Page 80 of How to Ruin a Duke
“The damned man tried to contact you at your previous address,” Emory said, closing the door behind the departed publisher.“He recalled that you’d been employed as Mama’s companion and stopped by to ask if I knew of your present direction.”
“What did you tell him?”
Emory stood before her, his gaze troubled.“I’ve missed you.I didn’t tell him that.I’ve been an idiot.I didn’t mention that either.I’ve been dreaming of pink cloaks….How are you?”
What mood was this?“I am well, thank you.And you?”
“Jeremiah wrote that blasted book.I’m buying him a commission and he will be gone from London directly.I owe you an apology.”
An encouraging start.Averyencouraging start.“Shall we be seated, Your Grace?Lord Jeremiah’s authorship ofHow to Ruin a Dukedoesn’t surprise me.”
“Figured it out, did you?Well, I hadn’t.”He took Edith by the hand, then let her go.“Apologies.I did not mean to presume.Jeremiah presumed, didn’t he?”
“He tried to,” Edith said, taking a place on the sofa.“Just the once, but clearly, I made an enemy of him when I refused to oblige him.Quitting my post was the better part of discretion.”
“I made an enemy of him when I expected him to manage on a merely generous allowance.Might I sit with you?”
Where was the harm in that?“You may.I brought you something, a parting gift.”
He came down beside her.“Parting, my lady?”
Oh, the scent of him, the sound of his voice… Only a ninnyhammer let trivialities like that pluck at her heartstrings.
“I’ve accepted a post in the north.My brother has a position with the Maloney Theater, and he doesn’t need me hovering about while he embarks on gainful employment.”
“I see.”Emory studied the carpet for a moment.“I do not see, rather.Not at all.I have a confession.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear it.”Not if he was about to tell her he was engaged or nearly so to some heiress.That would explain his behavior, though Edith couldn’t believe he’d hop into bed with one woman while being in expectation of marriage to another.
Other men would, not Emory.
“This confession does not flatter me,” he said.“You had mentioned to me that you were working on another writing project.I happened to see the first few lines when I last called upon you.”
“My book,” she said, assaying a smile.“I’ve finished the first draft, and I rather like it.”
“Jeremiah had written a complete draft as well, another compendium of half-truths, exaggerations, and complete fictions.”
Edith put a hand on Emory’s arm.“I’m sorry.That had to have been a blow.”Once a rotter, always a rotter.She ought to have suspected Lord Jeremiah much sooner.
The duke took her hand in his.“I thoughtyouwere penning the sequel.I had convinced myself that you hadn’t written the first volume, but then I came across those pages, which promised more of the same drivel.I did not know what to think, and I left without giving you a chance to explain.”
Edith had puzzled over the manuscript’s opening lines for hours.She’d puzzled over Emory’s abrupt departure for days, and she’d never connected the two.
“The first few pages were to lead the reader astray,” she said, “to make them think more foolishness and slander would follow.That’s not what I did with the story.See what you think.”
She withdrew a sheaf of papers from her reticule and untied the string that bound them.“This is my farewell gift.You may do with it as you please, and I will sign all the rights over to you or to the charity of your choice.”
He took the papers and began reading, sparing her only one curious glance.Edith rose to pace, very unladylike of her, but she could not sit still while he was so silent.
A few moments later he made a snort-ish sound.“By God, you have Mama to the life.”
“You’re at the part about the mouse?”
“The dread, fiendish rodent as you term it.Poor little fellow was terrified.”
Emory had caught the mouse in his bare hands and carried it to the garden, while Her Grace had stood on the piano bench bellowing for the footmen to bring her a brace of loaded pistols.
“Mama does not care for mice, but you make me out to be some sort of paragon.”He set the papers down.“Is the rest of the book like that?”
