Gamble With Hearts

by Hilary Gilman

  Mrs Wrexham's gaze rested fondly upon her daughter. ‘Yes indeed, sir, Charlotte is the greatest comfort to me. I do not know how I should go on without her. But perhaps you mistake your daughter. If, as you say, you have seen little of her, perhaps she may be shy. How old is she?’

  ‘Amelia is just sixteen, ma’am. I daresay she is shy for she has never a word for me, although I have heard her chattering merrily enough to her Aunt. You see, the case is that my wife did not survive Amelia's birth by more than a week —’ He smiled as Mrs Wrexham gave a little exclamation of distress. ‘Please do not concern yourself, dear ma'am, all this was a very long time ago. The difficulty is that Amelia has of necessity been in the care of female relatives except when attending a seminary in Bath, and so we have seen almost nothing of each other. Perhaps I have been at fault. Now I hope to remedy this by bringing Amelia to live with me in town.’

  Mrs Wrexham warmly expressed her approbation; ‘I feel sure, sir, that once you know each other better you will find in your Amelia the same solace that dear Charlotte brings to me.’

  The Marquis smiled. ‘How strange it seems to be, talking so to a stranger and yet, ma'am, it has done me good. Would it be too much to ask that I might bring Amelia to see you in town? I think it would give her great pleasure.’

  ‘We would be delighted,’ she answered sincerely. The remainder of the evening passed pleasantly enough. Charlotte challenged Mt Edridge to a game of Back gammon while the elder couple engaged in a comfortable and not very serious game of cribbage. The ladies retired early and arose the next morning to find that the snow had miraculously melted and the road was once more passable. They breakfasted with Mr Edridge who was as anxious to be off as they and who requested, with a return to his earlier embarrassment, that he might be permitted to call upon them at Lady Northwood's house. This permission granted, he departed in the highest spirits, prophesying that they would all have the jolliest time in the great metropolis.

  The Marquis had not yet made an appearance by the time the ladies left but Mrs Wrexham left a polite note with Mr Cratchett, assuring him that he was welcome to call upon them and giving their direction. She was just a little sorry that she was unable to say farewell in person; but she quickly scolded herself for such foolishness, and was able to set off without betraying the smallest lack of spirits to the sharp eye of her daughter.

  The remainder of their journey was quite uneventful, indeed tediously so. Both ladies were quite sick of travelling by the time the carriage drew up in Hill Street, for they had been, altogether, nine days upon the road. The house seemed immensely tall and imposing to Charlotte, fresh from the country, nor was she reassured when the door was opened to them by a butler of awe-inspiring dignity. They were ushered into a charmingly decorated salon and had time only to admire the exquisite taste of their hostess before she sailed into the room, her arms outstretched to welcome them.

  Twenty years earlier, when the beautiful Cunningham sisters had arrived in London to take the ton by storm, there had been little to choose between them, either in looks or in spirit. Letitia, two years the elder at nineteen, was perhaps a little more dashing. Fanny had by far the sweeter nature. It was pretty generally agreed that they were the loveliest debutantes of the season by far. They were by no means heiresses, but their portions were respectable and therefore no one was the least surprised when Letitia gratified her well-wishers by becoming betrothed to the eminently suitable Lord Northwood. This gentleman, now unfortunately deceased, had doted upon his young bride and would no doubt have been happy to give her sister Fanny a home indefinitely had not she astounded the polite world by refusing the advances of a duke in order to elope with an impecunious young scholar. How or where she had met this young man was never discovered; but as they were married before her shocked relatives had discovered them, and as Mr Wrexham was of an old and unexceptionable family, she was not utterly cast off.

  Intercourse between the two families had been discouraged but the sisters had kept up an affectionate, if infrequent, correspondence, and Lady Northwood had several times visited her sister while staying with the Devonshires at Chatsworth.

  Both ladies were very much affected by their reunion. Mrs Wrexham shed tears as she clasped her sister to her and Lady Northwood could not be dry-eyed.

  ‘Dearest, dearest Fanny!’ she cried, smiling through her tears. ‘How happy this makes me! Now you must take off your bonnets and tell me all your news.’ Releasing Mrs Wrexham, she proceeded to embrace her niece affectionately and then held her at arms' length, surveying her with the eye of an expert. ‘Very well, my dear, very well indeed. You are improved out of all recognition. Such a dreadful tomboy you were when last I saw you. All arms and legs. I declare, it will be a positive pleasure to take you about for you will do me so much credit!’

  Charlotte smiled and kissed her Aunt's scented cheek. She had not seen Lady Northwood in several years and she was relieved to find that her aunt was just as kind and warm-hearted as she remembered.

  Recovering from the first joy of welcome, Lady Northwood scolded herself for keeping her visitors standing in such a thoughtless way and quickly bustled them upstairs to their respective chambers. She left Charlotte with strict instructions to lie down upon her bed and rest, which advice Charlotte, who was sadly fatigued, was only too happy to follow. An abigail was waiting to attend her and she was very soon divested of her soiled travelling garments and wrapped in a pretty dressing gown. She fell asleep, marvelling at the luxury of the room and the very real comfort to be derived from a huge coal fire in the bedchamber, an extravagance unknown in her former home.

  Meanwhile, Lady Northwood and Mrs Wrexham were indulging in a long and comfortable gossip. The elder lady told her sister how impressed she was with Charlotte and Mrs Wrexham preened herself as she drank in this praise of her beloved daughter.

  ‘I have seldom seen such a beautiful girl, Fanny, and I have seen the pick of the debutantes for the last twenty years. To be sure, it is unfortunate that she has no portion, but with looks like hers I cannot think that it will prove a serious drawback.’

  ‘I hope you are right, my love, for I tell you quite frankly, that every penny I have has gone upon Charlotte's back, and although I should never want her to marry for purely mercenary reasons, I do not know what is to become of us if we are unsuccessful.’

  Lady Northwood looked a little conscious. She was a kind-hearted woman and she would have liked to offer her sister assistance. However, the jointure upon which she lived was only just adequate to her own needs and, although she lived in a charming house, she was frequently obliged to apply to her son for assistance. This, to do him justice, the present Lord Northwood never refused to give, but he was inclined to lecture his mama upon the virtues of economy. She did not feel that he would appreciate her extending an indefinite invitation to her sister and niece.

  ‘I cannot believe that you have anything to worry about, my dear. Charlotte should go off very easily,’ she assured her sister. ‘I prophesy that we will be planning the nuptials by the end of the season.’

  Mrs Wrexham smiled gratefully at her sister. ‘Tell me, Letty, who is in town that I might remember? It feels so strange to be here once more. I barely recognised this street, for it is vastly changed.’

  ‘'Tis certainly less exclusive,’ conceded Lady Northwood. ‘Why, I am surrounded by a lot of Cits. However, we need not notice them. As for the rest, you will remember Arabella Weston? She was so pleased to hear that you were coming to me. Then there are the Seftons, the Wellesleys, of course, you know the scandal? My dear Lady Jersey had but this week returned to town—’

  As Lady Northwood chatted on, recalling to her sister's mind this or that old friend, Mrs Wrexham allowed herself to be drawn into a happy daydream in which she was once more able to take her place in Society, the place she had cast away so recklessly in her youth.

  She was recalled abruptly to herself when the name Ruthin suddenly cropped up in her sister's rambling
discourse.

  ‘Such a distinguished, elegant man, my dear Fanny,’ she was saying. ‘Though he is a little old for dear Charlotte. However, we need not despair for he is but forty after all.’

  ‘I am a little acquainted with Ruthin myself,’ admitted Mrs Wrexham tentatively. ‘I do not think he would suit Charlotte at all!’

  ‘Acquainted with the Marquis! Why, how is this?’ demanded Lady Northwood, much astonished.

  Mrs Wrexham briefly recounted the history of the meeting, but she seemed unwilling to discuss the matter with her sister and quickly changed the subject. She diverted her hostess by demanding to know what plans she had made to introduce Charlotte to the Ton. Nothing loath, Lady Northwood plunged into the details of the entertainment she had in store for them. As these included a grand ball, a rout party, several dinners and, when the weather became more clement, a picnic, Mrs Wrexham was able to relax in the knowledge that nothing was being left undone in order to introduce the lovely Miss Wrexham to the cream of London society.

  The three ladies spent a quiet evening at home, an unusual event in Lady Northwood's busy life. The two elder ladies plunged into an orgy of reminiscences, while Charlotte passed the time in delightful daydreams in which a fabulously wealthy suitor presented himself to her in the guise of a handsome and dashing hero

  THREE

  Any qualms that Mrs Wrexham might have felt upon Charlotte's behalf were very quickly put to rest. The Ton might be blasé, but even their jaded eyes seldom met with a sight to equal Miss Wrexham in a fern-green velvet spencer trimmed with swansdown and worn with a dashing bonnet lavishly quilted and tied under one ear in a fetching bow. Lady Northwood had prophesied that Charlotte would take London by storm, and as she seldom ceased to point out, she was absolutely right. From her first appearance in the Park the very morning after their arrival, Charlotte was besieged by a score of admirers. The knocker was never still, bouquets appeared in their dozens. It soon seemed that their investment would pay off lavishly.

  One of their earliest visitors was the bashful Mr Edridge accompanying a stylish lady with a well-bred sensible manner, who introduced herself as Mrs Carstairs, sister to her young escort. Charlotte was unaffectedly glad to see Mr Edridge again and very pleased indeed to add his companion to her circle of acquaintances. The two young women were strongly drawn to each other. Both were characterised by a certain elegance of mind as much as of person, and before long Miss Wrexham had begged that her new friend would call her Charlotte and was privileged to call her Helen in return.

  ‘That makes me feel very comfortable,’ Charlotte confided. ‘I have no friends in London and to be called Miss Wrexham the whole time makes me feel such a stranger.’

  ‘I hope you will count me very much your friend,’ responded Helen with a warm smile.

  ‘I should be very happy.’

  ‘Then perhaps you would care to accompany me upon a little jaunt we are making to Richmond Park tomorrow. Just my brother here, my husband and one other couple. We are to drive in two barouches and will have luncheon there. Do come.’

  As Mrs Wrexham raised no objection to this unexceptionable excursion, Charlotte gladly assented and it was arranged that her friends would collect her at ten the following morning.

  The next day was bright and clear although cold enough for Charlotte to be grateful for the loan of her aunt's furs. The party arrived in Hill Street in excellent time, being no more than half an hour late. They were prevailed upon to enter the house in order to partake of chocolate and ratafia biscuits and, in the end, left for Richmond only a little more than an hour and a half later than intended.

  Charlotte had naturally heard much of this charming little town and was particularly delighted with the great park. Early in the year though it was, the crocus and the snowdrops had been encouraged by the unseasonable sunshine to appear and this circumstance, combined with the fine crisp weather, made the expedition an unqualified success.

  Upon closer acquaintance, Helen Carstairs seemed to Charlotte to be the epitome of the happy young matron. She was obviously devoted to her spouse, a quiet, gentlemanly man, and looked forward to a happy event in the autumn. Miss Wrexham could not suppress a pang of envy quickly smothered. However, she did not allow her enjoyment of the day to be spoiled, and so great was this that it was not until three o'clock that the barouches set out for the London road.

  It was not so many years in the past that travellers would have gone to any lengths to avoid being benighted upon this lonely stretch of road, but in modern times only the most timorous would have felt any qualms. Therefore, when upon approaching a clump of trees a group of horsemen suddenly appeared and ranged themselves across the highway, the occupants of the carriages were as much astonished as apprehensive. Unfortunately, none of the men of the party had thought it necessary to arm themselves and although their courage was unquestioned there seemed little they could do against six or seven armed ruffians.

  The carriages were quickly surrounded and the occupants adjured to step down and to hand over their valuables on pain of all kinds of horrors.

  It occurred to Charlotte, who was regarding one of the villains closest to her with a contemptuous eye, that he seemed to be experiencing some difficulty in suppressing his hilarity. Moreover, the horse he held so easily was a beautiful animal, highly bred and extremely expensive. Charlotte lifted her eyes from contemplation of the horse to discover that the rider was watching her, and behind his mask his eyes were dancing. No one was attending to them as she demanded quietly: ‘Who are you?’

  ‘A gentleman of the road, ma'am. At your service,’ he replied in a cultured voice, doffing his hat and bowing over the horse's withers with an exaggerated flourish.

  ‘I hope you will not be offended if I say that you do not look like a highwayman,’ returned Miss Wrexham with deceptive sweetness.

  ‘My dear, no one as lovely as you could possibly offend,’ he answered lightly and, bending swiftly, he planted a kiss upon her indignant mouth.

  ‘As I said, you do not look like a highwayman,’ said Miss Wrexham through gritted teeth. ‘You do look very like an ill-mannered demi-beau however, and you behave like an attorney's clerk on a spree!’

  ‘Why, you little—!’ He was interrupted, perhaps fortunately, at this point by one of his confederates, who having cantered to his side, captured his attention by the simple expedient of grabbing his coat tail.

  ‘I say old fellow, it’s no g-go. They're the wrong p-party!’

  ‘Well! of all shabby things!’ ejaculated the highwayman in disgusted tones. ‘Now we have it all to do again and I'm damned if I'm going to hang around in this dashed draughty spot any longer!’

  ‘I say, Charles, I mean, ladies p-present!’

  ‘Oh, pray do not mind me, sir,’ responded Miss Wrexham composedly. ‘I have already suffered so much insult at the hands of this gentleman that a little vulgar language has no power to distress me!’

  The highwayman, who had been listening to this speech in great indignation, at once began to argue that he had in no way insulted the lady; and a promising quarrel was under way when yet another footpad appeared and in less refined accents informed Charlotte's tormentor that if he did not want to get nabbed nor end his days on the nabbing cheat, they had best lope off seeing as how they'd held up the wrong victim in any event.

  Both gentlemen seemed struck by the force of this and prepared to follow their already disappearing colleagues. Before leaving, however, Charlotte's tormentor swept her a bow of awe-inspiring politeness and in arctic tones begged her pardon for any inconvenience he might have caused her. Charlotte, with equal politeness, assured him that she did not at all regard it, and the highwayman took leave of his victim for all the world as though he had been paying a morning call. As he rode off down the twilit highway there drifted towards him the sound of laughter and, turning in the saddle, he saw Miss Wrexham doubled up over the side of the carriage in paroxysms of mirth while her friends looked on in consternat
ion. Beneath his mask his own eyes began to sparkle, a chuckle rose in his throat and speedily turned into a roar of laughter. He was still laughing when he reached his friends. ‘I d-don't see what's so d-dashed amusing, Charles,’ remarked one of these gentlemen in a reproachful tone.

  ‘Lord, neither do I,’ replied Charles, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘I suppose we must face it. He ain't coming now.’

  ‘P-perhaps the blackguard got wind of what we meant t-to d-do,’ suggested the other. ‘You were d-dashed indiscreet in the club the other night.’

  ‘Well, in any event he will never play there again, the damn cheat,’ remarked a third young man, bringing his horse up to join them. ‘They've orders from Ruthin to throw him out if he shows his greasy face again!’

  ‘That's all very well, Ricky, but he still got away with the rest of this quarter's allowance; not to mention that plaguey ring that's been in the family since the dark ages! What am I supposed to do? Go on a repairing lease at this season?’

  ‘You could do worse, Charles m'boy. You've been playing mighty close to the wind, even before this affair. If you ain't dashed careful you'll be rolled up.’

  ‘Damn you, Ricky, don't keep prosing on. I shall come about. Besides, I have a particular reason for staying in town just now.’

  ‘What's that, Charles?’ demanded his friend in foreboding.

  ‘None of your business,’ returned that gentleman, a dark flush rising into his cheeks. ‘But I ain't leaving. That's certain!’

  As nothing occurred to disrupt the perfect tranquillity of the rest of the drive, Charlotte and her friends arrived home in good time for dinner. They parted at Lady Northwood's door, although Charlotte's friends still felt a good deal of concern for her, being persuaded that her recent behaviour had its root in the shock which any delicately bred young female must feel at being addressed by such a ruffian. Miss Wrexham assured her kind friends that she was perfectly well, but Mrs Carstairs insisted that she would call the following morning to make quite certain of her welfare. She then recommended her protégée to retire early to bed, but Charlotte was engaged that night to go to Lady Marston's masquerade and she had no intention of missing the treat. Charlotte, whose own ball was not to be held until the following week, should not really have been attending any kind of party, but as she was to be masked Lady Northwood had decided that she should be permitted the indulgence. A domino of her favourite apple-green had been purchased and a loo mask completed her disguise. Accustomed as she was to country assemblies, Charlotte was quite unprepared for the sight that met her eyes as she ascended the stairs to Lady Marston's enormous ballroom. A very large proportion of the polite world then residing in town were already disporting themselves upon the dance floor and Charlotte found the glittering sight almost overwhelming. Her hostess was a very old friend of Lady Northwood's. Indeed, she perfectly remembered Mrs Wrexham also, and was genuinely delighted to see her again. She lost no time in procuring an eligible partner for Charlotte before leading her two friends to the dowagers' chairs in order to indulge in a comfortable gossip. Charlotte's partner was a bashful youth but an elegant dancer, and she was very happy to stand up with him again for the second dance. After this she was returned to her mama and was obliged to watch the other dancers for a while. However, no one as beautiful as she could remain a wallflower for long and soon she was discovered by the gentlemen to be by far the loveliest girl in the room. She had no lack of partners for the rest of the evening and was taken in to supper by a young man who, her aunt informed her in a whisper, was worth ten thousand a year at least. Having consumed the dainties provided by their hostess, the fashionable throng once more made their way to the ballroom. A few energetic souls made up a set but the majority of the guests were content to sit about chattering, awaiting the general unmasking that was to take place at midnight. Mrs Wrexham began to think about departing as she wished to avoid the necessity of Charlotte's unmasking. Far better that her identity should remain a mystery for a little longer. She was more than satisfied with Charlotte's reception and was able to look forward to their own ball with keen enjoyment. Miss Wrexham, meanwhile, who was feeling rather hot and fatigued, had found herself a seat away from the rest of the party and was sitting with her cheek resting upon her hand, her eyes gazing dreamily out of the curtained window. Suddenly a shadow fell across her and looking quickly up she found herself staring into the dancing blue eyes of the handsomest young man she had ever seen. ‘So here you are,’ remarked a well-remembered voice. ‘I've been searching for you all over London!’