Page 34 of Fit for a Duke
‘Yes, but she didn’t think she would accept, which is why she didn’t mention anything before now. She was never more surprised than when Lady Walder arrived a few moments ago.’
‘She is creating quite a stir,’ Clio remarked, watching Salford bowing over her hand and a small posse of other gentlemen awaiting an introduction.
‘I believe her husband was an officer in the same regiment as your father, the duke and Captain Salford, which would explain how she became acquainted with them.’
‘She followed the drum?’
Adele lifted one shoulder. ‘Presumably so.’
‘She is very striking, and appears fully aware of the fact.’ Clio wrinkled her nose when the lady gave a tinkling little laugh that sounded entirely false and bestowed her full attention upon Lord Fryer, causing Adele’s hand to tremble. ‘I have not even spoken to her, but already have my suspicions about her intentions.’
‘What sort of suspicions?’
‘I wish I knew.’ Clio fell to momentary contemplation. ‘However, methinks the widow is here to lead the duke astray and to cause as much mayhem as possible. She certainly enjoys being the centre of attention.’
‘As do most beautiful women, in my view.’
‘True.’ Clio grinned at Adele, wondering why she was feeling so out of charity with the new arrival when she had done Clio no harm. ‘Anyway, I dare say the duke is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and doesn’t need us to fight his battles for him.’
Well, not this particular battle.
‘Beth will be even more dejected now.’
‘She doesn’t look exactly heartbroken,’ Clio replied, glancing across the lawns to where Beth was giggling with two of the younger gentlemen at the archery butts when she failed to fire an arrow anywhere near the target. ‘Perhaps she prefers the attentions of gentlemen closer to her own age.’
‘And was setting her cap at the duke because Mama expected it of her?’
Clio lifted a shoulder, trying not to keep glancing at Ezra, who had wandered away from Lady Walder and was himself now strolling around the periphery of the gathering. ‘Perhaps,’ Clio said. ‘Anyway, never mind Beth. What about you? Did you enjoy your game with Lord Fryer?’
‘Yes,’ Adele replied, eyes downcast, ‘but he appears to be enjoying the game he is playing at this moment a great deal more.’
Clio glanced at Lord Fryer as he smiled at Lady Walder and laughed at something she had just said to him.
‘Well my love, cruel as it sounds, if he is really that inconstant then it is better that you discover the fact now. Personally, I think he is simply being polite. We have already speculated about his naturally companionable nature and the fact that he is affable and easy going with everyone he meets. Look, you see, he has already walked away from the lady and left her to others, as has the duke.’
Adele smiled. ‘Don’t mind me. I am really notthatsmitten with him.’
‘Yes you are,’ Clio replied, grinning.
The rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully, and Clio didn’t exchange another private word with the duke or with Captain Salford. Lady Walder appeared to be at the centre of all the activity, flirting openly with every man who crossed her path and disregarding the ladies, none of whom she appeared to look upon as serious competition. Clio was disgusted by her behaviour and said as much to her aunt in a quiet aside.
‘It is just her way, my dear. She means nothing by it,’ Aunt Fletcher said, sounding as though she wished rather than believed that to be the case. ‘She is not my favourite person, but I do know that she truly loved her husband and that he was taken from her at far too young an age. We must make allowances. Not everyone wears their grief openly and we all have different methods of overcoming it. Take it from one who knows,’ she added, clearly thinking of her own husband. Aunt Fletcher had been courted by several eligible men since his demise but she wouldn’t take any of them. No one, she had frequently assured Clio, could replace her beloved James.
‘You make me ashamed of my uncharitable thoughts about the lady, Aunt.’
‘You do not have an uncharitable bone in your body, my love, but you do observe too much and think too deeply. No good comes of a lady who is a deep thinker.’
With these words of wisdom ringing in her ears, Clio strolled away, smiling at her aunt’s simple view of life. Clio herself would undoubtedly find her own life far less complicated if she could bring herself to adopt the same approach.
‘We are in the manner that God made us,’ she muttered, smiling at the gentlemen who were still patiently attempting to teach Beth how to draw a bow and actually hit the target.
The afternoon’s entertainments eventually came to an end and the gentlemen gravitated towards the stables, clearly intent upon quenching their thirsts at the local tavern. Ezra had not given Clio his assurance that he would be on his guard, and when she noticed his man Godfrey still on the estate after the gentlemen had quit it, she knew she had to do something to help him.
‘He deserves to be murdered if he takes so little care of himself,’ she muttered mutinously as she scurried back to her chamber. Without ringing for Daisy she changed into the lad’s clothing that she sometimes wore in order to ride astride.
The male guests had gone into the village and the ladies were resting before changing for dinner, so Clio was able to slip from the house again unobserved. With a cap pulled low over her eyes, the head groom didn’t bat an eyelid when he observed her garb.
‘Off for a quick ride before dinner, I take it,’ he said. ‘I’ll have Raven saddled in two seconds.’
