Last Gentleman Standing by Jane Ashford

Author:Jane Ashford [Ashford, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2017-09-04T18:30:00+00:00

Eighteen

The evening seemed very short to Elisabeth. As Lavinia had foretold, they did have several callers. The duke and his mother were the first to arrive, just after dinner. He’d been making a habit of this whenever Belinda was at home, and tonight his mother accompanied him. The duchess immediately seated herself next to Elisabeth.

“Well, and so you are back,” she said when she had arranged her skirts. “You have had quite an adventure. Tell me all the details.”

Smiling, Elisabeth said, “Surely you have heard them ere this?”

The duchess shrugged. “Of course I know all about it. Belinda tells John everything, and we are one family now, after all. But I’m never sure she has gotten it right, you know. I wish to hear it from you.”

Elisabeth’s smile broadened a little. “Well, you’ve heard of my ride with Growser, I know, and that I found Tony.”

“Yes, yes. Come, girl, you can certainly tell a better story than that.”

Elisabeth laughed. “I shall tell you about Mr. Aldgate, then.”

The duchess seemed astonished. “Aldgate? No, it couldn’t be.”

It was Elisabeth’s turn to show surprise. “Do you know him? Mr. Lucius Aldgate? He lives at a house called Steen.”

The duchess’s eyes widened. “Did you know him, Judith?” asked cousin Lavinia. “Fancy that. I should have told you his name.”

“Lucius Aldgate,” repeated the duchess in a strangled voice. “I thought him dead these twenty years.” She shook her head as if to clear it, made as if to rise, and fell heavily back onto the sofa in a dead faint.

“Judith!” cried Lavinia, jumping up and rushing to her friend’s side.

Elisabeth also rose. “Your Grace!” she exclaimed. She took the duchess’s hand and began to chafe her wrist. “Water,” she called imperatively, and the duke hurried out of the room.

There were some minutes of confusion as people ran in and out and offered various remedies to the stricken woman. Soon, she regained consciousness, and though she seemed to have suffered no ill effects, Elisabeth and the duke insisted that she lie still on the sofa.

“The vapors,” she said in strong accents of disgust as she complied, “and at my age. Disgraceful.”

Now that the duchess appeared to be all right, Elisabeth’s curiosity awakened. “What happened?” she asked. “What upset you so?”

But her guest was not in the mood for revelations. “Never mind, young lady. An old woman may faint as she pleases, I suppose.”

Elisabeth directed a puzzled glance at her son, but he shrugged helplessly, obviously as mystified by this development as she.

The duchess heaved herself up a little higher on the sofa pillows and made an obvious effort to change the subject. “You must tell me what you think of these wedding plans,” she said to Elisabeth. “Lavinia and I have discussed everything with Belinda, but I have not heard your opinion.” The engaged pair, hearing this subject broached, returned to their private dialogue. The duchess smiled. “I believe Belinda wants to dazzle the ton and properly cap the season with the festivities. It is to be the final week, you know.

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