Page 57 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
“Jane, what is this about?” Henry asked, turning to her.
Jane sighed, shaking her head. "It's quite terrible, sir. People have been saying terrible things about Arabella. Many of the townspeople are accusing her of seducing you to become a duchess. If people are talking about it in Thetford, it surely has spread to the surrounding villages and towns."
Henry frowned. “I beg your pardon? People are accusing her of trying to seduce me?”
Basil had said these very words several weeks ago. Somehow, he had to have something to do with the rumors, but Henry didn't understand what he had to gain by ruining Arabella's reputation.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Jane confirmed. “Poor Arabella is mortified and deeply hurt. She cannot understand how people who watched her grow up could accuse her of sullying her family's good name like this.”
Hot anger coursed through Henry's veins. He turned away, his hands fisted by his sides. For anyone to hurt Arabella like this... He wanted to throttle every one of them.
"I should go to her, Your Grace," said Jane. "She is still distraught."
Henry turned to her, fighting to maintain his composure when he wanted to punch his fist through a wall.
“Yes, go and be with her,” he agreed. “Offer her as much comfort as you can.”
Jane nodded and curtsied, rushing away. Henry stood in the foyer for a few minutes more, focusing on his breathing. Once calm, he made his way to his study, calling out for his valet. Truman appeared seemingly out of thin air, almost startling Henry.
“Yes, Your Grace?” he asked.
“I want you to go to Thetford and discover the rumor about Arabella apparently trying to seduce me,” he said, entering his study.
Truman's eyebrows lifted. “There's a rumor like that?” he asked, surprised.
Henry nodded. “Spare no effort to find the culprit. We need to clear Arabella's name.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” said Truman. “I'll speak to my connections in Thetford as a place to start. May I leave?”
“Yes, you can go,” said Henry.
Henry settled into his armchair but soon stood up. He couldn't sit and be idle while Arabella suffered. He needed to do something else, but he didn't know what. It galled him to be so helpless. He had fallen for Arabella yet couldn't even defend her as he should. Perhaps he didn't deserve to even love her.
Chapter 20
The last thing Henry wanted later that day was a visit from Basil and his aunt. Aunt Lillian was a surprise because she rarely saw fit to visit him unless she wanted something. So far, mother and son had only expressed pleasantries, but Henry could see something was on their mind. He wondered if it had anything to do with Arabella.
Henry hadn't forgotten that Basil had accused Arabella of trying to seduce him, and now the very same rumor was spreading all over Thetford and likely beyond. Everyone knew who the Beastly Duke was, so hearing a maid was supposedly trying to seduce him would catch the attention of most people.
“Dear,” Aunt Lillian began, placing her teacup on its saucer. “There really isn't a delicate way of saying this.”
“What is the matter, Aunt?” Henry asked.
“Basil, perhaps you should speak of the situation,” she said, turning to her son. “It's just too horrible for me to bear.”
Perhaps they expected him to feel alarmed, but he was still calm. Well, as calm as he can be, knowing his cousin was possibly behind hurting the woman he loved.
"Perhaps I should explain the situation to Henry, Mother," Basil agreed. He turned to Henry. "We have recently heard some disturbing news about a maid under your employ. It seems the same thing I warned you about is true. Arabella is trying to seduce you, and now everyone knows about it."
Henry clenched his jaw. Basil had done many terrible things in the past, such as trying to kill him or put spies in Euston Hall. However, none compared to hurting Arabella.
That was by far the worst thing he could have done, in Henry's opinion. While Henry couldn't accuse his cousin without evidence, it was just a matter of time before Truman found the source and reported his findings. If Basil wasn't somehow involved, Henry would eat his hat.
“Are you not going to say something, Henry?” his aunt asked. “Did you not hear Basil? This is a disaster! You have to get rid of that maid. She is not good for your image." She huffed a little. "I mean, really! She's just a commoner, yet she's causing all this commotion for the family. Frankly, it's an embarrassment for the family."
“Precisely, Mother,” said Basil. “I know Uncle Edmund and Aunt Margaret would not have allowed her to stay a second more in their home. They would have sent her away.”
Henry had been calm throughout their accusation, but to bring the old duke and duchess into the matter was another thing altogether.
