Page 68 of An Innocent Bride for the Duke

The butler inclined his head, speaking in low confidential tones, first to the duke and then to Louisa’s aunt.

“Yes, Your Grace. The servants on the doors all know that Lord Ashbourne is not to be admitted to Rosemere. If he is seen, you or His Grace the Duke of Wexford will be alerted immediately. Lady Esher, I am aware that the invitation to Huxley Manor was withdrawn. Shall I ask Lady Huxley to leave?”

“No, I shall deal with her, Harper,” Lady Esher pronounced. “We do not want an unpleasant scene. Louisa, why don’t you and Seraphine go and speak to some of our guests? I wish to make it clear to Lady Huxley that she is not welcome. Nor have you any need of insincere congratulations.”

“We will go and have a look outside too,” Benedict announced to Lady Esher and her butler, nodding to Damien to join him. “Just in case.”

Louisa did not like leaving her aunt to face their unpleasant neighbor alone, especially with the departure of the two gentlemen, but the silver-haired lady stood firm.

“Come, Louisa, do not give Lady Huxley the honor of your attention on a night when she has flouted the rules of hospitality so flagrantly.”

“Very well, but I shall not go far, Aunt Beatrice, and if she is rude to you, I shall…”

“If Lady Huxley is rude to Aunt Beatrice, I shall deal with her tonight,” Seraphine stepped in. “You are the bride-to-be and the guest of honor, remember, Louisa.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Louisa accepted her cousin’s arm and advice. Turning their backs before Lady Huxley reached Lady Esher, they joined a nearby group where the Dowager Countess of Bentham was relating the long and complicated engagement of her middle daughter.

“…and then the marriage contract had to be rewritten because of the clause in his uncle’s will that required the subdivision of his fortune between the younger nephews if the elder remarried…”

It was not a conversation where anyone else was required to contribute anything beyond sympathetic nods and murmurs. Louisa was able to listen instead to the uncharacteristically icy tones of Aunt Beatrice, watching the scene with their neighbor from the corner of her eye.

“You were not expected here tonight, Lady Huxley,” Lady Esher told her unwanted guest very directly as the elegant blonde woman approached and dropped a curtsey. “Do not feel you must stay long.”

“You were the one who invited me, Lady Esher,” their neighbor reminded the hostess with a fixed smile.

“Yes, before I knew anything of your cousin’s true character, Lady Huxley. What I have learned since then makes any friendship between our families impossible. My letter to you made the situation clear. Do not embarrass both of us by pretending you do not know what I mean and requiring me to repeat examples of Lord Ashbourne’s behavior here, in the hearing of others.”

“My cousin has enemies, Lady Esher,” retorted Lady Huxley. “There have always been those who wished Edmund ill and I fear you have been influenced by such people. You should not believe so easily all that you are told.”

“Nor should you, Lady Huxley,” said Lady Esher. “When a man has quite so many supposed enemies as your cousin, those closest to him ought to ask why.”

“You are so fastidious over your acquaintance with my family, Lady Esher, and yet you are willing to so easily welcome a murderer into your own?”

Louisa’s head spun around at this shocking and mysterious assertion and Lady Huxley’s eyes gleamed with triumph on seeing the interest she had drawn from the young woman.

“Be very careful what you say next, Lady Huxley,” warned Lady Esher. “Remember that I knew Benedict Hale’s mother well before her marriage and that slander is a crime in England.”

“As you say, Lady Esher,” replied Lady Huxley demurely, dropping another curtsey before stepping back, and seeming pleased with her evening’s work so far. “I shall not stay long. You would not grudge me a drink before I return to Huxley Manor, I suppose?”

Lady Esher waved her hand in a gesture of uncaring.

“Do excuse me, Lady Huxley, I have other guests.”

“What an awful woman!” Seraphine opined to Louisa, having listened to the exchange, despite nodding along politely to Lady Bentham’s near-monologue.

“Yes, Great-Aunt Clara was a most difficult individual,” sighed Lady Bentham, assuming everyone else was equally occupied with the subject of her middle daughter’s protracted engagement. “If she had not stipulated that the legacy was dependent on her descendants keeping both family names, then there would have been no conflict with Henry’s family over the land endowments, and the marriage contract might have been finalized last Christmas…”

Louisa felt herself trembling, partly from anger and partly from overexcited nerves. Sensing her discomfort, Seraphine excused them both from Lady Bentham’s group and drew her cousin into a quiet corner.

“What is it, Louisa? You don’t believe what that woman tried to imply do you?” asked Seraphine quietly. “You’re shaking.”

“No! Of course I don’t believe her,” Louisa completely disclaimed the idea. “How could the Duke of Northwick be a murderer? Everyone would know of it. Anyway, he simply isn’t. Benedict is kind and good, and Aunt Beatrice defended him, and Ezra loves him…”

“But what about you, Louisa?” Seraphine pressed her. “What do you feel, what do you think?”

“I think Lady Huxley came here to try and hurt and disturb us. We should not let her succeed. She will be gone soon. Oh, look up there, Seraphine!”

Louisa had spotted a small figure in a white nightgown watching the company through the bannisters of the first floor landing.