Read Online The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane by Kasey Michaels - Free Book Online Page A

was standing, hands on hips, just inside
the door, her severe black gown gathered in at the waist by a wide
belt from which hung a multitude of keys. Her iron-grey hair
surrounded her sallow-skinned face by way of a coronet of thick
braids, and although she was no taller than Tansy she outweighed
her by at least three stone—making of herself all in all a very
imposing (threatening?) picture.
    Tansy was not impressed. After allowing her
gaze to travel slowly up and down the person of Mrs. Green she
said, keeping a tight rein on her temper, “You will oblige me,
madam, by sitting down and shutting up. What I have to say will
take only a few minutes, and then—if you dare—you may try to
explain yourself.”
    Tansy then launched into a pithy description
of the findings of her morning’s investigation, and as each new
fact was presented Mrs. Green’s complexion came one shade closer to
mimicking her name. Condensing nicely, it was not too long a time
(although it seemed an age to the housekeeper) before Tansy ended
her speech by declaring her next targets of investigation were to
be the huge clothbound books reposing on Mrs. Green’s now trembling
knees.
    At her first opportunity, Mrs. Green sprang
to her own defense by trying to lay all blame on the outrageous
prices that were the bane of every housekeeper since the war
ended.
    “Don’t try to cozen me with that outrageous
faradiddle,” Tansy warned.
    Mrs. Green decided to take another tack. “I
admit, the place could do with a bit of a wash and a brushup, and
Lord knows how hard I try to drum some sense of duty into those
lazy housemaids...”
    “Stubble it!” Tansy cut her off
contemptuously, her anger causing her to revert to the language
learned at her father’s knee. “Don’t embarrass either of us with
any more of your outrageous lies. Allow me to advise you that your
position in this household is terminated. Immediately. So why don’t
you just nip off upstairs and pack your bags? I want you out of
this house within the hour.”
    Tansy made to turn away but then turned back
to add one more note. “And please, don’t hold onto any hopes of
taking along a recommendation. Unless you are applying for
employment as a thief, as for that I feel sure you are most fully
qualified.”
    Suddenly Mrs. Green remembered something.
This Tamerlane hussy was nothing but a poor relation, with no
authority to fire anyone. “You are not in charge here, missy,” she
pointed out nastily. “I’ll just wait for the Duke, and then we’ll
see who’s to be set out on the street.”
    Tansy smiled—a wicked, wicked smile. “You are
correct, madam, I have no authority to dismiss you. Instead, why
don’t you look upon my order as being more in the nature of a
suggestion. You see, my authority in the matter is not the issue
here. What is more to the point are those books now reposing so
innocently on the sofa over there. Do you really wish the Duke to
examine them while you are still around to answer any questions his
grace might raise?”
    Mrs. Green was packed and gone—well within
the time span Tansy suggested—and as she and Dunstan watched the
departing hackney carry her away from Grosvenor Square the butler
apologized for not being aware of the goings on beneath his
aristocratically humped nose. “My only excuse is that I am only in
town for the few weeks the Duke is in residence. As I much prefer
Avanoll Hall, my attention to this house has suffered
accordingly.”
    “It’s of no matter, Dunstan,” Tansy assured
him. “I just hope I can manage to hold the household together until
such time as we can find another housekeeper. The Duke and dowager
must not feel the pinch of our shorthandedness. Can I count on your
assistance, dear Dunstan?”
    The butler drew himself up to his full
imposing height and gave his solemn assurances that everyone,
himself included, would be more than happy to do anything they
could to help the young miss. “It seems the servants were