Chapter Twenty-Six #3
“Oh, the morning papers will have quite the tale to tell,” she said, her voice a syrupy imitation of the society columnists.
“‘Shocking Scandal! Lady Charlene Fielding Caught in the Duke of Rotheworth’s Chambers at the Duchy Hotel!’ Just imagine the outrage, my dear duke.
The whispers alone would slice through what’s left of your reputation. ”
Adam’s fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white beneath the tension. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Miss Martin feigned surprise, her eyes wide, though the smirk lurking just under the surface betrayed her. “Whatever do you mean?” she asked, her tone sickly sweet, before flashing teeth that gleamed like a serpent ready to strike. Only the truly vicious were proud of their blackmail.
“You have been leaking information to the scandal sheets,” Adam thundered, taking a step closer. “That’s why you’ve been fostering such familiarity with my mother!”
At that, his mother, seated and trembling, looked sharply at Miss Martin. “Lorena,” she breathed, her voice brittle, “is this true?”
Miss Martin smoothed her skirts, calm as if she were the mistress of the house. Although, to Adam she looked more like a harpy on his brother’s lap.
“Perhaps,” she said with a dismissive shrug.
“But how else was I to discern which brother could weather the storm?” A delicate hand reached up to adjust her hair, pinching her cheeks with practiced precision until they bloomed a rosy hue.
She shot David a knowing glance, and to Adam’s disgust, his twin grinned back like a devil relishing her work.
Charlene’s steady voice, edged with disbelief, broke through the tension. “You mean which brother would end up with the fortune, don’t you? That’s what you were after all along.”
Miss Martin turned to Charlene then, her gaze sharp as a blade. “And how would you know anything of it?” she sneered. “You’re just a little pawn who stumbled into the Cross brothers’ games and came out empty-handed.”
“No,” Charlene said, her voice quivering with emotion but strong in its certainty. “I never sought anything from David, and there was nothing between us that I mourn to have lost. But you, Miss Martin. You’ve been at his side all along, haven’t you?”
Adam’s brow furrowed as he turned his attention to Charlene, confusion flickering in his eyes.
Her fingers twisted nervously at her side as she explained, her gaze trained on Miss Martin.
“I didn’t put it together before when your mother introduced us, but I recognize her from the masquerade.
She was there. But more clearly, I remember her from that night.
She brought David a handkerchief when his lip bled.
I didn’t realize it then, but now… it was a scheme, wasn’t it? ”
Miss Martin arched a brow, but it was David who replied, leaning lazily into his chair as though the room wasn’t seconds from combustion. “A test, darling,” he drawled. “No more, no less.”
His mother’s lips parted in confusion. “A test?” she echoed, her face reddening.
Adam wanted to throttle his brother. A test that tore a family apart.
Oh, Charlene finally realized it wasn’t her fault.
“Loyalty,” David said. “You see, not every woman in England has the stomach to siphon off funds from the dukedom and funnel them to France. And poor Charlene here? She failed.” He grinned, smugness oozing from every word. “Didn’t you, sweet little Char?”
Charlene’s chin tilted upward, her eyes burning with indignation. “Don’t call me that.”
Adam stepped forward, his voice sharp. “You helped him steal from the solicitor,” he said, accusing Miss Martin now. “That was when you came to visit my mother. You conniving, shameless—”
“Ah ah,” Miss Martin interrupted, smirking as she held up a hand for a pause. “Not so fast, Your Grace. You mustn’t be so quick to cut me down before hearing my terms.”
“Terms?” Adam spat the word like venom.
“Of course.” Miss Martin’s tone dropped, her false humor giving way to raw ambition. “What use is the annual income I’ve already acquired? I want it all.”
Adam’s posture straightened, every inch of him radiating fury. “Why would I give you anything?”
Her lips curled into a wicked smile as she stepped closer, her voice low and taunting.
“Because, Your Grace, if you don’t, the entire Ton, the House of Lords, and every bloody society dame in London will know of your scandal.
Your intended, the darling Lady Charlene Fielding, shared a room with you at a hotel.
It will be your ruin to take your brother’s mistress while I have been paraded in society as the woman you intended to court. ”
“I never—” Adam shouted.
But the Ton would gobble up the gossip without question.
“Wait!” Charlene stiffened beside him, her face pale as her breath quickened. “You’re the one who started the rumors?” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Miss Martin didn’t respond directly, but her predatory smile deepened.
The dowager, still seated, looked helplessly from Adam to Miss Martin. “What is she saying?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Charlene took a step back, her expression twisting with a mixture of hurt and realization.
Her words came slowly, dread weighing on each one.
“Why didn’t I see it before? My friends.
My brother. Everyone warned me.” She stopped, her eyes fixed on Miss Martin as though looking at something monstrous. “It’s you.”
Miss Martin inclined her head, unabashed. “I am the empress,” she said, sneering. “The M-Press, if you will. And you’ve made me rich with your gullible little dreams. But don’t fret—I’ve plenty more to gain.”
Adam felt his fury bursting to the surface, but as Charlene’s hand brushed his arm, something inside him redirected that fire.
It wasn’t just anger now. It was for a purpose.
Protecting her, defending their future, wasn’t just a desire.
It was his duty. He squared his shoulders and looked Miss Martin squarely in the eyes.
“You may think yourself untouchable,” he said, his voice low but charged with resolve. “But make no mistake. The lies you’ve spun, the schemes you’ve crafted, end here. You will not harm Charlene or this family any further.”
And with that, the balance of power in the room began to shift.