Page 98 of The Duke's Indecent Match
Kalina
As always, Lady Astrid had the most unusual friends.Lady Durham and Mrs.Browne were both stunningly beautiful, the former as light in hair and eyes as the latter was dark.Lady Durham’s mask was gold, while Mrs.Browne’s was midnight black.Both of them eyed her with speculation as she was introduced.
“We can speak freely in front of Kalina,” Lady Astrid assured the other two women, with a quick glance at the gentlemen to assure herself that they were preoccupied.Durham and Nathanial had their heads together, and Captain Browne had been drawn into conversation with one of the gentlemen beside him.“She is in this, too.”
“In what?”Kalina asked, trying not to feel suddenly adrift.She did not want to be cast out of whatever she was, but she also had no idea what Lady Astrid was speaking of.
“Astrid thinks someone murdered the tragic dukes’ fathers,” Lady Durham said, keeping her voice low.“The investigations Evie and her husband did into the matter came back inconclusive, and Evie is not yet convinced that Astrid has it aright.”
“I am slowly becoming more so,” Mrs.Browne interjected, frowning.“It is difficult because, as usual, the men are trying to keep the ladies out of things.Not my husband, of course, but I assume yours has told you nothing about the possibility that the hunting lodge accident in which his father was killed may have been no accident?”
Kalina’s head was reeling, and it was all she could do not to allow her shock to show on her face.Once again, long years of keeping a neutral expression regardless of the provocation came to her rescue.
It took her a moment to find her voice.
“He has not.”
All three women snorted.
“I told you, they are trying to keep us out of it,” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.“All except Gregory, which is the only reason I know about Montblanc, thanks to Tiffany.At least one of the men is being sensible.”
“Well, they are married,” Lady Durham pointed out.“Perhaps Drake will be more reasonable after your wedding.”Even as she said the words, it was clear she did not believe them, and Astrid snorted in response.
“Obviously, it did not change Nathanial since he has failed to inform Kalina.Men.”Astrid’s dismissive tone made her opinion very clear.
“He has not told his sisters,” Kalina said, feeling she could be certain of that.“They would have told me.I think.I am not sure he would have—our marriage did not come about in the usual manner.”
“I have already informed them,” Astrid reassured her with a wave of her hand, though she frowned at Kalina.“Does he still believe you had a part in trapping him?”
“I am… not sure.”She had not said so outright.Neither had he.Since the change in his demeanor toward her, she’d been almost afraid to bring it up again.If she insisted on her innocence, he might become angry if he thought she continued to lie.
With things going well now, there seemed no reason to bring it up again.
Astrid shook her head.
“The two of you need to communicate.”
“That’s a bit calling the kettle black, is it not?”Mrs.Browne asked, arching a dark eyebrow at Astrid, who glared at her.
“Drake and I are hardly going to get along better by communicatingmore.What is he going to talk to me about?How many women he’s seduced this week?”Lady Astrid shook her head, reaching up to brush a fiery curl away from her face.“No matter.What’s important is the dukes.”She turned her attention back to Kalina.“We still do not know why they were murdered?—”
“Ifthey were murdered,” Mrs.Browne murmured.
“Which means we cannot be certain the current generation is not also in danger and possibly ourselves as well since we’re intended to carry the next generation,” Lady Astrid finished, with another sharp glance at Mrs.Browne.
Kalina’s hands immediately went to her stomach as she took a sharp intake of breath.
Mrs.Browne sighed.
“It is better to be safe than to be sorry in this instance.And, to be truthful, I am mostly put out that Anthony and I missed something in our investigation.”She glanced at her husband, who was still turned away in conversation.“One thing I do believe we can be certain of is that it was not a foreign plot, unlike the attempt on the Duke of York’s life not so long ago.In fact…” Her voice trailed off as she gestured to someone.
They must have been close by in order to be able to see her in the crush.Proving Kalina’s thought true, a moment later, a young, handsome man appeared at her elbow, grinning broadly.He was well turned out, every inch of him impeccably pressed, yet somehow he gave off an air of casualness that made one feel immediately comfortable with him.The mask of bright green over the upper half of his face obscured his forehead, but showed off his eyes to perfection, as they were the exact same shade as the gaudy accessory.
“This is my cousin, Adam Stuart.Adam, you remember Lady Astrid, and this is the Duchess of Hereford.”
“Ladies.”Still grinning, the man gave an elegant bow, despite the lack of space to truly do so.
It turned out that the young Mr.Stuart had recently been overseas, and he quickly confirmed for his cousin that there was nothing on the continent to suggest that anyone there had anything to do with the tragedy.He also mentioned that there was no sign the Russians had their fingers in English pies again.
