Page 70 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
“Before you were born, I had an affair with Richard Whitmore, The Earl of Whitestone. We were in love, and I bore his child. You, my darling. But we could never be together due to Lady Whitestone,” Cressida spat, sitting up straight.
There was venom in her eyes as she turned toward Martha, and her eyes became crazed as she laughed.
A crazed laugh that chilled Martha to the bone.
“That is why I orchestrated the carriage accident. If I couldn’t have Richard, no one could,” Lady Sagewood cackled before lying flat down on the bed and breaking out into low giggles. The countess shook the entire bed with her movements, but Martha was too stunned to care.
Martha was left horrified by the woman’s revelations.
What was a maid to do? Stay loyal to her employer or turn her in? She felt terribly conflicted, and her stomach was bound into terrible knots.
Martha sat down as she thought over what she should do next. She knew she could not ignore this information, even if it came from a fevered woman. Martha stood up and called for another maid.
“Please watch over the duchess, I have an important errand to run for her,” Martha spoke quietly.
The other maid nodded as Martha slipped into the night, her heart pounding in her chest. She had made up her mind. She was going to go to the authorities and tell them about Cressida Ravenscroft’s disturbing confessions. Martha could not live with herself if she stayed quiet. No matter how loyal of a maid she was, she could not ignore cold blooded murder.
Chapter 28
Gemma woke up gasping for air. She had nightmares of the Ton calling her a wanton woman as they threw things at her on her wedding day.
The nightmare was awful and had Gemma holding her throat as she awoke. Gemma looked around at the small room she was in, and was hit with the reminder of what transpired the night before.
Everyone had found out about her and Gabriel’s intimate moments and were gossiping about her, calling her names, and judging her.
Gemma was heartbroken that people she had grown up with looked at her with such judgment and disdain.
Getting out of bed, Gemma stretched and was thankful she had taken off her gown the night before, but she saw that Lady Agatha had laid out a plain dress for her to wear today.
Gemma got dressed and tied her hair up before walking towards the door.
“Lady Gemma, are you alright?” Lady Agatha asked as Gemma exited her room.
Gemma was startled but nodded.
“I am, thank you for letting me stay here.” Gemma felt a heaviness in her heart over every event that had led her to the convent.
“You are welcome anytime, dear. Now join us for breakfast.” Lady Agatha’s voice remained both warm and soothing.
Gemma followed Lady Agatha to the convent’s dining hall which she had not been in since she was a child.
She ate breakfast with the nuns and women as she thought of what she would do next. Gemma had run away and was a lady with no guardian. It only made sense for her to stay at the convent, but it was only a matter of time before the gossip reached here and they shunned her.
While Gemma had hoped they would not shun her, she still feared the worst. Deciding that she did not want to spend the day surrounded by people, she went to visit Kew Gardens as it was nearby.
Her parents used to take her when they would visit her at the convent and each time was an adventure to Gemma. It was a reminder of family and peace. Something she needed more than ever now that she had lost both, again.
Am I fated to never have love or family?
Gemma got in a hackney carriage and was off to Kew Gardens. She soaked up the sun on the ride there and after a few short moments she arrived.
She took in the tall glass building and admired it from the outside. It was everything that she had remembered from childhood but so much more.
“This is truly so stunning,” Gemma whispered to herself as she got out of the carriage.
Gemma entered the gardens and took in the greenery. As she strolled through the lush greenery, the memories of happier times came flooding back. She remembered when her father would chase her through the gardens and how they would compete to see who knew the most names of the flowers. Her father always won while her mother would kiss him on his cheek.
Those memories were dear to Gemma and caused tears of joy and sadness to flood her eyes. Joy due to the happy memories and sadness due to missing her parents who were long gone.
