Page 74 of Her Mysterious Duke


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“I asked you why Joanna ran away as she did, and you did not answer,” she pointed out. She was entirely pale now, her arms wrapped around herself as if for protection.

“She saw Lady Judith and I together. I came here to look for Lord Carlisle and found her in distress, having fallen. I helped her up, and she took the chance to tell me all of this. Then, when I was getting ready to leave, she confessed her feelings for me and… kissed me. That is when Joanna appeared. The timing was peculiar. As if?—”

“As if by design.” Sally nodded to herself.

Kenneth looked up. “What do you mean?”

She shook her head. “Judith came here to look for a book for Joanna. I thought it was very kind and sweet of her, but now I think it was part of a ruse. You see, Joanna had gone outside, and Judith came to me. She asked me where Joanna was, and when I told her that she’d gone to take the air, she asked me to direct her to the library the moment she returned, stating that she had found the books Joanna was looking for.”

Kenneth rubbed his chin as he listened. “And then?”

“Then, she returned to the library. I thought it was odd. I didn’t understand why she did not simply wait for Joanna to return to take her there, or bring the books. Alas, I did what she asked—I sent Joanna to the library. And a moment later, she ran away. I thought she’d run into you on the way and you’d quarreled, butthen Judith rushed out and said that she had to see to Joanna,” Sally finished.

Kenneth groaned, though before he could say anything, Lord Carlisle spoke up. “It sounds like a well-crafted plan, along with the half-truth she told you about my questionable activities. But the question is, why would she do this?”

“I do not know, but I need to find her and speak to her. Excuse me.”

Kenneth rushed out of the library, feeling a sense of unease. He had been so quick to judge Joanna, and now he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to make it up to her.

But he knew he had to try

CHAPTER 30

Joanna sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face. She felt alone and abandoned, the sense of betrayal deep within her. Not only had she caught Kenneth proving himself to be the sort of man she’d dreaded he might be, but her mother had asked her if she was sure. As if she couldn’t trust her own eyes. And then, she’d acted as if such behavior could be forgiven.Forgiven!

Had her mother not understood what sort of man her father was? She had said he made up for his mistakes, but he’d done it again, hadn’t he? He’d done something to the orphanage. Exactly what, Joanna didn’t know, but he had done something wrong.

A sudden knock at the door ripped her from her thoughts. Her nostrils flared with rage, certain that it was her mother on the other side of the door. “Go away!” she shouted.

“Joanna, it’s me, Judith,” came a familiar voice from outside the door.

Judith? What in the world does she want? How dare she follow me home?

Joanna hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly got up and opened the door.

Judith stood outside, her eyes red as if she had been crying and her makeup smudged. “Can we talk?” she asked, her voice quavering.

“I have nothing to say to you, Judith,” Joanna hissed.

She was about to close the door when Judith wedged her foot between it and the frame. “Please, it is not what it looked like. For the sake of our friendship, let me explain,” she pleaded.

Joanna wanted to tell her that they were hardly friends. They hadn’t seen one another in years until recently, and now she was invoking friendship? Yet, a part of Joanna could not deny the desire to receive an explanation. Even though she hated Kenneth at his moment, she wanted him to be innocent, to be misunderstood. She wanted to regain that feeling she had before—that sense of certainty of his character.

Could Judith provide that? Or would it only make things worse? Then again, how much worse could it be?

“Very well, but not here,” she relented and then walked past Judith, a hint of her rose perfume still clinging to her.

As Joanna and Judith went down the stairs to the drawing room, Joanna couldn’t help but feel dread. If this night could be over already, it would surely be a blessing.

As soon as they entered the room, Judith walked to the fireplace and looked into the dancing orange flame, shadows flickering across her face.

“What is it you have to say?” Joanna asked, her voice strained as she suppressed her anger and confusion.

Judith took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “Joanna, I need to tell you what really happened in the library, for I know what it looked like.”

“It looked as if you and the man I am to marry were engaged in a passionate kiss,” Joanna hissed.

Judith took another deep breath. “But it is not what happened at all. I did not kiss him. He kissed me! He kissed me, Joanna. Without my consent. He claimed that he wanted to ask me something about you, and that is why we went to the library for some privacy, but I know that’s not true.”