The Devious Duchess Read Free

wasn’t there either. A sense of alarm began to grow, but before it became serious, the duchess came into the saloon. Her gray complexion had turned livid from the cold.
    “You’ll have to excuse Deirdre tonight, Belami,” she said. “We’ve just heard from the groom that her dog died, and she’s gone upstairs in tears.”
    “I’m very sorry to hear it,” he replied. His first sensation was relief that he wouldn’t have to be the one to tell her, but almost immediately another thought occurred to him. “We’ve just heard,” her grace said, yet Charney had actually known it for a little while now.
    “Old age, was it?” he asked.
    “Indeed it was, and a blessing, too, if you want my opinion. The animal was lame and ulcerated, and, besides, he ate like a horse. She had the absurd notion of bringing the hound into the house! Why, he’d have made a wicked mess of things,” she said, apparently failing to observe that things were already in a fine mess.
    “I’ll try to cheer her up,” Belami said.
    “You’re just the one who can do it, rascal!” She poked him in the ribs with the end of her fan and smiled, revealing a set of aged and yellowing teeth.
    She glanced at the table and saw the cards laid out. For a minute, Belami feared he would have to spend the remainder of the evening playing with the duchess. It wasn’t her habit of cheating that bothered him so much as her choice of game. Neither all fours nor Pope Joan appealed to him in the least. He was relieved when she expressed herself fatigued with the day’s journey and said she would retire.
    “I suggest you do the same thing, Belami.”
    She began extinguishing lamps as she spoke, which left him little alternative but to go to his room. She didn’t quite achieve her aim of saving candles, however. Belami wrote letters till ten-thirty, at which time he sneaked down to the kitchen and begged a ham sandwich from the servants. He had a winning way with servants. Under his blandishments, the ham was not slivered in the customary Fernvale manner but sliced thick. When he mentioned a dislike of blue milk, the servant even added a portion of cream and stirred it up for him.
    This easing of his hunger pangs permitted him to sleep, but Deirdre lay awake for a long time. She wished she had seen Shep just once more before he died. She knew he was old and no longer healthy, but she had not suspected for a single moment that the time left to him was so short. He had been the closest thing to a friend she had had when she was growing up. Shep had been her companion in her rambles over the estate.
    But eventually her mind turned to other matters. They had come to Fernvale to put a damper on Nevil’s schemes to make up to Dudley. Now that Nevil had left, there was no need to remain. She and Belami could get married quite soon and begin their planned trip to Italy. Italy with Belami—how exciting it would be! Venice and Rome and Florence. But first she’d have to get some gowns made up. On these happy thoughts, she finally drifted offto sleep.
     

Chapter 2
     
    The duchess had spartan ideas with regard to nourishment. Ever since her teeth had become loose, she took gruel for breakfast, and it was a bowl of gray, coagulating gruel that was set in front of Belami when he joined her and Deirdre at the table. He suddenly found himself not at all hungry and settled for coffee. Deirdre was ashamed of the meager meal and cast an embarrassed smile at him.
    “I’ve written up a note to Dudley, which I would like you to deliver for me this morning, children,” the duchess declared, baring her teeth at the thirty-year-old baron. “It’s a fine day, and the walk will set up your appetite for lunch. A pity you couldn’t eat your breakfast, Belami, but a walk in the brisk air will do you any amount of good. Oh, and Deirdre, tell Dudley he needn’t write a reply. You will just wait and hear his answer. No point ordering all the items I shall require if he don’t