Page 63 of Yours Truly, the Duke
“Oh, don’t try that old trick.” Jane walked closer with the papers outstretched toward Fredericka.
“I don’t read them anymore,” she replied, lifting her chin a notch.
“You can’t fool me. We lived together for too long. But I understand you wanting to try.” She quirked her head and shrugged. “If I were you, I wouldn’t want to read them either. They are quite revealing of your return to London and your marriage.”
Fredericka stiffened. What did Jane mean? Remembering what Wyatt had said to her, she repeated, “Surely, Jane, you know the scandalmongers make their money by printing outrageous stories to entertain the ton. They search the gutters at night looking for something scandalous to say about prominent people.”
Jane smiled pleasantly. “What does it matter where they get the information if it’s the truth?”
“That’s just it,” Fredericka shot back. “What they say isn’t true but rubbish meant to sully someone’s reputation.”
“I doubt more harm could be done to the duke’s,” her cousin responded nonchalantly with a mocking glance at the papers she still held. “On the other hand, my Nelson has always been an exemplary gentleman and everyone in Society knows it. Just as your husband is a disreputablerake of the highest order and it appears marriage hasn’t changed that. I even have a copy of this morning’s tidbit about your adventure in the park a couple of days ago. Thankfully, none of the children were hurt during the incident.” Jane touched her hat again. “Though everyone wondered why he didn’t give chase after the thief.”
“I’ll thank you to keep your thoughts about my husband to yourself,” Fredericka responded with a bite to her tone. She wasn’t at all surprised someone wrote about what happened. “All the children are perfectly fine.”
“Apparently, so is the thief. In this column,” Jane said, waving the papers in front of Fredericka as a taunt, “the duke is praised for how expertly he can chase a ball in a game of cricket but couldn’t give chase to a young footpad.”
A nervous quiver started in Fredericka’s chest and quickly spread to her toes. “There were reasons he didn’t.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Good ones, no doubt. Tell me, is it true you arrived at the duke’s house when he was having a party and dancing a very cozywaltzwith a young lady?”
On that, the gossips were close to the truth, but Fredericka wasn’t going to confirm that with Jane.
When Fredericka didn’t answer, Jane unfolded one of the sheets and said, “Here it’s reported he said, ‘You shouldn’t have come,’ and that he asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ Did he not know you were coming to London?”
It shocked Fredericka to hear those words were exactly what he’d said.
“Of course he knew,” Fredericka found herself saying with only a mild twinge of guilt for the prevarication. Wyatt did know she would come to London at some point. He just didn’t know when.
“And I suppose it’s not true that the duke grabbed you by the arms and shoved you to the floor while the children were screaming for him not to hurt you?”
Fredericka felt as if steam were suddenly coming out of her ears. “What? Give me that!” She snatched the newsprint from Jane’s hands and started looking at the pages. Almost as quickly she realized she couldn’t read such trash anymore. With shaking hands, she crumpled the papers into a tight ball. “This is outrageous! That never happened. How dare they print something so vile?”
“I agree, it sounded harsh even for the duke. But, of course, I don’t know him well. He could have a quick and violent temperament.”
“He doesn’t,” Fredericka defended, remembering how kindhearted he was to the thief in the park. “He is mild and easygoing with everyone. Especially children.”
“Yes, well, I suppose you would know since you’ve spent so much time with him these past few weeks.” She sighed. “But that’s neither here nor there. In any case, I don’t believe the court would look favorably on me if my husband said and did such things to me where everyone could hear and see it.”
“Are you saying it would be fine for a husband to say or do such things if no one could hear or see it?” Fredericka answered back quickly.
“Of course not.” Her cousin had the gall to look affronted as she could do so well. “Don’t twist my words.”
Fredericka glared. “And don’t you twist my husband’s words or repeat lies about him.”
Jane sighed. “Well, of course I wouldn’t. He’s family now. You know we don’t gossip about family matters. I will be the first to defend the duke should the occasion arise. But on to the reason I’m here, because I really must go.”
What more could there be? Fredericka held up the wad of newsprint. “This isn’t the reason you came to gloat?”
“No, of course not. But I did make sure the Lord Chancellor will receive a copy of the scandal sheets with his morning mail tomorrow.”
“Thank you for doing that.” Fredericka’s stomach pitched, but somehow, she managed a fake smile. “It saves me the trouble.”
“Happy to help. I was, of course, distressed to hear a wager concerning us was entered into the betting book at White’s. I don’t understand a man’s need to gamble, but apparently they want to bet on which of us will win custody of the children.”
“What?” Fredericka whispered on a raspy breath. “You can’t be serious.”
“Indeed I am. Men are very serious about their gaming. Man’s second-oldest pastime and all that.”
