A Duchess Enraged (18 page)

"Good morning,
Your Grace," said Allegra crisply.

He nodded at her, and
continued to eat. His head was pounding from the brandy he had consumed the
night before and he felt oddly uncomfortable about his night with Louisa, as
though he had touched something unclean. Allegra gave him a look of disdain and
seated herself. Her breakfast of fruit and toast was served to her, and the
servants departed.

Silence reigned.
Emily entered, all unaware of the situation in the room.

"Good morning,
my children," she said. "Did you have a pleasant time at the ball
last night?"

Allegra and Adam
glared at each other. Neither responded. Emily sighed.

"Come now, Adam,
do tell me what has occurred. Surely you two are not quarrelling again?"

"I am not
quarrelling, Mother," said Adam. "I have merely discovered that my
wife prefers other gentlemen to myself. I made the mistake of attempting to
stop her from sharing her favors, and she became angry with me. In the future
she may do as she pleases."

Allegra threw down
her toast. "I? I have done nothing. It is you who gossip about me in the
most despicable manner. I will not be treated so! I have rights as your wife,
which should be respected."

"Rights as my
wife? What rights do you have, when you give your affections to any man who
comes your way?" demanded Adam.

"Just because
you cannot be constant does not mean that I am cut of the same cloth,"
said Allegra. "You treat me as a mere plaything, to use as you please, and
you go off and do not return all night!"

"If I didn't
return last night, it was only because I feared to find you in another man's
arms. I did not think I could stand to see that one more time! Isn't twice
enough for you?"

"If you found me
in another man's arms, perhaps it was because you find more pleasure with
another woman than with me!" said Allegra. "I will not play second
fiddle to Lady Manning!"

"That again?"
said Adam. "At least Lady Manning has the advantage over you of
discretion!"

"Discretion? You
feel you and your...your mistress are discreet! I could scarcely be less
discreet than you. You flaunt her in my face, and allow her to abuse me in
public!"

"You do more
damage to your own reputation than anyone else could. I find you in Gresham's
arms, and you whine to me of Lady Manning? At least I have never embraced her
at a ball," responded Adam with cold fury. "And now, Allegra, I will
no longer tolerate this aggravation. Mama, I am going out. This woman may be my
wife, but I will no longer brook her inconstancies. I will be repairing to my
hunting lodge for some time. Ask the servants to make arrangements." He
turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

Emily stared after
him, amazement on her face.

"Allegra, what
has happened? You two were so fond of one another at Gravesmere. Surely that
hasn't changed?"

"Your son has
deceived me, Mama," she said. "He led me to believe he cared for me
and he does not, not one whit. I am nothing to him but a brood mare, a place to
plant his seed. I will not be insulted in this manner. I hope he never
returns." Allegra marched from the room.

Emily sank back into
her chair, stunned. She knew she was unable to cope with these new developments
by herself. She had tried so long to reconcile Allegra and Adam, and had
believed she had succeeded. And now all seemed to be in ruins. She could make
no sense of what they said, but she thought perhaps there was one that could.
She repaired to the morning room and seated herself at her desk. She pulled
paper and pen towards her and began to write.

"Dear
Caroline..." she began.

An Indecent Proposal

The Countess of
Eskmaine entered her mother's sitting room to find the dowager duchess
reclining on the couch, the curtains drawn and her smelling salts close at
hand. "Goodness, Mother, whatever are you about?" asked Caroline,
pulling a chair up next to the settee and sitting down. "I've just
received this note from you, but I can't make heads or tails out of it. What
has occurred to make you so incoherent?"

Emily sat up and
reached for her daughter's hand.

"Oh, my dear, I
don't know what can be done. It's all most distressing," she moaned.

"What is most
distressing? Really, Mama, I can't help you if you won't explain. I gather from
your scribblings that Allegra and Adam have had another fight, but as that is
too commonplace an occurrence to be taken note of, I can't imagine what you
want of me."

The Dowager clutched
her smelling salts. "Oh Caroline, it isn't simply another fight. Adam
swears he will go away and not return to live in the same house as Allegra, and
she is so angry I fear she may do something foolish. I don't know what the
problem is; neither will explain it to me. And I was so sure that all was well!
At Gravesmere they were like lovebirds, spending all their days together, and I
know Adam slept in her bed each night."

Caroline shook her
head. "Did they manage so well at Gravesmere? I'm surprised, but
pleasantly so. It's good to know that there's some affection between them.
Doubtless that's why they fought so bitterly this time. When one's affections
are engaged, then one feels hurt much more deeply."

Emily brightened.
"That's very true, Caroline. Perhaps this is no more than one of their
usual disagreements, but a fondness for one another had made them
angrier." But then her face fell. "And yet, I cannot think this is
naught but a minor problem. Adam is adamant that he will no longer share a
house with her, for even another day, and Allegra swears he has deceived her
and she doesn't care if he ever returns."

"Goodness,"
said Caroline. "What fire-eaters. I doubt I have the energy any longer to
indulge in such emotion. Did they say anything else that might inform you of
the problem?"

"They appear to
each feel the other's affection is claimed by another," said Emily slowly.
"Allegra, of course, is jealous of that dreadful Manning creature, and
Adam seems to be upset about Lord Gresham. Why, I can't imagine, for he comes
here no more often than any of her other admirers."

Caroline laughed.
"If Adam can think that Lord Gresham is a threat to him, then surely his
affections are engaged. Only a man in love could suspect a hardened
sophisticate like Gresham would be interested in such an innocent as Allegra.
The man might be a scoundrel, but he dallies only with women who are up to
snuff. This argues well for the future, Mama."

"But Caroline,
if they refuse to see one another, there will be no future," said Emily.
"I can't be easy about this. I am sure it is much more than previous
quarrels. You did not hear them at breakfast; such shouting and fury! It quite
unnerved me."

"At breakfast,
yet," said Caroline, with a touch of amusement. "What a distressing
time of day to be fighting."

Emily sighed.
"This is no time for levity, Caroline."

"On the
contrary, Mama, had Adam and Allegra each a bit more sense of humor, the
situation might not be so dire." Caroline patted her mother's hand.
"Come, don't fret. I'll do what I can to mend the situation. I doubt that
all is beyond repair. Where is Adam? He hasn't already left, has he?"

Emily shuddered.
"Not yet, but I suspect he will be gone soon. He's in his study, sulking
dreadfully. I haven't had the courage to approach him."

"Well, then I
must," said Caroline. "I will sacrifice myself on the altar of
familial duty." She hugged her mother and stood up. "Don't worry,
Mama. I'll untangle this coil for you, and hopefully all will be well."

"Thank you, my
dear," said the Dowager. "I'm grateful to you. To be honest, I simply
cannot endure any more of their tantrums."

Caroline laughed at
that, and settled the Dowager back on the couch, arranging a shawl over her
feet and sending a servant for some tea. Then she took herself off to Adam's
study, where she found her brother seated at his desk, a dreadful scowl on his
face and a bottle of brandy at his elbow. The elegance of the room's carpets
and furnishings were somewhat at odds with the duke's disheveled appearance.
His hair had somehow become disarranged, and his foaming lace cravat looked as
though someone had been tugging at it fiercely. The room was littered about
with paper and books. He looked up with a frown when Caroline entered.

"Good morning,
Adam," she said cheerfully. "How are you today?"

Adam scowled.
"What are you doing here, Caroline?"

"How rude you
are, Adam," she said calmly. "You should greet your sister with more
affection, or at least better manners, I believe."

Adam looked
shamefaced. Just because his marriage was a shambles was no reason to be rude
to his sister. "I'm happy to see you, Caroline. What business do you have
here at Gravesmere House?"

"I could say
that I'm visiting merely for the pleasure of your company, but I daresay you
wouldn't believe it. Nor would your company be at all pleasurable, if the
states of your dress and this room are to be believed. Brandy after breakfast,
Adam? Isn't that a bit unappetizing?"

"Mother sent for
you, didn't she?" Adam burst out. "She refuses to believe that
Allegra and I simply cannot deal together as man and wife, that this ridiculous
marriage was doomed from the outset. Believe me, Caro, you're wasting your time
if you think you're going to reconcile me to that--" He paused, frowning.

"That
what?" asked Caroline. "What has Allegra done to set you off so?
Really, Adam, you're acting like a child."

Adam made an angry
noise. "I'm not the child in this situation, Caroline. Allegra has behaved
disgracefully. At Gravesmere I was led to believe that she was a young woman
with a sense of the duty she owed her position, but last night I found her in
the arms of not one, but two different men!"

"You shock
me," said Caroline comfortably. "What can have driven her to such desperate
behavior?"

"Nothing drove
her to it but her own vicious spirit," said Adam heatedly.

"Come, Adam,
let's not be foolish. I would describe Allegra as heedless, and perhaps a bit
too flirtatious at times, but certainly not vicious. Her actions would appear
to be those of a woman who thought herself scorned. What did you do to provoke
such behavior?"

Adam was deeply
affronted. He stood up and paced back and forth across the fine Aubusson
carpet. "I've done nothing, I swear it. I asked her to dance with me, and
she fled immediately to the arms of another man. I've been totally deceived in
her. It appears that her attentions to me at Gravesmere were given out of
boredom, when she had not her beaux to lavish attention upon her."

Caroline watched him,
an equal measure of fondness and contempt in her eyes. "And I have no
doubt that you are now finding consolation in the arms of your charming friend,
Lady Manning. You and Allegra have made a pretty hash of this matter. It would
be your just desserts if I didn't attempt to reconcile you."

Gravesmere glared at
her. "Don't meddle where you aren't wanted, Caroline. I won't be here to
be reconciled with Allegra. I plan to leave immediately for my hunting lodge,
where I can find some peace and quiet."

"A hunting lodge?
In the middle of the Season? Adam, please try not to be more of a fool than you
must. All the world already gossips about you endlessly. If you go tearing off
to your hunting lodge, you will look more of an idiot than ever."

Gravesmere grimaced.
"Perhaps you're right. But I can't continue this life with Allegra. Mayhap
I will remain in London this Season, but I plan to end this absurd marriage, if
at all possible. At the least we shall be separated. I will not bind myself my
whole life to someone like her."

"You would free
yourself of her in order to bind yourself to one such as Louisa Manning?"
said Caroline contemptuously. "You're blind, brother."

"I'm not so
blind that I can't see that Allegra and I are totally unsuited to each other.
It will be better for us both if we part."

"How noble of
you, Adam. Of course, dragging the family through an endless scandal would be a
definite improvement over the current situation. Well, I will leave you to your
morbid reflections. If you should happen to come to your senses, do let me
know." Caroline swept out of the room, not knowing whether to be alarmed
or amused. Her brother's histrionics were entertaining, but the situation was
serious.

In the morning room,
Allegra sat nervously attempting to read a novel. She had started the first
page several times without once remembering a word she had read. She flung it
down petulantly and gazed out the window. A gray London sky met her eyes, and
it matched the heaviness in her heart. The happy days she had spent at Gravesmere
seemed a century away. Any warmth of feeling Adam might have had for her was
now surely extinguished, leaving Lady Manning victorious. She could perceive no
future for herself except one of misery.

The door opened and a
footman entered. "Lord Gresham, Your Grace," he announced.

Tristan strode into
the room, an expression of concern on his handsome face.

Allegra looked up,
startled. "My lord! You shouldn't have come here."

Tristan smiled at her
warmly and kissed her hand. "And why not, Your Grace? Despite your
husband's unkind accusations, we have nothing to be ashamed of. I won't
willingly give up your company when there is no reason for me to be deprived of
it. I was concerned for your well-being, and nothing but seeing you myself
could assure me that you are well."

His air of ease was
comforting, and Allegra managed a wan smile. "You're very kind, my lord.
My health is excellent, thank you."

 "I'm reassured.
Unfortunately, your cheeks are missing their customary bloom. I hope that
Gravesmere has not been unkind to you."

Allegra looked down.
"My husband refuses to believe that there was nothing in what he saw last
night, my lord. Your presence here would only annoy him further."

"It angers me
that he should think ill of you, Your Grace," said Tristan. "It's a
poor sort of affection which is easily overset by something as small as last
night's events."

"Adam's
affections are not engaged by me, as I am sure you are aware."

Tristan looked at
Allegra's downcast face and felt a surge of triumph. This was going to be a
ridiculously easy seduction. Her pride was clearly hurt, her tender feelings
for her husband shaken. At first he had feared that the Gravesmeres
’
apparent rapprochement of last week
would make his task more difficult, but now he could see that Adam's trampling
on his wife's newly awakened affection simply made her ripe for the plucking.
She should fall easily into his hands, a prospect he looked forward to eagerly.

"Your
Grace," he said, his voice gentle, with just the right hint of sympathy.
"I would ease your pain if I could."

Allegra made a
conscious effort to gather herself together. "It's kind of you to be
concerned for me, my lord, but I mustn't bore you with my problems. I doubt
that my company is bringing you much pleasure today."

"Any time I have
with you is a pleasure," responded Tristan. "If I had my choice, I
would never be out of your company."

Allegra looked up,
startled, and saw sincerity in his eyes. She caught her breath. That Tristan, a
man she had never sought to attract, should be so eager to make her happy, and
her own husband should not care for her, was the cruelest twist of fate. It was
enough to drive a woman to distraction.

"That's a kind
thought, my lord, but not a practical one. You would be best served if you left
me to my own difficulties and sought the company of others. If Adam continues
on the path he has chosen, I'll doubtless be the topic of some very unpleasant
gossip soon."

Tristan took her hand
and looked into her eyes. "Your Grace, I don't care what your husband or
the world think of you. I know you to be an honorable woman, and no one can
convince me otherwise."

Allegra blinked back
tears. "Lord Gresham, you should not speak to me so. I appreciate your
kindness, but I must deal with Adam alone."

"I wish I could
do more to aid you." Tristan said. "If your position becomes
impossible, I would gladly take you from here and protect you."

Allegra's eyes
widened with shock. "Lord Gresham! You cannot possibly mean what I think I
am hearing. Are you suggesting that I leave Gravesmere and elope with
you?"

Tristan patted her
hand. He doubted that Allegra was likely to flee with him unless her situation
grew very much worse, but he was sure the suggestion would appeal to her
romantic nature. And if she did take him up on his offer, he could easily
imagine being amused by her for several months before their ways parted.
"If Gravesmere cannot treat you with the respect you merit, he doesn't
deserve you. If you like I will take you away from here and give you the sort
of life you can enjoy."