“I think his ardor was well cooled before that, but yes, shattered glass and a bleeding head wound does put a damper on one’s passions, does it not? I can’t think why in the world he’d agree to see her again, especially to retrieve these.” Franny studied the earrings. “I’m certain they were costly, but Montford’s always been generous with his mistresses. Why not just let Selina keep them?”
“Er, well, they’re not the usual sort of bauble, Franny.”
“No, indeed. I’ve never seen such large rubies before.”
“No, I mean . . .” How to put this? “They’re not just rubies, Franny. They’re lockets, and there are portraits inside them.” Prue took the earrings back and sprung the clasp on one of them. “See for yourself.”
Franny took the locket and peered down at the portrait. “Is that . . .” She jerked back with a gasp, slapping a hand over her eyes. “Dear God, itis!”
Prue sprung the clasp on the other earring. It was a mistake, because as soon as she caught sight of the tiny portrait tucked inside, she was unable to tear her gaze away. “Is that really . . . do, ah, do ladies really do that to . . . to gentlemen?”
Franny blushed up to the roots of her hair. “Er, well, there are certain acts a gentleman . . . that is, sometimes a lady will . . . oh, for pity’s sake! Very well, then. Yes, a lady might occasionally do, er . . .thatto a gentleman, if he enjoys that sort of... attention.”
“He does seem to be enjoying it. The way his hands are . . .” Prue cleared her throat.
“The gentleman, Prue.” Franny looked up. “He looks quite a lot like—”
“The Duke of Montford. The Duke of Montford in a state of . . .” She was going to sayundress, but what was the use of mincing words?
Montford was as naked in the paintings as the day he was born.
“No dress,” Franny finished.
“But surely this can’t be accurate.” Prue reached for the earring that revealed in rather vivid detail a certain private part of Montford’s anatomy and held it up, her brow raised. “If you take my meaning.”
“I don’t have the faintest idea if it’s accurate or not, but I will say it’s . . . well, I’ve only seen the one, but it’s quite . . . it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that itisaccurate.”
“How remarkable.” A bit puzzling proportionally, however, given a lady’s anatomy.
Franny let out a groan and buried her scarlet face in her hands. “For pity’s sake, Prue,whydid you have to show these to me? How will I ever look Montford in the eye again?”
“I don’t know! I wish I’d left the troublesome things under the chaise where I found them.”
“His grandfather will gomadif he finds out about these.” Franny worried her lower lip. “It’s not as if naughty earrings would be Montford’s first scandal, but it would be a sensational one, and his grandfather reacted badly to the hairbrush incident. He’s a friend of Lord Arthur’s, you know.”
“I beg your pardon, Franny. I should have told you the truth at once, but I didn’t want to trouble you with this business, especially after I saw the portraits.”
“Indeed, you should have done, but I can understand why you might not wish to discuss them.” Franny peeked at the earring again, then snapped the locket closed with a grimace. “Did you say you found these the night Montford fell asleep in the study? That was days ago. Why haven’t you given them back to him?”
“Because I . . . I . . .” Prue covered her face with her hands. God in heaven, what a fool she was. “I’ve made a dreadful mistake, Franny.”
Franny’s fist closed, trapping the earring inside. “I think you’d better tell me everything.”
Prue hardly had a chance to open her mouth before the entire story was pouring from her lips. Her misgivings about Lord Stoneleigh, her anxiety for her father, and finally, with much stammering and a few tears, her blackmailing the Duke of Montford.
Franny didn’t speak until Prue had talked herself hoarse, and even then, she showed remarkable restraint, saying only, “I understand your hesitation about Lord Stoneleigh, but if you don’t like him, Prue, then you mustn’t marry him, no matter how dire the situation with your father is. We’ll think of some other solution. You know Giles and I would be happy to give you the money.”
“No, Franny. You’re very kind, but my father won’t allow it.” Even ifhewould accept their help,shewouldn’t. Accepting money from a friend was the quickest way to end a friendship, and she couldn’t bear to lose Franny. She’d never be able to pay it back, in any case, so it was out of the question.
“As to Montford, I confess I don’t quite understand how you got from finding the earrings to blackmailing a duke.” Franny shook her head. “It isn’t at all like you to behave so, er . . . rashly.”
Prue let out a long sigh. “Stupidly, you mean?”
“Well, since you said it yourself, then yes. What were you thinking, Prue?”
“Iwasn’tthinking. I let myself get worked up into a state until it seemed like the only solution, and the next thing I knew, I was on his doorstep.”
“I suppose we’d better turn the earrings over to Giles. He’ll give them back to Montford, along with a blistering lecture, and there’s nothing Montford detests more than a lecture. Oh, dear. I do hope there’s not a row between them.”
