What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

Author:Julie Anne Long
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2011-01-31T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 15

I’m not certain I approve of the duke.”

This startling confession came from her mother, who was, like Genevieve, Olivia, and Millicent, embroidering. Stabbing needles with skilled precision in and out of various projects stretched over hoops. They’d congregated in the green salon, arranged on the settee and cross-legged on the carpet, firelight warming their skin.

The men had taken out guns and horses today, leaving the women to their own devices, and coming home with a brace of birds each. All apart from Ian.

“Would have thought the boy had drunk his breakfast,” his father complained. “He couldn’t get off a single decent shot. As though he’d suddenly acquired the palsy. I was embarrassed for the boy. The duke, however. I’ve never seen such fine shooting. Told Ian he ought to take a lesson or two.”

The result of that fine shooting had been artfully prepared by Harriet and had served as dinner.

Of which Ian fed bites to a cat beneath the table before he fed bites to himself.

And then they had somehow found the lure of the company of other men more appealing than an evening around the fire with the ladies.

All in all, from Genevieve’s point of view, the day had been a respite from wondering whether Harry had proposed to Millicent. She was almost in a giddy mood, as time for sleeping was nigh and another day would have passed without anyone being proposed to. And she’d been with Millicent for most of the day, reading, writing letters, gossiping. Harry’s name had scarcely been mentioned, though each time it passed Millicent’s lips her stomach knotted painfully.

“Well, that makes you and everyone else in London, Mama. No one approves of the duke. Though I scarcely think it matters to him.” She hadn’t quite finished her vase of flowers. She considered whether there was room for yet another color in the vase.

“Oh, it’s not that. I don’t believe a word of any of the gossip—I shouldn’t take it as gospel, anyhow—and I’m hardly in a position to judge a man for his transgressions.” Which was such a fascinating thing for her mother to say that Genevieve looked up sharply, but her mother was sailing on blithely. “But for heaven’s sake, I thought the men were smoking cigars and playing billiards and talking about horses and other relatively harmless pastimes every night. I’ve left them to it. It was the housekeeper who saw fit to tell me that instead they’re playing five-card loo for money. And this came about because she informs me your father has put in an order for more brandy and port. We’ve emptied more decanters this week than we have in the past year. They’ve turned our withdrawing room into a veritable gaming hell. And apparently it was the Duke of Falconbridge’s idea.”

Genevieve and Olivia exchanged smiles.

“Is Papa winning?”

“Only occasionally.”

“Is the duke winning?”

She already knew the answer, since his reputation preceded him, so she wasn’t surprised when her mother said dryly, “Nearly all the time, apparently.”

“If Papa were, you might think more kindly upon it.

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