The Duke's Daughter Read Online Free PDF Page B

Avery rose early, as was his lifelong habit. He quickly washed and dressed and stepped out into the hall. An hour of reading before breakfast was central to his plans for the day.
    As he closed the door to his room, a footman rose from a nearby chair and bid him a good morning. As Avery passed by, the footman fell in step behind. Instantly, Avery stopped and spun around. A rush of hot anger raced up his spine.
    ‘Is Lord Langham up and about this early?’ he asked. Knowing he was not trusted enough to move about the house without a footman shadowing his every move had his blood on the edge of boiling.
    ‘I believe so, Mr Fox,’ the footman replied.
    ‘Take me to him.’
    Avery concentrated on his breathing as he knocked and entered Lord Langham’s study. He shot a warning glance to the footman who had followed him. Fortunately for all concerned, Henry Langham was a perceptive man and upon rising from his large oak desk, quickly dismissed the nervous footman.
    ‘I won’t bother wishing you a good morning, Avery, because from the look on your face, it is not,’ Lord Langham said.
    Avery felt the tremble in his fisted hands as he struggled to contain his wrath. A movement to his right caught his eye. David Radley got to his feet from a chair near the fire. David looked at Lord Langham, who silently shook his head.
    David Radley had shown only the utmost courtesy to Avery in all their encounters, but at that moment Avery hated him. David was the one afforded an early morning meeting and coffee, while Avery, the heir to the title, was left to wander the house like an ill-welcome guest.
    Ill-welcome indeed.
    ‘What can I do for you, Avery; you look particularly vexed?’
    Avery forced his rage down. A good soldier never fired a shot in anger.
    ‘I was wondering why you invited me to come and live here,’ he bit off.
    Lord Langham scowled, clearly perplexed by the question. ‘I asked you to come and live with us because you are my heir. Someday all this will be yours,’ he replied.
    ‘Are you perhaps having second thoughts? That you somehow made a mistake? I think it might be best that I leave this house until the time comes that I have a right to be here. When I will be welcome,’ Avery replied.
    The pain of personal insult had taken him by surprise. Had the tension of wondering if he would ever see Thaxter alive again finally caught up with him?
    Lord Langham crossed the floor.
    ‘What has happened? I thought you and I were in agreement on this arrangement?’ The look of concern on his face was genuine enough to give Avery hope.
    ‘You and I also agreed to discuss the circumstances as to why your family fell out with my brother. Circumstances that I suspect have a major bearing on why my every step is being shadowed in this house. Why I cannot borrow a book from the household library and read it in the privacy of my own room. And why you have a footman posted outside my bedroom door.’
    He sucked in a huge lungful of air and covered his eyes with his gloved hand. He was so close to tears he could barely stand himself.
    ‘Oh,’ Lord Langham replied.
    Avery removed his hand, only to find himself staring at a clearly troubled Henry Langham.
    ‘I am sorry, Avery. I gave no such orders for you to be so closely scrutinised. I suspect my mother may have been a little too heavy-handed in her instructions to the staff. Rest assured I shall speak with her as soon as she comes down for breakfast.’
    The image of Lady Alice from the previous night at dinner formed clearly in Avery’s mind. A most troubling one.
    ‘What did my brother do? Your mother was fearful of me last night when I tried to assist her. For a moment I think she thought I was Thaxter – familial similarity and all that,’ Avery replied.
    David cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps it is time Avery was made fully aware of matters.’
    Lord Langham nodded and pointed Avery toward one of the chairs arranged in a semicircle in front of the fireplace. All