A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 120 - Hundred And Twenty

The four horses leaned into their harnesses. The large wooden wheels began to turn, crunching loudly against the gravel. The carriage rolled slowly down the long, winding driveway of Hamilton House.

The family stood on the terrace and watched them go. They watched until the carriage passed through the grand iron gates at the edge of the estate and finally disappeared from sight, completely swallowed by the distant trees.

The moment the carriage was out of sight, the heavy, suffocating tension on the terrace instantly broke.

Smith Jones let out a massive, highly exaggerated sigh of relief. He dropped his arm from Delaney’s waist, stepping away from her with a joyful bounce in his step. His posture completely changed. He was no longer the devoted, respectful naval captain. He was a carefree, theatrical actor from the London stage who had just finished a very successful, very stressful performance.

Smith turned to the family. He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning broadly.

"Well," Smith said, letting out a loud chuckle. "I best be going as well. The stage awaits, and frankly, I am exhausted from all this polite smiling."

He looked directly at Ines. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Ines gave her wicked, highly entertained smile. She reached into the deep pocket of her dark red morning dress. She pulled out a small, heavy velvet pouch that jingled with the unmistakable sound of gold coins.

She tossed the pouch through the air.

Smith caught it easily with one hand. He weighed the heavy pouch in his palm. He pulled the drawstring open, peeked inside at the gold, and smiled a very wide, very greedy smile.

"The remaining payment," Smith noted cheerfully, tying the pouch shut and sliding it securely into the inner pocket of his fine navy coat. "You are a generous patron of the arts, Your Grace. It has been an absolute pleasure doing business with you."

"You played your part flawlessly, Mr. Jones," Ines complimented him. "You earned every single penny. Lady Farrington suspected absolutely nothing."

Smith turned his attention back to Delaney.

Delaney was standing quietly, her hands folded in front of her plain dark dress. She was immensely relieved that the actor was finally leaving, but she was also incredibly anxious about the silent, brooding Duke standing just a few feet away.

Smith stepped up to her. He took off his hat and bowed deeply, sweeping his arm through the air with a dramatic flair. He reached out and gently took her right hand.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. It was not the fake, devoted kiss he had used in the drawing room. It was a cheeky, highly exaggerated, completely dramatic kiss.

He lowered her hand and smiled directly into her hazel eyes.

"Until we meet again, Miss Kingsley," Smith said smoothly.

Then, he paused. A mischievous, highly dangerous spark lit up in his brown eyes. He leaned in just a fraction closer.

He winked.

"Or," Smith added, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper that was still entirely loud enough for everyone on the terrace to hear, "should I say... Delaney?"

He deliberately used her first name. The name only a husband, a family member, or a lover was allowed to use.

Behind them, Rowan reacted instantly.

He stood completely still, his legs planted firmly on the stone terrace. He crossed his large, muscular arms tightly over his broad chest. His tailored coat strained against his wide shoulders. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated, murderous fury. His brown eyes burned with a dark, violent fire, glaring daggers directly at the actor’s back. The muscle in his square jaw was ticking so fast it looked like it might snap the bone.

He looked as though he was trying to figure out the most efficient way to throw Smith Jones off the roof of the manor.

Delaney snatched her hand back from Smith as if the man’s skin had suddenly caught fire. Her cheeks burned bright red. She shot a quick, terrified glance at Rowan, fully expecting the Duke to lunge forward and commit murder on his own front steps.

Smith, however, was a man completely lacking in survival instincts. Or perhaps he simply knew that since his job was done, the Duke could not actually harm him without causing a massive scandal.

Smith turned away from Delaney and faced Rowan.

He saw the murderous glare. He saw the crossed arms. He saw the sheer size of the angry Duke. But Smith simply smiled his charming, arrogant smile.

He took a step back, sweeping his hat through the air again.

"Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, Your Grace," Smith said cheerfully, bowing to the furious man. "You have a beautiful home. And a truly lovely... cousin."

Rowan did not speak. He simply continued to glare, projecting a silent, deadly threat that promised immense pain if the actor did not leave the property in the next five seconds.

Smith took the hint. He placed his hat back on his head, gave one final, cheerful wave to the Duchess, and turned around. He walked down the stone steps with a light, bouncy stride, whistling a happy tune as he headed down the gravel path toward the main road to catch a hired hackney carriage.

He bowed and left.

The terrace was suddenly very quiet. Aunt Margery took Fifi back inside the house to find a warm spot by the fire. Rowan, still vibrating with suppressed jealousy, turned on his heel without saying a single word to Delaney or his sister. He marched back into the manor.

Delaney let out a long, shaky breath and quickly followed him inside, eager to escape the cold morning wind.

Ines remained outside.

She stood alone on the wide stone terrace, her dark red shawl wrapping tightly around her shoulders. She stared down the long, empty gravel driveway where the Farrington carriage had disappeared.

The exit of the actor and the amusing jealousy of her brother faded completely from her mind.

She was still pondering on what Celine said.

Please tell your brother not to sign anything.

The words echoed over and over in the Duchess’s mind. She frowned deeply. The wind pulled at her hair, but she did not notice the cold. She realized that Rowan had been keeping a secret. She could feel it in her bones. He had been unusually tense, unusually angry, and incredibly defensive over the last few days.

"What have you done, Rowan?" Ines whispered to the empty air.