“Don’t feign innocence. I know you had Boris tamper with Miss Lowndes’s saddle the day you raced each other. I also know he hit me over the head with a bottle of wine and locked me in the wine cellar the night of the wedding.”

She looked away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you? What if I told you Jane saw you in my bedchamber that night?”

Her head snapped up and her eyes flared. “It’s her, isn’t it? She’s the one you think you’re in love with. What are you saying? That your precious, virginal Miss Lowndes was in your bedchamber that night? What would the ton have to say about that?”

He clenched his fists at his sides. “Isabella, if you tell anyone about this—”

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll tell them about everything you’ve done, including the fact that you’re breeding.”

“You have no proof about anything I’ve done. If you refuse to marry me, I’m already ruined, but the damage to your precious Miss Lowndes’s reputation will be done by then. There are already rumors swirling about her behavior at the party. One word from me, someone who was actually there, and she will be ruined completely.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “What do you want?”

“I want you to marry me.”

“I refuse to be manipulated, Isabella.”

“Even for your precious little bluestocking? She won’t be received in any decent drawing room in London by the time I’m through telling my tale.”

“Not if I marry her first.”

Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

If Hughes, the butler, thought it was odd that Miss Jane Lowndes kept appearing at the Duke of Claringdon’s doorstep at all hours of the day without an escort, he did not acknowledge his concern, as a good duke’s butler should. With Lucy as the duchess, the man was assured a lifetime of odd happenings in his household.

This time, he ushered Jane into the blue salon with barely a lift of his haughty brow. Lucy came in moments later.

“Well.” Lucy rushed over and sat next to Jane on the settee. “What happened?”

Jane couldn’t hide her smile. “I just came from Garrett’s town house.”

“And?” Lucy searched her face.

“And I found it!”

Lucy clapped her hands with glee. “Let me see it.”

Jane tugged open the drawstring to her reticule and pulled out the crumpled letter. “I barely made it out of there,” she said in a rush, excitement making her words tumble over themselves. “Isabella came in and found me in the study.”

Lucy scrunched her nose as if she smelled something awful. “What was Isabella doing there?”