Dominic (55 page)

*****

The
rain
had
stopped
and
the
clouds were atte
m
p
ting to clear as they arrived in The Greyhound’s yard and Vale stopped abruptly, swearing s
o
ftly beneath his breath. “Unless
I
am
very
m
u
ch
m
istaken that
is
m
y
father’s chaise
,
”
he
said
taking
hold
of
Sophie’s
arm
and
pulling her
to
one
side.
“It
looks
as
if he
has
been
here
for
quite so
m
e
t
i
m
e
a
s
the
horses
are
already
stabled.
Though
how
in the devil’s na
m
e he knew where...”

Sophie took her hand guiltily to her
m
outh and whispered, “I left a note.”

“You elope and leave a note?
I ca
n
not believe it!
”
h
e said
incredulously,
unable
to
keep
the
a
m
us
e
m
ent
from his voice. “I would have thought it a
m
atter for conceal
m
ent. It
m
ust be so
m
e
peculiar
fe
m
ale trait;
so
m
e
f
e
m
i
nine
reasoning
that
totally
eludes
me
.
Now with
F
ather
here
there
will
be
hell
to
pay. My
love,
you
do
not
m
ake life easy.”

“Shall I slip into the inn by a side entrance and he need not see
m
e?” she asked in so
m
e trepidation.

“Cert
a
inly
n
ot,”
he
said, tucking
her
hand
into
his
ar
m
.
“
W
e
shall
face
him together.
He
may
as
well
know
our inte
n
tions at
the outs
e
t,
as
I will
not
be
dive
r
t
e
d
fro
m
my
purpose. Co
m
e, we present a united front.”

Suddenly he stopped and started to laugh. “If you infor
m
ed
him
that
you
were
eloping
with
W
r
oxham
he will
be
con
f
ir
m
ed
that
I
have
m
urdered
him and
we
have hidden the body. Perhaps the
m
eeting will be
m
ore entertaining than I
thought!”

*****

When the two entered
the parlor it was to find the duke and d
uchess seated at the supper table

“So
, at last, you decide to grace us with your
presen
c
e,” snapped the d
uke, putti
n
g aside his kni
f
e and fork.
Pushing
his
chair
away
from
t
he
table,
he
turned
to the
d
uches
s
,
“I
told
you it
was
the
boy’s
cu
r
ri
c
le I
saw
in the
yard.
Would
recognize
it
anywhere.”
Then
returning
his
attention
to
his
son,
“
W
hat
the
deuce
are
you
doing
here,
Do
m
i
nic?
I
was
of
the
i
m
pression
we
were
chasing
W
r
oxh
a
m
?
”

“And
so
you
were,
Father,”
replied
Vale,
“but
you
see, I arrived here before you and he is now well on his way back to to
w
n, and none the better for our encounter.”

“You
m
ade known your disapproval of his actions?”

“Of course, would you doubt it?”

“And he still lives,” stated t
h
e d
uke incred
u
l
ously. “You
m
ust
certainly
have
learned to te
m
per your anger. Previously it has always been ‘have at you’ regardless of
the consequences
.
I take this to be your influence
,
my
dear,” he said
,
turning to Sophie where she had been standing
half
hidden
by
his lordship’s
i
m
posing
fra
m
e. “You appear to have succeeded where we have failed.”

The
d
uchess,
who,
fascinated
by
the
turn
of
events, had re
m
ained silent throughout, came quickly to her feet. “They
are
s
oaked
Marcel.
You
m
ust
allow
them to
change and
then
they
can
explain
all. I don’t understand what has been
happening
here
but
I
am
prodigiously
glad
to
see both
of
you
safe
and
sound.” She rounded the table and slipping
her
arm about
Sophie
’
s
waist
and
said,
“Co
m
e
,
child, you
m
ust
get
out
of
those
da
m
p
clothes.
I
thi
n
k
it
better that you should wear your skirts and whilst we are away you can tell
m
e about this silly escapade with
W
r
oxha
m
.”

Sophie
m
e
e
kly
allowed
the
d
uchess
to
lead
her
from the
room and
up
to
her
apart
m
ent
whilst
V
a
le
r
e
m
ained
in his father’s co
m
pany.

“Had
you
n
ot
better
remove
yourself
to
chan
g
e?”
asked
the d
uke, pouring hi
m
self a glass of
claret.

“Unlike
you,
father,
I
had
not
the
ti
m
e
to
pack
a
valise. When
I
left
Kennington
,
ti
m
e
was
of
t
he
essence;
therefore
I have not a change of clothes. I
m
ust stand in what I have.”

“
W
hat
the
d
euce
has
Kennington
to
do
with
this
s
t
ate
of affairs
?
”
asked
the
duke
,
thoroughly
confused
.
Then raising
his
hand,
“No,
don’t
t
e
ll
me
now.
I
w
i
ll
furnish you
with
a
change
of
clothes
and,
when
you
return,
you can
tell
m
e.
Must
ad
m
it
though,
m
y
boy,
I’m
deuced
glad you
were
here
before
us,
it
would
not
do
that
Sophie should
have
contracted
such
an
unsuitable
m
atch.
Not
at all
the
thing, and
I
s
e
e
n
o
w
t
h
at
we
w
ould
not
have
arrived in
ti
m
e
to
prevent
it.
Y
ou
did
well
.
”
Tasting
t
h
e
wine
he
exclai
m
ed,
“
D
a
m
ned good claret this, you
m
ust try it.”