“I’m not sure that’s true,” she argued, more evenly. “You were very brave.”
“I—” Nathan wasn’t even sure what he was doing to say, but he was spared having to think of anything by the crash that came from the door as it was thrown open and several people stumbled into the room, led by Rosalie’s eldest sister, Iris Thorne, Duchess of Eavestone, and wife of his friend Phineas.
The moment their eyes locked, Nathan felt his heart sink. Despite the smell of smoke in the air, he still knew exactly how it looked: him, crouched over Rosalie, with a piece of torn fabric from her dress in his hands.
Iris’ eyes went wide then she pointed a shaky finger at him.
“Get away from my sister!” she screamed. “How—howdareyou! And a friend of Phineas’?! I never would have believed it!”
“Iris!” Rosalie said at once, pushing herself upright. “It isn’t what you think!”
“Rosalie, what is going on?” her sister Violet asked. Violet spoke much more calmly, and her eyes were already scanning the room, as if looking for a less incendiary explanation.
Iris, meanwhile, crossed quickly to her sister, putting her body firmly between Rosalie and Nathan as she checked to see that she was okay.
Nathan peered at the figures behind Violet. Two other people had followed the sisters into the room, and they were now staring at him open-mouthed, not even attempting to hide their shock. One was the Countess of Rockford, who was discreet enough, but the other, Mrs. Bingham-Cortley, was a notorious gossip.
His heart sank. Mrs. Bingham-Cortley wouldn’t hesitate to tell everyone she met that he had tried to ravish Miss Rosalie Crampton.
It will go so well with what they already think of me, he thought bitterly.
“Ladies,” he said, standing and bowing to them, “I know that this looks terrible, but I assure you, Miss Crampton is correct: it is not as it appears. Miss Crampton tripped as she was leaving the library, and the candle she was holding caught her dress on fire. I had to rip the fabric to help put it out and keep it from burning her. Look, you can see that it is burned as are parts of Miss Crampton’s dress.”
He held the fabric out to Iris, who looked at it suspiciously before turning back to her sister.
“Is that really what happened?” she asked her, and Rosalie nodded.
“Yes, I came into the library, and when I realized His Grace was here, I turned to leave but then tripped, and my candle set my dress on fire.”
Violet stepped forward and took the fabric from Nathan, examining it closely. When she looked back up at him, her frown had lessened. “This is severely burned, and there’s the smell of smoke.”
“And look, there are scorch marks on the ground,” Nathan pointed out, gesturing at the hardwood floor below Rosalie. Once again, he caught sight of a tiny portion of her calf, and his mouth went dry.
Focus, you fool! Your reputation, and that of the girl, is on the line!
“Hmm.” Iris didn’t look so convinced, and she looked imploringly at Rosalie. “You can tell me, darling, if he tried… Well, if he took liberties with you. I would believe that you are innocent, and I would go after him with the full force of the law. Eavestone would be on your side, I know it!”
“It was nothing like that!” Rosalie said, her eyes wide with shock. “The Duke acted as a hero, as my savior! I am indebted to him. Without his quick thinking, I might have died or gotten truly injured.”
Violet looked convinced, but Iris bit her lip, and Mrs. Bingham-Cortley stepped forward.
“Are we really to believe that the Beast of Carramere saved this young lady from a fire and not that he was the cause?” she asked contemptuously. “The way I see it, he likely caused the fire by trying to force himself upon her!”
“How dare—” Nathan began, his temper flaring at once, but Violet cut him off.
“The Duke is an honorable man,” she said sharply to Mrs. Bingham-Cortley. “He is my husband’s cousin, and I can vouch for his character. And if my sister says he is innocent, well then, I believe her. She has been through enough trials with evil men that I believe she wouldn’t lie to save one.”
She looked at Rosalie now, and Rosalie nodded swiftly. “Indeed, I am telling the truth,” she confirmed. “His Grace saved me, and he acted the perfect gentleman.”
This last comment brought a knot of guilt to Nathan’s stomach. He hadn’t, and never would, taken liberties with an innocent young lady, but hehadn’tbeen a perfect gentleman. A perfect gentleman wouldn’t have given her reason to run from the library. A perfect gentleman would have left the moment she entered so as to avoid causing her any scandal.
Mrs. Bingham-Cortley seemed to be thinking along the same lines because she said, “Even if the man is innocent, it is still a scandal that the two of them were in here together—and for so long!” She looked suspiciously at Rosalie. “And don’t try to tell me you were leaving the moment you realized he was here. I saw you enter the library a quarter of an hour ago! That was enough time for?—”
“I would advise you not to say a word more,” Iris snarled, standing and turning on Mrs. Bingham-Cortley with a savagelook on her face. “Or you will be hearing from the Duke of Eavestone.”
Mrs. Bingham-Cortleyhumphed.“I’m not saying anything the rest of you aren’t thinking,” she said huffily, and then she glared at Nathan. “Which is that His Grace should do the honorable thing before he causes the Crampton girl any more scandal than she has already endured.”
Mrs. Bingham-Cortley turned then and stormed from the room. The silence that she left behind was foreboding.
