Page 38 of It's All About the Duke
Though it was unnatural for her, Marlena was nervous.
For more than one reason. First, there was the duke. He’d consumed her thoughts. Marlena hadn’t been able to get him off her mind since, in a moment of disquiet at the prospect of such a forbidden act as a kiss, she’d thrust his handkerchief between the two of them to avoid it when she’d very much wanted the kiss.
She kept asking herself why she hadn’t let their lips touch when she had been so eager to do exactly that. She’d thought about kisses before. With gentlemen who had no defined features. Now she had a face in her thoughts and fanciful notions. It was the duke’s roguishly handsome features that confronted her, and they wouldn’t leave her alone and give her peace.
Surely it wouldn’t have been so horrible to have allowed one little buss. If she had, the mystery of it would be solved. End of the story the way it was when she’d been in the woods with her cousins and they looked under a dead tree branch to see what insects were crawling around beneath it or when she’s explored the attic of Mr. Olingworth’s house. Surely there was nothing wrong in simply satisfying one’s curiosity about something that was unknown. She’d know how it felt to have a man’s lips pressed against hers. She kept asking herself why she hadn’t let the kiss happen. Why had she placed the handkerchief between them?
And then there was theotherreason Marlena was nervous today. Miss Honora Truth. Her latest scandal sheet had come out earlier today. The first since the duke became her guardian. Eugenia was on her way to buy one at the bookshop she and Marlena frequented, and to casually ask howWords of Wisdom and Warningwas selling.
Or if it is selling.
Marlena was waiting for Eugenia to return by using one of Justine’s annoying habits. Pacing in front of the fireplace and occasionally mumbling to herself.
When Marlena, Eugenia, and Veronica had first started this venture into the gossip writing world, they’d decided that Marlena must never be seen buying a copy of the scandal sheet, in the hope she could never be connected to it. And Eugenia seldom purchased one, but Marlena wanted to see this one in print.
She hadn’t been this worried since the third or fourth one hit the streets. The one where she’d mentioned the rumor Mr. Bramwell had started at White’s. That’s when the sales of the sheet seemed to take off.
After the duke had left her house a couple of days ago, she knew exactly what she had to write. Once that decision was made it wasn’t difficult to finish. The strange thing was that she’d never written about herself. Shewould be seeing her name in print and not someone else’s. She’d never suspected she’d have a reason to write about herself.
In fact, she’d never written about anyone she’d ever met or had even seen until she’d met the duke. Now that she could put a face and a personality to the Duke of Rathburne’s name, everything about the short weekly column seemed different. What had seemed more like a made-up story about people she didn’t know was suddenly very real.
She’d quickly finished the piece and handed it over to Eugenia to give to her maid, but Marlena had worried about it ever since. She’d had to mention herself and the duke. She couldn’t let a whole week pass without doing it. By then it would already be all over town that she was the Duke of Rathburne’s ward. Justine was seeing to that. If she didn’t get it to print, the gossip would be considered interesting but old news. Sales would go down and the monthly payment for Eugenia and Veronica would be less. She couldn’t let that happen.
There had been no other options to consider. Once Justine had heard from the duke himself that Mr. Olingworth’s letter was indeed true, she couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. The very next day she was out all afternoon visiting with Lady Westerbrook and Mrs. Barnes; she had even called on the Duke of Griffin’s unmarried sister, Lady Vera. The two had met at parties, but Justine admitted she didn’t know Lady Vera well. Yet Justine wanted the duke’s sister to know Marlena would be entering Society and they would look forward to having her over for tea at an appropriate time during the Season.
Marlena was already dreading the prospects of that meeting and many others when she started attending the afternoon card parties, balls in the Great Hall, at Almack’s, and too many other social occasions to think about. She’d written about Lady Vera, and her twin sister, Lady Sara, before she married. Marlena didn’t write about anyone once nuptials were said. And it wasn’t that she’d ever written anything truly bad about the twins. She hadn’t.
Though Marlena wasn’t guiltless by any means. She’d been behind the rumor that had Society thinking there might be retaliation against the twins because of their brother’s past misdeeds. That gossip had probably disturbed Lady Sara and Lady Vera’s Season. Thankfully, nothing had ever happened to the twins. She hadn’t expected it to. They were sisters of a duke. Who would be foolish enough to try and harm them or even ruin their Season?
Marlena had never been happy with herself for asking Mr. Bramwell to start that rumor. And she had expected to stop writing the column after the first Season, but Eugenia and Veronica’s plight continued to get worse not better as she’d hoped. She couldn’t bring herself to stop helping them.
Now that the time was drawing near, Marlena wasn’t looking forward to meeting anyone she’d written about. When she started the scandal sheet it hadn’t dawned on her that one day she’d enter Society and be meeting the very people she was gossiping about. Realizing that put an entirely different burden on her—and another measure of guilt, too. Just as she had after the first Season came to a close, Marlena was feeling the need to shut down the column once the upcoming Season was over, and hopefully Eugenia would be betrothed.
The back door opened and slammed shut immediately. Who would do something like that? Certainly not Eugenia or Justine. Tut went running from the room barking like a fiend. Before she could take the first step to seewhat was going on, Marlena heard footsteps bounding down the corridor. Veronica came charging around the entryway and into the drawing room. She flung herself face down on the settee and started weeping uncontrollably.
Tut came back in with her and continued to bark.
“Veronica, what’s wrong?” Marlena asked, dropping to her knees beside the settee. “What’s happened?”
There was only more weeping from her friend. Tut put his paws on the settee beside Veronica’s head and barked again. This wasn’t the first time either of them had seen Veronica storm over crying but it always upset Tut when it happened.
“Shush,” she told her pet. “I’m trying to calm her.” He whimpered at her and then barked again.
Mrs. Doddle rushed into the room, drying her hands on an apron that had goose feathers and dumpling flour all over it. “What’s wrong with Mrs. Portington this time?”
Marlena looked up at her housekeeper. “I don’t know yet. She doesn’t look injured so I’m sure she’s just upset about something again.” Marlena grabbed hold of Tut and reached to hand him up to Mrs. Doddle. “Would you please take him out to the back garden for me and I’ll find out?”
“Of course.” She bent down and took Tut in her arms. He scrambled to get down, knowing he was about to be put outside and miss the drama. Mrs. Doddle held firm. “Let me know if I can help the poor lady. She seems to have more than her share of distresses in her life, doesn’t she?”
Marlena smiled at her tenderhearted housekeeper and nodded. “I’ll let you know if there’s anything you can do. Thank you.”
Marlena laid a comforting hand on Veronica’s shoulder but she made no move to stop crying or look up so Marlena gave her a slight shake. “Veronica, you must tell me what’s wrong.”
With her face hidden in the cushion, she mumbled a few words. The only word Marlena could make out wasEugenia.
A slight chill raced over Marlena and she shuddered. “Has something happened to your sister?”
Veronica nodded.
