Silence of Scandal (17 page)

A sudden movement caught her eye and she lifted her head to see Betty pulling up the rumpled sheets while she rolled her eyes at Elizabeth.

“He won’t fall in love with you just because you fall into bed with him. Men aren’t like women that way. They don’t have the same deep feelings as women do. You listen to me, my Lady, and you will find out that I am right. Don’t lose your heart to him yet. It’ll do you no good and you’ll end up hurt and alone.” She pulled the coverlet up smartly and smoothed it across the bed.

Elizabeth looked carefully at her maid and tilted her head. Betty had been with her for years but she was a private person and didn’t talk much about herself.

“How do you know all men are like this? I’ve never seen you will a beau. Alexander has shown me nothing but kindness and affection. After being forced to marry me to regain his home I imagined I would have been treated far less well. I know he was shocked the first day after finding out about my problems but he’s been the perfect gentleman since. I know that my words are not always clear but never once has he derided me or embarrassed me over it. He saved my life Betty. That vile dog was about to tear out my throat. It’s me who, by my deliberate avoidance of him, has been ungrateful, rude and uncaring. I shouldn’t wonder if he hates me, but I cannot bear the thought of that. I love him and I want to be loved by him.” Her hand fluttered over her heart.

Betty stopped fussing with the bed. She looked up at Elizabeth’s wistful expression. A stab of pain crossed her own brow and then she raised her eyebrows and sighed deeply.

“You are right. I have been far too harsh. I shouldn’t have assumed anything but you must not declare your love yet. You must shield your heart for a while longer, until we are sure of his protection. I have heard stories of unrequited love. It is a painful game. I was only thinking of you.” She turned as if to leave the room but Elizabeth stood quickly and blocked her way.

“Betty? Did something happen to make you feel like this? You are only a few years older than me. You cannot go through the rest of your life fearing that you will lose your heart. Someday there will be a man for you who you want to marry and set up home with.” Elizabeth smiled in encouragement but Betty just shook her head sorrowfully.

“That won’t happen to me. I’ve seen what love does for people.” She closed her eyes as a tear leaked and ran down her cheek.

Elizabeth reached out and took the woman’s hand. She led her back to the table and settled her in Alexander’s empty chair. She poured Betty a cup of tea and placed it in front of her.

“You can’t deceive me any longer. I can see that you have been hurt deeply. Tell me what happened,” she spoke as gently as she knew how.

Betty looked up at her. She sighed deeply.

“It didn’t happen to me. It happened to my poor brother. He’d been employed as tutor to a young family but something dreadful happened and it was felt that his friendly way of teaching wasn’t good enough. He ended up teaching in a school. The change was huge but he was happy there. For a long time his letters arrived full news of his accomplishments and success with the children but after only a couple of years, something changed.” She tailed off and her head dipped as the woman’s face paled with distress.

She began speaking again but Elizabeth couldn’t see her mouth. She reached out and touched her maid’s cheek. Betty lifted her face again. Her eyes were red rimmed as she continued her story.

“My brother told me that he had fallen deeply in love. He wanted to be with his lover for the rest of his life but apparently the circumstances were impossible. She came from a great family and he was considered too low born. What with me in service there was no possibility of his position in society being overlooked. They could never be together openly. He broke his heart when he was forced to give up his love because her family arranged an advantageous marriage for her.”

Elizabeth immediately shook her head.

“How awful for him. There is no shame in being a tutor. Her family should have realized that education is a noble career.”

Betty gave a tearful smile.

“Not nearly noble enough apparently but thank you anyway, my Lady. It is a pity that more didn’t feel the same. As it was my brother was devastated by the family’s actions. His lover kept writing letters and they arranged a few clandestine meetings until a few years ago when all correspondence stopped.

My brother was desperate to hear from her and as a last resort went to the family home to make sure that his lover was content. Although he knew he would never be able to have her again he just needed to know that she was being cared for. He never saw her. She sent him one last letter saying that he should never contact her again for they had been discovered and there had been threats made against her. He was beside himself with worry, not for himself but for her. He couldn’t bear to be the cause of her distress and in a fit of depression and remorse at his actions he killed himself.”

Elizabeth’s hand flew to her mouth and she let out a strangled cry.

“Why did you never tell me of this? You have been my maid for so long I cannot believe that you kept something so awful hidden.”

Betty blinked back her tears.

“I didn’t tell you because I was ashamed. My brother was a suicide and couldn’t be buried on consecrated ground. The woman’s family paid for a private funeral but I didn’t attend. I remained by your side and been glad that there have no opportunities for you to fall in love. But now you have married this man and you are clearly smitten. I can see similarities with my brother in this situation here. Forgive me, my Lady, but the Master is way above the likes of you, at some point society will break you apart and your heart will wither inside you. I can’t let that happen to someone as lovely as you. You must guard your heart and not let the young master take it only to throw it away when society or family dictate.”

Elizabeth nodded at her maid’s final words but she didn’t remind the concerned woman that Alexander had barely any family left and certainly none that would curtail his happiness in any way. She remained silent for the next few minutes and waited until the breakfast was completely cleared away before she let her mind wander back to the events of the morning. 

Chapter Ten

Revelations

Lady Anne watched from her bedroom window as the two horsemen rode up the gravelled drive towards the front door. She pressed her hand to her chest as she recognized both riders instantly.

The magnificent Midnight would have been difficult not to remember as he stood at least two hands above any other horse she had ever seen. The man riding the other mount was equally as memorable.

Tall, lean and handsome, her brother in law’s friend, Giles Denvers had set her heart quivering wildly from the moment she had set eyes on him at Ormond.

She stilled the pattering beneath her breast that disturbed her greatly. She was in mourning, for heaven’s sake! She couldn’t have feeling such as these.

It was impossible.

Impossible to stop them she acknowledged to herself as she saw the way the man’s thighs rippled across the horseflesh. She tried to get a grip on her wayward emotions, drawing up the image of Phillip’s sad but handsome face. He had been an extraordinarily good natured man. Obviously not the right man for her but then she hadn’t expected any different. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t gone into the marriage with her eyes wide open. She had been pleased to accept Phillip’s offer seeing as her only other option was to marry the man her father had chosen for her, not that Sir Humphrey was a terrible man. He was so much older and only wanted a young wife to secure an heir. His previous wife had borne him three dead sons before she herself succumbed in giving birth to the fourth who unfortunately died along with her. She shuddered at the thought of bedding a man three times her age.

Even her father hadn’t baulked when she cried off the engagement to Sir Humphrey. She would be marrying the heir to a Dukedom. What father wouldn’t hold out for the best for his daughter? The arrangement with Sir Humphrey was immediately called off and a very relieved Anne married Phillip only three weeks later.

Phillip had clearly been desperate. He had begged her father for an audience after only meeting three times previously. Naturally the Earl had been delighted but Anne suspected something other than her beauty tempted him from the start. Her intuition hadn’t led her astray. Phillip swore her to secrecy and confessed that he couldn’t promise her children. He did not love her and knew that he never would but he avowed that he would care for her, cherish her and look after her for the rest of her life and that he did with as much attentiveness as any man could muster.

Initially surprised at his lack of passion, she soon came to realize that Phillip’s affections lay elsewhere. His regular visits to his school tutor confirmed that his interests lay not only in more scholarly pursuits. After several weeks of heart searching she decided that she didn’t mind. She had heard of such things before and wasn’t as shocked as she might have been. It wasn’t as if Phillip had tricked her. She lacked for nothing and he was a good companion when he was at home.

That the last year of their marriage was under a certain amount of strain only became apparent when Phillip was forced to sell Evenleigh. He had been devastated, pacing as he lamented the sale of what should have been his brother’s home once he took the title of Duke. Even as they moved into Ormond he couldn’t stop berating himself for his actions.

The arrangements at the castle had worked well at first. Ormond itself was huge and offered plenty of accommodation but it was clear that monetary constraints had left the household suffering.

She had watched as Phillip grew thinner and more stressed. His normally handsome features became sallow and pinched.

When his venture with the shipment of goods went awry it was as much as Anne could do to keep his spirits alive. His heart was no longer with the living and he hadn’t taken care over his own wellbeing.

After the wreck she had been stunned to discover two letters in his bureaux. One was addressed to her and the other to be given directly into Alexander’s hands. She had wanted to pass this on while she was still in the Dower house but her brother had turned up only the day after Alexander arrived and there hadn’t been time to hand it to him. Given the nature of the letter addressed to her there was no way she could entrust Alexander’s missive to a messenger. If the contents were as she suspected, they all faced ruin if it were spread among the wagging tongues of the ton.

She had wrung her hands for weeks and was on the verge of writing to Alexander to ask him to call upon her when he arrived without summons along with the beyond handsome Mr. Denvers.

Her father and brother had left for town early that morning and if they continued with their usual habits, they would probably stay in an inn over night. She could only hope that she might have time enough to speak to Alexander privately.

She grabbed the letter hidden at the back of her own personal writing desk and pressed it into her pocket before hurried down the stairs and into the drawing room. Moments later she heard the front door open and their guests were invited in. Within seconds there was a sharp knock at the drawing room door and Fothersby entered. He bowed low before speaking.

“My lady, the Duke of Ormond and a Mr. Giles Denvers have come to call. Are you at home?”

She nodded quickly.

“Certainly, Fothersby. Please show them in and then arrange for tea.” She stood as the two men entered a few seconds later and waited until Fothersby had withdrawn before she spoke. “Your Grace, Alexander and Mr. Denvers.” Her eyelashes fluttered downwards as she saw Giles appraising her. She wished that she was not still in deep mourning.

Alexander accepted her hand and briefly pressed his lips to her glove.

“Anne, I was sorry that you had to leave us so hurriedly. I would have wished a longer acquaintance before I have to ask you some difficult questions.” He appeared genuinely distressed at her leaving his mother and Ormond.

She smiled up at him.

“Alexander, I can only imagine your anger at my sudden departure. Please believe me when I say that I had no choice without causing an unhappy scene and I couldn’t bear for your dear mother to suffer that.” She appraised his features and her smile grew wider. “You look as though life at Ormond suits you. I heard about your marriage and I wish you happy. It was announced in all the London papers but Hardacre is not a name I recall. Is she anyone I know?” She returned to the chaise and smoothed her skirts as she sat. The men took seats either side of the fireplace.

Alexander glanced at Giles and then returned his gaze to Anne.

“No, I don’t think that you would have met her before but believe me Anne, I am happier than I could possibly have imagined. Elizabeth suits me perfectly. There is but one thing that keeps me from total joy,” he hesitated a moment before coming to the substance of his visit. “Anne, you must know why I am here. I cannot rest until I know that Ormond is safe for my heirs. Is there anything you can tell me about what happened before Phillip died?” He took a deep breath and plunged on as he gave Giles a reassuring nod. “You do not have to fear reprisals. I have shared everything with Denvers and can attest to his discretion. I have relied on him with my life and he has never failed the test yet.” He smiled down at her encouragingly. “My father left a diary that explained a lot but I need more specific answers, not least of which is the whereabouts of the family strong box. My mother is adamant that my father hid it rather than sell the contents and my father’s own diary confirms this but we have yet to discover its hiding place.” he lowered his tone as a maid came into the room with a tray of tea and cake.

Anne collected her thoughts as the maid poured tea. The girl bobbed a curtsey to them all before she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Anne glanced at Giles one more time and saw nothing but admiration and loyalty in his eyes. She looked back to Alexander and then took a deep breath before beginning.

“You should know immediately that I know nothing of the Ormond jewels. Phillip gave me only two pieces. One on our marriage and the other on my birthday both of which I still have. The first was my wedding ring.” She held up her left hand to show the band of emeralds and diamonds that circled her finger. “And the other is a matching emerald and diamond choker. Although the famed Ormond jewels were occasionally worn by your mother at special events I never saw where she kept any of them. Please understand that by the time Phillip and I moved in we could no longer afford to go out in society or even entertain lavishly. The jewels had been put into safe keeping years before your father’s and brother’s deaths.” She paused, glancing at Giles before continuing. “There is no point in me hiding anything from you. You may as well know that I only married Phillip to escape a union with someone with whom I would never have been happy. Phillip offered me a reason to cry off and a place of safety. I accepted gratefully.” Her eyes dropped to her hands and clenched them in her lap as she carried on. “He explained that he would never be able to love me or give me children. He was fully aware that Ormond and all the estates would pass to you on his demise. He only promised to care for me, cherish me even and I was just pleased that I would have that but he gave me so much more. We had a genuine fondness for one another, an innocent affection that grew over the three years we were married. I can honestly say that I loved him as a dear friend for his kindness and generosity.” She glanced up at Alexander again and this time looked him in the eye. “I also know that he was in love with someone unattainable under any circumstances. I accepted this also. One cannot always help where our hearts lead us however much the rest of the world disapproves,” her tone was gentle as her gaze flicked towards Giles.

Alexander breathed out a sigh of relief. He had feared her wrath if she had felt deceived but it appeared that Phillip had been as honourable as ever.

“I’m glad he looked after you Anne. It could not have been the marriage that you wished for but I know that you must have eased his fears and doubts considerably. I cannot thank you enough for that.” He leaned forwards in his chair.

She shook her head as genuine tears of sadness welled in her eyes.

“It was no hardship. We had a good marriage in many ways. I only wish I could have helped your brother in his hour of need but he tried to shield me from the worst of it. After his death, I discovered a letter that explained nearly all. He should have let me help him more, Alexander. I would have done anything to protect him as he had protected me.”

Alexander puffed out a great whoosh of relief. He stood up and paced towards the tall windows. The view looked out over the formal gardens and parkland. He rubbed his hand across his face as he blinked away the stinging in his eyes. He turned back to the room a few seconds later.

“You clearly know he was being blackmailed. Some letters had come to light and were being used against him. He attempted to keep apace with the demands by gambling. It was never my brother’s best skill and he failed miserably.” He smiled gently to himself and then cleared his throat. “My marriage to Elizabeth has cleared the debt hanging over Ormond but the blackmailer is still at large. I blame him for my father’s and Phillip’s deaths but I have also discovered that when Phillip’s lover discovered the blackmail plot he blamed his indiscretions and killed himself over the affair. He couldn’t accept that he might be to blame for Ormond’s ruin. He threw himself from the church tower at Oakley St. Mary.”

Anne shot up from the chaise.

“Good God! How awful. I knew something dreadful had occurred but I had no real details. No wonder Phillip despaired. He must have been in an agony.”

Alexander bit back the pain that welled in his chest for his brother and nodded.

“I could feel it before in the letter he wrote to me on your marriage but I am more than glad he was honourable to you and found happiness in your company. I now need to know that Ormond is safe at last. I have had no demands since arriving back home but that is not to say that they cannot restart at any time. If even the slightest hint of this scandal is mentioned our name will be ruined, yours included. We won’t be able to stand against the tide of recriminations that will fall upon us. Should I be lucky enough to have children I wouldn’t want them to suffer for my lack of interest in subduing the bastard that killed my family.” The bitterness in his tone belied his outward calm.

Anne walked towards him and took the letter from her pocket.

“I found this with the letter addressed to me.” She pressed the thick envelope into Alexander’s hand then turned to Giles. “Mr. Denvers, I have been lacking for a good walk over the last weeks. Perhaps you would accompany me for a turn in the garden while Alexander reads his brother’s letter.” She smiled encouragingly at Giles. He shot to his feet and came towards her with purpose.

“Nothing would delight me more Madam.” He held out his arm and turned towards the door as Anne placed her hand at his elbow.

Alexander returned to the chair and looked at the letter. He recognized Phillip’s steady hand immediately.

He turned it over and noted that the seal remained intact. He slid his finger beneath the wax and held his breath as he opened the pages.

My dear Alexander,

This is not my finest hour and this letter will probably make for uncomfortable reading but I cannot leave you in any doubt as to my actions.

I have tried but I fear that I have failed to save Ormond for you.