It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden

he’s still in love with her, too, and that’s why he never goes out. Could you imagine how cruel it would be to live so near your heart’s desire and know you were doomed never to have it? And she, of course, is forbidden to see him or speak to him, which must be why she’s never married even though she’s at least a year older than I am.”
    There was a moment of shocked silence. “Well,” said Penelope at last. “How melodramatic.”
    Lucy shook her head with a sad sigh. “Isn’t it? And she’s such a lovely girl and so sweet. It’s so dreadful to hear such tragic scandals connected to her name.”
    “But not too dreadful to repeat them,” said Penelope under her breath as she jumped to her feet. Fortunately their guest didn’t appear to hear. “Enough of that gloomy topic. Miss Walgrave, would you care to see the Fragrant Walk?”
    Lucy looked a little disappointed that the gossip was over. “I don’t want to trouble you  . . .”
    “It would be no trouble at all.” Penelope summoned a gracious smile. “Come, you’ll adore it. My brother declares he’s never seen a more romantic spot in his life.”
    Miss Walgrave brightened. “Does he? Why, I must see it, then.”
    Abigail shot a grateful look at her sister as their guest gathered her shawl. She knew very well Penelope was luring the other girl away to give her time to digest that last shocking tidbit in peace. Her sister merely smiled and linked arms with Miss Walgrave, baldly lying about Jamie’s interest in the Fragrant Walk, which Abigail had never once heard him mention. It would serve him right if Penelope set every young lady in town on him; Jamie had refused to attend any of Mama’s entertainments, which had somehow only made him more appealing in the eyes of the local unmarried ladies.
    But it seemed Mr. Vane might have a different reason for avoiding social occasions. Good heavens; murder and thieving and a broken heart. Could he really be so in love with Lady Samantha after so many years that he couldn’t bear to see her? Abigail tried to consider it analytically and suppress any sort of unpleasant feeling. It was possible, she decided, although not very likely. If Mr. Vane really couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Lady Samantha even in passing on the street, he would do much better to sell his house and live somewhere else. It didn’t seem as though he had many friends in Richmond to exert any hold on him. And seven years was a long time to shut one’s self away from all society. Abigail allowed that she might be more passionate in her feelings than some, but she couldn’t imagine any unrequited infatuation being enough nourishment for her soul over the course of one year, let alone seven.
    The rest was much more serious, of course. Could he have killed his father? She didn’t want to believe that. Perhaps it had been an accident . . . She didn’t know what to make of the stolen money, but she had noticed that Miss Walgrave’s telling of that portion was couched more as supposition than fact. There must be more to the story, and she hated to convict a man based on gossip, especially from such an enthusiast as Miss Walgrave. She thought of the way Mr. Vane threw the charges in her face the other day. Surely only a man of ice-cold blood and iron nerve could bring up his crimes in that way.
    She stood and headed toward the house, taking her time. Even if Miss Walgrave had been exaggerating, there was something in Lady Samantha’s demeanor that made Abigail think part of the story might have a germ of truth. Lady Samantha did grow pale every time Mr. Vane was mentioned. She defended him when everyone else seemed quite happy to malign him or ignore him. And there had been that look her sister, Lady Turley, gave her when Penelope first mentioned Mr. Vane at the Westons’ ball. It had been concern, as if Lady Turley feared for Lady Samantha’s well-being. For a moment Abigail wished she could see Lady Samantha and Mr. Vane