Page 10 of Never Beguile a Duke (Wayward Dukes’ Alliance #30)
She daubed the saturated edge beneath her mother’s eyes and shuddered. “Perhaps I should consider your offer to return to Father’s residence after Nora’s wedding.”
The door flew open, smashing into the wall, and Winifred screamed, leaping from the bed and knocking the tray off the table. The contents flew across the chamber and landed at the feet of Miss Juliette, whose face paled at the realization of the chaos she’d caused.
Cringing, Miss Juliette dropped to her knees and set a heaping plate of food on the floor beside her. She collected the fallen cloths, absorbing the water soaking into the rug as she dragged the rags closer.
Keeping her eyes locked on the floor, she murmured, “Please don’t tell Father.”
“I won’t say one word,” Winifred replied, picking up the tray and placing the metal platter in front of Miss Juliette. “However, I will need you to retrieve more water and bandages.”
Miss Juliette nodded her head so violently, it blurred.
“When I return, may I tell you about my introduction?” she asked, raising her tear-filled eyes to Winifred.
“Only if you agree to consume some of the nourishment you pilfered,”—the word drew a smile to Miss Juliette’s lips—“from the banquet. You’ve brought entirely too much food for one person.”
She hadn’t, but Winifred suspected Miss Juliette had foregone eating due to nerves and, judging by how quickly she returned to the chamber, delivered her plate of food to Winifred.
“Agreed.” Miss Juliette popped up and darted from the room, clutching the tray of drenched cloths and two empty bowls.
In her haste to reach the kitchen, Miss Juliette nearly crashed into Nora, the two of them performing an awkward dance in the corridor as Nora juggled two cups of punch and a second dish of food.
“I’m not going to starve,” Winifred chuckled as Nora handed her the plate.
“Miss Juliette wanted to ensure you tasted every dish.” Grimacing, Nora set down both cups. “I believe she wanted the excuse to hide upstairs for the remainder of the evening.”
Winifred’s heart sank. “Was her introduction not well received?”
“It went exceptionally well...” Nora chewed on her lower lip. “However, Miss Juliette appeared quite uncomfortable with the singular attention placed upon her.”
“And therefore, didn’t eat?”
Nora inclined her head, pursing her lips as footsteps echoed on the staircase. A moment later, Miss Juliette appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of water, clean bandages, and a piece of chocolate cake.
Accepting the tray, Winifred indicated the plate with her chin. “Is that from the Duke of Roxburghe?”
“Yes,” Miss Juliette replied, her voice adopting a grave tone. “He stated that Miss Webb must consume the entire portion, unless she chose to share some with me, before returning to the banquet. If she did not return, he would seek her out in this chamber in one hour.”
“You could,” Nora said, her eyes glowing as she turned to Winifred, “attend the banquet for an hour with Miss Juliette. I will stay with Amelia.”
Nora still couldn’t bring herself to use the word ‘Mother’—not that Winifred could fault her stepsister. If Winifred had the opportunity to bestow the title upon a different woman, she would have followed Nora’s disrespectful example.
Had their mother just moved?
Winifred glanced at the bed, frowning.
“Stop!” Her mother’s eyes flew open, and she raised her hands in front of her face as though blocking an invisible assailant.
Winifred and Nora flung themselves at her, crashing onto the bed with twin grunts and wrapping their arms around the frail woman. “You’re awake!”
Her mother’s weak, muffled voice came from beneath them. “I don’t approve of this behavior.”
Sharing a glance, Winifred and Nora crawled backward, then sat, each on an opposite side of the mattress.
“Girls,” her mother said, exhaling a soft moan with the word. “I’m grateful you discovered me before I froze to death.”
Winifred took her mother’s hand. “Who did this to you?”
“Curtis.” She coughed twice, her body shaking from the violent force. “Mr. Timothy Curtis.”
Nora’s eyes flicked to Miss Juliette, who hovered, trembling, in the corner of the chamber. “Bring the Duke of Beaufort immediately. We need to ensure Mr. Curtis isn’t a guest.”
With a squeak, Miss Juliette vanished from the room.
Returning her attention to the bed, Nora asked, “Why would Mr. Curtis attack you? Did you falsely accuse him of a crime as well?”
“If I had, would that appease your desire for revenge?” her mother asked, rolling her head toward Nora.
Winifred adjusted her mother’s pillow. “It would explain the depth of your injuries.”
Her mother stiffened, then swallowed and shifted her gaze to Winifred. “Mr. Curtis came to collect a debt owed by Mr. Hollingsworth.”
Nora and Winifred gasped.
“And after learning of Mr. Hollingsworth’s current location in prison, Mr. Curtis concluded he couldn’t recover his funds from Mr. Hollingsworth.
” Winifred’s mother shivered and pulled the blankets to her chin.
“Before Mr. Curtis attacked me, he claimed that since I caused Mr. Hollingsworth’s imprisonment, the debt was now mine. ”
Nora’s eyes narrowed. “Did Mr. Curtis speak the truth? Is Mr. Hollingsworth an innocent man as well?”
“He is.” Winifred’s mother sighed. “I’m not proud of my actions, but every decision I made was done from?—”
“Do not say love,” Nora snarled, smacking her hand on the bed. “You paid Mr. Hollingsworth to seduce Winifred.”
“I paid him to feign courtship!” Eyes flashing, her mother forced herself into a sitting position. “Not to act on his own and ruin Winifred’s chances for a good match. When he threatened to expose my scheme to the ton , I had to remove him.”
“And Winifred?” Nora slashed her arm toward her sister. “What excuse can you give for your cruelty toward her?”
“I shouldn’t have accused Winifred of theft and sent her to prison as punishment for having relations with Mr. Hollingsworth.” Her mother hung her head. “However, I thought, if he truly loved her as much as he claimed, when he heard of her arrest, the guilt would cause him to take her place.”
Winifred exchanged a glance with Nora. “Mr. Hollingsworth was arrested… while I was still in prison. However, I don’t know what happened to him after I was released.”
“He’s still there.” Her mother stuck a hand into her bodice and, panting from the effort, extracted a folded page. “He asked that I give this missive to you.”
“Why were you visiting Mr. Hollingsworth?” Winifred glanced at the note but refused to touch the paper.
And why didn’t you give me that missive earlier today? Did you see Mr. Hollingsworth after I departed?
“I wanted to apologize for demanding that he separate from you.” Her mother released the letter, and the page fluttered to the bed.
“Had I not interfered, you would have been married… although not at your proper standing. There would have been those who refused to receive you, but you would have been happy.”
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, tears leaking out from behind her fingers. “Since I didn’t have the funds to pay Mr. Curtis, he said he intended to kill me, then demand the money from you and your sister.”
“No one can reach you here.” Winifred wrapped a comforting arm around her mother’s trembling shoulders. “The Duke of Beaufort will ensure your safety.”
“For how long?” Her mother lifted her head and sniffed. “I cannot impose on His Grace indefinitely.”
Leaning forward, Nora plucked the missive from the bed. “Did Mr. Curtis state the sum of Mr. Hollingsworth’s debt?”
Winifred yanked the letter out of Nora’s hands, tearing the paper. “You may not request the Duke of Roxburghe pay a brute such as Mr. Curtis.”
“I won’t live with her,” Nora hissed, her face darkening. “And neither will my husband.”
“Two thousand pounds,” her mother said, her faint reply preventing the impending argument. “I will also forgive Nora’s slight if Winifred reads Mr. Hollingsworth’s missive aloud.”
Winifred glanced at the letter. “Did he not tell you what he wrote?”
“He did.” The corners of her mother’s mouth pulled up. “However, I wanted to watch your reaction to his question.”
Nora moved around the end of the bed and sat beside Winifred. Taking Winifred’s hand, Nora wordlessly tilted her head toward the missive.
Nodding, Winifred tore open the seal and, in a trembling voice, read Mr. Hollingsworth’s tidy scrawl out loud. “My dear Miss Fernsby-Webb, after my actions, I realize that forgiveness is the last emotion I could hope to elicit from you.”
Nora snorted.
Ignoring her sister, Winifred continued reading, “I apologize for my cowardice and my deception. I was never meant to love you… but how could I not? And when your mother learned I intended to follow through with our engagement instead of stepping aside for a wealthier man, she threatened to imprison me for theft.”
Winifred lifted her head, her gaze finding her mother. “Another man asked for my hand?”
“Mr. Egerton.” Her mother sniffed. “However, his mother didn’t approve of his interest. She claimed you’d compromised your virtue. I’m still unsure how she knew before me.”
Rouging, Winifred dropped her eyes and dragged a finger down the page, finding her place. “When I learned you were imprisoned for this false crime, I confessed to the theft. Your mother confirmed you were freed, and I’m grateful my sacrifice led to that outcome.”
“Amelia!” Nora, who’d leaned over Winifred’s arm to read along, glowered at her stepmother. “You cannot leave an innocent man in prison!”
“I have no intention of allowing my daughter’s fiancé to die in jail,” her mother replied, nodding toward the missive. “That is, if she’ll accept his second proposal.”