Page 109 of Never Besmirch a Wallflower: Dukes and Wallflowers

“No… for how long?” Ernest asked, his gaze jumping from the Duke of Lennox to Eveline.

“Since her arrival,” Eveline said, exhaling a trembling breath. “And she’s also responsible for the anonymous, unflattering newspaper articles printed about me.”

“Where did you get the funds to pay Miss Drummond?” Reaching across the table, Ernest grasped Eveline’s wrist, stroking his thumb across the back of her hand. “You can tell me.”

Eveline dropped her eyes, staring at the table. “When I ran out of money, I gave her mother’s necklace.”

A low curse word crawled from Ernest’s mouth. “Miss Drummond wore that necklace this evening.”

“And,” the Duke of Lennox prodded, giving Eveline an encouraging nod, “that isn’t the only piece of jewelry she gave Miss Drummond.”

A deep wrinkle appeared on Ernest’s forehead. “What other items could you have given her?”

“Gold watch fobs,” she said, unwilling to lift her head and watch the realization of her admission pass through the Duke of Warwick's eyes.

“Three?” the Duke of Warwick asked, the scrape of playing cards accompanying his question as he flipped over a winning hand.

Ernest muttered a low curse.

“Five in total.” Eveline forced herself to meet the Duke of Warwick’s gaze. “She demanded the chains I won from the Duke of Roxburghe and the Duke of Grisham, then stated either I steal the remaining watch fobs, or she’d reveal my location to her brother.”

“That was quite a dangerous decision, Eveline,” Ernest said, gathering the cards into a stack. “Humphrey could find you there as well if you had been captured and imprisoned for theft.”

“But he couldn’t reach me inside the cell.” Eveline forced the corners of her mouth to lift. “And you’d always know where to send my missives.”

“I suppose,” the Duke of Warwick said, drawing a small pile of coins toward himself, “we’ll need to inform Mr. Hughes we’ve discovered the thief’s identity. He can close the case.”

“Unless,” the Duke of Lennox said, leaning forward and setting his arms on the table, “we reveal Miss Drummond is the cause behind the thefts, thus making her responsible for the crime.”

Ernest shuffled the cards three times. “How do you intend to do that?”

“To start, we’re going to print a story in tomorrow’s newspaper.” A sinister grin darkened the Duke of Lennox’s visage. “And Miss Drummond will learn not to encourage the less fortunate to steal.”

“You can’t name her,” Eveline said, recoiling from the fury rolling across the table.

“I shouldn’t name her,” he corrected, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

Pushing back the chair, he rose, strode around the table, and knelt beside Eveline, taking her hand.

“Accept that Mr. Drummond is coming,” the Duke of Lennox said, his voice even. “However, when you refuse him this time, you won’t be alone, and afterward, he’ll never speak to you again.”

Trembling, Eveline slid off the chair and crawled onto the Duke of Lennox’s lap, disregarding the scandalized expression on her brother’s face.

“You’re going to be with me every moment of the day?” she asked, leaning against his chest.

“Two of us will.” He nodded toward the Duke of Warwick.

She lifted her head and pushed her mouth into a pout. “We’ll never have any time alone, then.”

“I like this plan,” Ernest said, smacking his palm on the table.

Eveline glowered at him.

“May I suggest,” the Duke of Warwick said, tapping the handle of his cane against the table, “using the newspaper to introduce Miss Braddock to society?”

The Duke of Lennox didn’t move from his position on the floor. “What are your thoughts?”

“The newspaper printed a lot of questions about Miss Rowe’s identity.” He waited a beat. “Let’s answer them.”