Duke's Diamonds (Endearing Young Charms Book 1) by Beaton M. C

Author:Beaton, M. C. [Beaton, M. C.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-01-14T05:00:00+00:00

Emily found her first ball in Bath’s famous Pump Room quite a disappointment, but she would not even admit to herself that it was because she secretly hoped that a certain autocratic lord with white-gold hair and cynical gray eyes would be there.

She was a great success and danced very prettily with a number of eligible gentlemen. Soon carriages were calling at Lady Bailey’s narrow house in Somerset Square, and Emily put on such a great show of flirting and laughing with her beaux that even the sharp-eyed Lady Bailey was forced to think she had been mistaken in assuming that Miss Winters was pining for Lord Storm.

As the days grew longer and warmer and the social round increased in pace, Emily began to forget Lord Storm. Her most assiduous gallant was a young gentleman by the name of Guy Wayne-Viking. Mr. Wayne-Viking was refreshingly ordinary, from his pleasant open features to his sandy hair, modest dress, and uninteresting conversation. Soon Emily was standing up with him for at least two dances at the assemblies, and the Bath gossips whispered that Miss Winters and Mr. Wayne-Viking were shortly to make a match of it.

Duke, meanwhile, was glossy and happy and forever absent in the company of Jimmy.

The first cloud appeared on Emily’s horizon in the shape of the Misses Kipling. They had certainly not come to Bath to see Emily; they cut her as dead as they could. Then Honoria, Countess of Freham, and Lord Storm’s mother, arrived to take the waters. Emily studied her with interest as she walked in the Pump Room one morning with Lady Bailey. The countess did not look at all like her tall, handsome son. She looked small and dumpy and exceedingly bad-tempered.

Then the cloud of foreboding grew darker one evening shortly after Fanny and Betty Kipling’s arrival. Dayton, Lady Bailey’s butler, informed Miss Winters that Jimmy was talking some nonsense about a beautiful lady who had tried to poison Duke.

Jimmy was sent for and arrived with the doting Duke lolling at his heels.

“What is this I hear?” demanded Emily. “I hope my tale of vengeful relatives has not affected your imagination, Jimmy.”

“No, miss,” said Jimmy. “It was like this here….” And he began to tell his story.

It appeared that he had been teaching Duke tricks in a field on the outskirts of town. Then they had been racing and playing. A very fine carriage had drawn up alongside and a lady had called him over. No, he couldn’t quite describe her, because she was wearing a bonnet and a veil. She had asked him if he would like chocolate and said he could have one for his dog.

Now, if Jimmy had been older, perhaps he might not have taken Emily’s warning so seriously. But it all seemed so exciting to him that he, Jimmy, was in sole charge of a dog who owned a fortune, and he had been on the constant lookout for trouble, and so he had firmly refused the chocolates. At that moment, Duke had come bounding up to the carriage.

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