Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James Read Free Book Online

Roberta. “I know him of old, and if I don’t act quickly, there’l be none left for us.”
    Gryffyn threw her an affectionate grin. “Beaumont had a point about his career, Jemma. Both of our reputations in the same smal space may wel damage it, not to mention Lady Roberta’s marital aspirations.”
    “I missed you al these years,” Jemma said. “I’m not giving you up so soon, and I want to meet Teddy properly.” She turned to Roberta. “Damon’s son Teddy is just five years old.”
    “He turned six last week, you unnatural aunt,” Gryffyn said. “I missed you too, Jemma. But I hardly want to cause the fraying of your marriage.”
    Jemma snorted inelegantly.
    “Beaumont doesn’t mean to be such an ass,” Gryffyn added.
    “He just acts that way?” his sister said. “But enough airing our linen, dirty and otherwise, in front of Roberta. You must bring Teddy and his nanny this very afternoon.”
    “Unfortunately, he has no nanny at the moment. Teddy has an annoying habit of escaping and the latest nanny stomped away in a temper yesterday.”
    “Escaping? Where does he go?”
    “Anywhere but the nursery. General y he goes to the stables during the day. And he wanders the house at night until he finds my chamber, and then he climbs in my bed. Last night he couldn’t find it, so he slept in the vestibule until I came home.
    Marble floor. Cold, I should think.”
    “My father had a dog like that,” Roberta said. And then clapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean to compare your son to a dog, my lord!”
    “Please, you real y must cal me Damon,” he said, looking absolutely unmoved by the slur to his offspring. “Children are slightly doggish, don’t you think? They need so much training, and they have a dislikable habit of urinating in public places.”
    “I suggest you bar the nursery door,” Jemma said, “particularly now that you remind me of children’s indiscriminate attitude toward hygiene.”
    “Can’t do that,” Damon said. “What if there was a fire? And Teddy, by the way, is past the age of indiscriminate peeing.
    He’s very good at seeking out a tree, just like the wel -trained puppy he is.”
    “Perhaps you could carpet the vestibule,” Roberta suggested. “If you mean to al ow him to continue in this habit.”
    “Remarkably uncharitable on both your parts,” Damon complained. Then he looked back and forth. “How odd! I suddenly see quite a resemblance between the two of you. Don’t tel me! My il egitimate child is only matched by our father’s own indiscretions!”
    “Actual y not,” Roberta said. “I’m legitimate, but from a far branch of the family tree. I only wish that I resembled Jemma.”
    “You have her blue eyes,” he said, grinning at her.

    “Roberta is going to be my project,” Jemma said. “I’m going to dress her up to look absolutely gorgeous, which of course she is, and then marry her off to whomever she wishes. It’l be great fun.”
    Roberta felt a queer compression around her chestbone. “Are you sure?” she asked. “It wil be frightful y expensive. I’m not sure how much I can persuade my father to contribute.”
    “Jemma’s husband can manage a dozen debuts and not notice,” Damon said. “I don’t know why Beaumont bothers with his speechifying; he could just buy the votes he needs to get a bil passed, in the time-honored fashion. That’s what father always did.”
    “I’m afraid that the third earl—our father—was a tad disreputable,” Jemma said. “You interrupted me, Damon. I was trying to warn Roberta that she might not want my chaperonage.”
    Damon looked her over so careful y that Roberta felt herself getting pink. “It’s true that your reputation was marred by merely walking into this den of inequity, or it wil be once the English ladies get the measure of my sister. Jemma is unlikely to be a prudent chaperone. The Reeves have been disreputable back to the days of King Alfred, and though I regret to say