The two walked on, their steps carrying them farther into the estate’s grounds. As they passed the old stone fountain, Jaclyn turned toward Ella once more. “Do you know,” she began, her tone shifting to something lighter, “A few months back, Charlotte—she’s the Marchioness of Easton now—and I went for a stroll through these very woods. It’s such a lovely spot, but we happened upon something... quite unexpected.”
They continued walking along the path through the woods until they reached the clearing. In the distance a pond came into view. Jaclyn stopped and stared at the pond and remembered that day.
Three men had been there. Their horses had been tied to a nearby tree. They had likely gone for a ride and had decided to take a respite at the pond. But those three gentlemen had taken it a step farther. They removed their clothing, and all three gentlemen were gorgeous. One had blond hair that shimmered underneath the sun, another had hair so dark it mirrored a dark sky minus the stars, and the other one had rich brown hair as dark as chocolate. The one with black hair had kept her rooted and mute at first—the Duke of Amberwood himself.
Ella raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What do you mean?”
Jaclyn sighed as she shook the remnants of that memory away. It only made her miss Charlotte more. “Well, we stumbled upon a small group of gentlemen taking a dip in the pond that borders Havenwood and Easton Abbey—right over there.” She gestured toward the pond. “It was quite the sight; I can tell you. The Marquess of Easton was there, along with the Duke of Amberwood and the Earl of Foxmoore. It was certainly something we both stopped to appreciate fully.” She leaned over and said in a loud whisper, “They were undressing.”
Ella gasped. “They were?” she asked, her tone curious as her eyes widened in shock. “Three gentlemen undressed in front of ladies—that’s well… scandalous.”
Jaclyn nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “It was a grand day,” she said, then sighed. “Charlotte had a rather... shall we say, fleeting glimpse of the Marquess of Easton. It was the beginning of their connection, though neither of them would likely admit that now.”
Ella looked at her, half-amused. “You two were spying on them?”
“We didn’t mean to,” Jaclyn protested, though her smile remained. “We were simply walking, and well, curiosity got the better of us. But we left before they could catch us, of course. And later, we found out the marquess wasn’t quite as oblivious as we had thought. He came to visit Mrs. Havenwood shortly afterward.”
Ella chuckled. “That sounds like quite an adventure.”
“It was,” Jaclyn agreed, her tone light. “And now here we are, the summer over, and Charlotte is married to the marquess, and I believe there may be more to that story than either of them let on. She ran away with him and eloped.”
As they walked along the edge of the woods, their steps slow and comfortable, the distant sound of hooves reached their ears. Both women paused, turning their attention toward the sound. Moments later, the Duke of Amberwood appeared in the distance. Jaclyn would recognize that man anywhere. His dark hair and broad shoulders would forever be etched in her memory. He slowed his horse as he neared the two ladies and dismounted with ease. As much as a part of her loathed him, the other part appreciated his masculine beauty. He was one handsome man, and any lady would have to be struck blind not to appreciate him.
“Good evening, ladies,” the duke said. He smiled but it did not reach his eyes. Jaclyn noticed because she kept her attention focused there. Otherwise, her gaze might wander to other parts of his body that she wished she could admire. “I trust I am not disturbing your walk?”
Jaclyn forced a smile to her lips, but she did not feel it any more than Amberwood did. “Not at all, Your Grace,” Jaclyn said, her voice light. Her insides, however, were a jumbled mess of anxiety. “We were just reminiscing about the past, and of course, Lady Ella was asking about the academy.” She nodded in her direction. “Lady Ella,” she began, “I would like to introduce you to His Grace, the Duke of Amberwood.” She turned toward the duke. “Your Grace, this is Lady Ella Winslow. She is a new student at Havenwood.”
Ella smiled politely. “I have heard much about this place, but it is even more beautiful up close.”
The duke’s gaze flicked to the two of them, lingering on Ella for a moment before returning to Jaclyn. “It is indeed. I have always found the grounds around Easton Abbey lovely. I haven’t visited Havenwood much, but I am sure they are comparable. I trust that Jaclyn is not leading you astray...” He paused, his tone shifting slightly. “She often finds herself in places she doesn’t belong.”
Jaclyn glared at him. How dare he… “We were just about to head back. You need not worry about us.”
“Well then,” the duke said, taking the reins of his horse. “As long as you are here,” he began, “I was wondering if you were aware that Lady Easton’s brother is to visit. You might be acquainted with him.”
Why would he believe that? She did not know Charlotte’s brother. “I believe you are mistaken, Your Grace. I’ve never been introduced to him.”
He smiled. “Perhaps I am mistaken, but I do not believe so. He is friends with Lord Oakley, I believe.” He tilted his head to the side. “He was there that day. You understand.”
Jaclyn feared she did understand, and she did not like where this was going. “Charlotte rarely mentioned her brother.” She frowned. “She always called him by his given name—Warren, I believe.” Why had she never asked Charlotte more about her brother? This seemed rather important all of a sudden and she hated being unprepared.
“Ah,” the duke said. “Then you do not know his title. He’s the Marquess of Finley.”
Jaclyn inhaled sharply. She did know that name, and he was correct of course. He was her brother’s closest friend. Of course, Barrett would have had him by his side at the duel. But she had not known that Charlotte was Finley’s sister. Strange how that never had come up in all their time together, but then again, they had both agreed never to talk about their scandalous past, and Charlotte rarely talked about her family. Her father was a duke, and she supposed she should have known more about him and his title, but Jaclyn had never cared for learning names and titles. Jaclyn had been at Havenwood several months before Charlotte had been sent there and she had found peace at the academy. A peace she had not wanted disturbed by reminders of the scandal that had been the reason for her exile. It made sense that they would not have made the connection, and she may not have now if not for the duke. “I see,” she said, then frowned. “And he is coming for a visit?”
With Amberwood at Easton Abbey, that duel was likely to be brought up and Charlotte would discover her secret. She would have to visit her friend, and soon. Hopefully before her brother showed up… There was much she had not told her friend, and she had well, lied, about where her scandal had happened. She had led both Charlotte and Georgina to believe the instance had happened at Hyde Park, and it hadn’t. It was to protect her secret that she had misled them. Nothing she had said that day had been the complete truth…
Though not all of it had been a lie. Jaclyn just had not wanted to speak about her scandal and had thrown words together that led to her untruths. She should just have remained silent about it all. Now she would have to unravel those lies and tell Charlotte everything. Especially if her brother was to visit.
Kingston studied Jaclyn as they spoke. She seemed genuinely surprised about Lord Finley’s identity. She honestly had not known he was her friend Charlotte’s older brother. As Lord Oakley was Jaclyn’s brother, and Lord Finley was Oakley’s closest friend, Amberwood found that news interesting. Perhaps she was not as close to her brother as he previously assumed.
He nodded. “Lord Easton informed me last evening that he was to visit,” he told Jaclyn.
She nibbled on her bottom lip. He should not find that enticing but he could not tear his gaze away from her. Her strawberry blonde hair was coming unraveled from the intricate plait on her head, and those light-green eyes of hers were mesmerizing. He wanted to erase his attraction to her from existence, but he knew that was impossible. She was far too beautiful for him not to notice. “Do you know when he is to arrive?”
Lady Ella fidgeted next to Jaclyn. She was a beauty too with her pale blonde hair and golden eyes. Many of the ladies at Havenwood were. He started to wonder about that. What had he heard rumored about the school? It was where the ladies deemed unmarriageable were sent? As far as he could tell they should have no difficulty making a match. Every single student he had met had beauty to spare… What made them unmarriageable? Were the gentlemen of the ton blind?
“If Easton told me,” he began, “I do not recall.”
