Page 33 of The Lion Duke's Proposal
“Come now, Your Grace,” interjected Cauley weakly, “don’t you think that’s a little harsh? They’re only young lads.”
“Lord Cauley, you would do well to stop defending their conduct, unless you also wish to depart early,” warned Leander. The old man shrank back into his seat, cowed. The Duke then looked the defiant Suffolk brothers up and down. He had never cared for them, but hearing the way they disparaged Miss Norish and her sister - and openly defied him in front of half of London - he needed to remind them just who they were dealing with and how such behavior would be repaid.
“I know everything there is to know about Society, much more than either of you two likely ever will. I know exactly how many extra aces you brought, Robert, to the Cavendish on June 8th of last year. And I know, Fred, about the serving girl who lives on Lark Street, whom you visit on Thursday nights. Up until now, I have not used this information for any particular purpose, but if you do not leave my estate in the next three minutes, you will soon find out that I do not make threats lightly.”
The brothers exchanged a terrified glance and backed away without a word. Fred’s face was red as a beetroot, and Roberthad sweat dripping down his brow. They turned and fled out of sight, tripping over each other in their haste to get out of the door. Leander watched them go with a contemptuous look, then turned back to Cauley and Blackwell, both of whom were pale as ghosts.
“Have a good rest of your evening, gentlemen. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, will you?”
Meanwhile, the objects of the commotion in the lounge were blissfully unaware of the goings-on between the men, happily sipping tea across the hall in the parlor. The Duke had had some exotic flavors brought in from the East Indies, and Julia and Poppy tried each of them with delight. They had never had the opportunity to indulge in anything so lavish before; their own father’s income had been substantial, but not enough to afford such rarities.
“Try this one, Poppy,” Julia said eagerly, holding out her cup, which contained a beautifully fresh tea with a hint of mint and some spices.
“They’re all so good,” her sister gushed, sipping it. “Do you think we’ll be able to import these again someday? I simply adore the jasmine.”
“I’m sure once we get our dowries back and find you a husband, he’ll allow you to order whatever you please,” Julia smiled. “And I shall be visiting you every week to share jasmine tea.”
“Oh, I should like that very much.”
A suppressed giggle from the other side of the room distracted Julia, and she looked over to see Miss Burbank staring right at them unapologetically and laughing behind her hand. She was surrounded by a gaggle of other young girls who seemed to be nervously tittering along with her, although they weren’t pointedly looking over at the Norish sisters with quite the same venom. Julia wasn’t going to rise to it, though. She turned her head and ignored their giggling, focusing instead on the scent of the delicious tea in front of her.
Poppy, though, didn’t have such thick skin, and Julia could see her sister was bothered by their blatant obnoxiousness. “Just ignore her,” she said under her breath. “She’s just bitter that Lord Blackwell likes you more.”
“I know.” Poppy looked down into her cup. “But it doesn’t make the situation any easier to bear, knowing that everyone is talking about us. I wish none of this had ever happened.”
“I understand.” Julia took her hand and squeezed it. “Take comfort in knowing that this will all soon be over.”
“Will it, though?” she asked sadly. “We might get Father to come home and sign over our dowries, but even if we do, there’s no guarantee that I’ll find a husband willing to overlook what he did. Perhaps Miss Burbank is right, and we really don’t belong in Society anymore.”
“That’s nonsense,” Julia argued. “Please, dear Poppy, don’t say such things. You’re letting the gossip get to you. You know how thetonworks - one day soon, there will be another scandal and all their attention will be elsewhere. There are plenty of eligible men who think the opinions of Society are neither here nor there. Lord Blackwell is doing everything he can just to getawayfrom Miss Burbank, which should tell you enough! I’m sure that once we have the immediate problem of our fortune sorted out, the offers will start pouring in for your hand. We’ll be drinking exotic tea in your parlor before you know it.”
Poppy gave her a weak smile. “Thank you. You always know how to lift my mood. I just wish they weren’t so mean-spirited.”
“Let them think what they like,” Julia replied. “Girls like Miss Burbank are only bored and frustrated with their own lot in life and simply put others down to feel better about themselves.”
“Now, girls, it doesn’t reflect well on you to gossip about others,” came a voice from over Julia’s shoulder, and she looked up in surprise to see the drawn and sneering face of Lady Burbank. She looked as though she had an unpleasant smell under her nose as she stared down at them. “Especially good and well-mannered members of polite society, such as my daughter.”
Julia prickled at her tone and wanted to point out the hypocrisy of her statement, given that Miss Burbank had been the one to openly stare and laugh at them. Still, she was wise enough to keep her mouth shut, knowing that the situation would only worsen if she tried to argue. Lady Burbank knew it, too, and her sneer turned into a nasty smirk.
“Just because you’ve managed to momentarily capture the attention of the Duke doesn’t mean you belong here, Miss Norish. Remember that.”
“Good evening, girls,” came the voice of Lady Bendon, who had just arrived in the parlor. She bowed her head politely. “Lady Burbank. How is the tea? I’m rather excited to taste it. Lady Witham reported such wonderful things at dinner that I just had to try it for myself.”
“Lady Bendon. I was just telling your nieces here that it’s unkind to speak poorly of ladies behind their backs.”
Julia’s aunt met her gaze and then looked back at Lady Burbank. “I see. I apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred.”
“There was no misunderstanding. They were simply gossiping like idle serving girls. It happens, I suppose, when one is brought up poorly. They aren’t to blame for their actions, but it does reflect rather badly on those around them who should know better.”
Julia stood. Enough was enough. She could deal with having Lady Burbank insult her or her father, but it was quite another matter when she began to cast aspersions on her aunt’s good character. “Lady Burbank, I believe that before you address my aunt in such a way, you should examine your daughter’s own behavior. She has been intentionally antagonizing us from the moment we arrived, simply because she can’t stand the fact thather would-be fiancé doesn’t want to spend a single second with her.”
“You have the nerve to say such things aboutmydaughter?” Lady Burbank drew herself up to her full height, looking scandalized. “You should be grateful to even be here, Miss Norish. If it weren’t for the Duke taking pity on you, and your aunt here, who is far too generous for her own good, you would be out on the street where you belong.”
“How dare you?” Lady Bendon gasped. “These girls have done nothing to wrong anyone in this room. They can’t be held accountable for the actions of Lord Norish.”
“Not for his actions, perhaps, but having been raised by a man like that, it’s no wonder they’ve never learned any manners,” Lady Burbank sniffed. “You underestimate the importance of good breeding, Lady Bendon, and you’d do well to distance yourself from the likes of the Norish family if you know what’s good for you.”
“I think I’m in rather good company, actually.” Aunt Violet stood behind Julia, putting a hand on her shoulder.
