could.’
‘Well, I ain’t paying her wages,’ said Lady Godolphin.
‘I will,’ said Lord Sylvester. ‘You may have your maid, Freddie.’
Frederica hurtled across the room, and, reaching up, hugged as much of her brother-in-law as she could. The Duke of Pembury was amused. He wondered what the members of the London ton who were so in awe of the formidably elegant Lord Sylvester would think if they could see him at that moment.
When the vicar had arrived with Lord Sylvester demanding his daughter Frederica Armitage, and implying that he, the duke, had abducted her, it had given the duke great pleasure to take the wind out of the vicar’s sails by telling him he believed the runaway daughter to be masquerading as a chambermaid in the household.
‘Lady Godolphin,’ said the duke, ‘since Lord Sylvester is anxious to return to his wife and since Mr Armitage has … er … affairs to deal with at home, why do you not stay here with Miss Armitage? My guests will only be with me for two weeks. After that, I will be travelling to London myself and can escort you.’
‘Charmed,’ murmured Lady Godolphin, throwing him a languishing look. The effect was rather marred by one of her false eyebrows which had slipped down over her right eye.
‘See here,’ spluttered the vicar, ‘I ain’t leaving a girl of tender years here .’
‘Better here than there,’ snapped Lady Godolphin. ‘Pembury ain’t a saint, but he don’t throw his leg over the servant girls.’
‘Who says I bedded Sarah?’ demanded the vicar.
‘I should think everyone between Hopeworth and Hopeminster by now,’ flashed Lady Godolphin.
The vicar began hotly to protest his innocence. Frederica stood, dazed and bewildered. She would rather have gone to London with Lord Sylvester and stayed with Minerva. But Minerva needed rest. And Freddie, for all her timid nature, was no longer afraid of Lady Godolphin. It was very hard to be afraid of a lady who was championing one so fiercely. Also, she did not know what to make of the duke’s unexpected generosity. She only knew that under all her jumbled thoughts, she felt a warm glow.
The duke did not know what to make of his generosity himself. As Lady Godolphin and Mr Armitage battled away, he glanced at the small, shrinking figure of Frederica and wondered what had possessed him to offer his home and his escort to a schoolgirl and to that outrageous Malaprop.
Frederica felt very much a child, standing looking on while the grown-ups battled savagely over affairs that were still beyond her innocent comprehension. But she did not want Sarah as a stepmother.
‘I must ask you to restrain yourselves,’ said the duke at last, his cold voice cutting across the squabble.
The vicar and Lady Godolphin fell silent.
‘I would like matters to be settled in some way,’ said Lord Sylvester. ‘I have already been away from my wife for too long. Frederica. What do you think? Do you wish to remain here?’
Frederica looked at the duke. But he was notlooking at her. He was standing with his arm along the marble mantel, gazing into the fire. If she returned with Lord Sylvester, surely she could be of help in taking care of Minerva. On the other hand, Lord Sylvester and Minerva were so very much in love that any third person seemed like an intruder. The duke looked up at Frederica, and smiled, his eyes holding her own for a brief moment.
‘Yes,’ said Frederica breathlessly. ‘Yes, I will stay with Lady Godolphin.’
‘I think you may safely leave matters to me,’ said the Duke of Pembury. ‘Miss Armitage will come to no harm in my care.’
Black eyes met green in a steady stare as the duke and Lord Sylvester took each other’s measure. Then Lord Sylvester suddenly smiled. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I do think it safe to leave Frederica with you.’
Lady Caroline James was in a very bad temper indeed. Without precisely asking her to leave, the duke had pointedly remarked that her invitation had been
‘Well, I ain’t paying her wages,’ said Lady Godolphin.
‘I will,’ said Lord Sylvester. ‘You may have your maid, Freddie.’
Frederica hurtled across the room, and, reaching up, hugged as much of her brother-in-law as she could. The Duke of Pembury was amused. He wondered what the members of the London ton who were so in awe of the formidably elegant Lord Sylvester would think if they could see him at that moment.
When the vicar had arrived with Lord Sylvester demanding his daughter Frederica Armitage, and implying that he, the duke, had abducted her, it had given the duke great pleasure to take the wind out of the vicar’s sails by telling him he believed the runaway daughter to be masquerading as a chambermaid in the household.
‘Lady Godolphin,’ said the duke, ‘since Lord Sylvester is anxious to return to his wife and since Mr Armitage has … er … affairs to deal with at home, why do you not stay here with Miss Armitage? My guests will only be with me for two weeks. After that, I will be travelling to London myself and can escort you.’
‘Charmed,’ murmured Lady Godolphin, throwing him a languishing look. The effect was rather marred by one of her false eyebrows which had slipped down over her right eye.
‘See here,’ spluttered the vicar, ‘I ain’t leaving a girl of tender years here .’
‘Better here than there,’ snapped Lady Godolphin. ‘Pembury ain’t a saint, but he don’t throw his leg over the servant girls.’
‘Who says I bedded Sarah?’ demanded the vicar.
‘I should think everyone between Hopeworth and Hopeminster by now,’ flashed Lady Godolphin.
The vicar began hotly to protest his innocence. Frederica stood, dazed and bewildered. She would rather have gone to London with Lord Sylvester and stayed with Minerva. But Minerva needed rest. And Freddie, for all her timid nature, was no longer afraid of Lady Godolphin. It was very hard to be afraid of a lady who was championing one so fiercely. Also, she did not know what to make of the duke’s unexpected generosity. She only knew that under all her jumbled thoughts, she felt a warm glow.
The duke did not know what to make of his generosity himself. As Lady Godolphin and Mr Armitage battled away, he glanced at the small, shrinking figure of Frederica and wondered what had possessed him to offer his home and his escort to a schoolgirl and to that outrageous Malaprop.
Frederica felt very much a child, standing looking on while the grown-ups battled savagely over affairs that were still beyond her innocent comprehension. But she did not want Sarah as a stepmother.
‘I must ask you to restrain yourselves,’ said the duke at last, his cold voice cutting across the squabble.
The vicar and Lady Godolphin fell silent.
‘I would like matters to be settled in some way,’ said Lord Sylvester. ‘I have already been away from my wife for too long. Frederica. What do you think? Do you wish to remain here?’
Frederica looked at the duke. But he was notlooking at her. He was standing with his arm along the marble mantel, gazing into the fire. If she returned with Lord Sylvester, surely she could be of help in taking care of Minerva. On the other hand, Lord Sylvester and Minerva were so very much in love that any third person seemed like an intruder. The duke looked up at Frederica, and smiled, his eyes holding her own for a brief moment.
‘Yes,’ said Frederica breathlessly. ‘Yes, I will stay with Lady Godolphin.’
‘I think you may safely leave matters to me,’ said the Duke of Pembury. ‘Miss Armitage will come to no harm in my care.’
Black eyes met green in a steady stare as the duke and Lord Sylvester took each other’s measure. Then Lord Sylvester suddenly smiled. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I do think it safe to leave Frederica with you.’
Lady Caroline James was in a very bad temper indeed. Without precisely asking her to leave, the duke had pointedly remarked that her invitation had been
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