The American Heir(17)

I lifted my chin. I was a duchess. I could do this. For Sid. Riggins. And my baby.

A teenage girl of about sixteen answered the bell. She bore a passing   resemblance to Rose. Something through the eyes. She clearly knew who I   was. She paled when she saw me.

I smiled and extended my hand. "Haley, Duchess of Witham."

"Yes, duchess. I know who you are." She looked nervously amused at my   arrival. Like a spectator at a game. Eager to see a contest. Yet not   convinced her team would win.
   





 
"You must be one of Rose's sisters. Is Rose around? Her tweets would   seem to indicate she is." And was still lounging in bed. I arched a   brow. "I'll wait for her in the sitting room. If you'd be so good as to   announce me."

"This way." The girl motioned for me to follow her without denying   anything. "The front rooms of the abbey are for the tourists. And filled   with workers getting them ready for our season opening coming up. The   family quarters are in back."

The family quarters were considerably shabbier than the front rooms of   the abbey. The earl's dwindling fortunes were pretty obvious even at a   mere glance. All the pomp and splendor he had left to his name was on   display for the tourist season. It was also obvious he'd had to sell   much of the family treasure, including valuable antique furniture. Even   the rooms for show were more sparsely furnished than our rooms at the   castle.

The furniture in the private quarters was from this century and not   particularly expensive. Most of it was the cheap kind you bought in a   box and assembled yourself. There were no pricey objects of art. And the   walls were barren of anything but prints. All the family portraits  were  on display in the showy rooms of the castle open to the public.  The  room was tastefully enough done, but no more elegant than a flat  any  normal person would have.

I took a seat as the girl ran off, calling for Rose. Her voice was   filled with the singsong excitement of there's trouble coming for big   sis. She seemed delighted by the prospect.

I was half afraid Rose would refuse to see me. And prepared to get my   way by any means necessary. Including a public Twitter war where I   called her out to come downstairs and face me, lady to duchess. Was that   a fair fight? I thought so. My money, righteous anger, and superior   social position pitted against her celebrity and social media savvy. The   air needed clearing, one way or another.

She kept me waiting a good fifteen minutes, probably on purpose. Just as   I was composing a text warning her to show herself or else, she   strolled into the sitting room looking less put together than normal.   Her fifteen-minute toiletry hadn't been enough to give her her usual   high-fashion glow and glamour.

I took a certain vindictive pleasure in being the more fashionable, elegant person. For once.

It would have been usual for us to greet each other with stiff hugs. Instead we stared at each other in silence.

"Well, don't you look lovely for so early in the morning," she said with   a tinge of mocking humor in her voice. If she was afraid of me, she   didn't show it.

It was enough to know she realized our role reversal. I had meant to   wield the element of surprise to my favor. Good to know I was   succeeding. "Thank you, Rose."

"What brings you here?" She stifled a yawn.

I could have been insulted. I would have if I'd believed she was   actually bored, not simply needing her morning coffee. Or something.   Maybe she took some kind of caffeinated tea to wake her up in the   morning.

"You weren't at our pregnancy announcement party yesterday. I'm checking   in to make sure you're feeling all right. We missed you."

She was clearly stunned by the complete audacity and absurdity of my   statement. Missed her? Right. I was calling her out, and she knew it.

But Rose wasn't one to be taken off guard long. "And I was even sorrier   to miss it. But it was unavoidable. I had to go to London. A prior   appointment. Lovely photo circulating around the web, though. The two of   you look very happy together. And who wouldn't when they're leading  the  fairytale life and expecting a new baby." How could such a sweet  voice  sound so cynical and accusatory?

"I need to speak to you privately," I said, ignoring her barbed tone.   "You won't want your family to hear what I have to say. Do you mind if   we close the door?"

She shrugged, acting too nonchalant, given the circumstances. "Close it if you like." She took a seat in a worn old chair.

I closed the door and took a seat opposite her. "We both know you   spilled my pregnancy news to the press." I meant to make her defensive.   "What I don't know is why you did it behind my back? I was willing to   help you. I would have given you the story to sell if you'd just given   me time to tell Riggins about the baby first and asked for the story."   





 

Shock followed by triumph crossed her face. "Riggins didn't know?"

"Don't play innocent with me." I frowned at her, trying to maintain   control of my anger. "Of course he didn't know. You knew he'd been gone   since before I'd have suspected I was pregnant. Naturally I'd wanted to   tell him in person."

She had the good grace to at least fake looking somewhat contrite. "Sorry."

I was sure she wasn't. "Did you get the money you needed?"

Her eyes narrowed. "We aren't evicted, are we?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Barely. And just in time." She might have added, No thanks to you. She looked like she wanted to.

"But in the end it was all thanks to me, wasn't it?"

"Good. At least you got what you needed for all the trouble you caused."   I paused. "You know I would have helped you if I could."

She didn't roll her eyes, but somehow made it plain she wanted to.   "Really? You would have. You weren't too busy accepting   multimillion-dollar knickers from your duke?"

Somehow I maintained my composure. "Don't tell me that story has made its way here now."

Nice move. She was clearly angling for the upper hand.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, brought up a screen, and spun it   around to show me. "When a duke buys underwear with a   multimillion-pound swing ticket, the word will get out all the way over   here. It's all over social media."

The absurdity of the situation hit me. I laughed. "One, I didn't have   them when you asked me for money. And two, what would you want me to do?   Pawn my panties?"

She smiled then. "Score one for you. But you can rest assured. The earldom is safe. For a few months, at least."

"Good. Because I want to make it clear I won't be as forgiving if   something like this happens again." I didn't need Rose making a habit of   selling my secrets for cash. Not without my permission, anyway.

She shrugged again. It seemed to be her signature move.

I took it as her way of agreeing. "As long as we're clear. And while   we're making things clear, understand this, too. You can stop any   further scheming to break Riggins and me up to get a share of the   dukedom. My claim to the inheritance goes well beyond marrying Riggins.   I'm the late duke's great-granddaughter, and I can prove it."

Rose's mouth fell open. I'd actually taken her by such surprise she had   no retort. I thought she paled a little too as I explained a bit more   about what I'd found.

"So you've come to put me in my place?" she said when I finished.

"I came to make my position, our relative positions, clear."

Her nostrils flared slightly. "If that's all-"

"That's not all," I said. "I require some penance on your part. Some   restitution for all the trouble you've caused me. And if you're very   good, I'll keep you in my inner circle and not ruin you. Invite you to   all my parties. Introduce you to the right people. Basically, help you   keep your celebrity circle and reputation up."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

I paused, wanting her to feel my wrath, using my position of power to   its full advantage. I wanted her to squirm. Not out of revenge, but   because a person with Rose's personality needed to know unequivocally   that I was boss and couldn't be pushed around or easily sucker-punched   again. If I didn't flex my muscles now, she'd never respect me or stick   to her part of the agreement.

"Information," I said slowly, meeting her gaze with a steely one of my   own. "Double-cross me or go back on your word and you'll regret it."

Her answering gaze held a hint of respect. She expected a threat.

I paused again until she gave me a small nod of acquiescence.

I nodded back just perceptibly enough for her to see. "You grew up here.   What do you know about our gamekeeper Bird, his late wife, and son? I   want to know everything. And what you don't know, I want you to find  out  for me. Discreetly."