The Devious Duchess by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance/Mystery
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1985-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Adelaide Pankhurst and Pronto were made welcome at the door of the Grange by Deirdre. She hardly knew whether she was more surprised to see Pronto or this caricature of Adelaide, whom she remembered as a young, garishly beautiful woman. She was still a garish woman, but both youth and beauty had flown, leaving behind a stout female in an outfit that was not at all suitable to a widow.

“Don’t mind the looks of me. I had no way of knowing Dudley would die, and didn’t come prepared” was Adelaide’s first greeting. “And you’re little Deirdre Gower—my, you’ve certainly grown up.” Adelaide was too nice to add any of the unflattering thoughts in her head. That she had been expecting to see a fashionable beauty and was greeted instead by a stiff-faced woman rigged out like a nun and hiding whatever beauty she possessed under that hairdo, exactly like her aunt.

“Pronto, this is a surprise! It’s nice to see you. You will both want to speak to the duchess, I expect,” Deirdre said, leading them into the mourning saloon where her grace sat across from the coffin.

“So it’s you” was her grace’s welcome to Adelaide. Her scathing glance took in the bonnet—not the high-poked, fruit-garnished one, but still one in what Miss Pankhurst considered the high kick of fashion. The duchess’s welcome to Pronto was less chilly. “And Mr. Pilgrim. You seem to turn up like a bad penny everywhere I go.”

“Sorry for your trouble,” he said, pulling his funeral face, which consisted of a severe straining down of the lips and a heavy scowl. “Just popped along for the wedding, but since there ain’t going to be one, I decided to stick around for the funeral, if you don’t mind.”

“That was well done of you, sir. Very proper, I’m sure, and your carriage will be more than welcome. It will be hard to line up a decent showing of carriages, but if we each drive, it won’t be a pitiful display at least. You might drop Belami the word he is welcome to drive his rig as well.”

“I’ll ask him, but don’t count him in on my say-so," Pronto replied.

Next the duchess turned her charm on Adelaide. “Come and sit beside me, Miss Pankhurst. Tell me what you’ve been up to all these years."

Pronto stepped aside with the greatest relish and sought a quiet corner of the room. It was his aim to discover where Deirdre had gone and give her Dick’s message. While he waited, he gazed around at the lugubrious scene before him. The room was as black as pitch, lighted only by candles around the coffin. There were perhaps a dozen people present, all of them got up in black like a flock of crows. A minister hovered at the coffin’s side, fingering a prayer book. And not a drink to be seen, not even a glass of sherry. Happier sounds came from beyond the doorway, and he wandered forth. Sounded like the clink of glasses to his sharp ears.

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