The Girl Who Seduced an Earl--Book 3 by Sharon Page

Author:Sharon Page
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Duke, Earl, romance, murder mystery, Regency romance, Sensual
Publisher: Sharon Page
Published: 2020-03-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Dorian sat on the narrow bed in his room at the inn. Rain had come again, pattering against the windows. His lamp burned brightly on the bedside table. He held the book beneath the yellow-gold glow.

The leather cover was old, cracked, stained. The pages dog-eared, thin and yellowed. He flipped open the cover to the first page. Faded, spidery writing covered the page, slanted and sharp.

The date at the top was from twenty years before. It began one month before his mother’s death. O’Grady wrote:

The mistress is greatly disturbed. I cannot find out what it is that troubles her. The duke and she are always fighting. But this time—she said she has learned something terrible. I must find out what is going on.

From two weeks before his mother’s death:

A young gentleman came. He spoke to the duchess. She suspected me of listening, so ensured I could not hear. Not as clever as she thought, for I managed to make out some words. He said the words “secret” and “scandal”. Then he thanked the duchess, and, because he was leaving, he had partly opened the door. His words came clearly: he would expect the bank draft within the week.

His mother was being blackmailed?

A week after:

The young gentleman returned. He slipped upstairs to her room. A lover, I thought? But he is not. He is polite and respectful to her. She thought he had come for more money. But he took both her hands in his—I saw through the keyhole. He warned her to take great care. That was all he had come for. To warn her.

From who? The only danger in her life is the duke himself.

O’Grady spent a lot of time at his mother’s door eavesdropping and peeking in keyholes, Dorian thought angrily. He read further:

Her Grace is deeply distressed. She has been asking for laudanum to allow her to sleep. I must find out what this secret is. The duchess must be living in fear, terrified of what His Grace would do if he learned about it.

The morning of his mother’s death:

I don’t understand. I think Her Grace is afraid for the duke. I listened in while she was muttering to herself. She said she must help him change. She looks fraught with worry. There is some great scandal here. I shall find out the truth.

Dorian blinked. What did she mean by ‘Her Grace is afraid for the duke’? Quickly, he read the next page:

Her Grace is dead and I know the truth now. The killer will pay well for my silence. But I must be careful. I have left insurance. In a place no would think to look. But of course, if that knowledge died with me, that would be foolish. I must think—perhaps a letter to be sent to H. My notary will be been instructed to send it. H. will know where to find another journal, in which I have detailed all that I have learned including the identity of the hand that murdered Her Grace.

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