To Marry a Duke

by Fenella J Miller

  ‘No, I am a little tired but not poorly.’ Demelza grinned. ‘I was forced to claim illness in order to escape from Lucy. I had intended to hide in my bedchamber until she left but she insisted on helping me disrobe, so here I am.’

  Allegra smoothed out the back of her dress before carefully perching on the end of the bed. ‘I take it you did not enjoy your visit? I am sorry to hear that when you were so looking forward to seeing your friend again.’

  ‘I didn’t realize how shallow she is. She talked of nothing but clothes, slippers and bonnets until my head was spinning. I find we have little in common now.’

  ‘Perhaps it is because you are feeling rather out of sorts? When you are better you might feel differently about her.’

  Demelza’s mouth pursed. ‘I doubt it! Do you know, I felt more like her elderly aunt than her bosom bow? I believe I’ve changed since I met Richard. I see things differently now. Will he be here soon, do you think?’

  ‘I hope so; I sent a note to him telling him of your injury but he is busy with estate business, he might decide he has not got the time. After all we are only here for three weeks.’

  ‘If he loves me, surely he will come? I would go to him if he had been shot.’

  ‘But you must remember he is still recovering from his own injuries, my dear.’

  ‘I understand, Allegra. You don’t have to cover up for him. He does not wish to marry me now he has had his properties returned. Why should he wish to tie himself to a nobody? He could have anyone he wanted. There are dozens of debutantes more eligible.’ Demelza wiped her eyes on the sheet. ‘I intend to release him from his offer. I love him too much to hold him against his will.’

  ‘I think you had better wait until you speak to him in person before making such a rash decision. Have you considered he might be feeling exactly the same reservations himself? That

  you might not wish to tie yourself to a man with only one eye?’

  Demelza rocked back, her face pale. ‘He could not be so stupid! If he had been blinded then maybe I could understand, but he’s my beloved Richard; one eye, one leg or one anything, I shall always love him.’

  ‘In which case, my dear, you have nothing to fret about. Whether Richard comes to London or not, I do not think you have any cause to worry about his constancy.’

  ‘Miss Murrell says I’ll be well enough to travel back to the Priory in a day or two. If Richard doesn’t come to me, I shall go to him. I find the thought of visiting the sights no longer interests me.’

  Allegra patted her hands. ‘I have to go. Shall I send up your papa when he arrives?’

  ‘No, thank you, I’ll see him tomorrow. I suppose Richard will be obliged to stay with papa, not here, if he does come?’

  ‘I am afraid so, my love. But your townhouse is only five minutes from this, hardly a separation at all.’ Allegra shook out her dress, hoping she had not creased it by sitting.

  ‘It’s fine, Allegra, no lines at all. You will stun my father into silence in that gown; I think you look like a fairy princess out of storybook.’

  ‘And since I met him he has made me feel like one. My feet are floating several inches from the floor most of the time I am so happy.’

  Demelza giggled. ‘I seem to recall you thought you hated my father until quite recently, Allegra.’

  ‘Oh stuff to that! I intend to forget I was ever at odds with him. I do not wish to ruin my romantic ideal. Goodnight, my love, sleep well.’

  *

  Downstairs Jago prowled, magnificent in his evening clothes, favouring the modern fashion of black pantaloons and slippers above knee breeches and stockings. Abbot was hovering in the background, Allegra’s belongings in her arms. The closed carriage waited outside, Thomas on the box, Billy by the steps ready to hand Allegra in.

  The hour was after seven thirty, she was tardy. His eyes darkened and he had difficulty swallowing as he watched her run lightly down the stairs. ‘My darling, you look ravissante tonight.’ She held out her hands and he carried them to his lips, placing a kiss on each finger before releasing them.

  ‘I am so glad you like this ensemble. This is its first airing. I have been saving it for an important occasion.’

  ‘Do a supper and card party count as such? It should have been kept for a ball.’

  ‘No, Jago, my love it is not the event but the venue. Tonight I am taking you to meet the Dowager Duchess of Avondale. If you can charm her, then all doors will open like magic to you. You will be received everywhere.’

  Abbot arranged the cloak across Allegra’s shoulders and they were ready to depart. Once they were settled he continued the conversation. ‘I’ll do my best tonight, Allegra. But I cannot promise it will be enough. I’m not good at being a sycophant; breeding counts for nothing in my business world, I’m only impressed by achievements, not pedigrees.’

  ‘I know you are. But the haut ton are not. I thought it was your goal to be part of society?’

  He grinned, a flash of white in the gloom. ‘I thought it was too, my love, but now I find I don’t give a damn…’ he sensed the maid’s shocked recoil. ‘I’ll rephrase that. I don’t care overmuch for society’s opinion. If I have your approval, that’s more than enough for me.’

  ‘In which case, my love, we can both relax and enjoy ourselves. I have never cared a fig for their opinion. My only concern is for you.’

  The carriage eventually halted outside the flambeaux-lit portico of their destination. Two footmen attended their descent and two more ushered them upstairs.

  ‘We would have been quicker to walk here, it’s taken over thirty minutes to travel around the square,’ he commented.

  ‘Shall we walk back? When Thomas returns with the carriage he can arrange for an escort to be waiting outside when we leave.’

  ‘I think in the present circumstances it would be better not.’

  Allegra shivered at the unpleasant reminder that the mastermind behind the ambush was still at large.

  *

  The evening, an intimate gathering of twenty couples, sped by. Allegra’s friends appeared to be delighted to see her again and to meet him. She had been away too long and he was amused to hear her conversing with like-minded people, listening to the latest on-dits and discussing the progress of the war and bemoaning the high price of corn.

  At such an event there was not the vapid conversation of simpering debutantes. Discussions between both ladies and gentlemen were robust and stimulating. His opinion on matters financial was sought and his views respected. In all they both declared themselves well satisfied with the evening.

  ‘Almost dawn, Jago. It hardly seems worth the trouble of going to bed.’

  He briefly squeezed her hands. ‘You have more stamina than I, my sweet, I’m exhausted. Go in now, I shall call round in the afternoon, I have business to attend to this morning. Goodnight, my darling.’

  He waited till Allegra and her maid had vanished inside before striding off to his own house, five minutes’ walk away. High society was less objectionable than he’d anticipated - in fact he rather thought he might come to enjoy their company. However, his first priority must be to discover why they had been attacked. He hoped the men he’d employed would return with sufficient information this morning to start piecing the puzzle together. So far the only suspect was his ex-mistress, Camille Oliver. But he knew her to be a pragmatist. She never did anything unless it would be of direct benefit to her in some way.

  The death of either Demelza or Allegra could not come into that category unless—? He needed to think this through, analyse the situation. If Allegra was dead would he consider going back to his mistress? If he was honest he knew he probably would, eventually. He had physical needs and Camille certainly knew how to satisfy those.

  He rubbed his eyes; fatigue was making him over fanciful. Of course she wasn’t behind the attacks, she was a woman, for God’s sake! How could she possibly be involved with such a heinous crime? He needed his bed. He wasn’t thinking clearly.
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  A drowsy footman answered his knock and bowed deeply, and barely concealing his yawn delivered a message he had been given earlier. ‘Good evening, sir. I am to tell you Lord Witherton and a guest arrived just after you left this evening. They have been accommodated in the green suite.’

  Jago nodded. He was glad Richard was here; perhaps together they could make sense of the situation. He assumed the unidentified guest was Pledger; he wasn’t so sure about his arrival.

  *

  ‘Is Lady Allegra awake yet, Miss Murrell? I’m eager hear what happened last night. I’ll get up,

  I think, and go and see for myself.’

  ‘Miss Demelza, Lady Allegra didn’t retire until the small hours so we should not expect to see her before noon. Also Dr Canning gave instructions that you were to rest for another day.’

  ‘I’m going mad with boredom cooped up in here. I shall get dressed and go for walk around the house. I promise I’ll walk slowly.’

  Her companion accepted defeat. ‘I’ll accompany you, my dear. This is a vast establishment. and an unwary guest could easily get themselves lost without directions.’

  Demelza was admiring the spacious entrance hall, its walls lined with gloomy portraits of illustrious Witherton ancestors, when there was a sharp knock on the front door. It would not do for a visitor to see them lurking in the hall so Miss Murrell took her arm and began to bustle her towards a small ante room to the right of the door. They were too late. The visitors were being ushered inside.

  ‘Richard! You have come.’ Demelza snatched her arm away and ran towards him and fell into his embrace. They kissed, to Miss Murrell’s horror and Captain Pledger’s amusement.

  Demelza raised her head to gaze at Richard. ‘Your poor face; does it hurt very much, my love?’ Her fingers traced the lines of red that led up to the rakish black patch that covered his mangled eye.

  ‘Hardly at all, my darling. And your shoulder, how is that?’

  ‘A little sore, but it’s healing well. We’re both scarred now. I said right from the outset we would be a perfect match.’

  ‘Demelza, I must introduce you to good friend of mine. He rode through the night to fetch me to your side.’ His arm still about her waist he swung around. ‘This is Captain Gideon Pledger-

  Gideon, this is Miss Demelza Tremayne.’

  She curtsied, he bowed, and Richard guided them to the main salon, on the first floor, to continue their conversation. Miss Murrell followed obviously determined to see the proprieties were observed.

  *

  Allegra, on hearing her brother had arrived, flew through her toilette and hastened to the salon to greet him. As a she walked in she saw Richard and Demelza were joyfully reunited, their mutual fears unfounded. ‘Richard, I am so glad to see you here, and both of you so happy.’

  She embraced him warmly. ‘I was worried unnecessarily; we both were. As soon as she’s fully restored I wish to escort her to a party or two, there are still some left to attend, I hope, Allegra?’

  ‘There are, Richard, my dear. We shall go together. Jago and I went to meet the Dowager Duchess of Avondale last evening and he has her stamp of approval. I am certain Demelza will be equally well received.’

  She turned to Captain Pledger. ‘Thank you, sir, for fetching my brother so promptly.’

  ‘My pleasure, my lady.’ He bowed and gestured that she join him. She could hardly refuse, although she still didn’t trust him despite his smiling countenance and air of joviality.

  *

  Jago walked in and found them together, Allegra laughing and happy in the company of the man she professed to dislike, her reservations quite obviously evaporated. His face was grim as he watched her rise and come towards him.

  ‘Welcome, Jago. I do not believe you have been introduced to Richard’s friend, Captain Pledger?’

  He continued to stare, his eyes granite hard, his enmity plain, but did not answer or acknowledge the Captain’s bow. Eventually the captain got the message and half- bowing nervously to Allegra mumbled an unintelligible farewell and disappeared through the door.

  ‘I wish to speak to you in private, Allegra.’

  She was startled by his tone and she stepped away. ‘Of course, shall we go to the small sitting room?’

  Once inside Jago closed the door and stood with his back to it. He saw her expression change to one of unease.

  ‘What is it, Jago? What have I done to offend you?’

  ‘Perhaps you should tell me, Lady Allegra? What is that man to you? I believe there is a history between you that you have not dared share with me.’

  ‘We have no history. He is a friend of Richard’s. He was never a friend of mine, I can assure you of that.’

  Jago stepped away from the door, his expression deadly. ‘It’s all over town. That he was your lover whilst he lived in your house. Is everything you’ve told me a lie? Are you not the innocent you purport to be? Why else would you be closeted alone with him at the White Hart the other night?’

  Allegra did not dignify his accusation with an answer. Instead she calmly looked around for something to throw. Her fingers curled around a bronze statue and her arm went back, and she flung it across the room. Her aim was as accurate as it had been two days before.

  Jago receiving the object full in the chest reeled back, the breath squeezed from his lungs, and gasping like a landed fish, crashed to the floor. She stepped over him as if he wasn’t there, and vanished, apparently unmoved, from the room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ‘Abbot, where are you? I am going out. I need your assistance immediately,’ Allegra called as she ran into her bedroom. Strangely her fury at Jago’s unjust accusation was no longer uppermost in her mind. She wanted to know who had started these vicious rumours and the person who could tell her was Captain Pledger himself.

  Five minutes after arriving in her chamber she left, by the backstairs, her maid close behind. Allegra had explained to Abbot what had happened, and why they were going out, as they descended the narrow, uncarpeted stairs.

  The servants exit at the rear of the house was deserted and they were able to slip out unobserved. ‘Mr Tremayne’s house is but a few minutes’ walk. We do not need to attract attention to ourselves by haste. We will not be pursued, at least not yet.’

  Her mouth curved as she recalled the look of stupefaction on the face of her beloved as he clutched his chest and toppled to the floor. It served him right. He deserved to suffer for allowing his jealousy to overcome his innate common sense. She intended to forgive him, eventually, but he would have to do a vast amount of grovelling before that time came.

  ‘It is the next house, the one with a double front and the navy painted door,’ she told her abigail. At the bottom of the steps she paused, not sure how to proceed. She had never been in quite this situation before. Whenever she went visiting a footman accompanied her and was there to do demand entry on her behalf.

  ‘I think you had better go up, Abbot. I shall wait here.’

  Her maid marched up the stone flight and banged the brass knocker loudly. The door swung open instantly. ‘Lady Allegra Humphry wishes to speak to Captain Pledger who is residing here as

  a guest.’

  The footman covered his surprise at such odd goings-on and bowed. ‘Please come in, your ladyship. I shall send for the housekeeper to attend you immediately.’

  Allegra looked around with interest - after all this would soon be her house as well. The building was of the same age and style as Witherton House but there the similarities ended. For this abode was immaculate, the most expensive and luxurious appointments she had ever seen. She rather thought the livery of the footman could have cost more than her own gown.

  ‘If you would care to wait in the morning-room, my lady?’ The footman ushered her into a nearby chamber. This was furnished in the latest fashion. The elegant furniture, some in satinwood, other items of mahogany, would have been made especially for the house by someone as prestigious as Thomas Chippe
ndale or Hope. She much admired the rattan chair seats and their lacquer decorations.

  She had not imagined Jago to be a man much influenced by fashion, but if this house was anything to go by he certainly liked to be up-to-date. Allegra wandered across the expanse of carpet feeling her boots sink pleasantly into the deep pile. The pale green-striped damask wall covering was repeated in the heavy curtains and swags at the windows, but she was no longer interested in furnishings. She was staring out of the window, watching the pedestrians, hoping she would have time enough to complete her mission before either Jago or Richard appeared to interfere.

  She patted her reticule, her fingers pressing the hard shape of her pistol. She had come prepared. ‘Abbot, could you go and see what is keeping Captain Pledger; if he does not come down then I shall go in search of him.’

  ‘You must not, my lady. I’ll go, if you wait here, I shall be but a moment.’ Her maid hurried out to pass on the urgent message. Allegra followed her to the open door and spotted her quarry coming downstairs his carpetbag in his hand. He was leaving. She would not allow that to happen.

  Without thought to the consequences she rushed out, blocking his exit.

  ‘Captain Pledger, I wish to speak with you.’

  He tried to step around her but she moved too fast. ‘I’m pressed for time, Lady Allegra. I beg your pardon, but I’ve urgent business elsewhere.’

  ‘You are going nowhere until you have answered my questions, sir.’

  He must believe she would not dare to speak of anything contentious for he half bowed, a sneer curling his lips. ‘Then I am your servant, my lady. Please ask what you will.’

  She pulled herself up to her full height, not much shorter than his, and narrow eyed raked him from head to toe. He flushed under her bitter scrutiny. ‘Are you the fabricator of the malicious gossip that his racing around town?’

  ‘What gossip would that be?’

  ‘That you and I were lovers, sir. That is the gossip I refer to.’ He recoiled slightly at her tone.