The Importance of Almack's by Denise Patrick

Author:Denise Patrick
Language: ron
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 2007-06-28T07:21:54+00:00

Chapter Ten

Nicholas James Adam DeWare, Earl of Fallmerton, was the current holder of a very old and venerable title. A formidable man, his tall, whipcord-lean figure was still fit as he neared a half-century, and he was known in society circles as not only a leader, but one many wanted to follow. He was fair in his dealings, generous with his praise and favor, and known to be faithful in his marriage. His tenacity for a cause brought him admiration, and he was a war hero, having been wounded at Hondschoote in Northern France under the Duke of York in 1793. Like the distant monarch whose sobriquet of “Longshanks” was applied to him, too, he was concerned with the people of his country and took his duties in Parliament seriously. Few crossed him.

But someone had crossed him. It was there for all to see in the grim lines of his face and the closed expression in his hazel eyes. Sprawled in a chair in one of the small, dimly lit parlors at White’s, a half-empty decanter of port at his elbow, none dared to approach him. None except the Earl of Kittridge, with whom he was now engaged in a low-voiced conversation.

The curiosity of the other patrons was palpable, but no one made the slightest attempt to get close enough to eavesdrop. Whatever was the matter, it was not worth invoking the displeasure of Nicholas DeWare, the same man whose oldest brother had once earned the nickname

“Beware” due to his explosive temper.

www.samhainpublishing.com 165

Denise Patrick

Yet for all their inability to learn what set the earl on edge, the patrons discovered that if they remained quiet, a word or two of the conversation would reach their ears.

Words such as dead. And married. And sold. And lying scoundrel.

And Gerald. And family tradition. And, last of all, punctuated with a groan, Charlotte, leaving all to wonder if the earl had had a falling out with his wife.

Kittridge didn’t seem exceptionally put out by whatever revelations Fallmerton poured into his willing ears. In fact, he seemed quite pleased.

At one point even throwing back his head and laughing while Fallmerton continued to scowl.

Just before the two left, however, the patrons were rewarded for their patience when Kittridge made a comment concerning Almack’s, to which Fallmerton replied with a laugh of his own.

“Charlotte is vexed with Lisa and Gerald for their refusal to enter that place again, but more so with me because I am in agreement with them. I think Gerald has the right of it when he says Almack’s is little more than a second-rate assembly hall whose importance is extremely overrated.”

Kitt sat at the rosewood desk in his spacious library and stared at the letter before him. The dog-eared missive was yellowed with age, the flowing script on the page growing faint from years of being carried around and read again and again. He no longer could read parts of it, but it didn’t matter. He knew the whole of the short missive by heart.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.