Page 45 of Courting the Duke (Reimagined Regency #2)

“I assume from your statement that you spoke with Blackstone and he confirmed her story.” Serena stared down her nose at Hoxton, a mean feat since he eclipsed her in stature. The true extent of her hurt was reflected in her stony stare.

“I would never insult you by doing so.” Hoxton settled his hands on his hips, willing to accept any barb she threw at him.

He walked toward her with cautious steps.

It wouldn’t do to breach her line of defense until her temper had cooled.

“It would seem we were duped, not only by Lady Roxanne but by Daisy and Ava as well.”

“Ava was in on the plot?” Serena shook her head, clearly flummoxed by the depth of their deception.

“You and I were the last to know about their little scheme.” Hoxton took several more steps in her direction.

He wished to rant at the coconspirators for their foolishness but kept his annoyance in check.

If he hadn’t been their victim, he would have admired their tactics.

As it was, this wasn’t a battlefield strategy but a ploy to manipulate Serena and himself.

Although his marriage in the past few days felt like a gaping crevasse that was insurmountable to cross.

Serena rubbed at her red-rimmed eyes, exhaustion purpling the skin beneath them.

Yet her strength of spirit shone through.

For far too long, she’d been suppressing her true self and had been ignored by others because of her birth.

“You mean Ava pretended to be afraid for the entire play of The Pirate King?”

“I coached her to act like she was afraid, and it was Roxanne’s plan to help her,” Daisy spoke for the first time. On the surface, she looked innocent enough, but she was sharp, and he’d never underestimate her again. “We both know what a soft spot Hoxton has for children.”

A soft inhale of breath sounded from Serena at the confession.

“You thought to orchestrate a fraud against us?” Hoxton continued to watch the subtle shift of shock on Serena’s face.

His own temples throbbed. The last few days had been like living in a strong breeze pulling him in different directions.

Whether it was the newness of his marriage, or the adjustments in his lifestyle, he faced many changes at once.

The one constant was Serena and his growing feelings for her.

“What was your motivation for that? At that point, I had decided to offer for Roxanne’s hand.

Why go to all that trouble if she was determined to refuse me? ”

“Because I needed to let mother think that you were about to ask for my hand.” Roxanne’s voice trailed off, fear evident in her stiffened demeanor.

Lips trembling, she swayed the tiniest bit before she caught herself.

“If I didn’t, there would be trouble for me.

If I dared mention that I wanted you to marry Serena and not me, I would have been thrown out of the house, or worse, locked away. ”

He empathized with her plight. In a way, she was much like the parrot, a beautiful creature trapped in a gilded cage to be gawked at.

Her mother wanted to pledge her daughter’s hand to the highest bidder without considering her opinion on the matter.

Although a woman couldn’t be forced to marry against her will, ruthless parties like Lady Agatha could make her life so miserable that she’d capitulate.

“I understand your reasons, but no matter how well-intentioned, they were wrong.” Serena appeared torn over the entire manner.

She loved her cousin and had protected her in the past. He himself had been protective of her.

He liked her well enough, but his feelings were more brotherly than romantic.

His passion for Serena had flamed bright since he’d seen her in his study singing to Rapscallion.

“I know, but the letters Serena wrote on my behalf spoke more about her than me. I didn’t even understand what you were speaking about, but she ached for you when she read it.”

Hoxton stared at her, stunned by her admission. Betrayal hit hard. He’d asked her to keep his letter private, and she had betrayed his trust. “That was personal. I asked you to maintain my confidence.”

I am sorry…” Roxanne turned pleading eyes to his, moisture turning her irises a shimmering blue. “Well, I am not sorry, not truly. You must understand, I wanted what was best for both of you. Can you deny I was right?”

“That isn’t the point.” Hoxton tried to absorb the full implication of what sharing his letter meant. He’d humiliated himself in front of Serena multiple times, and her opinion of him must indeed be low. He didn’t want to be pitied by anyone, most especially his wife. “You betrayed a confidence.”

“She asked me to read it for her because…well, I will tell you the reason later,” Serena said, her eyes downcast.

“Fine.” Hoxton shook out his hands and tried to relieve the tension.

Even if Serena had the best excuse in the world, he wasn’t sure that he could forgive the insult.

The clock chimed the hour. He’d asked the servant to fetch Lady Diana and Lady Agatha.

They should be arriving any time, and he wanted to finish this bit of business before there were questions.

The fury she’d worn since he walked through the door faded, apology and shame reflected in her eyes.

He shook his head, trying to put his mind back onto the matter at hand. “What you did was terrible, Roxanne.”

Serena took a step to the side to distance herself from him. “Hoxton is right. You could have ruined my reputation and tarnished Blackstone’s for doing something so underhanded as to implicate us in a fraud.”

He rocked back on his heel and winced at the pull in his ankle. The pain distracted him from the tension in his shoulders. He’d suffered from headaches since Waterloo, another weakness he couldn’t shake. “Blackstone might not be as forgiving once he finds out the truth.”

Familiar voices drifted into the room from the hall. The two women would soon be joining them, and he didn’t anticipate the upcoming conversation would be pleasant for any of them. Serena would be vindicated, but at what cost to her faith in him?

“Please don’t tell her,” Roxanne said in a high-pitched squeal, the swaying more pronounced. He watched her movements, trying to gauge if she was ready to faint, or merely giving in to the need to move.

“I am afraid it is too late for that.” Hoxton wished it didn’t have to play out this way. He truly pitied her plight. Perhaps he could intercede on her behalf and convince his grandmother to offer some protection against Lady Agatha’s wrath.

The door opened to admit his grandmother and Lady Agatha.

The latter narrowed her eyes at Serena. His grandmother simply lifted a curious brow.

She leaned on Lady Agatha’s arm, a cane in her other hand.

While she did need it on occasion, he suspected she used it more as a prop, rather like a queen holding court with her scepter.

“Thank you for joining us.” Hoxton flanked Serena once more, anticipation bringing the tension back in his shoulders.

He forced them down to alleviate the dull ache.

She might not wish for his closeness or support, but he would offer it nonetheless.

Together, they would stand firm against Lady Agatha’s tyranny.

“Please, sit down. We have much to discuss.”

“If you insist.” His grandmother sat in her favorite chair.

Lady Agatha took the one next to it, suspicion written all over her face. “What is this about?”

“It is about a wrong that needs to be righted,” Serena said, her rigid profile still turned to him.

He could see the white line of her scar and the slight upturn of her upper lip.

She had voiced her shame over the imperfection, but to him, it was a badge of perseverance.

“I didn’t trick Hoxton into marriage, nor did I conspire with Blackstone to steal him from under Roxanne’s nose. ”

Hoxton nodded in agreement, needing to drive the point home. “Roxanne arranged for Serena and me to be trapped in the cellar.” The incident had led to their marriage, a blessing in disguise. If not for Roxanne, his fate might have been tied to her and not Serena. “She—”

“—You want me to believe that my ninnyhammer daughter could plan something so dastardly?” Lady Agatha released a mocking laugh, cutting him off.

She stared at her daughter, genuine amusement in her eyes.

She looked at Lady Diana, who remained quiet throughout the exchange.

“She can barely decide on which pair of shoes to choose without guidance. I doubt she came up with the idea on her own.”

“We were both surprised, too. Daisy can confirm the truth of the accusation.” Hoxton stepped sideways until his arm touched Serena’s.

Roxanne stood quietly in the middle of the room, never moving from her spot, her head down.

His outrage on her behalf began to grow, along with his guilt over his earlier impression of Roxanne.

It was more than apparent that she possessed cunning behind a guileless facade.

“You need to accept the fact that it was your daughter and not Serena who plotted our marriage. Since you started the rumors on Roxanne’s word alone without substantiating them, and impugned my wife’s honor, I believe you owe her an apology. ”

“How dare you speak to me in such a manner?” Lady Agatha placed her bejeweled hand on her chest, forever the victim in her own story. “I owe the ungrateful chit nothing.”

Hoxton straightened to his full height and flexed his fingers, praying for patience. He rarely, if ever, lost his temper, but she was pushing him to the limit of his reserve.

Serena settled her fingers on his arm, her chin lifted. With a quiver in her hand, she squared her shoulders. “You are a guest in my house, Aunt, and if you insist on speaking to my husband or myself in such an unpleasant manner, you are welcome to leave at any time.”

He cupped her fingers with his own. Respect for her welled up in his chest. She was no longer dependent on her aunt for anything, and her newfound confidence showed.

Lady Agatha splayed her hand over her chest, her face turning a dangerous purple. “How dare you, after all I did for you, you disloyal—”

“You had best be very careful how you finish that statement.” Hoxton addressed Lady Agatha in a tone clipped with ice.

He wasn’t in the mood to put up with her cruel manner.

He eyed his grandmother, waiting for her to speak, but she remained oddly quiet.

Lady Roxanne stood still as a statue, frozen in fear.

With an ungenteel eye roll, Lady Agatha glared at her daughter.

“Roxanne, sit,” she told her. Vivid blue eyes, stark with fear, met his regard before the younger woman quickly did her bidding.

She sat in the chair next to her mother, who leaned over and whispered heatedly in her ear. Roxanne paled and nodded.

His anger at her deflated, and he wanted to protect her from what he was certain would be a living hell.

Nobody deserved to be treated so poorly.

He could only imagine what happened to the poor girl behind closed doors.

Had he married her, she would have been out from beneath her mother’s thumb, yet she’d sacrificed her own future for her cousin’s. He needed to do something to help her.

“I know that tempers are high right now, but much has happened since the house party,” he said. “Daisy and Lady Roxanne have both admitted their scheme and issued an apology for their part in the rumors.”

“I never wished to hurt you, cousin, or Hoxton,” Roxanne said.

Although she was a woman full grown, her innocent demeanor was on full display.

Many people in society coveted youth, and young women were taught to pretend to be ignorant.

He thought it was a pity that they couldn’t shine the way they deserved.

“I am sorry I spread a false rumor, but I am not sorry for the outcome.”

“You have no idea what you have done, you ninny.” Her mother gripped her arm and gave her a sharp shake. “We will discuss this when we get home.”

Roxanne looked ready to sink into the cushion and cast furtive glances at her mother.

“No, you will not.” Serena lifted her chin higher, hatred in her stare. She looked every inch the duchess, despite the signs of devastation around her eyes from crying. Because of him. “Roxanne has decided to visit Hoxton House for an extended stay.”

“She will not stay here another moment. Nor will I.” Lady Agatha sneered and stood to leave.

His grandmother thumped her cane on the floor. “Sit down.”

A collective gasp erupted from Roxanne and Lady Agatha.

Daisy hid a laugh behind a cough. Hoxton suppressed his own smile at their shocked faces.

It was obvious Lady Agatha didn’t truly know his grandmother at all.

Nor, apparently, had she reckoned with his wife’s newfound confidence.

Together, the two women could hold their own.

He stood back and let the inevitable unfold.