Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
“You’re her… what?”
His stern expression gave way to confusion, and Isobel winced, realizing she had barely had the assignment for up to a day, and yet she had already been caught.
“Her twin. My name is Isobel.”
He stared at her, as though he was trying to conjure up another explanation for her existence. When it became clear that there was no other possibility, he questioned,
“Why are you impersonating her? You are here, wearing her clothes and dwelling in her room. What are you trying to achieve?”
The intensity of his eyes on her had not wavered in the slightest, and it was starting to twist Isobel’s insides into knots.
The little distance between them was hindering her ability to breathe, and she couldn’t help but push at his chest, a little shocked by the taut muscle she could feel beneath his clothes.
He regarded her with a strange expression and then stepped back, finally giving her some space to articulate her thoughts better.
“I am trying to save her life. She was poisoned and is currently unconscious, hidden away somewhere else, while I keep up the ruse of all being well and find who might be responsible. It’s what Lord Gramfield asked me to do.”
“Lord Gramfield? Your father?”
Isobel blushed, knowing it was strange that she was referring to her father so formally, but she couldn’t bear to refer to him as ‘father’.
Not when she already had a father who had loved her immensely despite her not being his flesh and blood, while her birth father had only sought her out because he required her assistance.
“Y-Yes. He was worried that if the other guests found out, it would disrupt the wedding festivities and the wedding might be called off. It is better this way, to investigate while Valerie recovers. I am only here to help.”
The strange man paused thoughtfully, the sternness in his expression clearing up even more. But that did not mean she was not suspicious of him.
“Do you usually accost women and barge into their rooms?” she couldn’t help but blurt out, frustrated that she had been caught so soon.
“Excuse me?” he raised an eyebrow at her.
“You stared at me blatantly all morning, and when you finally approached me, I did not receive so much as an apology or even an introduction. I don’t know who you are, or how you knew I was not Valerie. But you have been rather rude to me.” She pointed out, folding her arms.
He stared at her for a moment, then he scoffed.
“My apologies, Miss Wightman, for my rudeness. Next time I see a suspicious person who I believe might have infiltrated the home of people I care for, I will be sure to make necessary introductions before I challenge their identity.” He told her, his tone far too placating to be genuine.
Isobel glared at him, and he regarded her with mild disinterest for a moment, then he said,
“My name is Richard Harte, Duke of Dellamere. I’m very close friends with the groom, Adrian — who needs to be informed of the situation, so he doesn’t end up marrying the wrong woman by accident.”
She had barely understood his last statement before he moved further into her room, settling down at her desk.
“W-What are you doing?”
“What you and your father should have done as soon as this problem surfaced. I suppose neither of you thought to send word to Adrian about recent developments?” Richard queried, rummaging through the drawers of the desk for something.
“I don’t — I don’t believe so. I was told that he would be here in a few days, and we hoped to have caught the person responsible for Valerie’s state before then.”
Richard snorted, pulling a piece of paper out from one of the drawers, reaching back in to retrieve an ink pot and a quill.
“It is rather charming, how grandiose your delusions are. Do you really believe you will be able to keep up the ruse? Long enough to find the culprit?”
“I intend to do just that —” Isobel frowned indignantly.
“You are well on your way to failing. Or worse — getting yourself killed. It was quite obvious that you were not who you claimed to be. You are far too clumsy and graceless, and you do not know the names or identities of the guests you are meant to be tending to.” He pointed out, not even looking at her, as his hand scribbled words across the paper swiftly.
“Well, that is hardly my fault! Lord Gramfield did not provide me with the information I needed to do this. He somewhat emphasized that I wouldn’t need to do much, just act like Valerie —”
“A task that is clearly far too difficult for you. As I said, you are far too clumsy. You act as though you were raised in a barn, and if we must rely solely on you to unmask the culprit, perhaps we should cancel the wedding immediately, because I do not believe I will be the only one who questions your identity today.” He cut her off, his voice plain as he insulted her without even glancing in her direction.
This man — this frustrating, rude man! Isobel fumed, her hands clenched at her side as she willed herself to ignore his blatant disrespect.
But she couldn’t simply forget how easily he belittled her, and before she knew it, the Scottish curse word Graham was fond of occasionally utilizing when he was upset slipped from her lips.
Richard stopped writing, his spine straightening before he rose to his feet, his eyes dark as he walked towards her. Instinctively, Isobel took a step back, but then resolved to stand her ground, glaring up at him.
But her bravado only lasted a handful of moments, because soon, she felt compelled to lower her eyes, her cheeks burning as his gaze left a prickling sensation over her skin.
“Scottish. That explains it all.” He sighed deeply before adding. “You have hopelessly bitten off more than you can chew. If left to your own devices, you will be found out before you obtain your objective. I will help you, but you need to follow everything I say, without question.”
Isobel wanted to deny his assistance because a part of her still felt wary about this man. His arrogance was one thing, but there was still an air of danger that surrounded him, putting her on edge.
But… she did need some assistance. Lord Gramfield had abandoned her to her devices, for better or worse, and she did not wish to give him the impression that she was incompetent on any account.
And this man was offering his assistance.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind dedicating your time and efforts to a barn animal such as myself, Your Grace?” she queried, meeting his gaze.
“That is precisely why you need my help. I will teach you how to be a proper lady, how to make the people around you divulge the information you need to find who is responsible.”
To her annoyance, she found it hard to focus on his words due to how close he was. She could practically feel the heat radiating off his body onto hers, the warmth on her skin tempting in a way she had not experienced before.
The duke carried with him an earthy, spicy scent of something akin to cardamom and peppermint that had her nearly leaning over to properly decipher what exactly she could smell.
His eyes raked over her frame slowly, the act setting her cheeks ablaze, but before she could further consider his offer, he took his leave.
Isobel stood where she was for a few minutes after he left, confused over what had just happened.
Then she quickly closed the door and sat on her bed to think.
This Duke was clearly invested in her task, but she was not sure if it would be for her benefit or to her detriment.
With a deep breath, Isobel whispered,
“Oh, dear God, grant me grace and strength.”
“Is there a reason why I was not informed about this beforehand?”
Lord Gramfield laughed nervously, quickly jumping to his defense.
“I meant no disrespect, Your Grace. I only wanted to quickly get to the bottom of this matter. I did not want to risk sending the other guests into a panicked frenzy by divulging details of what had transpired.” He said, making panicked gestures with his hands.
“And so you simply hid Valerie away and asked her sister to take her place. You are using her as bait, and she barely has any support. If neither of you is careful, we could end up pushing the culprit to try again, and this time your daughter could end up dead.”
“N-No, Your Grace. I fully intend to keep a close eye on her —”
“How exactly? By letting her wander about cluelessly? Do you even realize what is at stake?” Richard snapped.
He had never seen a more carelessly concocted idea. It had been a tad obvious that something was amiss the day before when Valerie suddenly took ill, but many of the guests had assumed she was nervous about her upcoming wedding, and he foolishly believed it.
Then she had not shown up for dinner, and he surmised that she was more ill than he had initially believed.
When that… twin of hers stumbled into the dining hall, her eyes darting around like a mouse that had been placed in a giant trap, yet to be caught in its snare, Richard realized at once that she was not Valerie.
He had known Valerie long enough to know that the only other place that gave her comfort, other than beside Adrian, was her home. She loved her siblings, loved the quaint estate she had grown up in, and had mumbled previously how much she would miss it once she left.
This woman, who was wearing a dress that would’ve suited Valerie and smiling at Deborah Wightman, looked as though she was in danger of getting lost, despite already being where she was meant to be.
Perhaps that was what caught his attention — the fact that her face was meant to be one already ingrained in his mind, but her expressions felt wholly unfamiliar.
“I swear to you, Your Grace, she is safe. We do not expect the culprit to try again so soon, but she will be monitored closely. I also intend to ask for your assistance —”
“Before or after you asked her to put herself in harm’s way?” Richard seethed.
“She was willing to help her sister, Your Grace. I did not request anything she did not want to give.” Gregory stated meekly, still looking nervous.
His words seemed false, especially when Richard recalled how formally Isobel had referred to her father. But she, too, appeared determined to keep up this farce. After all, she did not refuse his assistance when he offered it.
Still, something about those green, daring eyes and sharp tongue had him intrigued. Valerie had never mentioned that she had a twin sister, and from the look of things, her husband-to-be was likely unaware such a person existed.
The more Richard thought about it, the more questions he had. Where has this twin sister been? And what are the odds that she would appear right after Valerie was poisoned? Was there a bigger ploy taking place?
“Get to the bottom of this and do it quickly. I do not want to entertain anything that will cause Adrian concern. I do not know what motive someone might have to bring Valerie harm, but it is your job as her father to protect her. To protect them both. You must do what is required of you. In the meantime, I will ensure that Miss Wightman is able to do what is needed. I have sent word to Adrian about the situation, but… we should still work to solve this mystery as soon as possible.” Richard instructed, unsure of why he was so invested.
“Certainly, Your Grace. Do not worry, this will be dealt with soon.” Gregory assured.
Richard thought very little of Lord Gramfield, and he was aware of what the marriage between Valerie and Adrian meant to the Baron.
And he understood that the reason why the wedding had not been postponed yet was not because he wanted to covertly catch the culprit, but because he did not want his pride to be caught in a less-than-savory occurrence.
The Duke only hoped it would serve as enough of an incentive for him to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties involved was achieved.
“See that it is,” Richard told him, the other man’s face clouded with fear as the Duke stepped closer, his eyes dark as he added, “For your sake.”