A Mistletoe Masquerade. Louise Allen

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СКАЧАТЬ if he does not think you will suit?’ Rowan asked. ‘They might be able to bully you, but surely not him? Earls can do what they like.’

      ‘Godmama says she has already discussed me with him and he says I sound eminently suitable. She says he is tired of all this horrid gossip and wants a sensible young woman who will not treat him to vapours and who will get on with running the house and looking after the child.’ Penny sighed. ‘It sounds very dreary: I wonder he does not simply hire a superior governess and a housekeeper.’

      ‘Because they won’t give him a male heir,’ Rowan pointed out with brutal honesty. ‘There must be something wrong with him if his wife was driven to taking the valet as a lover. Perhaps he beat her? Perhaps he squandered her marriage portion? Surely your papa would not force you if such things were the case?’

      ‘No, he would not. But he says I am being hysterical about the mysterious death, and I cannot get him to see that I have taken Lord Danescroft in complete abhorrence.’

      ‘Then we must find out something to the Earl’s discredit. Then you will have a logical reason that your father cannot but see is an obstacle to your happiness.’ They fell silent, gazing into the fire. Rowan stretched out a hand and picked up a buttered teacake, biting into it as though into his lordship. ‘Is your stepmother to accompany you?’

      ‘No. Godmama said that would be certain to put Lord Danescroft’s back up and that she will chaperon me. Even Papa was forced to agree, given what a good match it would be. Stepmama was furious.’

      Rowan licked butter off her fingers and pondered the idea that had crept, fully formed, into her head. ‘Remind me who your godmother is.’

      ‘Lady Rolesby.’

      ‘Hmm. She has not seen me since before I went to Vienna with Papa. I doubt she would recognise me now—nor would anyone else, come to that.’

      ‘No,’ Penny agreed. ‘For you have grown so much. You were pretty before, Rowan, and you are truly beautiful now. But what has that to do with anything?’

      Rowan ignored the compliment: Penny had always admired her vivid looks. ‘Why, I shall go as your dresser. The servants always know everything—I will hear all the gossip, investigate Lord Danescroft and prove how unsuitable he is for you!’

      ‘Oh, Rowan!’ Penelope’s unremarkable face lit up. ‘Would you? Could you? I don’t expect there is anything to find out about him really, but it would be so wonderful to have someone with me to confide in. But what are your plans for Christmas? Surely your father cannot have intended for you to simply go home alone?’

      ‘No, Aunt Moore in Yorkshire is expecting me.’ Rowan grimaced. ‘I will write and tell her I have been invited to a house party full of eligible young men and she will be delighted. My handwriting can be atrocious if I try—she will not be able to read where we are going.’

      ‘I am supposed to leave in ten days. Is that enough time, do you think?’

      ‘To learn to be a dresser? Surely it must be? How hard can it be?’

      ‘Miss Maylin? You cannot be serious—have you met her mother?’ Lucas Dacre, Viscount Stoneley, crossed one booted foot over the other and stared at his friend. ‘She’s the most vulgar, scheming creature in creation.’

      ‘Stepmother, I understand. But how do you know her? You’ve hardly been back in the country ten days.’ The Earl of Danescroft raised an eyebrow. It was the greatest show of emotion he had exhibited since he had wrung Lucas’s hand three days before. Lucas kept his own face bland, hiding his anxiety at the change in his friend. The last time he had seen him, five years before, he had been his groomsman and had danced at his wedding.

      Now Will was gaunt, unsmiling, his expressive brown eyes shuttered, and all the joy had gone out of him. It was hardly surprising: Lucas had spent several hours at his club, buried in the newspaper archives, familiarising himself with the scandal Will obviously had no wish to speak about.

      He had not been surprised to discover that Belle had proved to be as careless with her husband’s heart and honour as she had with his money. He had tried to hint at her character when he had seen Will becoming attached—it had led to the only row they had ever had and he had held his peace from then on. I told you so was not going to be helpful now.

      ‘I went to a reception at Fotheringham’s last night. Frightful bore, but I promised Mama I’d look them up when I was in Town. Lady Maylin was such a sight—all purple satin and plumes and vulgarity—that I asked who she was. Then I overheard her in loud conversation with her cronies. Such a catch she had engineered for her dear Penelope. Such wealth, such a lineage. I removed myself—if I had known she was talking about you I would have stayed longer behind my potted fern.’

      The Earl grimaced. ‘My grandmother has assured me she will not be invited to Tollesbury.’

      ‘Your grandmother, if you will pardon my saying so, must be all about in the head if she thinks a daughter of that house will be suitable for you.’ Or deserving of you, Lucas thought bitterly. Will needed someone to love him, not a gold-digging nonentity who just happened to be sufficiently on the shelf to swallow the scandal in return for the title and the wealth.

      ‘I am assured Miss Maylin is not at all like her stepmother. And she is apparently good with children. Louisa needs a mother.’ Will might have been describing the appointment of a governess. There was no animation in his voice, no emotion.

      Lucas felt the anger stirring inside him. This was the friend who had always seemed to be laughing, the man who had helped him out of scrapes more numerous than he could count. His best friend—the brother he had never had—who deserved someone to cherish him, someone to bring the laughter back. Someone to thaw his heart.

      ‘And if she proves not to be what she is reported to be?’ he asked harshly.

      ‘Then I would not offer for her.’ Will looked surprised he needed to ask. ‘I cannot settle for anyone who would not be a suitable mother for Louisa.’ He shook his head. ‘But there is no fear of that: I trust my grandmother’s opinion.’

      ‘I’m going with you.’ Damn it, all he can think about is whether his new wife will make a good mother to the child. What about himself? Wasn’t he hurt enough last time?

      ‘But you haven’t been invited.’ Then Will shrugged. ‘No doubt it will be easy for you to secure an invitation. Even though you’ve been in the West Indies all this time no one will have forgotten you. And they will be unsurprised to see you again, now you have come into the title.’

      ‘They’ll have forgotten me sufficiently not to recognise me, I hope. At least so long as they see me where they would not expect to.’ Lucas smiled, flexing his fingers. He imagined them curling around Miss Maylin’s greedy little throat, but he kept his tone amused. ‘I shall go as your valet, Will—below stairs they know all about their masters’ and mistresses’ dirty linen, and I’ll wager are more than willing to gossip about it. After a few days there I’ll know every secret your Miss Maylin has to hide, believe me. And if Perrott will entrust me with his blacking recipe, you’ll have a decent shine on your boots into the bargain.’

       Ten days later

      It was important to remember one’s place. Miss Maylin’s dresser, a young lady calling herself Daisy Lawrence, clutched the morocco jewel case to her midriff and stood amidst the shabby СКАЧАТЬ