Page 37 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
“Why was the duke here?” Jane asked as soon as the door closed behind him.
“He wanted to speak to me about, uh, books,” said Arabella.
She didn't want to lie to her friend, but admitting she had been in the duke's room at night didn't seem like the right thing to do.
“Books?” Jane repeated.
“Do you recall I said something about going to the bookshop to purchase books for the library?” she said.
“Yes, I do,” said Jane.
“Well, I'm now recovered from my injuries and fit to do as I promised the duke,” she said. “I should pick a date and go to Thetford as soon as possible.”
“I'm sure Mrs. Cooper will allow you a date soon since you're doing it for the duke,” said Jane. “However, I have to wonder about the door.”
“The door?”
“It should not have been closed,” said Jane. “Do you not recall the crazy woman named Mirabel? The one who might have tried to kill you some days ago? The reason for your injuries?”
“I am well aware of Mirabel,” Arabella informed her.
"Yet the door was closed, and you were in here with the duke!" Jane cried. "I know it was an innocent matter, but it won't be to Mirabel. She's looking for any reason to destroy your good standing with the servants.”
Arabella rolled her eyes. “She has been trying to do that almost from the time I arrived here.”
"Yes, but do not give her a reason to prove her accusations," said Jane. "We wish to expose her lies, not give her a reason to accuse you further." She came closer.
"Some of us have noticed how she talks to Lord Kersey. It seems she doesn't know whether she wants the duke or his cousin. A little more of this kind of behavior, and she will lose all credibility with everyone. If we cannot get the evidence we need to prove she wished to harm you, then we should let her dig a hole for her own grave."
“Mirabel and Lord Kersey?” said Arabella.
Jane nodded. "Furthermore, Mirabel has been saying some things lately," she said. "I didn't want to bother you, but I can no longer keep it to myself. She says she has proof that you are seducing the duke right under our noses."
Arabella stilled. “Did she say what it was?”
Jane scoffed. “Of course not. She is likely biding her time and waiting for you to make a mistake. She'll use anything against you.” She frowned. “Mirabel does seem really adamant about this piece of evidence, so she will not let it go. Can you think of something that she could probably use against you?”
Arabella thought about the night with the duke, but it seemed impossible that Mirabel would know about it. She had told no one, not even Jane, and she doubted the duke would reveal it to anyone.
“No,” she said. “I cannot think of anything.”
“Good,” said Jane. “That doesn't mean Mirabel will not try to make something up. I'm worried she might pull Lord Kersey into this.”
“Why and how on earth could she do that? Does she have some kind of control over him?”
“No, but everyone knows how he covets the dukedom,” Jane revealed. “Most of us are convinced Mirabel is his spy in the house, but we cannot prove it. The duke has cautioned all the servants to never reveal any information about Euston Hall to the viscount or the servants he brings with him. We usually feed them lies if they're insistent, but Mirabel might be giving the viscount important information about the duke.”
“Goodness,” said Arabella. “I didn't think the viscount was that underhanded.”
“Haven't you noticed how he flirts with all the maids?” Jane asked. “They say he has illegitimate children in all four corners of England. A man like that is a danger to all. He wants what he shouldn't and does not care how he gets it.” She shuddered. “I prefer to be far away from him whenever he comes to the house.”
Arabella recalled their very first meeting and how the viscount stared at her. She could believe he liked to pursue maids, but to take the dukedom away from his own cousin seemed ridiculous. He was already a lord. However, she couldn't dismiss Jane's words. It seemed she was not the only one with an enemy.
Chapter 14
Arabella didn't know if she was doing the right thing, but she really wanted to meet the family who had purchased her old home. She had the day to herself to buy the duke's books, so she had more than enough time for a little detour.
Knocking on the door briefly, she stood back and waited for someone to open the door. The house still looked the same, but she noticed signs of life around the house, like a child's wooden block left in a flower bush, several paintbrushes in a glass jar, and even a cat curled up in the corner of the front step.
