Two Notorious Dukes by Lyndsey Norton Read Free Book Online Page B

the
misfortune to meet.’ She shivered. ‘It was there in his
eyes and I’m surprised nobody noticed it, including me!’
‘What happened to him?’ Argyll asked calmly.
‘He offended the wrong man. There was an
accusation he’d been tupping a well known duchess and
the duke called him out. I don’t know where the duel
took place; I only know Edward died a week later from a
putrefied wound in his stomach.’ She sighed again. ‘It
was perhaps fortunate that the day Alexander turned
up to claim his dead cousin’s wife as property, was the
day that I went to visit her to offer her a home. She was
in rooms at Almack’s club, but what little money she
had was running out fast and soon she would have been
on the streets.’
‘How did you find out?’ Argyll asked.
‘I went to the family town house to see if she
was well, now that the mourning period was past and I
was so shocked when the footman told me she no
longer lived there, but was ensconced at Almack’s Club.
I hurried around to fetch her here, only to find
Craanford in a tussle with her one solitary remaining
male servant, and poor Elizabeth on the floor with her
clothes in dishabille and a black eye darkening her face.’
She looked down and frowned. ‘I’m sorry to tell you
this, but I actually hit him.’
Both Robert and Argyll looked at her in shock!
‘You hit him?’ Argyll asked in amazement.
‘With what?’ Robert asked as his eyes lit up, he
would never tell anybody, but he admired strong
women who were not afraid to use violence in the
defence of a weaker person.
‘Do you remember the cane your father gave
me, when I had that riding accident and hurt my foot?’
she asked Argyll, who nodded. ‘Well, I always have it
with me, usually it remains in the coach, but some days
my foot aches so much that I need the cane and that’s
what I hit him with.’ She frowned again. ‘I brought it
down across his back with every ounce of my strength.’
She laughed suddenly. ‘He was so shocked, that he
offered to call me out and I damned well accepted. I
took off my glove and flicked it across his face and
threw it on the floor.’
‘The devil you did!?’ Argyll said astonished.
‘I did, but the blackguard is a coward and
withdrew from it on the grounds that I was a woman
and wouldn’t be able to hold the gun!’
‘Didn’t Monmouth offer to stand in for you?’
Robert asked, knowing full well the answer would be
no.
‘No, I wouldn’t let him anyway. It wasn’t his
duel. Just like I wouldn’t have asked either of you.’ she
was quiet for a few moments. ‘Anyway, I had Elizabeth
transferred here and she has been with me ever since.
Last night was the first time I’ve managed to persuade
her to go out in the evening, so thank you for making it
a pleasant and easy evening for her.’
All three of them were quiet, Argyll was thinking
about why Monmouth wouldn’t offer to stand in for
Verity, Verity was remembering the look on Craanford’s
face as she hit him and Robert was thinking about his
small estate in Hertfordshire and just how perfect it
would be.
‘When would you like her to leave?’ Robert
asked softly.
Lady Verity looked at his face, to see him
contemplating the fire and she didn’t like the look in his
eyes.
‘I do hope neither of you will do something
precipitate?’ she asked firmly. ‘I wouldn’t like to end up
on the streets.’
‘No, Mother,’ Argyll said just as firmly. ‘We
won’t be calling him out, will we Robert?’
Robert just looked at the pair of them in turn.
‘That will all depend on what he does next. In my
experience, bullies like him will keep pestering until he
gets what he wants.’ Robert stroked his chin. ‘She’ll
need good protection, just in case the dandy finds out
where she’s staying.’ Robert got up and helped himself
to more brandy. As he resumed his seat and sipped the
spirit he smiled. ‘Would she be able to stay here
another week?’ he asked.
‘Yes. She could probably stay longer now