Page 41 of Duke in Darkness

“Why are you here?” asked Gabriel warily, as he got up from his desk. Out of the corner of his eye, Lilian ushered Fairlie over to the window to admire the garden, and several footmen came in to remove the tea trays. But not quietly and discreetly; they were actually arguing the correct way to load the tray and causing every piece of crockery to bump together. The room had become Hyde Park on a sunny day. Next thing there would be a bloody marching band playing trumpets and beating drums. Perhaps fireworks as well.

Ormsby blinked owlishly, and pushed his spectacles higher up his nose. “For the meeting you scheduled with us. Don’t you remember?”

“No.”

“Well, it has been postponed several times. Due to your, ah, indisposition,” said Jacobs, pulling a starched handkerchief from his jacket pocket and mopping his face. “But I’m certain today is the day.”

Gabriel glanced over at his wife. He could feel his frustration growing, and the last thing he wanted was his speech to deteriorate in front of the two interlopers. “Lilian, do you recall a meeting with…the lawyers?”

“By heavens, Your Grace,” said Ormsby with a chuckle, before she could reply. “This is men’s business. We aren’t discussing menus or hair ribbons. Besides, someone as pretty as the duchess shouldn’t be troubled by mental exertions.”

For a brief moment, he imagined hurling the man, spectacles and all, straight out the window. It would be a messy affair, but worth it. Although he might have to wait in line behind his duchess, who now stared at Ormsby with the kind of frigid smile that meant true loathing. “There is no business that my wife…cannot be privy to. She is a most…intelligent woman.”

“Oh, of course, of course,” said Jacobs, in the kind of tone reserved for soothing feral animals.

“Then perhaps you should…wait for a summons. That suits both myself…and Her Grace.”

Ormsby pursed his lips, but eventually bowed, then the two lawyers hurried from the room.

“Well,” said Fairlie, frowning again as he escorted Lilian back over to Gabriel’s desk. “How odd.”

“I honestly cannot recall you mentioning a meeting with them,” said Lilian, biting her lip.

Gabriel returned to his desk, eager to sit down and ease the weight from his throbbing foot. “That is because…I didn’t have one. Damned fools.”

“Perhaps next time they will check their own diaries a little more carefully.”

“Indeed,” said Fairlie. “Shall we get back to the…oh.”

Lilian glanced down. “Exton? Do you have the Sussex property ledger?”

Every hair on the back of his neck rose. “No. I do not.”

And when his disbelieving gaze rested on his desk, the act of sabotage became painfully clear. The ledger, with all its written proof of questionable dealings, had vanished.

THAT SOMEONE HAD DARED to steal one of Exton’s ledgers made Lilian seethe with anger, but in the past few days it had also allowed the opportunity for the townhouse to be turned upside down to search for it, then the rooms swept and scrubbed. There were still a great many to be cleaned, and some were much worse than others, but she finally felt like she was making progress in her management of the household.

If only the blasted ledger could be found.

The footmen who had cleared away the tea trays claimed they hadn’t seen it. As did Ormsby and Jacobs. Also, while three more ledgers out of the sixteen in total had revealed discrepancies, none were nearly as much as the Sussex estate. And if they hadn’t had the assistance of Mr. Fairlie because of her and Exton’s inexperience, they might never have known of the fraudulent behavior going on.

But one point she would stake a large wager on: those two blasted lawyers either knew something or were somehow involved. It seemed rather coincidental that they should arrive claiming a non-existent appointment right when all the estate ledgers were being examined. They would have seen them all on an annual basis, and should have alerted the current duke if something seemed awry. Especially considering her late fiancé had not been at all business-minded.

“Ma’am? The hour is getting on. You need to start getting dressed for the ball.”

Lilian plastered a smile on her face and turned to Dawn. “Of course.”

On the bed sat a tissue-lined box containing the most beautiful gown in the world. Daisy had outdone herself, and on another day Lilian would have twirled at the thought of having an entire wardrobe of such style and expert needlework. But with the tension about the ledger, and her nerves about the ball, she couldn’t.

This evening needed to be a success.

More than anything, she wanted Exton to be accepted by the ton, to take his place at the pinnacle of society where he belonged. He deserved every accolade, and the chance to make new friendships outside the army. To be welcomed by those he would sit alongside in the House of Lords.

“Ma’am? Are you well?” said Dawn, her eyes wide. “You, er, look rather militant.”

Taking a deep breath, Lilian strolled over to her looking glass. Then she shrugged off her dressing gown and stood in just her chemise, ready to be dressed. “I’m quite well. And you are right, I need to get ready. The last thing today needs is tardiness.”

Her maid nodded as she fetched some fresh stays. “Downstairs looks so different now. The entrance hall, drawing room, parlors, music room, His Grace’s library, all sparkling like a new penny. I swear, some of those rooms were dusty enough to choke a body, and when I commented, I got told to mind my business because His Grace and the dowager didn’t care.”