Page 46 of Her Rogue of a Duke
“It concerns the accident you had all those years ago,” she blurted.
Joshua froze. How did she know about his accident? It was a chapter of his life he rarely spoke of and one she should not know. His curiosity to learn more clashed fiercely with his urgency to reach Francesca.
“Please, come inside,” Joshua found himself saying. He ushered Lady Susan into the parlor, his mind caught in a tumult of confusion and urgency. The need to reach Francesca was pressing, yet the intrigue of possibly learning more about the woman who had once saved him was too compelling to ignore
As they settled into two cushioned chairs across from each other, Joshua realized he had not thought of his blonde savior in quite some time. Especially since Francesca had entered his life. Hisheart ached and it felt as though he were being torn in two. He reminded himself that he had been searching for answers to his accident for much longer than he had felt anything for Francesca, and if he did not pursue this, he would regret it.
“Very well,” he said, clearing his throat and focusing on Lady Susan. “What is it that you wished to tell me?”
Lady Susan appeared tentative. He had never seen her so uncertain before. It unsettled him a little.
After a moment of silence, she released a long breath and murmured, “I have been keeping something from you, Your Grace. I was unsure whether to ever disclose it, but I simply cannot bear deceiving you anymore.”
Joshua frowned. “In what way have you deceived me?”
Gathering her resolve, she raised her chin, her hands perfectly clasped in her lap. “Your Grace, the lady who came to your rescue that day… it was I.”
Joshua gawked at her, certain he had misheard. She… she could not possibly be…
Lady Susan was his mysteriousangel?
“You must forgive me for being a touch skeptical,” Joshua spoke, his tone carefully measured to avoid any hint of discourtesy.
“Of course,” Lady Susan acknowledged with a proper nod. “It is only natural and I would not expect you to simply take my word for it. I am prepared to verify my claim.”
“All right,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “Please, recount the details of that night.”
“Of course,” she began. “It was a stormy evening, and I found myself caught in the rain during a ride—” She seemed to catch another wary glance from Joshua at the last part and quickly offered up, “Your Grace, I was a different lady back in my younger years. Nevertheless, I had unmounted my steed, wary of the worsening conditions and as I was making my way across a cliff, I came upon your carriage in the distance, teetering on the edge of the cliffside. You were barely conscious, but I managed to drag you to safety.”
After a brief moment, Joshua sighed and shook his head. “Lady Susan, I am grateful for your candor, but I find it hard to believe. The person who came to my rescue that night was shrouded in darkness, so forgive my bluntness, but it is impossible for me to be certain.”
Lady Susan nodded serenely. “I understand why you might doubt my story. The truth is, I never revealed myself for fear of creating a scandal around my family. But I assure you, it was indeedIwho rescued you that night.”
Joshua remained unconvinced. “But why come forward after all these years? The details of that night are distant now and my own memory of the events has grown hazy.”
Casting her eyes downward, Lady Susan replied, “It weighs heavily on my conscience, Your Grace. I could not bear to witness you carrying this debt without ever knowing the truth. I had to come forward, regardless of what it may bring.”
Something deep within Joshua was suspicious of Lady Susan. But what could she possibly stand to gain by lying to him? And if he entertained her claims, what might she ask for in return?
“Your… revelation, is indeed surprising, Lady Susan,” he responded carefully. “Yet, I must admit, it has stirred a curiosity within me. The stranger who aided me left a lasting impression. If it truly was yourself all this time, I am indebted beyond measure.”
There was a thoughtful pause as Lady Susan kept her gaze lowered, her fingers delicately tracing the contours of her parasol.
At length, she spoke, “I seek no accolades nor gratitude, Your Grace. My only wish is for you to know the truth, even if it alters naught in our friendship.”
That certainly caught him off guard. He had half-expected her to leverage this revelation for some favor, perhaps even to propose an arrangement of courtship leading to marriage.. Yet, her lack of any such demands lent a certain credibility to her story. If she were fabricating this tale, surely she would seek some form of recompense?
As she continued to recount details of the accident, she was surprisingly accurate in certain aspects, which sparked a flicker of belief within Joshua.
Still, he resisted the notion that it could be her. He had always presumed his mysteriousangelwould some day re-enter his life and be the perfect lady, the epitome of all that was in his mind’s eye when he sought a woman, and someone he could settle down with one day. Was he being foolish, clinging to that hope? Perhaps, but not only would he have never anticipated Lady Susan could be his rescuer, but he could not really imagine Lady Susan putting herself in harm’s way in order to save another person’s life.
It simply did not seem to fall in line with her character. Yes, she had claimed she was a different lady back then, but he could never imagine her as the selfless type. At least, he had never observed that about her.
As if she could sense his reluctance to accept her explanation, Lady Susan added, “I understand this may be difficult for you to believe. It might seem unlikely that someone like me would risk their safety for another, but I must confess something in confidence… my social persona is somewhat of a façade.”
Joshua frowned, caught off guard by that statement. “A façade, how so?” he asked.
With a sigh, she dropped her gaze once more, looking suddenly forlorn.