Isabella’s ears perked up at the duke's words. They were all sitting around the fire in the drawing room one evening. Lady Abigail was currently teaching Jackie a children's card game, Lady Wintercrest was deep at work at a small writing desk, making a list of invitations, and the duke was reading over some mail he hadn’t gotten to earlier in the day.
Isabella continued her embroidery sample but kept her ears tuned to their conversation. Her eyes only met Christian’s once and he winked at her stealthily.
“I don’t know if I am familiar with Lady Gilcrest. I know the name well enough, but I can’t say I remember ever making acquaintance with the family. How do you know them, Christian?”
“When I was last in London, I met both Lady Louisa and Lord Colton during the Earl of Cunningham’s event.”
Lady Abigail paused from her game. She knew who Lady Louisa was in relation to Isabella.
“Oh yes, mother. Lady Louisa is a very dear friend of Isabella. We must invite her. I have so wanted to meet her myself.”
Isabella noticed that Lady Wintercrest hesitated for just a second before agreeing and adding the name. Though she thought His Grace and herself had been very discreet, she sensed that it hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lady Wintercrest.
Lady Wintercrest had certainly been kind to Isabella but there seemed to always be a hesitation in her mannerism now. Isabella wondered if she was disappointed that her and Lady Cunningham’s matchmaking hadn’t worked out. Isabella worried that it was something much deeper than just a failed attempt to find a match for her son.
As the night wound down, Jackie began to grow tired. Isabella expected that it was time she took her pupil up to bed. “Come, Jackie. Let us say our goodnights for the evening.”
Jackie nodded her golden head in sleepy agreement before taking a turn around the room to say goodnight.
As she gave her grandmother a hug, Lady Wintercrest turned to Isabella, “I was wondering if you might come back down after you deposit Jacqueline to her nurse. There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Isabella said, a little bit surprised.
“Wonderful. Shall we meet in the library, then?” Lady Wintercrest continued.
“Yes, Your Grace.” Isabella nodded before taking the child out of the room. She did her best to ignore the growing concern deep inside. It was not completely usual for Lady Wintercrest to want an audience with Isabella, especially a private one.
Isabella hurried to take Jackie to bed and return to the library. The wondering was enough to make her go mad. She found Lady Wintercrest seated in a chair next to a newly lit fire. Several candles had also been lit in the room to produce enough light. She was deeply engrossed, as she so often was these days, in her planning.
“Please come and have a seat,” Lady Wintercrest said, setting her notes to the side. Though she was still young for a widow, the last few months had significantly aged her around her eyes.
“What is it I can help you with, Your Grace?” Isabella took a seat across from her. She couldn’t help but remember the last time she had sat in these chairs. That time, it was across from Christian, who had confessed his feelings for her.
“Miss Watts, I first want to say that I have been very happy having you here as part of our household.”
Isabella was sure this wasn’t a good start to things.
“You have brought so much joy to not only little Jacqueline, but to all of us. In fact, I am quite certain that without your presence, my husband would have never…” she paused as the raw emotion got the best of her for a moment. “I am certain he wouldn’t have parted so peacefully. He was so hurt by what had transpired with the child’s mother and James that he kept his heart very hard toward Jacqueline.”
“I’m just happy that I could be a little help,” Isabella said, wringing her hands in her lap.
“I have not been blind to the affection my son has for you,” she stated with a soft smile on her lips. “Naturally, it would not be my first choice for my son to engage the governess. You have been more than just that and I was, at first, very willing to accept the match. I care for you dearly, Isabella, and would have been happy to call you my daughter-in-law.”
Isabella was waiting for the end of her remarks which were to surely come and not be good.
“Lady Cunningham is not one to gossip, but she felt that she must bring something to my attention,” Lady Wintercrest continued with considerable nervousness.
“She told me that an article was posted in London that suggested that there might have been some confusion with theft before you came to stay with us. It seems that the gentleman put in charge of your father’s estates found some items missing when you left London.”
“I can assure you, Lady Wintercrest, I never meant for it to happen. You see, it was a locket containing a lock of my mother’s hair. Mr. Smith insisted I turn over all my possessions to him, which I did. I couldn’t bring myself to give the charm. It held such a dear place in my heart.”
“While I cannot say I think it is right of this Mr. Smith to require such a thing of you, it was still wrong to take the things you stole.”
“I swear, Your Grace, it was just the one necklace. When I learned that Mr. Smith had put in the advertisement, I returned it to him straight away.”
Lady Wintercrest pulled a letter out of her stacks of papers regretfully.
“It seems that Mr. Smith is claiming much property was taken from him,” she said, looking over a letter. “Lady Cunningham only informed me because she was concerned not only for our association, but for yourself as well.”
“It seems that Mr. Smith is claiming that you stole from him property amounting up to one hundred pounds.”
Isabella’s mouth dropped open in shock. She would have had to pick up the entirety of Rosewater and sewn it into her dress hem for that to be the case.
“He claims that he was unable to pay the debts that had been given to him on your father’s passing because of this theft. Unfortunately, he testified to this matter before a judge when brought to court by those collecting the debts in question.”
“I did no such thing. It is true I took the locket, but nothing more. He was given the whole of my father’s estates including our London home,” Isabella was doing her best to control her anger.
It seemed that Mr. Smith had no limits when it came to destroying her reputation. He had received the whole of what her father possessed, as well as complete control of the business her father built and still sought to destroy her.
“Unfortunately,” Lady Wintercrest continued, “the authorities were brought in to settle the matter. According to their investigation, they cannot account for the goods inside your previous residence which now seem to be missing.”
“Certainly, they could question the previous servants. I left Rosewater long before he took hold of the place and they could confirm that I left all belongings behind, except what was in my trunk.”
“The servants did confirm such a fact. However, the week after you left to join us here, apparently, a solicitor claiming to work for Mr. Smith cleared out the house to sell the possessions. Mr. Smith claims that such a person wasn’t employed by him, nor has he seen the possessions since. He claims it was a solicitor you had hired.”
“It’s not true!” Isabella said just a bit too loud. “I’m sorry,” she said regaining her composure. “What am I to do, Your Grace? It is all falsehoods. How can I possibly prove my innocence?”
“Well, I am not very versed on what to do in this kind of situation. I suppose getting a lawyer might be the initial first step.”
“I know a very good one. Mr. Jenkins. He worked for my father. He will help me sort this out.”
Lady Wintercrest gave a relieved sigh. “I am very happy to hear that for your sake.” Her countenance fell again, “however…” Lady Wintercrest hesitated, not sure how to find the words.
Isabella swallowed hard knowing what must come next.
“However, I cannot engage myself to the duke at this time. Really, ever. My reputation is ruined. Even if I clear my name, there is no going back from what is now said of me. I cannot bring that shame on the duke, on any of you.”
Isabella looked to Lady Wintercrest with tears in her eyes. The duchess was dabbing her own eyes with a silk handkerchief. “I wish it were some other way, my dear.”
“But there isn’t,” Isabella answered with finality. Her heart turned to stone and sank deep inside her. “I will leave at once,” Isabella said, standing.
Lady Wintercrest stood too. “I think it might be for the best. I fear any delay and my son would wish to get involved. It would be best to leave now before things get too far. I can have the carriage take you this night.”
“Yes, of course,” Isabella said, disheartened by the duchess’ speed and plans already in place.
Lady Wintercrest came forward and wrapped Isabella in an embrace. She wasn’t doing this out of her own desire, but for the good of her children. It would not just taint the duke but the whole family. Who would seek the hand of Lady Abigail if her sister-in-law was thought to be dishonest? And what of poor Jackie? Isabella could never do something that might later have a negative effect on the child.
Yes, Isabella would pack quickly and leave that night. She hated that even so far from London, she had still not escaped the hatred of Mr. Smith. She would not allow his evil to spread to such an innocent family, a family that had already experienced enough trouble of their own.
She returned the duchess’ embrace before hurrying out of the room. Isabella did everything in her power to hold back the rush of tears threatening to fall as she quickly made her way to the west wing of the house.
Isabella quickly packed a few of her belongings. She would have to leave most of what she had behind. She cared less for the dresses and books that she had once cherished and more for the people she would have to leave.
It was more than she could bear to think of all the friends she had made and not be able to say goodbye to a single one of them.
Quickly, she got an idea. She would write a note to each of them. She tried not to dwell on her feelings as she wrote down her love and appreciation for each member of the household who had touched her heart in the last year.
Isabella saved the letter to the duke for last. Part of her hoped that if she never got to the letter, she would never have to actually say goodbye to him. A soft knock on her door told her otherwise.
She opened it a crack to see Samuel, the coachman, standing a bit awkwardly at her door.
“Forgive the intrusion, Miss Watts. Her Grace told me you would need a ride into the village to take the early coach back to London.
“Yes, thank you, Samuel. I am just about finished here.”
“I’ll meet you outside, then,” he added, clearly not comfortable with coming to a woman’s room at night.
Isabella shut the door behind the scurrying young man and sat down at her desk to write her last, and hardest letter. Upon finishing she could barely see if it was, in fact, legible, so many tears were falling down her cheeks.
Isabella, with small bag in hand, set the letters on her pillow with Betsy’s name on the top. She knew the maid would be the first to notice that she was gone in the morning and would do her the favor of distributing the rest.
She left her room and made her way out of the house as quietly as possible. Entering the Wintercrest coach, she took one more look at the manor before turning down the darkened road that lead her away.