A Duchess Enraged (7 page)

Adam drew himself up. "Certainly not. I just don't
want some old roue hanging around my wife. She deserves better."

Freddie nudged him indelicately in the ribs. "And
what of the fair Lady Manning?" he asked, nodding in the direction of that
lady's box. "Does she know of this new softness towards the Duchess?"

Gravesmere started inwardly. He had forgotten Louisa in
the pleasure of Allegra's company. His eyes swept the boxes, coming to rest on
Lady Manning's face as she exchanged pleasantries with her companions. 

"Oh, lord," he said. "I forgot!"

"Forgot?" Freddie gaped at him. "How can
you forget an entire woman?"

Louisa caught Adam's eye, and he bowed slightly to her.
He saw that Allegra was still engaged by Lord Gresham, and he slipped reluctantly
from the box, hoping that she wouldn't notice his absence. He made his way to
Louisa's side, and was soon bowing over her hand.

Louisa shot a triumphant glance at Sir John, who had been
tormenting her over the absence of her cavalier. "Good evening, my
lord," she said sweetly. "It's delightful to see you. Are you
enjoying the opera?"

"Lord, Louisa," Adam responded. "You know
I can't stand this screeching."

"But it is fashionable, so one must be seen
here," observed Louisa. "It seems quite foolish, does it not?"

"Fashion leads us all," observed Sir John.

"Ah yes, we all strive to be noticed," agreed
Louisa.

Adam was surprised to find himself feeling a sense of
impatience with Louisa. He was not quite certain exactly what his
dissatisfaction with her was; never before had he questioned her beauty, wit,
or charm. Now he felt restless and uncomfortable, and Lady Manning and her friends
seemed somehow tawdry. Adam’s eyes wandered back to his own box, where Allegra
was still chatting with Lord Gresham.

Louisa turned to him when Sir John began to talk to Mrs.
Crowley. "Will I have the pleasure of your company this evening,
Adam?" she asked softly, her hand resting delicately on his. 

"My mother is ill," Adam surprised himself by
saying. "I must return home and see to her."

"I'll miss you, your grace," said Louisa. She
shifted slightly to give him a better view of her cleavage. "I fear that
in your absence I am hopelessly dull."

"Perhaps you should take up stitchery to occupy your
time," said Adam abstractedly. His eyes remained on his wife, who seemed
to be having no trouble at all amusing herself. 

"Sewing, Gravesmere?" said Louisa, a bit of
temper laced with sarcasm entering her voice.

"You will have to excuse me, Louisa," said the
Duke, standing up abruptly. "I see the performance is about to resume. I
will call on you soon." He raised her hand to his lips and departed,
leaving her dismayed and angry. 

Adam slipped back into his box carrying a glass of negus
for Allegra. She accepted it gratefully. So occupied had she been by her
admirers and the congestion in her box, that she had barely noticed his
absence, and the glass of negus convinced her he had left only to obtain it.
Adam felt both relieved and annoyed that she had not noticed where he had gone.

"How kind of you to think of me, Adam," she
said. "I'm quite parched. Making conversation can be wearing."

"That's not a very kind thing to say. Lord Gresham
will think he's been boring you." Adam bowed stiffly to the other man.

Lord Gresham smiled easily and stood, extending his hand
to Adam. "Nothing Lady Gravesmere says could ever upset me. I don't
believe we have met before, Gravesmere, although we were both in Paris at about
this time two years since."

Adam shook his hand with obvious reluctance. "Paris?
I don't recall..."

Gresham grinned. "You were very much occupied at the
time."

Adam flushed at the obvious reference to Lady Manning. He
had met Louisa his first week in Paris, and had seldom left her side after
that. He glanced at Allegra, who, he was glad to note, didn't seem to
understand Gresham's insinuation.

"And when did you return to England?" asked
Adam stiffly.

"Only recently. And I'm glad I did, for I would not
otherwise have met your lovely wife." He bowed to Allegra, who promptly
hid flirtatiously behind her fan, her eyes dancing over the rim.

Adam frowned repressively. "Thank you for your care
of her in my absence. However, I've returned now and the next act appears about
to begin." He laid a hand possessively on Allegra's shoulder.

Gresham shrugged. "I see I am dismissed." He
raised Allegra's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Until tomorrow, my
dear."

He turned and sauntered away with an easy grace, and Adam
dropped into the seat next to Allegra with a frown. The box was emptying, he
saw with relief. 

"I can't stand that fellow. Why does he always have
to be hanging around you?" he demanded of Allegra.

"Lord Gresham? What are you talking about?"

"I can't go anywhere that you are without tripping
over him. You'd think he was one of your lap dogs," answered Adam
peevishly. 

Allegra gave him a sharp glance. He actually sounded as
though he might be jealous. "There's nothing between Lord Gresham and me.
I amuse him, that's all."

"Well, I don't like it." Adam crossed his
ankles and stared across at the boxes that ringed the opera house.

Allegra shrugged. "I can hardly tell him to go away.
He pays court to countless women, Adam. You mustn't be concerned about
it." Inside her chest, her heart was beating a tiny bit faster. Maybe a
touch of jealousy would be good for her husband. And if he could have a
mistress, what right did he have to refuse her the company of a perfectly
respectable gentleman?                                                        

Adam bit his lip. Perhaps he was overreacting. Allegra
had done nothing more than be polite to Lord Gresham. Wasn't he aware of the
truth of her earlier statement that it was all just a game? And he had been
neglecting her shamefully. Perhaps he should try to spend a little more time
with his wife. He turned to Allegra with a rueful expression.

"Forgive my bad temper," he said. "There's
something about that man I don't like, but it's hardly your fault."

Allegra gave a sigh of relief. "I promise not to
encourage him, Adam."

"Thank you." Adam's hand closed over hers, and
he squeezed it slightly. He was amazed by the delicacy of her fingers, and the way
they fluttered gently in his clasp as though she was nervous.

"We should watch the singers," said Allegra,
dropping her eyes.

"I suppose so," agreed Adam. "You must
wake me if I fall asleep, however."

Allegra smiled appreciatively. "I will jab you sharply
in the ribs."

"I imagine you might," said Adam. "I
suppose I must stay awake."

They turned their eyes to the singers, but soon their
attention was flagging. Adam believed that Allegra continued to worry about his
mother, and his suspicions were confirmed partway through the act when Allegra
touched his arm gently. 

"Adam, I simply can't concentrate," she
whispered. "As I know you aren't fond of the opera, would it be possible
for you to take me home? I want to check on your mother."

"Certainly," said Adam. "With the greatest
of pleasure. I've absorbed all the culture I can for the evening. We were here,
after all, for the most important part of the evening, the interval between
acts. No one can say we have neglected our social duties."

"You are ridiculous, my lord," said Allegra.
The words were accompanied by a grateful look. "Thank you for humoring my
fears. You must think me very silly."

"Not at all," said Gravesmere. "I think
you are a loving daughter-in-law. After you." He bowed to her with exaggerated
grace, and they exited their box. The eyes of the ton followed them with
curiosity, and, at least one violet pair, with anger.

Renewed Acquaintances

"I see that the Gravesmere's are abandoning
us," said Sir John to Louisa. "I wonder why they have chosen to leave
the opera so early? But then, they are only recently reunited, are they not? It
is almost as though they are newly married, I'm sure."

Louisa managed a smile. "Adam's mother is ill,"
she snapped. "I'm sure that's the only reason for their early departure.
When Adam was here only a few moments ago he was complaining of his wife's dull
conversation."

Sir John raised his brows. "He seemed highly amused
to me. Perhaps he was trying to spare your feelings."

Louisa bit back a sharp retort. If she showed the
slightest doubt of Adam's loyalty to her, gossip would spread like wildfire.
"I'm not worried, Sir John. I know Adam's heart is mine." 

Sir John opened his mouth to answer, but the door to the
box swung open, revealing Lord Gresham, his tall figure dominating the opening.
He grinned wickedly when Louisa jumped, a wary and almost frightened expression
crossing her face. "Come take a turn in the corridor with me, Lady
Manning," he said.

"L...Lord Gresham." Louisa swallowed. "You
must excuse me, sir. I am watching the opera."

"Nonsense. You hate the opera. Come along. I have
something I wish to tell you, away from your companions."

A hunted look appeared in the back of Louisa's eyes.
"You may call on me tomorrow, sir."

"Now, Louisa." Lord Gresham folded his arms
across his chest as Sir John licked his lips, his eyes flitting from one to the
other. He sensed a mystery, and perhaps a scandal.

"I wasn't aware you two were acquainted," he
said.

Lord Gresham shot him an impatient glance. "Come
along, Louisa."

"Oh, very well." Louisa rose in a rustle of
silk. "But I cannot walk for long."

"This will take only a few minutes," promised
Lord Gresham, drawing her arm through his. He led her from the box under the
astonished eyes of her companions, who immediately fell to talking about the
mysterious scene they had just witnessed.

Out in the empty corridor Louisa snatched her hand from
Gresham's. "How dare you, Tristan?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
"How dare you try to embarrass me in front of the ton?"

"Those people in your box are hardly the ton, Louisa
dear. Hangers-on, for the most part, I'd say. Being a great man's mistress
brings its rewards, I suppose."

Louisa glared at him. "It's better than being yours,
at any rate. All you ever attracted were debt collectors."

"Touché, my love." Tristan bowed. "You
always were quick with your tongue. In more ways than one." His eyes
lingered on her lips, and she flushed as she realized what he was thinking.

"How dare you speak to me in that way?" Louisa
shook with rage, raising her hand to slap him. "I'm no longer some
penniless widow for you to take advantage of, Tristan."

"No, you're a Duke's much-pampered mistress."
Tristan grabbed her arm in his firm grip. "I wouldn't recommend making me
angry, Louisa. Tell me, why did you sneak out of our rooms like that? The least
you could have done was be honest with me. One moment you were there, wringing
me dry each night, the next day you were gone and ensconced in Gravesmere's
hotel suite. It wasn't well done of you, love."

"I didn't owe you anything. It's not as though I got
anything from you, Tristan. You were as penniless as I was." 

"Ah, but we were fond of one another, weren't
we?" Tristan put a finger under her chin and turned her head towards him.
Her violet eyes remained stubbornly lowered. "I was certainly fond of you.
Or at least I was fond of what you could give me."

"I don't know what you're talking about. You're fond
of nothing but your own amusement, of gaming and drinking and wenching. You
surely couldn't expect me to stay with you, Tristan, watching you gamble away
every penny you had, when Gravesmere was importuning me every moment to join
him. I could only take so much."

Tristan laughed at that. "On the contrary, Louisa,
you're one of the strongest women I know. So strong, that I came back to
England when I heard you were to return with Gravesmere. I wanted to see what
game you were playing."

"I'm not playing a game," said Louisa fiercely.

"No, you're not. You're playing with fire. You mean
to marry that young man, don't you?"

Louisa bit her lip. "He's married already."

"But you won't let that stop you, will you? I'm
willing to bet you have a plan, Louisa."

"My plans are none of your concern, Tristan."
Louisa glared at him and tilted her chin.

"On the contrary, your plans are very much my
concern." Tristan's voice dropped, becoming menacing. "Because,
Louisa dear, you made me angry when you left me. Very angry. I thought we had
an understanding, but it seems you were willing to leave me for the first
handsome and wealthy youth that you could seduce into your bed. I can't let you
get away with that, my dear."

Louisa shivered. Gresham was a dangerous man to annoy.
She hadn't imagined that he would follow her back to England. "Don't
threaten me, Tristan. I'm no longer without protection."

Tristan dropped her arm and chuckled as she rubbed at the
red marks he had left. "You think Gravesmere can protect you from me?
Don't count on it, Louisa. He will very soon be busy trying to protect himself.
Not only did the man steal you from me, but he had the nerve to sneer at me
just now. He'll pay for both insults."

Louisa's face paled under her powder. "You leave
Adam alone. He's done nothing to you."

"On the contrary, he took you away from me. That is
something I cannot allow to go unpunished." Tristan spoke very gently, but
the threat in his voice was palpable.

"He didn't know I was your mistress, Tristan. Do you
think I was fool enough to tell him that? Whatever has happened, it isn't
Adam's fault."

"You defend him so passionately," sneered
Tristan. "I would almost think that you loved him, except that I know it's
his title and money you are defending. No, Louisa, when you left me for him I
was the laughingstock of Paris. Word got back to London as well. Do you think I
will let that go unpunished?"

"And how do you mean to punish him? You have no
power over him, and I won't be returning to your bed."

Tristan laughed. "I will humble him as he did me.
That little wife of his is ripe for the plucking. He neglects her and she's too
high-spirited to put up with that. And she's very beautiful, so seducing her
will hardly be a chore. It will give me great pleasure when your darling
Gravesmere finds her in my bed." Tristan laughed harshly.

Louisa glanced away, trying to hide the flash of
excitement in her eyes. If Tristan seduced Allegra, it would further her own
plans immensely. She had been wondering how to get her rival into a
compromising position, and now Tristan was offering to do it for her.

Gresham's eyes narrowed and he shook his head.
"Don't get your hopes up, Louisa. Perhaps I mean to humble Gravesmere's
wretched pride, but I don't mean to help you in the process. The man will come
out of this with a ruined wife--and without a beautiful mistress."

"You can't make me leave him!" 

"No, but I can make him leave you. You forget, my
dear, that I know all about you. I know about your humble origins and how you
seduced poor old Sir Ralph into marrying you. I know you then ran through his
fortune before dancing him into his grave. I know of all your affairs, of the
men who have kept you, of the wicked things you have done to make ends meet.
You might have been able to keep such tales from his ears until now, but
believe me, I not only can make sure he knows, I can provide him with
proof."

"Damn you!" Louisa looked around to make sure
no one was watching them. "Tristan, I will not allow you to do this. I've
worked long and hard to make myself respectable and find someone like
Gravesmere. I won't allow you to take that away from me."

"You should have thought of that before you walked
out on me, my dear." Tristan pinched her cheek lightly. "You'd best
get everything out of Gravesmere that you can, because he won't be with you for
long. You see, I'm not only punishing him, but you as well. Revenge can be a
very sweet thing."

"I will fight you, Tristan," promised Louisa.
"You won't get away with this. Go back to the Continent and drink and
gamble yourself to death. Can't you see that there's nothing for you
here?"

"On the contrary. You're here, and that's enough for
me." He seized her suddenly, grabbing her hands and holding them behind
her back as he pressed his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open and kissing her
violently. She resisted for a moment, but then a shudder went through her and
she responded, returning his ardor with a desperate passion.

He released her so abruptly that she staggered, and he
laughed. "Think about it, Louisa. Gravesmere might be beautiful, and he
might be wealthy, but there's a side to you that only I can satisfy. You should
never have left me, and you will suffer for it." Tristan turned on his
heel and walked away without a backward glance.

Louisa glared after him, wiping the back of her hand
across her mouth in an angry gesture. What if someone had seen them, she
thought anxiously. She had presumed herself safe from Tristan once she had come
under Adam's protection. But Adam had no idea that she needed to be protected
from Gresham. She had told him she was a much put-upon woman, forced to marry a
decadent old man by her greedy parents, and then cast adrift when he died
debt-ridden and forced to flee to the Continent to escape malicious gossip. She
had hidden from him the countless men who had come in and out of her life,
paying for her apartments and clothing in exchange for her favors, and she had
particularly kept from him her two-year liaison with Tristan.

Gresham’s reappearance had startled her; she hadn't
thought he would ever return to England, where she meant to build her new life
as the Duchess of Gravesmere. Now she would have to do some planning. Perhaps
she could use Tristan's desire for revenge to help her, and still thwart him in
the end. If worse came to worse, she thought grimly, she had a pistol that she
kept carefully locked away. Tristan would find out that she could take care of
herself. Louisa straightened her skirt, checked to make sure the marks on her
arm had faded, and then swept back into her box to face her companions. Soon
she would be a Duchess, and no one would dare threaten her again.  

The following morning found Emily refreshed and able to
rise from her bed. Allegra seemed relieved by this, and Adam could not resist
gently teasing her over breakfast about her fears. Allegra took it in good
part, and Emily was amazed to see them so civil to one another. 

"Maybe I should be ill more often, if it has such an
effect on your relations with one another!" she exclaimed.

A frown creased Allegra's brow. "Don't even jest
about it, Mama. Adam and I will strive to be friendly, if you will strive to be
well."

"What a sweet child you are," said Emily.
"It's kind of you to worry about me, but I think you have no cause. Tell
me, what are your plans for today?"

Before Allegra could respond, Adam spoke. "Perhaps
Allegra would care to drive in the park with me."

Allegra's surprise was apparent, but she covered it
quickly. "Why, I had planned to pay some visits, but to be driven by as
famous a whip as the Duke of Gravesmere is an opportunity not to be denied.
Thank you, Adam."

Adam smiled at her and was about to continue, when the
butler entered with a silver tray on which rested a missive. The Duke opened it
impatiently, then muttered under his breath.

"Our drive will have to wait, Allegra," he
said. "There are some business matters I must attend to."

Allegra dropped her eyes. The scent of lilac wafted quite
noticeably from the letter, and she had few doubts as to who had written it as
Gravesmere's man of affairs was not known to scent his letters.

Emily hurried to fill the silence. "Surely, this
matter can wait, Adam?" she asked. "Can't your business be delayed
until after your drive?"

"I am afraid not, Mama. If you will excuse me?"
He bowed gracefully to the ladies and left the room, looking somewhat grim. 

Allegra lifted her chin jauntily and stood up from the
table. "I believe I will have to pay those calls after all. Pray excuse
me, Mama." 

Emily was left sitting alone at the breakfast table,
pondering the foolishness of the very young.

A short while later, the Adam strolled into his
mistress's boudoir to find her artfully arranged on the settee. A sleepless
night worrying about Tristan's threats didn't prevent her from presenting a
lovely picture, with her dark curls loosely falling over her shoulders and a
wrapper of violet silk with a profusion of laces and ribbons open over a lace
petticoat. Her beautiful profile was presented to him as she read the book
cradled in her hands. She looked up in pretty surprise, her mouth forming a
tender “o.”