Chapter Twenty

Lillian pressed her lips together, holding back the question for as long as she could. It had been almost half an hour since her brother had quit the room and still, nothing had happened. Lord Huxley had poured himself a brandy, though the Duke had refused one, but as yet, she still did not understand exactly what the Duke expected to take place.

"How long will we wait?"

Lillian turned just as Lord Huxley asked the very question which had been on her lips.

"And who is it that you are expecting to see?" he continued, as Lillian came to sit down quickly rather than walking up and down the room. "This is all rather mysterious."

The Duke smiled briefly. "I am sorry for that," he said, looking to Lillian and then back to Lord Huxley. "I do not wan to throw blame upon someone before it has been confirmed but –"

Before he could continue, a knock came to the door and Lillian caught her breath, lifting her head to look at it directly.

"Huxley." The Duke waved one hand towards him. "Now, whoever this is, inform him that the doctor is searching for a cure but you fear that I will succumb to this severe illness. You are sorrowful and distraught." He looked to Lillian. "Lillian, might you sit in the corner, there? It is dark enough there for you not to be seen and, no matter what happens, do not reveal yourself until all has been revealed."

"But it could be a footman," Lillian protested, as Lord Huxley made his way to the door, "or someone who saw you quit the ballroom."

The Duke nodded before turning and lying down on the couch, one arm falling out from him towards the ground. "It could be, in which case, I shall sit up again and we shall wait a little longer," he murmured, as Lord Huxley reached the door and looked back at them both, waiting for confirmation that he should open it. "Promise me you will stay quiet, Lillian."

She nodded, scurrying back to the corner of the room and sitting down in a chair covered in shadows. After a moment – and another knock – Lord Huxley opened the door and the murmurs began. Lillian closed her eyes and took in long, slow breaths, a mixture of fear and anticipation rattling through her – and then there came a loud shout.

"I must see him!"

Lillian jerked in her chair, seeing the door being flung back and Lord Huxley thrown back out of the way. A gentleman she did not recognise stumbled into the room before stopping dead as though in shock. He stared at the Duke, one hand at his heart, his eyes wide… and then he crumpled.

"Oh, my dear cousin!" he exclaimed, falling on his knees beside the Duke, his hand going to the Duke's flung out arm. "I have only just returned from the continent and now, I hear, you are taken ill! Cousin? Cousin! Can you hear me speaking to you?"

Lillian watched with wide eyes as the Duke did not respond to the fellow, his eyes closed, his head lolling as the man shook him gently. This was the Duke's cousin, then? Lord Fullerton? Lillian pressed her eyes closed tightly as she fought to make sense of it all. If this was Lord Fullerton, then why was he saying he had only just returned from the continent if the Duke had previously informed her that he had been back in the country for some time? And was this the very same person that the Duke suspected of attempting to injure him with the vial?

But why?

She knew that Lord Fullerton had held a great dislike for the Duke, given what the Duke himself had expressed to her but did that truly mean that he would be as cruel as to try and take the Duke's life? She did not understand, struggling to make sense in her mind about all that was taking place.

"What is the doctor to do?" The gentleman rose and looked to Lord Huxley, who threw up his hands.

"It is as I have told you! The doctor has gone to consult with others as to what might be happening to the Duke. He did not know what was wrong but it appears as though he is becoming weaker with every minute that passes." A slight catch came into Lord Huxley's voice and Lillian fought not to smile, despite the tension flooding the room. Lord Huxley was putting on an excellent performance indeed!

"Then he will die," the other gentleman breathed, hanging his head. "How sad I am to hear that."

"It may not be so," Lord Huxley answered, quickly. "It may be that the doctor will return. You cannot give up hope, Lord Fullerton."

Then this is Lord Fullerton, Lillian thought to herself, just as Lord Fullerton gestured to the door.

"Might you give me a few moments alone with my cousin?" he asked, his own voice trembling. "If this is to be his last, then I should like to speak with him, even if he cannot hear me. Dinah should be here too. Perhaps you would be good enough to bring her here? I came to the ball, having been informed that she would be present, only to discover the most disastrous circumstance! I am certain she will be horrified to hear of it also."

"But of course." Lord Huxley hesitated for only a moment before quitting the room, leaving only the Duke, Lillian and Lord Fullerton who was, of course, entirely unaware of her presence.

Tension built like a wave, threatening to crash over her, and Lillian dug her fingernails into her palms, trying not to move or make a single sound. The moment the door closed, Lord Fullerton's demeanour changed and, much to Lillian's horror, he let out a cold, calculating laugh.

"Well, well, cousin. What a game I have played with you and how much you have lost!" he said, wandering back towards the Duke who was still lying there, as though he truly was close to death. "Taking on Dinah was only the first step but bringing Lord Jedburgh and Lady Vivianne into the situation was truly brilliant on my part. You do not remember, I suppose, telling me about the mention of Lady Vivianne in your father's will, but you did and I remembered it, desperate to find a way to bring you low. And thus, I have." He chuckled darkly, still wandering around the room and speaking as though the Duke could hear every word. Lillian shrank back in her chair, afraid that he would come closer, that he would see her, and yet she found herself willing him to continue.

Thankfully, Lord Fullerton did not need much encouragement.

"Lord Jedburgh is a fool. He lost so much at cards that he was going to have to go to his father to request additional funds but, given that he had been doing so for many years and had been told he would receive no more, he was desperate to find a way to bring in some more coin. I told him that I would give him what he required, so long as he did as I asked – and he accepted without hesitation! That gentleman cares nothing for anyone aside from himself, though I do not find myself ridiculing that for he is precisely like me! He should have known that I would threaten him into doing as I demanded. He should never have trusted me." He laughed horribly and Lillian shuddered, her whole body tight with tension. This had all been by Lord Fullerton's hand, then. It had all been his game, his cruelty reaching out to injure the Duke.

Injure him? Or kill him?

She shuddered again, just as Lord Fullerton threw out his hands towards the Duke, as though the man could see him.

"I do not know what he said to the lady to make her place that vial in your glass but she did it very well and now how sad everyone shall be at your sudden demise! Have no fear, however. I shall tell them all that the Mad Duke took his experiments too far and that it was by his own hand that he lost his life. I will declare that I am glad for Lady Vivianne, that she has been spared your madness and will marry her myself instead." He laughed again, cruelty in every tone. "She may not much like it but there are always ways and means to encourage someone towards obedience. Thus, I shall be the next Duke of Wrexham, I shall have Lady Vivianne as my Duchess and you will be forever known as the Mad Duke, who lost himself in experiments and brought himself to his own demise. Though I must play the part of the broken-hearted cousin for some time yet, which is a little irritating. Nonetheless, I –"

"I think your mourning comes a little early, cousin."

The Duke swung his legs around, sitting up straight before standing up directly, just as Lord Fullerton staggered back, his face white with shock, his mouth agape, eyes wide. The Duke lifted his chin and advanced towards his cousin, his broad shoulders and height making him an imposing figure. "But I thank you for confessing all. I will admit that I had no knowledge of what was truly taking place, not until Lady Vivianne began to tell me about her brother's demands upon her. In hearing that the letters Dinah was sending you were going to Scotland and then to Bath, I quickly realised that there was more to this situation than I first saw. And now you have admitted to everything! How very gracious of you."

The irony in his tone rattled around the room as Lord Fullerton stopped backing away and instead, stood as tall as he could. "There is nothing that you can do with it, however," he hissed, his eyes sparking fury. "You have been called the Mad Duke and should you try to say a single thing to anyone, the whispers about your madness will only grow stronger."

The Duke lifted an eyebrow as Lillian watched, her hands clasped so tightly together, it was painful. "You appear to be very good with threats, Fullerton. Alas for you, there are witnesses." His gaze went to Lillian and, steeling herself, Lillian rose from her chair and stepped forward into the dimly lit room, catching the way that Lord Fullerton's face fell. At the very same time, the door opened and Lord Huxley walked inside, his face flushed with anger.

"I pressed my ear to the door and strained to hear but I can assure you, I know everything that you said," he stated, as Lillian closed her eyes in relief. "It is all done, now. There is no way to escape."

Lord Fullerton's mouth opened and then closed again as he fought to find a response – a response that he could not give. Lillian swallowed hard but then took the Duke's hand, standing alongside him, determined that her courage would not fail her now.

"I heard everything that you said, Lord Fullerton," she said, as clearly and as firmly as she could. "Every single word."

Lord Fullerton's lip curled. "And who are you?"

"My betrothed," the Duke said, sending a thrill of delight rushing over Lillian. "I am afraid it is as Lord Huxley says, Fullerton. It is at an end – and I am sure that Lord Jedburgh will be more than happy to tell us all, given that we have discovered a great deal. If you do not wish for there to be any sort of consequence, then might I suggest that you take your leave of London and return to the continent at once?"

A darkness came into Lord Fullerton's eyes. "Consequence?" He laughed but it sounded dull, no longer filled with the confidence he had once had. "I do not know what you speak of."

"Bedlam."

It was as if an icy cold wind had filled the room. Lillian shivered and clung to the Duke a little more tightly just as Lord Fullerton's eyes widened. Even Lord Huxley went very still as the Duke nodded, his expression grave.

"If I were to tell everyone what had happened, if I had Lord Jedburgh, Lady Vivianne, Lady Lillian and Lord Huxley confirm and expand on it all, then what do you think the ton would think? They would say that you are mad, attempting to kill me out of some misplaced anger over our childhood. They would be concerned for you, thinking you unwell given all that you have done and those that you have manipulated. So might I suggest, Lord Fullerton, that you take yourself away and return to the continent? You shall never be Duke and if you dare linger, then I will make certain you are shut away in Bedlam for a time until you have recovered."

The threat of such a thing made Lord Fullerton blanch. There was nothing that he could say, no excuse that he could give, no demand that he could make and, much to Lillian's relief, he turned on his heel and made for the door, almost tripping over his feet as he did so.

"I will make certain he does as is asked, my friend," Lord Huxley said, before hurrying out of the room after him. The moment the door closed, Lillian found the Duke's arms around her and, flinging her arms about his neck, she pulled herself as close to him as she could, sensing tears just behind her eyes.