The Secret Duke by Jo Beverley Read Free Book Online

her doom.
    At first, Bella had been shocked rather than amused by Lady Fowler’s letters. She’d thought herself so worldly-wise, but of course that had been folly at seventeen. She’d certainly been ignorant of some of the sins Lady Fowler detailed, and did think it wrong that they were common among peers and Parliament. There were even cases among the high clergy.
    Lady Fowler also raged against the injustice of the law that gave women so few rights and gave men domination over them. Bella felt one in spirit with the lady on that. She realized she might now be able to donate some small amount to Lady Fowler’s Fund for the Moral Reform of London Society.
    She kissed the last bundle of Lady Raddall’s letters, sending thanks to the dear lady, and put them with her other packed belongings.
    “There,” she said, rising to close and lock the trunk.
    A glance at the clock showed that over half an hour had passed, and Bella was suddenly terrified that her brother and sister might have managed to talk Mr. Clatterford out of his plan. She put her hat on top of her plain cap and jabbed in a long pin, grabbed her thin cloak and darned gloves, and rushed back to the little drawing room.
    She found Mr. Clatterford alone, enjoying tea and scones. He beamed at her. “Ready? Excellent.” He rose, patting butter from his lips with a napkin. “Sir Augustus and your sister had business elsewhere, but I think we can dispense with the farewells, eh?”
    “Happily,” Bella said, still catching her breath. She had to ask. “It is true?”
    “Your money? Yes, my dear.”
    Heart thumping, Bella asked, “How much?”
    “The estate is still being settled, but the total is in the range of fifteen thousand pounds. Your family were so overcome by that, they had to stagger away to recover.”
    Bella wanted to laugh, but she didn’t think she dared even smile until she was outside. Until she was off the Carscourt estate, in fact.
    When the door opened, she spun in alarm, and then closed her eyes in relief. “Here’s Henry with your clothes, Mr. Clatterford. Do let us go!”
    Mr. Clatterford reswathed himself. When they left, Henry winked at Bella. She did smile a little then, and whispered, “Thank you. If you or Jane suffers for this, you must contact Mr. Clatterford in Tunbridge Wells. We will help.”
    They hurried downstairs and out. Henry and the groom got Bella’s trunk into the boot, and Bella climbed inside.
    She was wound tight now, dreadfully afraid that Augustus would think of some way to stop this. She didn’t know why he was so ferociously set on continuing the oppression begun by their father, but he was. Lucinda would simply be having a fit.
    Mr. Clatterford climbed into the carriage. Bella watched the door for Augustus. The solicitor took the opposite seat, the one with the back to the horses.
    “Oh, no, sir,” Bella said, rising to exchange. “Let me . . .”
    “Age before beauty?” he said. “If you don’t object, may I sit beside you, Miss Isabella? I confess, I do not care to ride with my back to the horses, but I see no reason either of us should.”
    They both settled, and the carriage moved off.
    Bella watched the front door as long as she could. It remained firmly shut, and irrationally that started to worry her. She’d rather see Augustus shaking his fist at her than not know where he was, what he was doing.
    Finally she could see the door no more. She looked forward, trying to believe. “I don’t know how to thank you, Mr. Clatterford.”
    He patted her hand. “No need, no need. I apologize for not being here on your birthday, as Lady Raddall wished, but we had extensive rains that made the roads very difficult, and I didn’t think it wise.”
    “It’s a long journey, sir.”
    “Not too long when the roads are dry, but the weather is unseasonable. I detect that Carscourt has not replenished the hot bricks in here. We’ll see to that once we’ve traveled a few miles.”
    Bella was used to