Why her, of all people?
"You have to do something about this, Alice. It cannot go on."
Alice sat in the drawing room, staring out the window at the thick clouds gathering in the sky. The edges were darkening, steadily creeping toward the center, a sure sign the downpour would begin soon. She loved the rain. It washed everything clean, brought the refreshing scent of damp earth, and for a brief moment, it allowed her to forget. The world always seemed quieter in the rain, offering her a temporary escape from the burden of her thoughts.
But with the orangery still under construction, she worried the downpour might delay its progress. The last thing she wanted was a setback after months of planning.
"Are you listening to us, Alice?" Emma asked.
"I am," Alice answered without thinking, turning to them.
In front of her, Lavinia and Emma sat across from one another, their expressions mirroring the concern Alice tried so hard to ignore. Their presence, though comforting in its own way, was a reminder that they were here for more than just a casual visit. They had visited very often in the past two years, and with each visit, Alice knew their concern had grown.
The rumors about Alice and Victor had only grown more vicious with time. It began with whispers about Victor’s motives for marrying her. They had said Alice was ruined long before her marriage, that she had been desperate enough to take a man like Victor. Some even cruelly suggested that she had hidden away at Ravenmoor to bear an illegitimate child, feeding on the idea that her isolation concealed a scandal.
Lavinia shifted uncomfortably. "You know what they’re saying now, don’t you, Alice?"
"No." She shook her head. "What is the latest scandal that has my name at the center?"
"They’ve gone from whispers to outright accusations," Emma said. "It doesn’t help that you have not been out in society for over a year, Alice. People are thinking the worst."
"Do they still think I’m pregnant?" Alice asked with squinted eyes. "Do they think it’s legitimate this time? As if that would even be possible. I’ve not seen my husband in two years. How could I possibly be carrying his child?"
The more time passed, the more the rumors surrounding Alice began to shift, fueled by the many changes at Ravenmoor. After the gossip that she was with child subsided, fresh whispers surfaced, alleging that Alice was recklessly squandering her husband’s fortune. Society branded her as extravagant and careless.
Then, less than a year ago, the speculation intensified, with people noting the steady stream of men arriving and departing from the estate. Although these visitors were merely workers assisting with the renovations, the gossipmongers thrived on exaggeration. They spun different stories of secret rendezvous and scandalous affairs.
Strangely, the rumors didn’t faze Alice. She had never been one to concern herself with the gossip of theton. If there was anyone to blame, it was Victor. He was the one with a scandalous reputation, notorious for the whispers that trailed him like a shadow. Now, by virtue of her marriage to him, Alice found herself trapped in the web of speculation, bearing the weight of his past sins.
"Alice, don’t joke about this," Lavinia said.
"All right." Alice sat up. "What are they saying now?"
"People are saying you’ve been murdered, Alice," Lavinia answered. "Now, for two years you have refused to debunk any of the rumors that have started. But now I’m afraid that it’s become too much. You haven’t appeared at any events of the Season for a whole year, and thetonis saying that your husband must have murdered you!" Lavinia exclaimed, worry etched across her face.
"It’s just rumors, Lavinia," Alice said.
"It has always been just that, I know," Lavinia said. "But the fact that no one else has seen you out in society is driving the rumors."
Emma nodded in agreement. "You have to make an appearance, Alice. Just to prove them wrong. So they know that you are alive and well. That you’re not having affairs behind your husband’s back, and that you are not nurturing an illegitimate child."
Alice shrugged, unfazed. "I’ve never liked theton, and their rumors don’t bother me. Besides, Victor doesn’t seem to care either. They can talk. They are allowed to talk."
Lavinia leaned closer, her voice lowering. "Alice, are you trying to provoke the Duke by not denying the rumors? Because you remaining quiet only puts him in a bad light."
"Even the rumors that he tortures you every day to keep you in line still persist, and you have done nothing to dispel them," Emma added, her tone laced with concern. "People are beginning to wonder if you’re truly safe in this marriage, and it makes the Duke look even worse given that he already has a terrible reputation."
While Alice wasn’t actively trying to provoke the Duke, the situation felt like a subtle form of revenge for his abandonment. Each day she remained hidden away at Ravenmoor, she found a strange sense of satisfaction in knowing that her absence stirred the pot of gossip and speculation among theton. It was as if she were reclaiming a piece of her independence, a small victoryagainst the man who had married her and then disappeared from her life.
"I thought you were glad that the Duke left?" Emma asked. "You used to say that you appreciated the freedom and the peace of mind it afforded you."
Alice paused, her gaze drifting back to the darkening clouds outside. "I am glad, Emma," she answered, doubting her own words. "His mere presence scared me. At least with him gone, I don’t have to worry so much about my safety."
"However, two years is quite some time," Lavinia noted. "What has he been doing all this while?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "Tending to his duties as the Duke, from what I hear. Managing his estates and occupying himself with books. Not that I care much. I suppose I should be thankful that he pays no mind to me. Given his temper, who knows what might have happened had he stayed in Ravenmoor?"
Lavinia inched forward. "But Alice?—"
