Page 54 of His Forsaken Duchess
“The newspapers have arrived, Your Grace,” he said, his voice as measured and precise as ever. He held the tray out to her, the folded papers resting neatly atop it.
“Thank you, Potts,” Audrey said, setting down her teacup. She picked up the top paper and glanced at it briefly. “It seems the weather is improving,” she noted. “Perhaps we shall depart for London soon.”
Mrs. Potts’s expression dimmed slightly, though her smile remained warm. “I do hope you’ll return soon, Your Grace,” she said earnestly. “Haremore Castle no longer wants to be without its Duchess.”
Audrey forced a smile, though the words stung. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Mrs. Potts that she didn’t plan on returning. Instead, she unfolded the top paper and froze as her gaze fell on the gossip sheet tucked within.
The headline was in bold, its words cutting like a knife.
Lady Lilianna: A Fallen Woman?
With Lord Rashford nowhere to be found, the Winslows’ reputation teeters on the edge of ruin. And where is her sister, the Duchess of Haremore? Fled, it seems. Too disgraced to face Society. What will become of the Winslows now?
Audrey’s jaw tightened, her chest heaving as anger bubbled within her. She clutched the paper tightly, her knuckles whitening. Without another word, she rose from her seat and strode toward the door, the sheet crumpled in her hand.
“Your Grace?” Mrs. Potts called after her, but Audrey was already halfway down the hallway, her steps quick and determined.
She found Cedric in his study, sitting at his desk with a stack of papers before him.
He glanced up as she entered, his eyebrow rising slightly. “It appears you’ve forgotten my rule about not disturbing me here,” he said dryly.
Audrey’s temper flared, but before she could respond, she caught the faint glint of amusement in his eyes. He wasn’t serious.
Still, she crossed her arms and said tightly, “I wouldn’t have disturbed you if it wasn’t necessary.”
She extended the crumpled sheet toward him, her hand trembling slightly with anger. Cedric took it, his face darkeningas he read the gossip column. When he finished, he crumpled the paper in his fist and rose, tossing it into the fire without a second thought. The flames consumed it instantly.
“Pay them no mind,” he said, his voice calm but firm.
Audrey stared at him, her chest still tight. “Cedric, they are saying that my sister is ruined. That I am too disgraced to face Society. How can you tell me to pay them no mind?”
“Because it is precisely what they want,” he replied, his gaze steady. “The more you react, the more power you give them. Let the gossip run its course.”
She shook her head, frustration mingling with helplessness. “We need to leave for London as soon as possible.”
“We will,” Cedric said, his voice softening. “But not until the weather improves. You may be determined, Audrey, but you are not invincible.”
Audrey hesitated, the edge of her anger dulling at the genuine concern in his voice. “I am fine,” she said, though the words felt hollow.
He studied her for a moment, then inclined his head. “Join me for dinner tonight.”
“Why?” she asked, surprised.
“We have been dining together since you arrived,” he replied.
They had, until she was forced to eat alone in her chambers while she recovered. But after his announcement that they’d return to living separately, Audrey did not want to dine with him.
“It will also give us the opportunity to discuss what we will do in London,” he added.
That caught her attention.
“Very well.”
Audrey left the study, closing the door behind her. Leaning against it for a moment, she sighed. She still didn’t understand why Cedric believed that he needed to push her away to protect her.
Perhaps revisiting the west wing would give her the answers she sought.
Eighteen
