Only a Duchess Would Dare

by Amelia Grey

  Morgan straightened his coat and sat back down in his chair. “If you were twenty years younger, old man, you’d be lying flat on the floor right now.”

  Gibby made fists once again and struck a fighting pose. “Prove it to me. I can take it. Come on, I’m ready. It’s all in courage and skill, not age. Danger Jim said I need a practice round. Which of you guardian fools is up for it?”

  They all shook their heads and slid their chairs away from the table as they mumbled, “Not me.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Gibby smiled, picked up his glass of milk, and drained it.

  Fifteen

  My Dearest Grandson Alexander,

  What do you think of these words from Lord Chesterfield? “There is a certain dignity of manners absolutely necessary to make even the most valuable character either respected or respectable. A joker is near akin to a buffoon, and neither of them is the least related to wit. There are many avenues to every man, and when you cannot get at him through the great one, try the serpentine ones, and you will arrive at last.”

  Your loving Grandmother,

  Lady Elder

  The night was unseasonably warm and the velvet night sky was filled with twinkling stars as Susannah and Mrs. Princeton walked toward the front door of Lord Kendrickson’s home. Susannah was eager for the night to begin. She had many things she wanted to accomplish.

  Now that she had, for the time being at least, marked Mr. Smith off her list of possible suspects, Susannah’s main objective at the party was to meet Mr. Harold Winston and gain an opinion of him, and to see Captain Spyglass again. She wanted to talk to them both, and in some context mention pearls. She wanted to watch each man closely and see if either man acted nervous, wary, guilty, or in any other way suspect.

  She knew that sometimes a person could find out what they wanted to know just by observing how someone reacted to whatever was said. As far as she knew, neither man knew that she wanted the necklace too, or that it was now missing—unless of course one of them had it.

  One of the other things she intended to do tonight was to stay away from the Marquis of Raceworth should he be in attendance at the party. She had received another maddening note from him earlier in the day that simply said:

  You owe me a dance.

  Race

  How dare he think she owed him anything after the way he had treated her? He thought her capable of conspiring with someone to steal from him. Still, her heartbeat quickened and her breath shortened just thinking about him. Her head told her to crumple the note and throw it in the fire, but her heart wouldn’t let her. She had quickly folded it and tucked it in the secret part of her jewelry chest with the other two notes from him.

  Their night together in her bed still filled her thoughts during the day and haunted her dreams at night. But he had treated her abominably, and she was determined to have nothing to do with him, no matter how heavy it made her heart.

  After Susannah and Mrs. Princeton greeted their host and hostess for the evening, they left their outerwear with the servants and followed the sound of the music and loud chatter coming from a room nearby.

  Susannah wore a wide-strapped, high-waisted forest green under-dress with a heart-shaped neckline cut lower than most of her modest gowns. Over the green sheath, she wore a scooped-neck, long-sleeved, ivory tulle gossamer-thin gown that flowed like a gentle breeze every time she moved. Around her neck, threaded on a piece of ivory satin ribbon, lay an emerald large enough to cover the hollow of her throat. She wore no earrings or any other jewelry. The emerald spoke for itself.

  “Your Grace.” Lord Snellingly bowed. “I’ve been watching the door, hoping you might be here tonight.” He stepped back and admired her from head to toe with a dreamy gaze. “You look absolutely exquisite tonight.”

  “Thank you, and good evening, Lord Snellingly.”

  “After I met you the other night, I was inspired to write a poem for you.” He sniffed and pulled a piece of paper from his coat pocket. “I’d be honored if you would allow me to read it to you.”

  Susannah glanced over at Mrs. Princeton as if to say “you did this to me” before smiling at the man. “Perhaps another time would be better, my lord. I just arrived, and there’s someone I must see right away. Please excuse me.” Susannah quickly turned away, not wanting to give the man time to persist.

  “Would you like me to stay by your side tonight?” Mrs. Princeton asked as they hurried away.

  “Of course not. Don’t be silly. I’m quite capable of fending off unwanted advances from men. I would very much like for you to find someone to converse with and enjoy yourself tonight,” Susannah answered. “A party is supposed to be a delightful occasion, even for companions.”

  Mrs. Princeton gave her an impertinent smile. “I shall enjoy myself as long as I know that you are accomplishing what it is you’ve come here to do. That is my only objective for the evening.”

  “You can get entirely too accommodating at times, Mrs. Princeton,” Susannah said with a teasing smile on her lips. “Please get yourself something to drink, to eat, or whatever you wish, and do not worry about me. I will find you when I am ready to leave.”

  Mrs. Princeton nodded and turned away. Susannah looked around the dance floor at the far end of the room and froze. She felt as if her heart had jumped up in her throat. Race was dancing with a stunning young lady in a beautiful ivory-colored gown that made her look like an angel. Her shiny golden-blonde hair sparkled with every twirl under Race’s arm. The young lady stared into his eyes as if he had mesmerized her.

  And no wonder!

  The marquis was heart-meltingly handsome as he swept the lady across the dance floor with the ease of a gentle breeze floating past her cheek. His black evening coat was cut perfectly to fit across his straight shoulders and broad chest. Susannah didn’t know how such a tall, powerful-looking man could be so light on his feet. He looked to be a superb dancer, but that was no surprise. He was, after all, Lady Elder’s grandson.

  Was that jealousy she felt? Surely not. It was tension and anger and envy that he was dancing with someone else when his note had said “You owe me a dance.”

  As Susannah watched him, unbidden memories flashed through her mind and warmed her. His hand gliding down her naked hip, his lips on her bare breasts, their bodies joined in passion too furious to be controlled. She remembered he had told her she didn’t look old, but how could she not when compared to the young lady he was dancing with?

  Susannah continued to stare at him and remember their night together, until suddenly she realized that Race was looking back at her. His intense gaze scrutinized her face. Her heart fluttered maddeningly in her chest as their eyes met and held. Her stomach quickened deliciously, her skin tingled, and her body knew that in spite of the gulf of distrust between them, and as much as she hated to admit to herself, they still wanted each other.

  She stood perfectly still and watched his gaze skim slowly down her face, over her breasts, which were barely concealed by her gown, before he lifted his gaze to her eyes once more as he followed the steps of the dance. A tingle of awareness settled low in her abdomen.

  Was he remembering every touch, every breath, and every taste of their coming together? All of a sudden Race missed a step, and his foot landed on his partner’s. The beautiful young lady yelped and almost stumbled. Race caught her, and Susannah could tell he was apologizing, but by the expression on the young lady’s face she was not happy with him.

  Race glanced back to Susannah. She quickly covered her smile with her hand, spun, and bumped into the Duchess of Blakewell.

  “Oh, excuse me, Your Grace.”

  “Excuse me, Your Grace,” Henrietta echoed Susannah’s words.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  The lovely young duchess smiled at her and said, “Good evening, and no harm done
. I saw you from a distance and wanted to come over to say hello to you.”

  Susannah could only assume by the friendliness of her tone and sincerity of her smile that she had no idea that just yesterday her husband’s cousin accused Susannah of stealing his grandmother’s pearls.

  Pushing away those unwanted thoughts, Susannah smiled with more easy pleasure than she’d felt in a long time. She saw nothing but honesty and friendliness in the lovely lady’s face. And Susannah needed a friend with all that she had going on in her life right now.

  “I know we haven’t known each other long, but would you please call me Susannah?”

  “Of course, I would like that, and please call me Henrietta.”

  Susannah nodded.

  “Do you remember meeting Mrs. Constance Pepperfield last night?”

  “Good evening, Your Grace,” Constance said and curtsied.

  Susannah looked at the striking woman who stood beside Henrietta. Susannah guessed Mrs. Pepperfield’s age to be about the same as her own. The lady’s red hair had been shaped into tight curls on the top of her head. Her wide green eyes were filled with delight as she spoke to Susannah with the confidence of a woman who was in control of her own destiny.

  “Yes, of course I remember. How very nice to see you again.”

  “Somehow, Blake managed to persuade Constance to be my chaperone when I first came to London, and she easily made the change from chaperone to friend after Blake and I married.”

  “What a nice compliment,” Susannah said and suddenly felt another pang of envy. She wished she had a friend she could confide in. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate Mrs. Princeton, but even though Susannah gave her companion wide parameters concerning their relationship, they had never made the leap from employee–employer to friends, as Henrietta and Mrs. Pepperfield had.

  “If your schedule permits, perhaps we can go to the park together one day next week,” Henrietta said. “I hear there is a traveling troupe performing there with several amazing acts.”

  “That would be lovely. I’ve heard about the man who gets into a cage with a tiger. I’ve wanted to go.”

  “Perhaps I could check on that for the two of you and plan a date that would work for you both,” Constance offered.

  “Is that all right with you?” Henrietta asked Susannah.

  “Absolutely. Thank you, Mrs. Pepperfield, for offering to do that for us.”

  Constance smiled. “Leave it to me and I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Good.” Henrietta smiled. “Since the weather has been so warm, we’ll plan to bring a basket and blanket and make an afternoon of it.”

  Constance replied to Henrietta’s comment, but Susannah didn’t hear what she said. Susannah was watching the Duke of Blakewell walk up beside Henrietta. He put his arm protectively around her waist, pulling her close to his side, all the while keeping his gaze on Susannah. Even though Susannah knew the two were newlyweds and subject to be somewhat more affectionate in public than would ordinarily be acceptable, she had the feeling the duke was sending her a message. She sensed he wanted her to know that Henrietta was off-limits to her.

  “Good evening, Susannah, Constance. I see you are enjoying the company of my lovely wife this evening.”

  “Good evening, Blake,” Susannah managed to say without a hint of the reservation she was feeling inside.

  “You see her enough as it is, Blake,” Constance remarked. “Though she loves you dearly, she does enjoy being unattached from your hip once in a while and spending time with her friends.”

  “You never change, Constance.”

  “I don’t ever intend to,” she quipped.

  Somehow, Susannah knew instantly that Constance and Blake had a longstanding respectful relationship with each other, and another pang of envy hit her. What was wrong with her? She knew that Race’s cousins had been wary of her from the moment they met her. But then what should she expect? Morgan and Blake knew she had come to London for no other purpose than to stake a claim on their grandmother’s pearls.

  And why should she feel such envy? She hadn’t come to London to make friends or even to attend glamorous parties given in the finest homes in Mayfair. And she certainly hadn’t come for the depth of passion she had experienced with the marquis. The necklace was the reason she came to London.

  “It appears that suddenly you aren’t wasting any time getting to know as many people as possible, Duchess,” Blake said, looking directly at her.

  By the stern expression on his face and the arrogant tilt of his chin, Susannah decided the duke was letting her know that even if his wife wasn’t aware the pearls had been stolen last night, he was, and that she might well be the nimble-fingered thief.

  “One can never be acquainted with too many people, don’t you think, Your Grace?” Susannah spoke to Blake as easily as if she had the same relationship with him as Constance.

  “That depends,” he said with what could only be called a half grin on his lips. “I’ve found that some people are not worth knowing.”

  Her gaze stayed on his, and she smiled easily, confidently at him. “True, but then I’m sure you have also found that there are some people who are worth everything in the world, are they not?”

  He nodded once to let her know that she had hit her mark.

  “There you are, Duchess, Duchess, Duke, and Constance,” Sir Randolph said as he walked up with a short, very thin man by his side.

  With all the ease of a man who knew his way around the most complicated of formal introductions, Sir Randolph managed to do what Susannah had asked of him. She was standing face-to-face with Mr. Harold Winston, the man who could have stolen her grandmother’s pearls from Race.

  His eyes were small and such a light shade of blue they were almost eerie. His nose was slightly pointed and turned up. His lips were completely surrounded by a short beard that ended in a point, though his cheeks were clean-shaven. Within moments of the introductions being completed, Henrietta, the duke, and Mrs. Pepperfield excused themselves and melded into the crowd.

  Just looking at Mr. Winston, Susannah could easily believe he had stolen the pearls. The man hadn’t been able to tear his gaze away from the emerald around her throat for more than a second or two since he had walked up.

  After a few moments of polite conversation, Sir Randolph said, “Duchess, would you excuse me? I forgot there was something I needed to ask the duke.”

  She smiled at Sir Randolph and was pleased to see that the swelling in his hands had subsided. “Of course.”

  “Perhaps you’ll save a dance for me later?” he said with a wink.

  “Most certainly, Sir Randolph.”

  He spoke to Mr. Winston, and then left.

  “Your Grace,” Mr. Winston said the moment Sir Randolph’s back was turned, “forgive me for staring, but the emerald you are wearing tonight may well be the finest and largest I’ve seen in a private collection.”

  His eyes sparkled with eagerness to know about the stone. She smiled graciously at him as her hand crept up her chest to fondle the stone at the base of her neck. With her dress cut as low as it was, most men wouldn’t even notice she had on a necklace.

  “How nice of you to recognize its significance.”

  With his gaze still firmly latched onto the gem, he added, “I know there aren’t many emeralds the size of that one in existence, and it looks flawless. Tell me, has it been in your family for a long time?”

  “No. My husband gave it to me on our wedding day. He told me only that he had purchased it on one of his trips abroad, knowing he would remarry one day and it would be the perfect gift for his bride.”

  “A very thoughtful man.”

  “Yes, God rest his soul. You seem to have more than a casual interest in gems, Mr. Winston, and certainly more than the typical gentleman.”

  His shoulders went
back a little farther, and he lifted his chin proudly. “With good reason, Your Grace. I am a master jeweler, and I work for the prince. I seek out rare gems and gold pieces and buy them for him.”

  Susannah raised her eyebrows. This man had given her the perfect invitation to ask about pearls. He couldn’t have been more accommodating if she’d planned the entire conversation ahead of time.

  “What an important job that must be.”

  He laughed lightly and then sniffed, obviously pleased with himself. “Yes, quite. It is an honor to serve the prince. He has quite the passion for exquisite gems, and I’ve been fortunate to add many to his collection.”

  “I’m intrigued. How would you go about doing something like that?” she asked innocently.

  “Mostly from private sales, of course. For instance, someone might have seen this magnificent emerald you are wearing tonight and mentions it to me. I would then approach you and ask to see it.” He stopped and moistened his lips. “If I thought it might be something that would catch the prince’s attention or something he would desire, then I would ask if you wanted to part with it for a sum of money far greater than its value.”

  “And what is the usual outcome?”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes people will sell and sometimes they won’t,” the man said, noticeably happy that he could give her so much information about his work. “I know the prince would be pleased to add your emerald to his collection. Tell me, do you have any interest in parting with it?”

  “I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly, but what an honor for you to work for the prince. Tell me, does the prince ever wear pearls, or only precious stones and gold?”

  Mr. Winston didn’t blink, hesitate, or do anything suspicious at the mention of pearls. Surprisingly, he gave her a knowing smile and said, “No doubt you’ve met, or, at least, you have seen the gentleman here tonight who is wearing pearls. If the prince had a collection like that man, he would probably rather see them on a lady than on himself.”

  Susannah carefully watched every facial expression and mannerism, but Mr. Winston didn’t seem to be the least bit nervous that she had mentioned pearls. But that could be because he was so confident in his position as jeweler for the prince, and it didn’t necessarily mean he had not stolen the necklace.