A Hint of Scandal (22 page)

“You are a very curious girl, Arabella,” he said after a moment, his voice deep and thoughtful in the relative quiet of the cool, dim terrace.

“What do you mean?” Bella asked, looking up at his shadowy figure, trying to read his expression.

“I thought you had little interest in coming to London for the Season. But here I find you enjoying a ball, looking so much altered. You’ve certainly acquired town polish in a short period of time,” he said in a conversational tone.

Bella could not help but laugh in surprise at the duke’s assessment of her.

“Looks can be deceiving, your grace,” she said a little wryly. “Let us be frank. You know I came to London only to get away from Autley. When I arrived, I intended to stay with my aunt and cousin at their town house. I truly did not intend to accept any invitations, especially since things are so unsettled between us. But your mother found my arrival a shock, and tried to send me back to Autley. So I stretched the truth by implying that I was to come and have a new wardrobe, and that you would soon be coming to London. I had to follow through with having some gowns made—or be found out,” she explained as best she could.

“And as I have now arrived, you can count your conscience clean,” the duke put in, and Bella heard a hint of amusement in his deep voice.

“As for having town polish, I fear nothing could be farther from the truth,” Bella continued. “Your mother was just admonishing me for having so little to say for myself. I fear if I continue in this fashion, your grace, I shall be an embarrassment to you.”

Bella tried to keep her tone light, but in truth she did have a fear of making an anecdote of herself.

There was silence between them again, and it was a little while before Bella took her courage in hand and broached the subject that constantly nagged at her emotions.

“Your grace, we should discuss our future,” she began in a hesitant voice, playing with the fan in her lap.

The duke took a step toward her and breached the space between them. He sat down next to her, and Bella could see his handsome face more clearly now. Her heart gave
an odd thump at the mixture of amusement and sympathy she saw in his eyes.

“Yes, Arabella, we should. But first I have a very great favor to ask of you,” he said.

“What is it?” she asked with hesitant curiosity.

“I read the note you left for me at Autley before you came to London. I understand why you were uncomfortable there. More importantly to you, I understand your desire for an annulment. But I would ask that we put off any further discussion on the subject until after Louisa’s wedding. I’m sure you are aware of the scandal such an event would cause during this important time in her life,” he finished in his deep voice.

Suddenly Bella felt very selfish for not having thought of this before. Of course the news of their annulment would ruin this very happy time for Louisa. The duke was as much a victim of circumstances as she was, she realized. But because the duke now seemed more amenable to at least discussing the prospect, Bella felt better than she had since coming to London.

“That is a reasonable request, your grace,” Bella replied with a sincere smile. “Perhaps it would be better to wait until after the wedding before setting the process of annulment in motion.”

“I believe that is the best course for us to take.” The duke nodded.

Understanding the reason for his suggestion, Bella was pleased to think that there was a plan for resolving their dilemma. She watched him closely, for she still detected a gleam of amusement in his eyes, though it was hard to be sure in the dim light on the terrace. But her heart lifted at the knowledge that he was willing to discuss an annulment at a future date.

“
Nil deserandum
,” she said more to herself than to him.

She heard his deep chuckle in response.

“That is right, my little scholar, do not despair,” he replied.

“Tell me, your grace, what does your family know of the situation surrounding our marriage? From conversation with your sister, I could tell she did not know the whole of it,” Bella told him.

“The Duke and Duchess of Severly are the only people who understand the full circumstance of our marriage. My mother knows something odd occurred after she left Mabry Green, but has not pressed me for details. As for the rest of my family, I only informed them of the fact that we were married and that they were to welcome you accordingly,” he replied. “I also have not discussed the shooting with anyone else, and have told my family not to do so either.”

Nodding her understanding, Bella was silent as she thought over his words.

“I have the feeling that you have not enjoyed yourself while you have been in London. Am I correct?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, you are,” Bella agreed with dismay. “I do not know what all the fuss about London is, though everyone else seems to be having a gay time.”

“Let us see if we can change that,” the duke offered, rising from the bench to stand facing her on the dark terrace. “You have been to none of the museums. I am sure you will find Lord Elgin’s marbles of interest. You have not been to the theater? Then we will go to Covent Garden soon. There are also a number of bookstores to visit. Have you been to the Tower of London?” he questioned.

Bella could only shake her head in the negative, for she was completely taken aback by his offer.

“Then we should start there. I predict that in a very short time, Arabella, you will be enjoying some of the delights London has to offer,” he stated with conviction.

Bella had risen also, and of an accord they both started to walk back to the ballroom. Right before they were to enter, the duke paused, turning to Bella.

“One more thing, my dear. If you cannot bring yourself to call me Alex, then you must at least manage Westlake. This formality will just not do.” He gave her a slight grin and offered his arm once again.

Bella swallowed hard as they stepped back into the noisy, brightly lit ballroom.

“Thank you… Westlake,” she said, returning his smile.

A
week later, the duke invited the three ladies residing in his home to take a drive in Hyde Park.

“We shall tool around at our leisure, and relax after all the walking we have done these last few days,” he offered as they were all sitting in the bright and airy breakfast room.

“Famous! We shall be delighted,” said Triss, hardly able to contain her excitement at the prospect of being seen by the beau monde in the duke’s landau.

Bella gave her cousin a quelling look, for she thought Triss was much too coming where the duke’s generosity was concerned.

Triss ignored Bella and continued to gaze at the duke with excitement.

“No, Beatrice, we are going shopping this afternoon,” Aunt Elizabeth reminded her daughter. “And have you forgotten your appointment to have your new gown fitted? You said you wanted the pink one to be ready by Wednesday.”

Triss bit her lip in indecision. She wanted to ride in the duke’s landau very much, but she also wanted to have her pink gown to wear at her first appearance at Almack’s.

The duke solved her dilemma. “Arabella and I shall go today. But we will all go to the park again soon,” he offered generously.

“Promise?” Triss demanded.

“Triss! Really!” Bella had had enough of her cousin’s impertinent behavior.

Laughing, the duke made the promise, and Triss looked as pleased as a cat with a bowl of cream.

Bella set her cup of chocolate back in its saucer and surveyed the scene around her with some amazement. A week ago she never would have believed that this kind of harmony could have been achieved. She had, at first, been worried about how the duke would react to having Aunt Elizabeth and Triss as his guests. Somewhat to her surprise, Westlake had been more than welcoming.

After Lady Louisa’s engagement ball, Aunt Elizabeth had suggested that she and Triss return to their rented house. To Bella’s amusement, Triss had looked as if she were going to faint at her mother’s words, and waited for the duke’s response with bated breath.

“I won’t hear of it, Aunt Penninghurst,” the duke had said, taking the good lady’s hand in his and bringing it to his lips in a brief salute. “Besides, you and Lady Triss are all settled in, so why bestir yourself to move when I am pleased to have you as my guests?” he had asked with such a charming smile that Lady Penninghurst found she could not resist him.

So the four of them stayed at Westlake House, and to Bella’s disbelief, she began to enjoy her stay in London.

In the following days, the duke had proved as good as his word. He had taken her to the Tower of London and the British Museum. Bella thought her papa would have found it interesting to view the marble friezes Lord Elgin had removed from the Parthenon and brought over to England.

Bella had been very much impressed with the well-rounded knowledge of art and history the duke displayed. But what surprised her most was how amiable and relaxed the duke seemed. She had fully expected him to be bored with such tame pursuits as strolling through museums and browsing through stalls at bookstores. But he had shown no such sign of ennui.

Last night had been exceptionally exciting for Bella, for the duke had escorted all the Tichley ladies to Covent Garden to see
The Barber of Seville.
Bella had never experienced
anything like it. She had looked around in wonder at the theater, which resembled a fantasy version of a Greek temple. She raptly watched the opera from the duke’s box, which afforded an excellent view of the stage. At first she had found it extremely distracting that half the people in the pit and in the boxes on the other side of the horseshoe-shaped opera house seemed to have their lorgnettes trained on her and the duke. It had also been annoying that Triss was paying little attention to the entertainment and kept whispering and pointing out the other notables in attendance.

Still, Bella had enjoyed the new sights and sounds immensely.

After such excitements, a ride through Hyde Park on this gloriously clear spring day would be a refreshing diversion, Bella decided as she left the breakfast room to change her clothes.

Later, as the duke handed her into his high-perch phaeton, instead of the landau, Bella was able to smile at him quite naturally. Everything would be wonderful if only the oppressive specter of their forced marriage were not hanging over them, she thought as he jumped in next to her and took the reins.

But the duke’s proposal that they not discuss the annulment until after his sister’s wedding had freed Bella from having to worry constantly, and for that she was grateful.

Setting his horses to a brisk trot, the duke expertly tooled them around his drive and onto Park Lane.

Bella chanced a sideways glance at him from under the brim of her new bonnet. His black beaver top hat accented his height, and she could not help but admire the cut of his coat. Now that he had fully recovered from his injury, there was no bandage or sling to mar the effortless perfection of his elegance. Though he had shown little interest in his appearance during his stay at the cottage, there was now no denying that the duke was a leader in masculine fashion.

They drove through the streets enjoying the bright spring day in silence, before Bella decided to bring up something that had been bothering her since his arrival to town.

“Thank you for offering to take Triss for a drive in the
park. It is very kind of you, under the circumstances,” she said a little shyly as they turned in to the park.

“Not at all, Bella. A ride in the park is a trifle,” he dismissed, giving her a brief smile as he slowed the horses to a walk.

“She does not deserve such trifles,” Bella stated with asperity. “In truth, it embarrasses me how she has manipulated this situation she created to advance her cause. She is on the hunt for a titled husband and is using her connection to you to give her an air of consequence. I have no doubt that the only reason she received her voucher for Almack’s so quickly is because of you.”

“It matters not. The way you two squabble reminds me of my sisters.” The duke shot her a teasing grin as they joined a crowd of carriages and horses as they turned onto Rotten Row.

“Squabble!” Bella looked askance at the duke. “
We
are the victims of her machinations. And
she
blithely plans her come-out next week at Almack’s. You are much too generous in your attitude toward her,” Bella said.

“It is my pleasure to see what your cousin will do and say next,” he responded.

She could think of nothing to say and was soon diverted from her worrying thoughts by the sight of the most toplofty members of the beau monde showing off for each other in the spring sunshine. Shortly it became apparent that a number of people who had not met Bella previously were eager to be introduced to the new Duchess of Westlake.

The duke seemed perfectly at his ease, and was quite amenable to stopping his cattle every few yards, so that any number of people could be presented to Bella.

Bella had to squelch her growing nervousness as she met the duke’s friends. Though she had agreed not to pursue an annulment until after Louisa’s wedding, it seemed to her that the more people that she met, the more embarrassing it would be for the duke later.

Maybe she should have stayed in the country, she mused with a frown. But when she had arrived in London she had had no intention of entering into Society, she reasoned.
Who would have guessed the turn of events in the last week?

The words the duke had said to her in his library about trusting him came immediately to her mind. Though he sometimes made her nervous for reasons she refused to examine, there was no doubt about his sense of honor. He, at least, was certain that all would turn out well. Resolutely she pushed the niggling feeling of uncertainty away and turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

After a few more shared pleasantries with some of the duke’s friends, he drove the phaeton a little farther along Rotten Row.

“Arabella,” the duke began once they were a little more private, “we have received an invitation from my good friends the Duke and Duchess of Severly. I know you are not fond of crowded events, but Drake and Celia rarely entertain on a large scale. They usually only have ten or twelve couples to dine. I think you might find an evening spent with them enjoyable.”