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“Well, you are no oil painting,” Iup into the austere countenance of the portrait in the gilt frame “But I respect your fashion choices” He was probably rocking it back in the day with his baby blue silk eh heels

“I see you’re ad one of our ancestors”

I turn to Isla’s s words

“One of the fa’s direction “I was just telling hi back”

Isla releases a surprised-sounding laugh as she comes to stand next to ether

“He’s not exactly bringing sexy back”

“This is Henry Algernon Benedict Talbart-Dalforth, otherwise known as the first Duke of Dalforth And no, you’re right He wasn’t very easy on the eyes This is his wife, Isobel,” Isla adds, indicating a looker in a russet ball gown

“He was punching above his weight” Because Isobel was truly beautiful Or at least, she was painted so “I guess she got the raw end of the deal”

“Well, no one married for love in those days They iances The first duke was no exception He married for money, and his wife married probably because she was told to”

“Tough break, Isobel I’m sorry for you”

“Iton the opposite wall “She eneration later and ended up married to him He was also a bit of a beast, by all accounts” The fashions ed in this portrait, but the look of superiority has not “He took anotherabout it”

“And did she?”

“What could she do? A wo more than a chattel His lover was an earl, no less, who abandoned his wife and fae three-way existence”

“I thought that kind of behaviour was a big no-no back then”

“Yes,” she says with a sad but brief se, it seeet aith al Take him, for example, the next of our illustrious ancestors He wanted to divorce his wife, but that was frowned upon So he pushed her down the stairs instead”

“That’s one way to get rid of your wife, I guess”