School and travels to and from the earl’s residence daily.” It had taken little enough to get that information out of a servant. He’d found his way there this morning and smiled at a pretty maid who’d trustingly obliged his every question.
“Well, Mr. Burney, it seems you’re not as worthless as I thought you would be,” the dowager duchess said. She then waved her hand once more and all the servants departed, leaving them completely alone in the drawing room. “But I warn you, sir, you will stay away from my grandson.”
“I believe that is up to him, your grace,” Burney said.
“Oh, he thinks it is,” she said. “But he’d be wrong. He’s cold, you know, but not ruthless. Not really. I, on the other hand, I’d see your neck snapped like a twig and not lose a wink of sleep for it. They hang men for what you do.”
Burney felt his cheeks coloring. “You can’t implicate me without exposing your grandson, and we both know you won’t do that.”
“I can do a great many things, Mr. Burney,” she warned. “You have your payment for services rendered. You may leave now. Remember what I’ve said, and know that I will not hesitate to see you ruined. You and your family. Your sister… pretty and so very sweet. I imagine that four thousand pounds is but a drop in the bucket of your veritable well of debts. Do you know what happens to young women like her who wind up in debtor’s prison? Or worse… are left on the street to fend for themselves while their worthless male relations rot in the Marshalsea?”
Burney’s fists clinched at his sides. “That will not happen. I will make certain my sister is cared for!”
The dowager duchess smiled. “Gerald needs a wife, you know? How much would thank rankle, Mr. Charles Burney? How much would you love your baby sister when she’s taken your lover from you?”
“My sister has nothing to do with this!” Averston would never do that, Burney thought. No one could be that cruel. And yet, there was enough doubt there that he had to wonder.
“Not yet,” the dowager duchess said. “And if you wish to keep it that way, you have only to keep your distance. Good day, Mr. Burney.”
Burney turned to exit, walking away with fury bubbling inside him. He wanted to rail at her, but that was power he didn’t have. Not yet.
When he was gone, the dowager duchess’ servants bustled into her small drawing room once more. To her secretary, the meek-looking woman garbed in unrelieved black, she instructed, “Have Jenkins fetched and tell him to bring that other fellow with him. We’ve a bit of dirty work that needs to be done.” The woman left to do her task.
“Shall I have them come through the servants’ entrance, your grace? After the events of their last visit…” the butler trailed off, his tone clearly disapproving.
“No. Let’s not do that again,” she replied. The last thing they needed was some foolish maid screaming the house down. “Have them wait in the garden. I’ll go to them.”
“Certainly, your grace,” the butler agreed before vanishing from the room to do her bidding.
Alone, the dowager duchess drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair and considered the matter of Charles Burney. He’d have to be eliminated, of course, along with this girl he’d mentioned. They both posed too great a risk to all that she’d worked so hard for over the years.
Chapter Fifteen
C allie was exhausted by the time she arrived home that evening. She’d taken her day off and walked in the park, she’d strolled amongst the shops and even attended the morning service. But she’d done it all like an automaton. Her mind was not on her surroundings much less the vicar’s lengthy sermon. It was on Winn Hamilton, Earl of Montgomery, and the near seduction that had occurred. Though whether she’d been the seducer or the seduced remained in question. Yes, he’d pulled her into that room, but heaven knew, once there, she’d been bold enough in her own right.
Entering the house on Jermyn Street, she bypassed Mrs. Wheaton and made her way upstairs. She loved the housekeeper dearly, but she wasn’t in the mood to be mothered. Wallowing in her misery seemed to be the safest option. She’d slept not at all the night before and all she wanted was to fall into her narrow bed and not move an inch until morning.
Removing her day dress, she