Shady Lady Read Online Free

pleases, and it pleases her to run her husband’s newspaper. In fact, she has turned it around. It wasn’t going anywhere till she took over. She’s a gallant little thing.”
    “She’s one of these ‘new women,’ is she?” remarked Ruggles, distinctly amused.
    “New women?” Henry looked baffled. “Never heard of them. Who are they?”
    “You’ll meet two of them at the wedding,” observed Waldo laconically. “Hugh Templar’s wife, Abbie, and Case’s bride. Abbie runs her own rare-book business, and Jane writes articles for various publications.”
    Henry’s jaw went slack. “For money?”
    “Oh, yes, for money. I’m told it makes them feel self-sufficient. It seems not every woman is content to spend her time arranging flowers, playing the piano, sewing a fine seam, and so on. They want to be useful.”
    Henry shook his head. “Good grief! I don’t know what the world is coming to! But I don’t think that description fits Jo. She’s not running the paper to be useful but to honor her husband’s memory, as I told you.”
    Waldo was silent, remembering his encounter with Jo.
New woman
. Very definitely not his type.
    “You still haven’t told me,” said Henry, “why you went to see her. And don’t give me that flummery about objecting to what she wrote about you in her paper.”
    Waldo spread his hands. “But that’s
exactly
why I went to see her. I’ve had a very unpleasant experience because of what she wrote, and I’ve no desire to repeat it.”
    Waldo’s silence prompted Ruggles to take up the story. Eyes twinkling, he said, “To cut a long story short, Waldo’s mother received a letter from a friend congratulating her on Waldo’s approaching nuptials. She’d read about it in the
Journal
, you see—the friend, I mean—or rather, she’d read the speculation about it. And that was enough for her.”
    Henry nodded, indicating he understood only too well. “And your mother started hounding you, I suppose, and got your father into the act. Poor Waldo. I truly commiserate.”
    Henry had got the story half right. His mother’s dearest wish was to see her son married. His father, on the other hand, had washed his hands of his son and heir a long time ago.
    Ruggles said, “It was worse than that. His mother, unbeknownst to Waldo, invited the girl and her family for a house party, when Waldo was to be there.”
    Henry was aghast. “That is positively
wicked
! Who was the girl?”
    “Lady Elizabeth Beauchamp,” intoned Ruggles.
    “Not the one with the traveling harp?”
    “The same.” Though Ruggles’s expression was stoic, his shoulders began to shake.
    Henry’s face crumpled, then he slapped his knee and burst out laughing. Ruggles soon joined him. When their laughter died away, Henry said, “I’m surprised you didn’t wring Jo’s neck, Waldo.”
    “The thought crossed my mind.”
    “I’m sure, now that you’ve explained things to her, she’ll be more careful in future. She’s a good sort.”
    Waldo didn’t contradict his friend, but he was of the opinion that if Mrs. Chesney ever discovered how much trouble she’d caused him, she would use every opportunity that came her way to do it again.
    Ruggles said, “I know that smile, Waldo. What are you plotting in that devious mind of yours?”
    “Mmm?” Waldo’s smile turned into a grin. “I was planning my strategy, you know, deciding how I can discover the name of the woman who has caused me so much grief.”
    “You won’t get her name out of Jo,” declared Henry.
    “Are you willing to bet on it?” It was a facetious comment, and not meant to be taken seriously. But that was not how Henry heard it.
    “No,” he said, frowning. “Leave Mrs. Chesney alone. She’s not one of your high flyers, Waldo. She’s a simple country girl.”
    Waldo made a small sound of derision. “You’re right about her not being a high flyer, but she’s anything but simple. If she’s done all you claim she’s done, she’s a