“Jealous,” the bird confirmed.
“That is unfortunate. I should like very much to formally thank Miss Adeline,” the duke said. “I understand he was instrumental in helping us to flush out a traitor in our midst.”
“Traitor in our midst,” the bird cawed.
Delilah gave the duke a bright smile. “I knew Miss Adeline’s repeating things would be good for something one day. I’ve been trying to find a way to sneak him into my lessons with Miss Baxter. I thought perhaps he could memorize the answers to my quizzes.”
“Who is Miss Baxter?” Colchester asked.
“My tutor,” Delilah replied. “She is doing her best to teach me how to be proper.”
“And how are your studies coming?” the duke asked.
“Dreadfully slow,” Delilah admitted.
The duke smothered another smile. “Why is that?
“Because I say what is on the tip of my tongue and not what is proper. It’s as if my brain refuses to wait and say the proper thing. Lately we have been practicingp-a-t-i-e-n-c-eandd-e-c-o-r-u-m.”
“Patience and decorum?” The duke frowned. “Why did you spell them?”
The parrot opened his mouth to speak but Delilah gave him a look that silenced him.
“Because I hate those words.” Delilah shuddered. “I refuse to say them aloud.”
“My apologies for uttering them, my lady,” the duke replied.
“It’s quite all right, your grace. You couldn’t possibly have known my aversion to them. I fear I may never be good at either of them, however, so I have chosen to eschew them from my vocabulary. Meanwhile, I have retained the wordeschewas you have just observed. It makes no sense, but there you have it.”
“You know what I think, Lady Delilah?” the duke said.
Delilah leaned forward. “What?”
“I think it’s quite possible for you to grow to be a lovely young woman without either patience or much decorum. Again, with all due apologies for uttering those words.”
Delilah blinked at him. “Do you, truly?”
“I do.”
“I desperately hope you’re right, your grace. My mother despairs of me ever making an advantageous match. She says I amu-n-c-o-n-v-e-n-t-i-o-n-a-l.I suppose owning a parrot has not helped.”
“Has not helped,” squawked the bird.
The duke nodded. “I think you shall have every reason to believe you can make an advantageous match.U-n-c-o-n-v-e-n-t-i-o-n-a-lor not.”
Delilah gave him a bright smile. “Thank you very much, your grace. I am pleased we met.” She turned away.
“Lady Delilah,” the duke said, causing her to turn back momentarily.
“Yes?”
“I find I must ask. Why doesn’t Miss Baxter allow Miss Adeline in her lessons? Is it because he repeats things?”
“Oh, no,” came Lady Delilah’s prompt reply. “It’s because he bites.”
CHAPTER FORTY
After they’d decided to hunt down Knowles and whoever he might be working with at dawn, Regina reluctantly trailed her way back to her room, not wanting to leave Daffin’s company in the study. She had dinner in her room and Genevieve helped her change into a fresh night rail and dressing gown. She spent the better part of an hour pacing her room. She couldn’t sleep, knowing they’d be leaving at sunrise to find the man who’d kidnapped her for some reason she still didn’t understand. Knowles had told her she had made a powerful enemy. But who? And why? The man was obviously mad. Perhaps he didn’t even have a benefactress.
