Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"W hat? What is going on?" Richard demanded, his arm tightening protectively around Nancy.

Ernest closed the distance between them, holding out the paper he had been waving to the Duke, who took it from him reluctantly.

Richard's face was impassive as he realized what it was. The Scandal Gazette , London's most popular scandal sheet.

Unease swirled in his gut, flaring when he glanced at the front page and noticed the title sitting large and proud to catch the attention of whoever came across it quite quickly.

The Wexford's Ball, A Rather Dull Affair Compared to the Dubious Marriage of the Duke and Duchess

"What?" Nancy questioned worriedly, her hand coming up to rest on his arm. "What is the matter?"

Richard had already skimmed through the first paragraph and was aware that it detailed speculations about the consummation of their marriage—a subject he had been trying to hide from her last night. So he attempted to pull the sheet out of her sight but stopped when she gripped his wrist.

"It is nothing?—"

"You wouldn't look so distressed if that were the case." She glanced at Ernest. "And he would not have rushed here so urgently either. Do not lie to me, Richard."

Reluctantly, Richard relented, holding out the sheet between them so they could read it together—an action that turned out to be one of the worst mistakes he had ever made.

The rumors about their marriage were vile, but they weren't anything he had not heard the night before.

No, the pill that had been hard to swallow came several paragraphs down, bearing information that sucked the air right out of Richard's lungs.

If indeed the Duke and Duchess have not shared that first dance between the sheets yet, there is reason to believe that the Duchess is being cared for by another—one with whom she shares a fondness for dogs and likely other subjects. The two have been spending quite some time together, and sources within Wexford Castle say that it is unlikely that some pooch would be the only factor that garners and holds their interest.

It would not come as a surprise, given the rather irredeemable past that the Duke could not shed off so easily, even after marriage. Apparently, he has barely shown the Duchess any interest, leaving her no other option but to find solace in the arms of another—an action that might seem fair to some and infidelity to others.

At the end of the day, whoever the Duchess's dog trainer is, he has certainly gained more than just the loyalty and commitment of the critters he was hired to educate.

"That is ridiculous. I knew they were thirsty for gossip, but this is too far a reach, even for them." Nancy snorted with an irritated eye roll.

But Richard barely heard her, overwhelmed by the doubts and fears rearing their heads at once.

He had thought—he really believed that she wanted him.

It was impossible for anyone to care for him, much less someone as remarkable as his wife. He was not enough—he would never be enough, forever roaming in the shadows of obscurity, destined to remain alone.

Unlovable , just as his father had told him countless times.

"Richard." Nancy reached for him, looking shocked when he brushed her hands away. "Richard, it isn't true. I swear, there is nothing between Mr. Aldridge and me. All we do—all we have ever done is train Dash. Please believe me!"

"Why?" he spat, meeting her gaze coldly. "Just as I believed that you wanted me? Just when I trusted you when you asked me to meet you halfway? You simply wanted to make a fool out of me. Did it amuse you, how gullible I was? Were you entertained by how broken I am? You surely found it easy to manipulate me into giving you what you wanted."

Nancy stepped back, hurt flashing in her eyes as she attempted to defend herself.

"Richard, why would you say that? That isn't true, none of it. I would never?—"

"You would never? Do you really think me an utter fool? All those hours spent with him—talking and laughing as though there was nothing more grand to you than your time with him… all that was nothing? You never once thought of being with him since your husband paid you no mind?"

She looked like he had struck her across the face, tears filling her eyes rapidly.

"How dare you?" she queried coldly as tears streamed down her face. "After all I did—I came to you! Time and time again, Richard. I made so much effort for us to make this stiff, void dance we call a marriage work. And yet, you believe I would go behind your back and fall into the bed of another man?"

Her voice grew harder and louder as her statements progressed.

Soon, Richard's chest began to hurt, but the feeling paled in the face of the flames of betrayal licking up his spine, filling his mind with so much smoke that he could barely harbor a single thought that wasn't attached to the matter at hand.

"If that is what you think of me, then I'd rather be elsewhere than share a home with someone who believes the worst of his own wife."

But before he could say anything, Nancy gathered her skirts and ran into the house, followed by Dash, who did not even spare him a second glance, leaving him to stew in his bitterness.

The Duke inhaled and turned angrily to the butler as he crumpled the sheet.

"Inform Mr. Aldridge that his services are no longer required. I want him out of my estate before the day's end."

* * *

No amount of deep breaths seemed to be able to calm Nancy down.

Each time she inhaled, it hurt, causing more tears to pool in her eyes and spill the next moment. She was sobbing by the time she arrived at her bedroom, barely able to hold herself up.

Mrs. Silverstone was waiting for her when she arrived, her weathered face holding an expression of dismay as she took in the distraught state of her mistress.

"Oh, Your Grace," she gasped, holding her arms out to her.

Nancy fell into her embrace, heaving, crying harder as her mind replayed Richard's words over and over again. He did not even try to hear her out, believing the words of a stranger over hers without much consideration.

It terrified and devastated her how easily he had gone from her warm husband with whom she had spent most of the day to the cold man who had accused her of infidelity—based on a column in a scandal sheet, of all things.

"I didn't—" she sputtered between her sobs. "I swear, I did not do anything. I would never! All we ever did was talk and train Dash. I did not have an affair with Mr. Aldridge."

"I know, Your Grace. I believe you," Mrs. Silverstone said soothingly. "I am a housekeeper; it is my job to know everything that happens within these walls. You have never once been inappropriate with Mr. Aldridge, and he has never once expressed any sort of interest in anything other than his job. I know that you have ever only looked at His Grace."

"S-So why won't he believe me?" Nancy hiccupped, her chest feeling emptier with every passing moment. "I thought—I thought he cared for me."

Mrs. Silverstone sighed, patting the Duchess' hair comfortingly. "I think, perhaps, the problem is that he cares too much. Not just about you but about the opinion of the ton, just as he had about his father's thoughts and his brother's words. Now, he is bearing the weight of it all, letting his deepest worries speak louder than the voice that matters the most—yours, Your Grace. I am sorry that you must endure all of this."

Nancy inhaled slowly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, suppressing a fresh wave of tears, caught off guard by how hurt she felt.

She had hoped that they would be able to laugh it off easily. Had expected them to make light of the situation. Instead?—

"It all crumbled so fast," she whispered, sitting back with a sniff, unable to see through the tears that filled her eyes. "We had been so happy for such a little while, and in a moment… it all came undone. And I do not know why it hurts like this. It feels as though my heart was carved out of my chest… and a bag of sand was shoved in its place."

Mrs. Silverstone stared at her with a sad smile. "Perhaps it is because your feelings for His Grace are much deeper than you realize."

Nancy recalled how she had felt at peace when he kissed her over and over again that morning. How safe she had felt in his presence, her skin tingling with pleasure as his fingers caressed her. The surge of love each time he smiled at her?—

She stilled, barely breathing, as tears began to roll down her cheeks again.

Love . She loved him.

"I… I can't stay here," she whispered, rising suddenly. "I can't be here. I want to go to my family. I need them."

She half expected the housekeeper to discourage her, to beg her to stay. But Mrs. Silverstone only guided her back to sit on her bed, softly telling her, "Paula and I will pack your things, Your Grace, and call for a carriage. Just sit and rest."

Nancy nodded gratefully, lifting Dash into her arms as she returned to the bed, lying down and hiding her face in his soft fur. Her precious puppy whined, sensing how upset she was, but he stayed still in her arms, letting her derive as much comfort as she wanted from him.

It took a little while, but eventually, the housekeeper came to tell her that her things had been packed and loaded into a carriage waiting for her at the front of the castle.

She proposed that Nancy wash her face before leaving, and Paula brought her warm water in a wash basin. The girl's eyes were full of sorrow which made it difficult for Nancy to look at her for too long.

Washing her face made her head feel much lighter, but the same couldn't be said for her heart which grew heavier as she donned a cloak and left her room.

With every step she took to the carriage, she prayed Richard would come and tell her he was wrong. That he would apologize.

That he would try and make her stay.

But soon, she was in front of the carriage and had not heard her name called once.

"Are you ready, Your Grace?" the coachman asked, offering her his hand.

Nancy fisted her hands in her cloak, willing herself not to turn around, knowing that her courage might falter if she did. Slowly, she nodded, shakily taking a deep breath.

"As I'll ever be."

* * *

The burn of the whiskey paled significantly in comparison with the ache in Richard's chest that had been present since he watched Nancy walk away from him.

No matter how much he drank, the pain refused to fade, chipping away at his strength rapidly. He was unsure how to resolve this or what could be done about it.

Somewhere in his mind, a quiet voice had tried to speak up for Nancy, to tell him that what he read in the sheet couldn't have been true. But then, his doubt was louder, arguing that he had seen them together on multiple occasions.

Nancy's smile was always bright when she was with the dog trainer, always easy, more so than it had been with him. It would make sense for her to turn to him due to his neglect. There was no one to blame but himself for his incompetence and unworthiness.

He refilled his empty glass, downing its contents almost immediately, barely hearing the knock at his door. It persisted, seemingly echoing in his mind, and he let out an impatient grunt.

Ernest stepped into the study with an impassive expression on his face as he cleared his throat lightly before speaking.

"Your Grace, Her Grace called for a carriage to take her to Bluebird Hall where her family is currently residing."

Richard remained silent.

The butler added, a little quieter this time, "There was luggage loaded in the carriage. It seems Her Grace intends to stay with them for a while."

In the end, she did not want to stay, just like everyone else.

Dejection flooded Richard's veins, and he refilled his glass, his hand shaking slightly as he stated, "As we learned from the Scandal Gazette , the Duchess can do whatever she pleases."