Read Online The Secret Life of Lady Julia by Lecia Cornwall - Free Book Online Page A

attendance last night, my lord?” Julia asked hurriedly, to change the subject.
    Stephen met her eyes, his relief evident, but all merriment gone. “The Duke of Wellington was there, of course. He was escorting Princess Pauline de Borghese, one of Napoleon’s sisters. And of course King Louis was present, and our own Lord Castlereagh, His Majesty’s foreign secretary and the ambassador who will represent us in Vienna.”
    Dorothea gave a shocked gasp. “Wellington and Borghese attended together? Can one defeat a lady’s brother, throw him off his throne, and yet have the gall to woo his sister? They are both married!”
    Julia wondered at Dorothea’s reaction. The duke’s affairs were well known, and had been a source of gleefully wicked gossip in London, as was Princess Pauline’s scandalous conduct.
    “I daresay His Grace is simply being polite,” Stephen soothed. “It’s useful to have friends, Doe, and we still must keep tabs on Napoleon, even if he says he’s content on Elba. Perhaps Wellington is merely hoping to gain information from his sister.”
    “Or perhaps he is simply being gracious to our enemies now that we have vanquished them,” Julia suggested. “The princess would require an escort of a rank equal to hers.”
    Stephen looked surprised. “A very diplomatic observation, Miss Leighton,” he murmured.
    Dorothea sniffed. “His Grace could not have chosen a woman more shockingly indiscreet! And what of his poor duchess? Kitty is a lovely person, even if she isn’t as flamboyant as her husband.”
    Stephen smiled fondly at his sister. “Kitty is your friend, but I believe she is more accepting of her husband’s behavior than you are, Doe. Best to leave it be.” He got to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to see to. Miss Leighton, try to convince her to come to the opera tonight. You used to love the opera, Doe—”
    Dorothea shrugged and picked at the edge of her napkin. “That was before,” she murmured. “I loved it because Matthew enjoyed it so very much. It would be unbearable now.”
    Julia’s heart went out to her. “We shall go shopping,” she said cheerfully, “or have pattern books brought in to us, so we’ll know exactly what to order to take to Vienna.”
    Stephen sent her a grateful smile as he left the room.
    J ulia read to Dorothea while the rest of their party went out that evening, Lord Stephen to see to his official duties at the opera, and the servants who could be spared to the taverns and the parties on the streets.
    “Is there any laudanum?” Dorothea asked, lying on the bed with a cool cloth on her forehead. “It’s so hot and my headache is unbearable.”
    “None,” Julia said firmly. “But we have chamomile tea or some feverfew for your head.”
    Dorothea regarded her fiercely. “That’s not medicine! I will never be able to rest. We must find a doctor, get some laudanum at once, I say.”
    Julia ignored the order and crossed the room to dip a cloth in cool water. She bathed Dorothea’s temples, but Dorothea snatched the kerchief and flung it aside peevishly. “It doesn’t help!” she said.
    Julia felt the pain of Dorothea’s endless grief, but she could not give in. Dorothea was dependent on the drug, and Stephen feared it was making it impossible for his sister to recover from her loss. He had instructed Julia that Dorothea was forbidden to have any more laudanum.
    Julia herself knew the harm it could do. Her own mother had slipped into the drug’s dangerous embrace for weeks after James died. Laudanum dragged its victims into a sleepy twilight, where they lived without pain or emotion of any kind, only half alive. She knew that Stephen hoped good company and new places would replace Dorothea’s craving for the drug and improve her spirits, but her longing for laudanum continued.
    She remembered Dorothea as a young bride, vibrant and witty, her eyes bright, the life of every party she attended. Now she lay in the dark, dull,