Page 43 of My Beastly Duke
Marina smiled thankfully, grateful that her friends were discreet despite their teasing. Her smile, however, faded quickly when she spotted Cordelia from across the room.
The lady was pacing back and forth, looking as if she were about to cry as she bit on her nails.
Doing a quick scan of the room, Marina and her friends noted the wave of gossip that seemed to be pulsating through the guests.
“What do you think has happened?” Penelope asked, her eyes never leaving Cordelia for a second.
“I do not know, but I think we had better find out.” Marina lifted her head high and pushed through the thong of whispering lords and ladies.
The three reached Cordelia just in time as a single tear fell down the girl’s cheek.
Penelope rushed forward and guided her to a bench while dabbing her eyes with a clean handkerchief. “Hush now dear, there is no need to cry. Tell us what has happened.”
Marina stopped in front of them, acting as a shield while Eleanor sidled closer to a group of women, hoping to catch a snippet of their conversation.
Cordelia took a deep breath and sighed. “It is awful, I will never find a match. I am doomed to become a spinster at this rate.” She took another shaky breath before continuing. “I have sent my mother home in a carriage, but not before she was able to make a mockery out of us again.”
Sympathy bloomed in her chest as Marina tilted her head to the side with a sympathetic smile. Things were not easy for Cordelia with the loss of her father, and her mother’s actions never seemed to make matters any better.
“What happened, dearest?” Penelope coaxed her gently, making sure that none of the girl’s tears left stains on her cheeks.
Shutting her eyes, Cordelia shook her head. “She had a bit too much to drink again and offered herself to Lord Kelpton. She said that she would offer him greater pleasure than his wife ever could.”
Marina raised her hands to her lips as her heart broke for her friend. People would certainly not have looked at such a public display of vulgarity with any kind of understanding.
“I tried to keep it quiet, but I think some people may have overheard.” Her shoulders began to shake as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
“I hate to interrupt, ladies, but I do not think that it was Cordelia’s mother who created the sudden surge of whispers.” Eleanor drew their attention to the side as all three women looked at her in confusion.
Meeting Marina’s gaze, Eleanor nodded toward a scandal sheet that was being passed from hand to hand.
A feeling of dread overtook her as she felt her chest clenching.
Acting quickly, Penelope stood and skillfully intercepted the sheet before it could be passed on. “My apologies, ladies, but I do think that your mothers will thank me. Young debutants should not be reading such nonsense.” She gave the group of young girls a stern look as they glared at her before sauntering off.
Giving the girls a moment to saunter away, Penelope dropped her eyes to the paper and gasped, her skin paling as she read.
“What is it?” Marina hurried forward and fumbled for the sheet as Penelope handed it to her.
Her blood ran cold as her eyes scanned the page, making her instantly realize what had caused the commotion.
It has come to the ton’s attention that the recent publication requires a certain amount of clarification. It was not, in fact, a monster that terrorized a young woman in a nearby village, but one of the ton’s prestigious names.
Although, one could argue that any man, no matter how noble, who terrorizes a young woman in a forest, is a monster. The vile beast has been identified as none other than the beastly Duke of Harper.
The world suddenly faded away as Marina looked up in shock. “Who would say such a thing? It is all a lie!” She stated determinedly before realizing that her friends were staring behind her.
Turning in confusion, Marina was suddenly confronted with hundreds of eyes that were fixed on her.
Far off, in a distant corner, stood Aaron, his eyes filled with rage as he kept to the shadows.
“You should all be ashamed of yourselves!” She raised her voice for everyone to hear. “The Duke of Harper is not a monster or a beast. He is one of the most kind-hearted men that I know. I am proud to be his wife, and you should all find better things to occupy your time with. I demand to know who wrote such a lie!” Her words fell short when Eleanor suddenly tapped her on the shoulder, bringing her attention back to the sheet.
Looking down with a frown, Marina continued to scan the page, sifting through the paragraphs of heinous descriptions and lies. Reaching the bottom of the page, her heart suddenly stopped beating. There in bold print, stood an unmistakable name at the end of the column.
Sources close to the duke have confirmed that His Grace was not at home during the time of the incident. Mr. Adam Marner was entirely too eager to confirm the information.“This has to be a mistake,” she whispered before looking up at her friends.
How could he do this to his brother?