Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Ineed to have a word with you,” Isobel said as she walked into her father’s study.
Isobel noted rather quickly that things were not going as planned. Not only has she been caught by three people already, but she has also made little to no progress when it came to finding any clues on who had poisoned Valerie.
The wedding was approaching, and Valerie had still not woken up, and as such, all of Isobel’s efforts to help felt rather futile.
She was tired and angry, angry at her father for not doing more to assist her on a quest he had insisted that she take. It was frustrating, and she was not sure how much more she could take.
And so, after she had put Nora to bed — the little girl had refused to leave her side for the rest of the evening — she waited until most of the household had retired for the night, and then she snuck out of her room and made her way to Gregory’s study.
Softly, she knocked at the door and stepped in when he prompted her to come in.
He looked displeased to see her, even more so after he heard of her intentions.
“I was going to summon you tomorrow, but it is good that you have come. I must admit, I am sorely disappointed in your actions.” He told her, eyes narrowed.
Isobel stood still, confused.
“Me? What have I done?” she questioned, taken aback.
“The Duke of Dellamere discovered your identity yesterday. I believe you gave your word to keep it a secret, and yet, barely a day after you were given the task, you immediately reveal yourself to someone.”
“I did not reveal myself. He followed me and threatened —”
“Your behavior has been unacceptable! Many people have asked me if you are truly fine because you have been behaving strangely since you fell ill! I decided to observe you, and I’ve noticed that your manners are not like Valerie’s at all!
I cannot imagine what is so difficult about acting like a proper young woman.
Did the people who raised you not teach you how to act properly?
You need to be more careful. Need I remind you what is at stake? ” Gregory snapped.
That was… unfair. How dare he stand there and judge her upbringing when he had purposely abandoned the role when he abandoned her? What gave him the right to question her when he did not care about her at all, but was only concerned about her usefulness to him?
Pain swirled in her chest, and she fought back tears in order to defend herself.
“You should have been there, then.”
Gregory’s eyes widened. “What did you —”
“If you were going to complain about my inadequacies and how different I am from Valerie, then perhaps you should have been the one to raise me — to raise us both. And ensure that we both were proper enough to fit your standards. You do not have any right to toss me aside, then contact me when you need a favor, and judge me for my shortcomings when you never cared to oversee my childhood yourself. Neither do you have the right to insult me or my family. They have done more for me than you have ever tried to.”
Her father was clearly surprised by her outburst, so much so that he looked as though he had been thoroughly reprimanded.
“You do not understand,” he said quietly, moments later.
“You do not know what I have been through — what I had to do to ensure the survival of this household. We were so poor that we could barely afford to eat every day. And your mother… she birthed you both, and she has been so excited to have twin daughters, but I knew… I knew we could not keep you both. We had not even named you by the time I decided to leave you at the monastery. You weren’t singled out and disregarded.
I only did what I believed was the only chance we had at surviving. ”
Isobel had always wondered what the reason was behind her separation from her birth family. And although the reason seemed logical enough, the sides of her that had been hurt over the years and repeatedly since she arrived at this house were too raw to accept his excuses with remorse.
Even if they had struggled once upon a time, they looked well-to-do now, enough that he had decidedly had two more children after Valerie. So clearly, things have gotten better. Why did they not look for her? Why did they not try to visit or contact her?
She had waited all her life for some sort of message or summons, in hopes that they had thought of her as much as she thought about them. But she has never received any form of consideration. Not then and certainly not now, as she was assuming her sister’s identity after the attempt on her life.
He was not even asking her how she was dealing with all of this, if she needed anything. All he could focus on were the things that were wrong, while she risked her life for the daughter he had chosen and the family he held in high regard.
She tried to calm the fury that had been growing within her and understand his own side of things, but she could not forget the hurt that resided within her.
“You didn’t even try. I waited, for years and years, for something.
Anything you would have been willing to give, I would have been more than happy to receive.
But you gave me nothing — because deep down, you had tried to forge me the moment you lowered me into the stairs of the monastery.
I didn’t want you to come back for me. I didn’t expect that you would have brought me back here.
But I thought you would have at least visited me more.
I wish you had been more concerned about me — the way you seem so concerned about my flaws. ” Isobel said quietly.
Gregory stared at her silently, seemingly at a loss for words, and that was all she needed. Without another word, she turned around and left the study, disappointment weighing down her heart.
She was on her way back to her room when she recalled that she was to have another tutoring appointment with the Duke, and she sighed, feeling drained already.
Isobel considered simply heading off to bed, to leave all these troubles where they were meant to be — elsewhere — at least for the night. But then she remembered she had promised Nora to do everything in her power to protect Valerie and ensure that she was all right.
While she doubted etiquette lessons would directly influence Valerie’s wellness, it might be what would allow her to find the person responsible for this problem. And quickly enough that she would be out of their way for good.
With a deep sigh, she turned around and walked to the library.
On her way there, she met Deborah, who looked rather startled to encounter someone else so late.
“Oh dear,” she gasped, eyeing Isobel from head to toe. “I thought you were a phantom or something equally nefarious! What on earth are you doing up and about at this hour?”
Isobel knew she needed to be careful with her words, especially with Deborah.
For some reason, Deborah’s mannerisms of immense concern and sweet demeanor left a rather sour taste in her mouth.
She could not put her finger on why that was exactly, but she knew that everyone should be suspected until she found evidence that claimed otherwise.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping for two nights now,” Isobel said, letting out a real tired sigh. “I thought I might try reading a boring classic to lull me gently to sleep.”
Deborah frowned for a moment, then she nodded. “I am sorry to hear that, my dear. I can only imagine how exhausted you must be. I will leave you be. Have a good night.”
Isobel nodded as the woman walked past her, and then she suddenly blurted out.
“What about you?”
Deborah stopped in her tracks a few feet away from Isobel, moments passing before she slowly turned to face her.
“What about me?” the older woman echoed innocently.
Her actions were suspicious, and it further fueled Isobel’s urge to enquire.
“What are you doing up and about so late?”
Deborah blinked, then she said,
“I lost a brooch earlier today. It belonged to my aunt, and I treasured it greatly. I was rather upset to find out, as I was preparing for bed, that it wasn’t on my dresser, where it usually was at the end of the day. So I went out to look for it.”
Her excuse sounded plausible, but there was something odd about her tone.
“You should have waited until tomorrow, Aunt Deborah,” Isobel told her in a sweet voice, trying to be as charming as possible.
“It will be easier to find it in the daylight. If by tomorrow, you have still not found it or no one has returned it to you, let me know. The maids and I comb the entire estate if we have to.”
Deborah quickly shook her head,
“Oh, no, dear. That is not necessary at all—”
“I know how upsetting it is to lose something you valued greatly. I promise you, we will absolutely find it.”
Slowly, Deborah smiled, but unlike the ones she had given before, this one did not reach her eyes.
“You are the kindest angel. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, my dear. I will retire to my room now, as I have been up for longer than I should be.”
Isobel nodded, gesturing lightly in the direction Deborah was to go.
“Good night, Aunt Deborah.”
She watched her aunt until the older woman was out of sight before she exhaled and entered the library, telling herself not to forget to look into this missing brooch tomorrow.
As she expected, Richard was already there, looking as though he would much rather be anywhere else in the evening.
“You are late. Again.”
“I am sorry. I needed to speak with my father, and then I saw Aunt Deborah on my way here — which I thought was quite suspicious —”
“I’m not here to listen to your excuses. I am here to make sure you do not get yourself and your sister killed. Come. We will be working on your manners once more, because I believe you heard me last night, but did not quite understand what I said.”
“Why do you think so?” Isobel asked, refusing to move. “Did I do something wrong?”
“You hardly did anything right,” he sighed, exasperated. “When I told you to be charming enough to compel people, I did not mean you should cast them aside if your conversation is not fruitful.”
“But they were wasting my time! And I didn’t simply cast them aside — I politely excused myself.
As far as I could tell, no one had anything of consequence to say.
Most of them simply complained about the standards of enjoyment offered by the house as though this were an inn and I was the manager. It was irritating.” She protested.
“You cannot fall prey to such annoyances all the time. You must remember that they are your guests and you need to be courteous to them at all times.” He pointed out.
“All times? Why can’t they be courteous whilst in someone else’s home?
I do not know how many things are done here, but in Scotland, being a guest in someone’s home is an honor.
There, guests are respectful and well-behaved.
You accept insults and mockery and call it being ‘well-mannered’ which I find utterly ridiculous! ”
It was such a silly thing to argue about, and she did not actually care about any of the guests at the party. But she could not stand how much like her father Richard had not even attempted to commend her for her efforts before complaining about her faults.
“What is utterly ridiculous is you and your father being so intent on continuing this charade. You are not Valerie. You need a lifetime’s worth of tutoring before you can hope to embody half of the traits she manifests with ease.
Perhaps you should simply call this whole thing off and head back to Scotland, with your nice guests and tactful society.
If you still wish to try and do the right thing for your sister, then come here, and let me fix your posture again. ”
Isobel blinked back tears and turned, walked to the door, hesitating with her hand on the knob for brief seconds before she turned back around and marched right to him.
“It is quite ironic how you both keep emphasizing the fact that I could never be her, whilst ignoring the fact that she is currently recovering from a poisoning attempt. Despite her perfection, someone had tried to kill her. No one knows why she was poisoned, yet I have been tasked with the job because we are identical. If I leave, the wedding will be called off if she doesn’t wake up.
Your dear friend might be greatly upset, and from what I have noticed about my father, he might weep because he is doing everything possible to keep the wedding from being postponed.
You both need me. But you won’t respect me or regard me as someone with emotions and feelings.
You, with your arrogant, cruel words, and he, with his disregard.
Perhaps if you put both your personalities together, you might have enough strength to formulate an idea that doesn’t involve sacrificing her twin—”
Isobel was not even sure what she was saying anymore.
All she knew was that she was tired. So tired of all of this.
Tired of her father, tired of the Duke, tired of this family and their seemingly endless supply of chatty people.
She was even tired of Valarie and the standard she represented in the scale of the best woman she could be.
It was all sickening, and she did not need to go through this for another second.
However, just as she had been preparing to launch into another tirade about the deeply rooted exhaustion that seemed to be growing steadily, the Duke pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers.