A Devil Named DeVere (The Devil DeVere)(111)

So instead of returning to her own chamber, Salime marched to Kitty's apartment where another liveried servant barred her entrance. She lifted a brow and commanded . "Mustafa, open the door."

Without hesitation, Mustafa placed his huge hands on the footman's shoulders, easily lifting the shocked servant him out of the way, and then with a single kick, the door splintered from its frame. With a bow to his mistress, Mustafa then stepped aside.

She boldly entered the room and the scene before her stole her breath, for the chamber was a near duplication of her own! Brass lanterns provided a low glow of light, countless yards of silk draped from the ceiling and covered the walls. Turkish rugs and cushions scattered about.

"How dare you interrupt us!" Kitty screeched and sprang from the pedestal bed.

Salime swept her rival with a contemptuous look, taking in the black wig that topped her head to the Turkish trousers encasing her legs. It was far worse than she had suspected for Kitty had not stolen only her clothes, but her very identity!

"Who is this woman?" His lordship demanded, while fumbling to close his falls.

Salime stepped toward Kitty with controlled rage and snatched the wig from her blonde head, tossing it to the befuddled nobleman. "Effendi,I fear we are both victims of a great fraud."

In a desperate act of retribution, Kitty yanked away the veil that draped over the left side of Salime's face. Kitty's jaw dropped and then she shrieked with delight. "So that's why you hide behind your veils? There is no room for such hideousness at King's Place. Remove yourself and your bedamned blackamoor from this house at once, you heathen whore!"

"As you wish." Knowing it far better to accept her fate with dignity, Salime gave a haughtly toss of her head, and turned on her beslippered heel. It was not the first time a rival had attempted to destroy her. Retrieving her veil, Salime ran her fingers lightly over the unsightly scar that disfigured the left side of her face, marring her once great beauty. It was for her a constant reminder of the danger of having fierce rivals and no true protector.





Victoria's Titillating Tidbits


Nearly everything recounted in this story regarding the scandalous life of Frederick Calvert, Sixth Baron Baltimore, is true.

Horseracing was a tremendous obsession with the upper elite through all of the Georgian era but reached its pinnacle in the prize money offered in the late eighteenth century. There was, indeed, a subscription race for mares only in Epsom, 1778 sponsored by Sir Chares Bunbury and Lord Derby. It was named The Oaks after Lord Derby's estate and offered a prize of two thousand guineas.

Reggie's race-fixing scheme was inspired by a similar anecdote I read regarding William Douglas, the Earl of March (who makes a brief cameo appearance in this story). When March learned his competitor tried to bribe his groom, he rode his own horse to victory just as Lord DeVere does.

True criminal investigations in the eighteenth century were rare. For those interested, here are links to a couple of fascinating sites on criminal prosecution: Law, Ideology, and the Gallows in 18th and 19th-century England.





About Victoria Vane


Victoria Vane is an award-winning romance novelist, cowboy addict and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog. Look for Victoria's new Contemporary Cowboy Series coming summer 2014 from Sourcebooks