Chapter Twelve

Louisa frowned as she accepted the bouquet of flowers from the footman's hands. "Was there a card or a note with them?"

The footman nodded. "Yes, my lady." Plucking it from his pocket, he handed it to her before turning to take his leave, having been dismissed by a nod from Louisa. Setting the card down, Louisa turned the bouquet around in her hands, taking in the different kinds of flowers, the scents and the colors and, despite her uncertainty over who had sent them, she did begin to smile. It was a very kind gift and she certainly did value it.

"Here." Gesturing to the maid who had come to join her in the drawing room should any gentlemen come to call, Louisa handed the flowers to her. "Please put these in water and then send for my sisters. They should be ready by now and can come to sit with me for the afternoon callers. "Louisa was sure there would be a good many visitors but whether or not any of them would be acceptable as potential suitors for either Ruth or Rachel, she could not say. Some, Louisa was certain, would come solely to see her, to try and garner some information about her betrothal to the Duke of Yarmouth which could then be fed to the others in society as rumor. Those were the last sort of gentlemen she wished to be in company with her sisters!

With a sigh, Louisa picked up the card and opened it, her eyes rounding in surprise as she read the few short words there.

‘ I have not done as I ought. I beg your forgiveness."

It was signed by the Duke of Yarmouth but whether or not it was truly from his heart, she could not say. Yes, there was a part of her that wanted to believe him but there was another part – a larger part – that told her he was nothing but a liar and a deceiver. She could not give him her trust instantly, just because he had assured her of his change in character now, could she?

And I hope he does not expect that either.

"What beautiful flowers!"

The door opened and both Rachel and Ruth hurried in, with Ruth's eyes going straight to the vase of flowers that the maid had now set on the table. "Who are they from?"

"My betrothed." The word seemed to stick to her tongue but she spoke it anyway. "The Duke of Yarmouth."

Ruth's nose wrinkled, though Rachel only nodded and then went to sit down on one of the couches, obviously disinterested.

"I do not know yet if I can trust him," Louisa said, firmly. "Now you must not question me on that but you must question the motivation of any and all gentlemen who come to call on you, especially if they are those who begin to ask you questions about the gentleman that I am courting. It may well be that they are seeking out only gossip rather than truly caring for you."

Ruth nodded solemnly but Rachel only rolled her eyes. "Louisa, I am sure that the gentlemen who come to call are all excellent fellows. We are well able to attract that sort of gentleman on our own, rather than being forced to marry a gentleman we know nothing about."

Her cold words sent a shudder up Louisa's back but she kept her mouth shut, refusing to let her sister's words bring out any anger in her. She had enough to manage already.

"Rachel, you need not be so callous! I think that –"

A knock at the door had Louisa silencing her sisters quickly, gesturing for them to be quiet and to stand at a seat. She too hurried to join them before calling for the door to be opened, fully expecting someone to come in who had come to call on either of her sisters.

"The Duke of Yarmouth, my lady." The butler came in, opened the door wide and Louisa's heart clattered to the floor, practically feeling her sisters' disappointment.

"Your… your Grace." Louisa swallowed tightly, bobbing a quick curtsy. "I – I did not think – "

"It is the first time I have come to call on you, yes. I am well aware that you would not have expected me to do such a thing." The Duke's voice was low, heavy with something that Louisa could not quite make out. Disappointment, perhaps? Sadness? Or was it that he was irritated at being forced to come to call on her, given that it would be what she and society might expect?

"Please, do sit down." Louisa gestured to the seat near her, then nodded to the butler who quit the room in order to bring the tea trays in. "Thank you for the flowers. They are quite beautiful."

The Duke nodded but said nothing and a silence fell across the room. Louisa twisted her fingers in her lap, not certain what to say and feeling a deep sense of uncertainty over what she ought to do next. She had no conversation to make, no tea to pour as yet and it seemed that the Duke himself had nothing that he wished to speak of either! Why had he come to call? Was this one of the ways that he desired to prove himself to her? Prove that his character had changed? Pressing her lips together, Louisa looked back at him, their gazes meeting. Louisa did not pull hers away, however, taking him in. His expression certainly seemed a little darker than before, his brows heavy over his green eyes – green eyes which now seemed closer to brown than to green given the weight they held. Black hair fell carelessly over his forehead, his strong jaw tight as he let out a slow breath – and something in Louisa trembled lightly. He was a handsome gentleman, she could not help but admit that but as to his character, she could not give him even a little of her trust as yet.

"Lord Quillon and Lady Julia appear to be very… happily acquainted." Finally, the Duke spoke and Louisa could only nod, having no desire to speak of her friend to the Duke. Yes, Lord Quillon did appear to be very happy in Lady Julia's company and she the same, but that did not mean that Louisa felt able to comment on it.

Another knock came and Louisa let out a breath of relief, glad that the tea was about to be brought in so she would have something to do. However, though the butler did step in, it was only to announce the arrival of both the Earl of Huntly and the Viscount Proudfoot – both gentlemen that Louisa had been introduced to some time ago. Louisa got to her feet quickly, as did her sisters though Louisa caught how Rachel's eyes lit up, her smile growing as she looked to Lord Proudfoot.

"Good afternoon." Louisa glanced to her sisters, seeing them curtsying. "Please, do come to join us. Might I ask if you are acquainted with the Duke of Yarmouth?"

Both the gentlemen glanced at each other, then nodded, though a flicker of interest came into Lord Huntly's eyes… something that Louisa did not particularly appreciate. She did not want to have to spend her afternoon trying to quell any sort of whispers and rumors that the gentlemen might carry with them out into London society.

"How very good to see you, Lord Proudfoot," Rachel exclaimed, her cheeks a little pink as she resumed her seat. "And to you also, Lord Huntly."

"Indeed, it is very kind of you to come to call on us." Ruth, her voice soft and, to Louisa's sharp eyes, a hint of concern in her expression, also sat back down. "It has been some time since we have spoken, however, is it not?"

Lord Huntly put one hand to his heart. "Much to my chagrin, of course," he said quickly, though Louisa quickly understood the reason for her sister's concern. If Lord Huntly had not shown any interest in either Rachel or Ruth in some days, then what was the reason for his arrival now? Could it be that he wanted only to talk about the Duke of Yarmouth? "I do not mean to interrupt your conversation, however. I will only stay if the Duke of Yarmouth is contented to have us stay."

The Duke sniffed. "It makes no difference to me."

Seeing the maids coming in with the tea trays, Louisa gestured to them quickly, feeling a knot tie itself in her stomach as the tension became a little more palpable – at least, to her. Yes, the Duke did not seem to mind in the least at having more company but she certainly did although Rachel seemed quite delighted at Lord Proudfoot's presence. Mayhap he had come to call with good intentions but Louisa was not at all sure about Lord Huntly.

"I must say, I have heard a good deal about you of late." Lord Huntly gestured to the Duke as he spoke, making the knot in Louisa's stomach tighten though she looked both to Ruth and then to Rachel to see which of them would pour the tea – but both did not catch her gaze, given that their eyes were fixed to either Lord Huntly or Lord Proudfoot. Sighing inwardly, Louisa set to the task, praying silently that the Duke would not continue on the conversation but would set it to something else.

"I am sure that you have." The Duke's voice was low though his gaze was sharp, his eyes narrowed just a little as he looked back at Lord Huntly. "However, I –"

"I have to tell you that this latest rumour is certainly quite extraordinary! I do not think that I have heard anything like it before!"

Louisa's hands shook suddenly and the teapot almost slipped from her fingers. A light sweat broke out across her forehead as she continued to pour the tea, wondering what on earth it could be that Lord Huntly had heard.

"I hardly think that this is the time nor the place to discuss such things," Lord Proudfoot interjected, his brows knotted as he took the teacup from Louisa with a nod of thanks. "Lady Rachel, might I ask if –"

"What nonsense!" Lord Huntly laughed aloud, slapping his knee as though Lord Proudfoot had said the most ridiculous thing. "I am sure that the ladies have all heard of this already! That is why you are here, is it not, Your Grace? You have come to reassure Lady Louisa, your betrothed, that what is being said is entirely without substance, yes?"

Louisa continued to serve the tea, though as she handed the cup to the Duke of Yarmouth, he touched her fingers with his for just a brief moment, making her head lift and her eyes look straight back into his. Her stomach twisted sharply, her breath catching as she lingered, trying to understand what it was in his gaze.

"I have not done anything worthy of rumour," he said, speaking to Lord Huntly but keeping his eyes fixed to hers. "I can assure you, whatever has been said, it has no truth to it."

Blinking, Louisa turned to serve the tea to her sisters, understanding now that the Duke of Yarmouth wanted to tell her, albeit indirectly, that there was no truth in whatever was about to be said – but Louisa's heart dropped low. He was asking her to trust him, was he not? And yet, she could not simply do that because he asked her to. There was nothing like that between them, not as yet. Whatever Lord Huntly was about to say – for he would say it regardless, she was sure – Louisa was more inclined to believe it rather than to trust the Duke.

"Are you quite certain?" Lord Huntly chuckled and Louisa closed her eyes, her face growing hotter and hotter as a sudden silence fell. It was quite clear to her that Lord Huntly had come for one reason and one reason only and that was so that he might be the one to inform both her sisters and herself about what he had heard about the Duke. No doubt, he now wanted to see what their reaction would be so that he could then go and spread that news around London. How much better it would be for him now that the Duke himself was present!

"I do not think that you ought to speak of such things, Lord Huntly." It was Lord Proudfoot's quiet voice that broke the quiet, his steadiness something that Louisa appreciated, though she could not bring herself to lift her head and look at him. All she could do was look down at her tea cup, waiting for the blow to fall. "It is quite clear to me that no-one present wishes to hear it."

Lord Huntly laughed harshly. "It is quite apparent to me as to why the Duke would want to keep such a thing secret! Though I think it unfair that you should tell your betrothed, Your Grace, since it will mean a significant lack for her once she becomes your bride."

"A lack?" It was Ruth who spoke up, only for her face to turn scarlet as Louisa looked back at her sharply, wishing that she had kept her mouth closed.

"Yes, a lack!" Lord Huntly laughed again and Louisa's hands curled into fists, keeping herself silent with an effort. She wanted to rise to her feet and demand that Lord Huntly take his leave at once but, in doing so, she would, no doubt, present yet more fodder for the ton to take a hold of. Lord Huntly would not be shy in sharing that with anyone!

"Huntly, I –"

Lord Proudfoot's words were interrupted by Lord Huntly's loud, firm voice, telling them all just what it was that he had heard.

"The Duke of Yarmouth has been heavily involved in gambling of late, given that the ton have been so disinclined towards his company! It seems that he has been seen frequenting gambling dens all across London and, it is said, has lost a great deal of his fortune!"

Louisa stiffened but kept her expression as blank as she could, refusing to look at Lord Huntly as he spoke.

"It seems that liquor and cards do not go well together, Your Grace," Lord Huntly finished, with another laugh. "Just how much have you lost?"

"Nothing."

The answer brought a sudden rush of quietness as Louisa finally found herself able to lift her gaze and look back at the Duke as he spoke. His eyes were fixed to Lord Huntly, his face black with anger and Louisa, though she herself was not the cause of his upset, found herself shuddering.

"That is nothing but a lie," he continued, his lips thinning. "I have been doing nothing of the sort."

"Is that so?" Lord Huntly sat back in his chair and tilted his head to the left, seeming almost amused at the Duke's reaction. "I am not surprised that you have refuted it, of course. Though that does not mean that I believe you." One hand gestured towards Louisa. "Neither does it mean that your betrothed does either."

Louisa lifted her chin. "I would ask you kindly not to speak about me in such an informed manner when you are entirely uninformed. "

This seemed to dim the smile of Lord Huntly just a little, his eyes darting between Louisa and the Duke. "Then do you mean to say that you trust the word of the Duke of Yarmouth?" he asked, a faint hint of mirth still in his voice. "Come now, Lady Louisa, the entirety of the ton knows that you have been forced into this betrothal by the demands of your father and that you have no true feelings for the Duke of Yarmouth – and none could blame you for that, given the way that he left you alone on the dance floor and went in search of other company, if you garner my meaning." A broad smile flicked across his face for a moment before fading away. "You need not pretend, not with me."

Not knowing what it was that drove her, Louisa found herself on her feet, her gaze fixed to Lord Huntly, her hands down by her sides though still held in tight fists. "I think that such questions are both rude and improper, Lord Huntly and, has been told to you by Lord Proudfoot and the Duke himself, there is no requirement nor desire to hear such rumours – for that is what they are. They are nothing but rumour and I will not have any such things spoken here."

Lord Huntly blinked rapidly, his smile gone completely. "You mean to say that you trust the Duke's word over mine?" he asked, sounding utterly astonished. "I know that it is only a rumour, as you have said, but everything that has been spoken about of the Duke of Yarmouth thus far has been proven to be quite true!"

"And yet, that still does not mean that everything is," Louisa countered, knowing that she spoke against what was within her own heart. "Now, Lord Huntly, either you are here to take tea with us and enjoy good company or you are here to spread rumours and see what our reaction is to them. If it is the former, then you are welcome to sit here with us. However, if it is the latter, then I must ask you to take your leave at once." A thin smile pressed itself upon her lips. "I am sure that the ton will be very interested to hear of your purpose in calling upon us, Lord Huntly, should it be the latter. Do bear in mind that I have just as many people in society interested in what I have to say." She waited until Lord Huntly's smile had vanished completely, his face paling just a little before she sat back in her seat, turning to look to her sisters who were both seated with the same look of utter astonishment on both of their expressions. With a slight lift of her eyebrow, she caught both Rachel's eye and then Ruth's, encouraging them silently to begin a conversation and, much to her relief, Ruth soon did.

Louisa did not pay much attention to the conversation, however. She was much too busy thinking about what Lord Huntly had told her. Despite her attempt to convince Lord Huntly that she did not much care for what he had told her and that she trusted the Duke over his word, the truth was, she believed precisely the opposite. And if the Duke of Yarmouth had been frequenting the gambling dens of London, then just how much of his fortune was gone? Was it a vast amount? And what would that mean for her future?

"I think I shall take my leave." The Duke of Yarmouth rose to his feet, catching Louisa's attention and making her eyebrows lift in surprise as he bowed towards her. "Lady Louisa, might I ask if you would accompany me to the carriage? I know that you have a responsibility to your sisters but I am certain that both of these gentlemen will do nothing untoward in the few minutes that I will be gone."

Louisa swallowed tightly, glancing at her sisters who both nodded, though neither appeared pleased. "But of course. I shall send the maid in, however." Following after the Duke, she left the door to the drawing room wide open and quickly catching a maid's attention, sent her into the room thereafter.

"I thank you."

Glancing at the Duke sharply, Louisa tried to make out whether or not she could trust that the quiet, dullness of his voice was truly a representation of all that he was feeling or if it was just an act.

"I am sorry for what Lord Huntly said." The Duke looked at her as they made their way slowly up the hallway to the front of the house. "That is a rumour and nothing more, I assure you."

Louisa lifted her shoulders and then let them fall, saying nothing.

"I do not know why you said such things to Lord Huntly when I am quite certain they are untrue, but I am grateful to you for your consideration of me. It is not something I deserve, I know."

The Duke stopped walking and turned so that they stood face to face and something swept through Louisa with great force, stealing her breath for a moment as his eyes fastened to hers. She tried to speak but her words were gone from her, finding herself almost transfixed at the intensity of his gaze.

"I should like to prove to you that these rumors are untrue," the Duke continued, pulling his gaze away from hers and as he did so, finally permitting her to breathe. "If you would be willing to accompany me, I would take you to my solicitors and have them show you the recent accounts. That should be enough to prove that I have not done as it is being said."

"You know that I do not believe you, despite what I said to Lord Huntly?"

He nodded. "Of course. Why should you believe me? It is not as though there is any trust between us."

"I see." Louisa took in another breath, then shrugged again. "Your Grace, I said those things because I did not want Lord Huntly to go and spread yet more rumours through London – this time about me and my reaction to the news of your gambling. I was protecting myself, I suppose, as well as protecting my sisters."

For whatever reason, the Duke closed his eyes briefly as though her answer had pained him in some way. "I quite understand."

"Though you do not need to prove anything to me," Louisa continued, quickly. "I do not think –"

"But I want to."

Without warning, the Duke moved a little closer, reaching to take her hand in his, squeezing it with a fervency she had not anticipated.

"I want to prove to you that I am not as the ton has been saying," he said, searching her face. "Please, if you would only accompany me, then I would be able to show you that it is not as they have said. That way, at the very least, you would be able to have full confidence when someone else speaks to you about it, as they will."

Louisa did not know what to say to this, hearing the urgency in his voice, the sound of gentle desperation in his voice and finding herself a little taken aback. This was not the Duke that she knew! The Duke of Yarmouth would not care about his reputation and would give no thought to what she herself considered when it came to his actions, so why now was he so desperate to have her believe him?

"I suppose that it would not be any sort of great trial to accompany you," she said slowly, as the Duke let out a slow breath of relief and then released her hand. "If you so wish."

"I thank you." The Duke of Yarmouth took her hand again but this time, only to bow over it. His lips were very close to the back of her hand and Louisa's breath hitched as warmth brushed across her skin, though he did not do anything other than bow. "Tomorrow?"

When he lifted his head and looked at her, Louisa suddenly could not breathe again. It was the second time that he had brought about such a strange sensation within her and though she nodded, she also quickly pulled her hand back to herself so that the sensation dissipated just as quickly.

"Tomorrow, then." With what was the first smile that had graced his lips ever since he had first come to call, the Duke inclined his head one more time and then stepped away, leaving Louisa with nothing but confusion, doubt and uncertainty lingering all about her.