Wed in Disgrace (Convenient Arrangements #3) - Rose Pearson Page 0,61

seen, and I later discovered that she was quite safe and not at all unwell.” She tilted her head as Timothy watched everyone at the table with sharp, careful eyes. “In fact, she had been told that I was the one who had been unwell.”

“Thus, you spoke a complete and utter lie, Lord Chesterton,” Lady Newfield said darkly. “What is your explanation for it?”

Lord Chesterton said nothing, his eyes darting from one person to the next, sweat beginning to bead on his brow.

“I was only telling you what I had heard,” he replied eventually. “There can be nothing wrong with such a thing, surely? I was doing what I could to help.”

Timothy shrugged. “Of course not,” he said, seeing how Lord Chesterton shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “So then, might I ask who you heard such a thing from? And why did they not come to speak to Miss Mullins?”

Silence fell over the group. No one spoke, and not a single sound was heard. Timothy felt the tension continue to mount, his hands tightening on the chair as he waited for Lord Chesterton to speak.

“You do not have an answer it seems,” Lady Newfield said after a short time. “Which means that there is a reason that you have not yet shared, Lord Chesterton, as to why you have treated Lord Coventry so.”

Much to Timothy’s surprise, Lord Chesterton lifted his gaze and looked directly across the table towards his sister. Lady Parrington went a stark shade of red, which then immediately faded to gray.

“You involved your sister,” Timothy remarked as Lord Chesterton’s head snapped around towards him. “And for whatever reason, she agreed.” One shoulder lifted and he shook his head. “It may trouble me a little, I confess, given that we once had what I thought was a shared affection between us, although I have, of course, found a greater love than I ever thought possible with Miss Mullins.” He smiled at the lady, who looked at him and blushed, although her eyes were warm. “So, what did you have to say to make your sister behave so?” Tilting his head just a little, he looked directly at Lady Parrington. “Although you have become rather cruel since last Season, Lady Parrington. Perhaps you were more than willing to—”

“It was all her doing!”

The words flew from Lord Parrington’s lips, and the entire room crashed into silence. Timothy stared at the gentleman, seeing how he had partially raised himself from his chair and now held out his hand, his finger pointed across the table towards his wife.

No one spoke. No one moved, and, as Timothy swiveled his gaze towards Lady Parrington, he was astonished to see just how pale she had gone. No longer had she the arrogant, smug smile on her face. Instead, her mouth was slack, her eyes wide with evident fear and her shoulders dropped low.

“It is true,” Lord Chesterton said brokenly, his demeanor changed in an instant. His head hung low, his voice dark with pain as he spoke. “The night you spoke to me of your desire to marry my sister, I knew that I could not let you do so. We had been friends, and I was quite certain that you did not know the truth of her character.”

Swallowing hard, Timothy felt a weakness grasp at him but forced himself to remain precisely where he was. This was almost too astonishing to believe.

“My sister attacked me,” Lord Chesterton continued, his voice low and monotone. “Such was my shame that I did not know what else to do.”

“Be silent, Chesterton!” Lady Parrington began to rise from her chair, but, as she did so, Lord Parrington stood up, thrusting his arm out towards Lady Parrington.

“Enough, Margaret!” he exclaimed, his face mottled with anger. “You have done—and said—enough!”

The atmosphere began to spark with tension, and for a moment, Timothy believed that Lady Parrington would strike out hard at Lord Parrington across the table. But, eventually, she sank back into her chair, her hands gripping the arms tightly.

“I have had enough,” Lord Parrington muttered, speaking more than Timothy had ever heard before. “For a year, I have been forced to live in fear of my wife. Well, no longer!” He turned to Lord Chesterton. “No longer, Chesterton!”

Lord Chesterton covered his face with his hands.

“You are in fear of your wife?” Lady Newfield asked, sounding quite astonished. “For what reason?”

A groan came from Lord Chesterton, but after a moment, he dropped his hands and shook his head.

“The night I was