The Duke's Undoing (Three Rogues and Their Ladies) (14 page)

“That will be all, Miss?”

“Yes, Bates. We will manage from here. Good night.”

The butler left.

“Last night,” Elise said, after sipping her tea, “Robert brought up the war yet again. On that occasion your feelings were quite violent, I think. I shouldn’t wonder if you actually were ill because of them.”

The duke did not answer but stood and walked about the room. Finally, laying his arm across the mantle, he said, “I’m afraid I don’t want to talk about this, Elise. It is not good
ton
.”

“You must think of another excuse, Your Grace. When did you ever concern yourself with being good
ton
?”

“It is not a laughing matter, and you are very young. I would not let you see the reality of what I see in unguarded moments for any price. It was to counteract my reaction to that hideous view that your Joshua first began to divert me with stories of you.”

Smitten with remorse, she said, “I am sorry to have raised bad memories. Pray, forgive me. I was only trying to understand.”

“I think it’s time you went upstairs, Elise.”

She rose. The anger had disappeared, and the duke appeared to be sunk in gloom as he raised the decanter once more. He did not look up after pouring himself a generous splash of liquor, instead holding the glass in both hands as he appeared to study it, obviously seeing something else.

Contrite and not knowing how to redirect his thoughts, she walked quietly to him and standing on tip toes, pressed a single kiss on his cheek. Then she left him with his thoughts.

It was a long time before she was able to sleep.

IN WHICH HIS GRACE IS CHALLENGED YET AGAIN

While breakfasting alone the next morning, the three ladies having gone out shopping with their groom for protection, his grace was informed that the Earl of Waterford had called and was awaiting him in the navy sitting room. Telling Bates to inform his lordship that he was still at breakfast and would be with him presently, the duke poured himself another cup of coffee and cut into the sirloin in front of him. What a bore Waterford was! Why had not the Runners found the fellow yet?

I will do what I can to rid Elise of this dangerous fellow for good. It is past time that I left here and got back to my own pursuits
.

Memories of the night before were still painful to him. He had come far too close to confiding in his pretended fiancée. She was exceedingly deft at divining the truths that he was at pains to conceal from the world. And that kiss she had given him—she pitied him! Never in his life had he been an object of pity. He was very glad she had taken herself off this morning with her equally perspicacious aunt.

All at once, unable to stomach the red meat before him, Ruisdell gulped down the coffee and went to deal with Robert, Earl of Waterford.

“Good morning, Waterford,” he greeted the man who was frowning out at the view from the window.

“Elise is not here,” the visitor said.

“No. I believe she is out shopping with her aunt. Buying her trousseau, you know.”

“She cannot marry you.”

“And why not?” the duke asked wearily.

“Because you will sully her. You are a profligate, a gambler, and a perishing Tory. What did you mean by giving me the cut direct at the Sumner ball?”

“If you have come here to seek an apology, you will not get it. What is more, I intend to marry Elise. It suits me to do so. For her part, she longs to be a duchess, you know. And she has said she will not mind my little
affaires
. I could not ask for a better wife!”

In a moment, Waterford was upon him, his hands about the duke’s throat, strangling him with his manic strength. Ruisdell brought his arms up between the earl’s and, using his superior skill, knocked him smartly on the chin and forced his arms away. Then he dealt him another hard blow with his fist, knocking his visitor to the floor.

“You will meet me for this!” Waterford said, getting to his feet.

“Gladly,” the duke answered. “My seconds will call on you this evening, if the Bow Street Runners don’t pick you up in the meantime. The magistrate set them onto you, you know, when you exited by the window. Where are you staying?”

“With the Red Breasts after me, do you think I would tell you? You hope to escape this duel. Our seconds can meet at the Green Lantern in Islington this evening. Pistols are agreeable to me. I am well known at Manton’s as a crack shot. We will meet at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow. First light.”

“And where is this agreeable event to take place?”

“Hounslow Heath. The clearing at the north end. And if Bow Street shows up at the meeting, I’ll take them out as well.”

“Sir, you are indeed intrepid. Or foolhardy. I expect the latter. I have just come home from the war, you know. And not to put too fine a point on it, I dispatched quite a number of Frenchmen.”

“Well, I ain’t French.” So saying, the earl exited.

The duke breathed a sigh of relief as he watched him leave. He was very glad Elise was not at home. He would dispatch the earl at 5:30 tomorrow morning, and that would be that.

Now, what? Since the earl had made his appearance, he did not think he would be back today. And he disliked the idea of spending such a fine June morning indoors. Going upstairs to his chamber, he changed into riding breeches, topcoat, and boots, not even bothering to call Richards to assist him. He wanted to be out of the house before Elise returned. His stallion, Jupiter, needed a long gallop, as did he. The road to Richmond beckoned.

As he rode, his superb animal taking the road beneath him at full gallop, he thought again of his conversation with Elise the night before. He knew she guessed at least part of the truth. But no one in this country, save the soldiers, really had any idea of what had transpired during the Peninsular fighting. He had a sudden longing he never could have anticipated for the field hospital where he had lain, recovering from the surgery that had removed the ball embedded in his shin bone. There had been a comradeship there that could not possibly exist anywhere else. The men occupying the cots on both sides of him had suffered amputations. Though dosed with laudanum, they still cried out amid nightmare memories of the dead men and horses that had been pulled off the top of them. There was nothing glorious about war. People here at home did not understand that.

But he had to give Elise credit. She had seen the suffering of the wounded foot soldiers who lay starving in the streets of the East End. She had very practically done something about it. And she had gone about it sensibly, too. She was truly relieving suffering. He supposed he ought to give Chessingden credit, as well, for rounding up the patrons for her project. However, the viscount puffed it off to his own political advantage.
Lud
,
I can’t stomach the man
. Even after her explanation, he still wondered how such a jewel of a woman could consider marrying such specimens as Waterford and Chessingden after someone like Beynon.

Arriving in Richmond, he circled the park at an easy canter. There were many groups of picnickers enjoying the sunny day with their hampers of food from Fortnum and Mason. Under an aged chestnut tree, he discovered George and pulled Jupiter up to the fencepost. No time like the present to get this duel business taken care of.

His friend sighted him and met him halfway on the velvety carpet of lawn. “Ruisdell. Didn’t think you’d make it.”

“Oh, I didn’t know I’d been invited. I’ve been staying at Miss Edwards’s, you know. This Waterford business.”

“Thought you might have stayed away. Lady Marianne.”

“The devil! Well, I must talk to you, and then I’ll be off. Perhaps she won’t see me.”

His hope was vain. As he was discussing the details of his upcoming duel with Waterford, desiring George to meet with the earl’s second at the Green Lantern, a group of women in dampened gauzy muslin gowns tripped across the lawn towards him. He could see every detail of Marianne’s delectable body through the thin gauze. Memories of nights past rose in his own body, contrary to his will.
Confound it!

They were giggling and whispering, and as he could have predicted, Marianne came straight to him and coyly slipped her hand through his arm, pressing her overflowing breasts against him with supreme confidence in her allure. “I thought you weren’t the marrying kind, hmmm? I had a nice chat with that schoolroom miss you’re engaged to, Ruisdell.”

He looked down into the mischievous face turned up to him. Her lips may have been smiling, but her eyes were hard and bright.

“Oh, yes,” Miss Clarendon urged him. “Tell us all about Miss Edwards. I wouldn’t call her a schoolroom miss, Marianne. It seems to me that she’s had several fiancés already.” A tall, willowy brunette, Katherine Clarendon was one of the
ton’s
great gossips and an intimate friend of Marianne.

Another friend, Miss Hermione Stokes, a plain girl with a vast inheritance, spoke up. “Yes. Just the other day she was engaged to that dreamy Viscount Chessingden! Did you cut him out, Your Grace?”

For Elise’s sake, he smiled. “Dear me, was that such a Herculean feat?”

“Well, he has a very good reputation,” Miss Clarendon said. “He’s excellent
ton
, whereas you, Your Grace, have just left our dear Marianne in the basket in the cruelest way!”

“We were never engaged,” he said. Looking down at the limpet on his arm, he asked, “Were we, dear lady?”

“Well,” she huffed. “Not precisely.”

“She waited three years for you to come home from the Peninsula, Your Grace,” Miss Stokes said sharply. “She was certainly under the impression you meant to marry her.”

“And just how many beds did she warm in the meantime? I imagine that of her new fiancé, the French
duc
, was surely among them.”

Lady Marianne was quick to change the subject. “Miss Elise Edwards gave me to understand that you would soon be a free man once again. I think she means to give you a taste of your own medicine.”

“Bravo for Miss Edwards,” Hermione Stokes cheered.

“You have been misinformed about something,” he said smoothly, moving away from his former mistress and donning his beaver top hat. “She has had three fiancés, not two. I am honored to make up number four. A truly remarkable woman.”

Lifting Marianne’s hand with a thumb and forefinger from his sleeve where it clung as though it were a crab, he bade them all a pleasant good day. Having concluded his business with George, he made his way back to Jupiter. He was aware of three pair of eyes boring holes into the back of his riding jacket.

IN WHICH LADY HATCHET MAKES HER APPEARANCE

Elise, Sukey, and Aunt Clarice arrived home, after luncheon followed by ices at Gunter’s, to the unexpected news that not only was the duke out for the afternoon but her ladyship, Elise’s mother, was installed in the pink saloon awaiting their return.

“Did the duke say when he would be back?” Elise asked. Feelings jumbled inside her—annoyance at the duke for deserting her, gratitude that he was not on hand when her mother arrived, worry that Robert might make an unwelcome visit, and, of course, trepidation at her mother’s arrival.

Divesting herself of her bonnet and gloves, she followed her aunt and Sukey up to the pink saloon. She found the imposing figure of Lady William ensconced on the sofa, pillows at her back, her legs raised along the sofa’s length and covered discreetly with a bed sheet.

“I’ve come to see that matters are set straight before they get any further out of hand,” Lady William announced.

“Hello, Elspeth,” Lady Clarice greeted her sister-in-law. “Have you everything you need? May I order you some tea and crumpets, perhaps?”

“I just had a scratch luncheon,” Lady William said. “Where have you been?”

Sukey, never put out of countenance by Elise’s mother, informed her, “We have had a delightful morning in Bond Street shopping for fripperies, followed by luncheon and ices at Gunter’s. It is such a warm day for June, and the ices were heaven!”’

“I had your repulsive tortoise removed from this room,” Elise’s mother said. “I do not know where Bates has put him. Somewhere with that yowling cat, I suppose.”

Aunt Clarice could tolerate most things from her sister-in-law, but criticism of Queen Elizabeth inevitably got her back up. She instantly left the room in search of her Siamese.

Sukey and Elise seated themselves in chairs across from Lady William. Elise knew that Sukey’s continued presence was to keep her mother from bullying her and her aunt. She was appreciative.

“Well, miss,” Lady William said to Elise. “I see that you have been making a mess out of your life, as always.”

Elise raised her chin. “I do not know what you mean.”

“This business with the viscount. I thought it was settled that you were to be married in Shropshire at Christmas. I have traveled a considerable distance, at great inconvenience to myself and against Doctor Samuels’s express wishes, in order to regularize the situation. I insist that Chessingden be sent for immediately to give me an account of himself.” So saying, she rang the bell that Bates had placed within her reach. “I suppose he is at Brook’s at this time of day.”