They settled side by side on the bench in the lee of the wind. The absolute solitude of the location always soothed Flora, no matter how troubled her mind. She hoped it would work a similar magic on Louise, who appeared deeply disturbed. Her grey eyes clouded at some recurring memory as she impatiently pushed aside a strand of blonde hair that had escaped from beneath her hat. Flora was content to remain silent, leaving Louise to decide whether she really wanted to confide in her. Despite Remus’s warning, she couldn’t sense even the slightest hint of malevolence about her. If Remus was right—and he usually was—then Louise Pearson was the conduit that brought trouble to Flora’s door, not its root cause.
‘I have been exceedingly foolish,’ Louise said, after the ladies had sat in silence for several minutes.
‘I doubt that very much, but if you want to tell me why you feel that way, I am more than ready to listen.’
Louise half-closed her eyes and sighed. ‘My grandmother says that you have an abundance of good sense. Not only have you managed to win the countess’s respect, but I have heard that your quick-thinking saved the earl from being irrevocably committed to a most unsuitable match.’ Louise smiled. ‘I am in awe of your abilities.’
‘Please don’t be. There is nothing at all remarkable about me. Mrs Pearson must have heard about the earl’s travails and my small part in resolving them from the countess. I wasn’t aware that her ladyship knew anything of the matter.’ Flora chuckled. ‘Not that I ought to be surprised. She is a canny individual, and she misses little.’ Flora turned to Louise and smiled, worried by the anxiety that fuelled her expression. ‘Now, come on. Let me hear it. It cannot possibly be that bad.’
‘You are quite wrong. It’s ten times worse.’ Louise plucked abstractedly at the fabric of her skirts. ‘I don’t know why I thought you could possibly help me. No one can.’ Tears streamed down Louise’s cheeks. ‘I have made the most terrible mess of things.’
‘Just tell me.’ Flora squeezed Louise’s hand, and the gesture appeared to revive her. She rummaged in her stocking purse for a handkerchief, blew her nose and then sat a little straighter. Despite her temporary lack of composure, Flora sensed a strong will at the core of this most engaging young woman and really hoped there would be something she could do to help her, even if it didn’t extend beyond lending a sympathetic ear.
‘I am unaware how much you know about my family’s circumstances and so I will give you the abbreviated version. My mother died giving birth to Marianne,’ she explained, not waiting for Flora to say what she actually did know. ‘Papa was devastated and…well, he was never able to look at Marianne without blaming her for his tragic loss, which was really most unreasonable of him. I mean, he was the one who impregnated Mama, thereby putting her life at risk. Anyway, that’s by the by. He took himself away and Marianne and I were left in the care of our maternal aunt.’ A shadow passed through Louise’s expression at the mention of that lady. Flora stored her reaction away for future consideration. ‘By the time Papa came home again, Marianne was a lively five-year-old, but he still couldn’t abide the sight of her. Grandmamma became involved and offered to take Marianne in. I wanted to come too, but Papa didn’t want to part with me, so naturally I remained in London.’
‘You didn’t see your sister after that?’
‘Only a few times.’ She flapped a hand. ‘I felt torn. The situation wasn’t easy. We are like strangers now, but I hope we can get to know one another better whilst I am here. Or there again,’ she added wistfully, ‘perhaps it would be better if Marianne had nothing to do with me.’
‘I know that your father died, and I’m very sorry about that. It’s clear to me that you were close. I am not on good terms with my own father, but I would still be very sad if he passed away. I also have four sisters, none of whom I have much in common with. Even so, I hope that when they are older and have homes of their own, we can reconnect. Families are very important.’
‘Yes, I agree, but not always easy, as you yourself are aware.’ She allowed a significant pause. ‘Papa was a very wealthy man, and he left everything to me.’
‘You are an heiress?’
‘Yes, I suppose I am. I was presented when I turned eighteen, almost two years ago.’
‘How exciting! Did you make your curtsey to the queen? What is she like?’
‘She is small and tragic. She misses her husband very much. I could have deduced that much, even if she did not swathe herself in black the entire time. Her attitude reminded me of the way the life went out of my father when he lost Mama. I remember that much about him, young though I was at the time.’ She took a deep breath and made an effort to shake off her melancholy. ‘Anyway, my aunt saw me through the rigmarole of being a debutante. She was in her element and I confess that I enjoyed all the attention I received; at least to begin with.’
‘And why should you not? You are very pretty, as well as being from a good family and independently wealthy. Any one of those attributes would have made you popular. Bundle them all together and…well, you deserved to enjoy being admired.’
‘I was admired, but I realised soon enough that my fortune was definitely the main attraction.’
‘And I am equally sure that it was not the only reason why you were so popular.’
‘We shall never know. I received several eligible offers during my first season, but none of those aspiring to become my husband stirred my passions, so I turned them down.’ She regarded Flora with a beseeching look in her eyes. ‘Is it so very wrong to want to marry for love, like Papa did?’
‘Not in the least,’ Flora replied briskly. ‘I would not countenance marriage for any other reason. Happily, my grandmother left me a small legacy. Nothing compared to your fortune, but enough for me to live modestly for the rest of my days when my duties here come to an end. I shall not have to depend upon any man unless I choose to do so, and I doubt whether that will happen. I am far too independently-minded to be told how to behave and what to do and say. Oh, hello you.’
‘Who…What is it?’ Louise sounded agitated. Flora sensed that having started to open up, she didn’t want interruptions. Flora didn’t either, since she was consumed with curiosity, but this particular distraction could be discreet.
‘Don’t worry.’ Flora held out a hand to Zeus, who stalked towards them, tail erect and twitching. ‘This is Zeus, the countess’s cat, who is more likely to scratch you then allow himself to be petted.’
‘He’s a handsome fellow. I like felines.’
‘Unfortunately, Zeus doesn’t like people much.’ Flora allowed her astonishment to show when Zeus condescended to rub his head against Louise’s skirts. He even permitted her to stroke his sleek back. ‘Well, you are honoured. Zeus is a very good judge of character. If he has taken a liking to you then I am convinced that whatever it is you think you have done, it cannot possibly be that bad.’
‘I am happy to hear you say so, even though I know you are quite wrong.’ Louise threw back her head and sighed. Zeus lost interest in her and wandered off to hide in the rushes, hopeful of catching a lazy fish unawares. ‘I was devasted when Papa died just before my second season. Naturally, I couldn’t show my face in society after that; nor did I have any desire to.’
‘That was over a year ago. Why are you only here now? I’m sorry if that’s an impertinent question, but it’s clear to me that you are very fond of your grandmother and keen to reacquaint yourself with your sister, so what held you back?’
‘My aunt is very controlling. More so than I had allowed myself to believe during my adolescence. I will not speak ill of her because, in many respects, she helped me though a very difficult period in my life.’
‘It was she who persuaded your father to send Marianne away?’
Louise sent Flora a probing look. ‘How could possibly know that?’
‘I have a sixth sense that seldom fails me.’ She smiled at Louise. ‘I am right, aren’t I?’
‘Yes.’ Louise made the admission reluctantly
, as though torn by deep-seated loyalty and an adult’s perception about a situation that she could not possibly have properly comprehended as a child. ‘I was only nine when I overheard her speaking to my father about Marianne. She kept saying that he would know no peace all the time he was obliged to look at the cause of Mama’s demise.’
‘What a wicked thing to say!’
‘Quite, which is why I put it from my mind and pretended not to have overheard.’ She gave a wan smile. ‘You know what they say about eavesdropping.’
‘A nine-year-old wouldn’t have fully comprehended the implications of your aunt’s words, so you did right to not think about it. There was nothing you could have done, and it would have made you feel wretched. Marianne, to the best of my knowledge, has been happy enough here in Swindon and has wanted for nothing.’ Flora wrinkled her brow. ‘Why was your aunt so keen to be rid of an innocent child, though? It sounds to me as though she has had a very comfortable time of it, living in your house with just you to supervise. What possible reason—’
‘As an adult I have noticed aspects of her character that were not evident to me as a child. Aspects that she was careful to keep concealed. At least all the time my father was alive. But now…well, now she wants to control me. Or more to the point, my fortune.’ Large, sombre eyes regarded Flora. ‘If I marry, her future may not be nearly as comfortable as it is now. I will run my own household and…well, I wouldn’t leave her destitute, but I am not sure that I would want her living with me anymore.’ She shook her head. ‘Is that a terribly wicked and ungrateful sentiment?’
‘Not in the least. The moment you told me that your aunt persuaded your father to separate you from your sister, I immediately suspected her of putting her own wellbeing ahead of yours and Marianne’s. Although why she should imagine her own comfort would suffer if she had two girls to supervise I have yet to decide. Anyway, speak as ill of her as you wish,’ Flora added, patting Louise’s hand. ’I shall not think worse of you.’
‘I am glad you are so easy to talk to. It is such a relief to unburden myself.’ Louise smiled at Zeus as he splashed in the shallow water, failing to catch a fish, then mewling indignantly and looking incensed. ‘We have argued a few times since Papa died, my aunt and I, and that didn’t happen when he was still alive. She was always careful to appear meek and obliging, I now realise, implying that she had made great personal sacrifices in order to make his life easier.’
Flora twitched her nose. ‘I am liking her less and less.’
‘With Papa gone, my aunt felt she had the right to tell me what to do and whom to associate with. She invited people to the house without first telling me. Gentlemen she was keen for me to associate with, despite the fact that I was still in half-mourning. We argued about it.’
‘How very crass of her.’
‘Quite. I escaped by riding in the park. I did so almost every day, in the company of a groom. Aunt Bess is no horsewoman, thank goodness. Anyway, during my morning rides I several times happened upon a lady with whom I was acquainted. We came out at the same time. Her name is Lady Antonia Cleethorp. I liked her and saw no reason not to accept an invitation to her house in Belgrave Square when she asked me to spend an afternoon with her.’
‘I am glad you found a friend, although I have an unsettling feeling that she might not have turned out to be quite what she seemed.’
‘How very astute of you.’ Louise swallowed. ‘Anyway, at first I was completely taken in by her. Perhaps I should have questioned her sudden reappearance in my life, given that my aunt thoroughly approved of the connection and encouraged it. Antonia said she was glad that our paths had crossed because she wanted to compare notes on our experiences since being presented.’ Louise allowed a significant pause. ‘And that is where I first made the acquaintance of her brother, Lord Darius, the Marquess of Somerset’s younger brother.’
‘Ah.’
‘He stirred my passions right away. He is very handsome, and appeared to be charming and obliging. He was easy company. Almost too perfect. He seemed to like me, paid me an inordinate amount of attention, and told me amusing stories that made me forget about my sadness in losing Papa. Naturally I took every opportunity to visit Antonia.’
‘And Lord Darius was always there.’
‘Yes. We used to walk in the grounds and I found myself opening up to him. Telling him all about Papa’s oddities, my difficulties with my aunt and my guilt at having inherited so much money when my sister had been completely overlooked. He said that the answer was obvious. That I ought to marry him. He would take good care of me, and Marianne could come to live with us if that was what I wanted.’
‘He was the answer to your prayers.’
‘Yes. Well, so I thought, but something held me back.’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘I still cannot say precisely what made me hesitate but I didn’t accept his proposal. In fact, I told him that I couldn’t even consider it until I was out of mourning. It would be disrespectful. That was the first time Lord Darius seemed anything other than obliging. It was clear to me that he was unaccustomed to rejection. I had seen the way other women reacted to him when I encountered him and his sister riding in the park, and knew how much in demand he actually was.’
‘He’s vain and self-assured?’ Flora asked, thinking how very different he sounded to Lord Hardwick. He was a marquess’s actual heir, not a mere younger son, and didn’t have a vain bone in his body.
‘He is, and I cannot abide vanity in either sex. If a person happens to be blessed with good looks it is not something to boast about at the expense of others.’
‘This facet of the man’s personality persuaded you to cut the connection and come to Swindon to put distance between you?’
‘No.’ Louise plucked abstractedly at a strand of grass. ‘Would that it had. My aunt learned of his proposal and actively encouraged me to accept him, but I refused to be rushed. I still don’t know what it was that held me back. In spite of the few character flaws that I had detected, I convinced myself that no one was perfect and that I was well on the way to being in love with my attentive suitor. He made me laugh at life’s absurdities and didn’t seem to take himself too seriously.’
‘What happened?’
‘Antonia and Darius called at Eaton Place to take tea with my aunt and me one day. After they had gone, I realised that Antonia had left her purse behind. It was a nice day so I decided to walk round to return it in person. I cut across the green and let myself in through the Cleethorps’ garden gate that backs onto it. I noticed Darius in the summerhouse. He didn’t see me because he appeared to be engaged in a violent argument. I could hear his voice quite distinctly, even though the door was closed. My curiosity got the better of me so I’m afraid I lingered behind some shrubs, wanting to know who had upset him. Darius had always seemed like the most even tempered of men, so I justified my eavesdropping by telling myself that if he was given to rages when he didn’t get his way, if this was another facet of his personality that he ordinarily kept hidden, then I needed to know about it.’
‘I would not have hesitated to listen, and I am a senior cleric’s daughter!’
Both ladies smiled but Flora could see the strain in Louise’s features and sensed that she had reached the crux of the matter. ‘This is harder than I imagined it would be,’ Louise said.
‘You haven’t told anyone else? Not your aunt? Your grandmother?’
She shook her head. ‘No, on one. My aunt would not be sympathetic and I really don’t want to disappoint my grandmother.’
‘Oh, you poor thing!’ Flora impulsively hugged the younger woman. ‘I don’t yet know what happened but can already tell that it has been a terrible burden for you to have carried alone.’
Flora’s sympathy and lack of judgement appeared to give Louise the strength to continue with her story. ‘The person in the summerhouse with Darius was a woman.’ She paused. ‘His lover.’ Louise glanced at Flora, who failed to show either shock or disapproval. ‘They were arguing a
bout me. The woman, whose name I have subsequently discovered is Felicity Brigstock, was berating Darius for not yet having persuaded me to marry him.’
‘Good heavens!’ Flora’s mouth fell open, but more in sympathy than because Louise’s revelation had surprised her. ‘Your money was their objective?’
‘Oh yes.’ Louise emitted a bitter little laugh. ‘Everything I had seen was a façade. Darius was barely on speaking terms with his brother, the marquess. I discovered this when I made discreet enquiries of a lady, a friend of my father’s, whose judgement I trusted. She told me that the marquess had washed his hands of him because he refused to doing anything useful to keep the family’s coffers full. The marquess had rescued him from several scrapes and quite lost all patience with him. He had not publicly denounced him because he didn’t want to drag the family name through the mud, but Darius knew he would get no further help from that quarter.’
‘You say it was not public knowledge, but if your father’s friend knew then I’m prepared to wager that most of society was also aware. I understand the ton is a hotbed of gossip. So it follows your aunt must have known about the man’s questionable reputation too, but didn’t warn you off.’ Flora shook her head in disgust. ‘Now I feel vindicated to have taken her in dislike without having even met her.’
‘Precisely. The house in Belgrave Square belongs to the marquess. His sister is welcome there. Darius is not. Darius used his brother’s temporary absence from England to make use of the house to impress and go on the prowl for a wealthy wife. Despite his reputation, he is still invited everywhere simply because he is who he is. He makes himself charming to the hostesses and a single gentleman to make up numbers is always welcome.’ Louise looked disgusted. ‘And to think that I almost fell for his disgusting flattery. Anyway, it seemed Felicity Brigstock was losing patience with Darius. They were madly in love but needed something to live on.’
‘The plan was for Darius to marry you and use your money to support the woman he really loved.’ Flora screwed up her nose. ‘How reprehensible.’
A Sense of Injustice (Perceptions Book 4) Page 8