Chapter Eighteen

"I must speak with you! At once!"

Lillian blinked in surprise as Lady Vivianne grasped her arm, beginning to pull her away. "Lady Vivianne? Is everything all right?"

"Please, walk with me if you would. My brother knows that we are acquainted and he will not think anything of it. Please, Lady Lillian, I beg of you. I know that I have been cold and unfriendly but that is only because I have been so very afraid."

Lillian did not resist any longer, seeing the lady's genuine fright. "Of course I shall come. Will we walk around the ballroom?"

The lady nodded but said nothing more, the silence suddenly strained, a tension flooding into Lillian's frame. She looked to Lady Vivianne, wondering if she ought to ask something more, only for Lady Vivianne to let out a shaky breath, pulling herself a little closer to Lillian.

"I am sorry to have to ask you this but I must have your help, please." Lady Vivianne looked again to Lillian though, this time, her expression was quite calm. "I am in trouble."

Confused by the lady's change in expression, Lillian frowned. "What is the trouble?"

Lady Vivianne took in another breath and then set her shoulders, her chin lifting. "I must appear to be happy and contented, you understand, so that my brother – and whoever it is that he is working with – do not see me troubled and afraid. Then they will know that I have not done as I have been asked."

"What you have been asked?"

Lady Vivianne nodded. "My brother spoke to me just before I came into the ballroom, taking me from my mother's side and informing me that I must put a vial of some concoction into the Duke's glass this evening."

Lillian almost stopped walking such was her shock but Lady Vivianne continued to move forward, taking Lillian with her. "His drink?" she whispered, as Lady Vivianne nodded. "Do you mean to say that your brother wishes harm to the Duke?"

"I do not know," Lady Vivianne replied, in a strangled voice. "I do not know what it is in this but he told me that it must be placed in his glass this evening…. and that he would be watching." Her eyes closed for a moment as she shuddered and Lillian's eyebrows drew together, concerned for the lady.

"You think it harmful, however."

"Yes, I do. I do not know why my brother insists on this nor what it is he intends for the Duke but I am afraid. I do not want to be held responsible but if I do not, then… then… " She dropped her head and let out a strangled sob only to pull out her fan and waft it in front of her face, hiding her expression from anyone who looked at her, though Lillian could see the tears shining in her eyes.

"What did he say?" Lillian asked, gently. "Did he threaten to harm you also?"

"He said that he would put the same vial in my own glass when I was unaware of it," Lady Vivianne whispered, the colour fading from her face, leaving her skin like parchment. "You must tell the Duke, Lady Vivianne, I beg of you."

"I cannot leave you alone," Lillian said, firmly, even though her heart began to fill with panic, beating in her chest like a frightened bird. "You are not in the right frame to be so." Her eyes alighted on another gentleman and she let out her breath in a rush of relief, gesturing to Lord Huxley who was arm in arm with Lady Dinah. "Here, now, why do you not walk with Lord Huxley and Lady Dinah for a time? That way, you will be protected and your brother will think nothing of it."

After a moment, Lady Vivianne nodded, putting her fan away as the two approached. Lillian gave a hasty explanation, begged Lord Huxley to keep Lady Vivianne safe and then hurried away, looking all about her for any sign of the Duke.

A vial? she thought to herself, her heart still pounding furiously. Whatever would he do with that? And why should he want to harm the Duke, given that he is supposedly courting Lady Vivianne?

Her heart leapt in her throat as she spied the Duke of Wrexham bowing towards a young lady, having just finished dancing with her. Without caring about propriety nor about who might be watching her, Lillian hurried forward towards him and, without a word, grasped his wrist and tugged him away to the back of the room.

"Lady Lillian!" the Duke exclaimed, as she turned to face him. "We shall have all of the ton thinking that there is some manner of impropriety here, will we not? What could have possessed you – "

"Lord Jedburgh has told Lady Vivianne that she is to put some concoction into your glass this evening," Lillian interrupted, her chest heaving as she dragged in air, struggling to speak clearly. "She is distraught but fighting to keep her expression clear and calm so that her brother will not see her and understand what she has done. She begged of me to come and inform you."

The Duke blinked rapidly, the smile falling away. "I beg your pardon?"

"It is just as I have said," Lillian answered, a little breathlessly. "She is afraid for her own life, for I believe that her brother insisted that she would suffer the very same fate should she refuse to do as was asked."

Running one hand over his face, the Duke blew out a long, slow breath. "I see."

"What shall you do?" Lillian moved closer to him, caring nothing for the noise around her nor wondering where her parents had gone to. "You cannot permit this to happen!"

With a frown, the Duke pulled his lips to one side. "No, I cannot," he agreed, quietly. "But nor can I let this pass by."

"Pass by?" Lillian repeated, not understanding what he meant. "You cannot mean to let her do this!"

"But if I do not, then she will be in fear of her life, will she not?" The Duke offered her his arm and Lillian took it, though she had to fight not to cling to him and, in doing so, make it obvious as to her desire for him. "Besides which, I know that there is something serious going on at present and this may be the only way to discover it. I was going to write to you this afternoon but knowing that I would see you this evening, I thought better of it."

"What is it that you wish to tell me?" Lillian asked, her heart beginning to quicken all over again, sweat forming on her forehead. "Are you in danger of your life?" When the Duke did not answer her immediately, Lillian's heart cried out with fright and her hand tightened on his arm.

"I am not in fear of my life, but it has come to my attention that my cousin, the Earl of Fullerton, has been back in this country for some time."

Lillian stopped walking and the Duke turned to look at her, nodding his head as though to answer the questions which had built up immediately within her mind.

"I do not know why he has been hiding himself," he continued, as Lillian closed her eyes tightly, swaying gently such was the shock within her. "Dinah is deeply upset, as you can imagine, but I must wonder if the rumours about the Mad Duke were begun by him."

"But… but why?"

The Duke smiled sadly. "I was always very close to his father. The late Earl of Fullerton was the man who inspired me to pursue natural philosophy, the one who was always tinkering with this or improving that. I found his experiments delightful, vastly enjoyed his way of thinking and found myself lost in the ideas he presented. My father was greatly displeased but that only made me turn towards my uncle all the more. However, at the same time, my cousin – the new Lord Fullerton as he is at present – began to despise me for he was not given the same attentions from his father since he was not in the least bit like minded." A broken sigh left his lips as he shook his head. "I did not see the difficulty at the time but now, I do. Ever since then, my cousin has not been warm towards me though he has always been cordial. When I received the request to chaperone Dinah at the Season this year, I felt glad that he was so trusting of me but now, I wonder if it might have been for his own purposes."

"To disgrace you," Lillian breathed, as the Duke murmured. "He wants the ton to look down upon you, to think ill of you because of your interests in natural philosophy."

"I think so," came the answer, spoken slowly as the Duke's forehead furrowed. "I told Dinah that I did not think that there was any connection between this and Lady Vivianne's dilemma with her brother's insistence but now, on hearing this from you, I do begin to wonder."

Lillian's eyes widened and she swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words. "I – I cannot let you drink whatever the vial contains."

The Duke smiled. "Of course I shall not. But I shall make Lord Jedburgh think that I have."

Relief built in Lillian's chest. "In what way?"

His shoulders lifted. "I presume that it is meant to make me ill in some way? Perhaps even so unwell that I reach death?" His hand reached out to take hers. "But I will not touch it, I promise you. Instead I will feign illness, make my way to the private parlour – with assistance, of course – and then see what happens thereafter."

Lillian nodded and closed her eyes. "I see."

"Might you wish to join me? I know that your father and mother would not be agreeable but perhaps your brother and Dinah could accompany you? If you would all go to sit in Lord Umbridge's parlour, then that is where I shall request to go."

Swallowing thickly, Lillian opened her eyes again and tried to speak but nothing came out except a rasp. With comfort in his eyes, the Duke took her hand and squeezed it gently, before bowing over it. "All shall be well," he said, lifting his head and then releasing her hand. "Might you return to Lady Vivianne and inform her? She will have to come and stand by me."

"You are very courageous," Lillian whispered, hating the fact that she was going to have to step away from him. "I will do so and then find Harry to take me to the parlour."

The Duke smiled at her, though a shadow came into his expression as he did so. "Thank heavens my mother decided to remain at home this evening, else I do not know what I should do! Do not worry, my dear Lillian. We shall soon find out the truth and be free of all of this. And then, what a joyous future awaits!"

Lillian tried to smile but tears came into her eyes instead. Aware that she might herself be being watched, she bobbed a quick curtsy and then stepped away, fear and hope twining together in one dreadful sensation which sent ice into her veins and fire to her heart. Would they find out the truth this evening? Or would something go terribly wrong and break them both apart forever?