“Where is she, Your Grace?” Lady Helena was sipping from her glass, her hand not quite steady. The rim of the glass clinked against her teeth. “As you may know, I am quite fond of her. She is my friend.”
“Yes, I am aware of that, Lady Helena. Miss Betham is in the east wing. Mr. Leary is looking after her.”
“I will look in on her right away.”
“Where is the Duchess?”
“She grew tired of waiting for you, she said. She went to change for supper.”
“Ah. Of course.” He gave her a grim smile, one that he knew could very well increase her trembling. “Then I will also go change, as should you. I will see you at the table.”
He offered her a short, curt bow, pivoted and left the solar, grumbling curses under his breath at Augusta’s catty decision to not wait for him. He strode quickly through the hallways of the castle toward his apartments, ignoring the servants who bowed or curtseyed as he rushed past. He reached his door, threw it open and strode in.
And was hauled up short by the sight of Augusta standing in his private chambers.
Chapter 17
“What are you doing here?” Maximilian blurted, shocked to see her in the one place where she did not belong.
“I need to speak with you,” Augusta replied, her voice terse.
Her icy-blue eyes traveled to his valet, Jacob, who stood ready with formal supper clothes laid out on a nearby chair. Maximilian caught the significance of her stare and bit off the urge to tell her to leave him so he could change. But he did want to tell her about Eugenia’s accident in privacy, and here she was.
“Jacob,” he said. “Leave us for a few minutes.”
The valet bowed, walked out of the chamber, and quietly closed the door behind him.
“What do you want?” He was beyond caring if he was curt with her.
“Do not take that tone with me,” she snapped, her eyes blazing.
“You invaded my rooms, Madam,” he said coldly, “uninvited. Now unless you want me late for supperagain,you will speak your piece and leave me to change clothes.”
Augusta turned her back on him and walked to the window, her skirts rustling. “What Iwantis for you to stop dallying with that maid. She is low born and a nuisance.”
Though he never expected Augusta to approve of his relationship with Eugenia, he did not expect her to come straight out anddemandhe stop seeing her. His rage, still simmering in a low boil since he learned she had been hurt, overflowed his control. Yet, he knew it would do him no good to shout, as Augusta owned the fine art of turning his anger into a weapon against him.
Thus, he kept his anger cold, burning under the surface. “What is that to you, Madam?”
Augusta spun around. “It is everything to me, to us as a family and to you as a peer of this realm. How dare you insult our guests under our roof.”
Maximilian folded his arms over his chest. “Our guests are hardly insulted.”
“They came at your invitation –”
“Yours, Madam, not mine.”
“Atourinvitation to discuss a contract of marriage between you and Lady Helena. And here you are, ignoring a fine, well-bred lady of quality in order to dally with her maid. Why, I cannot hold my head up at court ever again.”
Smiling grimly, Maximilian stepped lightly, on the balls of his feet, toward Augusta. “You may not be able to hold your head up, Duchess, but I will have no trouble doing so. I do not like Lady Helena, and I will not marry her despite your tantrums.”
“Tantrums?”
“Yes, that is what people call explosions of temper from spoiled children.”
Augusta narrowed her eyes as her jaw dropped. “How dare you!”
“You are not my keeper, Madam,” his tone dripping ice. “I am the Duke of Bromenville, and I will not live my life in accordance with what you deem it should be. I will dally with whom I wish, when I wish, and how I wish.”
