Scandal at Vauxhall (Pleasure Garden Follies) by Layna Pimentel Page B

find a way to talk to him before he made any plans.
However, before she could even speak to him about quitting this nonsense, he
had left her apartment with but a shred of hope. She had to stop him before
they made even bigger fools out of themselves.
    When her trip to
Bath concluded and she returned to London, she would have to contact Henry’s
solicitors to confirm if the Duke of Downsbury had any claim to her husband’s
estate. Though that would be difficult, as her husband’s barrister had a
notorious reputation for not wanting to deal with women.
    Their last
discussion had been via post, to disclose her inheritance—albeit a minimal one,
but one that would permit her to continue living in her present residence with
pin money to last for several years.
    Isabel had never
been one for grand expenditures, nor did she lavish in spending her husband’s
money. Henry had made most of his fortune in gambling and seizing debts. Is it possible Henry owed Downsbury? Where
would I go if Downsbury is found in favor with the justice?
    Isabel quivered,
knowing all too well she would be fortunate enough if she ended up in some
dowager’s house. Though, she had managed to save a small fortune of her pin
money so that she could purchase her own cottage—nothing too grand, nor would
she keep the full stock of staff.
    Perhaps this was
the change she needed to move forward. Once she returned to London, she would
send out inquiries to see if there were any country homes for purchase and
permanently move out of London.
    Nathaniel was
bound to be cross with her, but she needed to put distance between the two of
them if either wanted some semblance of peace.

Chapter Four

 
    Nathaniel
blinked furiously at the stream of sunlight concentrating on his face. His head
throbbed from the bottle of brandy he had indulged in. How else was he supposed
to keep clear from Isabel until the issue with Downsbury was resolved? All this
scandal was ruinous to everyone it touched.
    He desired
nothing more than to drag her into his suite and make sweet, passionate love to
her, over and over until neither of them was conscious. The distance between
them killed him.
    Nathaniel
fumbled with his sheet and promptly covered his head with the blasted thing.
Waking up alone in bed was bad enough, but when having numerous dreams of
Isabel over the course of the night left him as rigid as granite, there was
only but one way to resolve the issue.
    Before he could
even take matters into his own palm, a harsh knock on the door came, followed
by footsteps into his bedchamber.
    “My Lord,
forgive the intrusion. You need to see this right away!” the valet fumbled with
a rolled up paper in his hands.
    Nathaniel sat up
with haste, the sheet falling away, exposing his nudity. He reached out to
accept the daily, unfolded it, and groaned at the headline.

 
    Scandal
At Vauxhall.

 
    He could not
help but read further.

 
    Reliable
resources indicate that over the course of last weekend’s festivities, her grace,
Lady I., was found in quite the scandalous and compromising position at the
Pleasure Gardens with Lord S. It is speculated whether the affair had been
ongoing prior to his grace’s demise. To think his wife would go against all
decorum and be so bold. I daresay, ladies, you shall not want your daughters in
such company. Keep a close eye on your girls, and prohibit any interaction and
affiliation with either of them. Trouble and scandal follow them as second
nature, and the season is far from over. Be on your guard.

 
    Nathaniel
pinched the bridge of his nose, sucking in a long, deep breath. How am I ever going to explain this to
Isabel, let alone to my associates? Not that his associates would care. In
fact, he would not be surprised if they applauded him for his indiscretion
making the front page.
    However, the
article was another matter entirely. He had hoped to make her his wife before
the year was out, but at the rate the gossips ran in London, he