by Mary Wood
‘My poor Katrina. Simon Bellinger is a cad of the worst order! How dare he treat you in a manner that, if you hadn’t had the sense to do as you did, would have compromised you! I will speak to Father. He won’t stand for such behaviour, and if he has a mind to, he will have Bellinger cast out from many circles that he wouldn’t want to be ostracized from. There are many people who have had enough of his arrogant ways. I don’t know a single lady who wants Bellinger to offer for them, but he struts around as if we would all fall at his feet!’
Henrietta was far more furious than Katrina thought the matter warranted. To her, Bellinger just needed to be shown that she was worthy of better treatment, but Henrietta was moved to wanting to destroy his standing altogether! ‘No, please don’t do that. He is one of Lord Frederick’s best friends. It might set us off on the wrong foot. Lord Frederick has already mentioned that he is to ask Lord Bellinger to be his best man.’
‘But Lord Frederick should know. He would surely be mortified that his future wife was treated in such a way.’
‘Let us see what Lord Bellinger has to say for himself, first. You will come with me?’
‘Yes, and that is another thing. He has no right to ask you to his private sitting room without asking you to bring someone with you. I am very suspicious of that. I should be on your guard at all times when dealing with him, my dear. It is as if he has a hidden agenda, where you are concerned.’
‘But why should he have?’
‘Katrina, you are very beautiful, and your father is very powerful in the same industry that Bellinger is in. To get his hands on your estate would make him the richest man in England! Bellinger has always liked power. He knows that you are vulnerable to gossip, and any blame would lie on your shoulders if there were to be a scandal. He could use that to force you into marrying him.’
‘B-but he’s Frederick’s best friend.’
‘Lord Bellinger is not anyone’s best friend. And you will do well to remember that. Now come along, let’s face this ogre together. It will be quite a shock to him to see me come in with you. You did the right thing to call for me. I’m looking forward to this.’
Katrina had a feeling that there was more depth than was warranted to Henrietta’s anger – and did she detect something more? Hurt? Yes, Henrietta was hurt, and Katrina didn’t think it was solely because Henrietta was affronted by the way Lord Bellinger had treated her. Henrietta had once expressed her feelings for Lord Bellinger. Oh God. Is she still in love with him?
Lord Bellinger stood as they entered. His face revealed his astonishment at Katrina having arrived with Henrietta in tow, but he quickly hid his surprise. ‘My Lady Henrietta? It is good of you to chaperone Miss Katrina. Though I must confess I am embarrassed that you have knowledge of my misdemeanour. I am ashamed of my behaviour, Miss Katrina, and beg your forgiveness. I did not mean to respond in the way I did, and it was an unforgivable slip of etiquette on my behalf. My saving grace is that I do have a deep regard for my Lord Rollinson, and I only sought to quash the thought that you had no feelings for him and that, in your attempt to climb the social ladder, you would, at the first show of admiration from another, more eligible man, have no compunction about leaving Lord Rollinson for a better catch. I was wrong to say what I did, though it has proven you to be more than worthy of my Lord Rollinson’s trust and affection. Indeed, had you not been betrothed to a friend, your show of spirit and dignity and your beauty would have seen me offering for your hand, as I would be entitled to. I am a worthy suitor, and your engagement has not yet been announced.’
Beside her, Katrina felt Henrietta stiffen and thought she would speak, but she remained silent.
With the shock of his veiled proposal causing her senses to reel, Katrina made a supreme effort to answer Lord Bellinger, though she had to admit that her reply would be at odds with the way he’d made her feel. His address had been given in the humblest of manners and in a seductive voice, a measure of which smouldered in his eyes.
Katrina chose her words with care. ‘My Lord Bellinger, I accept your apology and hope that, in your dealings with me in the future, you will give me the respect of my standing. Your wish to put me through a test of some kind has an arrogance that speaks of your disdain for me. I would not accept your proposal in any circumstances, should it be made, and find it in the poorest of taste that you would even think of offering for my hand. I am betrothed to your best friend, who I know will be mortified by your conduct towards me tonight.’
The ugliness of what lay inside Bellinger, which Henrietta had warned her of, came to the fore at this, and his face reddened. ‘If you knew the truth, I doubt you would think of that . . . that do-gooder above me. Lord Rollinson wears his heart on his sleeve! He has even fallen in love with a low-life murdering cripple! And if it wasn’t for me, he would now have her urchin of a sister to contend with as well. He proposed that I should take care of her until he could install her in his house. A child, just verging on becoming a woman – it’s vile, and it is ridiculous that you should consider marrying him. You are not in love with him. You hardly know him. He is a sleight-of-hand gambler – a man on his uppers who is grasping at you to save his estate and his title. And, my dear Katrina . . .’
His voice lowered as if he would deliver even more revolting accusations about Lord Rollinson, but he had no need to, for what he’d just said had kicked Katrina in the stomach. It was true; she didn’t know Lord Rollinson well, and now it seemed she knew him even less than she thought, though he had spoken to her of a crippled girl and her sisters and brothers. She knew they were the ones who had had a hand in Lord Bertram’s death, and about the trial and the older girl having gone missing. But she hadn’t detected that Frederick was in love with the girl, even though she had been surprised at his excessive concern for the family. If what Lord Bellinger had said was true, and if the way he spoke of Frederick was how he was perceived by those whom he would count as his friends, then she had been deceived!
Before Lord Bellinger could go on or Katrina could respond, Henrietta waded in. ‘Do not dear Katrina her! You are behaving like a first-class cad, of the order of a senior boy in school who cannot have his own way. You are despicable, My Lord. Lord Frederick is an honourable man, and I cannot think why you should wish to smear his name in this way. I will be speaking to my father about your behaviour. That is if I can even find words to express your vileness. Come along, Katrina. I will go home with you. I have some things to collect from my chamber, as I was to have been an overnight guest here, but I would stay with you instead, if – if you would do me the honour of having me?’
The catch in her voice prompted Katrina to realize what was troubling Henrietta throughout all this. There had been a time when Henrietta had gushed over the virtues of Lord Bellinger. Katrina felt convinced now that Henrietta still had feelings for him. Oh dear, she hoped not, as his behaviour tonight would have hurt her badly.
Furious with them and with himself, Lord Bellinger sat on the high-backed chair next to the blazing fire and pulled hard on the bell cord above him. The second footman appeared.
‘Get me a brandy. A large one. And if Riley isn’t seeing to my guests and keeping them happy, there will be hell to pay.’ Why he said this he didn’t know; it was a bit like kicking the cat. Riley, his butler, would, if anything, be over-attentive, knowing that he himself was indisposed for a time. He would be ordering the staff around, making sure everyone’s glass was replenished the moment their drink reached a quarter of an inch from the bottom, and would have told the pianist to begin playing, to cover any silences. Riley could be trusted in any circumstances.
Relaxing a little with the reassurance these thoughts gave him, he spoke in a more civil tone to the footman who had furnished him with a large brandy, and instructed him that Miss Arkwright and Lady Henrietta were leaving, and to see to whatever needed doing to assist them.
With this settled, Bellinger sat back and gave in to the feeling of despair that rested in him. God, how di
d it all go so badly! I’d set my heart on getting Katrina for myself. How can she prefer Lord Rollinson to me – the namby-pamby bloody virgin! Lover of the down-and-out!
Always there had been this resentment within him where Rollinson was concerned, something that had made him pleased that the man was down on his luck in life, and he’d known he’d want to keep Rollinson there, if he could. He much preferred to have him beholden to him than see him rise to an equal or, God forbid, elevated! Even when Rollinson had been a Viscount and was titled by etiquette as ‘Lord’, very few in their circle had used that address, and the term ‘Viscount’ had been used in a derogatory way. Being the second son, and with nothing of worth to his name, had diminished Rollinson’s ranking in the eyes of his peers. Bellinger had liked it that way. But now everything had changed, and Rollinson was an earl! And not only that, but a soon-to-be-very-rich earl. That standing would give him power over them all – something he hated the thought of. Bloody hell, it was all a bloody mess, and he’d just made it worse.
As he sat back and took another sip of his brandy, he knew his absence from his own ball would have been noted, and that he was committing a social faux pas by continuing it, but he just couldn’t face going back into the hub of the party yet.
And what of Lord Parvoil? A much-respected and powerful man on the social scene. Would he listen to his daughter? It was known that if he and his wife shunned anyone, most others would follow suit. Oh Lord, it’s all turned out to be a bloody disaster!
The prospect of facing the rest of the weekend hung heavily on him, as now he’d to spend most of it in the company of what would surely be a furious Lord Parvoil. But he’d no choice in the matter, as Lord and Lady Parvoil had nowhere else to go and wouldn’t dream of leaving tonight for London, a seemingly endless journey from Blackburn. Nor, although they would allow their daughter to, would they consider staying at the Arkwrights’ home, as that would elevate Arkwright’s standing. Lord Parvoil had been heard on many occasions to call Arkwright ‘that jumped-up ape of a man’, before going on to say that Arkwright had dared to take one of their class and lower her status, till she was no longer accepted amongst them. To explain his reasoning for letting his daughter befriend Katrina, he had said, ‘It is my affection for Lady Veronica that dictates my acceptance of her daughter, though of course the daughter has merits of her own and would be a good catch for anyone – even one of high standing.’
It had been this statement that had made Bellinger think of the possibility of offering for Katrina’s hand himself, though why he had sought earlier to put her in the place he had always held her – that of a commoner’s daughter – he didn’t know.
With the endorsement that Lord Parvoil had given Katrina, Bellinger knew that he could have asked for Katrina’s hand weeks ago. I’ve behaved like a damn fool!
Disappointment gnawed at him. He really had wanted Katrina’s hand. She’d found a place within him that no one else had touched. He’d been devastated when Lord Bertram had confided in him that he had approached Katrina’s father and been accepted; but then to hear of Bertram’s death and have the ridiculous, well-meaning, moralistic Frederick have the cheek to speak up for her hand within hours of his brother’s demise – well, it had taken the wind out of his sails, if the truth be known.
A knock at the door stopped his train of thought. ‘M’Lord, Lord Parvoil would like an audience with you.’
Bloody hell! ‘Please tell My Lord that I have to re-join my guests, and ask if what he wishes to discuss can wait until the morrow. Of course if it is urgent, then I will see him now.’
Urgent? The man probably wants to rip me apart! All he could hope for was that propriety would see Lord Parvoil wait – if what he wanted to say would be disagreeable. After all, an argument at such an important event in the calendar as this ball would cause embarrassment to all.
A few minutes later Bellinger found that such considerations didn’t matter to the pompous Parvoil and, much to his chagrin, he was forced to meet Parvoil in the library.
‘Bellinger, this will not wait. I am extremely angry. What did you think you were playing at? To embarrass one of your guests and, even more, to insult them is bad form, but to do so in front of my daughter is unforgivable. Henrietta is very fond of Katrina. And, for some reason, of you! I had it in mind to approach you on Henrietta’s behalf, but now she wouldn’t have anything to do with you, and neither will we!’
This shocked him. He hadn’t imagined such a scenario. Henrietta, good God! He’d never thought of her in that way. She was just jolly old Henrietta – always proper, of course, but also ever ready for a laugh. and a jolly good sort to boot. What the hell have I done? The Parvoil connection would mean far more to him than the Arkwright one – far, far more. Somehow he had to turn this around. All he could think of doing was discrediting Katrina.
‘My Lord, I am gravely sorry. None of it happened in the way Miss Katrina must have put it across. That young lady had a mind to flirt with me. She sought me out and engaged me in talk about my artwork. No doubt Lord Rollinson had told her how fond I am of it. When she asked if she might accompany me to the Regency Room, where the works are displayed, I told her I would be glad to take her if she would bring Lady Henrietta along. My reasoning for that was twofold: on the one hand, I could see by her manner that she was trying to seduce me. Her recent involvement in the Earl of Harrogate’s family, methinks, has made her realize she is worthy of anyone’s hand – and not just someone who is desperate to be saved by her money. I also had the ulterior motive of wanting to be in Lady Henrietta’s company. What you have said has gladdened my heart, as I have felt unworthy of Henrietta’s hand and knew many were vying for it. I hadn’t joined them, because I didn’t want to be rebuffed.’
‘Hmm, well, that puts a different light on things, but why then did you send for Katrina, to beg her forgiveness?’
‘Miss Katrina took umbrage at me for asking her to have a chaperone present; she made it clear what her intentions were. She said, “If I do that, then we won’t be alone, My Lord, and for what I have in mind, we need to be.”’
Lord Parvoil looked suitably shocked, which pleased Bellinger. I am winning the game!
‘Unfortunately, Lord Parvoil, as you must know, low breeding will out, and Miss Katrina is very low-bred on her father’s side. Anyway, I told her how disgusted I was with her and that she had insulted my very best friend, the Earl of Harrogate, by her proposal, and at this she stormed off. I naturally sent for her to apologize for my outburst, which was maybe more than the way I would have dealt with this situation, had it not involved Lord Rollinson, who is very dear to me.’
‘Well, the little minx! But there is something not quite right here. Henrietta was very upset, but she distinctly said that you confirmed in your apology what Katrina had said.’
‘Once I saw she had Lady Henrietta with her, I could not do other than take the blame for my part, and leave what she had done unsaid. It would have been ungentlemanly of me to discredit Katrina in front of Lady Henrietta. It was enough that I knew that Miss Katrina understood how I felt about her antics, even though, to save her embarrassment, I veiled them a little, so that the meaning wouldn’t be plain to Lady Henrietta, as of course I had her feelings in mind at all times.’
‘Did you make a marriage proposal to Katrina?’
‘I did not! She twisted my words. She made it look as if that was my meaning, and prompted me to get very angry. And, as anyone would in that situation – with the added trigger of having the woman I truly love present – I confess to losing my temper. I even vented my disgust at my friend the Earl of Harrogate’s nature! I am mortally sorry at having done so. He is a friend, and now, if he continues with his plans to marry the girl, he may well hear how I feel about the way he conducts himself in his gambling habits, and about offering for his brother’s betrothed before Bertram’s body was even cold.’
‘You mean, Katrina was to marry Bertram?’
‘Yes. Purely
for money, you understand. The Rollinsons are almost out on their arse, if you will forgive the expression. And the Arkwrights would sell their own daughter to get a foot back in society. It all leaves a bad taste in the mouth. However, I am a loyal person, and I will be sorry if Katrina’s antics and lies lead Lord Rollinson to break our friendship. I truly value him as a friend, and have tried to guide him in the way he should behave.’
‘Oh, my dear boy. This is all very bad form. We all have things we don’t like about those we are close to, but we hope never to voice them. I see you have been put in a position where you had no choice. I think you will have to speak to the Earl and tell him what happened . . . May I?’
Lord Parvoil had picked up the decanter of brandy and waved it at him. Then he put up his hand to stay Lord Bellinger from ringing the bell.
‘I can manage, and there is a glass on the tray. We don’t need any interruptions.’
Into the silence that followed this came the satisfying glug of brandy, as Parvoil filled the spare glass standing next to the half-empty one that Lord Bellinger had discarded earlier. Taking a swallow and screwing up his eyes as the excellent, smooth liquid hit his throat, giving what Bellinger knew was a satisfying burn before it hit the stomach with a warmth that soothed, Lord Parvoil let out a long sigh and raised the glass. ‘Mmm, very good. Now, as you say, breeding will out. I can’t believe that Lady Veronica hasn’t had more influence over her daughter than that. She seemed to be doing so. She sent both of her daughters to good schools and is seeking good husbands for them. Well, this puts a very different light on things. I will send for Henrietta to come back immediately.’