Chapter 34
Evan stared at Joanna’s disappearing form, stunned. He didn’t know what had just happened. He came over here with the intention of asking her to marry him. But instead, she ended their arrangement over some gossip rag drivel.
He glared at the offending piece of paper, now crumpled on the floor. This particular gossip rag liked to keep its writers anonymous. It gave them an air of mystery while also protecting them from the consequences of their actions.
He was going to find the writer and ruin them for what they said about Joanna. He did not give a damn what they said about him. They could call him a cold monster or a sad, lonely man. It did not matter to him.
But they had no right to go after her that way.
Knowing he could not just stand alone in the drawing room forever, Evan made his way outside to the carriage.
Mrs. Lucas had already put the two traveling trunks inside, with the help of the driver.
A lump formed in his throat, knowing those trunks contained everything he had given Joanna.
He wanted to bring them back inside and insist she keep them. They were gifts, after all.
But he knew she would just insist he take them anyway.
Sighing, he got into the carriage. “Blackwell, please,” he told the driver.
He barely remembered the ride back to Blackwell Manor. But when he arrived, he was quick to get out of the carriage, with the driver carrying the packages inside behind him.
Peter met him at the door, looking wary. “Evan—”
“I assume you read the article,” Evan interrupted. “I need you to call all the staff into the ballroom. I want to find out who gossiped.”
“Of course,” his brother said, falling into step beside him. “How did it go? When is the wedding?”
Evan winced. “There will be no wedding.”
Peter frowned. “What do you mean? You went over there with the intention to propose, did you not? She would have to accept you, especially after appearing on the scandal sheets.”
“She didn’t,” he snapped. “She…” he stopped walking and took a deep breath before running his fingers through his hair.
After a moment, he forced a calm, composed demeanor to fall into place. No matter what inner turmoil he was feeling inside, all anyone would see on the outside was cold indifference.
“She made it very clear that she doesn’t wish to see me again because she wishes to spare me from public ridicule. She even returned all the presents I gave her and rejected my offer to pay for her dowry.”
Peter swallowed, his expression full of remorse. “I am sorry,” he said.
“I am not,” he said. “Joanna made a practical assessment of the situation and was kind enough to consider my feelings over her own. There is nothing to be done about it now. Please gather all the staff in the ballroom.”
His brother nodded. “Of course.”
Evan went up the stairs to his study so he could have a moment alone, but he found his grandmother waiting for him.
She was glaring at him, holding up her copy of the scandal sheets. “Can you explain this?”
“Later, Grandmother,” he said. “I need a moment alone, and then I am going to talk to the staff.”
“Where were you this morning?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him.
He sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to budge on this issue. “I went to Clifford Manor with the intention of proposing to Joanna.”
Her face went white with panic. “Well, you must end the engagement at once.”
He frowned, certain that he had misheard her. “Excuse me?”
“You hear what I said. You must end it, Evan. I will not have you married to some gold digger.”
His anger flared with every word from his grandmother, along with his confusion. “Until recently, you didn’t care who I married, as long as I did so. I thought you liked Joanna.”
His grandmother gave him a stern look. “I did, but I am allowed to change my opinion, aren’t I? End the engagement.”
“There is nothing for me to end!” he shouted.
He took a deep breath. “We are not engaged. In fact, we were never properly courting. It was all a lie, a ruse. I would sponsor Seasons for her and her sister, as well as provide dowries in exchange for dates. If we were publicly courting, then I would not have to attend dates with all the ladies of the ton. We were going to end it by the end of the Season.”
His grandmother’s expression turned from surprise to anger. “So you lied to me. You concocted all this scheme, and you entered a deception to avoid my nagging.”
“Yes,” Evan said. “Until Joanna, I had no intention of marrying. Today I tried to propose, and she refused. That will be the end of it, Grandmother. No more scheming to get me wed. I do not want to ever hear a word about it. Now, if you will excuse me, I must talk with the staff.”
He slammed the door in his grandmother’s face before hurrying to the ballroom, where a small crowd of staff was waiting, along with Peter. The house employed so many people that the ballroom was the only room where everyone fit properly. They all waited nervously as he entered.
“Someone has been gossiping about personal matters involving myself and Miss Thorne,” he said coldly.
“The lady was hurt in the process. Luckily for you, I am not looking to punish a chatty member of my staff. I want to find the writer themselves. If you have talked to someone about this matter outside of this household, then step forward and tell me who you told. You will get a good reference and parting wages.”
There was silence for a moment, and no one spoke. The duke felt his anger rise with every passing second.
Eventually, his cook stepped forward, shame-faced. “I told the butcher about the meal I prepared for you and Miss Thorne,” he said. “I just talked about the food. I didn’t even know she came without a chaperone. I was in the kitchen all night.”
Evan gritted his teeth. “Thank you, but that is not the information I am looking for. Anyone else?”
One of the footmen came forward. He was a young man, maybe twenty years old, and his face was as white as a sheet. “Your Grace… no one has seen Jimmy since yesterday. His room is empty.”
Evan knew Jimmy was one of the footmen who was present during the dinner he organized for Joanna. “Do you know where I can find him?”
The young man shook his head. “No, Your Grace. I know he has a brother who works as a stable boy somewhere in London. That’s all I know.”
Evan sighed. “Thank you. You are dismissed.”
The servants were quick to disperse, and Evan turned to Peter. “Find Jimmy,” he said. “We need to find this writer before the Season ends. That will take first priority.”
Peter nodded, looking grim. “Very well.”
Evan left the ballroom, only to find his grandmother waiting for him. He felt his irritation rise at the sight of her, mostly because he could not understand her sudden change of heart. She had never been one to take the gossip rags so seriously before today.
His grandmother looked at him sternly. “You are lucky Miss Thorne had enough sense to turn you down. She managed to salvage your reputation from that foolish scheme you entered into.”
“I know you are angry that I deceived you. I am sorry about that. But we will talk about this another time.”
He tried to brush past her, but she stepped in his way again. “Absolutely not,” she said. “We will talk about it now. I used to think you were a sensible person, but clearly I was wrong. You have been reckless and irresponsible this Season. Your reputation is not as infallible as you think it is.”
He felt his temper rise, and he gritted his teeth.
He didn’t want to shout at his grandmother.
He loved her and owed her a great deal. But right now, she was making him livid.
“We will discuss this when we have both had some time to calm down,” he said through gritted teeth.
“You must excuse me.” He walked past her.
“Fine,” she called after him. “We will talk later about how you will marry the woman of my choosing before the Season is over.”
He bit back a retort that he would regret later. He would figure out what was going on with the dowager duchess later. First, he needed a drink.