An Unexpected Pleasure (The Mad Morelands #4)(12)

“They’re to feed our boa constrictor. That’s where we were taking them. Would you like to see the boa?”

“We have a parrot, too. And a salamander and some frogs,” Alex added.

“My goodness. I’ve never seen a boa,” Megan said. “That does sound interesting.”

Their words apparently reached the fainting woman, for she sat straight up with a little cry, her eyes flying open. “A snake! In this house?”

The younger girl glanced around her uneasily, and Megan wondered if she was going to climb back onto the bench. “A snake? Where?”

“He’s upstairs. You needn’t worry,” Alex assured her.

“In a cage,” Con added.

“That’s horrid!” the older woman exclaimed, agitation propelling her to her feet. “Is the duchess aware of—of these wild animals?”

“They aren’t wild,” Con protested. “Well, I mean, I suppose they aren’t tame, but they don’t do anything. They’re in cages. Well, the salamander and frogs are in a terrarium, but they can’t get out.”

“Or, at least, almost never,” Alex added gravely, and Megan was certain that she saw a flash of amusement in his eyes as he spoke.

The girl let out a shriek and clapped her hand over her mouth at Alex’s words. “Almost!”

“You wicked creature!” the older woman cried, starting forward with such anger on her face that Megan instinctively moved to block her way to Alex.

Alex, however, seemed to need no help, for he squared his shoulders and came up beside Megan, as did his twin, facing the older woman’s wrath.

“Someone should take you in hand!” the woman exclaimed. “You shouldn’t be allowed in polite company. Bringing vermin like that into the room.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t insisted we come into the drawing room and see you,” Con retorted heatedly.

“And the mice wouldn’t have gotten loose if you hadn’t kept on about wanting to see what was inside the box,” added Alex.

“Oh!” The woman’s face turned bright red. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

“I am sure that Alex and Con did not mean to be disrespectful,” Megan said quickly, trying to head off further disaster. “They would never want to offend one of their mother’s friends. Would you, boys?”

She cast a significant look at Alex, then at Con.

Con’s chin jutted out obstinately for a moment, but then he heaved a sigh and said, “No.”

“Now, I think you should apologize to these two ladies,” Megan went on, giving the twins a little push at their backs, adding in a whisper to the two boys, “You wouldn’t want them gossiping about how poorly your mother has raised you, would you?”

This notion seemed to have an effect on both the lads, for they were quick to step forward and give the women polite little apologies.

“Thank you, my dears,” said a warm voice down the hall, and all the occupants of the hall turned to look.

At some distance behind the footman and the two visiting women stood a tall, slender woman of regal carriage. Her upswept hair was a dark auburn, streaked at the temples with wings of white. She wore a plain blue dress, but the cut and material were clearly of the finest, and the color was a vivid reflection of the color of her eyes. She was a woman of great beauty and poise, and Megan was instantly sure that this was the Duchess of Broughton.

“Mother!” the twins exclaimed and went to her.

Megan noted that she smiled at the boys with warmth and affection, bending to give each a kiss on the cheek. Then she started down the hallway toward the rest of the group, while the twins seized the opportunity to hurry away.

“Your grace.” The footman turned and bowed toward the duchess. “Lady Kempton and Miss Kempton.”

The other two women turned to face the duchess, now smiling.

“Duchess. Such a pleasure to see you,” Lady Kempton said, stepping forward, hand extended. “I’m sure you remember my daughter, Sarah.”

“Yes, of course,” the duchess replied coolly, shaking Lady Kempton’s hand. “What an unexpected pleasure. Miss Kempton.”

She looked past them toward Megan. “And to whom do I owe my thanks for bringing order out of this chaos?”

“Miss Henderson, your grace,” the footman told her. “She is here about the tutor’s position.”

“Ah, yes, of course.” The duchess smiled much more warmly than she had toward her other visitors, and she came forward to shake Megan’s hand. “Miss Henderson. How nice to meet you.”

“My pleasure,” Megan replied, taking the duchess’s hand. She was not sure how to address the woman. The footman had called her “your grace,” but Megan’s tongue balked at speaking such a reverential title.

The duchess turned toward the Kemptons, saying, “Please accept my regrets, Lady Kempton, but as you can see, I have a prior engagement. Had I but known you were coming, I would have arranged another time.”

The other woman’s face tightened, and Megan felt sure that Lady Kempton was insulted by the duchess choosing to interview a prospective employee over conversing with Lady Kempton and her daughter. Still, there was little she could do other than accept what amounted to a dismissal.