Page 46 of His Duchess in Disguise
“Au contraire, I know a great deal about her. First, she is a protégé of Mrs. Pearthorne, a woman I trust farther than many a man. Second, rather than stay in London and submit to her fate as many a woman has been known to do, she sold goods that were dear to her and hiked across the countryside. Third, she has a warm heart for animals. She rescued a mare who is well past her prime and brought along a little dog who would have had her turned off summarily in most establishments. Whether she knew that or not is beside the point. Finally, Robbie observed her travels for several miles. He noted that while she was unskilled at camping or observing her surroundings, she was both persistent and resourceful.”
“Well enough. But do you really know anything about her? About her family?”
“Sadly, I know a great deal too much about her father if that bruise on her face is truly his handiwork. I’ll not send any woman back to a man who beats her. Marrying her is the only way I can think of to keep her out of his and Percy’s hands.”
“It is quite a step, Your Grace, just to keep her safe.”
“Well, now, I mean to do a great deal more than just keep her safe. She has the potential to become quite the great lady. I think I shall consider myself fortunate to be able to snatch her up without the onerous business of formally courting her. Egad! One night in London, and I was already sick of balls.”
“Have you asked the young woman’s opinion of society, Your Grace? She might enjoy dancing, gossiping, and eating the odd tidbit.”
Leo shrugged. “If she does, then we will do the social round. I can endure it, I think, if I am not being fawned on by every hopeful mama in the city. Meanwhile, we need to set up the preliminary paperwork that I have in mind just in case Putrid Percy manages to put one over on me, and I don’t survive this adventure.”
“Your Grace, if I didn’t know better, I would say that you are marrying before sailing off to war. I’ve seen it in many a young sailor. A moment before a priest or parson, then tearful goodbyes at the dock, and a woman left widow before she was scarcely a wife.”
“Hamilton, you are not entirely wrong. I don’t know if I will survive this duel. Percy Harlow was a slippery sneak when we were boys, and he has never been a slouch with a sword. Miss Hoskins’s point that if I kill him, I am likely to need to go into exile, is well-taken, and I can try to disable rather than slay, but I do not believe he will be laboring under any such handicap.”
Hamilton nodded to show his understanding. “Your Grace, your desire to protect Miss Hoskins does you credit. But how do you know that anything you leave her will be well-used? We have only her word for conditions in her home.”
“I’ll set it up as a trust and keep it separate from the estate. There should be someone I can name as heir.”
“Who? The sickness left the line broken.”
“Honestly, Hamilton, I believe that cousin Reggie is the next in line, unlikely an heir as he is. I’ll tie up the estate so that he can’t gamble or drink it away, but if Emma should be with child, it will go to her issue.”
“Are you certain that she is not already with child?”
“Hamilton, you have a truly evil mind.”
“No, Your Grace. I am a realist above all. That blow could easily have been a beating administered because she was lying with a lover.”
“If that were the case, why have we not yet seen this person? No, I do not think that of her. And if such should prove to be the case, then this moldy old pile would have some fresh blood. We all know what becomes of hounds or horses that are bred too close. Sometimes I think that the problems with the aristocracy is the marrying of too many cousins.”
“Now who has the evil mind, Your Grace? Well enough. I’ll draw up the papers for you so that all the barrister will need to do is go over them in the morning, sign, and affix his seal. Be it far from me to attempt to act as your parent in this matter.”
Leo quirked an eyebrow at his secretary. “I should hope not, since you are some years my junior. Consider it a mark of my esteem that we have had this conversation at all.”
Hamilton grinned, dipped his pen in the inkwell on his desk, and began writing. He had not made it through the first line before there came a knock at the door.
Chapter 29
When Leo opened the door, the two footmen stood there, holding Matthew Blank between them. Although he still bore only the marks the ladies had left on him, it was clear that he had been crying.
“Din’ last three minutes wit’ the meat-hooks in the shoulders of ‘is shirt ‘fore he fessed up, Your Grace. We din’ put a mark on ‘im. Greer waved a big stick around an’ yelled a little, and this here big noddie started blubbering like a baby. Yer gonna wanna hear ‘is story.”
With only a little prodding, the story of the stranger who wanted to talk to the new maid came tumbling out.
“Well, there’s a nice little wrinkle,” Hamilton remarked. “We can’t let him run around the village with such a tale.”
“Too true. We’ll need to round up this stranger who is making so free with his blunt, as well. It is going to make a late start for us tomorrow.”
“Perhaps it is just as well, Your Grace. You are advancing this plan of yours with great haste. One cannot but think that difficulties will develop.”
“Always the pessimist, Hamilton. Ask Captain Arnault to lend a couple of his men and go obtain this stranger. He should not be too difficult to locate since the village has but one inn.”
“Very well, Your Grace, but if I go junketing about the rest of this night, then these papers might not be complete in the morning.”
“As it happens, laying hand to this stranger and learning what he knows could be more important than those papers. You wanted to know more about Miss Hoskins background? It is very possible that this will be our opportunity to learn more.”
