Up All Night with a Good Duke by Amy Rose Bennett

Author:Amy Rose Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2022-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Beneath a lowering, leaden sky, the train from London to Newton raced through verdant fields and scattered stands of trees. It was certain to rain.

Indeed, the atmosphere of gloom seemed to penetrate the Duke of Dartmoor’s private rail carriage where everything was veiled in a dull, gray light. The car had been divided into two distinct sections; the large front compartment was furnished with several luxurious settees and an elegant mahogany dining setting. The aftward compartment had been fashioned into a private study, complete with an ornate desk, a set of cabinets, and a cozy arrangement of leather armchairs and a sofa.

Even before they’d departed Paddington Station, Dominic had sequestered himself in his study to work on a particular pressing business matter while Lady Northam, Lady Celeste, Miss Sharp, and Artemis had occupied the front compartment. Well, Lady Celeste had taken over one entire corner of the carriage; she was lounging upon one of the settees, staring out of the window, watching the passing countryside in sullen silence. Beside her on a low table sat an untouched plate of sandwiches and petit fours and an unopened book—part one of Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby.

Artemis had never been an admirer of Charles Dickens’s work. The way he sentimentalized many of his central female characters, making them as pure as the driven snow, annoyed her no end. She’d rather read about a plain yet intelligent and resilient governess or flawed and passionate Cathy Earnshaw any day than perfectly sweet and noble Kate Nickleby or impossibly selfless Amy Dorrit.

Aware that several hours had ticked by and Lady Celeste had refused to have anything to do with her—well, other than utter a stiff greeting that had been prompted by Dominic when Artemis boarded the train—Artemis decided she had to do something to bridge the yawning gap dividing her and the duke’s daughter. She’d been chatting pleasantly with the affable Lady Northam for most of the journey—who’d insisted Artemis call her Horatia within the first five minutes of Artemis entering her carriage—but the countess had since nodded off to sleep on the opposite settee. And Miss Sharp appeared to be entirely engrossed in her own novel—another tale by Dickens, Bleak House.

Artemis carefully pulled her careworn carpetbag from the overhead luggage rack, then removed two of her favorite novels—Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. And then she placed them on the table beside Lady Celeste. The girl turned her head and glanced at the covers. “I have a book,” she said, her manner dismissive.

“I know. But I thought you might find these titles a little more diverting.” Artemis offered her a gentle smile. “I don’t know about you, but I always find Dickens to be far too dogged in his sermonizing. I don’t disagree with some of his social commentary on the Church, evangelism, and charitable concerns, but I’d much rather read a sweeping love story any day.”

And then Artemis moved on to Dominic’s study. She’d had enough of being ignored by her fiancé. Appearances be damned. She wanted his company and a kiss.

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