Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Marina kept to herself most of the passing days, as she found the Cromwell’s house atmosphere to have turned into a mainly hostile environment. Uncle Josiah, Nancy and Charlotte didn’t speak a word in Marina’s presence, merely exchanging glares in her direction. That was alright, and Marina didn’t find herself too upset about it, but the real heartache was her mother’s extreme distance and Penny’s disappointment.

“My Lady, will you be preparing alongside Nancy for the ball this evening?” Penny asked as Marina fought her way to gain full conscience in the morning.

“I think it would be best if I prepare in my own room, thank you Penny. Just ask Leilah to aid me this afternoon,” Marina replied. She had been spending the day inside her room, the unspoken exile leaving her with only her own company. However, all this time alone had allowed her to think, and she was equipped with the right questions for Griffin at the ball later that evening.

First and foremost, she had to ensure that Grifin informs her of all evidence he had compiled thus far, to make sure that they approach the investigation on the same page. She wanted all information neatly complied, if perhaps a time comes where they would have to present it to someone. Griffin didn’t exactly strike her as the neatest in his investigation.

“Ah, Leilah,” Marina said as Leilah made her way into her bedroom, prepared to aid Marina in her preparations for the night’s ball.

“I was thinking of wearing a light purple tonight. I find that cooler colours suit me better,” Marina said as she held up a pastel purple dress, but Leilah’s eyes remained fixed on Marina.

“Here we go again,” Marina thought in her head, prepared to defend herself in another scolding.

Instead, Leilah leaned closer to Marina, a smile spreading across her face. “Congratulations on the courtship, Madam,” she whispered.

Marina was truly shocked at Leilah’s response regarding the courtship, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts before she could speak. She had grown so used to being scolded and fighting about the topic that a kind word nearly knocked her off her feet.

“Why, thank you, Leilah. I truly appreciate it,” Marina replied, gasping for air between her syllables. She truly felt a wave of relief in Leilah’s presence.

“Of course, Madam. And to answer your prior query, yes, I think the light purple would suit you perfectly,” Leilah smiled, taking the dress from Marina’s hands.

After Marina had gotten into her dress of choice, she sat down in front of the mirror, Leilah standing behind her. She picked up a brush and started combing through Marina’s dark hair.

“You are the only one who doesn’t seem to be disappointed in me, Leilah,” Marina said in a whisper. Leilah pulled a face of confusion, making Marina think that perhaps she wasn’t aware of the scandalous reputation the courtship had gotten.

“I mean- my courtship is with the duke who priorly entered a courtship with my cousin,” Marina explained, wishing she stayed quiet on the matter if perhaps Leilah was unaware. It would spare her a single person who didn’t eye her in disgust.

“Oh, Madam. I admit the courtship hadn’t taken place in the easiest of ways, but I don’t find myself in a position of judging either you or the duke. After all- I saw how he carried you when you had that sprained ankle whilst I was looking out the window. I couldn’t spot any scandal, just true love in its early stages,” Leilah responded with a calm tone, calm enough to put Marina to sleep.

Marina was relieved by the response, but internally complexed by what Leilah meant with them visibly being in love. It wasn’t a question she could ask Leilah, so she followed along.

“I truly appreciate your kind words, Leilah. I’ve been receiving nothing but pure hatred from the rest of my family-even Penny, though she shows it much more subtly,” Marina responded.

“Penny?” Leilah asked, surprised.

“Why, yes. Penny was the first person I told about the duke and I, and she wasn’t very pleased. I understand her disappointment, it just hurts my heart a bit,” Marina mumbled, stroking the strip of hair Leilah had finished brushing.

“You’ve got it slightly wrong, Madam. I might be gossiping a bit, but the day the duke walked in to court Nancy, Penny told me that they were a horrid fit in her eyes. She actually told me how she wished he had come to court you instead,” Leilah started, grabbing all of Marina’s available attention. “After the news about your courtship with the duke had spread, Penny was pleased with the pairing. She’s just awfully frightened of what the Earl might do to you and your mother.”

“I seem to have misjudged her friendship and loyalty,” Marina laughed, a glimmer of relief replacing her sadness with a smile. She might not have the family behind her, but Leilah and Penny would do just fine.

“She’s extremely fond of you, Miss. Though I admit that she must appear cold now, she’s merely acting like this out of fear for you,” Leilah explained, starting to braid parts of Marina’s hair.

Marina couldn’t help but approach the upcoming ball with a much more positive attitude, all thanks to the small, positive influence Leilah had had on her.

“Your Grace,” Marina greeted Griffin with a curtsy. Nancy glared at her from several feet away, making her feel uncomfortable in her proceedings. She knew she had to ask Griffin about all of the information he had gathered, but she couldn’t do it so blatantly in the public. Especially not with Nancy’s gaze consistently upon them.

“Why, you look splendid tonight, my Lady,” Griffin returned with a bow. He held out an arm so Marina could interlock.

“You don’t have to shower me in compliments, Your Grace. We hadn’t actually entered any formal courtship, if I need to remind you,” Marina laughed, knowing that tonight she explicitly put slightly less effort into her appearance than for the other balls.

“Well understood, but I still take it upon myself to have a lady realize that I notice the beauty of how she dresses herself,” Griffin smirked. He carried himself broad-chested, proudly walking with Marina at his side.

They received a heap of eyes in their direction, and Griffin confidently nodded at the men as they drifted past. Marina felt unsure on how she should explain to him that the crowds’ gazes came from curiosity of their scandal rather than admiration. She remained quiet, finding his naivety slightly humorous.

“Might I offer you a drink, my Lady?” Griffin asked as they neared a table of punch bowls and other delicacies. Marina spotted Nancy near the table, a glass firmly in her hand. She could see Nancy’s grip grow tighter as she stared at her cousin and the duke. Hatred had firmly nuzzled its way into her heart.

“I’m quite alright, thank you, Your Grace,” Marina replied despite her growing thirst. She merely wanted to take a detour around her cousin to prevent a fight in front of tons of guests.

Griffin started to take a sharp turn to their right, walking further and further away from the crowd they had found themselves in. Marina knew that it was likely due to Griffin also coming to notice Nancy’s presence.

“I’d ensure us a drink at a later stage, my Lady. Might I interest you in a walk on the terrace?” Griffin asked.

“That would be lovely, Your Grace,” Marina replied, finding her chance to ask the duke her building questions.

The terrace was dimly lit, allowing them to see their steps as they drifted through the people on the terrace. It might look like a romantic moment to the casual observer, but Marina knew that they could finally start a more serious conversation.

“Before we enter the subject at large, I’d like to inquire of how you’re holding up in the Cromwell house, my Lady,” Griffin asked Marina, the proceedings of the past week or two having taken a large toll on both of them.

“Well, I might be regarded as the most hated family member amidst the Bosley’s without question. I guess I should be thankful for receiving largely silence from them, a fight or two taking place often, but less regularly than you’d imagine,” Marina said as she found an odd satisfaction in finally being able to relay her feelings toward someone who won’t offer any judgement. After all, Griffin found himself in the exact same situation- just with less people to judge him.

“But other than feeling horrible about the scandal every now and then, I guess I’m holding up just fine, thank you, Your Grace. I hope you haven’t received too much grief on your side,” Marina finished, slightly embarrassed that she opened her thoughts and feelings so easily to someone she plans to engage with on an entirely professional level.

“I’m doing well, thank you, my Lady,” Griffin answered. “I can’t possibly be complaining after the circumstances you find yourself in. I’m surprised at your ability to push through.”

“You thought of me as a weakling?” Marina laughed. “Your Grace, I’m sorry to inform you that you won’t be dealing with a weak source.”

“I can see so myself, my Lady. You’re a force to be reckoned with. And I must admit that it joys me to have an equal on my team,” Griffin smiled, briefly sharing a glance with Marina. “I think we’ll have all the information we need in no time.”

“Speaking of information…” Marina started, her tone taking a shift to more serious matters. “I would like you to relay all that you know thus far, regarding your investigation. I’d like to have a thorough background on the matter as well as use my ability to compile evidence neatly.”

“Oh, so you take offence in the thought of being a weakling, but still label me as unorganized, my Lady?” Griffin laughed, a bit too much in order to annoy Marina.

“Your Grace, this is serious matters we have at hand. And, forgive my honesty, but I had never met a well-organized male besides my own father,” Marina said, trying to avoid laughter so that Griffin would acknowledge her professionalism.

“Alright, my Lady. I’ll let you in on all information. Just be sure to look natural for any onlookers,” Griffin requested, taking a turn to look into his surroundings. “But I request all questions to be left until the ending.”

Marina nodded at his request, keeping silent in order to speed up his procrastination in the matter of explaining.

“Well, my father was the well-respected Duke of Darrington before I even knew what the title meant. I had a good life, and my father was an excellent role model for the man I wish to be. I’ve always looked up to him, thinking about how I would proudly carry the title of Duke if one day he passes. Unfortunately, the day of his passing came a lot quicker that expected,” Griffin said, emotion started to cling to his tone of voice.

“He passed unexpectedly- after all, he didn’t show a single sign of illness beforehand. I was just the unlucky one who found him slumped over his desk in his study. He knocked over his filled teacup, laying in the spill until I found him. A scene I surely won’t forget in my lifetime.”

Marina felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She wanted to express her mutual feelings when it came to her own father, but didn’t want to interrupt his explanation. Yet, in her mind, the day she walked into the main bedroom of the Cromwell house appeared vividly. Her father deaf to any of Marina’s wake-up calls, merely lying motionless on the bed, mouth agape.

“Next thing I knew I had inherited the title of Duke as well as it’s affairs and responsibilities. I can’t complain about it, I mean, I even inherited the large estate my father spent years building up. Yet, something always felt completely off about the entire situation. I proved myself right the day I went into my father’s study to pack some things. Between files and papers, I found several payments my father made. They were quite hefty sums of cash if I must say so myself. I couldn’t think of what my father had been paying so much for, well, until I discovered letters later on in my decluttering process.”

Marina’s attention was fully targeted on each word Griffin spoke. She felt deep empathy toward him, large similarities in their grief of their loved ones. This made the cause of her own father’s passing even more suspicious as he relayed the circumstances.

“Handfuls of blackmail letters, unfortunately. I was deeply shocked when I read through them. No letter specified exactly what my father was being blackmailed for-it’s a mystery I’m yet to discover. I thought perhaps the monthly payments my father made to was linked to the blackmail he received. So, from there on I started my investigation. I made my way to the bank and inquired on the accounts, subtly to avoid attracting the wrong attention, and sure enough my father had been making those large payments to your uncle. None other than the Josiah Bosley.”

“My goodness!” Marina exclaimed in disbelief, quick to cover her mouth with a hand to avoid interrupting Griffin. “Apologies, Your Grace.”

Griffin looked over at her, giving a couple of sad nods in confirmation. A moment of silence passed between them, allowing Marina to gather her thoughts into correct order.

“Anyway, my Lady,” Griffin continued. “Josiah was receiving payments with unknown cause. I couldn’t help but suspect his involvement in my father’s death from that moment on. Thus, I made efforts to court your cousin to get into a closer range of information. The day you found me snooping amidst the files in your uncle’s study? A day I discovered another puzzle piece of evidence.”

“And what might that be, Your Grace?” Marina asked, her grip around Griffin’s arm growing tighter and tighter as her anxiety spiked.

“Your uncle appears to be a lover of writing letters, and the letters I found in his study that day share the exact same handwriting as the blackmail letters directed toward my father,” Griffin said, his explanations coming to a stop. Marina looked at him expectantly.

“Anything else you’ve discovered?” Marina asked Griffin. Griffin merely shook his head in silence.

“I must admit, you’ve wholeheartedly convinced me that my uncle is suspicious and involved in the suspected crimes. But I fear that the evidence you currently have isn’t nearly enough for a conviction,” Marina said with a sigh, starting to see the role she would have to play in the investigation. She’d be working from the inside; a task Griffin was unable to do.

“Not nearly enough at all, my Lady. That is where I hope to receive your assistance,” Griffin said, giving Marina a faint smile that showed just how hopeless he felt himself.

Marina stared in front of her as the walk continued in silence. Why would her uncle want to kill someone who had been paying him large amounts of money? She had always known her uncle to be a greedy, money-loving man, so she didn’t have trouble believing that he would blackmail people into receiving it. But to kill the one providing you with finances seemed like an odd move.

“Any further questions, my Lady?” Griffin asked, giving Marina a prolonged glance.

Marina tried to reciprocate the glance, but felt the toe of her shoe strike something, causing her to tumble downward.