An Apple Pie for a Duke by Ruby Royce Page A

the Cartwright woman to set the
duke up with her Eugenia! Who knows? Maybe the girl only feigned the
weakness to make the greatest catch of the century! My dear Flora,
we'll stick to these people if our lives depend upon it! If I'm not
wrong, we'll soon be friends with the St. Yves. And the Shaws and the
Lackerbies... they are all so very...”
    Rich?
Exclusive?
    Her
mother's social ambitions had never interested Flora. She liked Gigi
because Gigi had been the only girl she had ever encountered who
would really understand her.
    Yet,
her mother's words spoken in private came back to her as she watched
Lady Cartwright. Did the lady look smug? Proud? As if she had reeled
in the greatest catch of the century?
    Yes
she did !
    Poor
Gigi! Was she the victim of a wicked plot between her mother and the
reckless duke? Had Surrey asked for Gigi's hand? Were they forcing
the poor girl to marry him? A free spirit as Eugenia Cartwright would
break under such a strain, no wonder she suffered!
    Flora
pictured Gigi locked into a castle, chained to an enormous
four-poster-bed and the Duke of Surrey exploiting her helplessness to
satisfy his physical needs.
    To
her own distress, Flora could not feel any pity for Gigi. Who would not want to be chained to
a bed by the Duke of Surrey?
    “ Eugenia,”
Lady Parker ventured and brought Flora back from her reveries. “I'm
sure you are happy your father has come all the way from Yorkshire,
just to stand by you during your first season?”
    “ What?”
Gigi also seemed to have woken up from some daydream, though not from
a pleasant one. “Oh pardon me, Lady Parker, but I haven't been
listening, please do forgive me!”
    “ It
wasn't anything of importance, dear.” Flora's mother smiled
graciously.
    Hypocrite.
    Lady
Cartwright patted Gigi's arm. “My good, good girl,” she chirped.
“Isn't it a wonderful morning, all sunny and fresh. --- I wished my
husband were here, but he had to take Mr. Wimple to the apothecary's.
His digestion is not the best. Sometimes we're in danger of our
lives. These vapours...”
    Flora
felt her mother tremble with shock.
    Lady
Cartwright was indeed outrageous. Flora admired and envied her. To be
so independent of other people's opinion had to be a blessing.
    “ I'm
glad Mr. Wimple is here,” Gigi sighed, gazing hopelessly into the
distance.
    “ Oh,
yes. He joined us at exactly the right moment. When my darling girl
is not well, Mr. Wimple can always make her feel better. She even
wanted him to stay with her overnight, but I couldn't allow it. The
vapours, you see.”
    Lady
Parker coughed.
    “ Oh
no!” Gigi sighed all of a sudden, her face ashen.
    All
three of them turned their heads.
     
    A
tall figure astride a black horse was approaching in a brisk canter.
    The
villain of the piece looked exquisite in a dark grey riding suit,
Flora decided
    “ Isn't
that His Grace?” Lady Cartwright demanded innocently. “Look,
darling, it's His Grace. We didn't get the chance to properly thank
him for taking you home. I'd planned to write him a letter later
today. How convenient we should meet him here.”
    “ Charming,”
Lady Parker agreed and smiled even more agreeably.
    “ Lady
Cartwright, Lady Parker, Miss Cartwright, Miss Parker,” the duke
said severely as he drew up alongside the barouche.
    “ Your
Grace,” the ladies courteously bowed to the duke. All except Gigi
who did not move nor speak.
    “ A
beautiful morning, isn't it, duke?” Lady Cartwright jubilated,
patting her daughter's hand.
    “ Exquisite.”
    “ How
right you are,” cried Flora's mother. “Exquisite!”
    The
duke looked speculatively at Eugenia. “I hope you have recovered
from your malaise , Miss Cartwright?”
    “ Thank
you, Your Grace,” Gigi said coldly without looking back at him.
    “ She
does look rather pale, doesn't she,” Lady Parker filled her voice
with a note of well-meaning sorrow.
    “ Perhaps
the London air doesn't agree with you, Miss Cartwright,” the duke
continued.