To Marry a Marquis by Melinda Hammond

Author:Melinda Hammond [Hammond, Melinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-06T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was nearly three weeks since Barbara Lythmore had received a visit from the Marquis of Ullenwood. That was not unusual, for in the six months of their liaison she had found him a careless lover, and if he had not been quite so rich she would have been tempted to look elsewhere. But he was exceptionally generous, so when he did not respond to her latest letter, she decided it was time to go in search of him.

Lady Plemstall's parties were always glittering, crowded affairs, where one could expect to find the world and his wife on display, but when Mrs Lythmore arrived at Plemstall House she looked in vain for Lord Ullenwood. She was greeted with smiles and bows from several gentlemen as she crossed the crowded ballroom, received merely a frosty nod from one or two fashionable matrons and no acknowledgement at all from the highest sticklers. She paid them no heed and made her way to the card room, where she paused in the doorway to survey the players.

'I fear, madam, that you are to be disappointed tonight.'

The rasping voice in her ear made her step away a little from the speaker.

'Mr Granthorpe.' She looked round at the gentleman with badly powdered red hair standing beside her. 'I have only this moment arrived, sir and I am always interested to see who is present.'

'There is one man you will not find here this evening.'

His lip curled into an unpleasant smile but she tried to ignore it

'Oh? I have no idea who you mean. I came with no expectations to meet anyone this evening.'

'Did you not? I thought you looked upon a certain gentleman as your personal property.'

'You talk in riddles, Granthorpe.' She hunched one white shoulder. 'It shows a lack of polish, you know.'

He flushed, and leaned towards her. 'I may lack polish, but if I was to be married in the morning I would make sure my mistress knew of it beforehand.'

Startled, she dropped her fan. Mr Granthorpe bent to retrieve it

'Yes,' he drawled. 'I thought that would catch your interest.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Ullenwood is getting hitched tomorrow, at St George's.'

'That's a lie!' she hissed, her face growing pale beneath her white powder.

'Is it?' he sneered. 'Then explain to me why his coachman was in the Running Footman last night, telling his cronies that he was driving his master to France tomorrow, immediately after the wedding breakfast?'

She snatched her fan from his hand and snapped it open.

'A likely tale,' she said, fanning herself vigorously. 'You have been sold a dummy, sir.'

'Aye, so I would have thought, if I had not heard it for myself.'

It was the lady's turn to curl her lip.

'Ah yes. I had forgotten your predilection for gin-houses. It is a fashion, is it not, for a gentleman to dress like the driver of a common stage coach and mix with the scaff and raff.'

He shrugged. 'Sometimes it yields useful information, as in this case, but if you do not believe me, go to Hanover Square tomorrow morning and see for yourself.

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.