‘There must be some mistake! I didn’t do anything! You must believe me!’ he cried.
The Duke took a threatening step forward.
‘No! How dare you, cousin! How dare you return to this house, time and again, after committing the ultimate betrayal?’
He seized Edward by the collar, yanking him off the ground. His voice was like steel.
‘Do not deny it, Edward. The evidence against you is insurmountable.’
At this, Lord Edward froze. ‘What are you talking about?’ His eyes darted around the room. No one spoke, all too shocked to even move.
The Duke shook him, their eyes locked, before Lord Edward lowered them, ‘You coward! Look at me... How dare you even speak to us, pretending you had nothing to do with Gareth’s so-called accident?’
The Duke’s voice broke. He released Edward’s collar and took a step back, as though the weight of betrayal had struck him physically.
‘How could you poison Father and then return to this house as though you had done nothing?’
Edward’s strangled reply came at last. ‘There must be... You are mistaken... I had nothing to do with it.’
The Duke snapped, his fury rekindled.
‘Enough!’ The Duke’s voice thundered through the hall. ‘Stop your pathetic lies, Edward.’
He threw something onto the floor with a clatter—a gold pocket watch.
‘Recognise it?’ he asked coldly. ‘It was found on Gibbs’ corpse.’
Edward flinched.
The Duke took another step forward.
‘And that’s not all. You and your friends have been kidnapping girls from the countryside and selling them at Madame Jacqueline’s brothel.’ His voice dripped with suppressed rage. ‘Your name is on the deed.’
He paused, then delivered the final, damning blow.
‘The Bow Street Runners saw you enter it just days ago.’
Silence.
‘How could you do it?’ The Duke’s voice broke. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white.
‘We loved you. Gareth loved you. Father treated you like his own son!’
He let out a sharp, ragged breath. ‘And yet you killed them both.’
His face twisted in pain. Slowly, he turned his back on Lord Edward. Not just in fury. But in grief.
For a long, tense moment, Edward just stared.
His breathing slowed. His eyes became hooded, cold and lifeless. Then, slowly, he turned to Lord Harry.
Their eyes met.
A flicker of something unspoken passed between them. A silent message. One of warning? Or resignation?
Lord Harry’s jaw tightened. He barely, imperceptibly, shook his head.
Edward exhaled sharply. His shoulders relaxed. His face smoothed into eerily perfect calm.
