Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain

Author:Laurie McBain [McBain, Laurie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical
Publisher: Avon
Published: 1977-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Lucien stared at the woman sitting nervously before him. Her auburn hair was sprinkled with gray, and there was a marked resemblance between Henrietta Delande and her daughter.

“What are you trying to tell me, Lady Staddon?” Lucien inquired softly, holding a tight rein on his growing anger. “Blanche has disappeared?”

Lady Staddon ran her tongue across her lips nervously, moistening their dryness while she tried to find the right words to tell the Duke of Camareigh that she didn’t know where Blanche was. “She never came back from the Harriers’ ball, your grace.”

Lucien frowned. “But that was at least four days ago. Why in the world didn’t you come to me sooner, madam?” he demanded impatiently.

Lady Staddon twisted her handkerchief until Lucien felt like grabbing it from her. She looked up finally, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. “I thought she might have been with you.”

Lucien shook his head. “I received a note from her that evening informing me that she had the migraine and wished to leave early. By the time I received it she had already hired a conveyance to take her home. I certainly would have driven her home in my carriage had I known sooner,” Lucien explained, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the distraught woman. “And you say she never reached home?”

Lady Delande nodded, pulling at her bonnet ribbons as though they were too tight.

“You must have known she wasn’t with me. Why didn’t you get in contact with me earlier?” Lucien demanded.

Lady Staddon coughed and looked around the room at the blue and gold satin-upholstered chairs and settee, the mahogany sofa table and bureau-bookcase. In a large, carved gilt mirror she saw her own reflection and was startled by her own face.

“Why?” Lucien repeated.

“When I realized that she was not with you, I had seen you the next day in the park, if you remember, and you inquired after her health. Well, I knew she must have lied to you, and was not with you,” she admitted, then looking up at him bravely added, “and must be with someone else.”

Lucien’s mouth thinned. “You came to that conclusion quite fast. Had you reason to believe that she was involved with another man?”

Lady Staddon sighed despondently. “Yes, she was seeing someone else, your grace. And I also have found out since the ball, from one of Blanche’s friends, that the man she was involved with was,” she hesitated nervously, “your cousin Lord Feltham.”

“Percy?” Lucien looked startled, his face taking on an alert expression. “So you think she must have left the ball with my cousin Percy Rathbourne?””

Lady Staddon nodded reluctantly as she saw the blazing anger in the duke’s eyes. “I’m worried, though, Blanche should’ve come home by now unless—”

“Unless what? I think she values my dukedom more than a casual dalliance with a married man.” Lucien spoke contemptuously.

“But you see, all of her things are still in her room. She doesn’t even have a change of clothes. Her perfumes, jewelry, and most of all, her laudanum. She can’t sleep without it,” Lady Staddon told Lucien unhappily.

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