My Dear Duchess Read Online Free Page A

turned to her aristocratic companion.
    He was looking down at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. “Come, Miss Frederica, and I shall take you back to our box,” he said, holding her arm in an unnecessarily tight grip.
    He led her along a dark walk away from the lights and slid an arm around her waist. Frederica came to an abrupt halt. “My Lord Marquis,” she said firmly. “Please remove your arm. It is not at all proper.”
    An insolent laugh greeted her words and he drew her into an arbor. “My prim schoolroom miss,” he whispered. “The most exciting things in life are not at all proper.” And before she could break away, he had forced his mouth down on hers, enveloping her in a suffocating halitosis of rack punch and decaying teeth.
    Unaware of how Miss Frederica Sayers was being
brought out
, Captain Wright walked slowly along an adjoining walk with Clarissa. She leaned heavily on his arm and her eyes were like stars. Clarissa had never drunk anything as heady as the rack punch before and she was toying with the idea of letting the Captain steal a kiss. Vauxhall was practically the only place where one could walk with a gentleman without a maid or one’s mama in constant attendance. She stole a look at her companion. After the disastrous purchase of the coat which the Captain had bestowed upon his valet, he had resolved that he could never aspire to the Dandy Set and was dressed in severe black and white evening dress. He really was so handsome, sighed Clarissa to herself. Such a pity he did not have a title. But one little kiss did not make a marriage. She leaned more heavily on his arm and then let out a mock squeal of alarm.
    “What is the matter?” asked the Captain, coming to a halt.
    “It is nothing,” said Clarissa, placing her hands on his chest and staring up into his face. To her disappointment, Captain Wright made as if to move on. He needed more encouragement. She slid her arms round his neck.
    He looked down at her in surprise. Her beautiful face was turned upwards to his in the faint moonlight. Very slowly, he bent his head and kissed her. Her lips were warm and clinging but, somewhere in the back of his brain, he was just beginning to register with surprise that absolutely nothing seemed to be happening to his senses, when he clearly and distinctly heard his name being called.
    A high, thin, childish wail of fright penetrated the night air. “Oh, help! Captain Wright… somebody… help!”
    He put Clarissa from him and looked around wildly. The sound had come from the adjoining walk. “Your sister!” he cried. Fortunately for Clarissa, he was too worried to see his fair partner’s shrug or hear her indifferent comment of “So?” Dragging Clarissa with him, he ran headlong through the bushes.
    There in the shadowy light, he could just make out the small figure of Frederica struggling in the Marquis of Blandhaven’s arms. With an oath, he strode forward and sent the Marquis flying backwards into the bushes with a well-placed hit.
    “A mill! A mill!” cried several voices and suddenly the walk seemed to be alive with people.
    Clarissa stamped her foot. She had never been so angry in her life. “Take me back to Mrs. Bannington’s box immediately, sir!” she cried to Captain Wright. “How dare you subject me to the vulgar gaze of these common people.”
    The Marquis had disappeared. Frederica was trembling and gazing up at the Captain with adoring eyes. “A flush hit,” she breathed. “Oh,
what
a facer you landed him, Captain Wright!”
    Clarissa’s voice dripped ice. “If you have finished talking
cant
, Freddie, perhaps someone may pay attention to
me
. My dress is in ruins. I have unceremoniously been
dragged
through the bushes without so much as a by-your-leave and all because my little sister has been encouraging the advances of poor Lord Percival. This is what becomes of introducing provincial hoydens to society.”
    “Fustian!” cried Frederica, made bold by