Larcenous Lady Read Online Free Page A

good fortune to obtain a post chaise. Of course we would have to do without our servants for a few days while they follow behind. I wonder if there is anyone in the hotel willing to go snacks with me.”
    While Mrs. Sutton looked doubtfully at her daughters, Miss Sutton spoke up. “Mama,” she said, “if we leave our servant behind, we could travel with the duchess and Miss Gower.”
    “Good gracious!” the duchess objected loudly, “I hope you don’t think I was hinting! Crowding you good ladies was the last thing in my mind. Of course a poor cadaver like myself wouldn’t take up an inch, and Miss Gower is slender as a reed.”
    “Let us do it, Mama,” Miss Sutton encouraged. “The duchess will be company for you, and Lucy and I will have an opportunity to know Miss Gower better.”
    Before the duchess and Deirdre left the table, the matter was resolved, right down to the details of financing. The duchess was swift to point out that there were only two in her party, whereas the Suttons would occupy three-fifths of the rig. It worked out very neatly: a guinea for her share, a guinea and a half for the Suttons. They rushed upstairs to tend to their packing while the Suttons had a hasty breakfast.
    “Truth to tell, I didn’t think Mrs. Sutton was the sort to insist on our paying when the sum in question was so small—only a guinea,” Charney said to Deirdre. “Incredible how some people squeeze every penny.” But on the whole she was pleased with her bargain and Deirdre was not unhappy.
    They left Haskins, their female servant, in charge of the trunks and quickly stuffed their essentials into a pair of bandboxes to go on the post chaise. They hastened downstairs to join the Suttons. Within a quarter of an hour, Mrs. Sutton glanced up from her coffee and said, “Ah, there is Lord Belami now, come to tell me about my carriage.”
    Now why did that cause the duchess to gag and the young lady to turn white as a sheet? The Suttons looked on with the liveliest interest, observing that Lord Belami had turned into a stone statue, staring as though he wished them all at Jericho. No one spared a glance at Pronto Pilgrim, who stood with his eyes bulging and his lips open. Fat was in the fire now.
    “Er, Dick,” he muttered, “the ladies are waiting. Best buck up and get on with it.”
    Belami unclenched his fists and willed down the urge to fly at the duchess’s scrawny throat. The public nature of the meeting demanded a show of common decency. He strode stiff-legged to Mrs. Sutton and her companions.
    “Good morning, ma’am. Ladies,” he added, with a very small bob of his head to the others, “I’ve arranged for your carriage, Mrs. Sutton. You have only to send a note to the Angleterre when you want it.”
    Mrs. Sutton began introductions. “We’ve all met,” Dick said brusquely.
    Deirdre instantly turned to crystal. She daren’t look at Dick or she’d betray herself, but a tumult of emotions heaved within her—embarrassment, curiosity, joy, shame, anger, regret. What must he think? He’d think they were following him. She lifted her eyes and smiled uncertainly at her old friend, Pronto. Her eyes, once up from her lap, found courage to turn to Dick. Strange how she could read exactly what was in his mind when he wore that bland mask. He stared with unwonted attention at Mrs. Sutton as he explained the details of the carriage. His voice was unnaturally loud, his speech erratic.
    She saw a flicker of his eyes toward her and quickly looked away. Had he looked at her? Her eyes skimmed back, but he was talking to Miss Sutton now.
    “I hope you had a good sleep, ladies?”
    “Fine, thank you,” Miss Sutton answered coolly.
    The duchess, never one to minimize a scene, had recovered her wits and pitched herself into the fray with joyful sourness. “So you are taking your trip after all, Belami. We had no notion you planned to abandon your London dissipations. Our news at Fernvale was quite otherwise,” she