Chapter 2

CHAPTER2

The Duke of Elbridge?

Rachel could barely string a coherent thought together. She couldn’t believe the gentleman before her was the Duke of Elbridge, the famous soldier who had been to war for years and had not long returned. Neither could she believe the awful situation she had found herself in.

Somehow, by endeavoring to protect Emily from being part of a scandal, Rachel had walked into one of her own.

But… nothing happened.

“This will be the talk of the ton, Your Grace.” Lady Sussex tutted with a rather wicked smile. “Think of the scandal sheets come morning.”

“Leave us, at once,” the Duke boomed.

Rachel scurried further back into the bush, wishing the branches would swallow her and hide her from the world for good.

The Duke advanced toward the ladies and waved them away. “Do not discuss this with anyone,” he pleaded. “The lady tore her gown in a bush.”

Yet, the ladies hurried off together, tittering, and when they reached the end of the garden, Rachel heard them burst into laughter.

“Oh God, this cannot be happening,” she murmured, with one hand clutching at her gown and the other holding onto the branch nearest to her.

My reputation is ruined. My name will be dragged through the mud because of this, and for what reason? Because I tore my gown!

“This is awful,” she mumbled to herself. “It cannot be happening. Oh, if only I’d wake from this nightmare.”

“I may wish for the same, but we can’t.” The Duke shrugged off his tailcoat and offered it to her.

“What are you doing?”

“Stop skulking in that tree if you do not want any more of your gown to fall off you.”

“It is hardly that bad.” Yet, she pulled on the gown regardless, fearing just how much of her stays was visible. With horror, she looked down to see that her breasts were practically spilling out of them.

The Duke raised his eyebrows at her as he pushed his tailcoat toward her. “It is that bad. Put this on now.” He practically thrust it into her hands.

Bad, indeed.

Rachel wasn’t certain if he was talking about the situation, or the view of her unclothed. Ashamed and despising her own appearance, she reluctantly took the tailcoat and wrapped it around her shoulders.

The Duke paced up and down, pulling on his hair. “We must both leave, at once,” he said, taking command.

“You really are the soldier I’ve heard about.”

“What was that?” he asked, looking at her, though he never once stopped pacing.

“I heard the Duke of Elbridge was a major in the army.” She shrugged. “Perhaps you are used to having your orders obeyed.”

He stopped walking and glared at her. “If your words are intended to be resentful at this time, I’d like to point out that you are the one who got your dress torn. If it was not for that, those ladies would not think that you and I were…” He didn’t finish but gestured between them.

“You shouldn’t have been out here!” she complained.

“Neither should you.” He turned his back on her and thrust his hands into his hair one more time.

Rachel bit her lip, uncertain what to say or do. It wasn’t helpful she was attracted to the Duke’s fine looks. He was a distraction that had turned everything upside down for her.

Do not think of him, think of yourself.

“I’ll be ruined,” she murmured, leaning against the tree for support. “My poor sisters.”

“What?” He turned to face her.

“My sisters,” she said in a small voice. “My father… he said before if the reputation of one sister falls, so do all the others.”

“And who is your father?”

“The Earl of Pratt.”

The news seemed to drop like a stone in water. He cursed, turning around again and tipping his eyes to the sky. She flinched at the strength of that curse.

“I need to leave,” she whispered.

“Yes, leave. Get home at once, as shall I.” He shifted on his feet. “Tomorrow, I shall come to see you and your father.”

“What?” She stumbled in the undergrowth, no longer walking away. “What did you say?”

“I shall come and see you tomorrow. Now, go, before this gets much worse and anyone else sees us out here together.” He waved at her, his white shirt sleeves glowing in the moonlight.

When words wouldn’t come, she obeyed his order and ran back toward the ball, gripping the skirt of her gown in the palm of her hand. The more she ran, the more the terror took over and tears pricked her eyes.

What have I done? What will become of me now? Oh, how could I have let this happen!?

Rather than enter the ball again, Rachel sought out the nearest window and searched for her sisters. As usual, Emily was nowhere to be seen, but Bridget was easy to find. Bridget was hovering by the shadows, gently tapping the wine glass in her hands. From the way her lips moved softly, she was humming along to the music that was played to accompany the dancers. As she lifted the glass to her lips, Rachel waved through the window, trying to capture her attention.

Bridget’s eyes flicked over the rim of her glass. When she saw Rachel, she hastily put down her glass, toppling it over on a table, though she didn’t hang around to tidy it up. She left the ballroom and came straight to Rachel’s side. At once, Rachel knew what had alarmed Bridget so.

I am wearing the Duke’s tailcoat.

She loosened her hands from the lapels, trying not to cling to them so tightly, but the folds fell open and revealed the torn gown.

“Rachel!” Bridget hissed in panic. Hurriedly, Rachel caught the lapels and held them together again. “What has happened?”

Bridget took her sister’s arms, concern making her eyes dart everywhere, unable to rest on anything.

“Much. So much.”

“Has a man done this to you?”

“No, a yew bush did this. Infernal thing!” Rachel wailed and turned in a sharp circle. “Yet, I was seen like this, Bridget, a man came to help me. Then, we were seen together.”

“Oh!” Bridget flung her hands to her lips. “This is awful! Rachel, do you realize what this means?”

“I know what it means!” Rachel said hastily. When she waved her hands in the air in emphasis, the tailcoat fell open. She snatched it together again. “You must get Emily. We have to leave at once before the gossip spreads across the ballroom and my name is ruined for good.”

The Duke’s scent suddenly reached her nostrils. It was musky and earthy, so pleasant that she hid her face in the collar, uncertain if she did it to be surrounded by that comforting scent, or to hide.

“I will, I’ll go at once.” Bridget moved to the doorway, then hovered there, her hand on the doorframe. “Are you sure nothing else happened?”

“We’re wasting time. Go!” Rachel pleaded once again.

Bridget disappeared inside.

Rachel hung her head in the palms of her hand and leaned on the nearest wall, wishing she could disappear entirely. This was not the plan, not at any point. No gentleman would ever remotely be interested in her with her plain looks, which was why she’d always been so confident that out of the three sisters, she was the least likely to be caught in a scandal.

I never reckoned on the sharpness of a yew branch. This is absurd!

Laughter traveled out of the window. Slowly, she lifted her head from her hands and peered around the window frame, looking inside. A short distance away, she saw Lady Sussex completely surrounded by ladies, like a gaggle of geese, chirping and squawking together.

“Oh, yes, the scandal of the year, I reckon,” the Countess was calling loudly so that all could hear her. “You should have seen young Lady Rachel, with barely a stitch on her at all.”

The ladies fell about laughing.

Rachel swayed and leaned on the wall, feeling a coldness wash over her body again. Had she not been chasing Emily, none of this would have happened. Even worse, had the mysterious Duke of Elbridge not been out in the darkness, she never would have bumped into him. She wouldn’t have stood there talking with him, reluctantly admiring his athletic figure and his rather fierce blue eyes.

“I cannot believe this is happening,” she whispered to herself. “What will my father say when he finds out?”

* * *

“Rachel, of all people, of all of you…” Edward cast a weary look at his daughters. “I would have thought you were the last person to be involved in such a scandal.”

“Father, for the last time, my dress was torn by a tree. I do not even know the Duke of Elbridge. Why would I do this?” Rachel felt small, indeed. She was sitting on a footstool before her father’s armchair in their parlor.

The Earl sat forward with the scandal sheet in his hands.

He was strangely still. He was a man usually full of energy and excitement, hurrying to new places to see different things. He approached life with enthusiasm, but not today. Slowly, he shook his head and sat back, not a muscle moving. His light brown hair, which was a little like her own, was wilder than normal, for he had been pulling at it. His heavy jaw was also still.

Rachel was used to seeing his cheeks tremble with laughter.

“I do not know, Rachel,” her father said softly. “I just do not understand it.” He let the scandal sheet hang limply on his lap.

Rachel snatched it up, aware that both Bridget and Emily were standing behind her, looking down at her. Her throat closed up as she read the words, horrified to see just how quickly the scandal sheet had got hold of this tale.

The soldier Duke in a scandal of his own!

Well, the Duke of Elbridge has not long been back from war, and it seems already he has found some more excitement. Last night, he was found in the arms of Lady Rachel, daughter of the Earl of Pratt, and whispers claim there was not much left of her gown when they were discovered.

What a fresh scandal it is. Will the Duke marry the fallen lady now? Or will he pursue another lady and continue his life of wanton excitement?

Rachel threw down the paper suddenly with such aggression that it crumpled beside her on the floor.

“Worry not, Rachel.” Bridget dropped beside her and picked up the paper, hiding it from view. “I’m sure everything will sort itself out.”

“Bridget, dear,” Edward said with an uneasy smile, “your good heart does you credit, but think it through. This is not some easy thing that can be explained away.”

“It was an accident,” Rachel insisted.

“Yet, others will not see it like that.” Edward suddenly moved to his feet. Rachel leaned back on the stool; her spine crumpled. “Come what may, this family’s name is affected now.”

Seeing how much she had disappointed her father, Rachel raised a hand and covered her lips, fearing the tears would come at any moment.

“I need to think of what we will do next. Excuse me, girls.” He left the room hurriedly.

The moment the door was closed, Rachel’s tears slipped out. Bridget took their father’s place in the armchair and offered up a handkerchief to her elder sister, who took it hurriedly.

“This is ridiculous,” Emily scoffed.

“I agree,” Rachel managed through her tears.

“Not the situation. You!” Emily pointed her finger at her sister accusingly.

“What do you mean?” Rachel gasped.

“I mean… Oh, the irony.” Emily flung her hands into the air. “You were so concerned for my reputation, yet after all is said and done, you’re the one who was carrying on with a gentleman in a garden.”

“Emily, that is unkind,” Bridget said in a gentle voice, one that went largely unheard.

“I will not listen to this.” Rachel rose slowly to her feet, her tall frame towering over Emily. “Just because you would willingly go into a garden with a gentleman does not mean I would.”

“Then explain last night?” Emily folded her arms over her chest.

“I was following you.” Rachel gestured toward her younger sister with the handkerchief clutched in her hand. “You ran off into the garden. What was I supposed to think? What else was I supposed to do but try and protect you? I went after you, and stumbled into a yew tree that tore my gown. The Duke of Elbridge heard me and came to help, then we were seen together. I would never have been in the garden in the first place had you not been there.”

Emily’s eyes widened. She shifted her weight between her feet and looked away. “I didn’t know you realized I had been there.”

“It wasn’t the only time she left the ball,” Bridget confessed, hanging her head. “I found her last night in a corridor talking to a gentleman. They were unchaperoned.”

Rachel rounded on Emily, her hands on her hips. “Do you realize what scandal that could have been had the two of you been seen together!?”

“I think the expression of the pot calling the kettle black, are applicable here, Sister. You cannot call me something that you already are.” Emily looked proud, her smile stretching her lips.

“You actually think I did this? Good Lord, if I cannot even persuade my sister to believe me, how could I persuade any other?” Rachel stepped toward Emily. For the first time, her sister looked uncertain and took a step back. “I cannot believe you would think the worst of me. After all, I was only trying to protect you from your own rebellion.”

“I do not need protecting,” Emily insisted.

“Clearly you do if you ran off twice last night, alone.” Rachel retorted. Emily had the decency to blush and look away. “I cannot believe it has come to this.”

Rachel suddenly needed to be away from her sister. She crossed the room, putting distance between them, and hovered by the window of the parlor, looking out over the drive. She couldn’t blame Emily for what had happened. Equally, she knew if she hadn’t been protecting Emily, her dress would never have been torn.

“Rachel.” Emily’s voice softened.

Rachel glanced back to see that Bridget had stood up and was nudging their sister to say something more.

“I’m sure you do not need to be so afraid.” Emily took the scandal sheet from Bridget’s hand. “Such scandals fade in time and are duly forgotten. After a few months, it will barely be remembered.”

“He is a duke,”Rachel reminded them, watching as Emily and Bridget exchanged worried looks. “And I am the daughter of an earl. Had there been no positions involved, then perhaps it would be a scandal that could be lived down in time, but not now, it is impossible. He is a famed duke too for his successes in the war.”

“Successes? What are they?” Emily asked.

“Did you not read the papers about the Spanish War?” Bridget nudged her sister. “He was a major in the army, a very successful fighter. The papers often spoke of him fondly.”

“No one will forget a scandal involving him and me in a hurry,” Rachel said heavily and dropped into the window seat, her spine crumpling. “They will talk about it for a long time. The only way they wouldn’t is if the Prince Regent is discovered to have his own scandal.”

“If only.” Emily sighed and nodded. “Very well, so you claim you were not doing anything with the Duke of Elbridge?”

“Emily!” Rachel and Bridget exclaimed in unison.

“Well, it is a little hard to believe, so I had to check.” Emily waved a hand as if excusing her own curiosity. “Many a lady, I’m sure, would go all starry-eyed when meeting such a gentleman.”

“I didn’t even know who he was until we were discovered by the Countess of Sussex, who revealed his identity quite openly,” Rachel scoffed, recalling the delight with which Lady Sussex had called them out.

“No wonder the story is in the scandal sheets already, then,” Emily said and looked down at the paper in her hands. “She has contacts with the writers of these things.”

“Oh, God’s blood.” Rachel dropped her head in her hands. “We’re all ruined now, all of us.”

“All?” Bridget queried.

“When one sister falls, the other sisters are affected as well. A foolish thing, indeed, but that’s how Society works.” Rachel raised her head and looked at her sisters, who had now both paled. “I’m so sorry.”

“Perhaps it is not so bad,” Bridget said in her usual comforting tone. “The Duke may do the right thing. He might propose.”

“Pah!” Rachel scoffed outwardly. “I am in no humor to laugh, but that might be the greatest temptation I’ve had yet this morning.” She remembered the Duke had said he’d call on her, but she was convinced in the light of day he would not keep to such a promise. “A duke has no real need to salvage his reputation. He is still a duke, and he’s a man. They are never quite as damaged as a lady is by scandal.” She shrugged helplessly. “It’s quite likely I will not see him again.”

Rachel thought of his handsome face and his strong blue eyes, which had looked almost silver in the moonlight. A sadness curled in her gut upon thinking she might not see him again.

What is wrong with me? That should hardly be my concern!

“If he is not going to call on you, then pray tell this,” Emily said with a swagger in her step as she walked toward the window and looked out over Rachel’s head. “Who is that? I refer to the gentleman who has just arrived on a horse.”

Rachel flicked her head around to see.