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He’d debated calling on her in Laura Place—if the Duke knew of their relationship, how many others were aware?—but on the chance that it had not yet been discovered by half of Bath, opted instead for discretion, sending her a note asking her to meet him at their usual rendezvous, as soon as she was able to get away that evening.
He would have to figure out how much to tell Jane, since, with his frequent absences in the evening and recent unexplained travels out of town, his needle-witted sister was certain to suspect something. But first, he needed to consult Diana.
Since he had no idea how early Diana might get away, he ordered a bath and an early dinner. As afternoon faded into evening, unable to distract himself with a book, he took to pacing.
At last, he heard her light step on the stairway, and leapt up to meet her as Marston ushered her in. She gave him her hands and lifted her face for his kiss, worry etched on every feature.
‘I’m glad you returned safely. What did you discover?’
He swept her to a chair and poured her some wine. ‘You’re certainly entitled to something, probably a handsome something, whether from dower or as income from whatever jointure might have been established in your late husband’s will. That is the good news. The bad news, although, is that if it involves dower, the local sheriff’s court must oversee the administration. It’s very possible a local man could be too intimidated to vigorously pursue his duty, if the Duke or his representatives resist the process at every turn.’
‘As he certainly would. But I’m not so much concerned about jointures or dower. What about James?’
‘The legality in that case is less clear.’ Alastair paused, recalling the gloating expression on the Duke’s face. ‘I now fully understand and support your intention not to let the current Duke of Graveston gain control over your son.’
Diana gave a grimace of distaste. ‘Has he already made himself so infamous that even your solicitor knows of him?’
She must have seen something in his face, for without giving him time to respond, she cried, ‘Oh, Alastair—you didn’t seek him out, did you? Tell me you did not!’
There seemed no point hiding it. ‘I called on him at Graveston Court,’ he admitted. ‘I have to confess, I thought you were exaggerating the vengefulness of his character, but after talking with him myself, I’m forced to concede you were not.’
She sprang up and took an agitated turn about the room before halting abruptly before him. ‘I should never have confided in you! Don’t you see? Not just James is at risk now—you’ve placed yourself in harm’s way as well!’
All too aware that he had been threatened, he said, ‘I doubt there is much Graveston can do to me. But I fear I have complicated matters.’
She shook her head. ‘You’d better tell me the whole.’
She seated herself again and remained silent through his recitation: the aggravating discourtesy of being made to wait, the Duke’s sly baiting, his disparaging words about Diana, his demand that James be returned to Graveston Court, his certainty that Chancery would uphold his request for guardianship. Finally, reluctantly, he revealed the Duke’s infamous design to have her brought up on murder charges.
Though her eyes widened at the mention of murder, she said nothing until he revealed the Duke had threatened to involve him, too, as a motive for the crime, unless he ceased to support her.
‘Infamous!’ she exclaimed. ‘And how very like him!’
‘Infamous indeed, but I must say, after repeating it to you here in prosaic candlelight, I find it difficult to credit. Making ungrounded accusations is a serious matter that could severely damage his own reputation. More probably, it was the ranting of the boy who never outgrew his rancour towards you for displacing his mother. He’s a grown man now. When, in the coolness of reason, he considers the repercussions of making such accusations, I cannot see any rational man moving forward with such a project, nor any solicitor or adviser agreeing to assist—’
‘You are wrong,’ Diana interrupted, clutching his hand. ‘Blankford is quite capable of moving forward in defiance of all reason, equally capable of doing whatever is necessary to discredit and destroy anyone who gets in the way. Only remember whose son he is!’
Tossing down his hand, she took another agitated turn about the room. ‘How gleeful he must be at how cleverly we’ve played into his hands!’ she said bitterly, turning back to face him. ‘Had I withdrawn and lived quietly at the Dower House after Graveston’s death, it would have been more difficult to hurl such accusations, though I suspect in his hatred, he would have done so anyway. But now—a widow fleeing her home to take up with an old lover with her late husband’s body hardly settled in its grave—the bare facts of which we cannot deny? Only think how London’s penny broadsides will love it!’
‘It does look bad,’ he had to admit. ‘But I’ve no intention of abandoning you, so you needn’t fear that.’
‘On the contrary, that’s exactly what you must do.’
Her reply was so unexpected, for a moment he thought he couldn’t have heard her correctly. ‘You think I should abandon you?’
She nodded. ‘I learned long ago to take the Duke’s threats seriously. My husband would have destroyed you then; the son will destroy you now, if you don’t walk away. Even if he can’t manufacture enough witnesses to convince the assizes to bind me over for trial, only think of the scandal! “Former lover helps unfaithful wife murder her husband!” Imagine the scurrilous cartoons in the print shops! The embarrassment to your sister, to your mother, the stain on your family name. No, it’s unthinkable. You must sever all relations with me at once.’
Nodding to herself in final conviction, she backed away, as if preparing to leave.
‘Wait a minute!’ he exclaimed, jumping up to catch her hand again. ‘Have I no say in this? Have you so little confidence in my abilities—this time, too?’
‘You don’t understand what you’re facing. He will stop at nothing to obtain what he wants, just like his father!’
‘No, I don’t know what I’m facing,’ he snapped back, anger over that long-ago episode resurfacing. ‘You never told me, just made the decision for both of us. I understand the threat to your father was serious enough to prompt you to action, but I don’t understand why you didn’t trust me to help. I was no paragon, but I’d done nothing that could have given Graveston cause to ruin me. I can’t imagine how he convinced you otherwise.’
‘Can you not?’ When he gave a derisive shake of the head, she sighed. ‘Very well. Even now, it’s difficult for me to utter the words, but I suppose you have a right to know what Graveston had designed for you.’
Seating herself beside him, she said quietly, ‘At that time, you were not yet known as a valiant soldier, the hero of many battles, but had instead built quite a reputation as poet. You’re surely aware it’s often whispered that poets are...unmanly. Graveston warned if I told you anything of what he planned, he’d produce witnesses to testify that you’d forced them into...unnatural congress. Can you only imagine how such an accusation would have humiliated your family and destroyed your reputation, even if he couldn’t produce enough witnesses to make the charges stick? And if he could—sodomy is a capital crime! You would have been forced to flee England. I couldn’t risk it.’
Astounded, Alastair could think of nothing to say. He’d considered a few minor debts, some petty pranks played at university that might have been held against him. But nothing of that magnitude. ‘That’s...unbelievable.’
‘Believe it. And believe the son just as capable of carrying out his threats as his father. Please, Alastair! What good is the sacrifice I made all those years ago, if I bring down destruction upon you now? Blankford would do it. And enjoy doing it.’
Recovering his wits, he countered, ‘So, having persuaded you into an affair and gifted your persecutor with more ammunition to blast your character before a Court of Chancery, you expect me to slink away and leave you to suffer the consequences alone? What a fine fellow you must think me!’
‘You are a fine fellow. I want your reputation to remain unblemished in the eyes of the world. I’m not prepared to let a venal man destroy your good name because of his vendetta against me.’
‘It seems we are at an impasse, then, because I’m not prepared to let the threats of a venal man chase me away, so he may harass with impunity a woman already once victimised by his family. Besides, have you anyone else who could help you keep your son from his clutches?’
At once, the fire faded from her eyes. ‘No,’ she said in a small voice. ‘Papa was an only son, as you know. All his near relations are dead, and the earldom to which his family is connected passed some years ago to a distant cousin I’ve never met. But if it comes to disaster, I do have a plan.’
