It's All About the Duke by Amelia Grey

Author:Amelia Grey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

He could be a rake if he fails to detect a young lady’s distress.

MISS HONORA TRUTH’S WORDS OF WISDOM AND WARNING ABOUT RAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, AND LIBERTINES

“Now again,” Justine said. “Step forward, left, left, back on the right, forward on the right, twirl, clap, and curtsy. That’s good. Keep going. Now again, step forward—”

“No, no, Justine,” Marlena said, walking over to the pianoforte, wiping her forehead, though it was chilly in the music room. “Please, I need to rest. You’ve had me dancing for over an hour now.”

Justine kept playing. “Only an hour? And you complain? You’ll be dancing all night, every night during the Season, dear girl, so I don’t want to hear your protest until you can dance for that long. Now back to the center of the room with you and let’s continue.”

“At a ball I won’t be dancing by myself to the same tune over and over again and it won’t be one dance right after the other without a break in between sets. I’ll have time to rest, have a cup of punch, and hopefully a conversation or two.”

Justine took her hands off the keys and leaned an arm on top of the pianoforte as she stared at Marlena with no softening in her determined features. “I would hope not.”

“Really?” Marlena asked, confused by her cousin’s remark.

“If you’re going to be the diamond of the Season, as I was, you must be on the floor for every dance. All the acceptable and eligible bachelors should be lining up to dance with you and trying to gain your favor. Besides, I’ve been sitting here playing the pianoforte for you for over an hour. You don’t hear me complaining that my fingers are tired and need a rest, do you?” She started the melody again. “See. They are still moving, but you are not still dancing.”

“There’s quite a bit of difference between what you are doing and what I’m doing,” Marlena argued, though it wasn’t so much that she minded the dancing. She wasn’t actually tired, either, but she was nervous—again. She’d turned in another scandal sheet that morning, and hoped she’d made it outrageous enough everyone in London would want their own copy. If Mr. Trout saw the sales going up maybe he’d be more inclined to advance the money she’d written to him and asked about. Veronica was talking about Words of Wisdom to her ladies’ groups, but Justine had refused, saying she delighted in telling everyone she hadn’t read it and didn’t intend to. Even the duke had said he’d heard it was selling well.

Marlena didn’t know anything else to do to get enough money to help Eugenia purchase two or three gowns for the Season. Since the duke admitted to carrying the package of smelling salts down the street, it wasn’t a far stretch to assume someone had seen him doing it. Though she didn’t expect he’d be happy Miss Truth had written about it. There was no way Marlena would have if it weren’t necessary for her to help the sisters.

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