Page 62 of Never a Duke
A nasty thought intruded: If the earl regarded Rosalind as a means of paying off his bills, then Ned’s plans for her would disrupt that scheme for all time.
“I suspect,” Duncan said, “if Lady Rosalind is the right choice, she would settle for your heart, and devil take the hindmost. The issue becomes, though, what does Woodruff need or want?”
“I fear he wants to dangle Rosalind before the cits and beer barons until she’s at her last prayers.”
Duncan eased away from the mantel. “You might consider eloping.”
Of all the suggestions Duncan Wentworth might have made…“Eloping? That implies the lady has been compromised, or that I am not suitable.”
“Has she been compromised?”
Thoroughly and delightfully, as had Ned.“Of course not.”
“Then you are slower off the mark than the rest of the Wentworth menfolk,” Duncan said. “Tell me about the missing maids, Ned, for that is apparently what brought you to her ladyship’s notice.”
Ned recounted what he knew, which now amounted to four young women in service disappearing from their posts, and three of them had recently kept company with a handsome young swell who had promised them marriage.
“And the fourth?” Duncan asked.
“Miss Arbuckle might have attached a follower as well, but we have no way of knowing.” Or did they?
“And these ladies have not been taken up by the abbesses?”
“From what I can gather, no. This is a coordinated undertaking by somebody with considerable influence, and the usual procurers—who rarely venture to disturb the peace of Mayfair—are staying well away from it. I’ve posted eyes and ears to keep watch, and my pickets report only the predictable parade of drunkenness, debauchery, and despair.”
“What do all these women have in common?” Duncan asked.
Ned recited the litany that kept him awake at night. “They are young, unattached, in service, attractive, in good health, and without much family in London. One of the missing ladies has a brother among the bank’s badgers, but the lad is hardly in a position to apprehend kidnappers.”
Duncan peered at Smokey’s embroidered portrait. “And you are? This seems to be a matter for the authorities, Ned.”
Duncan was no stranger to life’s harsh realities, but in some regards, he was an innocent. Compared to Ned, all the Wentworths were innocents, despite their humble origins.
“The authorities might well have a hand in it, Duncan.” In fact, they probably did, if only to the extent that they were ignoring the whole matter.
“Ah. Peculation and plunderage, of course.” Duncan finished his drink and set his glass on the sideboard. “If the ladies aren’t suffering the usual fate, then what has become of them? In other words, what happens to them if you fail?”
“What happens to the women? I can only speculate, and in distressing directions, but if we knew what fate awaited the women, we’d have an easier time finding them.”
“What happens between you and Lady Rosalind if you fail?”
In Duncan’s typical fashion, he was asking several questions at once. Was Rosalind’s favor tied to Ned’s success solving the mystery of the maids? Was Ned’s interest in Lady Rosalind somehow dependent on that undertaking? How much was Ned willing to risk to unravel the situation Lady Rosalind had laid at his feet? Was rescuing unfortunate women to become Ned’s lifelong quest?
In other words,What the hell are you doing, Neddy?
“I won’t fail.”
Duncan studied the ceiling, which sported no murals or frescos, and no cobwebs either. “The earl will not want to give you his blessing, Ned. Association with the Wentworths, in his estimation, does you no credit. Do you see this venture on Lady Rosalind’s behalf as a means of forcing her father to respect you?”
“I undertook the search for the women without any thought of the earl’s opinions.”
Duncan regarded Ned, which was more unnerving than even Jane’s inspections. “If you fall on your arse, get arrested for peeking in windows, or otherwise bungle the white knight role, where does that leave you with Rosalind and her father?”
“I hope it leaves me married to Rosalind and trying again to find the missing women.”
Duncan eyed the parlor’s humble adornments. “You hope.” He ambled across the room, pausing only long enough to squeeze Ned’s shoulder. “It’s about damned time. Let me know what I can do to help, and yes, I will cheerfully stand up with you. You and her ladyship will always be welcome under my roof. Elope if you must, but be very sure the lady sees you as the wonderful fellow you are and not simply as an expedient minion who can solve a vexing problem for her. Be honest with her, about your family, about your past, aboutall of it. I will see myself out.”
Meaning the interview was over, and Ned still had no clue about how to approach his prospective father-in-law. He did, though, have a damn sight more questions to grapple with.
