hard as agates.
Then, as the Duke hurried to open the door for her, she moved down the room with a contrived grace which made her appear like a young goddess who had just stepped down from Olympus.
As she reached the Duke, she said in a voice that only he could hear:
“Au revoir, my love. I shall be counting the hours until tonight.”
When he had seen her to her carriage at the front door, the Duke returned to where Gerald was waiting in the Drawing-Room.
“I suppose I ought to say ‘thank you,’ ” he said. “I do not know whether you have made things worse or better.”
“I do not think they could be much worse,” Gerald replied, “unless you intend to marry Isobel.”
T he Duke did not answer, and he said:
“You know, Ivar, I never interfere in your love-affairs, but I think you ought to know that I learnt just now when I went to White’s that the reason she left Paris so quickly was not only that she was following you.” The Duke waited, with a questioning look in his eyes, and Gerald went on:
“After you left, she behaved so outrageously with the Du c de Gramont that the Duchesse was furious, and there was a highly dramatic scene at a party, where I gather the whole of Paris was present, which made it imperative for Isobel to leave the next day.”
The Duke walked across the room and back again before he said:
“I am glad you have told me. I am in a mess.”
“I thought you would be,” Gerald replied. “I told you she was determined to be a Duchess, and I cannot imagine a worse fate for any man than to be married to Isobel.”
The Duke knew this was true, but because Isobel had been so persistent, he had played with the idea of making her his wife.
Now he knew that he could never envisage her at the Castle, caring for his people who worked for him and worrying herself as to whether their children were educated or their grandparents had medical attention.
At the same time, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he was half-committed, and that Isobel, fastening onto him like a leech, would do everything in her power to prevent him getting away from her.
As if Gerald knew what he was thinking, he said:
“For God’s sake, Ivar, be careful. She is a dangerous woman, and you will find it impossible to be free of her.”
“No-one, not even Prinny, can make me marry someone I do not wish to marry!” the Duke said firmly.
“Do not be too sure of that,” Gerald replied, “and the last thing you want at this particular moment is a scandal.”
“That is true,” the Duke agreed. “It is just another problem on top of the ones I am weighed down with already.”
“I will give you something else to think about,” Gerald said. “You may find it even more unpleasant.”
“What is that?”
“Jason is calling on you tomorrow morning, and, from all I hear, you will either have to bail him out or let him go to the Fleet.”
The Duke started.
The Fleet, which was the prison for debtors, was so notorious that any gentleman who was sent there for not being able to pay his debts received a great deal of publicity in the national newspapers.
He could not imagine anything which he would dislike more than for the world to know that his relative, and a Harling, was there.
At a moment when he was preparing to take his place in the House of Lords as the fifth Duke of Harlington, it would be impossible to admit that his cousin was incarcerated in the filth, vulgarity, and degradation of the debtors’ prison.
Because it upset him even to think of it, the Duke’s voice was harsh as he replied:
“I have already decided to see Jason and tell him that I will give him a fairly generous allowance, as long as he behaves himself.”
“It will cost you a pretty penny to rescue him in the first place. I do not suppose he will thank you for it or agree to your conditions.”
“I will make him agree!” the Duke said fiercely. “How?” Gerald asked simply.
The Duke knew uncomfortably and
Then, as the Duke hurried to open the door for her, she moved down the room with a contrived grace which made her appear like a young goddess who had just stepped down from Olympus.
As she reached the Duke, she said in a voice that only he could hear:
“Au revoir, my love. I shall be counting the hours until tonight.”
When he had seen her to her carriage at the front door, the Duke returned to where Gerald was waiting in the Drawing-Room.
“I suppose I ought to say ‘thank you,’ ” he said. “I do not know whether you have made things worse or better.”
“I do not think they could be much worse,” Gerald replied, “unless you intend to marry Isobel.”
T he Duke did not answer, and he said:
“You know, Ivar, I never interfere in your love-affairs, but I think you ought to know that I learnt just now when I went to White’s that the reason she left Paris so quickly was not only that she was following you.” The Duke waited, with a questioning look in his eyes, and Gerald went on:
“After you left, she behaved so outrageously with the Du c de Gramont that the Duchesse was furious, and there was a highly dramatic scene at a party, where I gather the whole of Paris was present, which made it imperative for Isobel to leave the next day.”
The Duke walked across the room and back again before he said:
“I am glad you have told me. I am in a mess.”
“I thought you would be,” Gerald replied. “I told you she was determined to be a Duchess, and I cannot imagine a worse fate for any man than to be married to Isobel.”
The Duke knew this was true, but because Isobel had been so persistent, he had played with the idea of making her his wife.
Now he knew that he could never envisage her at the Castle, caring for his people who worked for him and worrying herself as to whether their children were educated or their grandparents had medical attention.
At the same time, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he was half-committed, and that Isobel, fastening onto him like a leech, would do everything in her power to prevent him getting away from her.
As if Gerald knew what he was thinking, he said:
“For God’s sake, Ivar, be careful. She is a dangerous woman, and you will find it impossible to be free of her.”
“No-one, not even Prinny, can make me marry someone I do not wish to marry!” the Duke said firmly.
“Do not be too sure of that,” Gerald replied, “and the last thing you want at this particular moment is a scandal.”
“That is true,” the Duke agreed. “It is just another problem on top of the ones I am weighed down with already.”
“I will give you something else to think about,” Gerald said. “You may find it even more unpleasant.”
“What is that?”
“Jason is calling on you tomorrow morning, and, from all I hear, you will either have to bail him out or let him go to the Fleet.”
The Duke started.
The Fleet, which was the prison for debtors, was so notorious that any gentleman who was sent there for not being able to pay his debts received a great deal of publicity in the national newspapers.
He could not imagine anything which he would dislike more than for the world to know that his relative, and a Harling, was there.
At a moment when he was preparing to take his place in the House of Lords as the fifth Duke of Harlington, it would be impossible to admit that his cousin was incarcerated in the filth, vulgarity, and degradation of the debtors’ prison.
Because it upset him even to think of it, the Duke’s voice was harsh as he replied:
“I have already decided to see Jason and tell him that I will give him a fairly generous allowance, as long as he behaves himself.”
“It will cost you a pretty penny to rescue him in the first place. I do not suppose he will thank you for it or agree to your conditions.”
“I will make him agree!” the Duke said fiercely. “How?” Gerald asked simply.
The Duke knew uncomfortably and
Similar Books
