Chapter 39
Kalina
Whatever punishment her husband wanted to subject her to, it was not forthcoming.
Instead, he and Julianna railed at each other for several long minutes, and Kalina moved out of the line of fire as they shouted at each other.
Apparently, Julianna had known that her father had arranged a match for her with Carmathen…
and neglected to tell her brother in hopes the issue never surfaced.
Nathanial was resigned at discovering that Kalina knew everything about his father’s death, thanks to her friends, which left most of his focus on Julianna.
He was furious with her for allowing him to be caught off guard by the debt to Carmathen and not trusting him to protect her from an unwanted wedding.
They were finally interrupted by Fiona, holding Telemachus, wanting to know what all the shouting was about. Julianna went off in a huff with her younger sister and the little fox, declaring that they were going to the park.
Rather than address the fact that Kalina had been listening at his study door along with his sister, Nathanial immediately sent notes to the other dukes, asking them to come.
When she found out that he felt the Marquess of Carmathen had given him a potential clue into the death of his father, Kalina immediately insisted that one be sent to Lady Astrid as well.
While they were waiting for the others to arrive, Nathanial went over the full discussion he’d had with Carmathen.
He’d just finished when Stalling came to announce the Duke and Duchess of Clarence’s arrival, at which point they relocated to the drawing room.
Kalina greeted Tiffany and Gregory, then rang for tea while they all settled themselves.
It did not take long for the room to fill up.
Everyone had come immediately—thankfully, it was early enough in the afternoon that they had all been home when Nathanial’s summons arrived.
Zachary was the last to arrive, Monkey Sinclair clinging to his shoulder, the monkey’s tail twined around his neck. As usual, the monkey was wearing a ribbon that matched Zachary’s waistcoat; today's was a pale yellow that looked a touch wrinkled.
“My apologies,” he said, frowning. His face appeared paler than normal. “I would have been here sooner, but my horse threw me the moment I got in the saddle. Somehow, a burr got stuck under the blanket. Thankfully, I landed on a pile of hay in the stable yard; it could have been much worse.”
“My goodness!” Tiffany fussed over him until he waved her off, seeming shaken. He was not entirely displeased about being fussed over, just a bit embarrassed. Kalina poured him a cup of tea to bolster him.
Once they were done assuring themselves that Zachary was unharmed, all the attention in the room turned to Nathanial.
The dukes were arrayed around the room, allowing the ladies to sit.
Only Gregory had a space on the couch, beside his wife, of course, but Nathanial hovered beside where Kalina was sitting, one hand behind her on the back of the chair.
Drake was several feet away from Lady Astrid’s chair.
The rust-orange pocket square in his jacket matched the color of her morning gown almost exactly, Kalina noted with some amusement.
Very much the way her gown matched Nathanial’s pocket square today.
“So, what is this new clue you have for us?” Sebastian asked, getting right to the heart of the matter. Pacing back and forth behind the couches, he seemed more agitated than some of the other dukes. Tiffany twisted in her seat and held her hand out to him.
With a deep sigh, he walked over and put his hand in hers, using his other to smooth down his emerald-green waistcoat. A useless gesture as, unlike Zachary, his was completely unwrinkled.
“The Marquess of Carmathen visited me this morning,” Nathanial said, ignoring the quick indrawn breaths of several of the other dukes.
Lady Astrid sat up a little straighter. “Unbeknownst to me, and I do not know where my father’s record of the vowels went, my father owed the marquess and two others gambling debts.
Trent and Cornwall. Cornwall is the one who invited my father to the hunting lodge, but he did not attend himself…
according to Carmathen, he fell sick before the trip. ”
Everyone in the room was silent, working through it in their heads.
“If he did not attend, then he has never been questioned,” Lady Astrid said in a low voice.
Nathanial nodded.
“What would be the point if he was not there? But I did not know. As far as I know, no one looking into the matter would know that my father owed him money. Money that he could not possibly ever repay.”
It was motive. Slim, but it was there. Kalina felt sick at the thought.
On the other hand, from everything she’d learned about Nathanial’s father, it might have been for the best for his children.
However, she knew Tiffany and Sebastian truly grieved their father’s death, as did Zachary.
His mother was distraught over it. Kalina was not certain of the others, but surely almost all the dukes had someone who mourned them.
“Do we know if he actually fell sick?” Drake asked. “Or was that just an excuse?”
“I had that thought as well.” Nathanial made a face.
“Are you going to question him when you pay him?” Christian asked from where he was leaning on the mantle. His arms were crossed over his chest, his expression inscrutable. Whatever he was feeling, it was not apparent on his face.
“I can try, but I do not think I am the best person to.” Nathanial looked around.
“I was thinking one of you might approach him. Even if he did not have anything to do with my father’s death, even if he knows nothing, he may be loath to speak with me about it.
And if he does know something, he might be more forthcoming with someone whose father he did not send to their death. ”
“I can speak with him,” Matthew offered. “We run in the same circles sometimes. He’s a heavy gambler. I believe he’s at a house party at the moment, but there’s a tournament this Saturday at the Tramp’s Den that I do not believe he’d miss.”
“At where?” Tiffany asked, frowning as she turned her head to look at Matthew. Gregory shot the other man a dark look.
“Nowhere you need to concern yourself with,” Gregory assured his wife, patting the hand he held. On her other side, Sebastian’s expression made it clear he was in full agreement with his brother-in-law.
“It is no place for ladies,” Drake said firmly.
Only because Kalina was sitting beside her did she see the way Lady Astrid’s fingers twitched in her lap.
Though the conversation wound around, after a bit, the gentlemen decided to decamp to Nathanial’s study and excused themselves from the ladies.
Kalina did not mind because she wanted to speak with Tiffany and Lady Astrid privately.
Though she was also curious about what the gentlemen wanted to speak of without them, and she was sure the other two were as well, both of them were just as eager to have their own discussion.
As soon as the door was closed behind the gentlemen, Tiffany leaned in toward Lady Astrid.
“What is the Tramp’s Den?” she demanded to know.
“A gambling hell, down in the Warrens,” Lady Astrid answered calmly, taking a sip of her tea as if it was normal for a young debutante to know about a gambling hell in the most dissolute part of London.
No proper young lady should ever be in that part of the city, much less know what businesses were located there. Kalina stared at Lady Astrid.
She was becoming accustomed to Lady Astrid knowing all sorts of things she should not, but this was a step further than she would have guessed.
Determined not to show her shock on her face, because she was not going to judge Lady Astrid’s myriad of connections, she was at least comforted that Tiffany was as surprised as she was.
“I am not going to ask how you know that,” Tiffany said, shaking her head and sitting back. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think I am going to speak to Mei and see what she can find out about Carmathen, Trent, and Cornwall,” Lady Astrid replied immediately.
“All three of them?”
“Of course.” Lady Astrid lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip.
“The gentlemen might be focused on Cornwall, but Carmathen knew enough to drop the hint, and who knows what Trent might know. At the very least, I want information on them, as I know very little about all three of them. Mei is uniquely placed to gather the basics without kicking up a fuss.”
Which was very true. Kalina hardly had the contacts to ask. Lady Astrid and Tiffany might, but of course, then questions would be asked about why they wanted to know. As Mei was assisting her matchmaker grandmother, her queries would be assumed to be part of their trade.
“We should also see what Delilah knows of them,” Tiffany offered. “She hears things we do not.”
Lady Astrid nodded her agreement before looking at Kalina.
“How likely is it that Carmathen will push this marriage to Julianna?”
“Nathanial thinks he is content to be paid back.” Kalina stopped. Hesitated. Lady Astrid raised one eyebrow in query. “But there was just something about the way Carmathen looked at Julianna.”
“Ah.” Lady Astrid tapped the side of her teacup thoughtfully, her lips slightly pursed as she tilted her head. Kalina could almost see the thoughts running through her mind, even if it was impossible to know what they were. She was plotting something.
“Why?”
“I was wondering if he might be a suitable match for Lady Johanna.”
Both Tiffany and Kalina blinked in surprise. That was such a turn from anything Kalina might have guessed.
“Is she that desperate?” Tiffany asked. “His reputation is…”
“Yes and yes. Her mother has been getting sicker. There is only so much I can do for the family, so much help they’ll accept.
My parents are no help, unfortunately. Lady Johanna is a distant cousin on my father’s side, but it is very distant, and they have accepted Lady Johanna’s reassurances that all is well enough. ”
“You have not?”
“I think the family is in far more dire circumstances than Lady Johanna let on. You know how it is with the ton. Admitting their misfortunes could scupper things for her younger brother, the viscount. Just look at the hoops Nathanial jumped through, and that’s with a much loftier title.
” Lady Astrid gave Kalina a significant look.
She nodded in understanding and looked at Tiffany.
“Hereford Hall was in shambles when we arrived. His sisters were all in hand-me-downs. Fiona received her first new dress, made for her, after our arrival. It was so much worse than he let on.”
“And he’s a duke.” Lady Astrid shook her head.
“Imagine how much worse it would be for a viscount’s sister.
Carmathen might have a reputation as a scoundrel of the first degree, but from what I know, he’s an honorable scoundrel, and he takes care of his people.
If he married Lady Johanna, he’d not only ensure her family was well off, but he’d also teach her brother the ropes of being a viscount.
He would do it all quietly, without bringing attention to the family’s situation. ”
“Is she truly that bad off?” Lady Tiffany asked tentatively. “She had a companion with her, after all.”
Lady Astrid made a face and lowered her voice.
“Miss Belle is actually a cousin. An illegitimate one. She was acting as Lady Johanna’s companion because there was no other option.
And, being illegitimate, she hardly expects to be presented to Society.
” Lady Astrid’s eyes flashed with disapproval and something else.
A look that she had often gotten in her eye when looking at Kalina before the house party.
Kalina would be willing to wager all the money Nathanial had left from her dowry that Lady Astrid had plans for Miss Belle’s future, as well as Lady Johanna’s.
“I will see what Mei can find out about Carmathen and his interest in marrying.” Lady Astrid nodded. “In the meantime, how are things with Nathanial? The two of you seem to have worked out your… differences.”
“Tiffany gave me some very good advice.” Kalina smiled at the other duchess. “Things have been much better since then.”
“You mean you let him spank you?” Lady Astrid made a face as she set her teacup down, causing Tiffany to stifle a laugh.
“I requested that he do so.” She shared a look with Tiffany, whose mirth was dancing in her eyes. It was not often that they got to see Lady Astrid discomfited. “And Tiffany was correct… it was both pleasurable and painful. It also seems to have brought us closer than before.”
“I did notice that you are calling him ‘Nathanial’ now and not ‘Hereford’,” Tiffany commented.
“I…” Kalina’s voice trailed off. When had that happened? She was not certain. Recently, as Tiffany had said, but she could not remember exactly when the shift was made.
She did, though. She thought of him as Nathanial. Called him Nathanial. And… he’d started calling her by her name, too.
It was a small thing, yet large enough for Tiffany to comment on it.
“Oh look, you’ve flummoxed her.”
Lady Astrid laughed delightedly. “Well, I am happy to hear that things are moving apace. Although I am not certain that I can condone this idea of being spanked, of all things.”
“You cannot know until you’ve tried it,” Tiffany pointed out.
Lady Astrid pressed her lips together. Obviously, she did not like not knowing. Especially when two of her friends did. Make that three, since Delilah had revealed she and Zachary had also engaged in such activities during her time as his mistress. She eyed Tiffany.
“You have become very uppity since your marriage,” she observed.
Tiffany caught Kalina’s eye and winked before turning back to Lady Astrid and giving her a pointed look.
“I had the best to learn from.”
“Mmm.” Lady Astrid lifted her teacup to her lips again, but it did not entirely cover her smile.