“Possibly it is a distant cousin who only strongly resembles you,” the duchess said doubtfully. “But unless we speak to this other Roxboro, we’ll never know. And you, Miss Cosgrove, will be of assistance. And remain silent.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” Helen didn’t dare disagree.
“I’ll see Miss Cosgrove back to Galway, Roxboro.” She waved him off before taking Helen’s arm, laughing cheerfully for the benefit of the other guests in the duke’s box.
“You cannot, Your Grace,” Helen said to her, panicking. “Lord Galway will be suspicious.”
“He will not. Give me some credit, Miss Cosgrove. On the matter of this other Roxboro, who I’m sure took my mother’s sapphire bracelet,” she gestured to the older matron at the front of the box. “Which she still has not forgiven me for. I believe he’ll come to you. He looks exactly like my husband, so I understand the physical attraction. But I think there’s something more as well.” Her brows went up. “I could see it on your face when you realized my Roxboro was notyourRoxboro. All that anger was for not only the pendant, Miss Cosgrove.”
A broken heart. When I saw the way the duke adores you.
“If it matters, Your Grace, I was greatly distressed over my…. attraction. Knowing him to be betrothed, then wed and I still—”
“Miss Cosgrove,” the duchess said, not unkindly. “Put your guilt away for another time. I don’t blame you. Women toss themselves at Roxboro with incredible frequency despite his tattered reputation, which was well earned.” She tilted her head. “Though the bit about the sheep is incorrect. And it wasn’tmyRoxboro.” The duchess paused. “I only wish to speak to this imposter. I’ve no interest in summoning any authorities especially if…they are related. Think of the scandal that would erupt. There are matters to which I am not at liberty to speak of at this time. Theories of my own. So please,” she asked urgently. “I beg your help and your discretion.”
“I understand, Your Grace. But there is another matter. Lady Cerise’s maid is about to be accused of taking the pendant that the other Roxboro stole. I—would ask that you explain the situation to Lord Galway.”
“I cannot at present.” She held up a finger to stop Helen from protesting, which would do no good at any rate, since they were about to enter Galway’s box.
“Now.” The duchess cleared her throat and halted. “Miss Cosgrove was so kind to me, Lord Galway,” she said smoothly. “You see I tripped coming out of the modiste’s shop.” She looked at Helen.
“Madame Laurent’s.” Helen said. “But he’ll never believe you.”
“Lord Galway will have no choice. I’m a duchess and he won’t dare to contradict me, something I find rather convenient. You grabbed my arm and kept me from falling to the ground, saving me untold embarrassment. Tonight, I saw you in the hall as you returned to Galway’s box and I simply had to introduce you to Roxboro. I’ll make a pretty apology for your absence, and insist you call upon me,” her tone was laced with steel. “So that I might properly thank you. A splendid opportunity to make new acquaintances, Miss Cosgrove. The duke’s home backs up to the park which is a lovely setting for tea. There is even a path in the park visible from the terrace, perfect for a stroll.”
The duchess’s meaning could not be clearer. Coax Helen’s Roxboro into a walk in the park along the path behind the duke’s home so that he could be seen and questioned.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Cerise was an idiot if she thought she was any match for the former Lady Sophia Simmons. Not only was the duke in love with his wife, but the duchess would shred Cerise into tiny bits with just a word.
“I would warn you,” Helen said. “Lady Cerise thinks due to the flirtation of the other Roxboro while stealing her necklace, she believes the duke is enamored of her.”
The duchess laughed. “Oh, I’ll debase her of that notion. Never fear. The gossips say I’m quite terrible.”
Chapter Seventeen
Helen made herway out the terrace door to Galway’s gardens the following morning, mind still on the events at the theater. She still couldn’t quite come to terms with the fact thatherRoxboro wasn’t….the real Roxboro, but now that she considered it, the differences had been there, only Helen had ignored them. Her attraction to him simply blotted out everything else, even the guilt she carried for dallying with a betrothed duke.
But I did not. He’s no duke. I’ve no idea who he is.
Galway was less than pleased Helen reappeared in the company of the Duchess of Roxboro. At first, he hadn’t recognized the duchess, dismissing her to focus on castigating Helen. The slow realization, along with his sputtering apologies was delightful to behold.
Lord Lowell and his mother, upon noticing the duchess, immediately came forward to greet her.
Cerise was far less enthusiastic.
Helen’s interrogation lasted the entire carriage ride home from the theater. She’d recited the accounting of catching the duchess before she fell at the modiste’s shop so many times now she even believed it had happened. The timing of the incident would eventually be called into question as it had happened when Roxboro should have been in the country. Galway would eventually notice.
Cerise’s obsession with Roxboro hadn’t abated in the least at seeing the duchess, rather, it intensified to an alarming degree. Marching into Helen’s rooms this morning without so much as a knock, she demanded to know if Roxboro had asked after her.
What a complete peahen.
Helen answered as diplomatically as possible to avoid a tantrum.
Afterward, she wandered down to the kitchens for tea and toast, still mulling over the duke having a twin when she overheard, quite by accident, about…doppelgangers.
Such a strange, foreign word.
