The Light in the Duke's Shadow: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 25

  Lord Portland accepted the excuse with a chuckle. “I hear you had a rather startling run-in with the Duke of Richmond.”

  “Oh, is that all you heard about me?” Penelope asked with a laugh. Her face grew solemn, and she nodded. “Actually, it was rather altering.”

  Lord Portland shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Did you really rush into a dark alley?”

  “It was not my brightest moment,” Penelope admitted. She crossed her arms and enquired, “How did you hear about all that anyway?”

  He chuckled. “I think most everyone has heard some version of your misadventure.” He frowned and added, “You really should be more careful, though. Rushing into situations like that could get you harmed.”

  “Is that a threat?” Penelope asked with a smile.

  Lord Portland laughed and clapped his hands. “I can see how you would get into situations such as that now that I have met you. You are quite headstrong. I would wager that you would go against an army if someone gave you poor odds and discouraged it.”

  “You might be right,” Penelope said as she leaned back against the bedpost. “To tell you the truth, I have regretted that moment of rashness.”

  Lord Portland raised an eyebrow. “Have you?”

  “The Duke is a singular sort of man,” Penelope said with a frown. “I think he will not be happy until he ends up right back in that alley.”

  If this information surprised Lord Portland, he did not indicate it with his face. He sighed and walked over to where Penelope stood. “Your mother did mention that you had some fascination with the Duke.”

  Penelope knew from the moment the man said the words that they were lies, but she had no reason to call him out on them. She merely shrugged. “He is nice to look upon, but a dead man does a girl no favours.”

  “You sound like the type of girl that does not mind getting her hands dirty just a bit,” Lord Portland said carefully.

  Penelope lifted her shoulders. “It is more that he frightens me. He pulled me into a room and scared me so. I fear his mind is playing with him.”

  “He hurt you?” Lord Portland looked absolutely astounded.

  Penelope sighed. “More just scared me than anything. I fear he is not well.”

  “I have thought the same,” Lord Portland admitted. He was close enough now that Penelope could smell the scent of leather that clung to him slightly, and the smoke from the cigar that the man favoured.

  Penelope leaned her head to the side, more to get her nostrils further away, but the man did not have to know that. “He told me things about you. Things you ought to know.”

  “Oh?” Lord Portland sounded distracted, and Penelope noticed then that he was looking not at her but down at the bodice of her dress.

  Penelope shifted and watched how the man’s eyes followed her. “He said you were mixed up in his parents’ deaths. Said you murdered them.”

  “Guilty men will rave,” Lord Portland mumbled.

  Penelope pursed out her lips. She reached out and tapped one of the buttons on the man’s shirt. “So will sane ones. I just want to know the truth. The truth, I can work with.”

  “The truth?” Lord Portland’s eyes snapped up to Penelope’s own blue eyes. Penelope eyed him steadily as if challenging him to tell her what he had done.

  She licked her lips and whispered, “Everything in society is whispers and truths. That’s the only power there is. I can help you, and I think you know that.”

  “And if I were to admit something?” Lord Portland ventured. “How do I know that you will not use it against me?”

  Penelope shrugged. “You do not, but if we were wed, we could be stronger together. If your aim were really to be cruel to the man, then perhaps the cruellest thing of all would be to steal me away?”

  “He is that enamoured with you, is he?” Lord Portland asked with a grin.

  Penelope smiled. “There is only one way to find out.”

  “I didn’t kill anyone,” Lord Portland said. “Sorry to disappoint you, Lady Withersfield. Leander did that all on his own.”

  Penelope’s heart went cold. “Leander? The footman?”

  Lord Portland nodded his head. “Yes, he told me about it later. He tried to blackmail me.”

  Penelope frowned and shook her head. “I feel so odd. Excuse me,” Penelope said as she put her hand on the man’s shoulder as if to ask for room to get by. “Lord Portland, I must insist that you move. I came in here in good faith that you were not some rogue.”

  “Did you? I think you came in here just to try and get information from me,” Lord Portland said as he wagged his finger in front of Penelope’s face. “I knew you were clever, but I had not suspected you were so loyal to Jules already that you would choose to flaunt yourself so to win a few words. It was quite amusing, though.”

  Penelope’s breath caught in her throat as the man wrapped his hand around her arm so tightly that it ached. “Let go of me, or I shall scream.”

  “And who will hear you over the music, this out of the way room that you picked?” Lord Portland asked with a predatory smile that made Penelope’s stomach turn ill. “Before I do anything to you, though, let me give you your truth, Lady Withersfield.” Lord Portland leaned in, and his breath hit Penelope’s ears as he whispered, “I paid Leander to kill Jules, but he botched it up, not once but twice. I do hope the third time is the charm.”

  The man leaned away from Penelope with the most disturbingly pleasant smile as if he had just imparted the weather to her and nothing so vile as murder. Penelope shook her head to make the words not true. The Duke had no idea that Leander was against him, and with his injury how could he protect himself?

  She struck out at the man who held her, but Lord Portland just regarded her struggles with a chuckle. He clucked his tongue. “We shall not have that,” he said. “Your mother really should have taught you better.”

  He eyed her with fondness. “Then again, she did not teach you any better than to slip away with a man, so we cannot expect too much.”

  Penelope had the urge to slap the man across his face, but she felt his hands tighten around her wrists even as she tensed. Her mother had taught her quite a few things that Penelope had disregarded as of late. She wondered if perhaps her mother’s feelings on men were truly what she should have been listening to all along.

  What folly to only realise how right your mother was when it would be too late to even apologise. Penelope went to scream but found his hand clamped over her mouth. She fought, but as slender as the man was, his muscles felt like stone. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that somehow she made this out alive so she could ask her mother and father to forgive her.

  Chapter 14

  The moment the carriage came to a halt, Jules was up and vaulting towards the door. The momentum of that almost caused him to tumble out of the carriage, but he was caught by Daniel in time. Jules whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Just get to the door in one piece, Your Grace,” Daniel said with a shaky laugh.

  Clint was there then as well, helping Jules down. As soon as he was free of the carriage, Jules waved for the men to leave him be. The stairs he took as quickly as possible. Jules rang the large door knocker and waited impatiently.

  When the door opened, the doorman gave Jules a dubious look. Jules could see the moment that the servant judged him too unkempt, and he placed his hand on the door. “I am the Duke of Richmond, and I demand to speak to the Lord and Lady of the house. It is an urgent matter.”

  The doorman looked startled by the announcement, but doubtful that it was true. “If you would just wait here, Your Grace,” the man said as he attempted to close the door on Jules yet again.

  Of all the things Jules expected to get in his way, Jules had not anticipated on the front door being one of them. The man was clearly not the same doorman that had been on duty when Jules had arrived or left, or he would have recognised him even in the albeit disorganised state that Jules was currently in. He supposed he
did look a fright, but the pleasantries of society could very well get Penelope killed.

  Jules took a breath and shoved on the door with all his might. The doorman, obviously startled by the unexpected move on the ramshackle Duke’s part stumbled backward. Jules pushed through the door and inside the foyer where guests were mingling as they arrived at the party.

  The conversation in the entrance hall and foyer fell silent as the partygoers turned to look at Jules. Jules could see every head turn towards him. Well, that would certainly help garner the attention of the host and hostess, Jules thought wryly as Clint and Daniel stopped near him.

  “Clint, make sure no carriages leave. I do not want that snake getting a way out,” Jules whispered. Clint nodded and looked relieved to be asked to leave. Daniel looked very much like he wanted to go with Clint. Jules nodded to Daniel. “Check with the staff to see if they know where Lord Portland or Lady Withersfield is.”

  “Of course, Your Grace,” Daniel said with a nod. Jules indicated the way towards the kitchens, and Daniel was off swiftly to do as Jules asked.

  Jules took a deep breath and collected himself as much as possible. He strode through the room, the clink of his cane on the stone floors almost deafening with the silence. People moved out of his way as he travelled across the room and out into the hallway of the home. Everywhere he went people stopped talking and stared after him.

  It took him just a few moments to locate Lord Winchester, who was facing away from him. The people in conversation saw Jules’ approach long before the Lord himself did. “Lord Winchester,” Jules said in a quiet voice, which still carried entirely too far with the silence.

  Lord Winchester turned and took in Jules’ clothing and appearance. “Your Grace, were set upon by rogues?”

  “I was indeed,” Jules admitted as he waved his hand towards his clothing. “I fear that I look far worse than I am. I was attacked by an agent of Lord Portland, and according to that agent, I fear that Lord Portland may have come here to harm Penelope due to some rumours of our involvement with each other.”

  Lord Winchester’s laughter brought uneasy smiles to those around him. “That is preposterous. Why would Lord Portland do such a thing?” The man stopped and frowned. “I say, where is Penelope? I have not seen her since before the dancing started.”

  It was Lady Winchester who answered. She had just walked up and caught only the last part of the conversation. “She was talking with Lord Portland, but she left him with me to lie down in the fainting room.”

  “And Lord Portland?” Jules asked dreading the answer. Surely, Penelope had not gone off somewhere with the man. Why would she do something so reckless? Jules had confided in her his suspicions about the man.

  Lady Winchester frowned. “He left shortly after her. I assume he simply went to mingle.” The woman’s frown deepened, and she turned to her husband. “I fear that the Duke might have reason to worry. She was acting oddly before she left. I thought she was just trying to be overly nice because of her promise, but I see now that I was a fool. She tricked me.”

  “We shall find her, and we shall sort this out,” Lord Winchester said firmly. He looked around at the party. “What do we do about this lot then?”

  Lady Winchester sighed. “I shall handle them. Perhaps some of them saw something.”

  “Good,” Jules said. “Then we shall start with the lower rooms.”

  Lady Winchester’s eyes went to a woman who had just walked up behind Jules. “Madam Lorraine, what is it?”

  “Did I hear someone say that Penelope is missing?” The woman looked beside herself at the thought.

  Lady Winchester admitted, “We think so. Have you seen her?”

  “I saw her go upstairs earlier,” Miss Lorraine said with a frown. “I did not think much of it at the time. I thought she was just going to have a lie-down.”

  Jules nodded. “Then we should start upstairs.”

  “Can I help in anyway?” Miss Lorraine offered as if desperate for something to do.

  Lady Winchester took her aside, and Jules left the women to whatever it was they were worrying over. He set off towards the stairs, and Miss Lorraine called, “Not those stairs, the back set.”

  “This way,” Lord Winchester said as he motioned for Jules to follow him with one large finger.

  Despite Jules’ speed disadvantage, they made it to the stairs quickly enough. He carefully followed the man up the stairs. “There are a lot of rooms up here.”

  “Yes,” Lord Winchester agreed. “Most of this wing is empty. The servants only stay here part-time when needed.”

  Jules began checking doorknobs, and Lord Winchester followed his lead and began doing so as well. “I shall check the rooms over here,” Lord Winchester announced as he headed off towards another hallway.

  Jules paid the man no attention. He was straining his ears to hear any noises that might indicate that Penelope was nearby. The doors all opened easily enough, and Jules’ frustration was mounting further. Why had she been so foolish?

  He fought down the surge of jealousy and betrayal that went through him as he grasped the next doorknob. Where was she? Had he harmed her? Killed her?

  When the doorknob his hand wrapped around next did not move, Jules stilled. He leaned his head against the door, trying to quiet his breathing. There was a noise, but he could not tell what it was. “Lord Portland,” Jules called. A woman’s muffled cry was enough for Jules. He launched his weight at the door.

  The pain went through him, but Jules did not relent. He slammed himself against the door, and it gave way before him. He barely had time to take in what was going on in the room before Lord Portland was upon him. He could not tell if Lady Withersfield was injured or not. Jules caught the man as he lunged for him.

  Lady Withersfield ’s scream at the commotion at least ensured Jules that she was well enough to vocalise. He focused on the man who was trying to push him back towards the wall and the door that had just been busted open. As much as Jules pushed against him, Lord Portland pushed harder.

  Lord Portland cried out in anguish as he lashed out with his fist towards Jules. Jules managed to move to the side, but it cost him as the pain seared through his side. As Jules gritted his teeth, Lord Portland jabbed his elbow down hard on Jules’ side.

  Jules lifted his arm to fight off the man, but the blow did not come as expected. Instead, Lord Portland turned towards Lady Withersfield who stood behind him with the pillow still upraised in her hands. She held it in front of her as if it were a shield against the man.

  “Leave him alone,” she gasped.

  The idea of how beautiful she was came to Jules, but he did not dwell on it for long. He took the opportunity to lunge himself at the distracted Lord Portland. Both of them toppled down, and Jules managed to get the man subdued just as Lord Winchester burst through the door.

  “I came as soon as I heard the commotion.” Lord Winchester looked between the three of them. Jules gasped in a breath trying desperately not to lose consciousness.

  Lady Withersfield’s courage seemed to fade on her, and she began to sob. Jules looked over at her with compassion as she babbled, “I am so sorry, Father. I have been so rash and foolish. I thought that I could get Lord Portland to confess. I never thought about what would happen afterward.”

  There were more footsteps then, and Lady Withersfield seemed to realise suddenly that her gown had been torn in several places during the struggle with Lord Portland who was glaring at all of them from the floor. Jules glared right back at the man as Lady Withersfield grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around herself in modesty.