Page 69 of Dukes All Night Long

“Perfect. I know whom to invite,” she’d said, and she had thrown herself into the party planning.

She loved this, he realized. While he had little interest in deciding on a theme for the masquerade or what drinks should be served, or which pastries the cook should make, Miss Butters seemed to thrive on it.

In another life, he would quite happily have left her the household to manage entirely, as he had no interest. But then, any mention of giving her the run of the household might offend her or give her the wrong idea, so better not to say anything.

“Oh, but there might be a bit of unpleasantness.” Her forehead had wrinkled. “But I’m sure it will be fine. This far outside of London will be safe.”

“What do you mean?” he’d asked. “What sort of ‘unpleasantness’ are you talking about?”

“The thief, silly. Surely, you’ve heard. Oh, but of course, you don’t know. All right. Well, it’s a bit dull, but there’ve been a few instances where things have gone missing.”

“Like what?” he’d asked. He had heard, but it would be good to learn what she knew.

Miss Butters had looked away and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle of her dress.

“Just a few baubles and trinkets at parties. At first, there was Mrs. Godalming’s diamond necklace at her garden party last June, and then there were rumors that Miss Everworth had a golden cross stolen in July.

Then Lord Beatty’s pocket watch last month. It’s most strange.”

“Could it be one of the servants who’s taking these things?”

Miss Butters said, “It’s possible, but of course, none of the servants admitted to such a thing. And most of us have had our servants for years. It’d be strange for them to suddenly start stealing now.”

Later, he had also spoken to his valet, Balzac, a Frenchman who spoke perfect English and who’d made discreet enquiries about the thefts.

“None of the servants did it, sir,” he’d said. “Servants talk, and none of them did it. But more than one was dismissed after Mrs. Godalming’s diamonds went missing and the lord’s pocket watch disappeared.”

Falstaff had noticed Balzac’s pained expression. “What is it, Balzac?”

“It’s not right, sir. One of Mrs. Godalming’s dismissed servants had been with her for ten years. To be dismissed without a reference with the rumor of stealing over a man’s head, it leaves a nasty taste in one’s mouth.”

Falstaff had nodded in understanding. Being dismissed without a reference was bad enough, but for that to happen with the situation of an unproven theft, it would make things much harder for a servant to get work.

They would be overlooked by all decent employers and forced to apply to less reputable or unkind ones, employers who might be trying to cheat the servants and had no care for them personally.

But between that and not having a roof over one’s head or a bite to eat, Falstaff knew which he’d choose.

He’d felt for the poor wretches and the situations they now found themselves in.

As if sensing his master’s thoughts, Balzac had said, “I expect they had to do something to show they’d take an action, sir. Can’t let stealing go unpunished, especially in a Ton household.”

“Of course,” Falstaff had said, but he’d wondered, would he react the same if someone had stolen from him? He didn’t know, but he did plan to lay a trap.

*

Miss Adeline stretched out on her luxurious four-poster bed and gave a contented sigh. “Well, I’m glad to be out of that rain. You look soaked through. Say, did you see the man who helped me out of the carriage? Now, he was handsome. It’s a shame he’s just a servant.”

Lucy bristled inwardly. Mr. Elliot was more than ‘just a servant,’ and it bothered her to hear her employer speak of him so dismissively.

The man had a mind of his own and asked impertinent questions.

Even if he was insolent, he didn’t deserve Miss Adeline’s casual disdain.

But then, why did she care? The very thought confused her.

She tried not to harrumph. “There are a lot of fine ladies coming, I gather,” Lucy said.

“Yes. A pity, that. Did you see Miss Skye, all in pink? It makes me never want to see the color again. Oh, what’s this?”

A note sat on the small table that served as a vanity table with a small mirror.

Lucy peeked over Miss Adeline’s shoulder. It read:

The masquerade will begin at 7 P.M. tonight. Light refreshments will be served. Wear your best and reveal all at midnight. Card games and dancing will go on until the early morning.

—The Duke of Minsden

“Oh, how delightful. What fun,” Miss Adeline said.

Lucy opened another case and paused. The inside was very messily packed, not appropriately arranged at all. It was almost as if someone had disturbed it. She turned to her employer. “Did you wish to add something to the case, Miss Adeline?”

“Oh, yes, a little surprise for you.”

Lucy looked at Miss Adeline. She had only been in the family service for a month, but she hadn’t been aware of her mistress displaying any particular kindness.

Indeed, the other servants had warned her about Miss Adeline.

How as a child she’d amused herself with seeing how far she could cause trouble.

Sometimes Miss Adeline would knock a trinket on the floor and when it broke, report the servants for clumsiness, resulting in their punishment or eventual dismissal.

And as the darling of her parents, she was always believed.

Perhaps that was why they had hired Lucy on so quickly, without bothering to ask for a reference. Mr. Azalea had known her sister’s mother-in-law and so had taken her on at her word that Lucy could do the work as an assistant lady’s maid.

One cook had said, “That Miss Adeline’s got a mean streak. She’s dismissed more than one maid for stealing too.”

Lucy had asked, “The other maids would steal from her?”

The cook had said, “No, not if they were smart, but when things go missing, we’re the first to blame.”

Another servant had said, “It’s always the servants’ fault.”

Now, as Miss Adeline looked at her with a bright smile, Lucy wondered whether or not to believe it.

Miss Adeline said, “I thought to myself, you’re not like the other servants, Lucy, you’re different. Just think, you could be a proper companion with the right training. And besides, you have to chaperone me this evening. I couldn’t very well have you looking like a miserable old servant.”

Lucy gave what she hoped was a nice, polite smile.

Miss Adeline added, “So I brought a dress for you to wear.”

Lucy looked more closely at the dress. It was of a midnight blue with a gauzy layer of lace over it and a blue ribbon trimmed of gold. It had been packed poorly. It was fine, too fine, really, for her to wear.

“A good servant would thank me,” Miss Adeline said pointedly.

“That is so kind of you. Thank you. Miss Adeline,” Lucy said, then she recalled that Miss Adeline’s younger sister, Miss Mary, had been planning to wear a blue dress to a ball in London. Was this hers? She took a guess. “Won’t your sister miss it?” Lucy asked.

A look of displeasure passed over Miss Adeline’s face. “Oh, pooh. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Besides, it’s just for a night. She won’t miss it.”

Lucy rather thought the opposite but was too polite to say so. Had she ever been this way toward her own servants or her sister, Belle? She hoped not.

Miss Adeline said, “So now we can both go to the ball together in costume. I will be a swan and you will be the night sky. Won’t that be fun?”

Lucy tried not to wince. Her, get dressed up and go to a masquerade ball?

Perish the thought. The very idea was inappropriate.

It would be unseemly for a servant to join the party, and yet…

It was a masquerade. No one would know it was her, and as long as she hid away and removed herself from the party before midnight, she would be fine. Her secret would be safe.

“Come now, when was the last time you attended a ball?” Miss Adeline asked. “Never. Am I right? You probably couldn’t even afford to attend one. So let this be a little treat for you. Say you’ll do it. Besides, to refuse me would be rude, you know, and I can’t abide rudeness in servants.”

Actually , Lucy thought, the last ball I attended was five years ago, right before my family lost everything.

It had been a simpler, happier time when her Belle had been newly married and her mother and father had still been alive, but that was when her family had still had wealth and a surname of dignity.

Lucy had danced the night away and enjoyed herself immensely, drinking far too much champagne. Why couldn’t she relive some of that nice time now, that same joy?

An impish part of her wanted to, but it wouldn’t be right. Besides, the other servants had warned her.

“Miss Adeline isn’t nice,” one servant had said. “She laughs and schemes and plots and may seem nice, but she isn’t. Not really. Don’t trust it, especially if she asks you for a favor or pretends that she’s doing you one—it will come back to get you in the end.”

Lucy looked upon Miss Adeline’s face. Just think , she thought. I might even see the handsome young man again.

Falstaff the servant, even if he didn’t dress like one, was handsome. There was no denying that. Maybe he was a servant to the duke himself, like a valet or something.

“All right, I’ll do it,” Lucy heard herself say, and Miss Adeline clapped.

“Jolly good.” Miss Adeline rubbed her hands together.

*

That evening, the stage was set. Local musicians were setting up. Servants had decorated the ballroom so it looked inviting, with many candles that gave off a warm, golden hue. Footmen stood ready with trays of pastries, savory finger foods, and glasses of champagne and white wine.