Chapter 2: His Grace
MIMI
It has been three days since my encounter with that strange man, Mr. Silk. I have yet to find out much information about him, and have decided to coin him a name after his silky voice. It would serve me better than "that strange man".
I have gone through the details of that evening in a meditative state, like my sire taught me, as best as I could in a rambling carriage making haste for our country seat. It has been an hour since I arrived in all my travel-stained glory, made respectful only by the mask of disdain I wore for all to see. I needn't have bothered- this is where I grew up, and most of the staff were family retainers who have kept my secrets for as long as I can remember.
Knowing my father, he was probably letting me cool my heels so as to give me time to mull things over. That being said- any longer, and I might just be too much of a wreck. I am not yet sure which part of that meeting bothered me most.
Just as I thought that, my sire entered, seemingly nonchalant about my abrupt return. He took a pinch of snuff from one of his new snuffboxes, and leaned an arm against the mantel above the fireplace. Turning to me, he said, " Welcome poppet. I trust all is well?"
"You know as well as anyone that things are not so well if I return within a week of my departure, considering it takes three days to travel to and three days back from London", I snapped. "And must you continue with that disgusting habit even at home? There are no pretences to keep, and snuff could harm your constitution", I added, unable to resist.
"Can't a man just hope that his only daughter missed him and came back to him? Or maybe saw some sense? You know I am not too happy with your current plan for exonerating David? And I assure you, poppet, I quite enjoy taking the snuff, and science shall have to be more explicit about its side effects before I consider giving it up. But I do receive your concern with respect, daughter mine."
"Father, must you toy with me when I need you? Or is it that you need to hear me lay my pride down?" I knew I was being waspish, but I was at my tether's end, and could use some of the calm debate my father seems to provide all the time, except apparently when I needed it most. What I did not need was yet another debate on whose method of exonerating David was the better one.
Hearing the distress in my tone, albeit laced with anger, the duke's attitude changed. He came forward and sat down near the window while bidding me to take a seat. To an outsider, this might look rude as he sat before a woman did, but my father was a different man from what the world thought him to be. In society, which he rarely mingled in, he was the epitome of decorum as expected by the ton. But I knew better, for he raised me to understand that there is often a very thin line demarcating chivalry and condescension. He abjectly refused to refer to women as the "weaker sex" as most of the ton was wont to. So him sitting down was not a sign of disrespect. It was his way of telling me he was ready to listen carefully to what I had to say and help me how he could. It meant he knew something was off.
I recounted to him the events of that evening that still made me uncomfortable. Instead of chiding me for almost having my cover blown, he asked me for my impression of the man.
To which I replied, " He seemed in his prime and easy on the eye. Despite his obvious affair, he had barely any signs of dissolution or wasting on his face" Most of the ton would be horrified to hear that a young unmarried woman knew of the ways of the world and the diseases that fooling around brought, but father believed that knowledge was the best weapon, and I concur. " There has not been even a whiff of scandal around Lady Dawson, and she doesn't have the brains or the tact to be deceitful enough to protect her standing in the ton. That makes the man discreet and careful. He also mentioned having just returned from the country, which is probably why I missed their nighttime activity when I cased the place."
The Duke sat in silence for a while before getting to the heart of the matter. "You don't seem too upset about not retrieving what you went there to get. Rather, you are obsessed over a man, who surely doesn't mean you harm?"
I wasn't sure why papa was being dense today, but if he wanted me to spell it out, so be it. " For all he knew, I was a burglar. Why did he say he was on my side? Why let me go? Was he actually sleeping with lady Dawson because he has some enmity with the Dawsons? If so, he is even more dangerous than I thought earlier."
"He was also quite queer. When I thought he had spotted me, all he did was sniff like a hound, and leer in my direction. He then abruptly moved lady Dawson to the other end of the house, almost as if he was letting me escape unnoticed. Like I said, quite queer." That was what bothered me the most- him acting as if he knew me, and making it almost too easy for me to escape.
His grace, who had been unperturbed through the whole dialogue, grew pale at the last part. "Sniffed, you say? How queer indeed. Very." Though he agreed with me, his words seemed distant, like he was figuring something out. "Tell me all you remember about his features." I described him, best as I could, and stood there confused. This was unlike father. He was keeping something from me, and seemed shaken to boot. Nothing can shake the amiable Duke of Doncaster; at least, nothing has had the power to perturb him in all the years I have known him. And I should know him, for I am his daughter.
"Please lay low for a while. Attend a country ball or two. Even give one. If you must go out in your other form, be sure to smear yourself with mud. But please avoid it. I must leave now. I wont be back for supper." So saying, he dashed upstairs.
It has been the weirdest week so far. First the strange man, Mr. Silk, and now Father's inexplicable behaviour. I need to know more. And I knew just the way to find out more information. I had to make a house call. The respectable hours to call on someone were long over, but I was sure of my reception. And this was the country anyways, the rules were often lax, and even the ton would overlook them in my case. I am after all, the Duke of Doncaster's only daughter, and the source of speculative gossip for half the ton. I wonder what they would do without me.
A/N: Sorry for the long gap in between. Life can be "interesting" some times.
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Next update- On or before 7th Dec 2015.
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HappyMidas
