The Theft of a Dukedom (4 page)

Colonel Sidney Bostwick,
Royal Militia,
Kingston,
Jamaica.

I know you will be devastated by this news and
I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but Robin is dead.
He arrived here on the 7th of March, was given
all respect of his position and ensconced at the
Governor’s residence. I received your letter a week later,
but it was already too late for Robin. As usual he
couldn’t keep out of the gambling establishments and
lost heavily in that first week, but unfortunately he was
accused of cheating and unlike in England, duelling is
not illegal here. There was no grass for breakfast, the
parties concerned went out into the square and did the
deed there and then. But unfortunately for Robin, he
picked a fight with the wrong man and Clark
Ravenswood blew the back of his head off!
I have interred his body in a local cemetery with
all due ceremony and will have a headstone set next
year, if that is what you would like.
I can’t tell you how sorry I am.

Charles looked up at his father’s face. ‘So it
would appear that he bit off more than he could chew,
this time.’ He sighed. ‘Have you told Kitty yet?’

‘No. She’s just gone to the dressmaker with
Agatha. I’ll tell her when she gets back.’ Thomas stared
at the table. ‘If I can find the courage.’

Charles leaned forward and placed his hand on
his father’s arm. ‘Father?’ Thomas looked up at his only
son. ‘It would have happened here eventually. Robin
was getting more and more uncontrollable even before
I left for the Peninsular. With hindsight, maybe he
should have gone to war, he would have found Spain a
balm for his tormented soul.’

‘Instead you went out there with stars in your
eyes and came home with them full of horror.’ He shook
his head. ‘I just thought you should know. You are now
without question the Marquis and a ducal heir. Once
the word of Robin’s demise circulates, the women will
throw themselves at your title. Be more like Kitty, than
Robin, and try to keep them at a distance.’ He laughed
suddenly. ‘I don’t advocate a celibate life, but be
cautious. I don’t want to have to pay out any more
paternity payments. Robin has five illegitimate children
scattered about as it is.’

‘I’ll promise you this, father.’ He laughed. ‘If I am
stupid enough to make an ingénue pregnant, I’ll marry
her and save your pocket!’

‘My advice would be to stay away from the
young debutants,’ Richard offered, ‘if I gained any
knowledge of life in Spain that was the first lesson!
Innocent young ladies are only approached when you
want a wife!’ All three men laughed heartily, banishing
the sombre mood at the table.

‘Well, father. Did you ask her?’ Charles enquired
with raised eyebrows.
‘I did. And she has accepted my proposal. So
there will definitely be one wedding this year.’
‘And Kitty will have a new mother.’
‘I don’t think Kitty needs a mother and she
certainly won’t need one if she manages to find a
husband before the season ends.’
‘She won’t.’ Charles said with conviction.
‘Ponsonby has been the forerunner and last night he
blew it!’
‘Yes, he did rather do the most stupid thing.’
Thomas agreed. ‘I did warn him not to manhandle her,
but it seems he didn’t listen.’
‘I don’t understand?’ Richard asked softly.
‘Ponsonby is one of the beau’s vying for Kitty’s
hand this season. He made the mistake of grabbing her
arm and trying to frogmarch her away from an
unsettling incident last night.’ Charles said calmly,
although Richard could see he was affronted to witness
his sister being handled by a man.
‘You didn’t see the marks on her arm when he
released it. It was no gentle persuasion and that’s why
Kitty dug her heels in and wouldn’t be moved.’ Thomas
explained.
‘Is it true about the devilled eggs?’ Charles asked
softly.
‘Yes. It seems to me every time Kitty is in a
ballroom some clumsy oaf spills his food or drink on her.
That time she was wearing a beautiful claret coloured
silk gown and she had to spend the evening with cream
splodges all over it. Last night she wore a cream gown
and ended up with claret on it.’ Thomas shook his head.
‘Who spilled the eggs?’ Charles asked even more
sibilantly and Richard looked sharply at him. He’d heard
that cold whisper before, just before Charles had
lurched out of a foxhole and killed a French soldier that
was trying to rape a local Spanish girl. He vividly
remembered the spray of blood as Charles drew his
knife across the Frenchman’s throat and the flurry of
skirts as the girl tumbled into the foxhole. When the
Frenchman had stopped gurgling, Charles had hefted
him on his shoulder and walked away in the dark to
deposit the body away from their lines. The girl turned
out to be about thirteen years old and she was petrified
that Richard and Charles would do the same. She
followed Charles like a puppy for a month, before one
of the ordinary soldiers turned her head with an offer of
money. The last time he’d seen her had been at Cuidad
Rodrigo, when she was heavily pregnant.
‘The Earl of Rathbone. Luckily his wife was there
and she was beside herself with embarrassment for
Kitty. As I said to her last night, it was a good job it
wasn’t something hot.’ Both young men flexed their
back and shoulder muscles in a reflex action. ‘Still, how
long will you be with us?’ Thomas enquired.
‘Probably a couple of weeks, maybe a little
longer.’ Richard said evenly.
‘Fine. Did you bring your own valet?’
Richard nodded. ‘It seemed prudent.’
‘Good. Havers is the best, so he’ll sort it all out
for you.’

Kitty wasn’t going to make lunch. Even at two
o’clock she was still standing on the stool with the
modiste fitting her fourth gown of the morning.

‘Ow!’ Kitty exploded again as the modiste
inadvertently stabbed her with a pin. ‘Be more careful!’
Agatha Stafford tried to distract her yet again.
‘So the
beau monde
didn’t live up to your expectations
again!’
‘No aunt, as you can see by the huge claret stain
on my gown!’ she said pointing at the offending item.
‘Your father says Derek Ponsonby lost his head
and tried to manhandle you to the ladies room?’
‘He did too!’ Kitty replied indignantly. ‘I actually
asked him who he thought he was!’
‘You should have gone out for your first season
two years ago.’ Agatha muttered. She was fifty two, but
didn’t look a day over forty. She had exquisite skin, her
hair didn’t have a single grey strand and her eyes were
the clearest blue. She sat in silken splendour and
watched her favourite modiste try to fit a gown to a
fidgeting twenty year old.
‘No aunt. And you know why I didn’t. I couldn’t
possibly go out into the town and sample the
haute ton
with my brother possibly dying in Spain. I just couldn’t
do it.’
‘So you waited until Robin brought so much
disgrace upon us that your father banished him abroad
and recalled Charles from Spain.’
‘Yes. After he was recalled I knew he wouldn’t
get killed, so I could then feel happier at having my
coming out season.’
Agatha sighed. She had told Thomas at the time
if he indulged her, it would be very difficult to find her a
good match if she was over twenty. Most men were
looking for the youngest wife, so that they could mould
them into the wife they wanted, they knew that the
older a girl was, the more likely she would be a handful
and Kitty was already a handful. But instinctively Agatha
knew it wasn’t only that. Something had happened
when she was younger. Something with Robin. It had
made Kitty standoffish and aloof at times, even with her
family.
‘Will you be going to the Henderson ball
tonight?’ Agatha asked changing the subject.
‘There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to,
because I don’t want any more beverages or food
dropped down my clothes. But I must admit to being
intrigued by Charles’s friend.’
‘You’d marry a common soldier!’ Agatha
spluttered.
‘There’s nothing common about Richard
Dunsmore. His father is the Earl of Rutland!’ She turned
abruptly and was stabbed again as she speared Agatha
with a very penetrating stare. ‘Is my father going to
marry the Duchess?’
Agatha eyed the modiste, who smiled softly.
‘Everything talked about in my fashion house is a secret,
My Lady.’ She murmured around the row of pins in her
teeth.
‘Yes. He asked her last night and she has agreed.’
‘Do you think Father will force her to live with
us, or do you think he will go there?’
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they spend their time
jumping from one to the other. After all Edward
Bertrand is the Duke of Wentworth and will take
possession of his house when he reaches his majority.’
‘But that’s a few years away yet, isn’t it?’ Kitty
asked.
‘Yes. The Duke of Wentworth is only eleven.’
‘So, his majority is still ten years away, but I’ll bet
you a pound to a penny that he becomes a problem for
Daddy before then!’
‘Let’s hope your father has more success than he
did with Robin.’ Agatha muttered under her breath.
The modiste finished her work and Kitty jumped
off the stool and rushed into the changing room to
replace her outer clothing.
When they got home Havers was in the hall, as
usual. ‘Good afternoon, Lady Agatha, Lady Amelia.’ He
said formally. ‘His grace has been waiting for you to
come home. He would like to see you both in his study.’
Kitty was surprised. She had only ever been
called to the study with her brothers for punishment.
And the day he told us mother had died!
She recalled it
so well, the way he’d looked at them as he tried to
explain that she was too weak to recover from the
strain and her heart had stopped. She remembered the
tears falling down her father’s face and Robin, stoic and
without a tear, but Charles turned to her and engulfed
her as she sobbed for the loss.
‘Kitty, I don’t want you to panic.’ Agatha said
softly. ‘It’s probably Ponsonby making an offer.’
Kitty realised she was almost running and
deliberately slowed her pace. ‘Yes, Aunt, I’m sure you’re
right.’ She murmured, but that didn’t help the pounding
of her heart. As she reached the study door, she
practically pounded on the door and waited for the
‘Come In,’ from her father.
‘What’s happened?’ Kitty blurted before her
father could even stand up to greet them.
‘Kitty, my love, sit down.’ He said and guided her
to a chair.
‘What’s happened to Charles?’ she almost
demanded.
‘Nothing. Charles is snoozing on the terrace with
Richard.’ Thomas sighed as he leant against his desk and
folded his arms across his chest. He watched his sister
take the other chair and arrange her skirts, before she
looked up at him expectantly.
‘I’ve had a letter from Jamaica.’ He said softly.
‘From Colonel Bostwick?’ Agatha asked and Kitty
couldn’t miss the flush in her cheeks.
‘Yes, from Sidney Bostwick. He wrote to inform
me of Robin’s death.’ He said quietly.
‘What?’ Burst from Agatha. ‘Robin’s dead?’
Thomas reached behind him for the missive and handed
it to Agatha to read. ‘He was killed in a duel with
somebody who was a better shot than him.’ He turned
his attention to Kitty and was surprised to see a cold
expression on her face. ‘Are you all right, Kitty?’
‘Yes. I’m fine.’
‘Don’t be afraid to let your feelings out. We’re all
family here.’ Thomas said with compassion.
‘I’ll tell you my feelings,’ she said vitriolically.
‘Good riddance to bad rubbish!’ and she jumped out of
her chair and ran out of the study.
‘What’s that all about?’ Thomas asked. ‘I know
she was distant from Robin, but I didn’t know she felt
like that.’
‘Perhaps you should ask Charles about it. I know
there was no love lost between them, but I didn’t
realise it was that serious.’
Thomas sighed. ‘It hardly matters any more.’

Dinner was formal and the sumptuous repast set
before him, made Richard wonder why he’d ever gone
to war. It had been a very long time since he’d attended
a formal dinner and to do so at a ducal residence was to
live in the lap of luxury. From the army of silent
footmen, a solid gold dinner service, finest bone china,
diamond cut crystal glasses to the best wine he’d ever
tasted. He sat and surreptitiously watched Lady Amelia
eat like a bird, only taking small nibbles from any of the
seven courses and delicately sipping the small amount
of wine, never finishing what was either on her plate or
in her glass.

‘Kitty, you’re going to fade away if you don’t
eat!’ Charles said with amusement as he watched her
daintily place another piece of duck in her mouth and
chew slowly. She looked at Charles and frowned as she
finished chewing the contents of her mouth.

‘I suppose all those Spanish Senoritas ate like
pigs did they?’ she said haughtily.
‘On the contrary,’ Charles replied. ‘The Spanish
Ladies are called Donna’s and believe me; their manners
are as impeccable as ours.’
‘So what were the Don’s like?’ Kitty asked with
raised eyebrows and it was obvious to Richard that it
was sibling byplay. Probably for his benefit.
‘Gaudy ponces.’ Richard muttered under his
breath, making Agatha snigger behind her silk glove.
‘You wouldn’t have liked the Don’s, Kitty. Most
of them were older than father and looked just like a
painting by Rembrandt!’
‘I seem to remember quite a few good looking
Don’s in Portugal.’ Richard said cheerfully.
‘I remember that you were busy servicing the
Donna’s while their husbands were dying in Corunna.’
‘Well, Wellington wouldn’t let us out to play, so I
had to keep busy somehow!’ Richard said jovially and
Charles laughed heartily.
‘Gentlemen!’ Thomas said loudly. ‘There are
ladies present and that kind of chatter can be resumed
during port!’ He eyed his son firmly.
Charles looked down at his plate, ‘Sorry, Kitty.
You forget the basic niceties of life in a war. Dinner is
cooked in a Billy can and the nearest you get to a dinner
service, is the metal plate the sergeant brings your
dinner on.’
‘Didn’t you have your own tents and things?’ she
asked curiously.
Richard shook his head slowly. ‘Without an army
of servants to put them up and take them down, there
was no point. I didn’t have a tent until we arrived at
Badajoz.’
‘Do you mean to tell me that you were sleeping
out in the open in winter?’ Kitty asked in horror.
‘I’m afraid so, my Lady.’ Richard said softly.
‘I woke up with my hair frozen to the ground
more than once.’ Charles said distantly.
‘The frost wasn’t so bad. It was the rain that
could make the men unhappy.’
‘Does it rain a lot in Spain?’ Kitty asked
innocently. ‘I thought it was a hot country.’
Charles and Richard bellowed with laughter at
that comment. ‘Only in the summer my sweet sister.’
Charles said. ‘Then it’s as dry as the Sahara and as hot as
Hades!’
‘Rain and mud, dust and flies!’ Richard intoned
like a litany. ‘On the road to Talavera!’
‘Amen!’ Charles said and raised his glass. The
two soldiers drank deeply. ‘I think I should refrain from
throwing this fine crystal goblet in the fire, don’t you?’
Richard nodded.
‘Good god.’ Kitty exploded. ‘This is supposed to
be a celebration of Daddy’s upcoming nuptials. Can we
get away from the depressing war?’
‘Well said, Kitty.’ Victoria intoned from the other
end of the table, looking divine in an emerald green silk
gown.
‘A little less blasphemy, if you don’t mind?’
Thomas said and raised his glass. ‘To my future wife.’
After the toast Richard sat back and again
appraised Lady Amelia. She was stunning in a rich
burgundy velvet gown. The bodice was fairly revealing
and he could see the gentle slope of her breasts. With a
classical square neckline and puffed sleeves, her ivory
silk gloves were a distinct contrast. Around her throat
glittered the most stunning emerald necklace he’d ever
seen, each stone was oblong and set in a silver V,
ending with an oblong stone that nestled in her
cleavage. On her gloved left wrist was a matching
bracelet and on her right hand was a matching ring.
‘I wonder who will drop something on my new
gown tonight.’ She murmured to her brother.
‘You’ll just have to avoid everybody, Kitty.’
Charles said
sotto voce
.
‘The only way I can do that is to stay at home.’
She said petulantly.
‘Well, maybe Richard and I can act as foils.’
Charles said. ‘If I stand one side and Richard the other,
nobody should be able to drop anything on your gown.’
Eventually dinner was finished and the
gentlemen stood as the ladies retired to the drawing
room for tea and gossip. Havers trundled around the
table with the cigar humidor and port decanter.
‘Are we going to take bets on whether Kitty gets
a drenching tonight?’ Charles said callously. His father
chuckled and Richard looked uncomfortable.
‘How can you laugh about it?’ he asked
offended.
‘I can laugh because I’ve been watching it all
season.’ Thomas said evenly. ‘Last time it was wine, this
time it will be food.’ He explained. ‘Last time it was a
man, so tonight it will be a woman.’
‘Does it happen every single time?’ Richard
asked in surprise.
‘Not every time she goes out, only at balls.’
‘How many offers have you had?’ Charles asked
as he puffed on his cigar.
‘None! They flutter around her like moths at a
candle! I’d hoped Derek Ponsonby would break the ice,
but he got impatient last night and ruined everything.
I’ll be surprised if she even speaks to him tonight.’ He
sighed. ‘I know they’re interested because they call,
formally call.’ And he shook his head. ‘But somehow she
manages to keep them at a distance.’
‘Why doesn’t she like to be touched?’ Richard
asked in confusion.
‘I don’t know.’ Thomas said softly, ‘but when she
was ten years old she suddenly changed. She became
afraid of the dark and wanted the lamp on, and her
Governess had to sleep in the same room for a year or
more. I put it down to her mother’s death. I didn’t really
manage to get her to settle down until Robin went to
Cambridge. Charles is the only person who can really
give her any tactile affection. She shies away from the
rest of us.’ Charles squirmed and Thomas looked at him
fiercely. ‘Do you have something to tell me, son?’
‘I suppose I can tell you now he’s dead! It was
Robin’s fault.’ Charles said with a sigh. ‘I’ve kept this to
myself for the last ten years and it’s about time
somebody understood. Robin tried to rape her one
night.’
Thomas sighed and nodded. ‘Now I understand.’
‘I heard her scream, because my bedroom was
next to hers. I didn’t know what was happening at the
time, I only realized it was attempted rape after I’d had
my first sexual encounter. But I burst through the door
and Robin had her naked and pinned to the bed.’
Charles sighed again.
‘Did he actually violate her?’ Thomas asked in
horror.
‘I don’t think so, his britches were still buttoned.
But I damn nearly beat him to death for it.’ He looked
up sharply at his father. ‘Don’t you remember the time
he had two black eyes and a broken rib?’ Thomas
nodded. ‘Well, it wasn’t some thug from down the
Square that did it. I did.’ Thomas nodded. ‘I grabbed him
by the hair and threw him across the room, I was so
angry. Kitty scrambled under her bed, but that didn’t
prevent her from seeing me kick my brother’s face in!’
he finished viciously. ‘If she hadn’t called me to stop I
think I might have killed him. I held out Kitty’s robe and I
wrapped her in her eiderdown and rocked her to sleep
on my lap.’
‘What did Robin say in explanation?’ Thomas
asked softly.
‘He tried to fob it off as a game gone wrong, but
he couldn’t adequately explain her torn nightgown on
the carpet. Kitty wouldn’t let him near her after that.’
Charles took a deep draught of his port. ‘After I’d had
my first girl later that year, which was a kitchen maid
from down the Square, I tackled him again and told him
in no uncertain terms what I would do to him if he ever
touched his sister like that again.’
‘What did you threaten him with?’ Thomas
asked. ‘Because it must have worked.’
‘I told him I would cut off his cock, if I found out
he’d ever stuck it in my sister!’
‘Would you have done it?’ Richard asked and
then cursed himself for a fool, because he knew fine
well Charles was capable of it.
‘Oh! Yes, and Robin knew it.’ Charles said. ‘It was
the reason I killed that Frog, when he was trying to rape
little Maria.’ He briefly explained the event for his
father. ‘Rape is something I’ve never been able to stand.
If a woman says no, it’s no. And it shouldn’t matter
whether it’s a whore or your virginal wife. I was so glad
that I was injured at Badajoz, because I wouldn’t have
been able to stand seeing the rape and murder that
occurred when they sacked the city. It sickened me to
the core at Cuidad Rodrigo.’
‘I understand Wellington issued an ultimatum
that all soldiers had to be out of the city by night fall or
he would start stringing them up?’ Thomas ventured.
‘Actually it was noon the next day, after the
rioting was over.’ Richard said. ‘I wonder if he did it to
encourage the French to surrender the next time he has
to take a fortified city.’
‘Well, let’s hope it works!’ Charles said and
reached for the decanter again.