Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

A REVELATORY CONVERSATION

I AWAKENED BLEARY-EYED. No wonder. I’d tossed and turned half the night, my thoughts reliving what happened in Needham’s study. After last night’s debacle, my first inclination was to have Tilly pack my trunk and leave. But I’d never been a coward. I wasn’t about to start now.

How dare the high and mighty Duke of Steele attempt to seduce me? And in Lord Needham’s study of all places. Not that there was a proper place to do such a thing. He’d brushed up against me. Well, nearly. He had touched me, though. He’d been so close I’d breathed in that maddening scent of his. What was it? Sandalwood, cedar, some woodsy cologne? And underneath it all, him.

Plain and simple, I’d been mesmerized. No man had ever affected me the way he had. But I was not the least bit interested in a seduction, or a liaison, never mind marriage. I was way too busy with the upbringing of my siblings. And I couldn’t very well leave them to Cosmos’s mercies. Oh, he would feed and water them, put a roof over their heads, educate them. But he would never encourage their dreams or soothe their fears, most especially Petunia’s. No. I could not leave my brothers and sisters to his care.

For years, I’d told myself I had no desire to marry. Not with all the responsibilities I had. My family being the most important. But there was also the Society for the Advancement of Women. We were planning big things, and I’d been elected its president. Come the season, we intended to submit a petition for woman suffrage to Parliament. A marriage, with all its responsibilities, would mean I would need to resign that office. With no firm hand to guide them, the Society would descend into chaos.

My well-ordered life had a purpose. Several of them in fact. I was . . . content. But then the Duke of Steele had breezed into my life, and we’d joined forces to find Eleanor’s missing necklace. Our investigation had proceeded apace. We’d interviewed suspects and discovered clues. We’d analyzed everything and were moving in a forward path. I’d been content, excited over the investigation. Until last night when the duke tried to seduce me.

“He didn’t seduce you ,” my conscience argued.

“ He came damn close ,” I argued back.

“It takes two, Rosalynd . All you had to do was leave.”

“ Which I did, ” I rightfully pointed out.

“ Well, there you go. ”

Honestly, sometimes my conscience was downright unbearable. But maybe ‘she’ was right. He hadn’t seduced me. At the very least, a seduction involved kissing. Did it not? And he hadn’t done that. But he’d tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, laid a finger across my lips, whispered in my ear. His actions had been so unexpected I’d frozen in place. Why had he done such things? If it wasn’t a seduction, what was it? Was he teasing? No. He was not that kind of man. Was he trying to irk me? Well, he’d succeeded at that. But again, the question was why?

A knock on the door interrupted my argument with myself.

“Milady?” Tilly, my maid.

“Come,” I yelled.

“I brought your tea.”

“Thank you, Tilly. Please put it on the table.”

Once she’d done so, she asked, “Would you like me to draw your bath?”

“Yes, please.” There was no more time to worry about the duke. I needed to ready myself for the day ahead.

Bathed and dressed, I headed toward the dining room where breakfast awaited the early risers.

But on my way, a faint murmur of voices from a side room reached my ears. Pausing just outside the half-open door, I recognized the unmistakable tones of Felicity and her brother Edwin. Pausing, I strained to make out their conversation.

“You shouldn’t have done what you did, Felicity,” Edwin’s clear masculine voice said.

“Why should Cumberforth enjoy a life of luxury while you’re left begging for crumbs?”

“Because he’s Burkett’s heir. He’s entitled to it all. Can’t you see that?”

“It should all have been yours.”

“That’s not the way the laws of primogeniture work. They’re set in stone.”

“Stop being such a milksop, Edwin.”

“I’m not,” he sounded affronted. “I’m only thinking of what’s right.”

“You’re owed your share of the Burkett fortune. I’ll make sure you get it.”

“How will you manage that?”

“Lord Burkett promised to provide you with the inheritance you’re due and settle a dowry on me.”

“In exchange for what?”

“Eleanor’s necklace. When she appears at the ball without it, he’ll refuse to acknowledge her engagement to his son.”

“Where will he get the money? It’s common knowledge he’s squandered the Burkett fortune on bad investments and excessive gambling.”

“He intends for Cumberforth to marry Lady Annabel Bingham.”

“He would never do that. He loves Eleanor. You’ve sold your honor to a man who will give you nothing in return.”

“You’re wrong. The Burketts have money. How else would they afford their luxurious lifestyle?”

“It’s all for show, Felicity. There’s no fortune behind the facade.” Edwin temporarily paused. “Your actions will brand me a bastard and bring shame to our family.”

“You’ll have plenty of money to compensate for your disgrace.”

“I’d rather be seen as Papa’s legitimate son than Burkett’s bastard.”

“Even if you’re poor as a church mouse?”

“Yes, even so.”

“Well, I’m not willing to live a life of penury. A generous dowry means I can marry a peer, lead a comfortable life.”

“Lavinia will expose you. She will brand you a thief. No peer will marry you.”

“She can’t prove it. I made sure I wasn’t seen.”

“I beg you to return the necklace, Felicity.”

“Too late. I’ve already given it to Lord Burkett. He will provide us with a draft for twenty thousand pounds tonight. Half of it will be yours.”

“I don’t want any part of it. I’m leaving.”

I rushed to step back from the door, my slippered feet moving silently on the thick carpet as I hid from view behind one of the many Christmas trees that had been placed around the hall. Felicity quickly followed her brother out of the side room. But rather than follow him up the stairs, she paused. Her brow wrinkled as she gazed around, probably to make sure no one had overheard their conversation. Little did she know she was much too late. A few moments later, she shrugged and moved in the direction of the dining room.

As I had suspected, Felicity had stolen the necklace, and she’d already passed it to Lord Burkett. Edwin’s connection to Lord Cumberforth’s family was unexpected. Lavinia somehow believed that Edwin had been born on the wrong side of the blanket, and Lord Burkett was his father.

The grandfather clock in the hall chimed the hour—eight o’clock. There was no time to waste. I had to let the duke know right away what I’d learned. The recollection of last night rose unbidden in my mind. We hadn’t exactly parted amicably. Just the opposite. I’d stormed out of the study. But my feelings were not important. Finding Eleanor’s necklace was. Last night be damned.

I carefully made my way to the duke’s bedchamber making sure I wasn’t seen. If someone caught me slipping into his room, my reputation would be ruined. Thankfully, none of the other guests seemed to be awake. Once I reached the duke’s chamber, I knocked softly on the wood panel. A gentleman dressed in a servant’s garment answered the door.

“I’m Lady Rosalynd. I need to speak to His Grace. It’s a matter of some urgency,” I announced in a whisper.

“Roberts? What is it?” the duke’s voice demanded.

“Lady Rosalynd, Your Grace.”

He appeared barely half-dressed. Trousers donned, thank heaven, but his shirt was half open, revealing more than was proper. “What are you doing here?”

I pushed my way past his valet. “We must talk. I overheard a conversation.”

The duke turned to his manservant. “Roberts, that will be all.” His dark hair gleamed wet, evidence he’d just bathed.

“Your Grace.” His valet bowed before making his way out of the chamber, the door closing softly behind him.

Steele’s angry gaze landed on me. “If anybody saw you, a scandal will most surely ensue.” And then without the slightest thought to etiquette, he proceeded to button his shirt to his neck. He could have at least excused himself to finish dressing.

“I made sure I wasn’t.”

He propped his hands on his hips. “You’ve discovered something?”

I crossed the room to be closer to him. I wanted to make sure no one overheard us. Or so I told myself. “I overheard a conversation between Felicity and her brother, Edwin,” I said without preamble. “She stole the necklace for Lord Burkett. He promised her a dowry and generous funds for her brother.” I paused to get a breath. “But that’s not all. Edwin is Burkett’s illegitimate son.”

For the next few minutes, he proceeded to drill me about the details. How did I know it had been Felicity and Edwin? Where were they? How close was I to the door?

He was insufferable. Did he think I’d made it all up? “I heard what I heard, Steele. There’s no fault in my hearing or my sight.”

“No need to get into a snit. I believed your first telling.”

“Then why did you interrogate me?”

“You’ll need to repeat word for word what you just told me to Lord Needham. I wanted to make sure you were letter perfect before you do.”

“Oh!” I felt a fool. “Do you really think Edwin is Burkett’s illegitimate son?”

“That will need to be determined. Not by me, nor you. Needham and his youngest brother will need to hash that out. I believe he’s expected today.” He moved into a room connected to the one we occupied, emerging moments later fully dressed. A vest and a coat now completed his ensemble. Except for his Snow White shirt, everything else was black.

“I’ll go first,” he said. “If the coast is clear, I’ll crack open the door so you can emerge.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Lady Rosalynd. I don’t wish to embroil myself in a scandal any more than you do.” He’d once more assumed his tight lipped expression. “The only way out of that would be a wedding. And neither of us wish for that debacle.”

Just like that, we were back to where we’d been last night. At odds with each other. My stay at Needham Hall could not end fast enough. “No indeed, Your Grace.”

With a nod, he slipped out the door. A few moments later, the door snicked open. Glancing right and left, I made my way from the room. Thankfully, no one was in sight. At the top of the stairs, I greeted the duke with a simple “Good morning.” If anyone was within earshot, they would not remark upon it.

Silently, we made our way to the dining room where we found several guests enjoying their breakfast. Because the ball would be held tonight, there were no festivities planned this morning. We were meant to rest and enjoy ourselves before the evening ball.

As we approached the baseboard where the dishes had been laid out, the duke dropped a soft word in Lord Needham’s ear who simply nodded. Eleanor wore an air of anxiety about her. Cumberforth sat next to her quietly conversing with her. Neither Felicity nor Edwin was present. But Lord and Lady Burkett as well as Lavinia and her brother, Alastair, were. He didn’t appear to have a care in the world. Lavinia’s face, however, was a mirror image of Eleanor’s. I couldn’t believe she’d carry through with her threat. But then she had her own objectives. Did she hope by revealing all, the engagement would end? If she thought such a thing, she was a fool. Eleanor and Cumberforth were deeply in love with each other. I only hoped that everything would be cleared by tonight.