“Perhaps the reason she died in childbed, your grace, was that she loathed you so greatly, particularly after hearing of Damien’s death, that she simply had no further wish to live. There is much on your conscience, if you have one, for even Damien’s child didn’t survive.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
The marquess stared at her long and hard. Then he jumped to his feet and strode to the fireplace where he stared down at the warmly glowing embers. Then, without speaking, he strode back to her, stood over her and said, his voice remarkably level, ah, but she could feel his rage, a deep rage, but he was controlling it, “I damned well don’t believe this. You’re telling me you engaged in your suicidal charade all on the basis of a letter written from Elizabeth to your brother? You planned to track me down, insult me until my eyes crossed with anger. And I challenged you to a duel, and then kill me all because of a bloody letter from Elizabeth to your brother? Jesus, this is madness.”
“Yes, it was enough, more than enough.”
“By God, you’re a fool, a damned irresponsible, blind as hell female fool and God knows a female fool is the very worst kind. No, I take that back. There can be no greater a fool than a man brought low by a woman. Now you will listen to me. When you’ve recovered, I shall want to see this infamous letter of yours. In the meanwhile, allow me to disabuse you of your romantic, ridiculously idealized reading of the entire sordid affair. Despite what you believe of me, I’m a man of some scruples. Were I not, I wouldn’t have kept quiet about the true facts, and none of this need ever have happened.
“On several points, you are quite correct. The three of us, Filey, your brother, and I, all wanted Elizabeth Springville. Obviously, you have heard that she was an exquisite girl, sought after and feted from the instant of her coming out. Foolishly, too, one evening when all of us were deep in our cups, Filey suggested the wager to add spice to the chase, he said.”
He stopped and she knew he was debating with himself what to tell her. He gave her a look of utter loathing, then began to pace back and forth beside the bed. “Ah, to hell with it,” he said more to himself than to her. “Let’s get it all out in the open. Listen, Hetty. Although the next day both Damien and I regretted our action, it couldn’t be undone. Elizabeth was courted like a princess. Like a woman with all the wiles of Cleopatra, she gave each of us encouragement in turn, yet never declared her preference. Although you may not choose to believe me, after several weeks of this sport, my supposed affection for the young lady began to wane. I began to believe her vain, cold, and quite calculating in her actions.”
Again, he seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, then shrugged. “No, I must tell you all of it. Neither of us will ever be free of this unless I tell you everything. So be it.
“I’ll never forget coming to White’s one afternoon to be told that Damien had left suddenly for the continent. I thought at the time that he, like I, had grown tired of Elizabeth’s capriciousness. Filey seemed vastly amused by what he termed Captain Rolland’s defection and taunted me to declare him the winner of the bet. Although, as I said, I was no longer much interested in the lady, I didn’t believe that he had succeeded in winning her favor. That, along with his taunting, made me tell him to go to the devil. Not long thereafter, I began to revise my opinion, for Elizabeth appeared to be in his company more than in any other’s.
“You can imagine my shock several weeks later when Elizabeth, hooded and masked, arrived at my town house near to midnight one evening. I won’t sully your ears with the particulars of that memorable night although why should I spare you? You took my damned mistress all about London. There can’t be anything you don’t know now. Very well, I’ll say it outright, after all, you’ve been a gentleman for five months. You’ve seen more of this sordid world than any other young lady. Elizabeth didn’t leave until near to dawn the following morning. I bedded her several times. I’m not going to try to justify my actions of that night. I have repeatedly cursed myself for my galling stupidity. Suffice it to say that Elizabeth, before her most innocent and artful seduction of an experienced man, ensured that I had consumed half a bottle of brandy.