Page 32 of His Duchess in Disguise
“True enough. What a soldier or sailor she would have made were she not a woman.”
“We need such women, Your Grace. Where else should we beget stalwart sons?”
“Planning to do some courting, Hamilton?”
“Yes, but not within these walls, Your Grace. I trust I have your leave to go walking out on my next half-day?”
“Planning to visit the fair Melissa?”
“If she will allow it, Your Grace. Letters are all very well, but even if the only way I can see her is to sit across the aisle in church, I will count it a day well spent.”
“Like that, is it?”
“Yes, it is. When I have saved enough to make us a living, it is my hope that she will become my wife.”
“So eager to become leg-shackled. I hope you will not come to regret it, Hamilton.”
“I’m told that it can be a very pleasant state. Perhaps you should try it yourself, Your Grace.”
“I’m afraid I am more likely to become a confirmed bachelor, my friend.”
“If that is so, Your Grace, then there will be many disappointed mamas in London.”
“Hamilton, unless I am to take up bigamy, there are going to be many disappointed mamas even if I do marry.”
“But one, at least, should be very happy. You are quite the catch, Your Grace.”
Leo simply growled and bared his teeth at his secretary.
Hamilton laughed. “It is but the simple truth, Your Grace.”
“I have all my teeth, I am not mad, and I have money. I am quite cognizant, Hamilton.”
“Say rather, Your Grace, you have money, you are not mad, and you do – no thanks to Boney’s men – have all your teeth, eyes, ears and limbs.”
“Well, enough, Hamilton. But even should I decide to marry, I can scarcely expect to sire an heir in less than a se’ennight. So, what shall I do to secure the estate?”
“Stay out of card games, especially ones where cheaters call you out on challenge. The challenge isn’t legal, you know, Your Grace.”
“It’s a question of honor, Hamilton. If I let this challenge go unanswered, not only am I branded a coward, I’ll be fending off similar challenges almost daily.”
Hamilton merely sighed, shook his head, and went back to copying.
Leo rose from his seat and walked to the tall narrow window at the back of the study. It looked out over the gardens and was near the two tall windows in the library. Kathy must have opened the windows, for now, he could clearly hear her singing, “the serpent bit him. . . .” Did she have every old folk song memorized? What would she look like when the bruise faded completely?
He liked looking at her sleek, blond chignon, so unlike the pretentious, studied hairstyles affected by so many of the young ladies at court. It went well with the simple maid’s cap she wore today.
He liked her way of talking, as if he were a school mate or perhaps her brother, without a bit of flirtation. She focused on the subject at hand, not on pretentious coquetry. How her bright, blue eyes had shone at the idea of working with books and at the prospect of reading them!
And she reads Latin. Perhaps I can get her to read Cicero to me sometime. Goodness knows, my Latin wasn’t all that great, even though I did make fun of the old Roman statesman. I wonder if she reads well?
Now Kathy’s voice changed to a soft croon, almost a lullaby. Leo recognized the tune. It was a ballad about a woman who was slain by her sister, and whose breastbone was made into a magic harp. The harp had tattled on the false sister, and the death was avenged. Kathy was not able to sing it to the end, however. Another voice intruded.
“I told you none of your noise above stairs,” Mrs. Noddicott’s voice cut in. “You have no idea who you might be disturbing.”
Leo quickly exited his study - the room the servants called “the duke’s office” - and nipped into the library.
“It is all right, Mrs. Noddicott. Usually, you would be quite right, but I enjoy Kathy’s singing. Perhaps she can be persuaded to sing for all of us sometime when it is just family and staff.”
