And this was the man the Duke of St.Albans wished for Georgiana to travel to Norfolk and take up employment with?
“Moreland is not responsible for his wife’s disappearance,” St.Albans stated unequivocally.“I believe, as do all of Moreland’s true friends, that the duchess is still alive.”
“You suspect someone of having taken her?”
“No.”
“Then how and why do you think she disappeared so completely that no one has set eyes on her these past two years?”
He shrugged.“She has not been seen again inLondon.But she could have traveled to the Highlands of Scotland, perhaps even the Continent or the Americas.”
“But for what purpose?”
“To punish Julian by ostracizing him from Society,” St.Albans growled.“Which she has succeeded in doing.”
“Why would she want to do that?”From all that Georgiana had heard of the Duke of Moreland, he was regarded as being not only handsome but extremely wealthy.A woman could put up with many things in order to have the latter at her disposal.
Not Georgiana, of course, but for many other women, Moreland would have been the catch of the Season.
St.Albans gave a disgusted snort.“Because she knew Julian was very unhappy in their marriage.That he might even take steps to end it.”
“Doyouthink he would have done that?”
“I think he would have been well within his rights to do so,” St.Albans stated.“Impossible to live with a woman who was all simpering and loving sweetness before the wedding, but once she had secured her position as the Duchess of Moreland, she showed her true colors of being a coldhearted bitch.”He made no apology for the blunt description of the missing duchess.
“You did not like her.”
“None of Moreland’s friends did.Oh, we tried, for his sake, but we all saw her true nature when Moreland did not.”
“That is unfortunate, but surely it would still have been more beneficial, financially and socially, for her to remain in the marriage, even though they were both unhappy?”
The duke leveled his pale blue gaze on her.“For her, but not for Moreland.As for the marriage being beneficial… I do know that several pieces of jewelry, given to the duchess by Moreland soon after their marriage, also went missing on the day she disappeared.”
“Perhaps she was wearing them?”Georgiana suggested practically.
His mouth twisted.“Which is exactly what Moreland knew others would say if he told them of the missing jewelry.”
“But you do not think that to be the case?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was the sort of jewelry women wear to go to a ball or to be presented to the Prince Regent, not to be worn during the day.A large diamond necklace, with a matching bracelet and earbobs, all worth many thousands of pounds.Even so, the missing jewelry was not enough for Moreland to have claimed her disappearance had been calculated.But still enough, if they were sold, for a woman to live very comfortably for the rest of her life, if necessary.”
The jewels did sound rather ostentatious for a woman to wear during the day.Not that Georgiana had personal experience of such things, her only jewelry being a gold cross given to her by her godmother at her christening.She could not even imagine owning, let alone wearing, jewelry worth many thousands of pounds.
“I am telling you all this in confidence, of course,” St.Albans warned.“As a way of reassuring you that Moreland is innocent of any wrongdoing in regard to his missing wife.”
Georgiana raised indignant brows.“I trust you are not implying that I would ever repeat any of what you have just told me?Because I am not in the habit of indulging in gossip, Your Grace, nor of breaking a promise of silence on a subject if asked to do so.A promise I now duly give.”
His stern expression softened somewhat.“My Lily tells me that you are always the soul of discretion and that she would happily trust you with her life as well as her secrets.”
Georgiana’s cheeks felt warm at the compliment.“I feel exactly the same affection toward her and our other close friends.”
“Good,” St.Albans accepted briskly.“In that case, I hope you will take my word for it that Julian did not kill his wife.”
And who, Georgiana mused, would dare to challenge the word of the powerful Duke of St.Albans.
