Page 24 of His Runaway Duchess

Daphne crumpled the paper. She felt faintly sick. Glancing over at the table, she found Alex and Mrs. Trench staring at her.

“Have you read this?” she asked, directing her attention to Mrs. Trench.

The governess shook her head. “No, but I know what’s in it. Pay it no mind, Miss Belmont. Those gossip sheets are rags. Nobody should listen to them.”

Daphne bit her lower lip, hard. “But people do listen to them. Everybody does read them. Oh, bother. I’m in deeper trouble than I could have imagined.”

Mrs. Trench paused for a moment, then nodded sorrowfully. “I think perhaps you are. I’m sorry for all this, Miss Belmont.”

“But the Dowager Duchess was in the house all night, wasn’t she? Won’t that count for something?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s not quite good enough. My advice, Miss Belmont, is to go and talk it over with His Grace.”

Daphne wilted a little at that suggestion.

No wonder he was so furious. He thinks I was out to catch him, after all.

Still, she couldn’t put off the meeting for much longer. Sighing, Daphne tossed the paper into the fire and strode out of the room.

At least I know the way to the Duke’s study.

CHAPTER 7

The study was eerily silent when Daphne approached. She stepped warily inside, and there he was, standing in front of the window with his back turned and his arms folded.

“Close the door.”

She did so, leaning against it and eyeing him suspiciously.

“You’re quite an accomplished liar, Miss Belmont,” he said, not turning around. “I can’t believe I was foolish enough to fall for it. All that nonsense about it being anaccident, about only needing to stay for one night. Well, one nightwasall you needed, wasn’t it? You’ve ruined me, and yourself in the bargain.”

Daphne bristled. “I havenotlied to you.”

He spun around. “Oh no? After reading that article, you think you can still look me in the eye and say you’ve been honest with me?”

She took a step forward, holding his stare. His face was flushed red, his eyes glittering.

“I didn’t tell you why I ran from London, admittedly. But then again, you didn’t ask, did you?”

“So, the scandal sheets were right, weren’t they? You tried to take your sister’s place at the altar and fled when you were found out?”

She blinked, dropping her gaze. Something like shame welled up inside her. Not shame at being found out, of course. She didn’t give a fig about that. No, shame at not being able to go through with it.

I couldn’t save her, not when it came to it. That’s another thing the scandal sheet was wrong about. I didn’t protect my sister.

“Yes, that was true,” she answered, tilting up her chin. “If you must know, Emily was being blackmailed into marriage. The scandal sheets didn’t pick up onthat, I see. She couldn’t do it, so I went in her place. I thought I wouldn’t mind, that I’d be happy enough to be a duchess, but I panicked at the last moment.”

And he found me out.

She wisely did not mention it.

I’m not sure howhe found me out. We look the same. And why would he care? Surely it can make no difference to him if he marries me or Emily. And what will happen to her now that I’m gone? Will she be forced to marry him anyway?

She shook this unpleasant thought out of her head and continued.

“So, you see, Your Grace. If I were trying tocatcha powerful husband, why would I abandon one duke at the altar for another? The Duke of Clapton is just as rich as you are andmuchmore handsome. And sociable, too.Andhe lives in London.”

The Duke gave a harsh laugh, crossing the room to throw himself into a chair by the fire.

---