Page 27 of Song of the Caged Duchess

“She really isn’t that much of a mystery,” Hugh said, wanting to rein in his friend’s tendency to be dramatic. “Her name is Lady Esther.”

“Lady Esther?” Charles thought for a moment. “I don’t think I know any ladies named Esther. She didn’t tell you anything else about herself?”

“No,” Hugh said. “She has red hair. Perhaps that will help identify her?”

Charles shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Though, again, I can certainly ask around.”

“Oh, no, don’t do that.” Hugh was appalled. “That would be terrible.”

“What would be so bad about it?” Charles asked. “I understand why you don’t want people to think you’re asking around about Lady Catherine, but this is a lady you actuallyareinterested in, right? What’s the harm in her hearing you’re asking about her?”

“Because she hates me,” Hugh explained.

“She hates you? What do you mean?”

Hugh gestured to the wine stain on his shirt. “That’s what this is from. My encounter with her.”

“She poured her drink on you?” Charles’ eyes were wide.

“No, no, it was my drink.”

“She pouredyourdrink on you?”

“No,” Hugh said. “We collided in the garden, causing the drink to spill. That’s how we met.”

“I see.” Charles frowned. “But I don’t understand. Why does an encounter like that mean she hates you? It sounds like an accident.”

“I’m sure it was,” Hugh said. “Certainly it was an accident on my part. But she was very angry. She spent a considerable amount of time yelling at me and telling me that I needed to watch where she was going.”

“Did she really?” Charles looked impressed. “Well, good for her! I never thought I would meet the young lady who had the confidence to stand up to you like that. Now I’d quite like a dance with her myself!”

Hugh blinked. For the first time in his life, he felt threatened by his friend.

Charles laughed. “I don’t mean it,” he said. “I won’t try to get the attention of a young lady you’re interested in. But the way you describe her, she does sound intriguing.” He shook his head. “And to think that the only thing you’ve really told me about her is that she yelled at you!”

“I know,” Hugh said, rather distressed. “Do you think there’s something the matter with me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That I would be so captivated by a lady who’s shown me nothing but anger. It seems odd, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t think so,” Charles said. “She appeals to you because she’s not obsequious, which most ladies are when they meet you. She’s not trying to impress you.”

“She certainly wasn’t,” Hugh agreed.

“It sounds like she didn’t care that you were a Duke.”

“I don’t think she knew that I was a Duke, to be fair,” Hugh said. “She kept calling my “My Lord,” and not in a respectful way, either. It was almost as if she was mocking me. I think her cousin might have known who I was, though. She was very apologetic about the whole situation. She was really nothing like Lady Esther.”

“Her cousin?” Charles asked. “You didn’t mention that she had a cousin.”

“The two of them were walking in the garden together,” Hugh said.

“Well, tell me more,” Charles urged. “I don’t know who this Lady Esther is, but if the cousin is someone I know, perhaps I can figure out who Lady Esther’s parents are for you.”

Hugh nodded. “Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the cousin either,” he admitted. “Her appearance didn’t catch my eye the way Lady Esther’s did. Brown hair, I think, and an average figure. Lady Eugenia was her name.”

“Lady Eugenia?” Charles’ eyes lit up.