A Dime a Dozen

“We’ve got them both in the interrogation rooms,” the cop said to his boss.

“Really you have the Duke and Duchess of Naples each of them claiming that the other is trying to kill them? Why are you treating them with so much respect it’s not like they’re real royalty; Ferdinand of Sicily created so many duchies that they’re a dime a dozen and not equal to our duchies.”

“She was a lady before her marriage, rumour is she married him for his money and title. He came into the title due to the death of his third cousins once removed in the waning days of the Second World War. She has scars, burns and bruises that she can produce but we can’t figure out who is telling the truth.”

         The heads turned as they heard shouting from the interview room. As they ran towards the rooms they realized the Duke was in with the Duchess.

“You promised you weren’t going to do this anymore,” they heard the Duchess say.

“Me, I did nothing. Here just have a drink and calm down darling.”

When they entered she was drinking something from a china cup. Then she dramatically fell to the floor croaking, “He’s poisoned me.”

       A few weeks later the Duchess recovered and the Duke was later convicted of attempted murder. The Duke died in prison. The Dowager Duchess lived happily enjoying the social scene her husband had kept her from and raising her three young sons. On hr death bed she admitted she lied and had the Duke killed in prison but her sons just laughed and thanked her, as he’d been a terrible father and had beaten them and tortured them every day of the young lives before his death.

 ©Sheilagh Lee March 21, 2018