Page 68 of Never Beguile a Duke

His hand trembling, Silas stared at the portrait’s black eyes. “It does resemble someone I know.”

The man looked exactly like the Duke of Mansfield.

“He’s not here,” Juliette said, leaning against Silas’ arm and pointing at the picture. “I’ve studied all the guests’ faces last night.”

Silas exhaled a deep breath. He hadn’t suspected Mansfield of being a killer, but knowing his friend’s visage had the power to torment his daughter seemed a situation too complicated to be dealt with.

“You’ll advise me immediately if you ever see this man,” he said, turning toward her.

“I swear,” she replied and placed a solemn hand over her heart.

Three sharp raps echoed on the door.

“That will be the modiste,” Silas said, climbing from the floor and helping Juliette to her feet. “You may enter.”

The door creaked open, and Mrs. Aylett peeked her silvery-brown head into the chamber. “Your Grace, Mr. Neville Hollingsworth has arrived.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WINIFRED

Neither the Duke of Beaufort, nor his daughter, joined them for the morning meal, and after they forewent the afternoon feast as well, Winifred’s overactive imagination blamed their absence on her scandalous tryst with him the previous evening.

“Why are you scowling?” Nora asked as they strolled toward the drawing room.

With the onset of another snowstorm that afternoon, the whole of the party had been sequestered to the house, and yet, even with that restriction, the Duke of Beaufort and Miss Juliette remained noticeably absent from the festivities.

“I hoped to amuse myself with a stroll,” Winifred replied, slashing her hand toward the white flakes whipping past the drawing-room windows.

Closing her book and setting the tome aside, Miss Braddock raised her head, her bright blue eyes sliding over Nora and Wilhelmina. “It may not be the change of scenery you desire, Miss Fernsby-Webb. However, Miss Wilmington and her mother are currently promenading through the downstairs. Perhaps we could join them?”

Miss Braddock’s suggestion garnered the support of most of the women in attendance, and they devised a game to divert themselves from the redundancy of continually passing each other.

As one set of ladies walked by, the woman closest to the group heading toward the parlor would state a phrase. This sentence was then passed to the next bunch and so forth until the altered phrase was repeated to the originating lady, and compared to the beginning statement, resulting in hysterical outcomes.

“Is she mad?” Winifred asked as they passed Miss Venning and the Duke of Grisham’s fiancée, Miss Isabel Philbert. “The chicken crows with goats?”

Nora snickered. “I’ve heard Miss Sutton make much more bizarre statements; perhaps that’s truly what she said.”

As they neared the Sutton sisters, Winifred leaned over and repeated what Miss Venning had said. The Sutton girls dissolved into giggles; Frederica recovered first.

“Augusta said, ‘The children row the boats’,” revealed the elder Miss Sutton, wiping tears from her eyes.

The game continued in this fashion until Mrs. Aylett announced the evening meal would occur in one hour. The ladies scattered, each returning to her respective chamber to dress for the occasion.

Winifred nudged Nora as they climbed the staircase. “I was surprised the Duke of Roxburghe didn’t join us this afternoon.”

“After breakfast, he pulled me aside and disclosed that the Duke of Beaufort planned a special event for the men.” Nora tilted her head, listening to the house. “As I hear no male voices, I assume that activity took place in a different location.”

“You don’t know what they’re doing?” pressed Winifred.

Perhaps Miss Juliette accompanied her father on the outing… That would seem the most prudent reason for her absence, but Winifred couldn’t shake the distressing thought that he’d forbidden his daughter from associating with Winifred.

“I’m certain we will learn of their experience this evening,” Nora replied, her shrewd gaze sliding over Winifred. “Why are you concerned about my fiancé’s current location?”

It wasn’t his location that currently plagued Winifred.

“I’m merely commenting upon his absence, which is quite noticeable as he’s been a constant fixture in both of our lives for several weeks now.”