Page 38 of My Daring Duchess
She shook her head as she sniffed back her tears. “No. They are out, and my lady’s maid is my chaperone now, but she is out at the pond with my younger brother.”
That explained why no one had come to see what was the matter. The servants were likely too busy with their chores to take note of the noise.
“Ye did not set out to trap Rutledge into marriage that night at the ball, did ye?” Simon was making a calculated guess but one he felt certain was correct.
She shook her head as she dabbed at her blotchy face. “No, of course not. I just wanted to kiss him once with the hope that he might finally consider me. I know how foolish it was, and I regret it immensely. I never thought, though I should have, that someone would walk in on us! I panicked. I did not know what to do. And immediately after we were discovered, I confessed what I had done to my friend Lady Mary—” Fanny’s words stuttered to a halt, probably a direct result of Simon. He imagined the disgust he felt for Lady Mary showed on his face.
“And what did this Lady Mary—”
“I know you two are acquainted,” Lady Fanny interrupted, turning a shade of red that looked dangerous to the lady’s health.
“What exactly did Lady Mary tell ye?” he demanded.
“That you seduced her many years ago. But I don’t believe her…”
He frowned. “Ye don’t?”
She shook her head. “I did, but I don’t anymore. Now I know her and the lies she is capable of.”
“Such as?” he asked.
“She persuaded me to claim Lord Rutledge had ruined me. She said he would do the honorable thing and ask me to marry him, and then we would end up happy because I loved him with all my heart.”
Lady Fanny began to wail again, and Simon inhaled a long breath, praying for patience and a bit more time. When Lady Fanny quieted once more, he said, “But that did not happen.”
“No, it did not,” she said on a sniff. “And I do not blame him. He knew I was lying and being dishonorable. I would not want to marry me, either! I wanted to tell the truth, but Mary threatened to tell everyone I had planned to trap him into marriage, which would have been even worse than people thinking he simply ruined me. It’s all gotten so out of control,” she sobbed. This time, she continued to talk between sobs. “Anne and the other women in the Sisterhood for the Ruination of Rogues are my only friends. They will never speak to me again when they learn the truth! My parents will be mortified at what I have brought on myself.”
“I’ll keep yer secret,” he heard himself saying.
Lady Fanny became completely still and quiet. “You will? But what of Lord Rutledge?”
Simon had a notion to go directly to speak with Rutledge. Perhaps if the man knew that Lady Fanny had a true tendre for him, he could be persuaded to court and possibly marry her. The lady seemed to have a good heart, and she was in desperate need of Rutledge as a husband, though admittedly due to her own folly.
“I’ll talk to Rutledge and explain things to him,” Simon said. “I feel certain he will not be angry with ye. I can only think he will be flattered that a lady as lovely as yerself held him in such high regard as to wish to risk everything to obtain his notice.” He would not raise her hopes by promising more from Rutledge, but he would do his best to put the two of them together.
Lady Fanny threw her arms around Simon and hugged him. But Simon heard footsteps in the hall and quickly set her back. He smiled. “I will repay your kindness somehow, Your Grace,” she said.
He could do no more than nod as his sisters and Lady Jocelyn entered the room.
Thirteen
“Miss Adair,” Perceval said, “I cannot seem to recall where His Grace said he was away to, but he left a note for me to give you. I set it down in his study. If you will wait here a moment, I will retrieve it.”
Anne nodded, but when Perceval did not return after a spell, she ventured to Simon’s study and found the man there, shuffling through a pile of papers. “Ah, Miss Adair, I beg your pardon, but I seem to have misplaced His Grace’s note to you.”
Anne walked over to where Perceval stood and moved a few stacks of papers. She immediately saw her name scrawled on a note. As she went to pick it up, though, something else caught her eye: Ian Frazier’s name scratched on a piece of foolscap. She sucked in a sharp breath. Why had Simon written Ian’s name down? Was he trying to find him? Perhaps to exact revenge for what Ian had done to her? She knew it was wrong, but it pleased her that he might be trying to defend her.
“Perceval,” she said as casually as she could, “Does the name Ian Frazier mean anything to you?” Perhaps he had overheard something Simon had said to Rutledge or maybe his sisters.
“Oh yes!” Perceval said enthusiastically. “I forget a great deal,” he continued, though his voice now held a humorous note, “but I never forget His Grace’s business partners. I commit them to memory at night by reciting their names in case one comes to His Grace’s home.”
Uneasiness lodged in Anne’s belly. “You must be mistaken. I’m certain His Grace is not business partners with Mr. Frazier.”
“Oh, but he is,” Perceval said with clear confidence. “They are new business partners as of a few days ago. They are going to join forces to build more railroads. Mr. Frazier will be using His Grace’s lumber company. I heard His Grace speak to his solicitor about it.”
Anne’s stomach roiled with the news. Was Simon attempting to ruin her after all? Had he already known Ian and what Ian had done to her? Her mind raced with all sorts of terrible, horrifying scenarios. She had to depart before Simon returned. She needed time to think and sort through what she ought to do.
Once she arrived at her grandfather’s home, she went straight up to see him with thoughts of Simon and his possible nefarious plans swirling in her head. “Grandfather,” she called, tapping on his door.
