The Duke Conspiracy (20 page)

Rose grinned at this. “Please do not take
that to heart, Your Grace, I mean Alex,” she stumbled before
carrying on, “You would not want Broderick after you personally
anyway.”

Alex returned her grin. “You have a good
point there, my dear.”

Rose's smile turned wistful. “You have no
idea how relieved I am to share this burden. When I realized
Broderick must be up to something once more, I was so worried about
it. I wanted to tell my father but…” at this she trailed off.

Alex's understanding smile nearly broke
Rose's heart. “But you were afraid he would be unable to see beyond
my involvement in the matter.”

Rose nodded. “That was my fear, yes. That is
why I thought to help you ensure you were safe from their plots,
then when you were out of the situation I could get my father
involved.”

“Do you not think he would want to know how
you came by this information? No matter what happens with me, you
cannot change the fact that you found out about it because of the
conversation you overheard with regards to their plot to entrap
me.”

“I know. I have not yet come up with a
solution to that dilemma—thus my great relief in being able to
unburden myself to you. Mayhap I shall not have to involve my
father at all if we can manage to solve it on our own.”

“Do you have any ideas as to how we are going
to do so? I will admit to you that I am woefully inexperienced in
the skills needed to thwart someone scheming against the
government.”

Rose wrinkled her nose at Alex's words and
chewed her lip in concentration. “I think at this point we really
need more information. It would be most helpful if you could find
out more about Broderick's associates; who he is involved with
could tell us a lot. I will also speak to Lady Yorkleigh. The night
of the musicale she seemed to indicate that she had information
about Broderick and was endeavoring to warn me away from him. I do
not wish to involve any more people, so I will try to find out what
she knows without revealing what I know. I have a plan in mind, but
it does involve a bit more subterfuge.” She said this last bit with
a tone of apology. Alex was quick to protest.

“My dear, I have already assured you that
this is clearly in the defense of our country. Spy away if you
think that will help.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Rose could feel her
face stretching into a smile that revealed her dimples. She felt so
light and happy after unburdening her soul and finding that Alex
did not turn away in disgust from her. The relief she felt was
truly profound and she felt as though she could fly home. She
remembered her promise to Elizabeth and her face fell.

“What is the trouble now?” Alex asked,
amusement and exasperation both showing in his tone of voice.

Rose shrugged. “I just remembered that my
friend Elizabeth knew I would be meeting you today and wanted me to
come to see her afterward. She helped me gain the information from
Lady Anne so I feel as though I owe her, but I do not want her
involved in the situation with Broderick any more than she already
is. I shall have to skirt around some of the facts, which makes me
a trifle uncomfortable.”

Alex grinned at her with far more amusement
than sympathy, which caused her to pull a sour face at him in
return. He was still chuckling when Rose's maid arrived.

Eyeing the duke suspiciously Mary asked, “Are
you nearly finished, Miss? We should be getting on our way pretty
soon.”

“Thank you, Mary, I just need to gather up my
things. Could you please help me finish up?”

Mary kept a suspicious eye on Alex while she
hurried to tidy Rose's drawing supplies. “You didn't get much done
today, Miss,” she scolded, much to Alex's amusement and Rose's
embarrassment.

“The muse did not strike me today, Mary. Now
we should be on our way. Thank you for your help.” Turning to Alex,
Rose dipped into a respectful curtsy, suddenly feeling bashful.

Alex took her small hand into his much larger
one, placing a kiss delicately on the back of it. “Until tomorrow,”
he said with a questioning lift to his voice.

Rose shook her head. “You had best give me an
extra day to see what I can gather. Let us say two days hence.”

“I shall make every effort to contain my
impatience,” Alex replied with complete honesty, feeling a deep
disappointment that they would not be seeing one another for a
couple of days. For a moment he wished fervently that their
friendship did not need to be kept a secret, but now there were
even more reasons why that was necessary.

He stood watching as the two girls hurried
away from him. He was gratified when Rose stopped at the entrance
and turned back to look at him. As their eyes met and held for an
inexplicably long second, he felt his heart rate pick up as though
he had been running. Trying to remain unmoved he lifted his hand in
a small wave. She looked slightly flustered as she turned back to
hurry after her maid.

Alex looked around the room at the fragmented
statues that Elgin had inexplicably brought back to England. He
shook his head over the folly of men and then strode from the room.
He had things to learn and places to be.

“Miss Rose, are you certain it's fittin' for
you to be meeting with His Grace, the duke? You know how your
parents would react were they to find out. Not only about who he
is, but about you meeting up with him. I know you've been arguing
that it's a public place and no harm will come of it, but it don't
seem so public when there's not a soul stirring at the odd hours
you've been going there.”

“I pray you, do not scold me, Mary. The
situation is troublesome enough without you lecturing me. I do
realize my parents would have apoplexy or disown me or some such.
That is why we must ensure they never find out. I trust Alex, I
mean the duke, and I truly need someone I can trust right now. You
know how Broderick is. He needs to be dealt with. And because of
how I heard about it, I cannot trust my father to be reasonable.
This is the only way for the moment.”

“If you are certain, Miss,” was all Mary
would allow with a slight sniff of disapproval.

Rose grinned. “Thank you, Mary. I would never
be able to do it without you. You are the important factor in all
of this. You always are. Now be a dear and hurry along. I promised
Elizabeth we would stop in today and I really must return home to
break my fast and look in on Mother.”

“Oh Miss, I plum forgot you hadn't eaten. You
must be near to perishing.”

“My stomach was too nervous this morning to
be able to eat anything. But you are quite correct that now I am
absolutely ravenous. I certainly hope the kitchen has not
completely cleared away the breakfast dishes.”

“If they have, Miss, I will make sure you get
something, have no fear.”

“Thank you, Mary,” Rose smiled her gratitude
at her trusted maid just as they reached their stairs. “Hello,
Hartley, how are you on this fine day?” she greeted the butler as
he welcomed them home.

“You seem chipper this morning, Miss Rose. It
does not strike me as being that fair today.”

“No day really is in London, is it, Hartley?
That is why one must ignore the day and decide that one's
contentment is dependent on their state of mind. I have decided
that today is fine and I am happy with or without the
sunshine.”

“Very well, Miss,” Hartley replied with an
indulgent smile.

“Is anyone else about yet today?”

“Your father has already left to go about his
business and your mother has not yet left her rooms. Can I do
anything to assist you, Miss?”

“I would dearly like to have something to
eat. Do you know if breakfast has been cleared away as yet?”

“I do not believe it has, Miss.”

“Thank you, Hartley, you just made my day.”
With a grin Rose handed the rest of her pencils to her waiting maid
and hurried to the dining room to assuage her hunger.

A short while later, after eating, changing,
and having her hair tidied by Mary, Rose made her way to her
mother's room. After scratching on the door she was admitted by
Lady Smythe's personal maid.

“Good morning Priscilla, how are you this
morning?” she asked kindly.

“I am fair to middlin', Miss, thank you for
asking.”

“Is my mama up and about yet?”

“I was just about to do her hair,” the maid
answered as Lady Smythe called out, “Priscilla, who are you
dithering with? If that is the maid with my tray, bring it in.”

“Good morning, Mama, it is me holding
Priscilla up, I am sorry to admit. And I do not have your chocolate
or toast. Would you like me to run down to the kitchens and get it
for you?”

“Good morning, Rosamund. No, that is quite
all right. Priscilla has already rung but it was kind of you to
offer.” Lady Smythe went through the motions of living her life,
but her heart was clearly not in it as she spoke with a melancholy,
put-upon voice.

“I wanted to check with you if you needed me
today. I was going to go visit briefly with Lady Elizabeth, but I
could not remember if we had any plans.”

“No, no, Rosamund, you go right ahead. It is
nice that you have found a friend to help keep you occupied. You
have so much more energy than I can muster, so it is good for you
to have others your age about.”

Lady Smythe's tone made Rose feel as though
this was an accusation rather than a compliment and she struggled
for a reply. “Well, if you are certain you shan't miss me, then I
will scamper over to Elizabeth's for a wee spell.” Rose's flippant
chatter made her mother sigh, which Rose chose to ignore as she
continued. “I will take Mary along with me as I might make some
other calls before I come home. I have some correspondence to take
care of this afternoon, and then it will be time to get ready for
the evening.” Rose could see that her mother's attention was not
fully engaged, but she persisted nonetheless. “Do you not find it
droll how we seem even busier than we are at home and yet we get so
little done with our days here in the City?”

“What is that, my dear?” Lady Smythe asked
distractedly.

“Naught of import, Mama. I shall wish you a
good day and I will see you this evening.” With that Rose gave up
trying to engage her mother in a conversation and made good her
escape with a faint sigh of her own. It was a tragedy that she had,
in essence, lost her mother at the same time as losing her
brother.

Returning to her room, she collected her own
maid. “Come along, Mary, I am fairly certain I shall have need of
you.”

“Very well, Miss,” the maid answered with a
grin. “Are we going spying again?” she asked, with a skip in her
step and her voice hushed.

Rose had to giggle over the other woman's
enthusiasm and attitude, which was so different from her own. “Most
likely,” she answered, annoyingly vague.

“Will you at least promise to tell me if you
find out anything that could be of use to us?” Mary asked not
bothering to keep the plaintive tone from her voice.

“That is a promise I can keep,” Rose answered
with conviction. “I always find it useful to discuss everything
with you. You have a good head on your shoulders, and I know you
will not run and tattle.”

“Of course not, Miss.”

The two hurried along and once more found
themselves in front of Elizabeth's parents' lovely townhouse. Just
before they climbed the stairs, Rose thought to tell Mary, “I have
no certain idea how long we shall be here. I am hoping to not have
to tell Elizabeth everything about my meeting with the duke. I
think it is in her best interests to remain ignorant of the
details. I hope my playacting skills are up to snuff, as I would
hate to harm the friendship over this nonsense.”

Mary gave her mistress's arm a squeeze of
reassurance. “I know you have your reservations about your
involvement with these shenanigans, but your skills are still
sharp, Miss, and you are actually good at this kind of thing, which
is not what one would expect of a well-born chit like
yourself.”

The two conspirators shared a grin as they
climbed the stairs. Mary went off to join the servants below stairs
as the butler went to announce Rose.

“The Honorable Rosamund Smythe to see you, my
lady,” he intoned properly.

“Thank you, Francis, please show her in,”
Elizabeth replied, keeping her excitement in check.

Once the door was closed behind her guest,
Elizabeth bounded up from her place on the settee. “I have been
pacing a trail in the rug all morning, as I have been running to
check the window every few moments. Did you see him? Was your
meeting a success? Do we have a plan to proceed with?”

Rose grinned over her friend's words. “I am
so sorry for keeping you on tenterhooks. I was so nervous this
morning that I could not eat before my arranged meeting, so I had
to go straight home afterward in order to not faint on your front
stairs upon my arrival.”

“You would not have been the first to do so,”
Elizabeth dismissed with a wave of her hand.

Rose laughed, “I would not think Francis
would be so accepting of that idea.”

“Well now that you are finally here, please
hurry and sit down and tell me all about it! Was the duke able to
shed any light on the matter? Did you tell him what we found out?
Did you make a further plan?”

Rose could not help laughing again. “Slow
down, my lady, I pray you. Unfortunately, I do not have much solid
information to give you. As far as Wrentham could find out from his
solicitors and his man of affairs, there is nothing that either
Austen or Broderick have against him. So, on the surface it seems
as though it is as Lady Anne said—he is just a prime catch for
various reasons and they set their sights on him.”

Rose could see the disappointment clearly
etched on her friend's face. “So there is nothing further for us to
do?” she asked, her tone plaintive.