Page 20 of Unmasking the Diamond
Thankfully, Jane did not press her, but instead asked, “Would a cup of tea calm your nerves?”
“No. But a biscuit or two might.”
Before Jane could reply, Malone entered with his usual solemnity. “The Duke of Brackenford requests a moment of your time, Miss.”
Charlotte froze. “The duke? Here? And he wishes to see me?”
“Yes, Miss.”
She had no time to collect her composure before the man himself appeared, leaning heavily on his cane yet carrying himself with commanding presence. His slicked-back white hair gleamed, his deeply furrowed face a map of age and pride.
“Miss Winslow,” he rasped.
Years of genteel training came to her rescue. She rose and curtsied gracefully. “Your Grace.”
He gave Jane a curt nod. “Lady Alcott.” His voice held no warmth. “I wish to speak to Miss Winslow alone.”
“No,” Jane said firmly.
The duke’s eyes narrowed. “Ah, yes. There is that impertinent tongue that I am so well acquainted with.”
Jane’s chin lifted. “You are mistaken, Your Grace. We are not, nor have we ever been, acquainted.”
“I was your betrothed,” he countered with cold satisfaction. “But I did not come to dwell on the past. I wish to become better acquainted with Miss Winslow.”
Without waiting for permission, he lowered himself into an armchair, his eyes settling on Charlotte with an unsettling intensity.
Charlotte forced herself back down onto the settee, her spine rigid. “What would you wish to know, Your Grace?”
He bared his discolored teeth in what passed for a smile. “I see that the rumors are true. Your beauty is unrivaled.”
She inclined her head, though her stomach twisted. “You are kind,” she said, her words devoid of any emotion. She had no intention of encouraging him, but she knew better than to be rude to a duke.
His gaze swept over her as though she were a mare to be purchased. “I would like you to accompany me in my carriage through Hyde Park during the fashionable hour. It would please me to display you.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. No. Absolutely not. But she knew she had a part to play. “I regret that I have only just returned from such an outing. It would be best if I remained at home today,” she said, attempting to be cordial.
“Then tomorrow,” he said, not a question but a command.
Charlotte stammered, searching desperately for an excuse. “I… I?—”
Jane spoke over her. “I’m afraid my husband would never approve of such an arrangement.”
The duke’s jaw hardened. “And why is that, my lady?”
Jane’s gaze was unflinching. “Because he would never permit his sister to be paraded about. I suggest you look elsewhere for a bride, Your Grace.”
For a moment, silence suffocated the room. Then the duke rose, leaning on his cane. “I should have expected this. You rejected the chance to be a duchess yourself, Lady Alcott. Now you would rob your sister-in-law of the same opportunity, perhaps out of petty envy.”
Jane didn’t even flinch. “What you think of me is not my concern.”
His eyes glittered with malice. “You are making a grave mistake.” He tapped his cane sharply and turned away. “I will see myself out.”
The door closed behind him, and the air seemed to loosen.
Jane released a heavy breath. “What a horrid man.”
Charlotte reached for Jane’s hand, grateful tears stinging her eyes. “Thank you for what you did.”
