Read Online Simply Scandalous by Tamara Lejeune - Free Book Online Page B

Swale. He paused to gain
control of his temper. "Let me be clear, sir. You are
asking your only son to swear to his innocence?"
    "That is what 'l am asking," the Duke said coldly.
    'Well, I do not swear," said Swale defiantly. "Believe
what you will, sir, and be damned."
    "Very well," said the Duke, much relieved. "I believe you."
    "I should bloody well hope so," growled his son. "My own father asking me to swear like a common criminal. I like that! That pleases me like nothing else. I
should rather be the son of a costermonger than of
a father who entertains such doubts about me."

    The Duke held up his slim hand. "I never doubted
you for a moment, Geoffrey. I am merely trying to prepare you for the harsh reality of life. From now on, everywhere you go, you will be questioned. Your ferocious
temper is well-known. On the whole, I think it would
be best if you were to leave London for a while."
    "Why should I leave London?" Swale growled. "Let
the Wayborns leave. They have cast aspersions against
me. By that I mean they have told bold-faced lies!"
    "But why would they lie?" asked his Grace.
    Swale exploded. "You said you believed me!"
    "Mr. Calverstock apparently heard the villains say
`Compliments of Lord Swale' or some such thing. I
don't think Mr. Calverstock is lying. His grandfather
was the Fourth Earl of Ludham! "
    "`Compliments of Lord Swale!' As though I would!"
    "Your name must be cleared, Geoffrey. It is the
Ambler name, after all. Someone has attacked Mr.
Wayborn and has taken a deal of trouble to implicate
us in this dishonorable business."
    Swale frowned in concentration. "Depend upon it,
I will! I will discover who has done this to me, and, by
God, I'll make him pay!"
    The Duke smiled thinly. In matters of raw courage
and brute strength, his heir undoubtedly was one of
the best, but the Wayborn Affair, his Grace was certain,
would require cunning and intelligence to unravel. To
that end, he had already put the entire affair before
his man of business and the Bow Street Runners.
"Very well, Geoffrey," he said quite disingenuously. "I leave it to you. In the meantime, you are under a
cloud. What do you propose to do about it?"

    Swale snorted. "Do? I shall do nothing. Why should
I do anything? I have been falsely accused. When
the facts are known, all London shall be begging my
forgiveness. But I shan't forgive them! Why should l?"
    The Duke was less sanguine. "Let us be reasonable, Geoffrey. You will be living under a cloud until
the culprit is found, and it may be years. Indeed,
you may never be cleared entirely."
    "A fortnight at the most," Swale protested. "I tell
you, sir, I am on the case."
    "Even if you were to beard the villain in his lair," said
the Duke impatiently, "it is highly unlikely he'd admit
to his foul misdeeds! It is highly unlikely that he
should have been so obliging as to leave us enough
evidence of his guilt as will convince our friends! "
    "My friends require no evidence," Lord Swale declared. "I am sorry to hear that yours do. Do you
think that Devize has asked me for evidence?"
    "I daresay there always will be men willing to give
their daughters to Lord Swale," said the Duke exactly
as if his son had not spoken, "but I should not care
to connect my family with any of them, I assure you!"
    "Never mind that!" said Swale. "That is the silver
lining to this black cloud of mine. I have no wish to
marry any of their hen-witted daughters, let me tell you."
    "You will be allowed back into Society after some
time has passed, of course," his father said. "But,
amongst the best families ..." He shook his head. "You
will always be anathema."
    Swale was not certain what anathema was, but clearly
his father thought it very serious. "What do I care for
all that?" he said, attempting the cavalier approach.
"If they do not believe me, they may go to the devil."

    "There is one family whose assistance in this matter
would be most beneficial."
    "You refer to