Den of Thieves Read Free Page B

hanging out and his cravat untied. He never liked conforming to the high standards expected of the heir to a dukedom.
    â€˜Lizzie, Cat, tell Pedro that it went through!’ Frank appealed to us.
    â€˜I’m not getting involved,’ said Lizzie wisely,waving her fan at her brother. ‘Both of you need your heads examining, if you ask me, for standing out there in that heat for so long.’
    â€˜Cat! You tell him.’
    I laughed. ‘You are an outrageous cheat, Frank. It missed by inches. Just because you were blocking the hoop from Pedro’s view, doesn’t mean we don’t know what you were up to.’
    Frank threw his mallet on to the ground in a huff. ‘I tell you, it went through as sweet as a nut. If you were a boy again, Cat, I’d beat you for calling me a cheat.’
    â€˜Frank!’ exclaimed Lizzie. ‘When are you going to start treating Cat properly?’ Frank shrugged and helped himself to a glass of sherbet. ‘I’m serious,’ Lizzie continued. ‘You’ve set the tone with the servants, you know – they all treat her like an honorary boy in the house, taking all sorts of liberties with her.’
    Frank gave me a quick look then turned away to watch Pedro who was collecting up the balls with his mallet. ‘What sort of liberties?’ he asked stiffly.
    â€˜Lizzie, it’s nothing –,’ I tried to interrupt. I knew what she was going to say and blushed to be reminded of my latest indiscretion. There was something about being in the splendid surroundings of the Duke of Avon’s residence that made me incapable of behaving as I knew I should.
    â€˜No, he should hear what he’s done,’ said Lizzie firmly. ‘Only last week, Joseph jumped out on her in the library and pushed her along on one of the ladders so she fell off and broke Father’s bust of Voltaire.’
    Frank laughed. ‘Oh, that’s all right then. I thought you meant something far more scandalous.’
    â€˜Well, to some people that would be, Frank. And do you know what Joseph told me when I challenged him about it?’
    Frank shrugged.
    â€˜He said, in his best Joseph manner, that he “couldn’t resist it, my lady” and that he “knew Miss Catherine liked it”. In his defence, I should say he offered to pay for the breakage out of his wages. I refused, of course – the bust was an ugly thing that none of us really liked. Now don’t tellme that you haven’t encouraged your footman to behave like that?’
    â€˜Lizzie, I –’ I began.
    â€˜No, Cat, this is between me and Frank. It’s not that I want to spoil your fun but you’re both growing up fast. My brother needs to treat you with respect or, well, you might find it very difficult in the future.’
    I didn’t want to listen to her. So many things were changing; I couldn’t keep pace. Behaviour that I had got away with just six months ago was now thought immodest for a young lady of my age. Everyone seemed to expect me to grow up, make my own way.
    â€˜I’m sorry, Lizzie, I’ll try to behave better when I’m at your house,’ I said, unsuccessfully trying to hide my frustration.
    â€˜Oh Cat, I’m not scolding you,’ said Lizzie with a smile. ‘We all like you as you are. I’m just trying to drum some manners into my incorrigible brother.’
    â€˜I stand corriged,’ said Frank with a bow. ‘Miss Royal, if you would be so kind as to move your delicate toes from the end of the seat so that mysitting apparatus can place itself in the shade, I would be most obliged.’
    Even I had to laugh at that. Lizzie poured two more glasses of sherbet and the four of us sat at our ease, sipping them appreciatively.
    â€˜So, you’re both leaving Drury Lane and Syd’s off on tour, is he?’ asked Frank. ‘I wish I could go with him.’
    â€˜We all seem to be on the