Page 23 of His Stolen Duchess (Stolen by the Duke #7)

Chapter Eighteen

G eorgina stood on the balcony looking at the stars that twinkled in the inky black sky.

She took deep breaths as she worked on stopping the tears from coming.

She tried to tell herself that she didn’t care about people speaking behind her back, but she did care.

The next best thing after not caring about it was pretending she didn’t care.

As long as no one saw her crying, she might be able to walk through the hall again to the Duke.

I can’t dance with him again after this. That’s why they were all looking at me. I only overheard two of them, and I don’t want to hear what any others are saying.

She leaned on the balustrade at the end of the wooden veranda, wishing she could float off into the sky and not care about what other people thought. The Duke didn’t care, and perhaps over time, she would learn not to care either.

Is that better? To be numb to the world so no one can hurt me?

The sound of footsteps behind caused her to quickly straighten and whirl around.

She was disappointed not to see the Duke standing before her, but glad to see that it was a woman and not a man.

It would only make things worse if she were caught alone with a man when people already thought she had engaged in an affair with the Duke.

With great disappointment, she realized that Lady Eastbeck had joined her outside.

“I was out to get some fresh air,” Georgina said.

Lady Eastbeck stepped closer. She was tall and elegant, and she wore her pale pink dress very well, but there was something harder below her soft exterior. Her eyes gleamed like sharpened daggers, and her lips were tinged with barbs ready to be spilled.

“I wanted to do the very same,” Lady Eastbeck said. “I’m glad to have some company out here. I try not to put myself in a position where I am alone and a man might take advantage of me.” She looked around and frowned. “You don’t have a chaperone out here with you?”

“I only stepped out for a moment. I was about to go back in.”

Why am I justifying myself to this woman?

“Yes, quite,” Lady Eastbeck commented. “Don’t step back in on my account, Your Grace. You wouldn’t wish to leave me all alone out here, would you?”

I would wish that very much .

“No, of course not. I am also happy for the company.”

“Good.” Lady Eastbeck stepped closer still. “It truly is a fine night. Not too cold and not too hot. Exactly right, don’t you think?”

“Yes.”

Lady Eastbeck looked out into the darkness. Georgina turned to face the same direction.

“I don’t envy you.”

For a moment, Georgina didn’t realize that the comment had been meant for her. The lady had whispered it out into the night as though she was ruminating about something personal.

“I don’t understand,” Georgina replied, genuinely perplexed.

“I can only imagine how difficult it must be to step into a marriage with such a… complicated history,” Lady Eastbeck said softly, as though she were consoling a small child.

“It is not difficult at all.” Georgina didn’t want to hear what her perceived difficult history was. Her marriage was her own business, and she preferred to keep it that way.

“Hmm,” Lady Eastbeck said. “You hide it all so well, but you need not do so with me, my dear. It must have been incredibly difficult when Lord Abbington broke your engagement. I know I would have been devastated by that. It is only natural for you to jump into the arms of the first man you met.”

“That is not what happened,” Georgina stated.

“No, of course not,” Lady Eastbeck said.

“And the rumors about you being with His Grace while you were betrothed to John are certainly not true either. I know how people like to gossip, and I wouldn’t take any notice of it.

Still, we all know something happened that shouldn’t have, and there is much that is hidden, but I haven’t pried into your personal business. ”

You address Abbington by his first name, although I get the impression that you are quite familiar with him. This is not about me, it’s about you.

“My marriage is fine,” Georgina claimed. “You need not worry about me.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about you, Your Grace.

The person I’m worried about is Lord Abbington.

He has had to leave London for now. You understand how gossipmongers can be.

It is not fair that he is the one hounded because he had to break off his engagement with you.

Was it before or after he found out about the affair? ”

“There was no affair,” Georgina snapped. “Our engagement ended, and frankly, it was for the best. Lord Abbington was not the right man for me, and if anyone is pointing fingers about affairs, then they shouldn’t be pointing them at me.”

“I would watch my tongue if I were you, Your Grace,” Lady Eastbeck said.

“Do you really dare say such things about him? You shouldn’t talk about any man like that, and especially not John.

You think you can speak how you like because he is not here, but he doesn’t want people talking about him.

I see you are quite happy to walk around the hall with everyone talking about you. Do you really have no shame?”

“I had no idea people were still talking about me until tonight,” Georgina claimed.

“That poor man.” Lady Eastbeck pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed her eyes. “The things he has had to put up with because of you. A woman is supposed to be a source of joy for a man, not an eternal misery. I only pray that he might find some happiness one day. I am hopeful he will.”

You are in love with him. Why else would you be so vile toward me? What has he told you?

“I’m not here to cause any trouble,” Georgina said. “But I do ask that you don’t speak lies about me.”

“What lies have I spoken?” Lady Eastbeck retorted. “Do you expect me to believe that you chose not to marry him? Is Lord Abbington not a fine man? Is that what you are telling me? Is your husband a better man than he is?”

Yes, decidedly so.

Georgina could hear the agitation in the woman’s tone of voice.

She didn’t want to fight with her, and there was obviously no reasoning with her.

It was not her place to go into the details of why she had run away on her wedding day, and even if she told the lady about the maid who was pregnant with Abbington’s child, or the way he’d treated her, or a host of other dreadful things, they would undoubtedly fall upon deaf ears.

“I don’t wish to discuss Lord Abbington any further,” Georgina said. “I’ve made up my mind about him, as you have obviously made up yours, and we are in opposition. Therefore, there is nothing further that needs to be said.”

“You speak as if the situation can be interpreted any other way than the truth. I spoke to John, and he told me all about your infidelity with the Duke, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were pregnant already.

The only good thing to come of this is that you showed John your true colors before he married you. I suppose I must be thankful for that.”

“Why?” Georgina asked. “Because you are in love with him?”

“And what if I am? Does that make you jealous? Did you think he would pine after you and try to win you back? No, he doesn’t want you anymore, and it is obvious from seeing you and the Duke together that he doesn’t want you either.

Is there anyone who wants you, Your Grace?

Do you just cling to men in the hope that one of them will stick?

Well, you have certainly done that with the Duke. ”

“Take that back this instant,” Georgina snapped. It hit a nerve to be reminded that she and the Duke were only bound together out of convenience and nothing more, no matter what happy moments she grasped onto. “I will not tolerate you being cruel.”

“No?” Lady Eastbeck asked. “Then why have you turned bright red in anger? You wouldn’t have done so if there was nothing to be angry about, but here we are. You’re livid that I know the truth. The others around you might gossip, but they don’t know what I know.”

How many women has Abbington fooled?

“He caused my maid to be with child!” Georgina burst out.

“I found out the morning that I was supposed to marry him, and I confronted him about it. He didn’t give a whit that he had a child on the way, and had discarded the maid like a used handkerchief.

He almost struck me when I spoke to him about it. ”

Lady Eastbeck pushed her shoulders back as she stepped closer to Georgina, facing her. “I will strike you if you continue such lies. I am not afraid to put you in your place if you continue to spout such outrageous untruths.”

“There is no untruth.” Georgina swallowed when she saw the fire in the depths of the woman’s eyes. “I can take you to my maid. She will tell you everything.”

“You mean she will lie for you,” Lady Eastbeck spat.

“I don’t know what I can say to convince you of this, but I urge you to stay away from Abbington. He will only make your life miserable. The man is a monster.”

“How dare you!” Lady Eastbeck snapped.

She raised her hand to strike Georgina, but before she could do so, someone grabbed it.

Georgina gasped a sigh of relief to see the Duke.

“No. How dare you!” he boomed, pushing Lady Eastbeck’s hand down as he released it. “You were about to strike my wife.”

Lady Eastbeck looked at the Duke, the fire in her eyes now dimmed, but some defiance remained in her soul. “She earned every word. She saw fit to slander me—and someone I hold dear—with the vilest sort of malice.”

“I don’t care. Either you apologize for what you were about to do, or you will have me to deal with.”

Lady Eastbeck stared at the Duke, but her eyes flitted to the people who had gathered behind him. She had a choice to make, and Georgina hoped she made the right one. She had never seen the Duke as angry as he was at that moment.

“I-I wouldn’t have done it, Your Grace,” Lady Eastbeck mumbled.

“I’m glad we will never know, but I still need to hear you apologize to my wife,” the Duke demanded.

Lady Eastbeck swallowed, then looked at the Duke’s hand on her wrist. She slowly turned to Georgina, some of the hate resurfacing in her glare.

“Your Grace, I am sorry,” Lady Eastbeck’s voice was steady, yet Georgina could see in the woman’s eyes that she meant no word.

Georgina didn’t like her apology, but she didn’t think she would get any better than that. “I believe we are done, and we shall speak of it no more.”

The Duke quickly took Georgina’s hand.

“Come,” he said. “Let us leave this rotten place.”