The Wild Duchess/The Willful Duchess (The Duchess Club Book 1) (15 page)

A
fter calling
on Mrs. Gayle West for luncheon and a rather clandestine check of Caroline’s health, the Blackwell women began the carriage ride home. Caroline eyed them both suspiciously since they had been especially well-behaved and altogether too quiet for most of the day.

“Dare I ask how things went last night?”

Starr looked up at her, a flash of misery in her eyes. “You could dare but—I don’t feel daring enough to discuss it.”

Caroline made a careful study of them both. “All this time, all these years, we’ve shared so much. But lately I feel excluded, even unwelcome in your lives. It is as if you have mistaken me for someone else who does not love you beyond measure and desires nothing more than to have your trust.”

“Mother! Of course we love and trust you.” Scarlett answered quickly. “Starr just had—a difficult moment with a young Lord Hayle. He mistook her for someone else, there was a misunderstanding and she…”

“Yes?”

“I hit him on the nose with my fan,” Starr said, her voice almost too soft to hear.

“You did?” Caroline blinked in shock. “You truly did?”

Scarlett nodded, smiling wickedly. “Just like a puppy! It was very effective.”

“Scarlett,” Caroline chided gently. “You mustn’t look so pleased when a man is set down in public. It isn’t ladylike to glory in the defeat of others.”

“I wasn’t glorying in the man’s humiliation,” Scarlett protested. “I was being supportive of my sister’s courage and stunning speed with that ivory and lace fan she borrowed from you.”

“It wasn’t damaged. In case—in case you were worried,” Starr added quickly.

Caroline shook her head. “I wasn’t. The fan is expendable whereas my daughter’s well-being and happiness are not.”

“I thought him very handsome, even after she’d nearly broken his nose.” Scarlett said mischievously. “What did you think, Starr?”

“I thought he was the most handsome man I have ever had the privilege to despise,” Starr sighed. “One has daydreams about meeting a man like that but it never occurred to me that it would end in bloodshed. Mother, Scarlett won’t hear me say it but I think I am really not suited to the challenges of a London Season.”

Scarlett looked out the carriage window, unwilling to engage in a battle with her beleaguered twin. She couldn’t bear to be without her ally but she also couldn’t bear to go directly against Tara.

“Starr, no one is suited for the challenges of a London Season. They are simply very skillful at pretending otherwise.” Caroline said. “I am so sorry that this Lord Hayle was unkind to you. But I must say, that if you withdraw now people will say it was because of this exchange, because of whatever it was that he said. The worst lie carries weight only when you retreat. Better to stand your ground, dearest, and better yet, to stand it with panache.”

“You sound like Father!” Starr exclaimed in shock.

“There is a certain power in being courageous when you feel it the least.”

“The best defense against an unfriendly world…” Scarlett added softly.

“You’d support any plan that means we have to dress up and go somewhere where there might be musicians at the ready,” Starr countered. “I’m exhausted from changing my clothes six times a day! Who in the world thinks this is productive or useful to constantly be chasing down matching gloves?”

“I know. I know it feels cumbersome, dearest.” Caroline leaned over to touch her hand. “You are cursed to inherit my aversion to fashions. I am sorry for it.”

“Would that I could just embrace my failings! I would be happy to dress in flannel sacks and put a halt to all of it.” Starr began to smile as the mischievous plan began to take shape in her mind’s eye. “No more invitations to bother with… No more worries… I can just hide in a corner and hold coats.”

Scarlett kicked her playfully in the ankles. “I shall place a bet that Lord Hayle would think you very pretty in flannel.”

“He does not think of me at all! Except to deride me publicly for seducing his elderly uncle!”

Caroline gasped. “Is that what he said?”

“Mother, his uncle is the Duke of Chesterton and some people are not very pleased that he has been paying me some attention,
but
I know that His Grace will see to Lord Hayle and it will never happen again.” Scarlett’s distress was impossible to hide. “And if he doesn’t, well…Starr can hit him with her fan again?”

“Oh, my!” Caroline pressed her hand against her heart. “Let’s just pledge not to hit anyone, shall we?”

“Yes,” Scarlett said quickly. “Let’s do that and then remind ourselves of the need to courageously make the best of the Season for Starr.”

“Girls! This conversation seems to have gotten away from us.”

“Sorry, Mother,” they said in unison.

“Starr, you are not hiding in corners and holding coats. Scarlett, you are not encouraging
anyone
to hit
anyone
with fans. Understood?”

“Yes, Mother,” they answered dutifully.

“Things will get better for you, Starr. You’ll see.”

“If Lord Hayle was…you didn’t see him, Mother. He was so…” Starr struggled to find the right words. “If I look at it with a cool detached eye, if Lord Hayle is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, which I regret to say he is, and things went so horribly wrong, which they did, then does it not stand to logic and deductive reasoning to dictate that any lesser man will only prove to be even more horrible? I don’t see how things will get better.”

Scarlett shook her head. “Logic should never be applied when a man is involved.”

“Ladies, please. Tomorrow you’ll have a lovely day with Mrs. Hastings and with Ivy at the Royal Museum of Art and you can put all of this unpleasantness out of your head, my dearest.”

Starr’s demeanor brightened immediately. “Not a dance card in sight at the museum! I can’t wait!”

Scarlett sighed. “Not a dance card in sight…”

“Oh, come now. A day without a duke is not such a dreary thing, is it?”

“No, of course not,” Scarlett replied dutifully. “I am looking forward to a quiet afternoon.”

Caroline smiled. “The quiet cannot hurt.”

“Will you come with us, Mother?”

“We’ll see,” Caroline said then reached across to touch Starr’s hand. “But if I cannot, I pray you will see fit to tell me
all
about your adventures—the good and the bad, yes?”

“Yes, Mother.” Starr squeezed her mother’s hand, capturing them with her own. “No more secrets. We just didn’t want to upset you, or Father.”

Scarlett nodded. “Especially Father. He is very…protective.”

“A blatant understatement,” Starr added. “We should send a note warning Lord Hayle to flee if he sees Father coming.”

Caroline shifted on the carriage seat as she gave the matter some thought. “We cannot send a note but we may need to do what we can to ensure his continued well-being. We shall say nothing of what happened to your Father, at least, for now. Agreed?”

“I thought we weren’t keeping secrets,” Scarlett said quickly.

“Not from your
mother
,” Caroline replied with a blush. “But in this case, I don’t want my husband to dig out his great-grandfather’s dueling pistols and make a fool of himself, so I shall exercise my prerogative to make an executive decision.
This
secret will stay among the ladies of the family.”

“Yes, Mother,” they said together and then failed to keep from laughing.

T
he following day
, as promised, the twins were out with their friend Ivy and her mother for an afternoon at the museum. Mrs. Hastings was a wonderful guide and very well-informed. Ivy was just as knowledgeable about the various works on the walls and they were a lively group as they sauntered through the displays at a pace of their choosing.

“Mrs. Hastings!”

“Lord Sheffield,” Eleanor said. “I was just here to enjoy the day.”

“Yes, I see!” He nodded at the girls but did not slow to seek an introduction. “Mrs. Hastings, may I have a word with you? Alone? Some of our patrons have expressly asked me to seek you out and now fortuitously you are here before me!”

“I’m…” She looked at the girls, clearly uncertain about leaving them unattended.

“Go on, Mother. We’ll be fine and will not leave the main halls,” Ivy reassured her. “I can fend off any unwelcome attention.”

Scarlett nodded quickly. “
That
is something you can take completely on faith, Mrs. Hastings. We are as safe as churches.”

Eleanor smiled. “Very well. Lead on, Lord Sheffield, but please, I cannot take too much time.”

“Of course! Excuse us, ladies. I’ll bring her back as quickly as I can.” He guided Mrs. Hastings away, immediately launching into his campaign. “As you know, Mrs. Hastings, we are very interested in your husband’s work to…”

His voice faded as he escorted her beyond their hearing and Ivy sighed. “They’ll not win the day and get Father’s paintings.”

“No matter,” Starr said. “Sheffield seems the kind of man who enjoys the fight.”

“True, but Mother will wear him out with denials.” She turned back to her friends and the next hall. “Come! Let’s make the most of our adventure and tell me more about this Lord Hayle. Did you really hit him on the nose in the midst of a crowded room?”

“Starr has surpassed me for causing a sensation,” Scarlett teased. “I think I could dance with every duke in the realm now and no one would notice!”

“Gracious!” A woman’s voice cut in with an edge so sharp it made them wince. “How is it that every time I run into you, Miss Blackwell, you are pronouncing the most horrifyingly unladylike things!”

“Lady Durham.” Scarlett tried not to groan in dismay as she said it. “You…remember my friend, Miss Ivy Hastings? And this of course, is my sister, Starr.”

“I’ve no wish to engage in conversation with so rude a creature as Miss Hastings. Nor do I desire to meet your sister.” Lady Durham shifted to prepare to walk away. “I apologize for my exclamation. I was just so shocked to hear that you aspire to collect men the way some children collect butterflies. It is disgusting!
You
are disgusting!”

She turned with a firm flip of her skirts to attempt to underline the impact of her words with a departure and instead froze in place.

Scarlett looked to see what had stopped her and realized that the Duke of Stafford was walking toward them with purpose in his stride.

Oh, God.

“Y-your Grace! It is—”

“No. Do not try to tell me it is a pleasure to see me, madam. If what I overheard is even a small sample of your treatment of others in unguarded moments, then I think all of the shame and disgust I am feeling at witnessing this incident is yours to bear. And you alone.”

“Whatever you thought you heard, it was out of context and I have every right to speak as I wish to young women without—”

“Good day, Lady Durham. I suggest you leave us before I speak as I have every right to do with your husband to ensure that he is aware of his wife’s behavior in a public sphere.”

The woman retreated in a fury yet again, and Ivy was the one who spoke first after they all stood in stunned silence to watch her go. “She is not quick to learn a lesson, is she?”

Starr was nearly in tears. “W-why was she so hateful? Why is
everyone
so hateful?”

Scarlett’s concern was immediate. “Starr, it’s all right, dearest. Lady Durham was just continuing a bit of—it’s all right. I don’t like her either, so there’s no surprises there. All right? Ivy, can you take her to get some cold water? Go with Ivy, darling, and let her help you. You cannot—we’ve made so much of a scene already and if you cry now, we’ll be done!”

“Done in,” Ivy added. “She’s right. There was some lemon water in the reception hall outside of the Botticelli exhibit. I’ll take you there if that’s—is that even acceptable, Your Grace?”

He nodded. “It’s a public hall. I am hardly alone with Miss Blackwell with a dozen chaperones on hand. By all means, you must see to Miss Starr’s well-being.”

Ivy led her friend away and Scarlett let out a long, slow exhale to regain her own equilibrium in his presence. “Just once, Your Grace, I would like to meet you when I am in a very regal and calm state.”

“Why would you wish that?” he teased.

“Probably only to prove that I
can
be regal and calm.”

“I have no doubt of it.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Chesterton asked me to get his nephew out of the house and I couldn’t think of anywhere to really go at this hour—so we luckily chose to wander about and look at dead men’s paintings. An inspired choice, I now believe.”

“Chesterton’s nephew is
here?
I don’t think Starr will survive the shock if she sees him after what happened at Sussex House.” Scarlett anxiously looked past him in the direction Ivy had taken her sister. “I should warn her.”

“He is the soul of contrition. You should have seen him the other day when he took flowers to your mother. He presents no threat and if he doesn’t apologize to her soon, Chesterton is going to lock him in the basement to starve and beat him. Perhaps it’s an act of mercy if we give him a chance to do the right thing and make amends to your sister as best he can.”