He was enveloped in a rapturous embrace.
‘You dear Miles! You let him escape?’
‘Sure, alanna, is it meself that would be doing the like? And me a Justice of the Peace withal? I told them not to handcuff me lord.’
‘Oh, I do so wish you had let him escape! But if ’tis really a gentleman, you will?’
‘I will not then, asthore. I’ll be sending him to await the Assizes.’
‘You are very cruel, then.’
‘But, me darlin’ –’
‘And I wish to get off your knee.’
He drew her close.
‘I’ll see what can be done for your protégé, Molly. But don’t be forgetting he tried to kill the only husband you have!’ He watched the effect of this with that humorous twinkle in his eye. But my lady was not to be put off.
‘With an empty pistol? Fie on you, Miles! And may I hide behind the screen while you question him?’
‘Ye may not.’
‘But I wish so much to see him!’
O’Hara shook his head with an air of finality she knew full well. However easy-going and good-natured her husband might be, there were times when he was impervious to all blandishments. So after darkly hinting that she would be nearer than he imagined, she gave up the contest to go and visit young Master David in his nursery.
For some time in lock-up Carstares had cudgelled his brain to think out a possible mode of escape next day, but try as he might he could light on nothing. If only Miles were not to question him! It was hardly likely that he would be allowed to retain his mask, yet therein lay his only chance of preserving his incognito. He prayed that by some merciful providence O’Hara would either fail to recognise him or would at least pretend that he did not. Having decided that there was nothing further to be done in the matter he lay down on his extremely hard pallet, and went to sleep as if he had not a care in the world.
Next morning, after a long and wordy argument with the head gaoler on the subject of masks, he was haled in triumph to the house.
As the little cavalcade was about to ascend the steps that led to the front door, my Lady O’Hara came gaily forth carrying a basket and a pair of scissors, and singing a snatch of song. At the sight of the highwayman the song broke off and her red lips formed a long-drawn ‘Oh!’ She stood quite still on the top step, gazing down at my lord. The two gaolers stood aside to allow her to come down, just as a greyhound darted up the steps and flung itself against her in an exuberance of joy. My lady, none too securely balanced, reeled; the basket fell from her arm, her foot missed the next step, and she tumbled headlong down. But in the flash of an eyelid Carstares had sprung forward and received her in his arms. He lowered her gently to the ground.
‘I trust you are not hurt, madam?’ he asked, and retrieved her basket, handing it to her.
Molly took it with a smile.
‘I thank you sir, not at all; though I fear I should have injured myself quite considerably had you not been so swift in catching me. ’Twas most kind of you, I am sure!’ She extended her small hand, and her eyes devoured him.
For a moment my lord hesitated, and then, sweeping off his hat, he bowed low over the hand.
‘’Twas less than nothing, madam,’ he said in his own cultivated voice. ‘I beg you will dismiss it from your mind.’ He straightened himself as the gaolers came forward, and put on his hat again.
Lady O’Hara stepped aside and watched them disappear into the house. Her cheeks were rather flushed, and her eyes suspiciously bright. Suddenly she nodded her head decisively, and throwing away her luckless basket, hurried across the lawn and entered the house through a long window.
My lord was conducted to the library, where O’Hara sat awaiting him, and slouched forward with his hands thrust deep into his pockets and his hat still on his head.
The head gaoler eyed him gloomily, and looked pained when Carstares with studied boorishness leaned carelessly against a fine carved table.
‘We ’ave refrained from ’andcuffin’ pris’ner, sir, at your horders,’ he said, in a tone that warned O’Hara that should harm come of it, on his head be the blame.
Miles nodded.
‘Quite right,’ he said pleasantly, and glanced at the cloaked and masked figure before him with more suspicion than ever.
‘But I regrets to ’ave to report very hobstinate be’aviour on part of pris’ner, sir,’ added the gaoler impressively.
‘Indeed?’ said Miles gravely. ‘How so?’
Jack controlled an insane desire to laugh, and listened to the gaoler’s complaint.
‘You see the pris’ner, sir, with that great mask on ’is face? Afore we set out to come ’ere, I told ’im to take it off. And ’e refoosed, sir. Seeing as ’ow you gave no horders, I did not force ’im to hobey.’
‘Ah!… Your name, please?’
‘John Smith, sir,’ answered Carstares promptly and hoarsely.
O’Hara wrote it down with a sceptical smile on his lips that Jack did not quite like.
‘Perhaps ye will have the goodness to unmask?’
There was a momentary silence.
‘Why, sir, I thought ye might allow me to keep it on?’
‘Did ye now? I will not be allowing any such thing.’
‘But, sir –’
‘’Tis impossible. Off with it!’
‘Sir –’
‘If ye don’t take it off, I shall ask these men to assist ye,’ warned Miles.
‘May I not speak with ye alone, sir?’ pleaded Jack.
By now O’Hara was greatly intrigued.
‘Ye may not. Unmask!’ He was leaning half across the table, his eyes fixed on Jack’s face.
With a quaint little laugh that made O’Hara’s brows contract swiftly, my lord shrugged his shoulders French fashion and obeyed. The mask and hat were tossed lightly on to the table, and Miles found himself gazing into a pair of blue eyes that met his half defiantly, half imploringly. He drew in his breath sharply and the thin ivory rule he held snapped suddenly between his fingers. And at that crucial moment a door behind him that had stood ajar was pushed open, and my Lady O’Hara came tripping into the room.
The two gaolers and her husband turned at once to see who it was, while Jack, who had recognised her, but had not the least idea who she was, fell to dusting his boots with his handkerchief.
O’Hara rose, and for once looked severe.
‘What –’ he began, and stopped, for without so much as a glance at him, my lady ran towards the prisoner, crying:
‘Harry! Oh, Harry!’
Jack gathered that he was the person addressed, and instantly made her an elaborate leg.
The next moment she was tugging at the lapels of his coat, with her face upturned to his.
‘Harry, you wicked boy!’ she cried, and added beneath her breath: ‘My name is Molly!’
A laugh sprang to my lord’s eyes and his beautiful smile appeared.
In a stupefied fashion O’Hara watched him steal an arm about her waist, and place a hand beneath her chin. The next instant a kiss was planted full on the little lady’s lips, and he heard Jack Carstares’ voice exclaim:
‘Fie on you, Molly, for a spoil-sport! Here had I fooled Miles to the top of my bent – and ’pon rep! he scarce knows me yet!’
My lady disengaged herself, blushing.
‘Oh, Miles, you do know Harry – my cousin Harry?’
O’Hara collected his scattered wits and rose nobly to the occasion.
‘Of course I do, me dear, though at first he gave me such a shock, I was near dumbfounded. Ye are a mad, scatterbrained fellow to play such a trick upon us, devil take ye!’ He laid his hands on Jack’s shoulders. ‘Pray, what did ye do it for, boy?’
Jack’s brain worked swiftly.
‘Why, Miles, never tell me you’ve forgot our
wager! Did I not swear I’d have you at a disadvantage – to be even with you for that night at Jasper’s? But what must you do but see my pistol was unloaded and make me lose my wager! Still, ’twas worth that and a night in gaol to see your face when I unmasked!’
O’Hara shook him slightly, laughing, and turned to the two amazed gaolers. The senior gaoler met his humorous glance with a cold and indignant stare, and gave a prodigious sniff.
‘Me good fellows,’ drawled Miles. ‘I’m mighty sorry ye’ve been worried over me young cousin here. He’s fooled us all it appears, but now there’s nought to be done in the matter, though I’ve a mind to send him to await the next sessions!’ He slipped a guinea into each curiously ready palm, and replied to the head gaoler’s haughty bow with a pleasant nod. In silence he watched them leave the room shaking their heads over the incomprehensible ways of the gentry. Then he turned and looked across at Carstares.
Ten
Lady O’Hara Retires
For a long minute silence reigned, all three actors in the little comedy listening to the heavy footsteps retreating down the passage, Carstares with one arm still around my lady’s waist and a rather strained look on his face. Molly instinctively felt that something beyond her ken was in the air, and glanced fearfully up at the white face above her. The expression in the blue eyes fixed on her husband made her turn sharply to look at him. She found that he was staring at my lord as though he saw a ghost. She wanted to speak, to relieve the tension, but all words stuck in her throat, and she could only watch the dénouement breathlessly. At last O’Hara moved, coming slowly towards them, reading John’s countenance. Some of the wonder went out of his face, and, as if he sensed the other’s agony of mind, he smiled suddenly and laid his hands once more on the straight, stiff shoulders.
‘Jack, ye rascal, what do ye mean by hugging and kissing me wife under me very eyes!’
Molly all at once remembered the position of her ‘Cousin Harry’s’ arm, and gave a little gasp, whisking herself away.
My lord put out his hands and strove to thrust his friend off.
‘Miles, don’t forget – don’t forget – what I am!’
‘Tare an’ ouns, man! And is it meself that’ll be caring what ye may or may not be? Oh, Jack, Jack, I’m so pleased to see ye, that I can scarce realise ’tis yourself I am looking at! When did ye come to England, and what-a-plague are you doing in that costume?’ He jerked his head to where John’s mask lay, and wrung the hand he held as though he would never stop.
‘I’ve been in England a year. As to the mask – !’ He shrugged and laughed.
Lady O’Hara pushed in between them.
‘But please I do not understand!’ she said plaintively.
Carstares bowed over her hand.
‘May I be permitted to thank you for your kindly intervention, my lady? And to congratulate Miles on his marriage?’
She dimpled charmingly and curtsied. Her husband caught her round the waist.
‘Ay, the saucy minx! Oh, me cousin Harry, forsooth! If it had been anyone but Jack I should be angry with ye, asthore, for ’twas a wicked thrick to play entirely!’
She patted his hand and smiled across at Jack.
‘Of course, I would never have done such a forward thing had I not known that he was indeed a gentleman – and had he not saved me from sudden death!’ she added as an afterthought.
Miles looked sharply round at her and then at Carstares.
‘What’s this?’
‘My lady exaggerates,’ smiled my lord. ‘’Tis merely that I had the honour to catch her as she fell down the steps this morning.’
O’Hara looked relieved.
‘Ye are not hurt, alanna?’
‘Gracious, no! But I had to do something to show my gratitude – and I was sure that you would never expose my fraud – so I – But,’ as a sudden thought struck her, ‘you seem to know my highwayman!’
‘Sure an’ I do, Molly. ’Tis none other than Jack Carstares of whom ye’ve often heard me speak!’
She turned round eyes of wonderment upon my Lord.
‘Can it be – is it possible that you are my husband’s dearest friend – Lord John?’
Jack flushed and bowed.
‘I was once – madam,’ he said stiffly.
‘Once!’ she scoffed. ‘Oh, if you could but hear him speak of you! But I’ll let you hear him speak to you, which perhaps you’ll enjoy more. I know you’ve a prodigious great deal to say to one another, so I shall run away and leave you alone.’ She smiled graciously upon him, blew an airy kiss to her husband and went quickly out of the room.
Carstares closed the door behind her and came back to O’Hara, who had flung himself back into his chair, trying, manlike, to conceal the excitement he was feeling.
‘Come, sit ye down, Jack, and let me have the whole story!’
My lord divested himself of his long cloak and shook out his hitherto tucked-up ruffles. From the pocket of his elegant scarlet riding coat he drew a snuff-box, which he opened languidly. With his eyes resting quizzically on O’Hara’s face, he took a delicate pinch of snuff and minced across the room.
Miles laughed.
‘What’s this?’
‘This, my dear friend, is Sir Anthony Ferndale, Bart.!’ He bowed with great flourish.
‘Ye look it. But come over here, Sir Anthony Ferndale, Bart., and tell me everything.’
Jack perched on the edge of the desk and swung his leg.
‘Well really, I do not think there is much to tell that you do not already know, Miles. You know all about Dare’s card-party, for instance, precisely six years ago?’
‘’Tis just exactly what I do not know!’ retorted O’Hara.
‘You surprise me! I thought the tale was rife.’
‘Now, Jack, will ye have done drawling at me? Don’t be forgetting I’m your friend –’
‘But are you? If you know the truth about me, do you feel inclined to call me friend?’
‘There never was a time when I would not have been proud to call ye friend, as ye would very well have known, had ye been aught but a damned young hothead! I heard that crazy tale about the card-party, but do ye think I believe it?’
‘It was the obvious thing to do.’
‘Maybe, but I fancy I know ye just a little too well to believe any cock-and-bull story I’m told about ye. And even if I had been fool enough to have believed it, do ye think I’d be going back on ye? Sure, ’tis a poor friend I’d be!’
Jack stared down at the toe of his right boot in silence.
‘I know something more than we guessed happened at that same party, and I have me suspicions, but ’tis your affair, and whatever ye did ye had your reasons for. But, Jack, why in the name of wonder must ye fly off to the devil alone knows where, without so much as a good-bye to anyone?’
Carstares never raised his eyes from the contemplation of the boot. He spoke with difficulty.
‘Miles – in my place – would you not have done the same?’
‘Well –’
‘You know you would. Was it likely that I should inflict myself on you at such a time? What would you have thought of me had I done so?’
O’Hara brought his hand down smartly on the other’s knee.
‘I’d have thought ye less of a young fool! I would have gone away with ye, and nothing would have stopped me!’
Jack looked up and met his eyes.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘’Twas the thought of that – and – and – I could not be sure. How should I know whether you would even receive me? Last night – last night – I was horribly afraid…’
The hand on his knee tightened.
‘Ye foolish boy! Ye foolish boy!’
Bit by bit he drew the story of the past six years out of Carstares, and though it was a very modified version, Miles unde
rstood his friend well enough to read between the lines.
‘And now,’ said Jack, when the recital was over, ‘tell me about yourself. When did you marry the attractive lady whom I have just been kissing?’
‘Ye rogue! I married Molly three years ago. ’Tis a real darling she is, isn’t she? And upstairs there’s a little chap – your godson.’
‘You lucky fellow! My godson, you say? Could you not find anyone more worthy for that? I want to see him.’
‘So ye shall presently. Have ye seen Richard?’
‘A year ago I held up his coach. ’Twas dark, and I could scarce see him, but I thought he seemed aged.’
‘Aged! Ye wouldn’t be afther knowing him! ’Tis an old man he is. Though I swear ’tis no wonder with that hussy about the house! Lord, Jack, you were well out of that affair with her ladyship.’
Carstares nursed his foot reflectively.
‘Lavinia? What ails her?’
‘Nought that I know of, save it be her shrewish temper. ’Tis a dog’s life she leads poor Dick.’
‘Do you mean to say she does not love Dick?’
‘I cannot say – sometimes she’s as affectionate as you please, but at others she treats him to a fine exhibition of rage. And the money she spends! Of course, she married him for what she could get. There was never anything else to count with her.’
Jack sat very still.
‘And anyone but a young fool like yourself would have seen that!’
A gleam of amusement shot into the wistful blue eyes.
‘Probably. Yourself, for instance?’
O’Hara chuckled.
‘Oh, ay, I knew! ’Twas the money she was after all along; and now there’s not so much, it seems, as Dick won’t touch a penny that belongs to you.’
‘M’m. Warburton told me. Foolish of him.’
A grunt was the sole response.
Jack’s eye narrowed a little as he gazed out of the window.
‘So Lavinia never cared? Lord, what a mix-up! And Dick?’
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