Page 65 of Married to a Scandalous Spinster
“How could you do this to me?” Henrietta demanded again, flouncing dramatically past the bed. “I thought youlovedme.”
Gemma pressed a hand to her mouth, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. If it weren't for the tumult of emotionsroaring around inside her, she would almost have laughed at the look of theatrical despair on Miss Henford's face.
Wyatt raised his eyebrows. “Wait.” He pointed a finger in the Baron's direction. “Tell me, My Lord. Have you been having an affair with Miss Henford?Andher mother?” A complicated look fell over his features as if he could not decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. Gemma rubbed her eyes. This whole mess was beginning to make her head hurt.
“Oh don't look so damn put out, Larsen,” the Baron snapped, his face reddening. “It's not as if you ever wanted to marry her.” He turned to Henrietta. “How did you know I was up here with your mother?”
“I did not know you were here with mymother.” Henrietta spat the word out as though it were poison. “I thought you were up here with theDuchess.”
Gemma felt a jolt in her chest. Henrietta had brought Wyatt up here to catch her in bed with Lord Anderson? The thought was so ludicrous she almost laughed. But the fact that Wyatt had willingly followed his former betrothed up here to catch her in the act was no laughing matter.
He does not trust me. He refuses to believe me when I say my father is innocent. And he doubted me enough to follow Miss Henford up here to catch me in bed with another man. His best friend at that…
The knowledge of it stung and she found herself blinking away fresh tears. She clenched her hands into fists, forcing herself not to cry. No way in hell would she let any of these people see how much their scheming and distrust had affected her.
Especially not my husband.
She found herself glaring fiercely at the Duke. As though feeling her eyes on her, he glanced at her, then quickly looked away.
“I am so sorry, my dear,” Henrietta's mother began. She shuffled further beneath the bedclothes, as though trying to hide herself. “I?—”
“You're sorry?!” Miss Henford demanded. “Sorry will not fix things, Mother!” Her voice wavered dramatically. “Lord Anderson and I were inlove.You have stolen the man of my dreams from me!”
Her mother snorted, the apologetic look vanishing from her face. “Man of your dreams. What rubbish. If you truly cared an inch about Lord Anderson, you would never have led the Duke up here to catch him with his wife.”
Henrietta faltered and she seemed to wither slightly under the Baron's questioning gaze. “Oh do not look at me like that, My Lord,” she snapped at him. “You know you have nothing to offer me. I am not the kind of lady who becomes a baroness.” She glared at Gemma. “I was supposed to be aduchess.”
“Leave,” Wyatt said suddenly. “This instant.”
Wild anger flickered across Miss Henford's eyes; the same unbalanced, animalistic look Gemma had seen from her on the day of the wedding. She jabbed a finger under the Duke's nose. “And you have betrayed me worst of all, Your Grace. We were supposed to spend our lives together. We were supposed to be a family. Instead, you drag the Larsen name through the mud by marrying Lady Highbrow?”
Wyatt's jaw tightened, his blue eyes suddenly dark with fury. “You have one minute to get out of my house. Or else.”
Henrietta snorted as she made her way down the stairs. “Enjoy your life with this thief's daughter, Your Grace. If you are looking for a nice gift for her, I hear her family has a penchant for diamond brooches.”
Gemma froze. For a moment, it felt as though the floor was tilting beneath her. She grappled at the wall to keep her balance. “What did you say?”
Henrietta spun around and gave her a withering look. “Oh do not look so surprised, Your Grace. The entiretonknows your father was caught with his hands in Lord Tarver's safe. It's all anyone has been talking about all evening.”
“No.” Gemma took a step closer to her, her heart thrashing against her ribs. “No one knows about the brooch. Lord Tarver told my grandmother that in confidence. He assured her that detail was never leaked to the press.”
The color drained from Miss Henford's face. Her lips parted, as the realization of her mistake swung at her. “Well,” she said, her voice thin. “Lord Tarver wasobviouslylying. Or… or the constable leaked word of the brooch to the press.” But the tremor in her voice betrayed her. Her eyes began to dart nervously between Gemma and the Duke.
“Henrietta?” her mother spoke up. “What in heaven's name have you done?” Clutching the bedclothes to her chest, she reached down to the floor for her underclothes.
“This was all your doing!” Gemma hissed. “You are the one who stole from Lord Tarver! You set my father up!”
Wyatt marched up to Gemma's side. Instinctively, she felt herself take a step away from him. “Is this true?” he demanded.
Miss Henford's mother appeared behind them, hurriedly pulling on her shoes. “Henrietta?”
“Oh do not act so aghast, Mother,” Miss Henford demanded. “It's all your fault. You should never have hired that new stableboy. Don't you know he spent half his life picking pockets on Drury Lane?”
Henrietta's mother pressed a hand to her mouth in disbelief. “Do you have any thought of what you've done, child? You could go to prison for such a crime.”
“Calm yourself, Mother,” Miss Henford hissed. “I am not going anywhere. I've never been within two miles of Lord Tarver's office. If anyone is going to prison, it's that dreadful stable boy.”
Gemma stared Miss Henford down. She knew she was likely dishing out the same animalistic glare the young woman had once given her. But she could not make herself care. “My father has taken ill,” she hissed, “because of what you did. If he dies, I will never forgive you.”
