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

by Wendy May Andrews

  These must have been exactly the right words. Anne giggled girlishly and launched into her instructions. “You have to be absolutely certain of your choice before you launch your plan because my father has assured me there is no going back once you begin. It is really quite simple. You lure your intended into a sense of security with you, then arrange to be found alone with him, preferably looking compromised, by someone who can enforce the situation, like a parent or brother. In my case, my father will happily play that role.”

  “Have you thought of what you would do if the gentleman refuses, especially if he does realize it has been a trap?” Rose could not help but ask.

  “No true gentleman will refuse— my father has been adamantly clear on that particular subject.”

  Rose felt her stomach turn with disgust over such underhanded dealings. Hoping it was not written on her features, she carried on. “That seems to be simple enough. Now, though, comes the tricky part. I have not found anyone that particularly strikes my fancy. Do either of you have any suggestions? Or do you have any candidates for yourself, Elizabeth?”

  Elizabeth was playing her part remarkably well. She giggled as she said, “This is prodigiously entertaining, I must say. I shall have to think hard on the matter. There are so many possibilities. But you are quite correct, Lady Anne, one must be absolutely certain of one’s choice before setting such a plan in motion.” She paused for a moment, feigning deep thought over her possible choices. “Tell us, please, Lady Anne, I beg of you, how you could be so certain in your choice. What made the duke so much more appealing than the viscount? Is it merely the more elevated title? Or did you perhaps become privy to know the actual status of their funds? I have heard that Edgecombe is very comfortably heeled, so I would not see that as a particular factor.”

  “You are correct, it was not an easy choice. Those factors do all play into it, of course, but the fact is, my father helped me decide. Like I said, my preferences had been leaning in a different direction originally, but my father was quite insistent that the duke was a better choice for me.”

  “That is interesting. I do not think I would be comfortable discussing this strategy with my parents.” There was so much truth in what Rose was saying she did not have to force her reluctant tone. “I cannot think of anyone other than you two ladies with whom I could discuss my options. Do you know what factors your father used to help him decide who would be best for you?”

  Rose encountered Elizabeth’s gaze and had to fight to control her satisfied smile as she saw the admiring look in her friend’s eye. Elizabeth was clearly impressed with that last line of questioning. Rose only hoped it would provide some sort of enlightenment from Anne.

  “He said he had received excellent advice from his friend, Sir Jason Broderick, about the circumstances of all the eligible gentlemen when we first arrived in London. My father said it was his estimation that the Duke of Wrentham was my best choice. Since I trust my father and had not truly formed any deep attachments, I was happy to go along with his choice.”

  “I see, so he did not tell you the reasons. That is really not of much help to either of us, sadly,” Rose complained.

  “I do believe some of the things that swayed my father have something to do with the duke’s acquaintances. My father likes to talk about connections. It seems to be very important. I do not understand it really, but there you have it. The best advice I can give you, according to my father, is to find a man with good connections to marry.”

  Rose did not fully understand either, but thought she might know much more on that subject than the other two ladies. She did not want to reveal her knowledge, so she feigned ignorance. “Connections. I see, like a good family, right? I can see that might be a good thing to look for. Lord Dunbar comes from a large extended family, perhaps he might be a good match for one of us.” She looked at Elizabeth and grinned.

  Elizabeth joined in with the fun. “I think the Viscount of Rothsay also has many aunts, uncles, and cousins. And he is quite handsome, and rumoured to be outrageously wealthy.”

  “I can see that there are many options. I shall have to think on the matter a little longer before I can set any plan in motion,” Rose concluded before asking one more pertinent question. “Have you already set your plan in motion, my lady? Are you in need of any assistance from us?”

  Anne smiled with genuine appreciation at Rose’s offer, making her wish she could bite off her tongue. “That is so kind of you, Miss Smythe, thank you for the offer. I will keep it in mind. I do not think I am quite ready to set it in motion yet. The duke has not asked me to dance at the last couple of balls we have attended, so I do not think he is going to cooperate with my plans just yet. I need to get him a bit more comfortable with me before I can do anything else.”

  “That would make sense,” Rose concluded, hoping her relief was not too evident.

  After that, Elizabeth must have concluded they had asked all they could, as she steered the conversation into more acceptable avenues. Before long Lady Anne stood to take her leave.

  When the door had closed behind her, Elizabeth looked at Rose and burst into raucous laughter. “Oh my, what have we gotten ourselves involved in?”

  “It is exactly what we had feared, so I do not understand your question,” Rose replied, puzzled.

  “This is just so ridiculous, if you ask me. Can you picture our fathers sitting down together to discuss which gentleman would be the best one to trick into marrying one of us? It just is not done. This leads me to wonder how Sir Broderick is involved in all this.”

  Rose did not wish to divulge what she knew about the knight so she feigned ignorance. “Perhaps Wrentham will have discovered some plot from him and will be able to enlighten us.” She then rose to take her leave. “I should probably be on my way. The hour grows late and we still have to make our preparations for the evening’s affairs. Which invitations have you accepted for tonight?”

  “My mother and I are going to a poetry reading at the Duke of Yorkshire’s home.”

  “Really? That sounds interesting. I do not think we received an invitation to that.” Rose was sorry they would not be at the same events.

  “I believe it is to be a small event.”

  “I hope it is not dull for you. I shall be dancing until the wee hours of the morning at the Rotherham ball tonight. It should prove to be enjoyable.”

  “Will you be able to call on me tomorrow to let me know how your meeting goes with Wrentham in the morning?” Elizabeth had not forgotten the more scandalous part of the entire situation.

  Rose grinned. “I will do my best,” she promised as she took her leave.

  ∞∞∞

  That night at the ball Rose again whirled from partner to partner, enjoying each set to the utmost. She was a little discomfited by encountering the gentlemen they had been discussing that afternoon, but amused herself asking the Viscount of Rothsay about his family.

  “I have heard your parents both come from large families. Do you enjoy having so many aunts, uncles, and cousins, my lord?”

  “I do not give it much thought, Miss Smythe, as it has been a fact of my entire life.”

  “I suppose that makes sense, my lord. I merely asked because I do not have much extended family to speak of. Neither of my parents have either of their parents still alive. My father was an only child and my mother only had one sister.”

  “That strikes me as being rather sad, Miss.”

  “Yes, it does me, too,” Rose agreed, wrinkling her brow with perplexity. “I never gave it much thought, but I can see that life would never be lonely if one had grown up with a plethora of cousins.”

  “It was certainly never lonely, nor was it quiet,” the viscount agreed with a smile.

  Rose could not quite suppress her melancholic sigh. “It must have been quite lovely. Do you remain close with all those family members?”

  Lord Rothsay smiled. “I am, actually. It does make holidays so very chaotic, but it is what I am used to. I
think it would be difficult to grow accustomed to for someone unused to the crowds.”

  Rose wondered if there was an unspoken message in there for her. She was looking at the viscount with interest but then felt that familiar prickle along the back of her neck and knew the duke was present. There would be no more thoughts of potential mates for her until this affair was safely settled. She was relieved when the set came to an end.

  The viscount exchanged small talk with her until another gentleman came to request her hand for the next set. Rose was amused to see that it was Lord Anthony Edgecombe. Am I to partner with every nobleman we discussed this afternoon? she wondered with strange curiosity.

  “You look like you are having a fine time this evening, Miss Smythe,” Lord Edgecombe began.

  “I am, actually. Thank you, my lord. I had not thought I would ever enjoy the Season, but it is turning out to be remarkably amusing.”

  “You did not think to enjoy the Season, Miss?” he repeated with surprise. “I thought every young lady pined for the day she could make her debut.”

  “When I was a young girl, perhaps I did, my lord. And I will admit that I was not dreading the experience at all. But my first impression of a London Season was not all that favourable. Now that I have begun to make friends, it is an entirely different matter.”

  “Then I am relieved for your sake, my lady.”

  “I was just discussing with Lord Rothsay his large family. Do you have many relatives yourself, my lord?”

  Lord Edgecombe cast her a sceptical look, which caused Rose to feel the colour rising in her cheeks. “Of course, my lord, I am well aware of your family, such as your father, the Earl of Trent, I just meant…” At this she trailed off in confusion and embarrassment.

  Lord Anthony appeared to be uncertain as to why she was asking about this, but he seemed to find her confusion perfectly charming. He chuckled. “Have no fear, my lady, I think I understand. You mean to ask how much of my family I am actually close with, do you not?”

  Rose, still blushing, was unsure if that was exactly what she meant but nodded anyway.

  Lord Anthony still grinned as he continued, “I do have many relatives, but we were not an overly close family when I was a youngster. My mother died when I was a boy and then my father remarried. My brothers and sisters are much younger than me. It is difficult to be close to them when they are away at school most of the time and I am in London much of the year.”

  “I am so sorry about your mother. That must have been so difficult. Losing my brother was hard enough — I cannot imagine losing a parent at a young age.” Rose’s soft heart went out to him and it stirred up her own grief. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

  “Oh no, my lady, I beg of you. It just will not do for you to cry at the Rotherham ball. I shall never receive another invitation if it becomes known that I made someone weep.” Anthony looked so distressed that it brought a watery chuckle to Rose’s lips.

  “No, no, my lord, have no fear, I shall not weep, I promise you.” Rose managed to muster her composure quite quickly, a fact for which she was very proud of herself.

  Rose could see that the viscount was reluctant to discuss the matter further, but he kindly asked, “Your grief is still very fresh, is it not?”

  “It is,” Rose admitted. “It has been three years, but no one ever wants to talk about him with me, so it feels rather raw. My parents especially cannot bear to even hear his name mentioned. And my other brother is away so I hardly ever see him and of course, I cannot discuss Luke with him.” Rose could feel her lip quiver so she gave a little laugh to disguise it.

  Anthony looked at her with knowing eyes but declined to comment. Rose was relieved when she noticed the set was nearly over. She spied Lady Anne in the crowd surrounding the dance floor.

  “Oh my lord, there is my friend, Lady Anne. She would no doubt be a good partner for you to dance with next.” Rose felt her cheeks warming over her forward behaviour, but she held the viscount’s eye unflinchingly with a slight smile touching her lips.

  Lord Edgecombe looked at Lady Anne and smiled just as Lord Dunbar came to invite Rose to share the next dance with him, thus freeing Lord Anthony from the need to keep her company.

  Rose watched as Lord Edgecombe swept Anne onto the dance floor. She hoped she was doing neither of them a disservice.

  “Is everything all right with you, Miss Rose? You look a little troubled,” Wesley inquired with a concerned crease in his forehead.

  “All right and tight,” Rose replied with as genuine a smile as she could muster. “It has just been an eventful day and I am feeling a trifle overtaxed.”

  “Would you rather we sit out this number? I would be happy to procure you a glass of punch or ratafia?”

  “That is such a kind offer, my lord, but I am perfectly happy to dance this number instead. I am not physically overtired,” she explained without going into detail.

  She wished she had just accepted his offer, as she could see his thought processes circling around her words, no doubt reading more into them than she would wish.

  With a huff of exasperation, she launched into an explanation. “If you really must know, I shall tell you.”

  “No, no, my lady, I did not wish to pry,” he protested, with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

  “You absolutely did wish to pry. You were just too polite to do so,” she countered with her own amusement rising. “The thing is, I made the mistake of asking a few gentlemen about their families this evening.” At seeing the puzzled look upon the viscount’s face, she smiled with genuine amusement. “Seems unexceptional, does it not? But Lord Edgecombe told me his mother passed away when he was a youngster, and that reminded me about my brother and how no one ever talks about him and I really miss him. It stirred up a murky mess of feelings that cannot be easily sorted in a place such as this. I do believe Lord Edgecombe will be avoiding me like the plague from now on.”

  Wesley and Rose shared a small laugh over her last words but then Wesley sobered and made her a generous offer. “I know you probably cannot speak with Wrentham on this subject and I am a poor substitute. But if you would like, I would be happy to talk to you about your brother. At some other time, of course.”

  Rose grinned. “Did you know my brother well?”

  “Not as well as Wrentham and his brother, but we did spend a couple years at school together. And I was there.”

  He did not elaborate, but Rose knew exactly what he was referring to. She looked at him with widened eyes. “Then I will happily take you up on your offer, my lord, thank you ever so much. When this situation with Alex is sorted perhaps we could meet in some perfectly respectable location. My parents would have apoplexy if they were to catch us in such a conversation, so it would be impossible at my house.”

  “Very well. I will call around to take you for a drive some time.”

  “That would be lovely. Thank you, my lord.” Rose was grateful for the viscount’s offer but at that moment she wished to be alone or at least far away from him, and the sympathy and curiosity she could see shining in his eyes. While she wanted to hear what he might have to say about the day her brother died, she had a strong feeling it was going to complicate her life, not simplify it. But then she gave her head a shake, thinking it was hardly possible for it to get any more complicated than it currently was with her involvement with Wrentham and Broderick’s schemes.

  Thinking about him must have conjured him, as Rose once again felt the familiar prickle at the back of her neck indicating the duke was present and most likely looking her way. Her eyes were drawn to his. She didn’t want to acknowledge him, but the magnetic pull was impossible to resist. All the sounds and chaos in the busy ball room fell away, and for a moment she felt as though they were the only two in the room. She felt her eyes widen as Alex stepped in her direction. Feeling the breath catch in the back of her throat helped to break the spell that had befallen her and she tore her eyes away. The flutter in her stomach was not as easy to cont
rol but she was proud of herself as she turned back to Lord Dunbar with a neutral smile upon her face. The buzzing in her ears was hard to ignore and she truly wished this night was over.

  Wesley must have sensed her discomfort. “Are you promised to someone else for the next dance, or would you like me to escort you to your mother, or perhaps to procure a glass of punch?”

  Rose’s smile was genuine as she appreciated his kindness. “A glass of punch would be most delightful at this moment, thank you, my lord.”

  Walking away from the moment, Rose felt profound relief. Blessedly, the rest of the night slid by and before long her mother came to collect her.

  Chapter Ten

  It had been a restless, uncomfortable night and Rose was not feeling at all refreshed when Mary gently shook her awake.

  “Good morning, Miss Rose, you mentioned you wanted to go sketching again this morning. Have you changed your mind or would you like me to help you dress?”

  “Thank you, Mary. While I would dearly love to pull the covers back over my head, I really must get up and go. I would appreciate my chocolate as soon as possible.”

  “I will ring for it, Miss, and then help you dress. You can drink your chocolate while I arrange your hair.”

  “You are the very best! Thank you, that is a perfect plan.”

  Before long Rose was hurrying toward Burlington House with her sketch materials under her arm and her maid in tow. The butterflies fluttering in her stomach made her glad she had not eaten anything more than her morning’s chocolate.

  She was fairly certain she was the first one to arrive, so she settled herself to do some actual sketching to lend credence to this errand. She didn’t think she would be able to concentrate on the art, but before long she was fully engrossed. She could not help the little shriek she let out when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Blessedly, she had a steady hand and did not mar her picture. That would have been difficult to explain.