My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley Read Free Book Online Page B

had
inconsiderately died before his father, leaving his young son the heir.
That young son, now King George III, was firmly under the influence of
his mother, the Princess Augusta, and the handsome Scot, Lord Bute.
    The Earl of Walgrave was out of power.
    “Poor Father,” said Chastity with spurious sympathy. “He really should have paid more attention to Augusta, shouldn’t he?”
    “Instead of making her his enemy by taking so much of her husband’s time. But then, Father has always tended to discount women.”
    Chastity frowned over the matter. “With all his plans in the dust, I
suppose it is not strange that Father has become… extreme in his
manner. But that doesn’t explain an alliance with the Vernhams. I
suppose Sir William must have had influence to barter.”
    Verity tucked the stockings into the box. “With whom? Influence with
Augusta would not help. Her enmity runs too deep, and she is sincerely
attached to Bute.”
    Chastity raised her brows and grinned. “Some would say immorally attached.”
    “Chastity!”
    “Don’t you think so? You’re alone in the fashionable world, then.
And Bute is a fine figure of a man, even if he does have the spirit and
brains of a rabbit.”
    Verity fought a betraying giggle and lost. “Really, Chastity. But I
have to confess that Father’s outrage that such a man is adviser to the
king is understandable. Bute could be disastrous for the country and
yet seems to have the young king and his mother in his control.”
    “Which situation Father would do anything to shatter…”
    “But Chastity, how could Sir William or Henry possibly help him with that?”
    “Not likely, is it?” said Chastity. “I did once hear Father say he
was looking for evidence that Bute had Jacobite sympathies, that he had
supported Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. It is said a great many people
flirted with the Jacobites when it looked as if they might succeed in
returning the Stuarts to the throne.”
    Verity curled her lip. “And then became staunch Hanoverian
supporters when the rising collapsed. I detest such self-serving
hypocrisy.”
    “Wasn’t Sir William one of the Special Investigators set to ferreting out those hidden English Jacobites?”
    “Yes,” said Verity with a shudder. “He used to tell gloating stories
which made me pity even those wretches. He positively enjoyed wielding
power and terrorizing people, and I suspect he made a pretty penny from
turning an occasional blind eye. He certainly rose from a petty squire
to a rich local lion at about that time.”
    “Loathsome man,” said Chastity, her mind on other matters. “Perhaps
that’s it! Perhaps he had evidence against Bute, and Father used us as
bribes to obtain it. Bute is a Scot, after all.”
    Verity stopped her work to consider it, then shook her head.
“Really, Chas, I doubt it. Bute is rather stupid, but very loyal. He is
a Scot, but not all Scots are Jacobites, no matter what people say.”
    Chastity sighed. “I fear you may be right.” She passed Verity a pile
of nappies. Something firm crackled within. She pulled out a heavily
sealed document. “What on earth is this?”
    Verity looked a picture of guilt. “Oh, that.”
    Chastity inspected the document. It appeared to be just a couple of
sheets of paper, folded and sealed four times. She looked at her sister.
    “I didn’t know what to do,” Verity explained nervously. “Some time
ago, Sir William showed me that, and where he kept it, and made me
swear a solemn oath that when he died I would take it straight to Judge
Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice. William made me swear on the Bible…”
    “Verity,” said Chastity firmly, knowing her conscientious sister
well, “you are not going to London until you are safely wed to
Nathaniel.”
    “Of course not,” said Verity, but uneasily. “I tell myself I am going
toward
London after all.”
    “Exactly.” Chastity looked at the document. “What do you think it is?”
    “I don’t know. But as