Athena
Chapter 1
Still wearing a paint-spattered
smock, Miss Athena Caldwell knocked on the door to her father's study.
"You wanted to speak to me,
Papa?" Passing a mirror, she paused to smooth back the fair hair she had
bundled into a hasty chignon. There was a smudge of cyan on her cheek, but she
let it go.
"Come in, child," Sir
Edward said kindly. Athena complied, but she was instantly on the alert. Sir
Edward was not a cruel father, but he tended to neglect his brood unless he
wanted something.
Athena, who was the eldest of
the lot, had the responsibility of most of her siblings, and thought she knew
what this audience concerned. She sat down calmly in a leather chair and gazed
at her parent with bright blue eyes.
"I will not take Eve to
London for her first Season, Papa. It's your turn and you know it."
"Now, Athena, I have work
here. I'm between stewards and I have to oversee everything."
"Including the widow
renting Fairview Cottage?" she archly asked.
"Now see here, daughter -
that is none of your business!"
"Neither is puffing Eve off
in Town. You are her parent. You take her."
Athena had been presented by her
mother. Beatrice, the next daughter, had been taken to London by the baronet
and Athena as soon as they were out of mourning following Lady Caldwell's
death. Charlotte and Daphne, the next two in line, had been escorted to London
by Athena and her Aunt Florence. Athena was tired. She was not overly fond of
the capital city and wondered if Beatrice, who was a marchioness, might not be
prevailed upon.
"Surely Beatrice..."
"Beatrice says she will not
be coming to Town this year."
That figured. With a husband and
two small children, Beatrice would not want the job of dealing with a younger
sister, and this would be the easiest way to get out of what was her duty as
well as Athena's.
"Perhaps Charlotte..."
Sir Edward laughed. "You
know as well as I that Charlotte does not have the connections you do, my dear.
For that matter, neither do I," he admitted.
"Aunt Florence..." His
sister lived in London and it was at her house they always stayed.
"Too flighty. Really,
Athena, you are Eve's best chance of finding a husband. Granted, Charlotte did
not take, but neither of us expected her to. She's quite a bluestocking, isn't
she? But Daphne. Ah, you did a grand job with her, daughter. Engaged to an
earl!"
"An earl who has not
visited nor sent a letter since Christmas! I fear if something is not done
soon, she shall be engaged forever."
"Wexford will be in Town
for Parliament, I'm certain. Maybe Daphne can..."
"No!" Athena
protested. "If you want me to present Eve, it will be Eve, Aunt Florence
and I, and no one else. If Wexford is desperate to see his fiancée, we are only
a few hours from Town!" She thought perhaps the dowager countess might be
keeping the earl from his beloved, but it wasn't her problem. She had just
basically admitted she would take Eve to London.
"I knew we could work this
out amiably," the baronet was saying, returning to his desk. "Have a
good time!"
"But..."
"Excuse me, daughter, but I
have work to do. As do you, I might add..."
Athena sighed. She was having
trouble with the cook. Her only consolation at this point was that she could
forget to scold the woman for horrid meals, ensuring that food would be
unpalatable for her father while she ate well in London.
For an hour every afternoon,
Athena gathered her sisters - the ones still at home, which was all but
Beatrice - and insisted they spend time together. Her mother had done it before
her, and it was one tradition she insisted they keep. When she entered the
family parlor, however, only Charlotte sat there, calmly eating muffins and
drinking tea. Athena smiled thinly at her redheaded sister.
"Did you tell him?"
"I told him, for all the
good it did me." Athena sat down on the settle with a sigh. Charlotte gave
her a sympathizing smile and poured a cup of tea. "That means you will be
in charge of the house."
"That will not be a
problem. It runs well and will take little of my time. I might even get the
cook to earn her keep."
"No!" Athena
protested. "Let's make Papa pay for sending me to London."
"He won't be home much! You
know he has taken a liking to..." Charlotte would have said more, but Eve
stomped into the room, her arms folded, blue eyes flashing, light brown hair
flying out of its pins.
"I won't go to London,
Athena, so don't think you are taking me!" She flopped down into a chair
and refused a cup of tea.
"Have you spoken to Papa
about this?" her sister murmured.
"No, he won't see me. Says
he is too busy."
Athena and Charlotte exchanged
knowing looks just as Daphne, a blonde like her two eldest sisters, came into
the room in tears.
"Milly says Eve is to go to
London, but I cannot!" she cried. She arranged herself artfully on a
chaise and put a tiny scrap of a handkerchief to her eyes. Athena was disgusted
to see that while Daphne had been crying, she still looked beautiful.
"Your maid talks too
much," she complained. "But yes, she is correct. Eve will be going to
London..." She glared at the pouting girl. "And you will be staying
here."
"But, Wexford!"
"If Wexford misses you so
much, he is welcome to visit at any time."
"Yes, why have we not heard
from the much-vaunted Wexford lately?" Francesca asked, strolling into the
room in her riding habit, which she wore most of each day, hands in her
pockets.
"Athena!" Daphne
wailed. "Let me go with you! I won't be any trouble and I can help
introduce Eve about."
"I need you here to help
Charlotte with the house. You know she will put her nose in a book and forget
to approve menus or tell the gardener to plant roses in the snow!"
Charlotte, instead of being offended, only nodded her head in agreement and
sighed.
"But I should dearly love
to go to London myself. There is a series of lectures..."
"Athena! Athena!"
Gabrielle, the youngest child but one, ran into the room in tears. Unlike
Daphne, however, her eyes were red and her face was puffy. She threw herself on
her sister and sobbed uncontrollably. It took a few moments for Athena to calm
her down, stroking the fourteen-year-old girl's bright hair and uttering
soothing words.
"What is the matter,
dearest?"
"Papa! I just saw him in
the garden with Mrs. Browne ... They were kissing!"
"Ugh!" Fran said,
making a face. "I'm glad I did not see that. But I've had a capital idea,
Athena! Let Eve stay home and take me in her place! I would dearly love to go
riding in the park, and go to Tattersall's..."
"Ladies do not go to
Tattersall's," Daphne said with a sniff. "And you are too young. If
Eve will not go, take me. I would dearly love to see Wexford..."
"Eve is going, the rest of
you are staying home, and that is final." Athena was so adamant, her
sisters were quiet for a long while, concentrating instead on the tea and
muffins that would tide them over until dinner.
"Harry would not like Papa
kissing Mrs. Browne..." Gabby finally said. Harry was the youngest child and
only boy, away at school. That reminded Athena that a letter from her brother
had arrived in the post that morning, and she had stuffed it in a pocket, forgetting
its existence as she stole away for a few hours of painting.
"I have a letter from
Harry," she announced, pulling it out and breaking the sealing wax holding
the page closed.
"Begging to come
home?" Charlotte asked. Wishing she could have gone away to school, she
could not fathom how her brother constantly asked to return to the bosom of his
family and have a tutor instead.
"As usual," Athena
said with a sigh. "But it appears he needs the schooling. His handwriting
is atrocious." She showed the letter to Charlotte and Gabby, who sat the
closest to her, with an indulgent smile. At twelve and the only boy, her
brother was quite spoiled by his sisters.
"Do I truly have to go to
London in a few weeks?" shy Eve asked plaintively.
"Papa has spoken."
Lord Miles Fletcher, His Grace,
the Duke of Swindon, hated London. He attended every year just the same,
knowing it was his duty to sit Parliament, but he tended to limit his social
activities to strictly male pursuits. A noted Corinthian, he fenced and boxed
for pleasure and exercise, was a member of the most exclusive clubs and had a
gorgeous high-flyer for a mistress. He was constantly surrounded by people,
every one of them with his or her hand out, but he knew who his real friends
were. One of those was Lord Phillip Armstrong, the Marquess of Hayle, and his
beautiful lady, Beatrice.
"Bored already,
Miles?" Hayle said with a smile one morning as his friend was announced.
Beatrice held out her hand.
"So good to see you again,
Miles."
"I thought you were not
coming to Town, Beatrice." He had not been expecting to see the
marchioness, who had declared her second child too young for the trip up from
Cornwall. Beatrice shrugged.
"I changed my mind."
She shot her husband a glance. Athena's letter said Eve's debut was well in
hand, and she was all set to stay home when her husband announced she was going
to London to help launch her sister.
"But Athena will take care
of it," she had wailed, to no avail. "I helped with Daphne!"
"Daphne is beautiful and outgoing
and was the toast of the ton the moment she made an appearance," the
marquess had retorted. "Eve is shy and needs your assistance. Besides,
Athena has too much to do without having to puff off your sister by
herself." He was under no allusions as to Aunt Florence's aid in the
matter. The woman was too flighty above half.
In the end, her husband
prevailing, Beatrice had loaded her two children, a two-year-old son and
six-month-old daughter, with accompanying servants, into a carriage and headed
north. She would wait until Athena was settled in town, however, before making
her presence known. If she went now, with her sister being in town only a
couple of days, it would not take much for Athena to leave Eve in her hands and
return to Sussex. She had not counted on her husband.
"We are going to call on
our family, Miles. Mrs. Evans, Miss Caldwell and Miss Eve Caldwell. Won't you
join us?"
"We're going today?"
Beatrice squeaked. "So soon? The children could not possibly..."
"No children today. I am
sure Athena and Eve will call here this week to visit their nephew and new
niece. You have not met our sisters, Miles." Lord Hayle said all this with
such nonchalance, the duke was intrigued in spite of himself. He was not in the
habit of making himself accessible to young ladies of a certain social status,
but he had heard much of Miss Caldwell over the past few years and admitted to
himself a curiosity at meeting this paragon.
"I have not. They are in
town? I should like to make their acquaintance."
Beatrice stared at him in
surprise and excused herself, saying she had to tell Nanny where she was going
and to collect her outerwear.
"We might as well have a drink before we leave, then," Hayle said with a sigh. "It will take Beatrice an hour to decide on which bonnet to wear."
Athena was in one of her aunt's
garrets, painting while the morning light was strongest, when a maid came
upstairs to deliver a message. Lord and Lady Hayle had called and had brought
the Duke of Swindon with them.
Athena frowned. Beatrice was in
town? That rotten sister of hers was going to hear about this! She paused. Bea
had brought the children, perhaps? And she did not know his grace the duke, but
presenting Eve to him today would be the perfect chance to show off her sister's
quiet charm.
Much distracted by her thoughts,
she didn't even wait to send word with the maid, but went down to the drawing
room immediately, not taking the time to check her appearance in a mirror. She
was surprised, then, when Beatrice gave her an odd look as she stepped into the
room.
Her sister saw the paint
smudges, the smock Athena still wore over one of her oldest gowns and blonde
tendrils sticking out every which way. Hayle saw a pretty sister who seemed
disappointed not to see her niece and nephew. The duke saw a beautiful woman
with bright blue eyes and not the least bit of interest in him other than as
Hayle's friend as she made her curtsy.
"I had thought you were not
coming to town," Athena said under her breath as Beatrice came forward to
give her a sketchy hug. It would not do to have paint on her new pelisse.
"Hayle insisted,"
Beatrice sheepishly replied.
"I would have sent Eve to
you directly," Athena chided the marquess as he gave his favorite
sister-in-law an enthusiastic hug.
"I made Bea come to give
you a hand."
"Thank you," she said
sarcastically. "Eve needs all the help she can..." She noticed Eve was
not in the room. "Where is Eve?" she asked her aunt.
Mrs. Hall shrugged. "She
won't come down."
"What?" That could not
be allowed else Eve would think she could keep to her room the entire season.
"Excuse me," she said and quickly left the room. When she arrived at
Eve's door, she knocked, but there was no answer. A twist on the knob revealed
the door to be locked.
"Eve! Come out this
instant! We have company. Bea and Hayle are here..." she said. There was no
answer.
"Evangeline Caldwell! Come
out now!" she shouted, forgetting that the guests were directly below her
in the drawing room.
"No!" Eve yelled back.
"I am not going to parade myself like a side of beef just so some duke can
get a look at me! You do it - you are just as unmarried as I am, maybe even
more so!"
Athena sighed and went
downstairs, defeated, but only for the moment. The unmarried comment rankled,
but only because there were days she felt she was spending all her time raising
her siblings and not taking time to care for her own future.
"See?" Aunt Florence
said, fluttering her hands in dismissal. Beatrice was pink with embarrassment
over her sisters' shouting match, but the gentlemen were both trying to hide
their smiles.
Athena, oblivious to her smock
and hair, took a cup of tea from her aunt and sat down next to her sister.
"Forgive me, your grace," she said to the duke, seated on the other
side of Beatrice. "I must hear about my new niece."
"Why don't you call
tomorrow morning?" the proud mother suggested. "Young Robert would
love to see his favorite aunts, as well."
"I shall enjoy that."
With that, the two sisters buried the hatchet. "And you, sir," she
said, addressing the duke. "Do you..."
Whatever she was about to say
went out the window as young Gabrielle burst into the room in tears. Her bonnet
was falling down her back and she was wearing an old gray dress and spencer.
"Athena! It was horrid!
Just horrid!" the girl exclaimed.
"What was,
sweetheart?" Athena smoothed her sister's hair off her face and produced a
handkerchief to wipe some of the tear-streaked dust off her cheeks.
"Papa and Mrs.
Browne!"
Oh, dear. This sounded like
something best discussed in private. She sat Gabby down on the sofa, introduced
her to the duke rather absently and then stared at the girl in amazement.
"Gabrielle - how on earth
did you get to London?"
Gabby took a sip of the tea her
aunt handed her. "I rode in the back of a farmer's cart." She
wrinkled her pert little nose. "Cabbages stink! Where's Eve?" she
wondered, looking about her with interest.
"Never mind that now. When
did you leave to just get here now?"
"Very early this morning. I
left a note..." she said plaintively.
"A note?" Athena
asked. "For whom?"
"Why, Fran, of
course!"
"Oh, dear..."
Sure enough, the butler entered
the drawing room and announced Miss Francesca Caldwell, and Fran swept into the
room with the regality of a queen despite her dusty riding habit and sweaty
face. Athena and Beatrice moaned.
"Tell me you did not ride
horseback all the way into and through town?" her eldest sister asked.
Fran stared at her as if she had sprouted two heads.
"All right, I won't tell.
But I did! Hullo," she said, spying the duke. "I'm Francesca. If you
are the owner of that bang-up rig outside, I must say, sir, the pair hitched to
it look like a couple of sweet-goers!"
The corners of the duke's mouth
twitched slightly, even as he allowed that those were his cattle. Francesca
plopped herself down next to him and asked him a few more questions about his
horses before she realized they were in company.
"Oh, hullo Hayle, Bea, Aunt
Florence," Fran added, finally noticing her relatives. "I say, isn't
Gabby incredibly brave, coming to town on her own just because she caught Papa
and the widow in the..."
"That will be enough,
Francesca," Athena said. "At least Charlotte and Daphne are
home." She looked up as the butler returned to the room.
"Miss Charlotte
Caldwell."
"There you two are! I found
Gabby's note and I was frantic, and then I heard your horse was gone from the
stables, Francesca, and I..." Charlotte looked up from her tirade and saw
everyone staring at her.
"Would you mind telling
us," Athena said wearily, "how you came to town?"
Charlotte nodded. "I took
the gig."
"Oh, Charlotte, please tell
me you did not! An open carriage? By yourself? All the way to London?"
"It's just the next county,
for goodness sake! I was beside myself with worry. Papa was not about, and so I
left Daphne in charge..." Athena groaned.
"It only needs Daphne, does
it not?"
"Oh, Daphne would surely
not come after me," Charlotte said confidently. "She knows her place.
Besides, how would she get here?"
"Miss Daphne
Caldwell," Pritchard, the butler, announced.
"If you are coming to
London, Char, so am I!" she said, pausing for dramatic effect in the
doorway.
During this entire time, the
duke, Beatrice, Hayle and Aunt Florence sat mostly silent, watching Athena as
she attempted to deal with her wayward family.
"I suppose you
walked?" she said to Daphne sarcastically.
"Don't be ridiculous!"
the beauty scoffed. "I took the mail coach." She shuddered at the
thought. "Do you know what type of people ride the mail coach? I even had
some woman try to take me off somewhere when we reached the White Hart, but I
remembered what you taught me, Athena," she said proudly. "I kicked
her."
Athena shook her head.
"Oh! I didn't know we had
company," Daphne said and held her hand out to the duke. "Miss Daphne
Caldwell. Have you met everyone else?"
"Everyone but..."
"Charlotte Caldwell,"
Charlotte said quickly, elbowing Daphne out of the way. "And you
are?"
"The Duke of Swindon."
"Pleased to meet you,"
Charlotte said matter-of-factly. "Bea," she added, acknowledging her
sister. "Hayle. Did you bring the children?"
"They are at the
townhouse," her brother-in-law replied conversationally. "Why don't
you all come visit them tomorrow?"
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Athena cried. "They can't! They are all going home this very afternoon!
And not on horseback," she told Francesca firmly. All this circus needed
was Harry.
Speak of the devil and his imp
appears, she thought with exasperation as her twelve-year-old brother strolled
into the room.
"I told you to wait downstairs!"
Daphne insisted. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Athena yet."
"What is one more?"
Athena asked, throwing her hands up in defeat.
"This is the Duke of
Swindon," Francesca said to her brother. "Those sweet-goers
downstairs belong to him."
"Famous!" Harry said.
"I'm Harry." He put a hand out for the duke. "Athena! Did you
know an abbess tried to procure Daphne at the coaching inn? It was absolutely
famous!"
"I'm afraid my family does
not sit much on ceremony," Beatrice murmured to the duke.
"It's quite all right, my
dear Lady Hayle. They are very charming and completely without artifice. Is
this all of them?"
"All except Eve, and our
Papa, of course."
"And do we expect him
next?"
"One hopes not."
"Do you think Miss Caldwell
will deal sharply with them?"
Beatrice smiled. "Oh, not
at all. Athena is quite soft when it comes to the sticking point."
"Ahhh..." The duke
picked up his quizzing glass and inspected Miss Caldwell. She was very quietly
tending to her youngest siblings, oblivious to her appearance, while her other
sisters chatted amongst themselves, sharing their adventures with Hayle and
Mrs. Hall.
Athena and Gabrielle stood and
left the room, and while their elder sister was gone, the younger ones
continued their quiet conversations. When the drawing room door opened once
again, everyone looked up, expecting either Athena or the elusive Eve. Instead,
Sir Edward and an older woman came in together.
"Papa!" Francesca
squeaked. "What are you doing here?"
"Come to find out why all
my children deserted me, perhaps?" he suggested. Athena returned on their
heels and held out her hands to Mrs. Browne. Gabby might be jealous of the
attention this lady received, but Athena thought she could be a good addition
to the family, if they would but accept her.
More introductions were made,
and then Hayle stood and suggested it was time for them to leave. The
invitation to visit with the children the next day was repeated and accepted,
and the duke made a point of thanking Mrs. Hall and her eldest niece for their
hospitality.
"It was our pleasure,"
Aunt Florence said with a titter.
Athena linked her arm with
Beatrice as they followed the gentlemen down the hall to the stairs.
"Will you let the children
stay?"
"I'm not sure. It depends
now on Papa and his plans," Athena admitted. "I cannot imagine him
letting them stay, unless he has this grand idea of leaving them here in my
care. As if I need the chaos. Today's fiasco has been quite enough to last me a
good long while. With all that has gone on, what else could go wrong?"
The what else was Harry's
portmanteau, left on one of the bottom stairs by the careless schoolboy and
ignored by a distracted staff. The duke, unaware of its existence, stepped on
the bag, lost his balance and pitched forward into the foyer.
Beatrice sat down on the steps
in surprise, Hayle could only stare with his mouth open and Athena rushed down
to the duke's side.
"Pritchard!" she called. "We are going to need a doctor!"
"Oh, dear," Athena
moaned. "Are you badly hurt?" she asked the duke, who was lying on
his back in Mrs. Hall's foyer after tripping over a portmanteau left on the
stairs.
He looked at Miss Caldwell, her
hair falling down around her ears, a paint-smudged smock covering her gown and
a dab of blue on her face, and fell in love.
Perhaps it was her cool hands on
his, her frowning over what surely had to be an increased pulse. Maybe it was
all the stories Hayle had told about her and how she managed her family so
well. It could have been the way she ordered that same family as they stood on
steps and stairs and watched her handle the situation in a calm, competent
manner.
"Fran, get a couple of
pillows for his grace's head. Bea, have a room readied in case he needs to
stay. Where does it hurt most?" she suddenly asked him.
The duke just stared up at her
for a moment.
"My ankle," he said,
his voice sounding a little unnatural to him. "I think I twisted my
ankle." He struggled to sit up, uncomfortably sprawled on the floor,
especially with the audience above him. Miss Caldwell turned around and glared
at them.
"Charlotte, take everyone
upstairs, please. Aunt Florence, will you ask Cook for some of her buns? Hayle,
you and Papa stay here. We might need you. Did Pritchard go for the doctor
himself?"
Miss Francesca tossed down the
pillows, gave him a wink and linked arms with a young lady he had not yet met.
The elusive Eve seemed to have let curiosity get the better of her.
He let Miss Caldwell fuss over
him until the doctor arrived, and when it was decided to move him, he was
pleased to notice she led the way. Once he had been settled on the bed in what
she called the Red Room, he watched the lady usher out her father and Hayle and
close the door behind her, leaving him alone with the physician, who introduced
himself as Dr. Price.
"She's quite an efficient
lady," the duke said.
"Hmmm..." The doctor
removed the duke's Hessian and felt around the injured area. "I noticed
you were more intent on Miss Caldwell than on any pain inflicted by your
carriers."
The duke's grin was sheepish, as
if he had been caught with his hand in a jar of candy.
"Is my ankle serious enough
to warrant staying here for a couple of days?" he eagerly asked.
"Not really," the
doctor admitted. "It's not even sprained."
The duke's face fell.
"On the other hand. There
is no reason you can't stay here for a few days and sleep off some of your
dissipation," the doctor said dryly.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to the trained eye.
However, I doubt you will get much rest in this household."
"There do seem to be rather
a lot of them," the duke agreed.
"I've been Mrs. Hall's
physician for a number of years and without breaking her confidence, I think I
can safely say you are just what the doctor ordered. You really should stay off
that ankle overnight, at least. I'll couch your injuries in terms guaranteed to
ensure your continued stay without overly alarming the ladies."
"Thank you."
"I'll send your angel of
mercy back into you now, shall I? She will want to know what you require for
your comfort, no doubt. If I were you, though, I'd send for your manservant to
help her out and not tell any of the other females in your life where you
are." Without waiting for a reply, the doctor picked up his bag and left
the room.
The duke heard murmurings
outside and then Miss Caldwell, still wearing her smock and looking gloriously
disheveled, returned to his side. She left the door open, as was proper, but
there were, thankfully, no lurkers in the hall.
"I'm sorry about the
accident and your injury, sir," she said in her soft voice. The voice he
already knew could dish out orders better than a general. "Harry will be
along shortly to apologize. Is there anything you need for your stay?"
"My valet?" he
suggested. "He can take on some of the burden of caring for me."
"Of course," she said
with a smile. "He will be most welcome and can help keep my family from
bothering you further."
"That won't be necessary,
Miss Caldwell. Your siblings are invited to call on me -- within reasonable
hours, of course. Does young Master Harry play chess, by any chance?"
She nodded. "Although he is
only a beginner."
"Ask him to bring a board
and chess pieces when he tenders his apology, if you please."
The next morning, Miles' valet
opened the bedroom door to admit the older red-headed Caldwell sister, who
carried in breakfast on a tray and reintroduced herself as Charlotte.
"Because I can't expect you
to remember all the names, especially after yesterday, now can I?"
The duke laughed and invited
Miss Charlotte to have a seat while he ate.
"Oh, I really shouldn't.
Athena says you need your rest."
"I rested all night. Now
I'm ready for company. How did you manage to pull breakfast duty?"
Charlotte dimpled. "Athena
always paints in the morning, so I help out, even at home. When I
remember."
"Am I so unforgettable,
then?" he teased, breaking open an egg and scooping out the soft contents.
"Well, yes," Charlotte
admitted. "For the moment, at least."
"I'm honored." He was
known for his aloofness among the ton, and his caustic wit. Perhaps it was
because people had a tendency to toady to him and he was often required to put
them in their place. He found the Caldwells intriguing because they seemed more
natural and open -- less impressed with his title and more concerned with him as
a human being.
"You should be!"
Charlotte said with a laugh. "I'm known in the family for being unable to
recall anything not contained within the pages of a book."
"Oh? What do you like to
read? Fiction, I suppose." He took a bite of toast.
"Not at all. Right now I am
interested in educational reform, especially for females. In fact, there are a
series of lectures being given this week here in London..."
"Hence your concern for
your sisters when they ran off?" he teased once more.
"Not completely. We really
do care for one another, you know."
"I can tell," he
softly replied.
"No siblings? I thought
not," she said when he shook his head. "It rather shows. Yesterday
you looked like a pole-axed cow when faced with all my sisters." She
glanced at a small clock on the mantel and then at the open door. "I have
to run now. If Athena finds out I have stayed this long... I have enjoyed our
conversation, though. May I visit again?"
"I would be pleased if you
would. Thank you for bringing breakfast. I'll have Dormer," he indicated
the valet who entered the room, "take the tray downstairs when I am
through. Dormer," he said after Miss Charlotte had curtsied and left,
"I have an idea, but I'm going to need Woodley's help."
"Your secretary, your
grace?"
"I'm sure he has papers and
such for me to deal with. Why don't you have him pay me a call about, oh, three
o'clock this afternoon. And ask Miss Charlotte around that time if she will
also come visit." He shared a knowing look with his manservant.
Lord Adrian Woodley, the third
son of the Marquess of Basingstoke, had been his grace's personal secretary for
three years, ever since the duke had come home from war. He was a tolerably
handsome man of six and twenty years with dark brown hair and light blue eyes.
He enjoyed luxury and a healthy bank account thanks to his grace's generosity,
and when the order for him to present himself at Mrs. Hall's house at 3 o'clock
came, he did not hesitate to have a pile of business ready for the duke.
Pritchard admitted him to the
house and showed him upstairs to his grace's temporary quarters, and when he
put down the paperwork to bow to his employer, he noticed a redheaded young
lady sitting by the side of the bed.
"Ah, Woodley!" The
duke greeted his secretary with a smile, much to that man's surprise. His grace
had been rather neutral of expression of late and Woodley wondered how much of
the duke's new animation was due to the young lady at his side.
"You are just in time to
listen to Miss Charlotte's opinions on the education of females," the duke
said. "Come in and meet Miss Charlotte Caldwell. Miss Charlotte, my
secretary, Lord Adrian Woodley."
Charlotte rose and curtsied, one
of her red curls falling over her shoulder in the process.
"Lord Adrian. You are here
on business, I suppose, so I will take your tea tray, sir," she said to
the duke, "and leave you gentlemen alone. I'm off to a family meeting to
see if we all might stay in London for a few weeks."
"I hope you may remain for
awhile," the duke said, to the astonishment of his employee. "I
wouldn't want you to miss the lecture on education tomorrow."
"You are attending the
Royal Society lecture?" Lord Adrian asked. Charlotte nodded.
"Social reforms are an
interest of mine."
"Perhaps..." He
glanced at the duke, surprised to see the man beaming at both of them, as if
had orchestrated the entire meeting. "That is ... if we had proper
chaperonage and you had permission..."
"Yes?
"Would you allow me to
escort you to the lecture?"
Charlotte's smile was radiant.
"I should like that very much. Perhaps you have a moment now to meet my
sister Athena? She would have to give permission..."
The duke cleared his throat.
"Not your father?"
Charlotte laughed. "He
would just tell me to ask Athena."
"I would be pleased to meet
your sister..." Lord Adrian looked at the duke and then back at Miss
Charlotte Caldwell.
"I'll be right here when
you return," the duke said with a laugh.
Athena had asked Eve to take
Harry out to the park in the center of the square, and because she had no ready
reason why she could not, Eve had to comply. She had managed a small rebellion
in the face of Athena's bossiness the day before, but now, in front of her
entire family, she dared not push her sister further.
"I wish we were home,"
she grumbled as Harry chattered happily at her side. Eve ignored him. She was
tired of hearing about the duke.
"Do you think they will get
married?" Harry suddenly asked. Eve frowned. Hadn't her brother been
nattering on about the duke?
"Who? Papa and Mrs. Browne?"
"No, silly! Athena and the
duke!"
"Why would they?"
"Char says it's love at
first sight," her brother said impatiently.
"There is no such
thing!" Eve scoffed. "Now, go away and leave me alone," she
said, sitting on a bench and making shooing gestures with her hands.
Harry stuck his tongue out and
ran off. Eve crossed her arms and sat stewing over being stuck in London with
her entire family.
Harry wandered over to the
fountain in the center of the park, bent down and dipped his hand in the water.
"Is it cold?" a young
voice asked.
Harry looked up to see a boy at
his side, seated in a Bath chair.
"Not really. Our stream at
home is much colder, but then it's covered by trees and it's much deeper,"
he replied. "That makes it easier to fish in, though.
"I wish I could fish!"
"Why can't you?" Harry
wondered. "Don't those wheels go on grass?"
"They do, but my father
doesn't like me to wander too far away from the house. I'm too busy having
lessons with my tutor anyway. Papa says if my legs won't work for me, I have to
develop my mind."
"You have a tutor?"
Harry exclaimed.
"Mr. Johnson. He's right
over there." The boy, who could not be more than seven or eight, indicated
a young man reading a newspaper on a nearby bench.
"I wish I had a
tutor," Harry said longingly.
""I wish I could go
away to school," said the boy.
"Harry Caldwell, by the
way," Harry said, sticking out his hand.
"Peter Marlowe." They
shook hands. "You go to school? Eton? What are you doing here?"
"I don't like it there. I
want to be home so I can go fishing and ride my horse and the worst thing in my
life is having to live with a houseful of sisters."
"You have sisters? I don't
have any brothers or sisters," Peter said sadly. "Not anymore."
"You had some?" Harry
immediately began to think how he could give a couple of his away.
"I had a little sister, but
she and my mother got sick and died."
"My mother is dead, too. My
sister Athena takes good care of me, though. What happened to your legs?"
Peter frowned. "I was born
this way."
Harry patted his arm
sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's been eleven
years and I'm used to it."
"You're eleven? I'm
twelve." They talked for a few more minutes and then Peter brightened
visibly.
"I have an idea. Because
you are not in school, why don't I have my Papa ask your sister if you can have
lessons with me? Mr. Johnson won't mind -- he says I'm almost too smart for him
and that it would be good for me to have some competition."
"I don't know if I will be
competition..." Harry admitted. "But it would be fun to take lessons
with you and your tutor."
"Good! Come meet Mr.
Johnson now, then. He's a good sort, really." Peter wheeled his chair
toward the tutor, but stopped in his tracks when Eve came into view, calling
her brother's name.
"One of your sisters? She
looks like an angel!"
Harry snorted. "She's just
a pesty older sister. None of them are angels, except maybe Athena, and even
she makes me go to school. I think it's because Papa went there. Personally, I
don't think Papa even notices if I'm there or not."
"Mine doesn't either,"
Peter said gloomily.
"Eve!" Harry called.
"This is my new friend, Peter Marlowe. He's..." Harry became quiet when
another man approached the tutor. In fact, they all stared.
"That's my father, Sir Thomas
Marlowe," Peter whispered. Harry looked at the man with interest. He was
tall, with sandy brown hair and dark eyes, and weather-roughened skin, as if he
spent a lot of time outdoors.
"And this is your new
friend?" Eve asked, indicating Peter. "Son of Sir Thomas?"
"Something like that,"
Harry said, finding his voice. "I'm going to ask Athena if I can take
lessons with Peter and his tutor." He thought Eve, who was staring at the
two gentlemen, looked strange.
"Indeed. Well, time to go home!" she said brightly. "Lovely to meet you, Peter, but we have to be going. We'll be in touch!" she added, dragging Harry down the path, despite his protests. "We'll be in staying in London all season!"
"Athena?" Daphne poked
her head into the garret where her sister painted. "Can I speak with
you?"
"Of course." Athena
wiped her hands on a rag and covered her current work. It wasn't something she
wanted anyone to see just yet.
Daphne barely glanced at the
canvas. She, like all her siblings, thought her sister a mere dabbler, and was
usually wrapped up in her own problems to pay it much attention. "Wexford
doesn't love me anymore!" she wailed.
"How do you know?"
Granted, Wexford had been playing least in sight, but there must be a logical
explanation. She said so to her sister.
"I sent a note to him
yesterday afternoon and have not heard anything yet."
"I am certain he is busy.
Parliament is in session, darling."
"So? A little reply to
one's fiancée would not be remiss." Daphne paused, her eyes becoming as
big as saucers. "This is not the first note I have written. What if he was
with his mistress?"
"Wexford has a
mistress?"
"I don't know!" Daphne
wailed. "I was just guessing! Possibly! Why else would he ignore me? I
have to find out!"
Athena sighed. This was beyond
her comprehension or her authority. "I have no idea how to go about that,
dearest, or if we should. It's none of my business."
"What do you mean it is
none of your business?" her sister asked incredulously. "It concerns
me, doesn't it?" When Athena had no reply, Daphne began to cry. "Why
do I even bother?" She ran out of the room in tears.
"Why do I even
bother?" Athena asked no one in particular.
The duke was sitting up in bed,
his door open to view family members as they went about their daily routines.
He saw Miss Daphne rush by, crying, and called out her name.
Daphne came back, sniffling.
"You wish to speak to me, your grace?" She curtsied and gave him a
watery smile.
"Why are you upset?"
If he had known it was going to
open the floodgates, he would have held his tongue. The next thing he knew,
Daphne was sprawled on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
He patted at her golden hair and
uttered soothing words as best he could, but he was ill equipped to deal with
such a situation. After she accepted an offered handkerchief and dried her
eyes, he bid her sit in the chair at his bedside and tell him all.
"Athena hates me! I want to
know why Wexford hasn't replied to any of my letters since I've arrived, and
she says it is none of her business."
The duke wisely said nothing to
this, although he thought Miss Daphne rather selfish. On the other hand, a
missive from one's fiancée should not be ignored. He wondered what had
happened.
"Parliament is in
session," he reminded her.
"But not all day and all
night, and a reply would have been appreciated. I think he has a
mistress!" she declared.
"Oh?"
"He must! What else would
take up all his spare hours?"
The duke suppressed his
laughter, knowing there were hundreds of other activities that could fill that
time.
"But how am I to find
out?" she continued.
"You could not find out, in
all probability," the duke said.
Daphne only raised one eyebrow.
"I shall ask my maid. Servants know everything, and if they don't, they
can soon find out."
The duke shuddered. Not only was
she correct, but he wasn't quite sure what she would do once she obtained her
information.
"I beg of you, Miss Daphne
- please do not investigate further at the moment."
"Why not?"
"Because ... because I may
be able to discover some information for you by more conventional means."
"You will have a Bow Street
Runner follow him?"
The duke almost clapped a hand
on his forehead in frustration.
"No. And I was not speaking
specifically about a mistress. I only meant I may be able to discover how
Wexford is spending his time in general."
"Oh, you are wonderful!
Thank you!"
The family gathered in the
drawing room for their meeting, including Beatrice and Lord Hayle.
"What has Beatrice to do
with all this?" Francesca groused.
"She is still a member of
this family," Athena gently reminded her. "She is allowed to help
make decisions because she is not distancing herself from the current
situation."
Beatrice looked at her husband
and blushed. They knew how much she had wanted to separate herself at first.
"But that means the duke
should be here, as well," Francesca insisted.
"No!" Athena said
sharply. "What has he to do with us?"
"He accepted my
apology," Harry said.
"He is offering his
secretary as an escort so I may attend a lecture," Charlotte added.
"He did?" Athena
frowned. The man was taking over her family.
"Oh?" Sir Edward
bestirred himself from the chair where he had started to nap long enough to
look at Mrs. Browne with one eyebrow raised.
"And he is going to investigate
Wexford," Daphne said brightly.
"Oh, no!" Athena said
with a moan. "He isn't!"
"Yes, he is!" Daphne
said hotly. "You wouldn't and I can understand why," she said, as if
explaining it to a child. "You are not able to go places a gentleman can. And
I do believe he has better connections."
"But surely Papa
could..."
"But he won't," Daphne
blithely continued, as if her father were not sitting there.
"Athena," Harry said
suddenly. "May I have lessons with a boy and his tutor who live across the
square?"
"Not now, Harry," Eve
warned.
"But I need someone to
approach his papa..."
"I said not now." She
covered his mouth with her hand. Athena could see something was going on there,
but she did not have time to investigate.
"I just want her to leave
now!" Gabby said, pointing to Mrs. Browne. The widow flushed and Athena
gave her a sympathetic glance. Gabriella must be made to see reason - Mrs.
Browne would make an excellent stepmother, and could take over the family
problems. That thought brought a small pang of jealousy to Athena's heart.
"Not now, Gabby..."
she started, but conversations broke out into an infernal din as everyone
ignored her.
Sir Edward, alert now, fussed at
Gabby for insulting Mrs. Browne, and the widow tried to defend Gabby, who
wasn't having any of it. Eve and Harry argued over something that had happened
earlier that day, and Daphne was apologizing to Hayle for not asking him to
discover if Wexford had a mistress. Bea then scolded Daphne for even thinking
such a thing about her fiancé, and Daphne burst into tears. Fran was quizzing
Charlotte about the duke's secretary, and when her sister blushed, started
teasing her about him instead. Only Aunt Florence was at a loss for words.
Athena shook her head at the
chaos about her and knew who was at the root of her family's squabbles...
"Do you realize I cannot
speak to my family now without your name coming to the forefront of the
conversation?" Athena said tartly, storming into the duke's room without
even a by-your-leave.
"Is that so?" he
calmly replied. "What are they saying?" He resisted the urge to put
his hands behind his head and act innocent. Athena was magnificent when she was
angry - flashing blue eyes sparking with life - but he did not wish to take
another tumble down the stairs, aided by Miss Caldwell's dainty foot.
"That you are taking
responsibility for dealing with their problems. That you are going to make
everything all better. That you can heal the sick and cause the blind to
see," she said sarcastically.
"I never claimed to be
deity, Miss Caldwell," he replied with a laugh. He should not have replied
with humor. Athena seemed to have little of it when she was mad.
"I thank you to stay out of
our business, your grace."
He frowned. "And why not?
How else can I repay their hospitality - or yours, for that matter?"
"Mine?" Athena was
nonplussed.
"Of course, yours. I am
aware that you have taken on extra duties for my sake, and I thank you. The
least I can do is keep your siblings from running to you with every little cut
finger or hurt feelings."
"But..." She was
visibly melting.
"But you are so used to
being the center of their worlds, you don't know what to do when they run
elsewhere. Haven't you ever wondered what would happen if you ever married and
had your own family?"
Athena sighed and sat down
wearily in the chair by the side of the bed. "I had never thought to
marry," she admitted.
"No?" He reached for
her hand and she gave it without thinking.
"I suppose I would have to
give it all up at any rate, should Papa marry Mrs. Browne."
"And that would be a good
thing?" he prompted.
"Yes. She seems the calm
sort, and Aunt Florence said she has been helping her poor, overworked
housekeeper without any fuss."
"Am I that much of a
problem?"
"Oh, no, it's more the
demands of all extra people in the house. I suppose as long as Beatrice and her
family don't move in, we can all rub along fairly well," she said with a
small smile.
Swindon nodded. Athena looked
down and dropped his hand. "I... I must be getting back to the family
now," she stammered. He asked her if Beatrice might have a few moments for
him before she went home.
Athena assured him she would
pass on his request and then hastily quit the room. She missed the smug
expression on the duke's face as he put his hands behind his head.
Athena returned to the drawing
room to find it empty except for her father. He was asleep.
"Wake up!" she said
sharply in his ear.
Sir Edward jumped. "Don't
do that!"
She ignored him and indicated
the room. "Did you come to conclusions about anything?"
"I decided that Mrs. Browne
stays..."
"Good. Perhaps you could take
Gabby and Fran with you on a few outings, then."
"What?" Sir Edward was clearly
alarmed.
"Of course, if you are taking
the girls, Harry must be invited, as well," she mused. "Will you be sending him
back to Eton?"
"The lad wants to try a tutor,
and he and Eve assure me one may easily be procured."
"Of course." Was that their big
secret? And why had all these important family decisions only been settled once
she had left the room? They had been fighting like cats and dogs when she left.
Feeling unsettled, she went
upstairs to paint. But as she reached the open door to the duke's room, she
heard Bea's voice and remembered that his grace wished to speak to her sister.
She paused a moment, even though she knew it was not very good of her.
Bea and Hayle had stopped by his
room on their way home.
"Aren't you the cat in the cream
pitcher?" Bea teased, taking in Swindon's smug pose and his lingering smile.
"Yes, I am. I have found the
lady I want to spend the rest of my life with and I have the extreme good
fortune to injure myself, thereby ensuring my continued stay in her aunt's
home."
"You mean...? One my sisters?" Bea
goggled at him and then burst out laughing.
"Do you mean to say you are not
as injured as is believed?" Hayle asked.
"I have a mild sprain and that
is all. The doctor has been most accommodating and says I may stay as long as I
wish. Not only that, but I believe I am making some headway with the lady."
"Which one?" Bea demanded. "Eve?
Charlotte? Daphne?"
"Don't be ridiculous. The first
is charming, but definitely a child. Miss Charlotte, I believe, is impressed
with my secretary, and Miss Daphne is engaged."
"Athena? Good choice, Miles!" Hayle
exclaimed. The duke nodded. Bea was thrilled and she gave the him a hug.
"I agree. Athena is perfect for
you."
"I just have to make her see
that. What can you tell me about her? What does she do when she is not being
mother to the entire family?"
"She likes to paint," Bea
replied. "And she is good, too. But she is shy about it."
"And she takes long walks when
she is at home, but that's not something you can join her in right at the
moment, is it, old friend?" Hayle teased.
Athena heard the duke say he had
found the perfect wife right here in this house. Which sister? And she was
furious that he was staying in their home under false pretenses. How dare he?
Bea began to rattle names off, but Athena did not want to hear the answer, and
she turned around and headed upstairs by way of the servants' stairs.
Her path was clear -- she had to get whichever sister he preferred to accept him, and then get them both out of her aunt's house.
"Come, Harry, we have to go on
an errand," Eve said imperiously the next morning. She had been waiting in the
hall for her brother to finish his breakfast, and now she waylaid him in order
to go out.
"Where to?" he asked
suspiciously.
"The Marlowe residence, of
course. I am to escort you over to see Peter." And hopefully get an
interview with Sir Thomas in the process.
"Athena is letting you do this?"
Harry suspected his sister's motives -- she had never been this nice to him
before. But he finally agreed and they were putting on their coats at the front
door when Athena hailed them.
"Where are you two going?" she
asked brightly. Eve paused and Harry spoke up quickly, thinking his sister had
changed her mind.
"Come with us, 'Thena! We're
going to call on Peter Marlowe. He's my new friend. You'll like him -- he's in a
chair with wheels and he only has a papa, too..." Harry chattered on while Athena
agreed to go.
Eve was quiet as they walked
around the square, but as they reached the house, she took charge and asked
authoritatively for the young man. As she handed over one of her calling cards,
her fondest dream came true. Sir Thomas was coming down the stairs.
"Caldwell?" he asked after
receiving the card from his butler. "How do you do? I'm Sir Thomas Marlowe." He
held out a hand to Harry first. "You must be Master Harry. I've heard so much
about you. And these are your sisters?"
Harry nodded. "Miss Caldwell and
Miss Eve Caldwell." The ladies made their curtsies.
"Harry wished to visit his new
friend," Eve said, "but I am so glad you are here. I've been wanting to broach
a specific subject with you, sir." But she had lost his attention almost as
soon as she began to speak. He was staring at Athena. And Athena and Harry were
staring at her in turn.
She resisted the urge to shrug,
knowing exactly what her siblings were thinking -- that she was putting herself
forward instead of being the family shrinking violet. And over a man, at that,
one who seemed to have eyes only for her sister.
"Ahem!" Eve cleared her throat
to call attention to herself once more.
"I beg your pardon, Miss
Caldwell. Tompkins..." He called his butler. "Will you escort Master Harry up to
the schoolroom?" Harry was all smiles and went off happily with the servant,
leaving Sir Thomas to show the ladies into a parlor, where he invited them to
sit. Eve was disgruntled to see him offer Athena a place on the sofa, and sit
down beside her.
"Peter says he wishes Master
Harry to share his tutor and lessons. I do not have a problem with that, and
neither does Mr. Johnson. It would be nice for Peter to have a friend his age,"
he said almost wistfully.
"Well, yes," Athena said
nervously, not quite sure what to make of all this. Eve cleared her throat
again.
"What hours does your tutor set
for your son, sir?"
"He takes lessons for two hours
in the morning and four in the afternoon, with appropriate breaks in between.
Will that be satisfactory, Miss Caldwell?" Sir Thomas turned back to Athena,
who applied to Eve, for once, in mute appeal. Eve was much appeased by her
sister's attitude.
"We would be more than willing
to pay part of Mr. Johnson's wages," Eve said
"That will not be necessary,
Miss Eve. Companionship for my son will be worth whatever I pay the tutor,
which is already generous."
"That is very kind of you,"
Athena said.
"It will be worth it, indeed,"
Sir Thomas replied. Eve determined to give the tutor extra funds at any rate,
especially if she could winkle her way into walking Harry over every day.
A light knock on the doorframe
brought their attention to the butler. He had interrupted, he explained, in
order to inform Sir Thomas that his morning appointment had arrived.
"If you will excuse me, ladies,
I am required elsewhere. Tompkins will take you to your brother." After he
left, Eve blew out a sigh of frustration, as did her sister.
How am I going to gain his
attention? Eve wondered.
Athena was not only embarrassed
by Sir Thomas' attention, but wondered how she was going to get Eve to visit
the duke so she could gauge that reaction as well.
"You wish me to what?" The
duke's valet was so astonished by the request, he forgot to add "your grace."
That fact did not go unnoticed by his employer. But the duke only grinned and
repeated his order.
"I wish you to help discover if
Wexford has a mistress. He is betrothed to Miss Daphne, you know, and yet it
has been a donkey's age since she has set eyes on him."
"I suppose I could nose about,
talk to a few of his servants..."
"Excellent idea. In the
meantime, I'll invite Fenton to call. There's nothing like a good gossip to
give one the news they seek."
"Lord Fenton, your grace?" The
valet wore a pained expression. Lord Fenton was an old friend of the duke's,
but he was also extremely difficult to get rid of, and he didn't want the
gentleman to burden the already burgeoning household. Fenton had been known to
come for dinner and stay for a month, even in one's London townhouse. But the
valet did as he was told and sent a footman to deliver his grace's message to
Fenton's rooms.
When his lordship arrived, he
was ushered directly to the duke's bedchamber.
"Swindon!" He strolled into the
room and glanced about at his grace's incongruent surrounding. "I never thought
I'd see the day you were surrounded by chintz!" Fenton laughed as he shook
hands with his friend. "Or the day you would be in bed all day except with a
beautiful woman."
Athena, upon her arrival home,
had learned of his grace's visitor and had brought up a tea tray.
"Oh! I see I was not too far off
the mark!" Fenton said.
Having heard both remarks,
Athena blushed but kept most of her calm. After all, she was not the one who
held his grace's regard. The duke made introductions and invited her to join
them. She agreed just as Lord Fenton asked the duke how he had managed to get
himself laid up in such lovely surroundings.
"I had a bit of an accident,"
Swindon replied, sounding as if it had been a bad experience.
"Oh, it was frightening!" Athena
solemnly agreed. The man had barely injured himself, she knew now, but she
found herself unable to reveal him in front of a stranger. Besides, she needed
to find out which of her sisters he had fallen in love with, and she couldn't
do that if he were gone. "And his grace cannot be moved for awhile yet. I have
several siblings, however, and they do their best to keep him entertained."
"A difficult task at best," Lord
Fenton jested. "But I am here now to share the latest on-dits with you,
Swindon. Let us see how much that will brighten your day."
The duke settled in for a long
session with the chatterbox and was not to be disappointed. Fenton rambled on
until Athena begged to be excused, citing a planned coze with Mrs. Browne as
her excuse.
As soon as she was out of the
room, Fenton leaned in to impart the most important part of his news.
"Angelique is getting restless,"
he admitted, "and won't stay much longer under your protection. She claims you
have taken another under your wing."
The duke yawned. "Angelique is
free to find a new patron at any time. If she is distressed over my continued
absence, she may look elsewhere for consolation."
Fenton nodded and eyed the duke
with some speculation. The man was noted for his lack of sympathy when it came
time to discard his women, but he wasn't sure if Swindon was growing bored with
his current female or that he was turning his sights on a legitimate match.
Could the man have fallen for the beautiful young lady providing his current
care?
"I have a question for you,
Fenton," the duke said, unaware of the thoughts running through his friend's
head. "What do you see of Wexford lately?"
"Wexford? The man is tied to his
mama's sash! Not a night goes by that he isn't seen escorting her hither and
yon. Some say she dislikes his betrothed and seeks to keep them... Say, isn't
Wexford's fiancée a Caldwell? A pretty blonde, name of Daphne?"
"You know it is, Fenton. Probably
the reason you came running as soon as you received my note. Miss Daphne, as
you can well imagine, is heartbroken by Wexford's continued absence. Lady
Wexford's plan to keep him in leading strings seems to be working fine." The
duke shook his head. Distracting a man from his mistress was relatively simple,
but when a man was being a mama's boy, that was something completely different.
Not that it couldn't be handled, but it would take more than what he could do
from his bed.
"A pity," he said to Fenton.
"But tell me... Does the lady still play deeply at Ruby's?" He named a popular
gaming hell.
Fenton chuckled. "Why do you
think she is joined to Wexford's hip? He keeps her in funds. I'm surprised
Wexford even managed to get himself engaged last year, but if I recall, Lady
Wexford was homebound for a couple of months in the spring after breaking her
arm."
"Oh? How did that happen?"
"It was rumored she hit a faro
dealer when accusing him of cheating her. It is said not only had she been
imbibing heavily at the time, but that she tried to get the man fired. I heard
Wexford found him a new place of employment."
"And Miss Daphne wishes to marry
into that family?" the duke wondered aloud.
"In his defense, Wexford showed
nothing but total devotion to Miss Daphne the entire time."
"So he needs to be separated
from his mother?"
"Does Prinny need a corset?"
Athena found Mrs. Browne in the
drawing room pouring out afternoon tea for herself and Francesca. The two were
chatting amiably, and she thought it a good thing at least one of her younger
sisters enjoyed the widow's company. But even as she sat down to join them,
Gabrielle came into the room, saw who was there, snatched a muffin and left.
The widow sighed. "You, who
should have the most reasons for disliking me, do not treat me as badly as does
that child."
Athena could only agree.
"Indeed, I have long relished a replacement where it concerns some of the
duties Papa has given me," she surprised herself into saying.
"Such as introducing us to
society," Fran piped up.
"Yes, such as that,
although we have had this discussion before, Miss Francesca," Athena warned.
"No season until next year."
"I see no reason why we cannot
take Francesca about with us to card parties and such," Mrs. Browne said. "There
are several of us to play chaperone now." Athena could not say anything
discouraging to that, not after seeing the glowing light in her sister's eyes.
Mrs. Browne leaned over and patted Fran's hand.
"We shall have fun, you and I."
Athena realized one more thing
as slipping out of her grasp and she quickly drank her tea, leaving the other
two to make plans to go shopping. Heading up to Charlotte's room, she
discovered from a maid that her sister had gone out. She wondered if his
grace's visitor was gone as well, or if they needed more refreshments, and went
back to the duke's room.
He was alone, but appeared
delighted to see her. Athena wondered if he wouldn't rather have other company,
but she could not think of a polite way to ask.
"Quite the gossip, Fenton..." the
duke said.
"Oh?"
"Gave me a bit of information
about Wexford, as well."
"Is he...?" Again, Athena was at a
loss as she struggled for polite words.
"There is a female involved, but
no mistress. The poor man is too busy dancing attendance on his mother to have
time for a fiancée, let alone a paramour."
She blushed crimson at the
thought of any man having a mistress.
"Lady Wexford is behind all
this?"
"Apparently so. But I have an
idea that might work to separate mother hen from her engaged chick and reunite
him with his beloved."
"What do you propose?"
"First, we need to find out
where they will next appear in society. Then we shall need..." He sat up
straighter and snapped his fingers. "Uncle Thaddeus!"
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