Mandy

Ned snorted, “More fool he if he thinks she’ll even look at Alfred! Marry him, indeed.”

“Aye, I think she will try and escape as I don’t see her putting up with much…” Chauncey agreed with a sigh.

“At any rate, the duke will settle this right and tight, won’t he?”

“Bless ye, lad, I think he will.”

“That’s right,” Ned declared brightening once more. “We have the duke!”

* * *

Time, a hot bath and serious thinking had done wonders for Mandy’s spirits. She brushed her long blonde hair with determination, and worked out some of her angst. The results of her efforts had made the gold of its color glitter back at her in the mirror.

Dark eyes stared back at her and she saw her brother’s face and said softly, “It’s not over Ned. We still have the duke…and I know he shall see us out of this.”

She had donned a pretty day gown of pale blue muslin. It was a simply designed gown that showed off her lines to advantage and she was pleased with the results when she stared at herself in the mirror. She had a plan and it would start with her lulling everyone into believing she had accepted her fate. Ha!

A knock sounded at her door and she called out sardonically, “As the key is on the hall side of the door, you are free to enter as you wish, are you not?”

A maid of middle age and sour disposition put in her face and grimaced at her, “Sorry, miss. But Mr. Speenham wants ye in the parlor for tea.”

“Does he?” Mandy said sweetly, though anyone who knew her would have heard the defiance edging each word. “Tell Mr. Speenham that I have no wish for tea…or his company.”

The maid cast her a shocked expression. “He said ye might take his invitation out of temper, but told me I was not to return downstairs without ye. I do so dislike having to disoblige…but Mr. Speenham will be that angry with me, he will…if ye don’t come down.”

Mandy sighed resigned to her fate. She couldn’t allow the maid to suffer Alfred’s annoyance because of her. “Very well,” Mandy said, walking through the open door and heading for the stairs. Calm yourself, her mind ordered. You must take a fine line with the Speenhams. They must think you are pleased to have some comforts once again…how else will they loosen their hold?

She entered the parlor, where Alfred already on his feet, went forward, “Mandy! You are looking prodigiously well after your…escapade,” Alfred said warmly, evidently determined to start things off amiably.

“Thank you,” Mandy managed to return with a half smile.

He frowned at her, “You are worried about Ned, I know, but my dear. He must face the courts if he is to clear his name.”

She looked into his cold hard hazel eyes and saw without any doubt that this man was wicked. It pulsated off his body in waves that slapped her. She said, making her voice sound hopeful, conspiratorial, “Alfred, he can no

t prove his innocence from a jail. It makes him look guilty. We were looking for Elly Bonner…don’t you want that too? Don’t you want to prove your cousin innocent of this awful crime?”

“I am shocked. Don’t you know that is precisely what I have been doing? How could you not know that?” He brushed a speck from his dark brown cutaway and regarded her with a look of hurt. “How could you think I would do otherwise?”

She tried to put some sweetness into her smile, “Alfred…I don’t believe you have my brother’s best interests at heart. How could I? In fact, I believe just the opposite of you and your father.”

His brows drew together and he said sharply, “You are not in a position to criticize, are you?”

Suddenly he surprised her by taking a hurried step to her and grabbing her shoulders with both his hands. “You need a beating, you brazen little bitch. I swear, one day you will live to rue your behavior toward me!” He shook her and then bent to kiss her while she struggled to be free of him.

All at once a storm blew in.

Alfred was blasted with a force that managed to lift him bodily and fling him across the room. He landed against a Queen Anne chair, fell off balance, and dropped with a resounding thud to the Oriental carpet.

Mandy felt a warm glow of enormous proportions slip around her, through her, as a pair of glorious blue eyes looked into hers and an authoritative, caressing voice—his voice asked, “Are you quite all right, my love?”

She nodded, unable to trust herself to speak, and he touched her cheek. She took his hand and had to restrain herself from kissing his fingers as she hurriedly told him, “Ned and Chauncey…they took…”

He cut her off, “No, our resourceful lads have not been taken in. ‘Tis all over Harrowgate. I was in the town…met your uncle there and hurried to get to you here. I saw the guards along the way.” He grinned at this juncture. “Apparently, Ned and Chauncey managed to escape them.”

At that moment the Speenham butler arrived and if he found the fact that his employer’s son, was picking himself off the floor, odd, he gave no sign, but announced, “Sir Owen Turndale.”

Mandy was protectively ensconced within the duke’s strong arm. She made no effort to move and the duke seemed content with matters as they stood.