“Defend myself the best I can against the allegations that I’ve been purposefully lying about my identity to hoodwink aristocratic society and therefore do not exemplify the character of someone who should be a Fellow at Trinity.”
I gasped. “They would oust you for that?”
“They have done it for much less.”
We followed my parents, who both appeared somewhat refreshed, and sat at the dining room table before the first courseof white soup was served. My stomach clenched with nerves, but I forced myself to consume a few spoonfuls of the creamy beef broth with almonds before worry stopped me completely. The second course, roasted mutton with minted jelly accompanied by mushroom ragu and creamed asparagus, appeared quickly after.
I was sure Tarik had to be ravenous after his ordeal. We ate in relative silence, taking our cues from my father, until he finally put down his fork to summarize the earlier events of the evening.
It hadn’t taken him long to find that Tarik was indeed at the Bow Street Magistrates’ Court, being ruthlessly interrogated about cheating during cards—an accusation that had been levied against him by a peer, who turned out to be the gentleman who had assaulted me. My father had informed said peer that we would formally submit our own charges if he didn’t renounce his silly claims.
He’d dropped them immediately.
Papa had also made a stop at Danforth’s Den, where he spoke to the owner himself and made sure Tarik wasn’t accused of anything that might hurt his future prospects of starting his own social club or even returning to Danforth’s.
I suspected that Mr. Danforth had been quite obliging as it was rather useful to have a duke in one’s debt…or perhaps better yet, to not have one as an enemy. My father was a powerful man, but hearing him use his considerable influence to protectmeas well as a man he didn’t even know was humbling…and made my heart feel quite warm.
My appetite slightly restored, I was able to eat a tiny bit moreof my meal, and by the time the dishes were cleared, my relief as well as my gratitude to my father were palpable. Without him, the situation could have been so much worse. The disquiet plaguing me had eased somewhat, but we still had to deal with the matter of what James was doing at Trinity to ruin Tarik’s reputation.
When the dessert course was brought to the table, a tiny smile touched my lips at the intricate moon-and-stars stamped motif of the traditional Chinese mooncake. Even though it was my favorite—with its refined pastry crust and sweet lotus-seed-paste filling—I could barely stomach more than a bite or two. My nerves were entirely too frazzled.
“What will you do about James?” I asked Tarik while he consumed his portion, and then the rest of mine, with relish. At least one of us wasn’t letting food go to waste.
“James who?” my father boomed as he sat back with a glass of claret.
“A student at Trinity determined to besmirch St. Clair’s standing,” Ansel put in, and then proceeded to explain everything Will had told us. It sounded worse when put so plainly, especially as my father’s eyes darkened at the part where James might have known my true identity all along…and what he might do with said knowledge. Papa was fiercely protective of our family.
“Mr. St. Clair, you’re in quite the pickle,” he said in a calm tone that belied his grim expression.
Tarik exhaled. “That’s the sum of it, Your Grace. I’ll be heading back tomorrow to meet with the Master of the College. My actions are my own, and I must be accountable for them, butI also won’t allow someone to besmirch my name over a personal vendetta. Sir Lowry is undoubtedly embellishing the events. He has attempted unsuccessfully to discredit me before.”
“Your integrity is admirable,” Papa said. “But it’s not just your future at stake. From what my nephew has said, it seems that this Lowry character might have known Rosalin’s true identity all along.”
“That is correct, Your Grace.”
My father’s gaze panned between the three of us. “Then that is why I will be going with you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Gravity must be caused by an agent acting constantly according to certain laws.
—Isaac Newton
The Duke of Delmont had been holed up with the Master of Trinity College, Dr. Christopher Wordsworth, for hours, which was not a good sign.
According to the boys, the rumor was Dr. Wordsworth was an austere, devout man who upheld a rather strict moral code at the university. He categorically loathed the twins, whose moral leanings varied by the day. Since Wordsworth was new—he’d only started serving from February—he’d likely be more inclined to protect his position as well as the reputation of the college than be lenient or forgiving.
Which did not bode well.
The rest of us—Tarik, Ansel, the twins, Will, and Harold—waited on tenterhooks in one of the reception rooms of the Master’s Lodge. It was one of the few places on the campus that an aristocratic woman was permitted to be in. Women in general were not allowed on college grounds alone, without beingaccompanied by a man and having express approval. It was absurd how antiquated the thinking was…to the extent that women were seen as a corruptive influence on male students. In Cambridge, I read once, a woman had been arrested without cause “on suspicion of evil” for simply existing.
I was glad for my station and the protection of my father’s name.
Still, I could be accused of being a Jezebel, appearing solely to corrupt the men. Such an implication wouldn’t affect only me; it would affectanyonewho had been in contact with me.
Meaning everyone in this room.
Was that what James had planned? A claim that I had sown discord?
