Billionaire Flawed 1(308)

The butler had heard the Duke's coach arrive, and went outside to greet him. My Lord, welcome to Stanley Manor, I am Thomas, I will take you to Lord and Lady Ashmeer. They are expecting you. Thomas was surprised to see how young the Duke was, he was no more than three or four years older than Miss Alice. He also noticed how tall he was, at least six inches taller than Thomas, who was five feet ten.

Philip followed Thomas into the entrance hall and waited for him to take his hat and hang it up. The Duke glanced around at his surroundings in an effort to ascertain the wealth of the Ashmeer's. The house he was in was much smaller than those of members of his social circle, but it was adequate. He noted the black and white tiles on the floor and the open fire place. He assumed the man portrayed in the picture above the mantel piece was one of Lord Ashmeer's ancestors.

Please follow me, my Lord, Thomas urged. They walked through a large arch and down a corridor. Thomas stopped, knocked on a polished mahogany door, and opened it.

The Duke of Norfolk is here to see you, Lord Ashmeer.

Please show him in, he replied.

When the Duke walked in, Lady Ashmeer's mood lifted somewhat. She had been crying all morning, and the prospect of a solution being close at hand buoyed her spirits. She was also charmed by the Duke's looks. He had long brown hair which was tied at the back. She noted how broad and strong he looked and when her eyes took in his lower half, she quickly averted her gaze for fear of embarrassing herself.

My Lord, please be seated, Lord Ashmeer said.

The Duke sat and looked at the Lord. He was small and gray haired, probably in his late fifties, he imagined. He was more interested in his wife who was perhaps a little younger and very pretty for her age. She had a delicate demeanor and he liked her eyes, although on this day, her tears had caused them to be slightly red. She was sitting on a sofa in front of the large window that looked over the garden. Philip momentarily looked past to see what was outside. He was charmed by the well-kept law which sloped down to a beautiful lake. How different the serenity of the garden compared to the mood in the room, he thought.

Lord Ashmeer, the situation we find ourselves in is, to say the least, unpleasant, and I am here today to discuss with you and Lady Ashmeer what might be done about it.

Indeed, I couldn't agree more, my Lord. It is a situation of the utmost severity. Perhaps, my Lord, you will be good enough to tell us what you know of the affair.

Of course, the Duke said as he composed himself. He was unhappy to have had to leave his estate and drive to the Ashmeer's. It was a grave situation, which called for action. He feared, however, the action he was going to have to take would change his life forever. There are very strong rumors, throughout society, that your daughter Alice and my younger brother, Sir Reymond Edmonstone, have had an affair. He paused when Lady Ashmeer let out a cry.

 I am afraid it is too late to stop the rumor as it has already spread over the whole land. he continued. Lord Ashmeer took out a handkerchief from his green waistcoat and mopped his brow. My brother, who I believe to be a good man, unfortunately spoke of the affair with some friends he trusted. Unfortunately those friends betrayed his trust and spread the word into the realms of evil gossipers. I fear, unless we take immediate action, the reputations of both our families will be ruined, forever.

Lady Ashmeer could hardly wipe her tears away fast enough, and Lord Ashmeer’s complexion was now ashen.

Well, my Lord, we must do all we can to put the damage right, as soon as we can. I must apologize to you for the inconsiderate behavior of my daughter. We have always brought her up to be reserved and gentle. Please be assured that we are appalled by her promiscuity. It has shocked my wife and I to the core.

And I, Lord Ashmeer, likewise apologize to you for my brother's behavior. He is young and high spirited and it seems the two got a little carried away in their lust for one another.

My Lord, thank you for you kind apology. It really isn't necessary. In my opinion they are equally to blame. As you say, they seem to have let their passion run away with them. Lord Ashmeer gave a reassuring look to his wife before continuing. I have talked to my wife at length, and we are unable to come up with a solution that will save our mutual reputations, other than sending our daughter into exile. That is a possibility. However we do love and care for her, despite her shortcomings, and we would be very loathe to banish her forever.

Quite so. She has offended the reputation of both our families, but banishing her to a foreign land forever seems a little harsh.” The Duke paused. “If I may, I would like to offer a solution I believe will serve both our purposes greatly. It will protect the reputation of my brother and your daughter, and restore the reputation of our respective families.