Shattered Rainbows fa-5

by Mary Jo Putney

  "And," Lady Sophia continued, scowling at her chatty sister, "he promised the old duke he would make a suitable marriage in his thirtieth year, if he had not already done so, and produce an heir."

  "A family wedding! How delightful!" Lady Cloris's faded blue eyes took on a new sparkle. "And what a stroke of fortune that my friend Lady Hargrave taught me to knit last spring while we were chaperoning dear little Lady Lucinda's dance classes. I shall have no trouble at all keeping Jared's children in caps and mittens." She smiled shyly at her nephew. "Is she exceedingly lovely and good-natured?"

  The duke frowned. "Who, my lady aunt?"

  "Why, the girl you have in mind to marry."

  "I have no one in mind," he said tersely. "No one at all. In fact, considering the disastrous marital history of the previous dukes of Montford, I am more inclined to remain a bachelor forever." He raised his hand to forestall the objection he could see forming on Lady Sophia's tightly pursed lips. "Be assured, you need not remind me of my obligation to secure the title, my lady. I am fully aware of my responsibilities, and if nothing else, the thought that that blithering fool, cousin Percival, is next in line to inherit would compel me to set up my nursery."

  Crossing one impeccable buckskin-clad leg over the other, the duke surveyed his two elderly relatives through narrowed eyes. He had learned one sad fact during the soul-searching month he had just endured-an awareness of his obligations to the title did not make the idea of taking on a set of leg shackles one whit easier.

  He was an intensely private man; the last thing he needed was some silly female cluttering up his life. Not that he lacked appreciation for the gentler sex-he'd had a series of very engaging mistresses in the ten years since he had reached his majority and had thoroughly enjoyed every one of them… for a brief time. But a mistress didn't live in a man's house and share this table; nor did she have the right to expect him to spend the season in London when he would much rather be at one of his country estates-and when a man's passion for a mistress abated, he had only to present her with a suitably expensive bauble and send her on her way. It was not so easy to dispose of a wife!

  He sighed deeply. But as the Duke of Montford, he was obliged to produce a legitimate heir and to accomplish that, he must take a wife. At times like this he found himself wondering if the obligations of nobility didn't sometimes outweigh the privileges.

  But, to the business at hand. His two aunts were already eyeing him speculatively, and he schooled himself to hide his seething frustration behind the mask of aristocratic indifference he had inherited along with the ancient title.

  "I am aware the time has come when I must marry," he said as dispassionately as if he were discussing changing the method of tying his cravat. "But since I have no inclination to expend a great deal of effort on the tedious business, I was hoping I could count on the two of you to take care of the preliminaries for me. It is the sort of thing I feel would best be handled by a woman, but somehow I cannot picture any of my bird-witted female cousins rising to the task."

  "What preliminaries?" both ladies asked simultaneously.

  "A list, if you will, of whom you consider the five most eligible young women to come out this season. Nothing less than an earl's daughter, of course, but spare me those two horse-faced creatures spawned by the Duke of Ashford. The ladies' bloodlines may be unexceptionable, but I should not care to risk producing progeny with features so closely resembling one of my prize stallions."

  The duke momentarily toyed with his quizzing glass, then thrust it impatiently into the pocket of his fawn-colored satin vest. "I am leaving this afternoon for the races at Newmarket," he said, brushing an offending speck of lint from the sleeve of his beautifully tailored coat of forest green superfine, "but I shall plan to inspect the candidates when I return and consequently make my choice."

  "And just where do you propose to 'inspect' these candidates, Your Grace?" Lady Sophia asked acidly. "At Almack's? You have not entered the halls of that hallowed establishment in years. If you should do so now unannounced, the hostesses would undoubtedly all be taken with apoplexy."

  Montford's stern mouth curved in what, in a less imposing man, might have been thought humor. "Never fear, my lady. I am not that anxious to conclude the business at hand."

  He crossed to the window and stood for a moment looking at the small formal garden at the rear of the town house. "Arrange a house party, in my name, at Brynhaven and invite all five of them, with their parents, for a fortnight's stay beginning Friday next. That is where I shall expect my"-he nearly strangled on the word-"wife to live until she produces the necessary heir, so it will be well to observe them in that venue."

  "Let me see if I have the straight of this," Lady Sophia said. "You refuse to shop for your bride at the season's social functions like the rest of the eligible bachelors of the ton, but propose to hold a private marriage mart of your own at Brynhaven starting Friday next."

  "Precisely," the duke declared with an impatient scowl.

  "Surely you jest. Not even you could be that autocratic, Your Grace. You cannot expect people of consequence to leave London at the height of the season with less than ten days' notice. They will already have accepted other social obligations for that weekend."

  "Which they will cancel, I am sure, once they sniff out the reason for the invitation. From what I have seen of the rapacious matrons of the ton, they will harness themselves to the family carriages and trot to Brynhaven before they'll miss the chance of obtaining the title of Duchess of Montford for their vacuous little daughters."

  Lady Sophia's smile was a bit thin around the edges. "You may be right at that. Ah, well, if nothing else, such a blatant disregard for convention will certainly enhance your already legendary reputation."

  "As well as accomplish my aim with the least possible inconvenience to myself," the duke said dryly. With that, he strode across the room, yanked the gold-tasseled pull cord, and retrieved his stylish brushed beaver and gray kid gloves from his aunts' ancient butler. "I leave you to your list-making, dear ladies, certain that the commission will be well and truly accomplished."

  Lady Sophia raised a deterring hand to halt his exit. "I cannot say I entirely approve of your unconventional behavior, Your Grace, but I commend your good sense in allowing responsible female relatives to separate the wheat from the chaff in the matrimonial mill. Men are notoriously bad judges of women; witness the deplorable mistakes your predecessors have made by relying on their own judgment."

  The duke nodded. "My thoughts exactly, my lady."

  "But," Lady Sophia continued, "for the sake of propriety, I feel we must also invite a suitable number of young gentlemen as well. There will, after all, be four very disappointed young ladies who will not come out the winner in this high-handed lottery of yours. We should consider their tender feelings."

  "You are right of course, as usual, godmother." Montford sighed deeply. "Very well. Invite whomever you wish. I, for one, intend to mention it to Brummell when I see him at Newmarket. The Beau is always amusing, and I suspect I shall have sore need of a diversion before the infernal fortnight is over."

  With a last perfunctory bow, the Duke of Montford took his leave of the two ladies, secure in the knowledge that with two such arbitri elegantis in charge, this blasted business of arranging a socially correct marriage would soon be a fait accompli.

  For the first time in all her twenty-four years of hand-to-mouth, catch-as-catch-can existence, Miss Emily Louise Haliburton found herself deeply grateful she was the plain-faced daughter of a penniless third son.

  Listening in horror as her aunt, the Countess of Hargrave, read aloud her note from Lady Cloris Tremayne, Emily even counted herself fortunate that she had inherited her mama's mousy brown hair and pudding bag figure. At least she would never have to worry about being caught in the kind of insidious trap she could see closing around her beautiful young cousin, Lucinda.

  The note had arrived at an unseemly hour, as if of too much import to
wait until fashionable London was officially astir. Lady Cloris's elegantly liveried footmen had hand-carried it to the Earl of Hargrave's equally elegant footman, who in turn had handed it to the earl's austere butler, who had delivered it on a small silver tray to the countess while the ladies of the house were still at breakfast.

  "My stars and garters, I cannot take this in with just one reading. I must read it again," the countess said, and promptly proceeded to do so.

  Dearest Hortense:

  Enclosed you will find an invitation addressed to the earl, yourself, and Lady Lucinda to spend a fortnight at Brynhaven, one of the country homes of my nephew, Jared Tremayne, Duke of Montford. The duke has decided the time has come when he must consider taking a wife and setting up his nursery, and has requested my sister and me to recommend five eligible young ladies from whom he might choose his duchess. Naturally, because of the warm friendship we share, I insisted Lady Lucinda's name head the list I do not know the names of the other four, who, with their parents, will join you at Brynhaven, as they will be my sister's recommendations, but I am certain your dear little daughter will outshine them all.

  With most heartfelt regards,

  Chris Tremayne

  Emily could scarcely believe her ears. What kind of cold fish was this Duke of Montford to blithely relegate the choosing of his wife to two elderly spinsters? Lady Hargrave's cook gave more personal attention to choosing the mutton for Sunday dinner than this peer of the realm did to choosing the future mother of his children.

  In the two months since she had joined the earl's household as her cousin Luanda's companion, Emily had observed that most of the high-sticklers of London society were a shallow, jaded lot. But this top lofty duke must surely be the most outrageous of them all.

  She shuddered. A cruel twist of fate had landed her amongst these philistines, and here she must stay for the next four months until she could receive the modest portion her grandmother had willed her. But then, God willing, she would leave the dirt and decadence of London behind forever and return to her beloved Cotswolds.

  Warily, she looked to her aunt to gauge her reaction to this amazing missive just received. As she might have expected, a smile as bright as the sun flooding the window of the cheerful morning room lighted Lady Hargrave's plump face. Laying the note aside, she reached across the table to clasp her daughter's hands. "Never say your mama has not looked out for your welfare, my darling. Now do you wonder why I spent all those tedious hours teaching Lady Cloris to knit? Just think of it. My little girl is a duchess!"

  Lady Lucinda's already pale skin blanched a shade whiter. She was a timid little thing who, at the slightest provocation, swooned gracefully away. Emily normally found such missish behavior very off-putting, but in this case she could scarcely blame her cousin for feeling faint.

  "But, Mama," Lucinda gasped, clutching the edge of the table as if it were a lifeline, "I do not think I would like to be married to the Duke of Montford. He is so… so stiff and so grand."

  "Of course he is, you silly goose. He's Montford. The first Tremayne crossed the Channel during the reign of Charlemagne, and they have been rich as Croesus ever since. Why, even the regent and the royals compete for the honor of entertaining the Duke of Montford." Lady Hargrave breathed an ecstatic sigh. "Just imagine, you may soon be visiting Carlton House on the arm of your husband, the duke!"

  Tears welled in Lucinda's china blue eyes. "I should be absolutely terrified," she declared, "but at least the regent is rather fat and jolly-looking, and when I was presented to him at Lady Halpern's musicale last Tuesday, he tweaked my chin and said I was 'a rare little beauty.' The duke just walked right past me without a single look."

  "Well, he won't ignore you at Brynhaven, my pet."

  Lucinda gulped back a sob. "But what shall I do if he expects me to talk to him? I am not at all clever like cousin Emily."

  "He won't," Lady Hargrave said with absolute certainty. "The last thing a man like the duke is looking for in a wife is clever conversation. Just curtsy and smile prettily and make certain you never step on his toes when he dances with you."

  "I shall be required to dance with him?" Lucinda shrieked. "Oh, Mama, never say you expect me to do such a thing. I would simply die if he touched me. He does not look at all kind."

  Lady Hargrave shrugged. "Dukes rarely do. I am sure it has something to do with being catered to from the moment one is born. But"-the corners of her mouth lifted in a sly smile-"I know this is not a topic for innocent young ears, and I only mention it so you will understand what is at stake here."

  Her voice lowered to a discreet whisper, and, fascinated, Emily leaned across the table to hear her aunt's latest on-dit. "Montford is rumored to be excessively generous to his paramours. That emerald necklace of Lady Crawley's which you admired at the opera Sunday last was a gift from the duke-and she is merely his mistress and unattractively plump at that. Think, my precious darling, how generous such a man would be to a beautiful young wife who presented him with his heir!"

  Lucinda's finely arched brows drew together in a puzzled frown, and she looked at Emily as if for guidance. "I would very much like an emerald necklace like Lady Crowley's," she admitted.

  "And furs and jewels and elegant dresses and a carriage of your own with the duke's lozenge on the door," Lady Hargrave prompted.

  "Of course, Mama. Who would not? But I still would not like to marry the Duke of Montford. My abigail said that any man who marries me will expect to share my bed. I most certainly would not want to share my bed with him. I am quite certain I should die of mortification if he ever saw me in my night rail."

  Two angry red blotches stained Lady Hargrave's cheeks. "That insufferable chatterbox will be given her walking papers today and without one word of reference," she declared vehemently.

  Emily turned away, afraid the disgust she felt for her aunt must surely be stamped on her face. It was difficult to believe this crass schemer could be dear Mama's only sister. Aunt Hortense had the sensitivity of a turnip; without the slightest compunction, she was tossing Lucinda to this wolf, who was currently prowling London's fashionable marriage mart, without explaining any of the more intimate aspects of marriage to the poor innocent.

  While Emily had no actual experience in the ways of men and women, she had, like most country girls, a working knowledge of the breeding of sheep and horses and dogs. The correlation with human procreation seemed fairly obvious. She was very much afraid her pretty little cousin would find there was much more to the marriage bed than being viewed in one's night rail.

  She saw the fear in Luanda's eyes, and her heart ached for the girl. She found herself wondering just how sensitive to such fears a jaded aristocrat like the duke would be.

  Lady Hargrave had maintained a long moment of ominous silence while she gathered her forces. Now she resumed her attack on Lucinda's objections to the duke's bizarre invitation with a vengeance. Emily listened as words poured off the countess's tongue like rain off a clogged gutter spout, one tripping over the other in their eagerness to be said. "I will hear no more of this foolishness," she screeched. "The die is cast. We have been invited to Brynhaven, and to Brynhaven we will go. I cannot believe you are such a featherhead as to think we would dare refuse the hospitality of the Duke of Montford even if we should want to. We would be social outcasts, my girl. Pariahs. Every door in London would be closed to us. Is that what you want?"

  "No, Mama."

  "I should think not! And if you care not a whit for me, at least give a thought to your poor father. With all the financial reverses the man has suffered this past year, he was forced to cash in his precious consols to give you your season. 'But never fear, my lord, your daughter will not fail you,' I assured him. 'With her pretty face and winning ways, she is bound to attract a rich parti who will keep you out of dun territory.'"

  She pressed her hand to her ample bosom and sighed dramatically. "But Montford! Oh, my stars and garters, never in my most blissful dreams did I hope
to reach that high. Wait until I tell the earl.

  "But first things first," she declared, ignoring the fact that her daughter was still sobbing quietly into her soggy handkerchief. "Emily, alert John Coachman that we shall need the carriage in a half hour. I want to be away from here before that insufferable gaggle of fribbles who moon over Lucinda descend upon us."

  Emily smiled to herself. Just yesterday that "insufferable gaggle of fribbles" had been delightful young men who, as potential suiters for Luanda's hand, were welcomed with open arms by the countess.

  "We must hurry to Madame Fanchon's salon and engage her services before someone else thinks of it," Lady Hargrave explained. "As it is, she will have to put on extra seamstresses to finish everything we need in time."

  "But, Mama, have you forgotten how unpleasant Madame Fanchon was the last time we visited her. I am certain she meant it when she said we could run up no more credit."

  "Nonsense. Watch that French needle pusher change her tune when she learns she is dressing the future Duchess of Montford-which reminds me, one thing you absolutely must have is a new riding habit. The duke is famous for his brilliant horsemanship. He will most certainly expect his duchess to ride to the hounds."

  "But, Mama," Lucinda cried, reaching for Emily's hand beneath the table, "I am not at all good with horses. They frighten me to death."

  "You will simply have to get over it. Mind over matter, my girl."

  "But, Mama-"

  "But me no more buts, young lady. You have been blessed with the opportunity to make the most brilliant marriage of this or any other season. I expect you to make the most of it."

  Lady Hargrave turned to Emily. "And I expect you to talk some sense into this foolish child. You know all too well what it is to be poor and without prospects. Tell her how humiliating it is to have to wear your cousin's ill-fitting, cast-off dresses and hire out as a paid companion to keep body and soul together." She shuddered. "Ask her what she thinks her life-indeed, all our lives-will be like if her father is sent to debtors prison… and all because she failed to bring the duke up to scratch."