Page 67 of His Highland Duchess
“Lady Brimstone…” Margaret frowned as she took the letter. “Why has she been…” Her eyes drifted to the letter, and she began to read.
“Just know, I do not care what the letter says,” he spoke quickly as she read its contents; as she did, her stomach twisted, and she felt like she might be sick. “Just as you should not care either. It does not matter what she claims, for it is a lie, and we both know this.”
“Lysander…” Her stomach turned, as did the room about her. The things the letter said…I cannae believe what I am reading. How could she say such things? How could she spread such hideous lies?“Who has she sent this to?”
“Most of the ton, I believe.”
“Most of the…” Her eyes widened. “No.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He snatched the letter from her and tore it in half. “That is what I think of her words. I have spoken with Julian already, and we both agree that if we pen a response and see the right people receive it, we will be able to curb the effects of this slander.It does not matter,” he insisted again.
But it does… he might wish to nae believe such things, but he kens as well as I do the effects this letter will have.
Margaret was reeling as she considered the implications.
This marriage was orchestrated to try to protect both her name and Lysander’s from the scandal of how they met. Now, it was a pointless endeavour as the truth had emerged once more. On top of that, the lies about her undressing at the ball and them fighting over it would only work to confirm that scandal – all they had done to make this marriage seem a happy thing dashed in an instant.And it is all my fault.
Through the haze of sorrow and disgust, Margaret found herself thinking next about Lysander’s daughters. How would this affect them? Worse still, what would they think when they heard of this? Lysander had said himself that everything he did was for them, to protect them. And Margaret, typical of her, had ruined that too.
She loved that he was pretending not to care. She loved that he was on her side. But in the moment, that seemed not to matter as much as it should. Dammit, it only made things worse.
“Yer daughters…” she said, almost to herself.
“Will know this to be a lie,” he said quickly.
“Will that matter?” She forced herself to look at him; her eyes brimming with tears as the sadness took hold. “Even if they do, what will others say?”
“Nothing once I set the word straight.”
“Ye ken as well as I do how impossible that is. People will believe what they want to believe, and those who questioned this marriage to begin with will only have ammo to use against ye. Against yer daughters.”
It was funny in a way that when the scandal broke all those weeks ago, Margaret had been the one to dismiss its importance. She had not then understood just how important the opinions of others were. She had not cared! Now, it was all she could think of.
Still, she loved Lysander. And if she was right, he loved her too.And that is what makes this even harder. She had never wanted to come between him and his daughters. And for a while there, she had truly believed that her influence on them would not have the negative impacts that Lysander had believed. But she waswrong, in so many ways. She was a bad influence, and Lysander deserved better than her.
Aurelia and Lenora, too… they deserve better.
“I need to think about this…” She pulled her hand free from Lysander’s.
Lysander leaned back in surprise. “Think about this? About what? I told you, it doesn’t matter.”
“But it does, Lysander,” she said, her tone pleading. “Of course it matters. I ken ye think it daes nae. And I love that ye do – that ye want to pretend it makes nae difference. But ye and I both ken that this isn’t something we can just pretend does nae matter. That it won’t affect us… that it won’t affect you and Aurelia and Lenora.”
“Margaret…” He looked at her as if he didn’t understand what she was saying. “What are you… I know you think you need to protect my daughters. But you don’t.”
“But you do,” she said. “You said so yourself. They are who matter most, aren’t they?” She looked at him for an answer, and he winced. “I mean, that has been all you have cared about since this marriage started, which I dae nae begrudge you. I dae nae. Only…” Her chin began to tremble. “Only, just as you worry for them and their future, so do I.”
He looked as if he could not believe what he was hearing. His eyes searched her, his mind desperate to find an argument that might make sense.
“Like it or not,” she continued softly, looking away because if she continued to look right at him, she might burst into tears. “You were right about me from the beginning. I am a bad influence, one nae worthy to share your home.”
“Margaret… what are you saying?”
He knew what she was saying, just as she knew it too. Lysander had come here to tell her he wished for her to stay past the Season; she was certain of it. And until one minute ago, she was ready to accept.How can so much change in a matter of seconds?
Doing the right thing was never easy. And knowing that it was the right thing made it no less difficult to bear. But as Lysander had said, Margaret had changed so much these past few weeks, and for that reason alone, she knew what she had to do.
“Come the end of the Season…” She spoke softly, looking down at her lap. “Perhaps it is best if I leave here.”
