Undercover Duke

Uncle Noah left, Vanessa crept up the stairs, hoping her mother really had retired for the night and wasn’t just waiting to pounce on her. But Mama had either fallen asleep or she’d drunk the larger part of that perry Sheridan had brought and had passed out. Either way, Vanessa got to have the evening to enjoy the calm before the storm. Because there would most certainly be a storm, if not tonight, then tomorrow.
True to form, her mother woke her the next morning around nine and stood over her while Vanessa was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Mama crossed her arms over her chest. “There will be no more visits from that witch, do you hear me, little missy?”
“Do you mean the Duchess of Armitage?” Vanessa asked, still trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind.
Her mother snorted. “I will not do that awful creature the honor of calling her Duchess. How dare she malign me in my own home! And to think we were friends once. I must have been mad to allow her within my circles.”
Vanessa had to concentrate on sitting up in bed to keep from laughing in her mother’s face. Somehow she doubted that the Duchess of Armitage had ever needed help in society, even before she married Grey’s father.
“And there will certainly be no more visits from Armitage,” her mother went on.
Her heart sank. “But Mama, he had nothing to do with—”
“No! I will not listen to your pleading. I can see what you apparently cannot—that Armitage means to court and marry you for your dowry. If he succeeds, I will be linked to Lydia forever. I shan’t have it, I tell you!” She leaned down. “And given that he probably intends to call on you again today, I have made sure you won’t defy me. I have already instructed the butler to say we are not ‘at home’ to any visitors today. Perhaps that will make you think twice before you side with the enemies of your mother again.”
Vanessa sighed. “Sheridan is not your enemy, Mama.” She caught herself before she could point out that the duchess had good reason for being so angry with Mama. No sense in embroiling her in another rage-filled argument.
“I don’t care what you think of that young man. Neither of them are ever setting foot in this house again.”
Mama turned on her heel and marched for the door. She paused to glare back at Vanessa. “And the next time Lord Lisbourne comes calling, you might want to rethink your determination to refuse his advances. You’re not getting any younger, girl.”
That final jab was typical of her mother, but it struck terror in Vanessa’s heart. For years, until Grey had married, she and he had avoided being caught together by Mama. Vanessa didn’t know if she could manage that with Lisbourne for even another minute. She would not marry that ridiculous fellow, no matter what Mama said and no matter how many times she tried to reduce Vanessa to a child by calling her “girl.”
As soon as Mama left the room, Vanessa got out of bed. Last night she’d worried about Mr. Juncker revealing to Sheridan what she’d so unwisely blurted out at the Thorncliff party. But in the bright light of day, she decided he would never tell Sheridan. Mr. Juncker saw the duke as a threat to his own romantic interest, Flora. So surely he would help Vanessa gain Sheridan as her husband, if only to remove the duke from the field.
She plotted her strategy, debating whether to send Sheridan a message asking him to meet her elsewhere or come again tomorrow. But she couldn’t be sure the message would reach him in time today, nor could she be sure Mama wouldn’t take the same tack again tomorrow. So Vanessa discarded those ideas.
What she needed was a different strategy. While her lady’s maid, Bridget, went downstairs to fetch her some breakfast, Vanessa looked through her clothes. She wanted to dress splendidly for her two callers, but if Mama saw her well-dressed, she would guess at once that Vanessa intended to defy her. That meant Vanessa would have to dress the way she would when they weren’t expecting visitors, on an average day at home.
She needed Bridget’s help. Fortunately, the maid would never betray her. Indeed, she’d been Vanessa’s only staunch ally in the Pryde household since Grey had moved out. The other servants feared Mama, but not Bridget, thank goodness. For years, she’d been carrying out Vanessa’s plots to avoid being caught alone with Grey, which was why some of Vanessa’s pin money had always gone to the woman, to supplement what Vanessa knew was a pathetically small income. Mama had never exactly been generous to her staff.
Bridget entered the room, and Vanessa sat her down. “So here’s the most recent occurrence in the ridiculous drama that has become my life lately.”
She told Bridget about her mother’s pronouncements. The maid already knew of Vanessa’s attempts to spark Sheridan’s interest by using Mr. Juncker to make Sheridan jealous. Bridget also knew the pitfalls that had opened up once Vanessa had set her scheme into motion.
“I think I have a plan for how to handle today’s visit from the gentlemen.” Vanessa went on. “It just needs your usual brilliant mind to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything.”
Bridget laughed. “Forgive me, miss, but one of these days your plans will land you in deeper trouble than a scolding from your mother.”
“I know,” she said, clearly taking Bridget by surprise. “I swear, if it works, I will never scheme to do anything like it again.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to. Because if it didn’t work . . .
No, she wouldn’t consider that possibility. It would be too awful.
“Very well,” Bridget said, though she looked skeptical. “What are you plotting this time?”
“I want to waylay Sheridan and Mr. Juncker before they even reach the house.”
“How do you know they’ll arrive together?”
“Because Sheridan said he’d bring Mr. Juncker with him. And