"You do realize she's in love with you?"
Robert grimaced at Daniel Woodrow's words and tossed back his whiskey. Which merely made his grimace deepen. Sighing, he set his glass on the table and then glanced from the Earl of Woodrow to Richard Fairgrave, the Earl of Radnor, and asked with feigned ignorance, "Who?"
"Who?" Richard echoed dryly. "The young lady I just mentioned had come to town for the season. Lisa. Surely you recall her?" he added dryly. "The youngest sister to my wife, Christiana, and Daniel's wife, Suzette. You grew up next door to them. Played with them when young. Are like a big brother to Christiana and Suzette, but are a hero to Lisa."
Robert glanced around in search of one of the club servants, thereby avoiding the eyes of both of his companions. While he'd been in school with both men, he'd been a year or so behind them and hadn't really known either of them well until Christiana and Suzette had got mixed up with the two men.
Although, he supposed, mixed up wasn't quite the right term. Christiana had married Richard's brother George while he was impersonating the Earl of Radnor. The man had hired scaliwags to murder his brother so he could take his place. Fortunately, the hired men had failed at their task and Richard had upheld the marriage when he'd managed to return to his life. The Earl and Christiana had fallen in love and theirs was a happy union.
As for Daniel and Suzette, Daniel was a close friend of Richard's who, along with Robert, had stood by the pair and helped sort out the mess that George Fairgrave had created. That sorting had included uncovering a plot where George and two other lords were to marry the three sisters and thereby gain control of the rather large inheritance the Madison sisters had been left by their grandfather. Once the marriages had taken place, of course, the three sisters would have been expendable. Fortunately, they'd discovered the plot and put an end to it. Two of the three sisters had settled with husbands during the ordeal; Christiana with the real Richard Fairgrave, Earl of Radnor, and Suzette with his best friend, Daniel Woodrow, the Earl of Woodrow.
Daniel had been as helpless in the face of Suzette's charms as Richard had been with Christiana, and Robert wasn't at all surprised that the two couples were so blissfully happy together. He was glad for his old friends the sisters, and equally glad to make new friends in their husbands. Both Daniel and Richard had quickly become very good friends this last two years . . . and at times, friends could be a pain in the arse.
This was one of those times, he decided and merely muttered, "A silly schoolroom crush is all it is."
Daniel gave a bark of disbelieving laughter. "A schoolroom crush? Lisa's twenty-one, long out of the schoolroom."
"Twenty-one?" he asked with surprise. It seemed like just days ago the chit had been chasing after him in pigtails, her skirts flying and adoring eyes on him with a serious case of hero worship.
Where did the time go? he wondered, and then glanced to Richard when he spoke.
"Yes, she's twenty-one and has finally consented to a coming out. You'd best be careful else you shall lose her. I think Lisa's lost hope for her longstanding devotion to you and decided to be sensible and find a husband among the available bachelors in town this year."
"Hmm." Robert frowned at the suggestion. His feelings for Lisa had always been more filial than anything else so the sudden outrage he felt at the very suggestion that she might give up on him to seek another was rather startling. Pride, Robert excused himself. He had probably enjoyed her silent adoration on some level and was just miffed at the possibility of losing it. Shifting uncomfortably, he muttered, "Well, good for her. I wish her luck. I, myself, am not ready to settle down. I am quite happy with my mistress and my life as it is."
"Of course you are," Daniel said dryly, and then grinned and added, "But then why should you be happy while the rest of us suffer in matrimonial hell? As a good friend, you should really join us there."
Robert chuckled at the suggestion. "Matrimonial hell, my foot. It's been two years since you married Suzette and you still can't keep your hands off each other. Dear God, I caught you in the broom closet at the Handly tea just last week. And you and Christiana are no better," he added dryly when Richard burst out laughing. "It wasn't the stars you were showing Christiana when I caught you out in the gardens at that dinner at the Witherspoons' the week before."
When the two men just grinned unrepentantly, he shook his head. "I don't know why I willingly spend any time with the four of you. You're always billing and cooing, or slipping away to dark corners or empty rooms. It's really rather nauseating."
"Perhaps what you think is nausea is really envy," Daniel suggested with a grin.
"Hmm." Robert didn't deny it, but merely said, "Envy or nausea, it matters little. The men in my family have no luck with marriage.
My father, his father, and his father's father before him all married faithless, adulterous women. Hell, it's only getting worse. Not only was my mother unfaithful, there's a possibility that she helped my father on his way into death's sweet sleep so she could openly be with her lover, Lord Gower." Robert shook his head. "No thank you. I shall wait until I am old and decrepit before marrying and do it only then to fulfill my duty and produce an heir to the dukedom before I toddle off to the grave. Until then, I am perfectly happy with my mistress."
He glanced around again for a servant to refill his drink. Not spying one, he turned back to find both men now solemn faced and silent.
"What?" he asked dryly. "Surely you'd heard the rumors?"
Daniel and Richard exchanged a glance and then Daniel sighed and admitted, "Aye, but we weren't sure you had."
"Of course, I did," he said grimly. "She hasn't exactly been discreet. She didn't bother with mourning at all, has attended London ever since and is often seen in Gower's company."
Richard nodded and then asked solemnly, "Do you really think she had something to do with your father's death?"
Robert sighed and once more looked around for a server.
Failing to see anyone, he glanced back and shrugged. "What does it matter? He was dying, and it was a slow and torturous wasting away for him. But . . ." He grimaced and shook his head. "I was sure he'd last another day or so. I had gone out for my morning ride, got back and went up to sit with him only to discover she'd arrived on one of her infrequent visits from town while I was gone."
His mouth tightened. "She was crying prettily into a hanky when I entered the room, but paused to announce with a sad moue that he was dead."
He looked away and then muttered, "If she did help him on his way, it may have been a favor to him. He was suffering a great deal." Silence reigned for a moment and then he shifted impatiently.
"How the devil did we get on this depressing subject?" When Richard and Daniel merely shook their heads silently, pity in their expressions, he stood abruptly. "I'm heading back to the townhouse. At least there I can get a drink when I want it. Good day, gentlemen."
"Are you a virgin, dear Bet?"
Lisa blinked her eyes open and frowned, both at the fact that she was dozing off in the middle of tea - which was surely about the rudest thing she could do - but also because Mrs. Morgan's question was completely inappropriate. Good Lord, one simply didn't ask a lady's maid things like that. Or anyone, really.
Realizing she'd somehow slumped in her seat, she sat up and found herself swaying alarmingly. Good Lord, what was the matter with her? Lisa wondered and gave her head a shake.
A confused mumble from Bet drew her gaze and she found the maid peering at her with the same dismay she was now experiencing.
"Well, never mind," Mrs. Morgan said with unconcern. "I suspect you are, but we shall have the doctor verify it. He has to anyway for the auction. Otherwise, no one will bid on you. They don't simply take these things on word alone when paying such high prices."
None of that made the least bit of sense to Lisa, but it did send a frisson of alarm through her.
"Mishes Mor - " she began, but paused abruptly as she heard the slur to her words.
"Oh my, I do believe the tincture is starting to take effect," Mrs. Morgan said pleasantly and picked up the small bell on the table beside her to ring it twice. "Time for bed I think. It will keep you out of trouble until they arrive."
"They?" Lisa asked with bewilderment, some part of her brain - a very confused and slow-working part - trying to tell her she needed to get herself and Bet out of there . . . now.
"The doctor who examines all my girls before I sell them to the highest bidder," she explained. "And your suitor, of course. I sent word to him that you're here. However, he does like to sleep most of the day away and it will no doubt be well after dinner before he arrives. Of course, we shall have to get you bathed and properly attired for his visit. He does like his girls presented just so. Quite fussy about it, actually," she added with a grimace and then glanced around. "Oh, good, here are Cook and Gilly. They'll put you both to bed. I have things to do, but trust they'll take good care of you."
Lisa stared blankly as the woman stood and moved toward the door. She was vaguely aware that others had entered the room, but didn't seem to be able to stop staring at Mrs. Morgan. Her friend.
Who had apparently put something in her tea? Drugged her? And Bet? What had that been about a suitor?
The thought was the last she had before her eyes drifted closed.
