Chapter 12
“I was wondering…” Edmund said as Alastair scanned the room in front of him. “What do you think about it?”
“What do I think about what?” Alastair glanced at him. “What are you talking about, Edmund?”
“About what I just discussed with you.” His friend looked pained. “Did you not hear anything I said to you?”
Alastair winced. He had been looking for Arabella. It was Lady Rockfell’s ball, and it was always a lavish affair. He’d been surprised to hear earlier in the day that Arabella would be attending, and he found himself looking out for her to see if she’d arrived.
It was causing him to be distracted if he completely missed what Edmund had just said to him. He rubbed his hands over his face and tried to get his thoughts away from Arabella. He was thinking about her too much, and he needed to stop.
“Just repeat it to me again,” he said. “I want to know what made you so eager to talk to me.”
Edmund sighed. “I was asking for your permission to court your sister.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in. Then Alastair shook himself. “Wait a moment. Did you say you wanted to court Helena?”
“I do.”
“I wasn’t aware that you even liked her.”
Edmund shook his head. “I’ve liked her for a long time. And I want to take a chance. If you’re agreeable…”
“No.”
The word was out of Alastair’s mouth before he could stop it. Edmund looked surprised at his response.
“No? But why not? I would’ve thought you’d be happy for us.”
“I’ve known you since we were in Eton, Edmund. I’ve seen how you behave with ladies, and how you’ve treated them afterward. It’s not very respectful, is it?”
Edmund snorted, clearly annoyed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it with Helena, is it? I wouldn’t hurt her.”
“How do I know that? You’ll just end up hurting her, just like you have with everyone else.” Alastair turned away. “The answer is no, Edmund. I don’t wish to discuss it any further.”
His friend had to be mad. Edmund knew that Alastair took his sister’s happiness seriously, and he wasn’t about to jeopardize that by letting one of his friends, one whose wayward history he was aware of, to hurt her. So why would he even ask? It didn’t make any sense.
What was Edmund up to?
“But…” Edmund began, but Alastair cut him off.
“The answer is no, Edmund. I’m not going to discuss it. I love both of you, but the two of you together, with your past… I can’t get past that.”
Edmund’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t think Helena is old enough to make that decision herself?”
“If it was anyone else, then I wouldn’t have a problem.”
“So it’s just me, is it? When you know I would never hurt her?” He folded his arms. “It’s nice to know that my closest friend trusts me, but not enough to make his sister happy.”
“Edmund…”
But Edmund was storming away, leaving the room abruptly.
Alastair groaned and felt a headache building.
He and Edmund were as close as friends could get, and he knew that he could rely on his friend to look out for him.
However, his past with women was not something to be desired.
Alastair had seen how Edmund had behaved and knew that he couldn’t have that for his sister. Helena didn’t deserve that.
Although he had a feeling that Edmund was going to ignore him anyway.
“What was that about?”
Alastair jumped and spun around. Arabella and Helena were standing behind him, regarding him curiously.
He hadn’t even heard them approach. Surely, he would’ve seen Arabella entering the room?
Especially dressed as she was in a gorgeous fawn-colored gown in the current fashion that accentuated her shape.
She looked softer somehow, even prettier than before.
Alastair had to stop himself from staring.
“You… you look beautiful,” he murmured.
“I… thank you.” Arabella’s cheeks went bright red. “It’s a lovely dress.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Clearing his throat, Alastair turned to Helena. “And how are you feeling? You don’t need to sit down just yet, do you?”
“No, I’m fine.” Helena’s eyes were sparkling. “I’m just about to have a dance with Edmund. He marked my card a while ago.”
Alastair stiffened. “What?”
“He wants to dance with me.”
Arabella frowned. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“I… I’m fine.” Alastair shook himself. “Do you really need to do that, Helena? Edmund’s not a very good dancer. I’m worried that you’ll end up with sore toes.”
Helena scoffed and rolled her eyes. “He dances perfectly fine, Alastair. I’ve danced with him before.”
“Have you?”
“Of course! Will you be all right with my brother, Arabella? He seems to have started being a little unbearable.”
Arabella smiled and squeezed Helena’s arm. With a sharp look at Alastair, Helena walked away. Arabella’s smile faded a little, and she touched Alastair’s arm. Even with her gloves on, he could feel the heat of her fingers through his sleeve.
“Are you sure you’re all right? You didn’t look too happy about Helena dancing with your friend.”
“He just asked me if he could court her,” Alastair muttered. “I refused.”
“Why would you do that? Wouldn’t that be the best case scenario?”
Alastair snorted. “I’ve known Edmund for more than twenty years. I’ve seen his history with women, and how things have ended. I know that Helena would end up getting hurt, and then my relationships with both of them are going to be ruined.”
“Maybe he hadn’t found the right woman to settle down with? Perhaps he will with Helena? He likely respects her more, given she’s your little sister.”
She was trying to cheer him up, make him feel less uncomfortable, but it wasn’t really working.
As Alastair caught sight of Helena and Edmund stepping onto the dance floor, Edmund following Helena’s lead, he wondered if he could actually trust Edmund with his sister. He trusted him with everything else.
They could do anything together and Alastair would know that his friend had his back. But when it came to romancing women, Edmund was a rake. He was like a different person. Alastair often wondered why they were still friends with the way Edmund treated women.
Which was why he couldn’t have Helena courting him. She was young and innocent, and she would be destroyed if she fell in love and Edmund hurt her. Alastair couldn’t let that happen.
“Perhaps we’re going to have to wait and see what happens,” Arabella said quietly, her tone reassuring. “We don’t know if he’s going to do the same with Helena, and there’s a chance that things might turn out for the better. It might actually work.”
“I don’t know if I can wait around to find out,” Alastair muttered.
“You might just have to. Helena’s grown now. Let her find out for herself.” She smiled. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”
That gave him pause. Did Arabella know something that he didn’t?
He watched his sister and his friend together and wondered if he would be able to handle seeing the two of them together.
It would be tough, worrying about when Helena was going to get hurt, but maybe Arabella was right. He was going to have to wait.
Then he caught sight of his mother. Lady Hartwood had entered the room from the dining room, and she was scanning the guests. No doubt looking for him. Alastair turned to Arabella.
“Forgive me, I need to speak to someone,” he said, jerking his head over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you later in the dining room.”
“Why…?” Then Arabella caught sight of Lady Hartwood. “Ah, I see. We don’t want a scene, do we?”
“No. I’ll see you later this evening.”
Before he knew what he was doing, Alastair clasped her gloved hand and kissed her fingers, hearing a sharp intake of breath and seeing her eyes darken momentarily.
Then he hurried away, hoping that the dowager duchess hadn’t seen him.
She was not impressed that Alastair was purposefully avoiding Miss Rosamund Linton, and she was intent on making them converse.
As far as he was concerned, Alastair would rather do something else.
Like trying to find his cousin. Sebastian was supposed to be present, and Alastair hadn’t had a chance to see him that day. This would be a good opportunity to snag his attention for a few minutes.
Finally, after looking all over the house, he found Sebastian in the gallery.
He was talking to two young ladies, both of them giggling at something he’d just said.
He was using his usual disarming smile as he regaled them with a story regarding the painting on the wall.
Alastair caught his eye and beckoned him over.
Sighing, clearly annoyed at being interrupted, Sebastian excused himself and sauntered over.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, cousin?” he asked, glancing back at the young ladies, who were now watching them. “I hope this isn’t going to take long.”
“No, not at all. I was just going to ask for your help.”
His cousin raised his eyebrows in surprise and he folded his arms. “I’m intrigued. You don’t normally ask me for help, and not in such circumstances.”
“Well, you have something that might be able to help me.” Alastair looked around, seeing that they were alone. Even then, he lowered his voice. “I want to talk to the coroner and magistrate that presided over the inquest into viscount Fairleigh’s death. You know them, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Michael Reynolds and I play cards regularly, and Magistrate Harker is a regular at the club.” Sebastian frowned. “Why are you looking into that, though? Wasn’t the conclusion an accident?”
“I’m beginning to suspect otherwise.”
“How so?”
Alastair was about to explain when he sensed that someone was coming toward him.
Hairs were prickling on the back of his neck, and it was disconcerting.
Was someone listening in on them? Turning, he then caught sight of a familiar figure striding toward him, a look of annoyance and suspicion on his face.
Philip Fairleigh. It was as if he’d been following him.
“Could you ask them about it?” Alastair asked quickly. “Just anything they know about the situation and what their personal thoughts are.”
“Of course. I’ll see what I can do.” Sebastian glanced at the approaching man. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I’m worried about you, Alastair.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle things on my own.” He patted his cousin’s arm. “Thank you.”
Sebastian backed away, giving Fairleigh a nervous look before hurrying off. Fairleigh reached Alastair, and he had to take a step back before the viscount physically bumped into him.
“What do you think you’re doing, Your Grace?” Fairleigh snapped.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve just found out that my sister is going around asking questions about my father’s death. She thinks it’s suspicious.” Fairleigh’s eyes narrowed. “And now I hear you’re helping her out. You’re encouraging her, even.”
Alastair straightened up and dusted himself down. He wasn’t about to be talked down to.
“I don’t know where you heard that from,” he said. “But you might like to know that your sister accused me of murder due to seeing him that night.”
“She did that and you’re courting her now?” Fairleigh snorted. “I find it hard to believe that you would be romantically involved with someone when they’ve done that.”
“Believe it or not, it’s true. And I can see her point.”
“How so?”
Alastair folded his arms. He would rather be doing anything else than talking to the viscount, but the young man was somehow incensed over what his sister did. Given he hadn’t paid much attention before, this was somewhat confusing.
“There’s something not quite right with it all. You have to see that yourself.”
Fairleigh rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. “Honestly, I think her madness has rubbed off on you as well. Father died falling into the river and he drowned. There’s nothing to it. No suspicious death or conspiracies.”
“Is that what you believe?”
“You know it’s nothing but an unfortunate accident.
I don’t know why you’re entertaining my sister’s flights of fancy.
” Fairleigh shook his head, tapping the side of his head with his finger.
“She’s not all there, if you must know. She’s definitely not someone who can be trusted when it comes to things like this. ”
Alastair frowned. “From my conversations with Lady Arabella, she’s grieving, yes, but she’s got a level head on her shoulders. She speaks a lot of sense, even if a few phrases are a little outlandish.”
“Exactly!”
“But wouldn’t you be the same if you didn’t get the full answer of your father’s death? Do you even care what happened to him, or how your sister might be struggling to cope with the fact someone she loved was taken away so abruptly?”
That made Fairleigh falter a little. Alastair plowed on.
“She just wants closure and explanation. You can’t get that if you bury your head. And the fact that it happened the night I last saw him makes me just as responsible, too. It’s my responsibility to find out what happened there.”
The viscount looked at him as if he’d been speaking in tongues. “Do… is that why you’re courting my sister? To find out what she knows to ease your guilty conscience?”
Alastair barked out a sharp laugh that made other people nearby in the gallery turn to stare at him. He couldn’t believe that someone who had Arabella’s colorings and complexion, to the point they could be twins, could be so different in terms of personality and conviction.
“I’m merely helping out someone I care about. She wants to know the truth, so we’re going to have to find it.”
“You’ve already got the truth, though.”
“I don’t think so. There’s more that someone’s not telling, and I know Arabella wants to find out.
Now, if you’ll excuse me?” Alastair stepped back and gave him a short bow.
“I’ve got to find out what’s going on with Lady Arabella.
I didn’t want to leave her for too long. Not with my mother present.”
“And is your mother approving of your courtship?” Fairleigh sneered.
Alastair ignored him. He’d talked enough to the man. Although he was confused as to why Fairleigh would be so upset at his sister courting a duke. Normally, anyone in their current financial position would be delighted, and yet Fairleigh was acting as if it was a crime.
Was it because of Alastair himself he didn’t approve of? Or was something else going on that he didn’t know about?
The more he thought about it, the more Alastair knew that Arabella was right. There was not something right about her father’s death at all. Although the idea that his own son had something to do with it made Alastair shudder.