Page 57 of The Beauty and the Boxer
Evidently, that thought had not ever crossedDawn’s mind. She smiled widely.
“Well, there’s an idea.” She peered atMeredith. “Why, that’s very clever. See? I knew befriending you wasa good idea, even if it’s not recommended of newly presented ladiesto associate with old maids.” Dawn’s smile dropped suddenly. “Oh,dear! I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s quite all right,” Meredith said,positive that there wasn’t a malicious bone in Dawn’s body. A touchnearsighted with her speech, to be sure, but certainly notmalevolent. “I am technically on the shelf.”
“Oh, but you’re not! Not really. I mean,you’re certainly older than me, but you’ve many masculineattentions. Sir Kent, for example, seems quite devoted to you andhe’s a man.”
“Yes, Sir Kent is a man,” Meredith saidawkwardly, unsure how to stop Dawn’s attempts at rectifying herstatements.
Just then the sea of people who stood nottoo far away from them parted and the duchess, dressed in all herglory appeared before them. The raven-haired beauty wore a butterycolored satin gown that seemed to glow, radiating in thecandelabras and chandeliers. Her neck, ears and wrist were adorneda parure of sapphires that enhanced her cool, blue eyes andMeredith wondered if they had been a wedding present from theduke.
Both she and Dawn stood up as the duchessapproached and curtsied.
“A word, if I may, Miss Taylor?” the duchessasked, her tone rather flat.
She didn’t address Dawn.
“Oh, yes of course,” Meredith said, beforespeaking to Dawn. “Will you tell Mr. Blake I will be backmomentarily?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly, nodding as shestared at the duchess. “Yes, of course.”
It seemed that everyone in the room watchedMeredith as she and the duchess took a tour around the room. Shetried to think of something to say, but the words refused to form.Meredith wasn’t sure the point, especially since they seemed to bestopping every few feet to exchange pleasantries with others. Soon,no one was keeping their eyes on them and when a lively song beganto play, the duchess steered them out of the ballroom.
“Ah, your grace,” Meredith began as shefollowed her down the cavernous hallway. “Where are we going?”
“The duke asked for me to fetch you,” shesaid, her tone icy. “As if I were one of his hunting dogs.”
“Oh, I’m sure his grace didn’t mean to—”
“Do you presume to know him better than hiswife?”
“No—”
“Well, then, I guess you don’t know what hemeant, do you?” she spoke. “Why he’s so concerned with yourreputation is beyond me.”
“My reputation?”
“Oh, yes. It seems some old hag has exposedyour secret. Why it should be our problem is beyond me. I’ve toldhim several times, just because he and that Archer man share afather doesn’t mean that any of you are his family. Not when wehave our own child on the way to worry about.”
Meredith felt surprise and shame slam intoher at the same time as the duchess’s words barely registered. Shewas with child? Her secret had been exposed? Good heavens, whatcould she say?
Nothing, it seemed, as she followed theduchess down the eastern gallery, then down a long hallway. Theywalked the length of the corridor in silence.
“Here,” the duchess said, coming to anabrupt stop before one of the last doors. “The duke’s privatestudy.”
“I’m so very sorry to have disrupted yourparty,” Meredith began, having decided she should apologize. “Ican’t imagine what you must think of me.”
“I don’t think about you at all,” she saidas she folded her arms across her chest. “And I pray this is thelast time we see one another,MissTaylor. Or whatever yourname is.”
Twirling on her heel, the duchessdisappeared before Meredith could react. What a mess she had made.It seemed her brief and miserable marriage would not soon let hergo, regardless how many years passed.
Taking a shallow breath, she grabbed thebrass doorknob, turned it, and pushed the door open.
The private office was long, almost narrowcompared to other rooms in Dragmoor. The ground was covered incolorful floral rugs of red, blue, yellow, green, and pink. Dark,oak bookshelves lined the walls and Argand oil wall lamps wereplaced between each row of books. Every few feet sat leatherchairs, or velvet chaises, with large, square end tables. It was aroom of comfort, a room for people to get lost in stories duringthe cold winter months.
At the far end of the room stood a massive,intricately carved desk and gathered around it were Sarah, Simon,Mountebank and Jack. Feeling suddenly as if she were walkingtowards the gallows, Meredith swallowed and walked towardsthem.
Simon and the duke had carefully blankfaces, while Sarah appeared sorry and Jack looked, well,murderous.
