“I do indeed, Your Grace. It is a particular fondness of mine,” he said, instantly endearing himself to the woman, if that was possible.
“Excellent, you can go after those three.” She waved her cane at the Deville siblings. “Find a seat,” she added, as if it was an everyday occurrence to have the portrait painter sitting down with nobility and a chaperone.
The duchess was nothing if not unconventional, Dimity had soon realized after arriving in her household.
“Mr. Alexander Hetherington, Mr. Benjamin Hetherington,” Chibbers announced grandly from the door.
“Saved by the noblemen,” Dimity heard Lord Raine mutter. “It’s getting quite crowded in here.”
“You are late, Hetheringtons!” the duchess bellowed.
“For what?” Alexander Hetherington strode in, followed by his brother. Bowing before the others, he shot Dimity a smile. “Raine, fancy seeing you here, and your delightful sister and brother also. How are you, Abigail? That reprobate you married not giving you any trouble, I hope?”
Dimity had never met the Hetherington twins before, but the duchess talked endlessly of them. In fact, they were possibly the only men she truly respected. Not that you could drag that confession from her. The duchess, Dimity had observed, liked people to think she cared for no one, but secretly she did.
Twins they may be, she thought, studying the Hetheringtons, but they could not be more different. Alexander was elegantly dressed in a smoky-gray jacket, his necktie folded several times but not overstated. “Stylish” was the only word she could use to describe him. Even his hair was perfection. His brother, however, had his collar turned in, and the back of his hair stood off his head.
Benjamin had the bigger build but was equally as handsome. Dimity thought that perhaps he didn’t have his brother’s confidence, but then, as she knew nothing about it, that was speculation.
“Hello, Alex. We are here to see Miss Brown. Dimity was my piano teacher before she became the duchess’s companion,” Abby said. “And my husband is quite wonderful, thank you. I shall tell him you asked after him.”
“Was she, by jove.” He looked back to Dimity. “A very elegant and beautiful piano teacher at that.”
“And you are married,” Lord Raine growled, brows drawn in a fierce frown.
“The day I stop flirting is the day my wife will think I’m about to pass into the afterlife, Raine. What has you out of sorts?”
“I am being forced into reading, Hetherington, and have no wish to,” he said so the duchess clearly heard. She ignored him.
“I’m afraid there will be no escape. Trust me, I have attended plenty of these things. Now, perhaps someone will introduce me to the other guest in the room?” Alexander softened his words with a smile as he looked at Mr. Diard, who seemed to be enjoying himself and not at all upset by the turn of events.
Introductions were made, seats brought forward, and tea poured.
“Really?” Alexander said, smiling, to Mr. Diard. “It’s my hope you can work miracles, seeing as your subject is a crotchety old woman.”
“Ah, but with such a pretty face, I will not need a miracle, sir.” Mr. Diard’s smile slipped slightly.
“Excellent, you have commissioned a blind man, Duchess. Well done.”
The duchess jabbed Alexander Hetherington hard in the leg. “You will go first for that comment.”
Mr. Benjamin Hetherington studied the gathering. “Clearly there are enough of us to make up an impromptu literary salon.”
“I have never been part of a literary salon, impromptu or not,” Lord Raine said, looking to the door. “I have no wish to change that circumstance.”
Dimity wondered if he would make a run for it.
“Raine,” Benjamin said, “it is best not to fight it. Take me, I am here as I was promised pie and ale after my brother’s small errand, which had I been more aware, I would have understood meant we were entering the dragon’s den.”
“Oh come now, it is hardly my fault you rarely have your wits about you,” Alexander said.
Dimity tried to ease away from the noblemen and Abby, only to have Lord Raine rise and block her path.
“Excuse me.”
“We are having a literary salon, it seems. I think everyone should be made to suffer.”
“I should not be here.” Dimity tried to edge around him.
