Chapter 14 #2
Alexandra knew that men could be quite adept at hiding their tempers until it spilled out of them like water streaming from a broken cup.
And she had, of course, heard stories of young ladies swept up by handsome, charming, eligible men, who floated up the aisle and into his manor in a haze of bliss, where he promptly locked the doors and showed her an altogether different face now that he had her trapped in a cage.
Alexandra liked to think that she was not a naive woman, and she certainly was not about to let down her guard.
But Hector just confused and frustrated her so thoroughly.
He was so cheerful all the time, and yet it never seemed forced or insincere.
He had shouldered the burden of whispers and coldness at the ball with a grace and dignity she was sure even born gentlemen would have struggled to produce.
Nothing seemed to affect him at all, and yet Alexandra was certain that could not possibly be the truth.
She had been paying little attention to the ledgers she was now sorting in her daydreaming, but as she pushed them from one drawer to another, the Dowager Duchess’ name caught her eye.
She attempted to resist, but curiosity finally got the better of her.
With a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Mrs. Hopsted was now occupied with dusting the lamps, Alexandra hefted the book out onto the table.
She flicked through a few pages, noting that Hector seemed to be funding all the Dowager’s household expenses each month. It’s very good of him, really. And unnecessary - does the Dowager not have her own widow’s allowance? Surely she could buy her own salmon from that?
She turned another page and then froze, the cogs in her brain whirring.
She turned back and stared at the salmon entry once more.
Her heart sank. Something was completely and definitely wrong.
She turned the ledger right back to the beginning and went slower, trailing her finger down each page as she added sums together in her head.
With every month’s summary of accounts, her horror mounted.
As Alexandra reached the end of the most recent year’s ledger, she pulled older ones out of the drawer and combed through every one.
But this is just impossible. How could Hector not have noticed all this? How could no one have seen this before?
She was pulled out of her daze by Mrs. Hopsted’s distant voice. “Are you all right over there, Your Grace? You’ve gone ever so rigid. Have you seen a mouse?”
Alexandra forced her shoulders to relax. “I’m fine, thank you. I just inhaled some dust is all.”
“Oh dear, I’ll sort that for you, Y-”
“No!” Alexandra winced at her sudden volume and tried to soften her voice. “No, you keep on over there, Mrs. Hopsted. I’m just sorting the papers and then we can dust. We don’t want to get them all out of order by mistake.”
She looked in the drawer once more and noticed a small bundle of envelopes held together with twine.
If she hadn't already found the ledgers, Alexandra felt sure she would’ve stood firm in her ‘No Snooping’ rule, but she was now feeling entirely out of sorts.
Almost in a trance, she opened the first envelope and slid out a single-page letter on heavy cream parchment.
Your Grace,
Have you no shame? Have you no sense of decency? Have you no duty towards the family you have ruined with your insistence on taking your brother’s rightful place? You should hang your head in anguish, and yet you delight in the misfortune you rain down on our heads.
Allow me to advise you on matters unknown to you, boy. You would do well to be careful in maintaining your friendships and acquaintances. It would be ever such a shame if you were to suffer a fall from grace.
For the second time in a single day, Alexandra froze. She hurried to tear open the second envelope.
Your Grace,
Do you desire to see your own kin destitute on the streets? Was it not enough to bring shame upon us with your sham marriage to that wench, now you seek to strip us of our funds also? You are making a powerful enemy, make no mistake.
I wonder how the papers would react to learning that the Interloper Duke is starving his poor mother and brother. I fear they should not look kindly upon the situation, Your Grace. Perhaps you would like to remedy matters before I decide to do what I must.
“What?” She whispered to herself, a shiver running through her. Her hands fumbled over the third, tearing the corner of the parchment in her haste.
Your Grace,
Still, I have not heard from you regarding the release of our funds. Do you doubt me, boy? Do you think I am not a woman of my word? Be sure, I have felled larger giants than you in my time, and to go against me is to choose a fight you will not win.
I wonder if you think you have more friends than you do?
Do you suppose your dealings with dukes and your spurious claims to our estate mean you belong here now?
I can assure you that you do not. Those who know and do not know you alike will stand with me when they hear of your cruel mistreatment of a defenseless dowager.
Your little harpy cannot protect you in my realm.
Each letter was the same vicious feeling in new, poisonous words.
Your Grace…I fear you will soon learn…your little hussy…
it is almost too late…society will know of this…
On and on she read, her heart thumping. Her hands shook, the pages rustling between tightly clenched fingers.
There were no dates, but clearly, time had passed between each letter.
How long had these threats been making their way to her husband? Was he ever going to tell her of them?
A distant part of her brain had been attempting to make her aware that the sounds of Mrs Hopsted moving lamps and books around had quietened.
Initially, Alexandra had ignored the hairs prickling at the nape of her neck, but at the sound of a throat being quietly cleared, she finally gave in and turned around.
Hector stood, leaning casually against the door frame, watching her.
A smile hovered around his lips, and his eyes were sparkling, but as he registered the letters still clutched in her hands, the humor in his expression dimmed slightly.
“Ye ken, lass, if ye wanted to know more about me, ye coulda just asked.” His tone was light, but Alexandra knew for sure that he wasn’t joking this time.