Page 28 of The Artisan and the Duke
The Duke nodded his agreement. “I am rather taken with her,” the Duke said, and his grey eyes went over to Jules who had to stop her mouth from falling open.
She blushed and hid her face behind a fan as Lady St Claire had taught her to do. Thankfully, the men took it for her being demure rather than mortified. The Duke’s open adoration had quite simply caught her off-guard. Jules said softly, “Excuse me. I fear I must find something to wet my throat.”
“Do you want me to fetch something for you?” the Duke said with an affectionate smile.
Jules shook her head hastily. “No, I actually see Lady St Claire. I will go talk to her and leave you two gentlemen to your talk,” Jules said with a smile.
The Duke thankfully seemed amenable to that as he nodded. Sir Chapman bowed to Jules as she left. It took Jules no time to make her way around the circle of dancers and back to where the Dowager Stewart and Lady St Claire stood.
“Hasty retreat?” Dowager Stewart asked Jules wryly.
Jules had taken a liking to the woman directly upon meeting her, and she gave the Dowager a smile. “I needed something to drink, and so I left the gentlemen to their stories,” Jules said simply.
A servant overhearing Jules’ words swiftly brought her a glass of the pink liquid. Jules thanked the man but eyed the liquid with doubt. “It’s a strawberry drink that Lady Chapman is quite fond of,” Lady St Claire explained.
“It really is rather decadent,” Dowager Stewart said as she took a sip of her own drink.
A cautious sip brought Jules to the conclusion that by decadent Dowager Stewart meant overly sweet. “Oh, my,” Jules said as she blinked. “That is very sweet.”
“Oh, you will get used to it,” Lady St Claire said with a smile.
Jules wondered that if by used to it the woman meant she would soon die from the amount of sweetness, but she kept the pondering to herself.
***
“Quite a winning creature,” Maxwell said as he stared after Jules.
Gregory nodded and fought down the urge to take offence to how the man was eyeing the dark-haired girl. “Yes,” Gregory agreed. “While we have a moment,” Gregory said in hopes of steering the conversation away from Jules, “I had a word with Barrister Dulock about the case against the men from the Mason’s Guild. You are the judge presiding over that, are you not?”
Maxwell’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Yes, but I fail to see your interest in it,” Maxwell said as he eyed Gregory suspiciously. “The matter is already well at hand. I told Barrister Dulock as much. The case against the men is a bit overwhelming. Not really worth the time of a barrister such as Dulock.”
“That strikes me peculiar. Dulock seems to think the case is as thin as muslin,” Gregory said with a shake of his head.
The judge’s eyes narrowed as he scoffed, “Those men committed libel and worse they have no conscience. Would you have me release men who drown their convictions in the blood of children?”
“Blood of children?” Gregory echoed with distaste. “Is this true?”
Maxwell nodded. “On good authority, it was they who set the fire that killed all those children on Bridwell Street. Just to imagine it makes my blood boil.
It is one thing to harbour ill against what one perceives as hurting their economy, but quite another to take such heinous actions in revenge.” Maxwell’s voice fairly shook with anger.
Gregory shook his head sadly. Maxwell really seemed to believe what he was saying, or he was a better liar than Gregory gave him credit for. Gregory put his hand on Maxwell’s shoulder. “Calm yourself, my friend, or you might very well become the gallows and lose your morals,” Gregory warned the man in a low voice.
Maxwell took a deep breath and smoothed down his shirt. “Thank you, old friend, for your counsel. I fear that I have done this so long that I can suffer no more of such villainy,” Maxwell said with a shake of his fist. “I apologize for letting this get me out of sorts. It is a good thing the young lady did not witness it, or it might have frightened her.”
Gregory nodded, but he doubted that Jules would have been affected by the man’s fervent words. “I wonder, though,” Gregory said quietly, “why would men such as they do such a deed? Their work is not affected by the factories, and they certainly have families who would hurt at their loss. It seems it benefits no one except for those who would wish the guilds dismantled.”
Maxwell eyed Gregory and frowned. “You sound as though you are on their side. Why was it that you spoke to the barrister about the case against the men?”
“I am the one who asked him to take on the case in the first place,” Gregory said honestly. “I know one of the young men in the guild, and I have it on my own good authority that the guild and its members were the only ones trying to put the fire out.”
There was doubt in the judge’s eyes. Maxwell said cautiously, “Those are words that I would say with caution, old friend. There are some who would take exception to one of their peers seeking to protect those who call forth rebellious talk among the lower classes.”
“I am aware,” Gregory said quietly as he scanned the people assembled on the Duke of Rutherford’s lawn for the festivities. “I am glad that I can count you as one who still thinks fairness is above reproach, old friend.”
Maxwell nodded slowly, “Of course you can, Gregory.”
Gregory reached his arm out. Maxwell grabbed Gregory at the elbow much as they had as boys and Gregory clapped his old friend on the shoulder. “Don’t frown so, Sir Chapman, there are wrongs to right in this world yet,” Gregory said grandly.
