“Ahem, I tried Your Grace. Miss Elizabeth told me to tell you if you wish to present her with a ring, you need to present it yourself,” Wickham elucidated.
“WHAT!” the Duke thundered. “Who does that chit think she is?”
“If you remember Your Grace, that is the precise reason you insisted on her being your wife,” Wickham pointed out.
“I suppose it is,” Hertfordshire allowed. “Where is this uncle’s home, in Mayfair I hope?”
“No it is not, Your Grace,” Wickham responded. “It is on Gracechurch Street near…Cheapside.”
“CHEAPSIDE! Cheapside! Surely my intended is intelligent enough to know I would never go tothatpart of Town!” the Duke spat out.
“It is my opinion Miss Elizabeth is well aware of that fact. If I were to wager, I would say it is the precise reason she demanded you attend her there. That and…” Wickham trailed off.
“What are you not saying?” the Duke demanded.
“The uncle is in trade, Your Grace,” Wickham revealed.
Wickham had, only that day, admitted to himself that he had become enamoured and impressed with the soon-to-be duchess. Never had he seen a woman as beautiful, even when he compared her to the blonde older sister. Her beauty was entwined with her indomitable spirit; she was far superior to any woman Wickham had ever met. She was scared of no one and all his employer wanted, after he had his precious heir, was to break her. Wickham did not think the Duke would succeed which would lead to him physically abusing the magnificent young lady to achieve his aims.
“Not only does she expect me to lower myself to go to Cheapside, but to the home of her tradesman uncle as well!” Hertfordshire barked in disgust.
Wickham refrained from pointing out a significant portion of the Duke’s income was derived from the shipbuilding yards, so he was in fact in trade. One only pointed out unwanted information to the Duke if they did not value their lives.
“I believe it is her aim, Your Grace,” Wickham opined.
“Wickham, return there with a letter of credit from my man of business and make sure my fiancée understands she needs to go to the best modistes and purchase the clothing she will need in her new station,” the Duke commanded.
After a bow to his master, Wickham left the room to carry out the order.
Even though he did not appear in polite society, he still demanded his wife would look the part and not disgrace his name. He cared not how much it cost him.
On the one hand, Hertfordshire was irked by the insolence of his fiancée; she held no respect for him and his position at all. On the other hand, it was in fact the very reason he had chosen her. He supposed he should not be surprised she would challenge him at every turn.
Not for the first time, he repeated his hope to himself that she bear him an heir within the first year of marriage sohe would be able to have his enjoyment with her soon enough.
To break her spirit would give him the ultimate pleasure.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
That evening the Duke of Hertfordshire called on the one peer in London who would receive him, albeit with extreme reluctance, the Earl of Colbath. The man had lost enough money in cards to Hertfordshire that he could have claimed his estate. It was the man’s own fault, for he had never caught the Duke cheating.
In return for not calling in his debts, the price had been that Lord Kenneth McIntire, whose estate was on the Scottish Highlands, and his wife, would do anything Hertfordshire demanded of them.
Unfortunately, they had no unmarried daughter or it would have been the answer to the Duke’s problem and given him a titled bride.
“Colbath, I need your wife to sponsor my new wife so she will be presented after we marry,” Hertfordshire demanded.
“You had told me that the lastfavouryou would ask of me was when you used my house in London to bed Lady Mowbray, and that you would return my vowels to me after that,” the Earl stated with distaste.
“When your wife has mine presented, they will be yours,” Hertfordshire promised.
“You will excuse me if I do not trust you, Your Grace,” Colbath stated as evenly as he was able to in the face of the despicable man. “If you want this, then you will deliver the debt markers to my solicitor before my Morag assists your wife. As soon as the new Duchess is presented, he will release them to me.”
Hertfordshire had wanted to keep his talons into Colbath, but he needed his wife presented more and there was not another noble’s wife who would agree to do it.
“Agreed, give me your solicitor’s direction, we will meet there on the morrow and sign the agreement. Once signed, I will hand the man your vowels,” the Duke agreed with no good cheer.
When the blackhearted man had been shown out of his house, the Earl felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. He would finally be free of Hertfordshire, as well as the threat to his estate and his son’s inheritance.
