“Please. Isolde would go for the heart. Subterfuge is not her style.” Allie gave a careless wave.
“Were I to ally myself with such a lady—and I use the termladyvery loosely here—I would lose any chance to become Prime Minister. Lady Isolde is barely received. Her Majesty will not accept Lady Isolde at court. Consequently, I will not jeopardize my goals by associating with her.”
“Would you like to hear my opinion?”
“No. As I keep saying, I desire neither your opinions nor your meddling. I would appreciate, for once, a modicum of compliance.”
His sister uncurled from the chair, setting her empty tumbler on a small table.
“Poor Tristan. You know me better than that.” She crossed to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I think, despite all your protestations, you might enjoy the challenge Lady Isolde brings. Unlike every other woman in Town, she does not see you as a title to be won. She couldn’t care less that you are Kendall. And after a lifetime of flattery and deference—of false emotion and fawning attention—it must be both frustrating and invigorating to have a beautiful woman treat you withdisdain.” Allie turned for the door but called over her shoulder. “Think upon it, Brother.”
The shutting of the latch echoed off the library walls.
On a growl, Kendall tossed back the rest of his Scotch.
Allie was wrong, of course.
Lady Isolde—despite her attempts to haunt him—was a ghost of his past.
And as he had done with his father, Sir Rafe, Hadley, and any other individual who had ever tormented him, Kendall would vanquish her, too.
Kendall did nothave to wait long for Lady Isolde’s next volley.
It came the following day in the form of a lengthy, two-page missive tucked into his waistcoat pocket—courtesy of his sister, no doubt.
Kendall sat in a private dining room at White’s, waiting for three MPs from the House of Commons to arrive. The MPs had been supportive of his proposed impeachment of Hadley, though they still had reservations given the earl’s political clout. This luncheon was Kendall’s chance to secure their backing and assistance. White’s had been a deliberate choice of venue, as none of the gentlemen had been voted a member. Only an invitation from the Duke of Kendall himself could gain them entrance—a subtle reminder of all the other ways in which the duke might assist if only they would ally themselves fully with his agenda.
However, the men were five minutes late.
And when Kendall tugged his pocket-watch from his waistcoat to check the time against the clock on the mantel, Lady Isolde’s note tumbled out.
Irritated, he snatched it off the carpet and snapped the sheets of foolscap open.
Lady Isolde’s distinctive handwriting was as impetuous as he remembered from her hidden letters, which recognition only further stoked his ire. The wretched woman made a performance out of everyyandg,looping and curling the tails of the letters with dramatic verve, as if each tiny drop of ink required celebration.
Scowling, he read:
I will begin my argument with Aristotle’sRhetoric, with which I assume you are familiar. If you are not, permit me to explain. InRhetoric, Aristotle introduces hispisteis, or persuaders—ethos, pathos, logos—and defines them as tools that one may use when arguing a point. I gather you are a man of science; therefore, I suppose you will find an argument based onlogos, or logic, to be most appealing.
Kendall glowered at the page. Both at Lady Isolde’s ridiculously condescending tone and equally ridiculous well-read mind. With a frown, he flipped to the second page:
Logical Reasons the Duke of Kendall Should Cease His Personal Vendetta against Andrew Langston, Earl of Hadley
Lord Hadley is innocent of all charges, which a thorough examination of the facts surrounding the case would easily prove.
The Dukedom of Kendall risks financial repercussions from Hadley’s business enterprises, should the earl choose to pursue retribution upon his impeachment.
His Grace could anger neutral Peers in Lords by bringing spurious accusations against a Peer of good standing and impeccable reputation.
