How to Seduce a Duke (16 page)

Two horrid hours had passed—and her sisters had not yet taken their turns standing beneath the
modiste’s
assessing gaze.

Mary could endure no more.

“Are we nearly finished, Lady
Upperton
? My arms feel leaden and my back is beginning to ache. And, truth to tell, I do like this silk quite a lot. So why don’t we choose it and be done with it all, hmm?”

Lady
Upperton
clucked her tongue as the
modiste
finished draping a swathe of rose silk over Mary’s shoulder. She took the sight in for several moments, considering, before shaking her head. “No, Madame
Devy
, the color does not suit her. The hue is too bold and mutes the natural
rosiness
of Miss
Royle’s
cheeks and lips. No, no, it will not do. Have you a softer shade in the same palette?”

The round old woman, immersed in her duties as fashion
counselor
, did not seem to hear Mary.

Mary crinkled her nose. “Lady
Upperton
?”

“A more demure shade?
Oui
, my lady, I do.” The
modiste
whisked the silk from Mary’s body, then ordered her assistant, a quiet young girl with mousy-brown hair and a pointed nose, to fetch yet another bolt of silk from the shelves.

Silently, the girl eased the roll of silk into the French
modiste’s
arms, then assisted her in unfurling several lengths and wrapping it around Mary three times.

“That’s it!” Elizabeth’s eyes went bright. “Oh, yes, that’s the one. You will see, Mary. The gown in
this
fabric will become your favorite.”

“Mademoiselle has a sharp eye. I think she is correct. What say you to this, Lady
Upperton
?
Parfait
!”

“Oh, yes,
madame
. I think this will do very well for the Heroes’ Fete next week.” Lady
Upperton’s
plump face suddenly looked very concerned. “You can hurry the gown along and deliver it in plenty of time? You promised me if we came to the shop and selected everything at once you could rush completion of the gowns.”

The
modiste
looked at the hand-colored fashion plate on the table nearby, then at the lengths of silk wound around Mary. She looked a bit concerned. “One gown,
oui
, but three?”

“Whatever it takes, I shall pay it. We must have three new gowns for the event.” Lady
Upperton
whisked her reticule from the table and shook it so that the coins inside jingled. “Can you finish in time?”

The
modiste
nodded. “
Oui
.
I shall engage every seamstress in Town if I must to deliver the misses’ gowns before the ball. Is it true, my lady, that Wellington himself might attend?”

“I do not know. Though his attendance would make the affair most exciting, would it not?” She slanted an eyebrow at the
modiste
. “Even more reason to turn out these gels in the most stunning gowns possible, eh?”

Mary tensed. “Lady
Upperton
. Please do not do this. Do not spend your money on me. I can pay Madame
Devy
myself... or better yet, wear the blue silk I wore to the Brower rout.”

Lady
Upperton
clucked her tongue again. “Nonsense, dear. He has seen you in that gown. Mustn’t let him think you have but one proper gown for evening.”

“Why not? ’Tis true.”

Lady
Upperton
looked up at her. “Yes, dear, I am aware of that—which is why we are here today. If you are to receive an offer by the end of the summer, you will need a proper wardrobe right away. Today’s selections will be the first of many, of that you can be sure.”

“But—”

“Do not even bother to try to dissuade her, Mary.” Anne fingered a pale lavender ribbon. “Lady
Upperton
knows her mind. I intend to comply. So should you.”

“Besides, Mary. Lady
Upperton
is quite correct. You must admit, even our best Sunday frocks that we wore in the country are not at all suitable for London’s drawing rooms.”

By now, Lady
Upperton
was circling around Mary like a bird of prey. Her face was pinched with concentration, her little fingers
steepled
, and the ridiculously high heels of her Turkish slippers were clicking maddeningly on the wooden floor as she moved about.

“The silk perfectly complements your complexion, dear. The gown will turn the head of every lady and gentleman in the Argyle Rooms.” Lady
Upperton
rested her hands on her wide hips and smiled brightly. “Why, I daresay, the duke shan’t be able to remove his gaze from you.” Then she tossed Mary a sly wink.

No, surely, she could not have heard the old lady correctly.

“I-I am rather confused, Lady
Upperton
,” Mary said. “You mentioned the duke. But... in truth, you meant Viscount
Wetherly
, did you not?”

Anne and Elizabeth set the lace sample cards they held in their hands on the counter and leaned closer to listen.

Lady
Upperton
did not immediately reply. Instead, she handed a sash of ivory satin to Madame
Devy
, who wrapped it around Mary’s ribs. “No, not enough dash. Let us try the claret satin.”

“
Oui
,
my lady.”

Then the tiny, plump woman turned her eyes up to Mary. “No, dear. I meant the
duke.
” She smiled at Mary and gave her a little nudge. “He called upon me yesterday for permission to squire you about in his brother’s stead. Very gentlemanly of him, don’t you agree?”

“He called upon you yesterday—during the day, not that evening?” Mary was stunned. “What hour was this, might I ask?”

Lady
Upperton’s
eyes wedged to one side and she tapped her index finger on her lower lip as she thought. “I suppose it must have been around one o’clock in the afternoon.” She glanced back up at Mary. “Why do you ask, dear?”

“Because he came to Berkeley Square in the morning to apologize for kissing me—then he called again at three o’clock for a phaeton ride in Hyde Park. But Lord
Wetherly
did not call until... ” Mary narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, dear.” Elizabeth’s gaze locked with Anne’s. “Do you know what this means?”

“I do.” Anne cringed.

“Well, I do not!” Lady
Upperton
scuttled over to Anne. “What consequence does the time of the duke’s visit with me hold?”

“Lord
Wetherly
did not call upon Mary to inform her of his promise to escort Lady Tidwell to the season’s events”—Anne’s gaze flitted over Mary with every third word—“
and
the duke’s promise to watch over Mary...
until late last evening.
”

Mary could not believe what she was hearing. “It means, Lady
Upperton
, that the duke is no gentleman. He has not changed at all. He knew Lord
Wetherly
would be asked to escort Lady Tidwell to events—well
before
his brother was asked for the favor.”

She grabbed a small tufted cushion from the
modiste’s
hand and started plucking out the pins that held the silk in place, jabbing them into the cushion. “He very nearly had me fooled into believing he was actually a considerate, well-mannered gentleman. But I was wrong. Oh! I was
so
wrong.”

Mary ground her teeth while she struggled to withdraw a pin just behind her shoulder. “Why, I believe this whole Lady Tidwell scheme was crafted by Blackstone’s hand as a means to keep Lord
Wetherly
and me apart!”

Finally, Mary pulled the last pin free and unwound herself from the silken cocoon. “The
ton
got the right of it when they dubbed him the Black Duke, for there is no one with a more wicked soul. But this time he has gone too far.”

Mary disappeared behind the screen and quickly dressed. Then, without a word of explanation to anyone, she snatched up her shawl and charged out the door, angrily muttering to herself.

“Go ahead and play your horrid little games, Blackstone, you... you brimstone beast. I can outlast you. I can. Two months is not so very long.”

“Yes, Miss
Royle
, I’m certain.” Mrs.
Polkshank
bobbed her double chin as she topped off Mary’s teacup. “The duke won’t be
pinchin
’ anyone’s bottom at the musicale this
evenin
’—oh, me language. I beg your pardon, Miss
Royle
, I did overhear that bit when you and your sisters were talking last night.”

“Are you sure he will not be there?” Mary asked.

“Oh, I am sure of it. He ain’t on the guest list at all.” She widened her mouth in a proud smile. “Only cost me a wee kiss to get one of the
Harringtons
’ footmen to slip above stairs and snatch that bit of news for you.”

“A kiss?” Mary narrowed her eyes. “What happened to the two shillings I gave you?”

Sheepishly, Mrs.
Polkshank
revealed the two shillings and slid them onto the
parlor
tea table. “I was
thinkin
’ that since I got the information you needed, that I might be able to... keep the coins?”

Mary sighed. A shilling here, a
tuppence
there.

Avoiding the Black Duke was going to get very expensive before the summer was through.

Still, she’d gladly pay a half crown every night if it could keep her from running into the all-too-clever duke.

“Very well, Mrs.
Polkshank
, the money is yours to keep. Thank you for your report.” She took a sip of her steaming tea.

Lady
Upperton
would be very pleased to see her at the musicale, especially after she missed Lady Holland’s dinner party the previous night owing to the sick pain in her head. “What have you heard about the Heroes’ Fete? Anything yet?”

“Far as I know, all of London society will be there, miss. And,
seein
’ as how Lord
Wetherly
is one of the heroes
bein
’ celebrated... ”

“I must attend,” Mary said to herself, “for Lord
Wetherly
.”

“Well, yes. But what I was about to say was that his brother will no doubt be there too. Don’t you think so? I would certainly attend if everyone was
makin
’ a royal fuss about my brother—if I had one. Which I don’t.”

“What?” Mary looked up at the cook. “Oh, I believe you are correct, Mrs.
Polkshank
. By the way, I left several more invitations for you on the table in the kitchen.”

“Oh, thank you, miss.”

“You need not dread the task. I hid a few more shillings in the water bucket by the meat spit. Use them, or keep them for yourself—as long as you let me know whether or not the Duke of Blackstone will be attending the events.”

Mrs.
Polkshank
grinned, revealing the gap where one of her front teeth used to be. “As long as the household’s got footmen,” she puckered her lips saucily, “I can find
some
way of
learnin
’ if the duke is
attendin
’ or not.” The entire right half of Mrs.
Polkshank’s
face contorted as she winked. “If you get my
meanin
’.”

When Mary looked up, Anne was standing directly behind the cook.

Oh no.
Mary rested her head in her hand. Redirect the conversation. Quick. “Yes, Cook, a roast would be perfect for our Sunday meal. Good day.”

“What? A roast?
Beggin
’ your pardon, Miss
Royle
, but this is short notice, Miss
Royle
.” Mrs.
Polkshank
picked up the near empty teapot. “I’ll have to see what the butcher has. Maybe give him a little sugar too.” She laughed heartily, then turned around to see Anne glaring at her. Her expression sobered at once.

“That will be all, Cook,” Mary managed. “Thank you.”

“Yes, miss.” Mrs.
Polkshank
slinked out of the
parlor
and headed below stairs.

“Well?” Anne folded her arms over her chest.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to hear that you, our frugal sister who will not even allow us to hail a hackney in the rain, is paying our cook... and housekeeper... to steal peeks at society’s guest lists!”

“Do you know of another way I can survive the next two months? I cannot abide the duke.”

Anne unfolded her arms and slapped a hand to the table.

“Yes. Act like a mature woman. Lady
Upperton
has provided us with unmatched entrée into society. You might be a little grateful.”

“I am grateful for what she is doing for you and Elizabeth, but I have already met the gentleman I intend to marry. What good can come of my attending events?”

“To help us, Mary.”

“To help you and Elizabeth scout for mates? How could I be of assistance with that? I know almost no one in Town. And the Old Rakes, who are fully ensconced in society, have already committed themselves to seeing each of you matched.”