“Provide an example, if you please.”
He sighed again, loud and annoyed. “Your need for specifics—”
“Tristan.”
“Very well. One example. I introduced a bill in Lords last summer.” Standing upright, he spoke quickly, hoping to divest himself of the tale as one might a plaster—one sharp motion to remove the bandage. “Itwould have enabled landowners in the Cotswolds to more readily enclose their fields, and I had gained widespread support. It was to have been my shining moment. But then Hadley made it his mission to quash the bill. He gave a rousing speech on the floor of Lords, denouncing me as a crusader for the nobility and mocking my attempts at leadership. Peers laughed. It was . . . mortifying in the extreme. Hadley’s words rendered me a laughing stock.”
The burn of remembered humiliation stung Kendall’s cheeks.
“So Hadley openly demeans your politics, which honestly is nearly a rule of Parliamentary debate. But from Hadley, you take offense, as it hurts your feelings.”
“I am hardly so fragile, Sister. Yes, I am offended, but the larger issue is one of reputation. Hadley’s mockery leads some to believe I am unfit to govern. I lose all credibility.”
“And you believe attacking Hadley in this manner will regain that credibility?” Allie’s tone was decidedly skeptical.
“Yes! The man and his views must be silenced if Britain intends to maintain her traditional values. And Peers need to see me as the one dedicated to those traditions.”
“I see.”
“I am not sure that you do.” Kendall turned around to face her. “Hadley continues to oppose me at every turn. All while he is making merry with the likes of Stephen Jarvis and swindling other Lords out of their money.”
“So you allege, but Lady Isolde firmly believes her father to be innocent.”
“Bah! That man is no more innocent than a whore in Covent Garden.”
“Tristan!”
“I speak truth, Allie. And you are hardly one to call me out for vulgarity.”
“True, but I worry that the more you attempt to restore respect and honor to the Dukedom of Kendall, the more you resort to our father’s unsavory tactics and reinforce his memory.”
Kendall flinched. “That is a low blow, Sister.”
“Is it, though? You go too far with Hadley.”
“Too far? I assure you I haven’t gone far enough!” Kendall’s voice rose. “It is absurd that Hadley and his unruly brood of children are still received, still coddled and lauded by those of the aristocracy. It is high time people understood the truth of his behavior.”
He brushed past Allie for the door.
“Now if you will excuse me, Sister, I have important meetings to attend. Good day.”
5
. . . I still firmly believe Tristan finds Lady Isolde captivating, despite his vehement denials. I plan to give them a wee nudge and see what happens.
—private letter from Lady Allegra Penn-Leith to her husband, Mr. Ethan Penn-Leith
Isolde knew her current situation was yet another example of impulsivity.
One akin to the impulsivity that had landed her, and by extension her father, in a quagmire with Jarvis. Impulsivity that had led to Kendall’s accusations—threatening Hadley with a gaol sentence, and as a complication, potentially dissolving Catriona’s betrothal to Barnaby.
As Isolde was the one responsible for her family’s current woes, it made sense that she should resolve them.
The scientist within her understood that the best solutions always involved going straight to the source of the problem.
In this case, Tristan Gilbert, Duke of Kendall.
IfIsolde could convince Kendall to back away from his inquiry—to relinquish his ludicrous vendetta—then perhaps these rumblings of impeachment would die down.
