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He took the note from Shaw’s hand. With a feeling of impending doom, Richard unfolded the paper. His blood ran cold at the threatening words written on the page.
Blazes!Had he entered purgatory? Just yesterday, Sophia had confessed that she married him for security, and now this? What the hell was going on? What was he going to do?
He considered rousting Perry up from his bed to talk, but his brother was still coming to terms with his recent nuptials and was being a bit of an arse. No, he needed to speak with someone else. Someone with maturity and sense. Someone like … Halmesbury!
The duke would know what to do if anyone would.
His mind made up, Richard resolved to send his cousin a request to meet at White’s to discuss how to address the contents of the note. He could not visit Markham House directly with Annabel in residence. The irony that the duke was helping him with his bid to regain his honor, while the duchess was the person he had most wronged with his past proclivities, did not escape Richard’s attention. It was a strange situation where he sought advice from her husband, but there was nothing to be done about it. He would still meet with Halmesbury, who had assured him that Annabel encouraged the duke’s friendship with himself despite their ongoing estrangement.
Meanwhile, he would organize protection for Sophia and Ethan.
* * *
Sophia awoke much laterthan usual. Richard had made love to her several times in the night, although he forwent a second coupling, stating that her body needed to grow accustomed. Instead, he had demonstrated a startling method using his mouth which made her cheeks warm to think of.
Humming a popular tune from the musicale the night before, she entered the breakfast room. Several footmen were in attendance, so she assumed her maid had alerted them she was coming down to break her fast. She had met all of the servants over the past two days, yet she noticed a new man standing by the door.
She turned to him for an introduction but hesitated when she took in his appearance. The unknown manservant was several inches shorter than the others. Footmen were usually chosen for their height and handsome features because they were part of a household’s display of wealth and status. This man was not only shorter, his livery was ill-fitting, as if tailored for one of the taller men. Sophia hated to be critical, but the man was not … handsome. In fact, he was a bit rough-and-tumble, with his stocky build and a dark shadow across his clean-shaven cheeks. He looked like he might be quite hairy, bearing evidence of the overshadow of a beard this early in the day.
“Hello?”
“Um … milady.” He acknowledged her with a clumsy bow. It did not appear he was familiar with the movement. Sophia fought back a frown. Something was off. Also, had the man been inside the breakfast room when she arrived, or had he followed her into the room?
“Your name is …?”
“I am … John, milady.” John appeared to forget his own name. Sophia grew ever more suspicious.
“Have you worked at Balfour Terrace long, John?”
The man dropped his eyes for a moment. “Not long, milady. I arrived from one of the country estates recently.”
She hated to be rude, but a warning bell was sounding in her head. “Well… pleased to meet you … John.” With that, she continued her path to the sideboard with covered dishes.
Sophia was an observer of people—needs must, to avoid betrothal for three Seasons—so she had learned how to read people, especially men, in order to dissuade their attentions. She definitely would seek Richard out after she ate to ask about this bizarre footman who had turned up.
CHAPTER11
Richard sat at his mahogany desk, reading his neglected correspondence of the past few days. He was to meet with Halmesbury that afternoon at one of their mutual clubs, White’s. He could do nothing more about the note planted on his person at the musicale the night before. All he could do was attempt to address his mounting work before the meeting.
He heard Perry’s distinctive gait enter his study, then loiter near his desk. Richard bit back his irritation and looked up to find his brother looking disconcerted.Hades, has something else happened?He did not think he could handle any more surprises this morning.
Perry fidgeted in discomfort before opening his mouth to speak, then shutting it.
“What is it?” Richard asked in the most patient tone he could manage, not quite daring to hear the answer.
“You know those print shops? The ones that display caricatures in their windows, like the ones Thomas Rowlandson and George Cruikshank draw?”
Richard closed his eyes in trepidation. Despite his dissolute life up until now, he had mostly avoided being the victim of such drawings, unlike the new king who was plagued by unflattering illustrations depicting his libidinous activities. He feared his luck might have turned, based on his brother’s lack of composure.
Perry continued. “I was walking past some of those shops this morning, and I saw a great quantity of these displayed.” He tossed a paper on the desk as if he wished to be parted from it as quickly as possible, then swiftly stepped away.
Richard opened his eyes to stare down at the colored print. It looked like himself in nightclothes and several lightskirts tangled around him. Across from his likeness stood a woman who must be Sophia, based on the flowing red-blonde hair. He huffed in agitation before lifting it to read the caption.
Somerset earls and their licentious habits. “I swear I did not invite these women to our wedding night.”
Richard dropped the print like it was scalding hot. Exhaling heavily, he pushed his chair back to rise, running his hand through his hair in agitation.
Perry ventured a question. “Do you suppose one of the servants tattled about what happened?”
