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Chapter 21
Lord Kelly Spencer bowed to the other guests, who looked back and forth between him and Patrick in wonder, as though watching a tennis match. Patrick’s jaw nearly fell to the ground, and he felt his heart beat wildly in his chest. How was it that the son of the Duke of Glastonbury looked exactly like him? Patrick had never heard of the fellow and assumed that he’d been found out, far before he knew that he had.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lord Kelly said, walking towards the table. “I’m honoured to be here and was so excited by the duke’s invitation that I made the journey from Wales at once.”
Was Lord Kelly quite unaware of Patrick’s presence and the remarkable similarity in appearance? It must have been so because Lord Kelly had not yet looked in Patrick’s direction.
The Duke of Faversham stood. “Dear sir, please have a seat.”
“I thank you, Your Grace,” Lord Kelly replied.
Upon seating himself, Lord Kelly looked about the table, and a confused expression appeared on his face as he was unaware of why everyone was staring at him. No one said a word, but all seemed to try to ignore the strange occurrence.
Oblivious, Lord Kelly placed his napkin upon his lap and was served by two footmen instantaneously. Lord John Crawford turned to Patrick with a tight smile upon his lips.
“He seems a rather nice fellow, does he not?”
From the twinkle of mischief in Lord John’s eyes, Patrick knew that he had been found out, but the Earl of Benton wished to carry on as if nothing were amiss, thus adding to Patrick’s overall sense of dread.
But in the end, Patrick knew that he would be discovered and anticipated coming out with the truth. The real cause for the dread and confusion was the fact that someone who appeared to be Patrick’s identical twin was now sitting next to the Duke of Faversham.
The meal carried on, but the tension in the air would not abate. How was it that no one said anything? Patrick tried to eat, but his mouth went dry. Sarah consistently gazed in his direction, shock and fear upon her face. How could he explain to her the meaning of it all when he couldn’t glean the meaning himself?
“Would you care for more wine?” a footman asked.
Patrick merely nodded his head in compliance. Perhaps the wine would be a balm to the swirling thoughts in his mind.
Just then, it seemed as though Lord Kelly had had enough of all the staring and said to the table, “And where is Lord Reginald Simmons?”
In the silence that followed, every head turned towards Patrick, and that’s when he and Lord Kelly first met one another’s eyes. The same stunned expression that had been on Patrick’s face for the last several minutes was now shared by Lord Kelly. Slowly, instinctively, both men stood from the table to have a better look at one another.
There were several audible comments from the crowd.
“My word.”
“But, they look exactly alike.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Finally, Sarah turned to the Duke of Faversham and said, “What’s the meaning of all of this?”
The duke stood once more and put his hands in the air to silence his guests. “Now, now. No reason to be concerned. I’m just as shocked and stunned by the resemblance as the rest of you. Perhaps the Earl of Buckland can explain.”
Patrick stood frozen, feeling all eyes upon him. What was there to say?
“I’m afraid I don’t understand the situation,” Patrick replied to the guests.
“But … you’re not the Earl of Buckland,” Lord Kelly said. “I grew up with the man, and you’re certainly not he.”
The guests gasped, and there was more chatter. The duke silenced them once more.
“Surely, Lord Reginald, or whoever you are, can find a way to put everyone at ease.”
It was the moment of truth that Patrick had been anticipating. There was no use in lying any further. Lord Kelly was clearly acquainted with the Earl of Buckland, and Patrick was certainly not that man. He mustered the courage to face his reckoning.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a sincere pleasure to spend this last week with you, and although I’ve been treated with the utmost kindness, I will here admit to you that I’ve been living a lie.”
Across the table, Sarah closed her eyes in dread, and Lisbeth audibly said, “I simply don’t understand,” looking to her father.
