A Hint of Scandal (16 page)

A barouche Bella had never seen, pulled by four perfectly matched bays, rolled up next to them. As the duke handed her into the vehicle, Bella was immensely relieved to see that the Duke and Duchess of Severly were joining them in the plush interior of the conveyance.

Glancing across the carriage to the other couple as they settled themselves, Bella could not help wondering what this noble pair must be thinking about the extremely odd ceremony they had just witnessed.

After all, her thoughts continued, the marriage of a duke should take place at Westminster Abbey, or some equally illustrious site, witnessed by hundreds of people, not just seven.

The tension was palpable as the four of them rode in complete silence for some minutes.

“My dear Duchess,” the Duke of Severly said in a very formal tone.

Bella jerked her head up, startled to be addressed by the title.

“My wife and I,” he continued, “wish to express to you our very deep gratitude for your care of our friend.”

“Yes,” the Duchess of Severly seconded, leaning forward a little. “Alex has told us how you and your brother saved his life.”

Bella looked at the beautiful duchess and thought her smile was encouraging.

“Please call me Bella. But it was Tommy who found his grace. I just did what anyone would have done,” she said simply to the imposing couple.

“But it was you who removed the slug. I think there are few women who would be brave enough to act so swiftly,” Westlake inserted.

“I agree, you are a very brave lady, Bella,” the Duchess of Severly said.

Looking over at the beautiful duchess, Bella thought there was a look of understanding in her gaze. Bella had the feeling that the duchess was not just referring to Bella’s act of removing the ball from the duke’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she said in a whisper.

Casting a quick glance to Westlake’s pale, gaunt features, Bella thought again how tired he looked.

Because she had refused to even accept that there would be a wedding, Bella had been unable to look beyond this day. Now she was eager to have a quiet moment with the duke so that she could share her idea of an annulment.

Annulment! She could not even comprehend that they were actually wed, much less contemplating an annulment. She dejectedly sank back in her seat.

The small group remained silent for the rest of the journey to Penninghurst Park, and was just as silent as they all filed into the breakfast room and took their seats.

What little conversation there was during the meal was very stilted. The sounds of forks and knives clinking against china seemed very pronounced to Bella. Pushing her food around on her plate, she kept her eyes averted from everyone.

As the meal was ending, Bella’s panic grew. What was going to happen next? Maybe the duke would depart and
leave her here in Mabry Green; she gave this new thought a great deal of hope.

At that moment the duke rose from his chair, and Bella held her breath.

“Mr. Tichley, Lord and Lady Penninghurst, I have much to be grateful to you for, and I thank you for your care and your hospitality,” Westlake stated with obvious sincerity.

“I beg your leave, for it is time that Bella and I depart for Autley.”

Bella’s stricken gaze went to his face.
Depart! No, no, no
, Bella repeated in her heart over and over; it was much too soon to depart.

Lady Penninghurst saw Bella’s frozen expression, and turned to the duke with great concern.

“Surely, your grace, your departure can wait until the morrow? I am sure Dr. Pearce would advise you against such a long journey after so trying a day,” she appealed to the duke.

“Thank you for your concern, Lady Penninghurst, but I believe it best that we leave.” His tone made it clear that he would not be dissuaded from his plan.

Bella finally looked at her uncle, and then to her father. Her heart sank as she saw by their expressions that neither one intended to oppose the duke.

“Very well, your grace,” Aunt Elizabeth said very calmly, nodding to the servants to clear the plates. “Shall we all go into the drawing room? Bella, you should change your gown. I shall send one of the maids to pack for you.”

Bella found she had no voice. Rising from the table, she forced her trembling bottom lip between her teeth before starting for the door.

“Excuse me?” a young, quavering voice spoke up as everyone was rising from the table.

Bella turned at the question and saw her little brother looking around the room at all of them with confused, fearful eyes.

“What is it, Tommy?” Alfred Tichley asked his son.

“Should not we make a toast? At all the other weddings I have been to, the bride and groom are toasted.”

No one in the room made a sound.

“Why don’t you do us the honor, Tommy?”

Bella was surprised to hear the supportive note in the duke’s deep voice.

After a shy moment, Tommy nodded. Straightening his shoulders, he picked up his glass, pausing while the others followed suit. “To Bella and …?” Tommy’s face fell as he realized he did not know the duke’s given name.

“Alex,” the Duke of Severly leaned over and supplied, giving the boy an encouraging smile.

Tommy nodded and began again. “To Bella and Alex! May your happiness grow from this day forward, and God bless you both.”

The resounding chorus of
“Hear, hears”
so touched Bella that she could only lower her head against her sudden tears. As quickly as she could, she fled the room, with the toast still ringing in her ears.

B
ella, sitting at the head of the immensely long dining table, lifted the etched crystal goblet and took another sip of the excellent wine the wine steward had chosen for her. As one footman removed the plate in front of her, another replaced it with a dish of savory hothouse vegetables covered in a French sauce.

It was her fourth night at Autley, and the first she had spent dining alone in this cavernous blue-and-gold-appointed room. In spite of the elegant surroundings, Bella felt a keen sense of dismay and annoyance.

Since her arrival, a frown seemed permanently on her brow, and the three servants attending her in total silence wondered at the haunted look in the new Duchess of Westlake’s eyes.

As Bella took small bites of the delicious dish, her confusion and distress grew as her mind again went over the events that had occurred since she’d come to Autley.

Situated on a rise in the midst of vast acres of forests, fields, gardens, and lakes, the duke’s home had caused her to catch her breath at its beauty upon her first sight of it.

She could hardly believe that anyone actually lived in such a massive place, she had thought as the carriage passed through the imposing iron gates. Looking out the carriage window, she could see brief glimpses of a huge mansion with massive gray stone spires and towers as they drove through the turns on the road.

As they drew nearer, she could see that Autley was built on a quadrangle around a courtyard. She found the place beautiful and awe inspiring.

When the carriage had pulled up the miles-long drive to the grand columned entrance, it had been late evening on their wedding day. Bella was thankful the duke had slept for most of the journey, giving her time to think and formulate some sort of plan to remove herself from this untenable situation.

Surely, given some time, Papa and Uncle David would eventually soften. She had consoled herself with this thought as she had watched the duke slumbering across from her, deciding that she was much more comfortable with him this way.

I am certainly more familiar with him asleep
, she thought with an ironic twist to her lips.

When the coach door had opened, Bella had emerged first to see a score of servants lined up on the wide marble steps. She glanced back to see the duke following stiffly and looking positively ashen.

After the duke greeted his butler, and all the servants had bowed, they were led into a cavernous entry hall. The huge hall ended at a wide marble staircase that split at the landing of the first floor, diverging in opposite directions to a gallery visible from the hall below.

Standing on the bottom of the staircase had been the duke’s mother. Next to her stood a younger, prettyish redheaded lady, garbed in a peach-colored silk gown boasting a multitude of bows, puffs, and gathers. Standing next to the redhead was a boy perhaps a year or so younger than Tommy. He had very dark hair and light eyes. Bella instantly knew that this must be Henry, the duke’s nephew.

As she and the duke drew near, the redhead curtsied, the boy bowed, and the dowager stepped forward. Bella was again impressed by the dowager’s stately manner.

“Arabella, you are most welcome to Autley. This place has been too long without a mistress.” She had smiled warmly at her new daughter-in-law and offered her cheek to be saluted.

Bella felt the heat of a blush surging to her cheeks.
What must his mother be thinking?
she wondered in great dismay.
Despite the dowager’s imposing demeanor, Bella had instantly admired the lady when she had come to the manor. Bella wondered how, under the circumstances, she could ever behave normally in her presence.

With a tentative smile, Bella kissed the dowager’s cheek. When she pulled back, her eyes met the older lady’s, and for a brief instant Bella saw a look of such gentle understanding, it almost made her cry.

Stepping forward, the duke brought Bella’s attention to the other lady. “Arabella, I would like to make known to you my sister-in-law, Margaret.”

The redheaded lady dropped a deep curtsy to Bella, and then met her gaze with wide brown eyes.

“My dear Duchess, when Mama shared the news that Westlake was bringing home a bride, I cannot express to you how excited I was. Was I not terribly excited, Mama?” Margaret looked to the dowager for confirmation of the state of her emotions.

“Yes, Margaret, you were very excited,” the dowager offered in a neutral tone.

“See? Welcome to Autley, your grace,” Margaret said with another quick curtsy.

Instantly Bella recalled the duke’s telling her how his brother had come to regret his marriage to this woman.

After greeting Henry with great affection, the duke had then presented his nephew. The handsome little boy looked at Bella with very solemn eyes that showed a maturity beyond his young years.

“I am pleased to meet you, Henry.” Bella smiled gently down at the boy.

“Are you really married to my uncle?” the boy asked in reply.

Bella straightened and cast the duke a quick, harried glance. How to answer such a question?

But before the duke could step in, Margaret tousled her son’s hair and gently rebuked him. “Now Henry, you know I explained it to you earlier. Do not ask silly questions.”

Henry looked from Bella to the duke and back again, his eyes still inquisitive.

“I am very glad to meet you both,” Bella had said to mother and son.

“I am sure you both are hungry after your long journey.
I have arranged for a light repast to sustain you until breakfast,” the dowager had informed them.

“Thank you,
ma mère
, but I am quite fatigued and shall go straight to my chambers,” the duke said, turning to Bella and giving her a slight bow.

“Forgive me for deserting you on your first night at Autley, my dear, but my mother will see to your comfort.”

With an expression of growing concern and confusion, she watched the duke’s back as he ascended the stairs.

After sharing a light meal with her new mother-in-law and Margaret, Bella had been shown to the largest, most exquisitely appointed bedchamber she had ever seen. A huge canopied bed dominated the room, with voluminous swags of brocaded fabric, in the colors of spring, hanging from the rails.

Bella walked farther into the room and saw that there was a settee and two chairs by the fireplace. The marble-mantled fireplace was so large, Bella was sure she would have been able to stand in it if a fire were not already crackling away.

The dowager had shown her around, indicating a dressing room on the north side, and a private salon on the south.

Bella could only nod, and was embarrassed to see that two maids were unpacking her few belongings.

“This was never my chamber, my dear,” the dowager duchess had told Bella in a conversational tone. “My husband and I always preferred the south wing of the house. But my son has made improvements to the west wing, and prefers having his chambers here. This room also has a balcony that overlooks the garden, and, of course, has a wonderful view of the sunsets.”

Bella had been enormously relieved when the duchess had shooed the maids out and wished her a good night, saying, “I know you shall be happy here at Autley. It is a bit daunting at first, but it truly is a magical place.”

Bella had thanked the dowager for her kindness, and once the door closed she allowed herself to collapse on the bed. Finally she gave way to a flood of tears, brought on by fear and fatigue. She was completely overwhelmed by the sudden sweeping changes occurring in her life and wept with a sadness she had never felt before.

*       *       *

The next morning, Bella had taken herself well in hand. During the night, as she tossed and turned in the huge bed in the vast bedchamber, she had determined to make the best of her circumstances. Surely without the pressure of her father’s and uncle’s presence they could come up with a plan, she decided hopefully, sitting up in the large bed.

There was a light tap on her door, and Bella bade whomever it was to enter. One of the maids who had unpacked her clothing the previous night came in with a breakfast tray and placed it on the table next to the bed.

Bella thanked the woman, who bobbed a curtsy before leaving the room without a word.

Looking at the beautiful porcelain tea set and dishes, Bella prayed she would not be clumsy—it all looked priceless.

A note nestled next to a small flower vase on the tray caught her attention. Curiously she picked it up and broke the seal. It was from the duke.