When a Duke Loves a Governess (Unlikely Duchesses #3) - Olivia Drake Page 0,100

with the headline emblazoned at the top in large letters: THE CARLIN CURSE.

Drained of stamina, she wilted into a chair. A swift reading of the piece confirmed her worst fears. It related a luridly embellished tale of the Duke of Carlin being shot at Astley’s Amphitheatre, then went on to describe in sensationalist detail the deaths of other family members. It concluded with flowery, overwrought speculation that the present duke was the current victim of the curse and might not be long for this world.

The byline identified the reporter as Orrin Nesbitt.

Her stomach knotted, she lifted her stark eyes to Carlin’s face and was shaken by the iciness there. “Oh, no.”

“Is that all you have to say? I should think you’d be scrambling to convince me of your innocence in the publication of this disgraceful piece.”

“My w-what?”

The duke snatched the paper from her and flung it onto a nearby table. “Don’t prevaricate, Tessa. You must have run to Nesbitt yesterday after you left my bedchamber. There’s no way he could have thought up the name of this ridiculous curse on his own. You had to have passed the story on to him.”

The unwarranted attack helped to rally her wits. “I most certainly did not. I haven’t had any contact with Orrin in a week.”

“Then what explanation can you offer for this outrageous article being penned by your friend?”

“I … I recall mentioning the curse to him that morning you saw us outside in the garden. It was just a silly, offhand comment, though. I never meant for him to write about it. In fact, since he hoped to become a reporter, I expressly ordered him to forget he ever heard me say it. Believe me, I’d have stopped him had I known.”

Sunk in misery, she reflected on the extent to which Orrin had disregarded her request. He must have begun researching the article immediately, for he couldn’t have gathered so many facts about the duke’s family history since just yesterday. Then he’d added the Astley’s event and used the breaking news to convince the publisher to print the story.

How could he have betrayed her like this? Of course, there was his wish to increase his income in order to marry her. Apparently her refusal hadn’t deterred him from that course. No matter what their class, she reflected bitterly, men did as they pleased without regard for a woman’s wishes.

Carlin sprang to his feet and prowled the library. “It’s too late to stop the scandal. No doubt this edition has been distributed all over London. As head of this family, I have a duty to uphold our name. But now we will become a laughingstock, the object of gossip and speculation in every drawing room and club across the city. My aunt won’t be able to hold up her head.”

Tessa rather thought Lady Victor with her taste for gloom would enjoy the notoriety but refrained from saying so since Carlin looked so grim-faced. “I know how distasteful you find this, and I’m truly sorry. Please believe I would never have encouraged Orrin to write such a story.”

The duke’s eyes narrowed on her in a speculative stare. “You say Nesbitt aspired to become a journalist. A piece of rubbish like this could launch his career. That makes me wonder if he made his own news.”

“Pardon?” She snatched up the paper to scan it again. “The prose is certainly overblown, but the basic facts appear to be true.”

“You mistake my point. I’m suggesting that he may have garbed himself as a jester and taken that shot himself.”

His conjecture rocked her to the core. “Carlin, you surely can’t think so. Orrin would never harm a flea. And how would he have known where we were going, anyway?”

“He could have discovered it the same way he nosed out all the other family secrets. By chatting up the servants in the stables or in the kitchen. You may be sure I’ll instruct Roebuck to have a word with my staff about tattling to strangers.” The duke came closer to tower over her. “This proves Nesbitt isn’t your friend, Tessa. You don’t know him as well as you thought.”

Tilting her head back to view Carlin, Tessa detected a hint of heat in his glacial gaze. Despite her distraught state, it thrilled her to think that a man of his rank could be jealous of a common workman. She was tempted to spite him by singing Orrin’s praises, but since she was also angry at Orrin, she deemed