The Duke Conspiracy Read Free Page A

reaction, he carried on the conversation as though
he were unaffected. “She sounds like a sensible woman,” he
teased.
    “I do not know if you have met her, she has
never mentioned you. Not that I have known her for all that long,
mind you, and we rarely discuss gentlemen, particularly not dukes,”
she replied pertly before elaborating. “She was not out before she
went away to Vienna with her parents. She is just making her debut
now, even though she is a trifle old to be a debutante. She is a
delightful girl. We enjoy making fun of the Season together. She is
finding it nearly as dull as I am, although I believe it is for far
different reasons. She says life in London is not nearly as
exciting as it was in Vienna, where she has been for the past two
years with her father, who is a diplomat.”
    Lady Elizabeth paused for a moment as she
gazed at the duke with rapidly widening eyes. Her mouth fell agape
before she shut it with a snap. After swallowing a gulp of air she
continued in far different tones. “Of course you know Miss
Rosamund, how silly of me,” she prattled as she tried to change the
subject. “Is this orchestra not one of the best you have ever
heard? I must inquire of Lady Catherine where she managed to find
such accomplished musicians for her ball. I know my mama will want
to see if she can hire them for our next rout. Do you like to
attend routs, Your Grace?”
    Alex could not help admiring the young
woman's attempts at covering the awkward moment, wondering
fleetingly what she would do if he were to ask her why she was
suddenly so uncomfortable discussing Rose with him. Of course, a
gentleman ought not to put a lady to the blush, one of the myriad
lessons he had been taught from the cradle. With a silent sigh he
tried to recall what she had last asked him. Oh yes, something
about routs.
    “At times, my lady. It often depends on who
is hosting them, would you not agree? The very nature of a rout
calls for it to be quite different from hostess to hostess.”
    “Quite right, Your Grace,” Elizabeth replied
with a false little laugh. “I trust you would consider my mama and
me to be acceptable rout hostesses. Shall I put you on our guest
list?”
    “By all means,” Alex answered with a
tightening smile. Starting to find his companion to be a bit of a
trial, he was relieved to hear the end of the quadrille as the
musicians wound down to a conclusion.
    Escorting his partner back to her waiting
mama, Alex gallantly bowed over each lady's hand before making good
his escape.
    Going in search of refreshments, the duke
asked himself yet again why he bothered attending such events. It
was not as though at the age of twenty-six he was in desperate need of securing his succession. Of course, as he
knew only too well, calamities could occur even in someone's prime,
but he had several strapping young cousins who would be delighted
to take over the house of Wrentham. Well aware that the on-dit was that he was ready to settle down to matrimonial
bliss, Alex was very much of two minds on the matter.
    No, he attended such things on occasion just
to be perverse, as he had accused Lady Elizabeth of being. And out
of respect for his political connections. As he sipped from the
glass he had been handed by a passing footman, Alex wondered if it
was too early to leave without causing offense.
    With a sigh he realized that it would most
definitely be remarked upon if he departed after dancing with only
one lady. He set himself to the task of partnering many ladies so
that none would be remarkable.
    Across the ballroom Rose watched the duke's
antics with a jaundiced eye. He appeared to be having a lovely
evening as he led one lady after another onto the dance floor while
she remained firmly on the side lines. Not that she would have ever
accepted his invitation even if he had asked her to dance, but she
so wished someone would ask her, she thought with another
quickly suppressed sigh. She tried not to notice how very