Chapter 21: Leave The Peacock

"Cecil. What is that woman doing in New Orleans?" Cedric snarled as he rolled up the sleeves of his soft white broadcloth shirt.

His amber eyes narrowed at the image of his eldest brother reflecting on the gilded scrying mirror hanging on his library wall.

King or no, this was completely unacceptable. The only one who knew where Cedric was currently staying was Cecil.

For Evelyn to show up in New Orleans meant Cecil had let the cat out of the bag.

"What are you barking about now, you mongrel?" The man with the same ash blond hair as Cedric sniffed in disdain, his sparkling green eyes gazing out with indifference.

"Evelyn Larabee showed up at my house yesterday and made a huge fuss. What possessed you to reveal my location to that woman?" Cedric scowled.

Cecil raised an eyebrow. "She threatened me with scary stuff. I figured if I sent her to you, you could 'tame the shrew', so to speak."

"The shrew scared little Devin near to death." Cedric growled.

Cecil waved a dismissive hand. "He'll have to get used to her. She will be his aunt in the future anyhow. I'm sure once she and the boy get to know each other, they will get along just fine."

Cedric shook his head. "She's not here. I'm sending her back."

"You threw her out of the house?" Cecil's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Cedric shook his head. "I wasn't even home. Had I been home, she would not have even had the chance to enter the house."

"Who had the audacity to throw the Countess Evelyn out on her ear?" Cecil's eyes began to dance with merriment.

"Devin's Nanny," Cedric intoned, hoping his brother would not ask any more questions, but of course, that was a futile hope.

"Oh ho! Pray tell." Cecil leaned closer with a wicked grin. "Is this paragon of virtue a large and scary matron who has the capability to bully one such as Evelyn?"

"She is very small and very dainty. Big blue eyes. Long raven hair. A tiny delicate mouth. Soft hands with elegant slim fingers."

"Why does it sound as if you're describing your lover, Little Brother?" The King narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Suddenly he sprang up from his chair.

"You sly dog. Haha!" He leaned back and clicked his tongue. "Tch tch tch. Little Cedric is in love. Hahaha. I can't believe it."

He rubbed his nose in thought. "What are you going to do about Evelyn?"

"I want you to retract that stupid marriage decree tying me to her." Cedric turned away and grabbed a hair tie.

"You know I can't do that, Little Brother. Whether you like her or not, she's your future wife." He grinned with mischief.

But then his face softened.

"Just do what I did. Marry the woman you're forced to marry, and stick her in some expensive palace and let her enjoy her life as your legal wife." He waved a hand to the left.

"Meanwhile, live with your lover somewhere else and lavish all your time and love on her as compensation for not being a Duchess." He waved his hand to the right.

"You may have more than one lover, in which case, treat them all well. Their children are all yours anyway."

Cedric lowered his lids. "I can't live that kind of faithless life, Brother."

"Who says it's a faithless life?" Cecil roared. "I'm very faithful to my consorts. I don't cheat on them, not even with my wife!"

He smirked. "It's been years since I've married and I never even plowed that woman once. If she hasn't done any bump and grind with any fellow around, it's most likely she's still a virgin."

"Yes, and when she shows up pregnant, what will you do?"

Cecil roared with laughter. "Then I'll be free of that ball-and-chain along with her illegitimate brat. I can divorce her on grounds of infidelity."

Cedric sighed as he pulled his thick blond hair back at the nape and tied it into a neat bundle.

"Look, if you can't retract that stupid decree then at least do me a favor."

"What's that?" Cecil raised an eyebrow. Cedric rarely ever asked for favors since there was very little that he could not do on his own.

"I need something from you…"

===============

Lunch was a subdued affair.

Talia and Devin were up on the fourth floor having a simple lunch of chicken noodle soup while the Duke was holed up in his library office working the various details that had been left unattended during his absence.

He worked through lunch and only emerged when dinner was being set on the table.

"Any word from Evelyn?" Cedric asked with a careless lilt of his head.

Hubert shook his head. "Not yet, Sir. However I would advise you to prepare for any contingencies. The Countess is not one who will not retaliate."

Cedric waved a dismissive hand. "Let her do her worst. I will protect all those within my estate."

"Sir. She is your fiancée after all."

"And?"

"Well, wouldn't you have some sort of concern for her well being…" he splayed out his hands in wordless confusion.

Cedric yawned. This conversation was boring him to tears.

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"When and what's for dinner? I'm starved."

Hubert sighed. "We are having prime roast and vegetable medley along with a light onion soup. Dessert is apple pie a la mode. The roast is being carved at the moment and should be ready in five minutes."

Cedric's eyes glazed over.

Hubert compressed his lips. The Duke didn't look like he cared what was for dinner. He was just trying to change the subject.

He cleared his throat and turned away.

"I'll have one of the maids escort Talia and Lord Devin down."

"Lady."

"Pardon me, Sir?"

Cedric stared at him with an inscrutable air.

"Lady Talia."

Hubert sputtered. "But Sir, one just doesn't randomly become a Lady or a Lord without some form of—"

"The royal decree is being drawn up at the moment. My brother will send it to me along with the next envoy."

Hubert inhaled sharply. So that was what the Duke had been doing, holed up inside his library all that time.

"May I ask what her official title is?"

"The Countess Talia Fabian."

"Coun—Countess? But Your Royal Highness. She has no land!"

"Who says she has no land." Cedric turned his tall regal nose up into the air. "She has been granted part of Mother's holdings in Cerulea. She is now the Countess of Cerulea."

Hubert licked his lips nervously.

"Sir. Isn't that part of Cerulea a portion of the dowry you are supposed to give to your fiancée before the wedding?"

"Who says?" Cedric yawned.

"Well, Sir. There's land, gold, and various other sundries that makes up the total dowry. If you take the Cerulean land deed from the dowry, then it's not worth very much."

"Hmmm. There was gold too?"

"Yes Sir. Half a dozen chests of the finest—"

"Take all of that as well. It will go with Talia when she receives her Countess title."

"Yes…yes Sir. And the sundries?"

Cedric scratched his nose with shapely fingers.

"What's in the sundries?"

"Well Sir. Off the top of my head, I recall six white horses, a peacock, a dozen bolts of the finest silks to be made into dresses, several caskets of pure undiluted scented oils, several boxes of makeup, among other foodstuffs like tea and honey."

"Hmmm. Take the silks, the oils, the makeup, and you might as well take the horses." He thought for a moment. "What's the peacock for?"

"Feathers Sir. Women like to use the feathers as adornments in their hair, their hats, and their clothes."

"Hmm. Leave the peacock."

"Sir. There will be nothing left of the dowry but some tea bags, some honey and foodstuff, and the peacock."

Cedric turned his clear amber eyes at Hubert.

"Talia saved my life. There would be nothing left of ME if she hadn't intervened the night before. She deserves all that, and so much more."

Hubert nodded.

"Yes Sir."

He turned back. "Oh one last thing, Sir."

"Yes?"

"Talia—Lady Talia is asking to go back to her house to pick up some clothing. It seems she has very little in the way of her own personal effects."

"What has she been wearing all this time?"

"Sir, she's been borrowing a maid's outfit."

For a moment, the Duke's face darkened. His Talia was wearing a maid's outfit?

"Find a team of fashion designers and start making her some clothing that is worthy of a Duchess. Might as well use up all that silk from the dowry."

"Yes Sir.." Hubert bowed.

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