The gentle governess clutched at her fichu and staggered to a chair. Sinking down in it she cried, “I do not know who fired the butler like a duke! I’ve never seen a duke fire a butler before.”
Duke Two turned to Duke One. “I know what we should do,” he said, “we’ll both demonstrate how we would greet the queen.”
“Very well!” Duke One said. “Gentle governess, stand in for the queen!”
The gentle governess staggered to her feet, very unsure of how she was to judge such a contest. She had never herself been in the queen’s presence and did not know how it was to be done.
Duke One jogged to the far end of the room, turned, and made a gallant approach. He bowed low and said, “Your Grace.”
Duke Two leapt to his feet. “Aha! You have revealed yourself, you scoundrel! The queen is to be addressed as Her Majesty, as any real duke would know!”
“Rubbish!” Duke One shouted. “I had the honor of becoming acquainted with the lady before she was queen. All her intimates addressed her as Your Grace. It was a term of endearment.”
“Double rubbish!” Duke Two shouted. “Before she was the queen, she was a princess! Therefore, it would have been Your Royal Highness!”
The gentle governess sank back into her chair. She had not spent much time in her life thinking about the queen. Princess did sound right, though.
“You have insulted my honor!” Duke One shouted. “I demand satisfaction!”
“Oh, you would, wouldn’t you?” Duke Two said. “You’d really like to shoot me to get me out of the way and take over my life!”
“Aha!” Duke One said. “No real duke attempts to wiggle out of a duel of honor. You have revealed yourself!”
“I have not and will shoot you full of holes!”
“I will shoot YOU full of holes!”
“Dawn tomorrow!”
The gentle governess fanned herself. It appeared that she was to have two dukes full of holes lying on the lawn on the morrow.
Miss Mayton closed the book. “So now we see there is to be a final denouement. We can only pray that the real villain dies and the real duke lives on to wed his gentle governess.”
“A duel!” the earl said. “I did not see that coming. Gracious, I’m on the edge of my seat.”
Viola sighed. She was, of course, deeply concerned for the gentle governess, but just now her thoughts were too taken up by Lord Baderston and she could not worry herself over the duel between Duke One and Duke Two.
Rather, she prayed Lord Baderston would not be too shocked at her unexpected arrival, and even more unexpected proposal, on the morrow. She prayed he would joyously accept. With any luck, they would be off in his carriage before the dowager realized what was happening.
Viola had packed a small valise and she and Miss Mayton would fly down the stairs just before the sun came up and overwhelm the poor footman on duty with the speed with which the carriage must be called. With any luck, they’d do the same to Sandren.
She must just get to Lord Baderston’s house before he ventured out to any duels. She was certain one had been scheduled, but she could not know for what day.
Nothing was likely to occur on the morrow, else he would not have been out making calls today. At least, she did not think so. She imagined that a gentleman faced with the prospect of his own mortality would spend the day in quiet reflection. Lord Baderston had been doing quite the opposite. He’d been sending her a ham and coming for a call.
Though his life would not be in danger at the next dawn, she was sure a duel was engaged for some day soon. She would get him away from Town before it happened.
The gentle governess of Harrowbridge Hall might be drowning in duke problems, but Viola Bennington was prepared to take in hand her own earl problem.
*
Roland had sleptsoundly the night before. Surprisingly soundly. What was even more surprising was waking up to Conbatten shaking him on the shoulder.
It was still dark in his bedchamber, a lone candle illuminating the duke’s face.
Why was he here? He could not think of a time when he’d woke to find the duke shaking him.
“What is wrong with him?” the duke said.
