Read When You Give a Duke a Diamond for Free Online

did you say happened to your neck?”
    Lady Elizabeth stiffened, but when she turned to him, she smiled and waved her hand dismissively. “My maid burned me with the curling tongs. I do think I shall have to let her go.”
    “I should think so.”
    Lady Elizabeth crossed to the mirror above the fireplace and turned from side to side, brushing her hair so it covered the mark on her neck again. “This necklace is simply beautiful, Your Grace. You say it was your mother’s?”
    Pelham nodded. He was not the sentimental sort, but his mother had died when he was ten, and the necklace was one of the few mementos he had of her. “Yes. My father gave it to her on the occasion of their engagement.”
    Lady Elizabeth’s gloved fingers brushed the diamond reverently, and she gave him a tremulous smile in the mirror. “And now you are giving it to me as an engagement gift. I will treasure it always.”
    “Yes.” Pelham cleared his throat, worried Lady Elizabeth might begin to cry. Emotional women made him nervous. He had thought Lady Elizabeth a bit more reserved in her expressions. He hoped he had not been mistaken.
    He offered her his arm and led her toward the vestibule where a bevy of servants awaited them armed with hats, coats, and all the accoutrements necessary for attendance at a ball at Carlton House. Pelham donned his greatcoat and waited while Lady Elizabeth was helped into her pelisse, had her hair and hat fluffed, and was generally fussed over. Pelham thought he would go mad if he were ever subjected to so much fawning.
    Finally, she was pronounced acceptable, and he led her to the waiting coach. A row of liveried footmen lined the walk, and the most senior escorted the duke and his future duchess into the coach. Pelham handed Lady Elizabeth up and paused to observe his horses. He had four matching blacks. They were sleek, high-strung beasts, and their coats shone in the flickering lamplight. The crest on his carriage was scarlet and gold, and he felt proud to belong to such a long, distinguished line of dukes.
    Satisfied with what he saw, Pelham entered the carriage and took the seat facing backward. The soft velvet squabs reminded him he would rather be reclining in his library than dashing to Prinny’s affair. Pelham could not abide the Prince Regent. The man was the biggest fool in England, if not the whole of Europe. Pelham found fools intolerable, but even worse than a fool—in Pelham’s estimation—was a spendthrift. Prinny had huge debts and had even come to Pelham for a loan on several occasions. And though it was difficult to refuse the future sovereign anything, Pelham had managed to put Prinny off. He wasn’t about to loan money to a man who would take the first opportunity to prance to Rundell & Bridge and buy his latest mistress a bauble.
    Pelham sincerely hoped the man didn’t intend to appeal to him for yet another loan. He preferred to avoid the prince when possible, but Lady Elizabeth had been adamant they attend the ball at Carlton House.
    “My lady, you are certain our attendance at this function is necessary?” he asked, though he had asked previously and received a somewhat satisfactory answer. But he wanted to give his fiancée every opportunity to change her mind.
    “You know my parents are old-fashioned. My mother wants approval of our match from the prince. She would have rather had it from the King, but all reports are that he is severely indisposed.”
    The King was quite mad was what she meant, Pelham thought. George III’s firstborn son was a pale substitute for the formidable King. Pelham could hardly argue with the wishes of his intended’s parents. They had asked for very little from him, aside from substantial provisions for Lady Elizabeth and her offspring in the event he predeceased her. When Pelham considered the land he was receiving in exchange, this provision was paltry. He had plans for that land. He realized Lady Elizabeth was speaking and wrenched his mind away