Page 65 of His Highland Duchess
Lysander’s hands shook as he continued to read.
“Worse than many have taken her words as fact. I have heard from two separate sources now that this caused a great fight between the two of you. That you were seen dragging her outside, heard to be fighting, and then you left early because of it – Lord Talsworth even claims he saw the fight, that he heard your wife screaming. Most are aware of the rumors about why you and Margaret married to begin with – rumors we thought to be dead. Only now, they are looking to resurface. People are speaking again of the scandal that saw you two come together.” He exhaled and shook his head. “I have denied it, of course. And I have told others the same. But you know how these thingsare, Lysander. There are already a score of men and women who swear they saw Margaret half-naked at the Brimstone Ball. Another score who saw you dragging her outside. It has taken on a life of its own! And worse still, I do not know if there is any way to stop it.”
Lysander had long stopped listening to his friend’s ranting.
He was staring at the letter in his hand, feeling a creeping sickness fused with anger swirling about his stomach as it slowly spread about his body. Anger at being spoken about like this. Anger at the rumors and falsity. Anger at Lady Brimstone, for he knew she had to be behind it. Anger at…not at Margaret, for the rumors are not true. Anger at myself for letting this happen and doing nothing to stop it.
He tried to remain calm as he pieced this onslaught of bad news together.
The initial rumors were insane, of course. Yes, Margaret had a wardrobe mishap, but it was nothing as dastardly as was said. And yes, he had escorted her outside, but he had not dragged her! And certainly no one had seen them arguing… although if they had seen what the two had been doing, it might have made things worse.
As for the scandal? His body began to shake as he considered the implications of its return to the social discourse. He had been at pains to keep the origin of this marriage hidden from the ton. Dammit, that was what this entire marriage had been about!What was its point if people knew the truth? And how would this reflect on him? Not to mention his daughters?
“What should we do?” Julian was asking him, although Lysander could hardly hear him. Blood rushed to his ears, his pulse quickened, and a heat which burned hotter than any fire engulfed him. “I have already started denying everything,” he said. “But we should send letters of our own, perhaps? Sow the true story? Lysander…” He took Lysander by the shoulder. “Lysander, speak to me.”
Through the haze, Lysander began to consider the reality of what this meant. Even if he denied the rumors, they would leave a stink behind that Lysander would spend some months trying to wash away. And in the future, should someone wish to hurt him, he had no doubt they would reappear. Not a death blow, but a nuisance that might have untold consequences.
Only… does that even matter? As tragic and terrible as this is, it has made me realize something that I had been denying myself all this time.And in that, a smile slowly crept up Lysander’s lips.
“Yes,” he said slowly. “We must deny it at once -- I will pen a letter and have it sent to those who matter. This can not go unchecked.”
“Perhaps you should speak to Lady Brimstone directly?”
“I will do,” he agreed. “If she walks the comments back, that will help, surely.”
Julian cursed. “And Margaret? Let us hope she is made of strong stuff. She will need to be to weather this storm.”
“Yes, Margaret…” And still, that smile continued to grow.
Lysander’s mind went back to Margaret, still in bed, still wishing to speak to him of this marriage and its future. It had been a conversation he’d been dreading, for until one minute ago, Lysander had not known what to do. Oh, he had known what he wanted to do. The love he felt for Margaret clashed with the fear of what this love might cost him. Excuses were what he was dealing with, searching for reasons to end what he knew in his heart he wanted more than anything.
As strange as it might have sounded, this letter, this scandal as it were, acted as a hammer smashing against a pane of glass, dispelling all doubt and worry inside of him in an instant.
Suddenly, what he wanted and what he had to do became clear like it never had before.
I love Margaret, and I know that now. What is more, I know that love is all that matters to me.
Holding the letter in his hand, thinking of the words written across it, Lysander felt a sudden urge to protect Margaret like he never had before. He did not care what other people thought of her. He did not care what they might think of him. All he cared about was her, and in that, he knew what it was he had to do.
What I should have done days ago. Funny that it took a moment such as this to make me see it.
“I will speak to Margaret now,” he said, still smiling to himself as he now pictured the conversation he was to have. As he looked forward to it. “Thank you, Julian, for bringing this to my attention.”
“Of course!”
“I will seek you as soon as I decide on my next course of action,” he followed up. “Until then, deny everything you hear. And make it known that this is Lady Brimstone being petty and cruel. Nothing else.”
He scoffed. “I will let more than that known, believe me.”
Lysander rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder, gave him a grateful nod, and then turned and strode back inside. There was a kick to his step as he moved, his smile growing, his heart swelling because excitement was what took him.
Beyond that, Lysander realized also that he was not afraid of what he was about to confess, for he knew beyond a doubt that Margaret would accept his words without question. That was how he knew his path to be the right one, and possibly the easiest decision he had ever made.
He loved Margaret, and it was time she knew it. Once she did, they would attack this scandal together, as man and wife, stronger for it because that’s what marriage was about.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Margaret perked up when she heard the door opening. And she broke into a smile when she saw Lysander step inside.
