The Duke Conspiracy: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 1)

by Wendy May Andrews

  Wesley had to agree. “Unfortunately, anything involving Sir Broderick has the potential of being nefarious. Do you think to keep Miss Smythe apprised of the details as you learn them?”

  “It will depend on what those details turn out to be,” was all Alex would commit to.

  “How is she likely to react if she thinks you are withholding information from her?”

  “Not well.” Alex grinned. “It would be best if she is not allowed to suspect such a thing.” He paused as he imagined her reaction but then shook his head. “Now that I have garnered your promise of help, I must be off to begin my investigations.”

  Before he was able to take his leave, his host stopped him with these words, quietly spoken. “Did you really think I would fail to come to your assistance, Your Grace?”

  “Now don’t go getting all starchy with me, Dunbar,” Alex protested. “You surely realize it is a tricky situation. And no, it never once crossed my mind that you would fail me. I just did not want to spring it on you in an uncomfortable environment. And truth to tell, I needed a friendly face to talk it out with before I go and face my solicitors.”

  Now Wesley grinned. “Do you wish me to accompany you on that errand?”

  “No, thank you, I am fairly certain I am now up to the task.”

  “Would you like me to head around to the clubs and ask a few discreet questions about our gentlemen friends?”

  Alex was near the door but turned at these words with a look of surprise upon his face. “Thank you, my friend. I did not think to involve you overly much in this affair, but if you did find yourself in interesting company this afternoon, it could be quite helpful. Although we are known to be associates, it may be less obvious if you poke around a little than if I do.”

  “Very well, then. I shall see you later.”

  “I am promised at Clairhurst tonight. Will you be joining me there?” The duke could not miss his cousin’s ball even if he had little desire to dance attendance upon any more debutantes. It would be a good test of his skills of diplomacy if he could make it through this complicated day without revealing his thoughts to all and sundry.

  “Until then,” Wesley acknowledged, and the duke finally made his way out of the house.

  Chapter Six

  Rose’s maid had been with her since childhood and knew all of the family’s affairs. Rose trusted her more than anyone on this earth. But she did not know if she could confide all the details of this situation and had not told her that she would be meeting up with the Duke of Wrentham.

  “Did you get much drawing done this morning, Miss?” Mary asked with interest.

  “Not as much as I had hoped, but I did find the lighting to be favourable, so I do believe I will go back sometime this week.”

  “Were there many people about at this hour? I did not wish to disturb you, so I remained in the foyer for much of the time, speaking with the attendant there,” the maid explained.

  “I appreciate your forbearance, Mary,” Rose stated, hoping the degree of her appreciation was not revealed in her tone. “There were not too many people. I actually only noticed one or two. Most who would appreciate those artefacts are either too busy at this time of the day or still in their beds.”

  “To my way of thinking that is where you should ha’ been.”

  Rose was surprised at her maid’s fierce tone and words. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Was that the Duke of Wrentham I saw leaving as I came to fetch you?” Mary continued questioning her mistress. She continued on without waiting for an answer, which was good since Rose was undecided what to tell her. “I thought you were mortal enemies. You don’t have much place exchanging pleasantries with the likes of a Wrentham, Miss. What would your dear mother have to say if she knew you had been passing time with such as him?”

  “Mary, I was not ‘passing time’ with anyone! I cannot possibly have any control over who frequents Burlington House. I cannot be blamed for who happens along while I am sketching.”

  Mary’s knowing eyes examined her mistress, making Rose squirm. “Seems to me that dukes do not frequent places such as hold statues at this time of the morning unless they have an appointment to be there. It didn’t look as though he was carrying any artist’s supplies, so I’m thinking he knew he was there for talking or something else, not drawing.”

  “Mary Singleton, do not dare to besmirch me. I cannot believe my ears! Of what are you trying to accuse me?”

  Mary was suddenly contrite. “No, no, Miss, I promise you, I ain’t accusing you of anything. But I can’t bring myself to trust the duke, you see, and I worry for you. You’re keeping something from me, which ain’t like you, so it leads me to conclusions. If you’d just come out and tell me what’s going on I wouldn’t be faced with the dilemma of trying to decide what Lady Smythe needs to know.”

  Now Rose could not hold on to her ill temper over these words and had to break out into laughter. “Mary, Mary, are you trying to blackmail me?”

  Mary grinned. “Maybe just a little. It’s really not like you to keep secrets from me.”

  Rose sighed. “It is true that I usually tell you everything, but I was not certain if I could confide this to you. I had to go straight to the source before I could figure out what to do with it. But I do trust you. So, if you would really like to know, I will tell you.”

  Mary merely gazed at her mistress with another one of her no nonsense looks, causing Rose’s grin to widen.

  “I shall take that as a yes, then, shall I? All right, you shall have to listen carefully as it may be a bit convoluted, and you have not yet heard of most of these people.”

  Rose took a moment to compose her thoughts as they walked along toward home. She knew her maid would not break her confidence and had in fact been of much help to her in the past in matters such as these.

  “On further reflection, Mary, I do believe I owe you an apology. I should have told you first. You were ever so helpful on occasion in Vienna in sorting certain things out, so I should have expected you to do the same in this situation. So, if you are willing, I would appreciate your help once more.”

  Now the maid’s eyes turned from stern to excited in one blink, and she did a little skip of joy. “Oh Miss, I would love to,” she enthused. “It has been deadly dull lately just looking after all your dresses and doing your hair. I don’t even get to accompany you as much here since you have made friends, besides Lady Smythe wantin’ to go with you most of the time.”

  “If it is any consolation, I have found it to be deadly dull as well. But this situation is worrisome more than entertaining and rather more complicated than anything we dealt with in Vienna. In Vienna it was easy to conclude which side to take as we were representing the king’s interests. Now it is sticky.”

  Mary merely nodded eagerly. Rose glanced around to ensure they would not be overheard but saw that the streets were still unoccupied as most of the tradespeople were already hard at work, whereas the noblemen and women were still abed or not about for the day as yet.

  “Do you remember the musicale I went to night before last?”

  Mary nodded, paying close attention. “You did seem a little preoccupied that night, but you said you were just tired.”

  “I was tired, it had been a long evening, but I had much on my mind. I overheard a conversation at the musicale between a gentleman by the name of Lord Austen and none other than Sir Jason Broderick.”

  Now Mary’s eyes widened as her face twisted into a look of distaste. “That one. Does he dare to show his face?”

  “It would seem that everyone is keeping his secrets and he is being received, as hard as that is to believe. And I cannot reveal his secrets or my own will get out.”

  Mary gave a grunt of disgust but continued waiting for the rest of the details.

  “Anyhow, I only heard part of their conversation, so I do not know what else was discussed, which is part of the problem. What I did hear was them conspiring to entrap the Duke of Wrentham into a ma
rriage with Lord Austen’s daughter, Lady Anne.”

  Now understanding dawned on the maid’s face. “That is why you needed to speak with the duke. You were trying to find out what might be behind it.”

  “That, and I did feel he needed to be warned if he happened to be unaware of a plot against him. Despite all that has transpired between our families, he has been my friend, or at least my neighbour, for my whole life. I could not stand by and see him get caught up in one of Broderick’s schemes if there was anything I could do to prevent it.”

  “And did he know anything?”

  “Not that I could tell. It seemed as though he barely knew the knight. And he seemed genuinely surprised about Lady Anne. He said they have barely exchanged words.”

  “Words aren’t usually what entraps a man, Miss.”

  “I am aware, Mary,” Rose answered, her tone dry. “He asked for my help. And I agreed.”

  Mary gasped. “You are going to have further association with Wrentham? What if your parents find out?”

  “We shall have to ensure they do not,” Rose stated, not brooking any argument. “It is the best way for me to be privy to whatever he might be able to find out. I need to know what Broderick is up to.”

  “What is your role going to be? What sort of help is he expectin’ from you?”

  “I am to find out what I can from Lady Anne. And if you would like to assist, you could accompany me on my visits and see what you might ascertain from the servants’ quarters.”

  Mary was clearly torn between her loyalties. As a member of the Smythe household she felt it her duty to despise the Wrenthams, but her loyalty to her mistress, who clearly intended to be involved, pulled her toward participation. Her desire for excitement won out. “Of course, I will assist you in any way possible, Miss. When do we start?”

  “This very afternoon, if possible. I am to meet the duke again the day after tomorrow, so we must make haste.”

  “Did you think you ought to tell your father about Sir Broderick?” Mary asked.

  “That was my first inclination, as soon as I heard his voice. But I am afraid my father would leave all reason behind when he heard the duke’s name in the story. That is why I need more information. If we can get Wrentham’s involvement out of the way and ensure he is somehow safe from entrapment, we can pursue the other angle and get my father involved. I wish there was someone else I could confide in who would be able to have a clear mind on the subject because I do fear this is a much bigger issue than just a plot to entrap a duke. And I would rather have someone else involved sooner rather than later. But alas, for now it is us and the duke against the world.”

  “Not to overdramatize, right Miss?” Mary teased.

  “A little overdramatization never hurt anyone,” came Rose’s cheeky reply. “Although, in all honesty, it feels that way at the moment. I am truly uncomfortable about Sir Broderick’s presence in London, let alone knowing of any plot involving him. I can assure you, I would never have approached the duke if it were not necessary.”

  “Of course not,” Mary soothed. “Now we’re almost home, please tell me our plan so that I can figure out the rest of my duties.”

  “Oh Mary, I hope I am not going to be burdening you with this.”

  “Never fear, Miss. Remember, I asked for it.”

  “True enough,” Rose laughed. “The first place I was going to start was with my friend Lady Elizabeth. I have not yet decided how much I wish to tell her. Certainly nothing about any prior knowledge I might have of Sir Broderick. But she is very well connected socially, so she will be able to introduce me to Lady Anne at the very least. So, if you could accompany me there this afternoon that would be lovely.”

  “Very well, Miss.” As they entered the house, Mary’s demeanour returned to her usual role, as befit her station, rather than the role of friend that she sometimes assumed when they were alone. “Shall I take your drawing instruments for you so that you can adjourn to the dining room and break your fast with your mother?”

  “Thank you, Mary.” Rose glanced in the mirror over the mantle to ensure she was sufficiently tidy before hastening away to join her mother.

  ∞∞∞

  “Rosamund, how lovely to see you this morning,” her mother greeted in a weak tone.

  “Good morning, Mother. Did you sleep all right?” Rose worried about her mother. She had never been robust, but ever since Luke’s death she had become wan and pale.

  “Sufficiently well, my dear, thank you. And what about you? You appear to be in fine fettle this morning.”

  “I was up and about quite early this morning. I took my pencils and went to see some of the artefacts Lord Elgin has brought back with him from the Turks, as they are set up in Burlington House. I so hope the lords can finish wrangling over them, as they truly are a marvel. It is hard to fathom they are so old. I do believe I shall have to return several times in order to get my picture quite right.”

  “That is lovely, my dear,” Lady Smythe replied, clearly not paying full attention. Rose grinned. She doubted she would have any trouble getting out of the house to meet Alex again. As long as she was accompanied by Mary, all would be well.

  “Do you have anything interesting planned for your day?” Rose inquired politely.

  “Not much, my dear. I have to meet with the housekeeper and perhaps I shall pay a call or two, but I need to conserve my strength for this evening. We are promised to the Charringtons for their ball.”

  “Oh yes, I have heard they have a reputation for their hospitality. There shall no doubt be a crush.”

  Lady Smythe gave a delicate shudder before asking, “Are you enjoying your stay in London, my dear? I know you were looking forward to it, but then you seemed rather disappointed when we first arrived.”

  “I will admit to you that I have very mixed feelings on the subject. I do not enjoy the crowds that most of the ton seem to rejoice in. It seems that a hostess is not satisfied unless she has her rooms crammed past their capacity. In Vienna it was much more comfortable to my taste. But of course, here there is a much better mix of people to choose from. In Vienna we were stuck with the same people day after day for a year and a half, which could become tiresome if you did not enjoy someone’s company.” Mother and daughter shared a smile over this before Rose continued. “With greater choice of people I am able to make more varied friendships, which is lovely. Let us say that the Season is growing on me.”

  “Do you think,” Lady Smythe began hesitantly, “that is to say, have you met any gentlemen that appeal to you?”

  Rose allowed a low chuckle to escape her lips. “Ah yes, the real reason behind the Season. No one particularly as of yet, unfortunately.”

  “Perhaps it will be easier for you once your brother arrives,” suggested Lady Smythe.

  “Is it really such an urgent matter, my lady?” Rose asked with a touch of worry. “Do I have to make a match this Season?”

  Lady Smythe gazed at her daughter with dismay. “Well no, my dear, it is not urgent per se, it is just desirable.”

  Understanding dawned on Rose. “You do not enjoy the Season overmuch either, do you? Perhaps I could just remain single and return home with you and Father,” Rose suggested, hope ringing in her voice.

  “That would be lovely, until your father passes on and you are stuck as a spinster living upon your brother’s charity. And depending whom he chooses to wed, it could be even more uncomfortable for you. It is much better, for your own sake, for you to find some gentleman with whom you can be happy and set up an establishment of your own.”

  “Must one have a husband to have one’s own establishment?” Rose wondered plaintively.

  “It is much more comfortable that way, my dear.”

  Rose knew quite well that was the way of the world and did not argue the point. Seeing the wisdom in her mother’s words she offered this promise, “I will try a little harder to see the merits of the gentlemen I meet. I do not necessarily want to prolong this Season busin
ess and would much rather get on with the business of living. Have you met anyone that you thought might be interesting for me, Mother?”

  Lady Smythe looked at her daughter, surprised to be asked this question. “Why, thank you for asking, my dear. I did not think you would care to accept any advice I might have on the matter, so I was not paying particular attention, but I will from now on.”

  Rose felt a twinge of guilt for allowing her mother to feel that way. She resolved to make a greater effort to draw her mother out. “We could make a game of it,” she proposed with a grin, gratified to see her mother’s smile broaden in return.

  Rising from the table, Rose went around to drop a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek. “I shall see you later on. Enjoy your day.”

  Rose dashed up to her room to change into something more appropriate for making calls before heading out to drop in on Lady Elizabeth.

  Chapter Seven

  “Good afternoon,” Elizabeth greeted her friend with a welcoming smile. “I was not sure if I would be seeing you today as we had not discussed our plans.”

  “Hello!” Rose replied. “I was rather preoccupied when we were taking our leave yesterday. I apologize. Do you have any appointments today? Would you like to make some calls together?”

  “That sounds lovely,” Elizabeth answered, good natured. Her eyes narrowed shrewdly upon her friend’s face. “But what had you so preoccupied yesterday? It seems to me that your mind has been elsewhere ever since the musicale at Lady Yorkleigh’s. Are you ready to tell me about it?”

  Rose grinned at her friend. “Thank you for not pestering me about it before this. I am sorry that I did not confide in you previously. I could not decide how I felt on the matter.”

  “Have you come to any conclusions yet?”

  “Not really,” Rose laughed. “That is why I have decided I need to tell you—so that you could help me decide how I feel.”