Free The Accidental Duchess by Madeline Hunter

he sat down across from her.
    “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    “I trust her cause is not the slave question. You have worn out your welcome there, even with Pitt.”
    “As a politician and minister, Pitt is constrained by practicalities in ways I am not, but we are still of like mind on that and many other things. However, Lydia’s cause is not that.” Lest she pursue just what it might be instead, he changed the topic. “We must have a right understanding about tonight. One dinner and an introduction to Lady Barrowton’s brother, and that is all. If I am invited again, I will decline. When I meet her niece—”
    “Do not be ridiculous. The girl is not out yet. She will not attend.”
    “You and Lady Barrowton have cooked up some ruse so I meet her all the same, I am sure. Understand that I will not call on this girl, and I doubt I will even ask her to dance if we are at the same ball during her first season.”
    “I accept your agreement.” She gave him a coy look. “Of course, you will be free of it if you choose.”
    “I will not so choose. I am only doing this because you rashly promised Lady Barrowton that I would dine with her brother. Do not commit me like that again. I will not have it.”
    “I know. It was bad of me. I am justly chastised. I will not interfere in the future.”
    Of course she would. But after tonight, not for a few weeks.

Chapter 6
    I t took Lydia two days to recover from the disaster at Penthurst’s house. Her pending doom occupied her thoughts and dreams. She debated all sorts of schemes to get out of making good on that wager. Calling upon his honor seemed the best choice.
    If that didn’t move him, she could always beg him to release her from the debt, but the notion of begging Penthurst for anything appalled her. She could hear the self-satisfied lecture he would give her if he agreed. She would prefer to simply refuse instead, only that would announce that
she
had no honor, either as the daughter of an earl or as a gambler.
    On the third day she forced herself to set that problem aside. Penthurst should not be her biggest concern now. Trilby’s deadline would arrive before any trysts on the coast were arranged. Her time to find enough money to appease her blackmailer was running out.
    She could think of only one other way to get her hands on a lot of money. Unfortunately it was not a plan she could execute on her own.
    She needed an accomplice.
    That afternoon she walked across the square to call on Cassandra. She found Ambury with her. When she entered the library they both gave her peculiar looks—the kind people give when they had been talking about you in their last breaths.
    “I trust all is well across the way,” Ambury said. “Is Emma still radiant with delight that she is in the family way?”
    “She is, although if my brother does not stop doting on her, she will forget how to walk. Last night there was some discussion at dinner that indicated he has proposed she avoid the auction house the rest of this year.” Emma played a secret role still in her family’s business, Fairbourne’s auction house. As best Lydia had determined, Emma played the
main
role as well.
    “I doubt she took that well,” Cassandra said.
    “Not well at all. There was not an argument as such, just evidence that no matter what she has been saying, he has not been listening. You know how men can be.”
    Cassandra shot her husband a sideways glance. “I know how some men can be, that is true.”
    “Since I am probably one of those men, now would be a good time for me to take my leave,” Ambury said. “Then you ladies can bemoan how men can be at your leisure.”
    Cassandra sparkled at him. “You never give yourself credit, darling. By some men, I meant others, not you. You are the reason I insisted it is only
some
to begin with.”
    “What a pretty lie. But I will believe it, since I would rather not imagine being the subject of your talk.” He left them on that.
    Lydia sat next to