The Sins of Lady Dacey by Marion Chesney Read Free Book Online Page B

bluestocking. Come away.”
    Pamela tugged at Honoria's arm and whispered, “People are looking. We will talk about this later.”
    They joined the company in the supper room. Pamela saw two men scrutinizing Honoria. One said to the other, “That's a tasty piece of bait our Lady Dacey has brought with her.” She wondered what on earth they meant.
    Honoria began to find the evening tedious. Everyone was relaying gossip about people of whom she had never heard, the men often talking in such broad cant they were nigh incomprehensible.
    Fortunately for Honoria, the gentleman whom Lady Dacey had selected as her flirt for the evening escaped her clutches and could soon be seen talking animatedly to a young miss, and so Lady Dacey pronounced the evening sadly flat and suggested they should go home.
    * * * *
    They arose early the next morning and spent the first part wondering when their hostess would appear and what she had planned for them. When they went down to the drawing room, the butler handed Pamela a letter.
    She read it and looked at Honoria in surprise. “Would you believe this? Lady Dacey has gone off to the north already! She has left a long list of all the people with whom she has credit, from dressmakers to stay makers, and begs us make use of them. She has also left a generous amount of money, she says, in the desk over there.”
    “I should have spoken to her about the folly of trying to entrap Ware,” said Honoria sadly. “I fear he is a bad man. At first I thought we should not rely on servants’ gossip. But on reflection, I see no reason why that maid who told you about his previous visitors should lie. Furthermore, Lady Dacey accepted the existence of his mistress without a blink—in fact, even knew her name and her present standing in the duke's affections. I feel it is my duty to try to reform Aunt.”
    “I do not think our hostess would think there was any reason for reform, nor would she willingly listen to any strictures from us, Honoria.”
    “Nonetheless, I shall try on her return. Goodness, what are we to do on our own?”
    “I shall be able to visit my sister. We will see to the ordering of our wardrobe like very grand ladies. We will send the footman to the dressmaker first and tell her to come here with designs and samples of cloth. I am sharp enough to know we do not go in person to these tradespeople; they come to us. Oh, think, Honoria. We can please ourselves in a simple way. I mean, once we have had our fittings, we can venture forth and see all the unfashionable sights such as the menagerie at the Tower, and the waxworks, and all sorts of things like that.”
    Honoria gave a little shiver. She felt at that moment that her mother and father were standing in the room, looking at her with reproving eyes.
    Instead, she said, “I must write to Mama and you to Mr. Perryworth. What are we to tell them of Aunt Clarissa?”
    Her eyes dancing, Pamela said, “It would be very wrong of either of us to voice any criticism of our generous hostess or to trouble either Mr. Perryworth or Mr. and Mrs. Goodham with the intelligence that Lady Dacey is not with us. Should we write that, one or all of them might feel it their duty to come to London.”
    “We couldn't have that.” Honoria brightened. “Just think. Here we are with plenty of money, a comfortable house, carriages, and an army of servants at our disposal. And no one to criticize us or tell us what to do. Do you ever think of that cavalier who tried to steal your fan?”
    “Never!” said Pamela vehemently, and then wondered why she had lied, for she thought of him often.
    * * * *
    Over a week later, the duke was on the point of leaving for London. He was standing in the hall drawing on his gloves when a servant entered and informed him that a certain Lady Dacey was at the lodge, her carriage having broken down.
    The fair Miss Goodham, he thought cynically, must have told her aunt of her visit, and so Lady Dacey, who was hardly the sort