Read Online Lady Lucy's Lover by M.C. Beaton - Free Book Online Page B

crowded. No one—not even Ann—now troubled to ask the whereabouts of the Marquess. But the gossips were busy. Most of the guests had been informed of the Marquess’s appearance in the Park with Harriet Comfort and of how the Duke of Habard had driven Lady Standish away from that shameful sight. Lucy received many looks of pity and began to feel irritated since she did not know the cause. She assumed they were sorry for her because she had had to arrive alone. But then so did quite a number of married ladies—well, one or two. She put on a commendable show of a young matron without a care in the world.
    Lady Londonderry was there, wearing so many jewels that she had to be followed around by her footman carrying a chair since her ladyship could only take a few steps at a time, burdened as she was by the glittering weight of diamonds and rubies and pearls.
    The Dandies were very much in evidence, polishing their wit at someone else’s expense as usual and talking in their convoluted Tom and Jerry cant.
    People came and went. Unlike Lucy, most of the Fashionables prided themselves on accepting at least twenty-four invitations a day and they usually could only manage to honor each occasion with ten minutes of their presence.
    Although it was a masked ball, it was not a fancy-dress affair and most people were immediately recognizable. At midnight, there was a general unmasking with everyone exclaiming in surprise as if they were not very well aware of who their partner was.
    It was after supper, somewhere around 1:30 in the morning, when most of the Fashionables had returned from their other engagements and when there was a lull in the dancing that the Marquess of Standish made his appearance. He had a female on his arm. Both were masked.
    Lucy turned quite white. For the lady on her husband’s arm was wearing diamond earrings and a diamond pendant, the same that her husband had tried to give to her and then had taken back.
    The Duke of Ruthfords moved forward to greet the late guests. He had a high penetrating voice.
    â€œAh, Standish!” he cried. “You are come too late. The unmasking was at midnight, so you see you must unveil.”
    The Marquess murmured something. He staggered slightly showing he was in his usual tipsy state.
    â€œNo! No!” cried the Duke. “You shall not take away this fair charmer.”
    â€œUnmask!” cried the other guests, crowding into a circle around the Marquess and his companion. Lucy was jostled and shoved to the front of the circle.
    Behind the slits of his mask, the Marquess’s eyes held a hunted look, as if he had suddenly sobered up and found himself in the middle of a nightmare.
    At least it’s not Harriet Comfort, thought Lucy. This woman has red hair.
    The Marquess hesitated, looking this way and that.
    â€œWhy not?” laughed his companion. She lifted her hands and untied the strings of her mask.
    â€œNo,” said the Marquess hoarsely.
    â€œCome along, Standish,” laughed the Duke of Ruthfords. “We all know it’s you.”
    The lady let her mask drop to her side and stood facing them defiantly, the other hand fingering the diamond pendant at her throat.
    It was Harriet Comfort in a red wig.
    There was a shocked murmur. Standish had gone too far this time. He had brought London’s leading Cyprian to one of London’s most exclusive balls.
    â€œOutrageous!” fumed the Duke, stalking off. The circle of guests began to melt away, talking in shocked, hushed whispers. The Duke of Ruthfords could be heard calling angrily for music. The opening strains of a waltz struck up.
    Harriet looked at Lucy with a mocking glint in her eyes. The Marquess flushed miserably and shuffled his feet. Lucy took a step towards them, her hands balled into fists.
    â€œNo, I think not, Lady Standish!”
    A tall figure blocked her view of her husband and his mistress. The Duke of Habard’s cool gray eyes held