Page 119 of His Duchess in Disguise
“Indeed not, Your Grace. However, Mr. Blank, who should have been on his way home long since, burst in upon her and sought to steal the bathing sheet from her. He was also making insinuating remarks.”
“Oh? And what sort of remarks might those have been?” The Duke turned his attention to Matthew Blank.
“Why, Your Grace, only that she isn’t what she pretends to be. She is not a serving maid at all. She’s a runaway. Why, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if you ain’t in it with her, an’ you plan to have your way with her and ruin her.”
The Duke just stared at the young man, as if he were some sort of bug that had gotten on the sole of his shoe. The silence in the kitchen spread until the tall, tawny-haired, slightly sunburned young man wilted between the two footmen who were holding him. His gaze fell to the floor.
The Duke spoke. “Do you really think that there is anything that goes on in this house that I do not know about? With only a moderate amount of inquiry, I can discover what you had for breakfast. There is, however, one small matter that puzzles me. You clearly had some purpose for coming back to the kitchen after hours. Since Miss Kathy had been out riding all day, she could not have made it known that she planned to use the tub. Am I wrong in this assumption, Kathy?”
Emma shook her head, still sniffling a bit. “No, Your Grace. I was that sore from riding, and the hot water just looked so good. I’ve got a bottle of liniment from one of the stablemen. He swears that it is good for all manner of stiffness and even for raw flesh.”
“Quite so. I’ve had some of that liniment myself. Now, this is what we are going to do. We will march Mr. Blank, here, down to the smokehouse where we will hear more of what he has to say. While we are hearing from him, Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Noddicott will assist Miss Smith with setting herself to rights. When I return from the smokehouse, I will sit down with the ladies and obtain their point of view.”
Chapter 26
Leo looked at Matthew Blank somberly. He had a split lip and the beginning of a bruise along his jaw where Kathy had smacked him with something and a purple welt across the front of his neck where Mrs. Chambers had used his shirt to jerk him back away from the maid.
“You’re a fine one.” Leo let his disgust color his voice. “Barging in on a young woman in her bath and then fighting with women. What do you have to say for yourself?”
The scullion didn’t say anything, just looked sullen.
“What were you doing back here at night? You had been dismissed for the evening and were expected at home. Where did you go?”
“Went for a pint,” Blank burst out. “Is that a crime?”
“Not at all. Many gentlemen like a pint at the end of the day. But I do wonder what that had to do with coming back to the manor house.”
“Made a bet. Yeah, that’s it. I made a bet about getting into the kitchen maid’s bed. She’s a looker, but I wouldn’ta tried if I knew she could swing a brush like that.”
“A bet.” Leo looked at the young man very gently. “A bet that involved a young woman’s honor. Did you not know that you could get her turned off?”
“Ah, an’ what’s it to ya?” the scullion said defiantly. “She’s just a scullery maid recently jumped up to kitchen maid. Maybe you want to save her for yerself?”
“Show some respect!” the footman holding his left arm ground out. “You will address the Duke as ‘Your Grace.’”
Leo lifted one finger, stilling the footman. Then he said, “Your attitude toward me or Miss Smith does not do you any credit. Nor do I believe that what you are telling me is true. You must have had a powerful reason to have come back through the dark streets, slip past the night watch, and into the room where you knew that she was sleeping. Perhaps you would like to tell me about it?”
Hamilton paled just a little. “I’d advise you to tell the Duke what he wants to know. You really don’t want to go any farther with deceiving him.”
“Who says I’m lying? Iz tha truth. I had a pint, and I made a bet.”
“Very well. String him up using the ham hooks through his shirt, gentlemen. Don’t damage him, but we’ll see if he has a better tale to tell in the morning. Set a guard on the door to the smokehouse. Don’t allow anyone to come in or him to go out.”
With that, Leo exited the smokehouse, taking Hamilton and Leo with him, but leaving the footmen to deal with Matthew Blank. Behind him, he heard a scuffle and a curse, then all was silence.
“Do you plan to leave him there all night, Your Grace?”
“Depends on what Miss Smith has to say, Hamilton. I cannot think that she did anything to invite this assault. She seemed perfectly happy when we rode into the stable yard. She was excited to be put in charge of dusting the library, although I would think it a daunting task.”
“I don’t think much daunts her, Your Grace. She seems very resourceful.”
“Yes. A shade ignorant, but with enough pluck for two or three soldiers. A regular Boadicea.”
“Indeed, Your Grace. All she needs is a chariot.”
Leo found the ladies seated around the kitchen table, all of them, including Emma, now respectably clad in wrappers and each clutching a cup of tea.
“Would you care for some tea, Your Grace?” Mrs. Noddicott rose gracefully. “I can send it up to your study.”
