The Duke's Agent Read Online Free Page A

married!’
    Jarrett could not see Sal’s face but he was near certain she stiffened.
    â€˜And of who are we speaking, Miss Prudence?’ Sal managed to speak the name so as to convey a wealth of contempt.
    â€˜Your soldier boy’s back, Sal. He’s married his sergeant’s daughter, Sal, and the sergeant he’s taken the Swan Inn on the bridge right here in Woolbridge. What say you to that?’
    As Sal seemed to lack a ready answer to this, the floodgates of Miss Miller’s resentment broke.
    â€˜All these years you’ve been telling us Will Roberts’d be back to make an honest woman of you, while you’ve been flittin’ round our men acting like no honest girl would. And now he’s back and married another. What do you say to that, Sal?’
    There was a particular stillness to the pause that followed. Then in a half-singing voice, an echo of a child’s taunt, Sal responded:
    â€˜Fa-la-la; there are plenty of fish in the sea, PrudenceMiller.’ With a swing of her skirts she turned on one graceful foot and walked off, calling casually over her shoulder, ‘You comin’, Maggie?’
    A little girl with bad skin and blue pop eyes detached herself from the audience and hurried round-shouldered after her friend.
    A party of men came clumping up the hill, diverting the girls. Hands went to waists, drawing attention to curved hips; shawls and hair were twitched and lips bitten red.
    â€˜You mind you keep to your tune this mornin’, Harry Nidd,’ counselled Prudence saucily to a tow-haired youth with a broken nose.
    â€˜You keep to yours and he’ll see you at Lovers’ Leap one of these days, Prudence Miller,’ called back Harry’s companion, a sandy-haired man with sharp features.
    â€˜You keep your sauce to yourself, Joe Walton,’ retorted Prudence, blushing at the general laughter as Joe swiftly countered, ‘There’s many a girl likes my sauce, Prudence Miller.’
    The singers filed into the church through the door in the chancel wall. Jarrett, conscious that the service must be about to begin, made for the path that led to the west door. As he passed, Sal and Prudence were picking up where they had left off. Sal seemed to be getting the better of the engagement. Her head was held high and her manner lofty, while her opponent stood red-faced, her arms akimbo.
    â€˜I’ve no need of your men, Prudence Miller. I have one much finer than you’ll ever have hope of – a gentleman!’
    â€˜A gentleman! What gentleman would ever walk out with the likes of you!’
    â€˜You don’t know him, but you’ll hear of him before you’re much older, you see if you don’t.’
    Prudence was not convinced. ‘A gentleman!’ she scoffed.
    â€˜Aye, a fine gentleman!’ Catching sight of Jarrett, Sal jerked her head towards him. ‘As fine as that one there.’She turned and smiled directly at him. Jarrett looked straight into those bold, dark eyes. She had remarkably large pupils that made her eyes seem almost black. He found himself smiling at her. He touched his hat and, with a brief nod of acknowledgement, continued on his way.
    As he rounded the corner a compact, military-looking man with a high colour and receding hair accosted him. ‘Captain Adams, sir,’ he said, thrusting a chubby hand towards him. ‘And you are Mr Jarrett, the Duke’s new agent?’
    â€˜In a manner of speaking,’ replied Jarrett, shaking his hand.
    â€˜Thought so. Saw you at the inn as you arrived.’ Captain Adams smiled and rocked his cane as it rested on the ground as if his stock of conversation was drying up. ‘Glad to meet you. Capital. Church?’ He said, gesturing towards the doorway into which most of the congregation had now disappeared. ‘Come sit with the lady wife and me.’
    â€˜That is most kind,’ replied Jarrett. ‘I will be glad