Read Online The Duchess of Love by Sally Mackenzie - Free Book Online

It matches your eyes.”
    â€œIt does?” Ditee ran the fabric through her fingers. “Do you really think so?”
    â€œYes, indeed.” Venus pretended to study the other ribbons. “I thought the duke seemed like a pleasant gentleman. Did you?”
    â€œOh, yes!” Ditee’s face lit up again. “He’s extremely knowledgeable. He answered my question about Horace most thoroughly. I was very impressed.”
    This sounded promising, especially as Ditee’s cheeks were quite pink. “He’s rather handsome, too.”
    Ditee’s color deepened. “Perhaps.”
    Venus bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. Her bookish sister was finally showing some interest in the opposite sex. “Perhaps you should get a new comb for your hair as well.” She held up one that sparkled even in the dim light of Mr. Fenwick’s store. “Something like this.”
    â€œThat is very pretty.”
    In the end, Ditee got two combs, the blue ribbon, and a length of deep rose ribbon for her walking dress. Venus was delighted with the way things were progressing, until she bumped into Mrs. Fedderly on the street outside Mr. Fenwick’s shop.
    â€œOh, Miss Venus—and Miss Aphrodite. I was so hoping to run into you.” Old Mrs. Fedderly was the village gossip, but since her eyesight wasn’t very good any longer, people generally took her stories with a large grain of salt. “I saw you chatting with our illustrious new neighbors.” She winked at Venus. “Finally doing a little matchmaking for yourself, eh?”
    Venus felt herself flush. “No, I—”
    â€œThey seemed quite taken with both of you.” The woman’s thin eyebrows did a little jig. “Perhaps they’ll be staying in Little Huffington longer than expected.”
    â€œHave you met the duke and Mr. Valentine, Mrs. Fedderly?” Aphrodite asked.
    â€œNo, but I am very much looking forward to their garden party. It will be so nice to have social activity at Hyndon House again. You know Mr. Blant used to entertain all the time when he was young.” Mrs. Fedderly batted her short, white lashes. “He was quite the rogue.”
    The thought of Mr. Blant entertaining more than a side of beef was stupefying in itself, but to consider him a rogue of any stripe was beyond Venus’s powers of imagination.
    The rattle of a carriage approaching filled the stunned silence. They all turned to regard the impressive equipage bearing down on them.
    â€œNow who could this be?” Mrs. Fedderly rubbed her hands in apparent glee. “I swear things haven’t been this exciting since Farmer Isley’s goat ate Miss Wardley’s favorite bonnet.”
    The coach creaked to a stop, and Mrs. Higgins lumbered out, followed by her daughter and two elegant ladies.
    Mrs. Higgins hurried over to them—she could move surprisingly quickly when sufficiently motivated. “Mrs. Fedderly, have you seen the Duke of Greycliffe and his cousin, Mr. Valentine?” she asked, completely ignoring Venus and Ditee.
    â€œOh, yes,” Mrs. Fedderly said with a small, sly smile, obviously delighted to be one step ahead of Mrs. Higgins with village gossip. “But you might better ask the Misses Collingswood. They were actually conversing with the gentlemen.”
    Venus was surprised Mrs. Fedderly didn’t literally crow. The only thing better than beating Mrs. Higgins to some juicy gossip was forcing her to apply to the Collingswood girls for elucidation.
    Mrs. Higgins’s mouth pursed as if she’d just bitten into a lemon.
    â€œHave you found them, Mama?” Esmeralda asked, coming up.
    â€œNo, but apparently the Collingswood girls know where they are.”
    â€œOh?” Esmeralda glanced at Venus’s green dress and turned up her bulbous nose. “Why would the duke and his cousin speak to someone so … dowdy?”
    Venus clenched her