“I did, my Lord. Lady Wentworth, I shall anticipate the pleasure of your company very soon.”
And with another bow, he followed her father out of the room, leaving Charlotte standing beside the doorway, staring after them in bewilderment.
***
As the morning progressed, a sense of anticipation built throughout London’s high society. Colin’s invitations had caused a stir in the fashionable set, and speculation and gossip ran riot through the streets and drawing rooms of the city.
Elizabeth, having received word of the meeting from Lord Preston, arrived at Charlotte’s home to be with her. As she entered the drawing room, it was to find Lady Wentworth pacing before the fire in agitation.
“Oh, thank the Lord you are here,” Charlotte said as she came across the room and took Elizabeth’s hands. “I did not know what I should do with myself alone in the house all day.”
“Do you have any idea what this meeting is about?” Elizabeth asked.
“None. Only that my father received an urgent summons from the Duke of Lindenbrook. I cannot tell you how anxious it has made me.”
“I can hardly believe it myself,” Elizabeth said thoughtfully as they both moved to the settee. “Apparently, the duke has called several prominent members of society to his club for a meeting. Lord Preston spoke of it briefly to me, but apparently, there are many who are in uproar about it—this type of thing without any warning is simply not done. Many were refusing to attend until curiosity got the better of them, I believe many will go simply to criticize the duke’s presumption in arranging it so quickly.”
Charlotte scoffed. “Yes, that is entirely likely, given their propensity for gossip. Do you think this could be related to the rumours surrounding the duke’s father?”
“I cannot think the two could not be related. They must be, surely. However, I do hope for his sake that the duke is not implicated in the rumours. From what my mother has heard, all sorts of things are being said about his father that are quite outrageous.”
Charlotte’s heart ached for the duke, and she looked away, feeling her anxiety rise again.
Whatever will he do? And can I dare to hope that this might somehow change my fortunes?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As the appointed hour approached, carriages began to converge on Colin’s club. The guests started to gather in the private room that had been set aside for the occasion, the air thick with curiosity and expectation.
Colin stood silently at the head of the room beside the wall, not wishing to address them all just yet and simply watching the men assemble. The low hum of voices filled the air, and Colin tried to tamp down the fear that burned hot in his chest as Lord Wentworth arrived.
I pray that Charlotte will forgive me for what I must do.
Lord Wentworth’s body was tight with tension, his eyes darting about the room uncertainly, glancing at several others and nodding to them in greeting. Colin was not ignorant of the trouble this meeting was about to set in motion, but he would not back down.
As more and more men began to arrive, Colin watched for one in particular who he was anticipating above all others. Eventually, arriving last into the room, Lord Kilby entered. His usual smile was firmly in place, but it failed to hide the fear in his eyes. He, too, nodded to a few of his acquaintances, but as he began to register the faces in the room, Colin could see the sweat pouring down his face. Everyone here was linked to him—for all Colin knew, he might be blackmailing them all.
Kilby kept his bland expression in place as his eyes moved through the room. For a moment, time slowed down, and Colin waited, holding his breath until Lord Kilby’s eyes connected with his own.
Their gazes locked and held, and whatever Colin had failed to mask in his own expression caused a significant change in Lord Kilby. He took an unconscious step back, his face palingeven further as the door behind him was closed by a member of the club, and they were all assembled.
And finally, after months of waiting, the time has come to clear my father’s name.
As Colin walked to the centre of the room, looking out at the assembled company, someone handed Lord Kilby a glass of brandy, which he took, his hands shaking slightly.
Very good. Have all the drinks you require. You are going to need them.
“My Lords, thank you for your time attending this meeting,” he began, his voice remarkably steady for all the nerves he could feel fluttering in his chest. “I accept that this is most unprecedented and will have no doubt caused you to query the nature of why I have called you all here today.”
Colin kept his expression carefully blank, not looking at Lord Kilby at all. Many of the men were standing at the back of the room while others had taken their seats.
He continued, feeling the anger building slowly through his whole body.
“Many of the men in this room, if not all of you, will be aware of the rumours that have circulated about my father. I am here to tell you the nature of those rumours and to put the past to bed once and for all.”
“That is all very well, Your Grace. Could you not have done so in a letter? I am due in parliament?” The voice came from Lord Sterling, a rather pompous-looking man with a magnificent double chin who sat in the front row.
Colin bowed to him. “No, this could not have been achieved in any correspondence, my Lord, or I would have done so. I know how valuable your time is; however, I have reason to believe that what I am about to tell you may influence and affect others, and therefore, without further ado I will lay it out.”
