Duchess Beware (Secrets & Scandals Book 2) (19 page)

Chapter Seventeen

As Silver stomped out of the mansion, she controlled her despair like she always had—with anger.  Just when the agony of Daniel’s words would start to torment her, she would get furious.  How dare that man marry her out of pity in order to nurse his own broken heart!  She continued to walk, giving no thought of direction, until she found herself in the midst of the flower garden at the rear of the mansion.

Crossing her arms, she examined the flamboyant paradise and frowned. 
Too rotten flashy.
  She gazed at the roses, tulips, and peonies perfuming the air, nearly gagging her with their sweetness. The marble statues, stone benches, and gurgling fountains had been strategically placed along the pebbled walkways, and her frown deepened. 
Too rotten perfect
.  Even the grand oval lake surrounded by fir trees made her eyes hurt from its beauty.

All of it reminded her of her imperfections.  Many imperfections.  She made an awful duchess.  No wonder Daniel couldn’t love her.

Releasing a weary sigh, Silver moved toward the lake, taking one of the paths that meandered through the blossoming milieu.  She plopped down on the bench near the end of the walkway and watched a dove chase another around in the sky.  But no matter how hard she tried to concentrate on something else, her thoughts returned to Daniel.

Dear God, he didn’t love her.

What would she do now?

A fish jumped, the splash making ripples over the glassy surface, and Silver’s eyelids grew heavy.  The wave ring widened over the lake until it smoothed out and disappeared.  Her mother once told her the lake fairies carried secret messages on the waves.  Perhaps one of the fairies would come tell her what to do.  She never felt so lost and alone.

With a yawn, she leaned over to rest on the bench.  Perhaps if she closed her eyes a minute, she could think straight again.  The warmth of the sun kissed her cheek, reminding her of how her mother used to tuck her into bed all those years ago.  The only time she ever felt safe and loved.  And as she drifted off to sleep, she could swear someone stood over her, blocking out the sun.

A voice in her ear jarred Silver awake.  With a gasp, she sat up and glanced around, blinking the sleep from her eyes.  The ripples in the lake caught her attention and for a moment she thought the fairies had come to speak to her.  But the voice had been familiar, and it made her shudder.  Victor’s voice always made her shudder.

A slight breeze moved across her cheek, stirring a stray curl, and brought the faintest scent of a man’s peppery cologne.

The same fragrance Victor wore.

As her skin prickled with alertness, Silver scanned the nearby trees, her heart pounding in her ears.

Nothing.

Feeling something sharp biting into her palm, she glanced down.  Her fist clutched the stem of a dark red rose in full bloom.  How did that get there?  With a deep breath, she dropped the rose onto her lap and examined her surroundings again, just to be certain no one lurked about.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.  Someone watched her.

Silver surged to her feet, the rose tumbling to the ground, and ran.  Near the end of the path, she crashed directly into a large chest.  Slowly, she looked up, terrified to see who it was.  The world tilted for a moment then straightened.  “Connor, what are you doing here?” she whispered.

“When ye wrote us aboot the weddin’, ye said tae come and visit, remember?”  His face contorted in concern.  “Goud heavens, lassie, wha’ has happened tae ye?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to catch her breath.

His brows came slowly together, his eyes shining with concern.  He grazed her cheek with warm, calloused fingers.  “Yer face is pale, you’re trembling, an’ ye look scared tae death.  Now wha’ gave ye such a fright?”

Silver closed her eyes against his tenderness and took a deep breath.  When her nerves settled, she glanced up at him with a wide smile, praying he wouldn’t see how much effort that took.  Then she grabbed his arm and turned them away from the lake.  “It was silly now that I think on it,” she said as they neared the mansion.

He hesitated for just a moment before allowing her to lead him inside.  “Wha’ was silly?”

She shook her head.  “You’ll laugh.”

“Nay, I’ll no’ laugh.  Tell me.”

“You had better not laugh, Connor.”

He held up his hands.  “I promise not tae laugh, lass.  Tell me.”

She sighed.  “I thought I saw a snake.”

“That’s wha’ this is aboot?” he asked as John the footman bowed and opened the drawing room door.  “Ye were afraid of a bleedin’ snake?”

Pausing just within the room, Silver faced her brother.  “Well, Connor, the snake was rather large,” she said with a grimace, her thoughts on Victor Merrick.  The man disturbed her, even if she had only imagined him being there.

“But lass, ye used tae play wi’ snakes.  Don’t ye remember?  Ye even had one as a pet.  Called him Newton, ye did.  And ye would scare the devil out o’ Jamie all the time.  Remember?”

Hearing some startled gasps, Silver turned and found two ladies she didn’t recognize sitting on the sofa gaping at them.  On the perpendicular sofa, Torie had her head bowed, studying the lacey edge of her sleeve, and the dowager, lowering her teacup, looked ready to throttle both her and Connor.

For the life of her, she could not keep her lips from curving up.  Perhaps the day would improve after all.

Before anyone could speak, Daniel appeared.  She didn’t know if she wanted to kick him or run into his arms.  “Ah, I see you’ve found her, Connor,” he said, his face growing blank as it did of late.

Connor nodded, then chuckled.  “Aye, Huntington.  An’ would ye believe she was afraid of a snake?”

For the first time since Megan and the others had left, a smile lurked in her husband’s eyes.  His lips even twitched.  “That does stretch the imagination a bit.”

Silver still felt like kicking him.

When a couple of clicks sounded, she found the dowager’s guests had snapped open their ivory fans and were frantically waving them an inch from their noses.

“My ladies, have you had the opportunity to meet my wife?” Daniel asked.

Simultaneously, the two women shook their heads.

“Well then, I present Sylvia Claiborne, the Duchess of Huntington.”  The ladies closed their fans and stood.  “Silver, our neighbors to the east, Lady Crandall and Lady Trent,” he said, each lady giving a wobbly curtsy.  He turned to Connor.  “And her brother, Mr. Connor MacLaren.”

Lady Crandall and Lady Trent gave another curtsy, even more pitiful than the one before.

Less than ten minutes later, as Silver watched Lady Crandall’s black conveyance race down the drive, she wondered if Society would have a similar reaction at her debut.  It certainly would be amusing.  Now that she knew the reason Daniel had married her, it no longer mattered what his friends thought of her.

Connor excused himself to visit with Garrett.  Daniel had already retreated back to his study, and Aunt Prudence was resting upstairs.  Silver headed to the library.  That was the one room she hoped to find a smidgen of solace.  Usually, she could open a book and escape her troubles, but she wasn’t so sure that would work this time.  Her troubles ran much deeper than Caroline’s caustic words or Katrina’s thieving little fingers swiping her brothers’ gifts.

Marching into the warm room and up to a shelf, she removed the third book to her left and brought it to the table she had been using to make translations from one language to another.  She wanted to keep her linguistic skills sharp.

Prudence entered the room with her sewing basket an hour later, as she often did in the afternoon, and sat in one of the wingback chairs nearest the fireplace.

“I saw your brother just now.”  She lifted a scrap of blue material from the basket, a smile lurking at the corners of her mouth.  “I don’t think the dowager is too pleased.”

Silver opened a fresh book she had retrieved and scanned several pages.  “The dowager is never pleased.”

Her aunt chuckled.  “Now that is true.”

Finding the right passage, she slid a clean sheet of parchment before her and dipped a sharpened quill into the ink.  Adjusting her spectacles, she concentrated on interpreting the words of the book into another language.

“When are we leaving for London?”

Silver halted from scribbling the Latin she read into German and glanced over her shoulder.  Prudence worked on her sampler, her expression all too innocent.  She narrowed her eyes.  What could the old dear be up to this time?

“I haven’t given that any thought,” she said, turning back to the sheath of papers.  Dipping the end of the quill into the ink, she continued her work.  Then her hand stilled.  Perhaps she should not even appear for the wretched debut and wondered how much of a scandal that would create.  That would serve the dowager duchess right.  But she didn’t think she could do that to Megan, who was planning the event.

The irony of how much Silver actually liked Daniel’s ex-fiancé, the very lady he still loved, was not lost on her.  Pressing her lips firmly together, she continued translating the document.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re upset, or should I guess?” Prudence asked a moment later.

The quill stopped in mid-word. With a sigh, she set the writing utensil aside, frowning at the sight of her stained fingers, and swiveled around to face her aunt.

“Why do you think I’m up—?”

“Don’t give me that nonsense.”  Prudence leveled her with a pointed look.  “Stop holding things in.  That has always been your problem, even since you were young.”  She softened her voice.  “You can’t keep doing that, child.  It isn’t good for you.”

Silver released the breath she’d been holding and resisted the urge to stand and pace the room.  Aunt Prudence detested the habit.

“Tell me what this is about.”

Clearing her throat, trying to repress the pain tearing through her middle, Silver began.  “Daniel married me out of guilt and obligation.”  She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.  “Megan is the one he will always love.”

Prudence’s hands stilled.  “What do you mean he married you out of guilt and obligation?”

She looked down at the large diamond ring glistening on her finger and a fresh wave of misery cascaded over her.  “I’d rather not say.”

“I think, child, you had better tell me everything that has happened so I can help you with whatever problem you’re having now.”

Oh, rot!
  Silver closed her eyes.  She hadn’t wanted anyone to ever find out, but Aunt Prudence would not give up until she heard the truth.  The woman could be the most stubborn human being alive at times.  She bowed her head.  Lord, this would be difficult.  “In Scotland, the night of that terrible storm when my brothers were away at market, Daniel came to my room…  It happened so fast,” she said in a rush, trying to quell the tingling heat of embarrassment creeping over her cheeks.  Then she recalled something and snapped her head up.  “He had come because of some note you sent him.  What was that about?”

When Prudence’s gaze slid away, Silver sucked in a breath and rose to her feet.  “Oh, Aunt, what did you do?”  She couldn’t keep the spurt of anger she felt out of her voice.

After a brief hesitation, her aunt stood and ambled forward.  Gripping Silver’s hands, she said, “Keeping you from having to marry Victor Merrick.”

The mention of that man’s name made her shiver.  “But to write Daniel—”

“The note was necessary.  And it worked.”

Pulling her hands away, Silver walked to a nearby window and glanced out.  A fat, gray squirrel with an acorn in its mouth darted across the thick green grass to dash up an oak tree.  She remembered how Victor’s ice-blue eyes stared hungrily at her at times, could still feel his clammy hands covering hers, could hear his silky voice slithering into her ears. 

The anger at her aunt drained right out of her.  She would have done anything to keep from marrying that man, probably even have gone along with Prudence’s scheme had she known.  Facing her aunt, she nodded.  “You’re right about the note you gave Daniel in Scotland working perfectly.  I do not believe we would have married had it not been for that.”

Hearing Silver’s admission, Daniel closed the library door he had just opened.  He turned and, remembering Connor was still in the stables, headed for his study.  Damn, he could use a long ride, though.  Throwing open the study door, he marched straight for the liquor cabinet.  God’s truth, his wife drove him to drink.

After filling his belly with several inches of whatever liquor he grabbed first, Daniel sat at his desk and contemplated Silver’s statement.  He slammed the empty glass onto his desk, scattering several sheets of paper. So his grandmother had been right.  Silver and Prudence had planned a seduction.  His marriage was nothing more than a farce.

A short bark of laughter spilled from his lips.  Just a few minutes ago, he’d been unhappy with the thought of his wife in love with him.  And now that he knew it to be false, he grew even more confounded.