Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Mark prepared himself to enter the ball again. He was still shaking with anger and wanted to make sure that he dealt with the matter calmly. He would need to. It was the only way to make sure he kept his credibility in it all.

It would be impossible to know just how far the rumour about Diana and the viscount had already spread. He wouldn't put it past Lady Elizabeth to already have told a few people about the incident, despite it never having been an incident to begin with.

He was barely through the door when his mother grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him to one side.

"If you value the reputation of this family, you will be rid of that Miss Fairchild immediately," she said.

"Miss Fairchild has gone home," Mark explained. "And I will do no such thing."

"I know how you like to argue with me," his mother said. "But I promise you I have your best intentions at heart. I have heard something rather shocking about that Miss Fairchild, and it risks embarrassing our good name."

So, the information had spread quickly then. Out of curiosity, he asked his mother, "What exactly did you hear?"

His mother ushered him to one side of the ballroom and spoke under her breath.

"Miss Fairchild has been stringing you along," she said. "She's just been caught doing something truly scandalous with that Viscount Starling. I've never trusted him."

"Me neither," Mark agreed.

"Everyone is talking about it," she continued. "Please tell me you haven't told anybody about your courtship yet. That way, this can still be saved."

"Where is Viscount Starling?" Mark asked. "Have you seen him?"

"No," his mother answered. "No sign of that Miss Fairchild either. Who knows what they're up to together."

It was no surprise to Mark that the viscount would not stay to watch his plan fall apart. He had likely left shortly after Mark had sent Diana's carriage away.

"And Lady Elizabeth?" Mark asked. "Where is she? I must have a word."

"She's rather shaken up, you know," his mother explained. "She's the one who caught them in the act! It's all rather terrible. Her party is just about ruined. It's all anybody can talk about."

"Oh, trust me, they'll be talking about this for some time," Mark said bitterly.

"I'm sorry you had to learn about it this way," his mother said. "I know you cared for Miss Fairchild. I don't know why she has hurt you this way. Perhaps you'll reconsider my recommendations. Lady Elizabeth would never behave so poorly."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Mother," Mark said. "What's worse is that you do it so confidently."

"If it's the scandal you're worried about, don't be," his mother said. "Nobody knows you were courting. Your name is clear."

"Not for long," Mark warned.

"I tried to warn you," his mother continued as if she hadn't heard him at all.

He scanned the room and saw how closely people were standing to talk. There were barely any people on the dance floor, too. On the opposite end of the room, he spotted Lady Elizabeth. She was whispering into someone's ear, a proud smirk plastered on her face.

"Mother, I want you to know that I have no intention of ending my courtship with Miss Fairchild," Mark said, turning to face her. "And I'd be grateful if you never mention something like that again."

"She is lying to you," his mother said plainly. "Do you not understand what I'm saying? Why she's doing it, I can't figure out. She's bad news."

"Lady Elizabeth is bad news, Mother," Mark said. "Miss Fairchild is on her way home to safety. And she will never set foot in this room again."

"I wouldn't if I were her," his mother said. "But honestly, you can't possibly continue to court her. She's made such a mess of her name and reputation."

"She has done nothing wrong," Mark said sternly.

"Where have you been, Mark?" his mother asked. "Do you ever listen to a word I say? I swear, you're worse than your father."

"Perhaps you should leave, Mother," he said. "I am almost certain you are not going to like what is about to happen at this party."

"What?" she asked, suddenly concerned. "What do you have planned, Mark? Oh, please don't do something silly. These things stick to a name forever. Remember when your grandfather accidentally destroyed that painting? It wasn't even his fault, but he was always seated furthest from the art after that."

"I am here to set a record straight," Mark said. "And then I will join Miss Fairchild in never setting another foot in this house."

He couldn't take it any longer. He could hear the whispers and murmurs and knew they were all tearing Diana apart. Some of them laughed, while others looked around the room for a sign of her or Viscount Starling.

He wanted to set things right. More than that, though, he wanted to do something that would make the smile on Lady Elizabeth's face fall away completely. He wanted to watch as her plan fell apart around her and backfired, causing her distress instead of Diana.

Mark tapped a spoon against his glass and didn't stop until he had the attention of every person in there.

"I trust you're all having a good time," he said, opening the conversation.

Most of the people around him nodded. Then, he held out his hand and smiled at Lady Elizabeth.

"If Lady Elizabeth could please join me here, it would be wonderful," Mark said. "I have something to say, and I think she's going to want to hear it."

She gave him a nervous smile, but others were looking at her expectantly, and she didn't really have a choice. Lady Elizabeth made her way slowly through the crowd and came to stand at Mark's side.

"I think I speak for all of us, Lady Elizabeth, when I say that nobody can host a ball quite like you can," he said.

She thanked him, her cheeks turning light pink from the compliment. Everyone clapped and held up their glasses to her, and she readily accepted the praise.

"I'm sure all of you know what the purpose of this celebration is?" Mark said loudly. There was a confused look on all their faces then as the crowd turned to each other.

It was as if it was the first time they were questioning it.

"You see, I've been wondering since I arrived here what the purpose of this party is," Mark continued. "And, thanks to a recent conversation with Viscount Starling, I now understand."

"What are you doing?" Lady Elizabeth whispered through a smile.

He ignored her worry and carried on with his plan. She would soon learn what was happening anyway. Eyes watched him from the crowd.

Normally, Mark wouldn't enjoy that kind of attention. While it was often required, he wasn't much of a public speaker. However, he could not get Diana's frightened face out of his mind, so he pressed on.

"All of you have been invited here as part of an elaborate lie," Mark said.

"Don't do this," Lady Elizabeth warned.

"A lie planned and created by the very clever Lady Elizabeth here," Mark said, motioning in her direction. The guests weren't sure whether to applaud or not. Instead, they looked around at each other with unease.

"Most of you, if not all of you, have heard a story involving Miss Fairchild tonight," Mark said. "A rather horrid and scandalous one. A story involving a witness."

There was a quiet murmur among the guests as Lady Elizabeth looked proudly over the mess she had made.

"Lady Elizabeth here has witnessed something highly out of the ordinary and improper," Mark said loudly. "But what Lady Elizabeth might not realize is that there were multiple witnesses. And that, in her absence, the truth was revealed."

Her smile quickly faded from her face. She glanced through the room, likely searching for a sign of the viscount. He was nowhere to be seen then.

"Tonight, I witnessed something rather awful," Mark said. "I was out in the gardens when I saw Viscount Starling sneak up behind Miss Fairchild. Whatever his intentions were, she did not see it coming. She screamed, and I rushed over to help her."

The murmur grew louder then, and Mark could feel the tension brewing in the area where his mother stood.

"This party was thrown for the purpose of ruining Miss Fairchild's reputation. It was a plan made between Viscount Starling and Lady Elizabeth to discredit Miss Fairchild."

"That's outrageous!" someone in the crowd called out. "Why would they do something like that?"

"I am merely telling you what I know to be the truth," Mark said. "I feel inclined to do so, as you see, Miss Fairchild and I are courting. It is important to me that the truth be told and that the record be set straight."

"Is that true?" Suddenly, Viscount Starling's voice came from the sidelines. "You and Miss Fairchild?"

"It is true," Mark said plainly. "It might not have been common knowledge, but it is official."

Everyone in the room seemed to be taken over by a silent surprise. Lady Elizabeth fidgeted nervously with the fabric of her dress.

"I know what I saw," she defended herself. "I have no reason to lie about it."

Mark looked towards Viscount Starling then. The man seemed riddled with worry and remorse as he made his way further into the room.

"Do the right thing," Mark urged him quietly.

"What the Duke of Blackwood says is true," the viscount said loudly, causing a gasp to ripple through the room. "This has all been a plan. Whatever you have heard about me and Miss Fairchild is nothing more than a fabrication."

For the first time ever, Mark saw the viscount as an honourable man, then. He had a lot to lose by telling the truth, but he'd done it anyway. He'd done what he needed to do to make things right.

"It was a plan put in motion in an attempt to ruin Miss Fairchild's reputation," the viscount continued. "And I am deeply ashamed by it. I can assure you that."

The viscount looked as though he wished the world would swallow him. As if he could just disappear from the room entirely so that he wouldn't have to face the disgusted faces that stared back at him.

"What are you doing?" Lady Elizabeth snapped.

"Miss Fairchild has done nothing wrong tonight," the viscount answered. "She is a young and beautiful woman and deserving of so much more than me."

"What is going on?" Mark's mother said quietly from nearby. "How does something like this happen?"

"We made a bet," the viscount explained. "It is complicated, but I suppose the Lady Elizabeth and I got far too carried away with it all."

"Of that, I am certain," Mark added. "Now, I would suggest you leave here with what dignity you have left, Viscount Starling. Perhaps someday, there will be a chance for redemption.

The viscount shook his head. "No, I have made a mess of things. I must deal with this filth myself."

The attention was on Lady Elizabeth then. The Dowager Duchess of Blackwood stepped towards her.

"How could you have done such a thing?" she asked Lady Elizabeth. "You have betrayed the trust of every guest here tonight."

Lady Elizabeth seemed to try to form words, but her mouth simply opened and closed with empty words. It was the first time that Mark had ever seen her speechless.

"We all deserve to know," Mark confronted her. "After all, you invited us here to this party so that we could be involved with it all."

"I thought better of you, you know," the dowager duchess snapped.

"This was all Lady Elizabeth's idea," the viscount accused her. "I was merely going along with it."