Lady in Rags

Chapter Three: Unfortunate Beauty

Lady Duvalle, who always pretended to be above gossip, generally arrived late to it, and it wasn't until a week later that she learned her unpleasant grand-daughter had spent the night in a man's bed to pay for her unpleasant father's debts. When she heard of it, her thin upper lip curled, and she thought again how lucky it was that she refused to have anything to do with the girl or her father. It was a pity, but every family had its rotten apples, and sometimes you had to trim the branches that bore them.

It was not until several days later that she learned the man in question was in fact Mr Neil Armiger, and when she heard of that, her ears pricked up and she began to reconsider matters with a more forgiving attitude. The Duvalle fortune was great, but could stand to be greater still, and rumour had it that Mr Armiger was a very rich man. The Waverly estate was one of the largest in the valley, and his butler had boasted to Lady Duvalle's butler that the some of the letters Mr Armiger recieved were addressed to The Hon Neil Armiger. And since her grand-daughter was by blood a lady, it did not do for such a man to abuse her and then discard her.

So Lady Duvalle invited Mr Armiger to tea the next day.

When he came, she was pleasantly impressed by the fineness of his carriage, and the elegance of his dress. He was also very handsome, though rather younger than she had thought, and she regarded his grey hair with suspicion. It might speak of poor humours.

She poured the tea, and sent the maid away.

"This is not just a social engagement, Mr Armiger." She smiled coldly, as she handed him his cup. "I am both curious about the newcomer to our neighbourhood, and... upset by certain rumours that have come my way."

"Then I suppose you would like to get to know me." Mr Armiger crossed his legs and sipped tea calmly, but the tone of his voice made Lady Diane Duvalle suspect that he did not like to know her.

"It would be nice. I have heard you have been on the continent."

"It is the first time I have been in England in eight years."

"And what caused you to leave it so long?" the lady inquired, breaking a biscuit into her tea.

"I always found the company wanting."

There was no doubt, now, of the quiet animosity in his tone. Diane wondered irritably what had prejudiced him against her. No doubt some paltry village gossip. She had thought a peer's son would be above such nonsense, but the village people always were vicious about her.

"It can be." She ignored the slight. "But, oh, Mr Armiger, I have been given to understand that you found good company in my grand-daughter. And it's such a shame, you see, but now I fear, the village, they are such backward folk here, and they do not like when a young lady lets herself be taken advantage of by a man."

Mr Armiger raised one black eyebrow. "Then you are Miss Baker's illustrious grandmother. I thought the story too farfetched to be true. What kind of woman would allow her grandchild to be brought up by a drunken weakling like Mr Baker? I can see, now, what kind of woman."

The words stung Diane Duvalle to the quick. More so, because Mr Armiger was smiling a placid, bland smile, that like his words, said nothing, and like his words, felt like poison.

"It was difficult, to care for the child." Diane put down her tea. "Mr Armiger, please, let me be honest with you, despite her father, I had always hoped that dear Verity would marry someone of a respectable station. And now, I find the village is burning with the gossip of my granddaughter spending the night in your manor, no, Sir, in your bed. She is disgraced. She is ruined."

Armiger put down his tea, and shrugged. "If I may be honest with you, my lady, I suspect the girl was ruined years ago."

"How dare you!" Diane faked an indignation she did not feel. "My granddaughter was a pure woman until she met you."