A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 119 - Hundred And Nineteen

The morning air outside Hamilton House was crisp and cool. The gravel driveway crunched loudly as the heavy, black Farrington carriage was brought around to the front steps. Four strong, restless horses stomped their hooves against the stones, eager to begin the long journey back to the country.

Footmen in neat uniforms moved quickly up and down the grand stone steps. They carried large leather trunks, heavy wooden hat boxes, and small velvet travel bags, strapping them securely to the back of the carriage.

The time for departure had finally arrived.

The entire Hamilton household stood on the wide stone terrace to see their guests off. It was the proper, polite thing to do. Aunt Margery stood near the large stone pillars, holding Fifi the poodle tightly in her arms. Rowan stood tall and rigid, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. Delaney stood a few feet away, with the actor, Smith Jones, standing entirely too close to her side, playing the part of the devoted husband until the very last second.

Ines stepped forward to say her goodbyes. She wore a warm, dark red morning dress, the wind catching the edge of her shawl.

She walked up to Lady Celine Farrington.

Celine was wearing a traveling dress of dark blue wool and a matching bonnet. She looked incredibly pale. The thick layer of white face powder was still there, hiding the faint shadow of the bruise on her cheek.

Ines reached out and hugged Celine. It was a warm, genuine embrace.

"We will see you at the ball," Ines said smoothly, her voice carrying a polite, cheerful tone for the rest of the gathering to hear.

Celine hugged her back, her small hands clutching the red fabric of Ines’s dress a little too tightly. She felt small and fragile, like a bird trapped in a cage.

As they embraced, Ines leaned her head close to Celine’s bonnet. She lowered her voice so that only the young girl could hear her.

"I will also bring some of Arthur Pendleton’s novels," Ines whispered softly into Celine’s ear. "The ones with the very scandalous Chapters. I know you will love them."

Celine pulled back slightly. A genuine, bright smile broke through her mask of sadness. For a brief, shining second, she looked like a normal, happy young woman. She thought of the secret romance novels, the brave heroes, and the happy endings that always seemed so impossible in real life.

"Thank you," Celine whispered back.

But then, almost as quickly as it had appeared, her smile vanished.

The light completely left her bright blue eyes. She looked toward the heavy carriage, and then she looked back at Ines. A deep, profound fear settled over her delicate features.

"Your Grace," Celine said. Her voice was shaking. "I must tell you something."

Ines stopped smiling immediately. Her hazel eyes narrowed with sharp concern. She saw the serious, terrified look in the young girl’s eyes. She knew this was not about books, and it was not about polite society gossip. It was something serious.

"What is it, Celine?" Ines asked, her voice dropping to a serious, urgent whisper. She stepped a fraction closer, trying to shield the girl from her mother’s view with her own body.

Celine looked around frantically. Her eyes darted over Ines’s shoulder.

A few feet away, Lady Farrington had just finished talking to Aunt Margery. She was adjusting her heavy purple traveling cloak and giving loud instructions about how the footmen should handle her delicate hat boxes. She was distracted, but only for a moment.

Celine turned her face back to Ines. She leaned in very close.

"Please," Celine whispered. The word was a desperate, ragged plea. "Please tell your brother not to sign anything."

Ines frowned. Her thick eyebrows drew together in deep confusion. She searched Celine’s terrified eyes.

"Sign what?" Ines asked, her voice very soft but pressing.

She knew Rowan was managing the estate. She knew he dealt with contracts every day. But Celine was a debutante. Debutantes did not know about business dealings, land rights, or things that had to do with signature. Unless it was something else entirely. Unless it was a trap.

Celine opened her mouth. She wanted to explain further. She wanted to tell the Duchess about her cruel uncle, Lord Hawksley. She wanted to tell her about the hidden penalty, the terrible threats, and the dark secret of Edward’s grave. She wanted to beg for help.

But she saw a shadow fall over the stone steps.

Celine looked past Ines and saw her mother standing almost directly behind the Duchess. Lady Farrington’s sharp, hawkish eyes were fixed directly on her daughter.

Celine’s blood ran cold. She quickly snapped her mouth shut. She took a swift step back, instantly putting a proper, polite distance between herself and the Duchess. She forced a bright, entirely fake smile onto her pale lips. She quickly changed the topic back to the only safe subject they had.

"Thank you for the books, Your Grace," Celine said, her voice entirely too loud and overly cheerful. "I am sure I will enjoy reading them during the quiet evenings in the country."

Ines blinked. She felt the sudden shift in the air. She turned her head slightly and saw Lady Farrington standing right there. Ines understood immediately. The warden had returned, and the prisoner was no longer allowed to speak.

Lady Farrington stepped forward, smoothing her purple silk gloves. She completely ignored the strange tension between the two younger women.

"We really enjoyed our stay here," Lady Farrington spoke loudly, addressing Ines with a perfect, practiced society smile. "Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, Duchess. The food was exquisite, and the gardens were lovely. It has been a most successful visit."

Ines forced her own polite mask back into place. She waved her hand gracefully in the air, dismissing the compliment with easy aristocratic charm.

"It is fine," Ines replied smoothly. "You are very welcome, Lady Farrington. It is always a pleasure to host my brother’s guests."

Lady Farrington nodded. She turned her head to look at the large black carriage. The footmen had finished securing the trunks and were now standing by the open carriage door, waiting. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"The carriage is ready," Lady Farrington spoke, her voice brisk and commanding. "We are leaving now, Your Grace. We have a long journey ahead of us before the sun sets."

She looked back at Ines and Rowan.

"We will meet again at the ball," Lady Farrington added. Her eyes flicked toward the Duke, shining with a dark, triumphant greed. "It will be a night to remember, I am quite certain."

She grabbed the sides of her heavy purple skirts and dipped into a deep, formal curtsy.

Ines held her dark red skirts and curtsied perfectly in return. "A safe journey to you, my lady."

Celine stepped forward. She did not look at Rowan. She looked only at Ines. She dipped into a graceful curtsy, keeping her head bowed for a second longer than was strictly necessary.

"Goodbye, Your Grace," Celine said softly. "Until we meet again."

Ines smiled, though her heart ached for the frightened girl. "Until we meet again, Lady Celine."

The Farringtons then turned to say their formal goodbyes to the rest of the family.

Lady Farrington bid a fond farewell to Aunt Margery, promising to write. She gave a stiff, polite nod to Delaney and Smith. Finally, she approached Rowan.

"Your Grace," Lady Farrington said, bowing her head. "I look forward to our next meeting. I trust all your... paperwork will be in order by then."

Rowan’s jaw clenched tightly. He knew exactly what paperwork she was talking about. He gave a sharp, incredibly stiff nod. "Safe travels, Lady Farrington."

Lady Farrington turned and walked down the stone steps. A footman helped her climb into the dark cabin of the carriage. Celine followed silently behind her mother. She climbed inside, took her seat by the window, and did not look back.

The footman slammed the heavy carriage door shut. The latch clicked loudly. The driver, sitting high up on the box, cracked his long whip in the air.

"Walk on!" the driver shouted.