrifices for the greater good. This is your chance to secure a future that many girls would envy. Do not throw it away over misplaced pride."

Eliza felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked into her aunt's cold, calculating eyes. The realization that she was little more than a pawn in Lady Lymington's game left her feeling hollow and betrayed.

"He will not take kindly to this. He will be angry and resentful for his hand being forced," Eliza tried to point out.

"What difference does it make now? What is done is done," Lady Somersby interjected, appearing to feel left out of the conversation.

Lady Lymington turned and left with Lady Somersby, leaving Eliza standing alone on the balcony.

Eliza buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.