Mesalliance by Riley Stella

Author:Riley, Stella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, london, secrets, scandal, blackmail, 18th century
Publisher: Stella Riley

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FOURTEEN

Next morning over breakfast, she told Rockliffe.

She had not, in fairness, intended to do so; but when she stretched out her hand for the coffee-pot and the lace at her elbow fell back to reveal her forearm, she found she had little choice.

‘Who in Hades did that?’ The Duke’s eyes were riveted on the shadowy marks lying stark on her skin and for the first time, the temper in his eyes was echoed in his voice.

As calmly as she was able, Adeline withdrew her hand to her lap.

‘It’s nothing,’ she said. ‘I bruise easily.’

‘Don’t prevaricate. I can recognise finger-prints when I see them. Whose are they?’

She looked at him for a moment and then, sighing, lowered her gaze.

‘My uncle’s.’

‘Richard Horton?’

‘Yes.’

There was a long silence.

‘Then I promise you that he’ll regret it.’ Rockliffe’s tone had regained its usual smoothness but was none the less dangerous for that. ‘One presumes that he was not merely mauling you for fun but that he had a reason. What was it?’

Adeline knew better than anyone that Mr Horton was by no means devoid of sadistic tendencies. She also knew that, if she said so, his Grace would demand details.

‘He wants to become a member of White’s. The general idea was that I should coax you into arranging it.’

‘And you refused?’

‘Well, of course.’

‘And his reaction was to man-handle you and leave you with bruises.’

This time, she said nothing. Since he was clearly still angry, there didn’t seem to be anything she could say that would be helpful.

Rockliffe was more than just angry – he was inwardly seething and was aware of a distressingly crude impulse that would have boded ill for Mr Horton, had he been within reach. However, since relieving his feelings in that particular manner was out of the question, the Duke battened down his temper in order to consider other options. But first he said flatly, ‘If anything of this kind occurs again, you will tell me of it immediately. Is that understood?’

‘Yes.’

‘I mean it, Adeline.’

She looked up at him and met an implacable black gaze. ‘Yes. I know you do.’

‘Good.’ Rockliffe thought for a moment and then said slowly, ‘Since Mr Horton clearly feels he can’t get into White’s without assistance of some kind, one must assume he’s already tried in the usual way and been refused.’

‘He didn’t say. But yes – I suppose that must be true.’

‘Interesting.’ He considered her attentively and then, the merest hint of humour creeping back into his voice, he said, ‘At the risk of sinking myself below reproach, I am constrained to admit that sponsoring your uncle at the Club is the one thing I will never do. Not even for you.’

‘Obviously. I knew that.’

‘Ah. But did you know why?’

‘I assumed … because of dislike both for Richard and for having your hand forced. Is that not all?’

‘Not quite. You see, my dear, I have known for some time that the so-charming Mr Horton attempts to earn the odd crust by means of his expertise at the card-table.

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