Dominic Read Online Free PDF

ale, M a rc e l , ” said the d uchess, with m uch concern. “ A nd although he will n o t ad m it it, h e is in m uch disco m fort. W ill you not go to hi m ? ”
    “If you assure m e that he is in no danger, then no, I will not. He will not welcome m y intrusion at this hour. It will be better that I should see him in the m orning when he is rested and more hi m self. Now come, tell m e of this wager for which he m i ght have killed himself. Has he no sense? Must h e forever be in so m e broil or other; is it not possible that he could lead a m ore sensible life ? ”
    “ Did you at four and twenty , my love ? ” asked the d uchess reprovingly.
    “Pon faith I did not , and that you well know,” replied the d uke reluctantly, taking her hand to his lips as he seated hi m self at her side on the couch. “Forswear , Julie , I know not what I would have beco m e without your influence, but that does not m ean I can condone such wild ways in m y son and heir. He has a na m e to uphold.”
    “And a reputation to co m pete with,” reproached the d uchess. “ Whatever wildness that can be perceived in him you c a nnot bla m e him for, he but follows in your footsteps, my love.”
    “ You and your precious son , ” countered the duke . “You can never see any wrong in hi m . Indeed, you dote over m uch on all the children. Now tell m e of this wager that so obviously could not be ignored.”
    “It was a ten m ile ra c e with Fitzwilliam on the downs.”
    “And the stake s ?”
    “Five thousand guineas.”
    The d uke, raising his brows, gave a sile n t whi s tle, and for a moment forgetting his anger asked with some interest, “Who was he a s tri de ? ”
    “Thor—though I know not how to tell him that he had to be destroyed.”
    “A da m ned waste of good horse flesh,” he replied i m patiently.
    “ Fitzwilliam’s horse failed in its tracks . I t was that which brought Thor down. Nothing could be done.”
    “ W hy the deuce did he accept such a wager and put both hi m self and the stallion at risk? Even he must have seen it was too m uch to expect of t h e ani m al?”
    The d uchess hesitated slightly, uncertain how her husband would take what she had to tell hi m . “I have heard ru m ors that Do m i nic has had heavy ga m i ng losses, I think possibly it was his way of trying to co m e about. Please, Marcel, don’t look like that,” she pleaded, as her husband’s countenance darkened. “He does no worse than m any other young m en of his acquaintance. Indeed, it is the first ti m e I have known h i m to have been in such str a its . ”
    “Maybe so, but it will be the last,” snapped the d uke. “I will not tolerate his g a m i ng. It w i ll be the r u in of h i m and I will not bail him out. It’s as well that his le g acy from Augus t a is in tru s t until he sh o uld m arry, though one would have supposed the dividend from it would have been m ore than adequate to support h i m until that event. Evidently not! Its ti m e he looked for a wife; that at least should have a settling effect on his life style if nothing else.”
    “Not neces s arily, m y love. She would have to be of a strong character to even attract his attention and you know Do m i nic is not easily s w ayed. He has shown no inclination toward any of t h e young ladies who so eagerly atte m pt to c ourt his a ff ection s . Indeed, he says they bore him and he goes out of his way to avoid the m .”
    “Mores the pity. Surely t h ere m ust be one a m ongst his acquaintance who could ta m e h i m ? ”
    “ W ould you want him ta m ed ? ”
    The d uke paused m o m e ntarily as if conte m plating the m atter then gri m aced ruefully. “If truth be told, it would be a sin. He has considerable spirit and to see it subdued would be intolerable. Shall we say it should be channeled in a different direction, one conducive to a more fitting life-style! No, I would hate to see his spirit cowed . In so m e ways it has m uch to recommend it