Chapter 18
430 Words
Joan entered Lord Hugh's home.
"Your home, let me say is one of the best aristocratic ones. A touch of richness, and the perfect lustre of allure" Joan said.
They were in Lord Hugh's study, and Hugh was taking out some paper, quill and ink.
Hugh turned behind, smiled at her and said "I love my home too. No place like it."
Joan smiled at his comment and made herself comfortable by settling on the sofa.
Hugh was by her side, the next moment, talking to himself about the delicate quills he possessed.
Hugh settled across her, on the divan, the table a barrier amidst them.
Joan was rather thankful for the table, because she didn't need his nearness to intimidate her, and knock even the tiniest of her senses alive.
"Lady Joan" Hugh said and shuffled the papers before settling them on the desk "shall I disclose my main plan?"
Joan smiled and nodded with visible excitement, and vigor.
"See" Hugh said "firstly we have to make sure William isn't aware of our plan. He surely might possess the ability to destroy our plan, let me tell you. So my main plan is, to find out the people who hate you."
Joan arched her brows, as her mouth settled into a firm line, then she said "by that, what do you mean?"
"Umm, do you hate anyone in the ton?" Hugh asked.
Joan laughed "legion."
"And, and, do you ever feel like smacking them?" Hugh questioned.
"All the time" Joan admitted.
"And what about the ones you hate a lot?" Hugh asked carefully.
Joan crumpled her face and shrugged "I feel like tossing them out of my lives."
"Exactly" Hugh said with a triumphant smile "you must be having someone who loathes you, or someone who is just jealous of you or whatsoever. That person hates you and decided to take some revenge. So that person ruined Belle's name and hurled the blame on you. And we have to find that person."
Joan nodded "but.....why didn't that person ruin my reputation instead?"
Hugh considered it "that person must have thought that hurling the blame on you was much more likely to make your life a threat for you."
Joan bit her lip "why am I getting the intuition that this all might lead us to nowhere?"
Hugh scrunched his nose "negativity?"
Joan rose, and walked to the window sill "this won't work out."
Hugh looked in her direction and quirked a brow.
Joan turned her back to him and said "because I think the secret lies beyond our capabilities."
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