Page 4 of The Duke’s Scandal (Bluestocking Book Club #5)

Chapter Three

I sobella walked arm in arm with Lady Rosalyn through Hyde Park. “It is such a fine afternoon, is it not?”

“It is.” Lady Rosalyn smiled, then let out a small sigh. “It does feel rather strange having nothing to speak about, does it not?”

“Speak about?” It took Isobella a moment to realize what her friend meant. “You mean that there is no mystery for us to work out, yes?”

Lady Rosalyn chuckled softly. “Yes, that is what I mean. There have been so many things for us to decipher, to uncover and reveal, and now that there is nothing left, I find myself a little… sorrowful, in a way.”

“You shall simply have to find some books on the subject,” Isobella answered, with a smile. “There are bound to be many things written about mysteries and confusions, I am sure.”

“That is true.” Lady Rosalyn gave Isobella a sidelong glance. “I am, of course, meant to be thinking on other things, but I confess, there is a part of me that is always eager to learn and to study and to… well, to think .”

Isobella laughed, squeezing her friend’s arm.

“That is because you are a bluestocking, is it not? I fully understand what you mean, for I feel the very same way. There is almost an itch within me that cannot be satisfied unless it is scratched by my reading or discussing or, as you have said, thinking .”

“It is a great pity that so many of the ton think poorly of us,” Lady Rosalyn murmured, quietly, her smile fading away. “I am grateful that we have found so many friends who do accept us, but there is still that weight of disapproval that sits upon us, is there not?”

“There is, yes,” Isobella agreed, quietly. “I do not like it, I confess, but I am grateful that my mother and brother do not berate me for it.”

“Indeed, that is a blessing.” Lady Rosalyn’s smile quickly returned. “When I came to London for the Season, I did not ever think that there would be so many gentlemen willing to accept us – though some took a little more convincing than others!”

This made Isobella laugh, recalling how persistent some of her friends had been… and how even in upset and frustration, a love had been borne. “A great deal of convincing in some cases!”

“I do not think you will ever convince me that bluestockings are anything but a blight upon society.”

A deep voice interrupted their conversation, and Isobella, a gasp in her throat, spun around to see a tall, thin gentleman with a curled lip narrowing his gaze at them both.

“And you shall never convince me that eavesdropping upon a conversation is nothing short of impoliteness!” she exclaimed, as Lady Rosalyn’s face flushed red. “How dare you speak so? We have not invited you to our conversation, and yet you think it right for you to interrupt us with your thoughts?”

The gentleman sniffed. “I think it is quite acceptable to interrupt bluestockings, given that they have such improper views of themselves.”

“Improper views?” Lady Rosalyn repeated, her face still flushed. “I do not think I wish to hear what your explanation is in that regard, but I am quite sure you will tell us regardless.”

“And that even when we have not been properly introduced!” Isobella added, her heart thumping furiously, though she kept her expression outwardly composed. “That is another sign of your failings in that regard, sir .”

The gentleman wrinkled his nose as if to suggest he found their very presence distasteful. “You have no right to question my good standing!”

“If I might step past you, Lord Meadows?” A gentleman that Isobella did not know gave a small smile to the angry, indignant fellow in front of them all. “Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but the path is a little narrower here.”

Lord Meadows’ expression brightened at once. “Ah, Your Grace! The very gentleman I needed.” He threw out one hand toward Isobella and Lady Rosalyn. “Please, inform these two young ladies that I am of the greatest respectability, if you please?”

Isobella’s eyebrows lifted, catching the way the Duke’s eyes glanced first at her and then at Lady Rosalyn. His expression was one of surprise, though whether it was directed at her or at the question Lord Meadows had put to him, Isobella did not know .

“I – I do not mean to be presumptuous, of course,” Lord Meadows stammered, now sounding a little less sure of himself.

“Forgive me, Your Grace, you are out walking like the rest of us, and I should not have waylaid you. It is only that these young ladies have suggested that I am behaving improperly and I am greatly offended.”

Lady Rosalyn let out an exclamation of astonishment and Isobella was about to state plainly that Lord Meadows had been the one causing offence in the first place, only for the Duke to frown.

“I do not know what has occurred but I can assure you both that Lord Meadows has always been an upstanding gentleman,” he said, his voice quiet but grave. “I am sorry to hear that there has been some accusation of impropriety, however.”

Isobella assessed this Duke quickly, a little surprised that he would think to speak so without having asked about the situation in its entirety.

He held her gaze steadily, hazel eyes fixing on hers as strands of fair hair brushed across his forehead.

There was no anger in his expression, but Isobella could not help but feel upset at his remarks.

He had not stopped to ask what Lord Meadows had done to make them respond to him in such a way! That was a little unwise, was it not?

“Yet again, another gentleman has not only approached us but spoken directly to us without being introduced!” Lady Rosalyn turned her head to look at Isobella, but her words were clearly directed at both the gentlemen before her.

“I confess, I am greatly astonished at this, especially when one is supposedly a Duke!”

Isobella’s lips quirked. “Indeed,” she agreed, throwing a look back at Lord Meadows, who was slowly beginning to turn scarlet again.

“And for this Duke not to consider what Lord Meadows might have done to bring us to the conclusion that he was being improper is also a little inconsiderate, I think.” She smiled lightly at her friend, then let it fall from her face before she turned to look directly at both gentlemen again.

Lord Meadows was practically scarlet, but the Duke was frowning, his lips thin.

Was he angry with what she had said? Frustrated, mayhap?

Isobella told herself she did not much care what he felt, even though there was a slight fluttering of anxiety in her stomach.

The Duke let out a heavy breath, then shook his head. “You are quite correct to say that we have not been introduced. I apologize for that,” he said, as Isobella and Lady Rosalyn shared a glance. “Lord Meadows, might you be willing to – ”

“Oh, we do not know this gentleman either,” Isobella said quickly, looking to Lord Meadows. “He decided that it was his right to not only interrupt our conversation but also to tell us just how disagreeable he found our remarks!”

The Duke blinked, flushed, and then looked to Lord Meadows.

“They are bluestockings!” Lord Meadows began to gesticulate, throwing up both hands and then pointing at Isobella and Lady Rosalyn. “Can you believe that, Your Grace? Bluestockings!”

Isobella lifted her chin, the anxiety in her stomach growing sharply. Just what would this Duke – whose title she did not fully know as yet – say to that?

“I see.” The Duke’s hazel eyes flashed, his chin lifting a notch. “Bluestockings are certainly – ”

“Unwelcome, are they not?” Lord Meadows interrupted, a vein bulging in his temple, his eyes rounded with the anger in his frame.

“They think that they can say and do whatever they wish, and those of us in society unfortunate to be in their presence have to simply tolerate it! I most certainly will not, however.”

“You have no right to interrupt our conversation, regardless of whether you disagree with our remarks or not,” Lady Rosalyn said, loudly enough to speak over anything further Lord Meadows had to say.

“And even if you have this Duke to defend you, we shall not change our opinion of your behavior, Lord Meadows. We think you most improper, with a dreadful manner and an ill-favored look about you also.” She took Isobella’s arm again, standing tall as Isobella found herself looking at the Duke, seeing the heavy frown he wore.

“I think we shall take our leave now, gentlemen. It would not be proper for two young ladies to speak with gentlemen whom they have not been correctly introduced to now, would it?”

Isobella let herself smile coolly before turning away, glad that the conversation had been brought to an end thanks to Lady Rosalyn. Neither gentleman had been particularly agreeable, although the Duke had certainly not done or said anything as upsetting as Lord Meadows.

“Goodness, I am astonished that a gentleman would interrupt us in such a fashion!” Lady Rosalyn exclaimed, walking a little more quickly now. “I think it disgraceful, in fact! How dare he say such things?”

“It was very rude indeed,” Isobella agreed, with a glance over her shoulder. The two gentlemen were talking to each other still, with Lord Meadows appearing fairly animated still. “I am surprised that a Duke would speak to us in such a way also, I confess.”

“He did apologize at least,” Lady Rosalyn said, her voice a bit quieter now. “I am disappointed that he did not challenge Lord Meadows on what he said about bluestockings.”

Isobella tried to shrug it off. “Most likely, that is because he agrees,” she said, aware that what Lord Meadows had expressed about bluestockings was what the majority of those in society believed.

“Come now, let us set that aside and remove it from our minds so we can enjoy the rest of our afternoon.”

Lady Rosalyn let out a long breath, set her shoulders, and then smiled. “Yes, you are quite right. We should not let their rudeness upset the rest of our day.”

Unable to help herself, Isobella glanced back at the Duke and Lord Meadows again, only to see the Duke looking back at her.

Her chest tightened, and she turned her head away quickly, a little embarrassed.

“We will forget them both,” she said firmly.

“I am sure we will have no need to speak to either of them again.”