‘Enchanted.’ Hyde sounded puzzled.
‘Tiens,’ he slipped back into French. ‘I might have known, the little devil. She did not tell you about me?’
‘Not a word. What should she have?’
Josephine stirred, put a hand to her brow, and pulled herself up among the cushions. ‘What happened?’ And then, on a note Juliet had never heard before, ‘Claude! It’s true! I wasn’t dreaming: you’re alive!’
‘Well, naturally, if a trifle the worse for wear after three long years in Russia. You despair too easily, ma mie. At least —’ He looked from her to Juliet, then back to Hyde. ‘Forgive me, sir, but which one is your wife?’
‘Josephine.’ Hyde’s voice was toneless.
‘She’s not, you know, she’s mine.’ And, as the silence lengthened, he bent down, pulled Josephine into his arms and kissed her roundly to prove it.
Over their heads, Hyde’s eyes met Juliet’s in a long, deep exchange. ‘So that’s it,’ he said at last. And, to Tarot-Joinville, ‘No wonder you thought you had a likely subject for blackmail.’
‘Touché.’ Very gently, Joinville put Josephine back among her cushions. ‘Believe me, monsieur, I would much rather have my wife.’
‘Or best of all, perhaps, both?’
He laughed. ‘You’re right, of course. We’ve always lived by our wits, my Josephine and I. In so far as we have had an “always”. And, do you know, sir, I begin to think there is hope for us yet.’ His bright, intelligent eye travelled from Hyde to Juliet and back. ‘Silence is golden, n’ est ce pas?’
‘It is indeed,’ Hyde’s voice was dry. ‘But, before she comes fully to herself, perhaps I should tell you what your wife has been busy about.’
‘Your wife too,’ reminded Joinville.
‘Precisely. Our mutual problem. Do you know, I find myself delighted to meet you, sir. I am glad to know that it is your charm, not my lack of it, that made my marriage to your wife so disastrous a failure. However,’ Joinville had been about to interrupt, but he held up a hand for silence, ‘you do need to know what she has been doing to console herself for her disappointment in me.’
‘Yes.’ Joinville’s smile could be surprisingly charming. ‘Nothing my little devil does can really surprise me. You should have seen her when we first met. But this is no time to be indulging in reminiscences. As you so justly observe —’ Settled beside her on the sofa, he gathered Josephine into a still firmer embrace, ‘while she is, miraculously, still silent, I had best know what she has been doing.’
‘Just trying to free Napoleon from St. Helena, that’s all.’
‘To free Napoleon! Tais toi!’ Josephine had sat up and tried to speak. ‘Have you run mad, ma mie? If you could do it, which I doubt, he’d be hissed out of France, the poor man. No, no, that dream’s over. We must think of a new one, you and I.’ His speculative eye was fixed on Hyde. ‘I think I begin to see it take shape already.’
‘I’m sure you do,’ said Hyde. ‘But perhaps I should warn you that Josephine has spent most if not all of the large sum I settled on her when we were “married”. On a ship.’
‘To fetch Napoleon! What a little idiot.’ And then, with a flashing upward glance at Juliet, ‘My congratulations, madame, you had me entirely convinced you were dependent for every sou on your husband.’
‘Well, so I was,’ said Juliet reasonably. ‘Since I could not very well forge Josephine’s signature to get at her bank account.’ And then, ‘Good gracious, Hyde! You had realised that too. That’s why you gave me money, let me win at cards …’
‘Well, of course.’ He brought forward a chair for her. ‘I said you had underestimated me, you two. But, come, there is a great deal to be decided, and very little time. My wife and I must appear at Mr. Scarbrough’s dinner for the President.’
Josephine pulled herself out of Joinville’s arms. ‘I must start changing at once!’ And then, ‘Oh, my God!’
‘Precisely. You are beginning to see, at last, how the case is altered. I take it there is no question about your marriage, Joinville?’
‘Not the least in the world. Religious and civil. I was taking no chances, in that chaos before Waterloo.’
‘So —’ Josephine looked from one to the other with large eyes.
‘You’re a bigamist, my dear,’ said Hyde. ‘I don’t rightly know what the penalty is ... Some term of imprisonment, I expect. Judge James would be able to tell us. He will undoubtedly be at the dinner tonight.’
‘But you won’t — you wouldn’t —’
‘No. At least, not if you are reasonable.’
‘And that means?’
‘That you disappear, as you had intended Juliet to do. I am sure we can leave the details in the capable hands of your husband. Oh’ — as an afterthought — ‘I was sorry to hear you got so poor a price for the sapphire necklace, Joinville.’
Joinville spread out his hands in a deprecatory gesture. ‘You know everything, it seems. Yes, he did me, that miserable Scot; he smelled something odd about the whole business from the start.’ He laughed. ‘This has been a mismanaged affair throughout. Frankly, I’m ashamed of myself. Can I be losing my touch?’
‘No, no,’ said Hyde soothingly. ‘You could hardly be expected to allow for twins. I take it Josephine did not tell you, as she did me?’
‘We had other things to talk about. But the devil of it is,’ he and Hyde were addressing each other almost like old friends by now, ‘you see me before you penniless, or as near as makes no difference. And you —’ he turned with loving fury on Josephine, ‘you must go and squander a fortune on a ship. What in the world are we to do with a ship?’
‘I think you had best sell it to me,’ said Hyde. ‘That, with what remains of the future I settled on your wife should see you well started in life. In Europe, for choice.’
‘In Europe, of course. I’ve always thought, had I but the capital, that I could make a fortune out of a gambling house. With a hostess to run the place, of course.’ He smiled lovingly at Josephine. ‘What do you say, my torment?’
‘Oh, yes!’ said Josephine. ‘And we’ll sail on the Savannah, as you meant to do, Juliet. It will be the greatest thing!’
‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ said Hyde. ‘You’ll travel in complete secrecy and at your best speed, overland at least as far as Norfolk, better still to New York, and take ship from there. I’m not chancing some stray Savannahian spotting the resemblance at this eleventh hour and giving the game away!’
‘The game!’ Joinville slapped Josephine’s thigh delightedly. ‘You mean you intend to play it out! Sir, I salute you. How glad I am I decided not to call you out and kill you. You’re positively a man after my own heart. You’ll brazen it out here, with —’
‘My wife.’ Hyde’s tone was quelling. ‘As soon as I can make her so.’ His smile melted Juliet’s bones. ‘Forgive me, my love, this must be the strangest proposal upon record.’
‘And a pretty belated one at that,’ said Josephine sharply. ‘Not but what I’m glad, of course, that you intend to make an honest woman of my cousin. Ouch!’ Joinville had slapped her sharply on the cheek.
‘You forget yourself,’ he said. ‘Apologise, at once.’ And, to Hyde, ‘My apologies too, sir, but it seems to me that you have let her get deplorably out of hand.’
Hyde had looked dangerous for a moment, but now he recovered himself and laughed ruefully. ‘I can hardly boast that I ever had her in hand. I am only delighted to see that I can trust you to honour our bond.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Joinville. ‘She’ll do what I tell her. Your apology, ‘Phine.’
‘I’m sorry, Ju.’ It came out sullenly, and with a little spiteful laugh, ‘I should have known the two of you better. Such patterns of perfection.’
‘That’s enough,’ said her husband.
‘Quite enough.’ Hyde looked at his watch. ‘Time’s passing. We must dress for Mr. Scarbrough’s dinner. I suggest you two remain in my study until full dark. I’ll give orde
rs for you to be set across the river then. After that, I rely on your discretion, Joinville. One breath of scandal about this, whether it’s your fault or not, and the deal is off. You will have to take the Liberty (Josephine’s ship) for her dowry. But if all goes well, her price shall be paid to any agent you name — in New York, next month.’
‘And my Frenchmen?’ asked Josephine. ‘My faithful followers?’
‘Will disband themselves fast enough when they get no news of you. But still, if you like, and to make assurance doubly sure, you had best tell me how to get in touch with their leader. What did you call yourself, by the way?’
‘Madame de Joinville, of course.’
‘Well, that’s something to be thankful for. Say goodbye to your cousin, Juliet.’
‘And the expenses of the journey?’ asked Joinville.
‘I’ve funds in my study to cover that.’
‘Please.’ Juliet had risen from her chair to come forward and stand between Hyde and Josephine. ‘Hyde?’
‘Yes?’
‘May we not give them the sapphires? It was almost a promise. And I’ll never wear them.’
‘They’re yours,’ said Hyde. ‘Do what you like with them.’
‘Here, then!’ She hurried over to the alcove and fetched the leather box. ‘Think of me sometimes, Jo, when you wear them?’
‘Ju! I’m sorry!’ Suddenly, they were both crying, their arms round each other in an embrace that wiped out the past.
‘Write to me sometimes!’
‘Of course I will.’
Hyde and Joinville exchanged a long glance, that said, more clearly than words, ‘Women!’
‘Time to be gone!’ Hyde opened the boudoir door so suddenly that Alice and Anne fell into the room. Behind them, the staircase was lined with gawping black faces. For an instant, he was rigid with rage, then, almost mildly. ‘What in the devil’s name are you all doing here?’
‘Satan saw him climb in,’ explained Anne. ‘We were waiting to make sure …’
‘He didn’t eat me alive? Then I can only thank you all kindly and point out that I am quite capable of taking care of myself. Now, scoot, the lot of you, and if one word of this night’s work gets out, I’ll flay every man jack of you, free or not.’
A roar of delighted laughter from the stairway saluted his words and convinced Juliet that they had managed to hear enough to know just how the land lay. Well, so much the simpler.
Suddenly, amazingly, she was alone with Anne and Alice. She drew a deep breath. ‘We’re likely to be late for Mr. Scarbrough’s dinner,’ she said. ‘I’ll wear the green, Alice, and the Winchelsea emeralds.’
***
With Anne and Alice both helping, she managed the change in ten minutes. ‘Anne!’ She was fastening the second emerald earring. ‘See if Mr. Purchis is ready and can spare me a moment before we go.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Curiously, indefinably, something had changed in their relationship.
Hyde tapped on her door a few moments later, immaculate in evening dress. ‘My dear!’ He kissed her hand. And then, with a laugh, ‘Did it never occur to you that you spent a most suspiciously short time on your toilette?’
‘Oh!’ She made a face at him. ‘Must you go on convincing me that I’m a hopeless conspirator! But, Hyde, I wanted to see you ... before we ... before they go. You will make sure, won’t you, that they have enough funds? Anne and Alice are sorting out a collection of gowns that won’t be missed, but, really, everything should be Josephine’s ... Not just the sapphires ... After all, it’s not her fault —’
‘No.’ His smile was heart-warming. ‘So much as our good fortune. If she married me without love, why, so, I now realise, did I her. It is not everyone who is so miraculously released. And after all, I owe it to her that I have found you. A debt beyond all possibility of payment. So — that’s right, her shawl, Alice, we must be going — whatever the price of the Liberty, I have promised her an income for life — and shall see to it that it is safely tied up for her and her children.’ He took her arm. ‘We shall be poor, my love, comparatively speaking.’
‘Poor! With you! But —’ they were in the hall now ‘Hyde, may I not see her again? To say goodbye?’
‘No.’ He led her firmly downstairs. ‘It’s all been said. Besides, if you remember, we are scandalously late for dinner.’ Moses flung open front door and Hyde ushered her down the steps to the waiting carriage. Helping her up, ‘One thing,’ he said.
‘Yes?’ Settling green silk skirts, she turned to look at him inquiringly.
‘Drive on, Charon! As fast as you dare.’ He turned back to smile at her. ‘I must remind you, love, that so far as the world is concerned we are, at best, a modem couple, content each to go our own way.’
‘Yes?’ Puzzled.
‘Well.’ His smile was an embrace. ‘If you look at me like that, I shall probably kiss you in public; the world will think us run mad, and may guess at our secret. Which, frankly, I would much rather keep hid.’
‘Am I so obvious?’
‘My darling, it shines out of you. I really think we had best invent a quarrel and play one more scene for our friends’ benefit. Luckily, they will be too much occupied with the President to notice us much. And you, remember, are to act as hostess. Poor Scarbrough will be nearly out of his wits at our lateness. What quarrel, do you think, could have made us commit such a solecism?’
‘I’ve lost my sapphires,’ she suggested. ‘And had to change at the last moment. Scarbrough will think you have impounded them for some reason connected with that mysterious sale. The rest of the world will think whatever it pleases. And you —’ she tapped his hand with her fan — ‘you were such a tasteless boor as to suggest that I wear the Winchelsea emeralds with a blue dress. No wonder if we have quarrelled!’
‘No indeed.’ Charon was drawing his horses to a sweating halt at the porticoed front entrance to the Scarbrough house. ‘That’s right, Charon, no time to go in at the side. At least we’re so late as to have missed the crowd.’
‘Who are doubtless missing us,’ said Juliet.
‘My love.’ Hyde held her, hard, as he lifted her down. ‘There’s been so little time. But you do know, don’t you, how happy I am?’
She smiled up at him. ‘I know how happy I am.’ And then, on the high pitched note of a shrew. ‘Well, of course we are late. What else did you expect?’ She picked up her skirts with an angry swish and began to mount the steps to the hospitably open front door.
‘There you are, ma’am, and sir —’ Scarbrough’s butler had obviously been hovering there on the lookout for them. ‘The master says to leave your things right here with me, if you please, and go on up. The President, he’s here.’ And indeed they could hear the strains of Monroe’s March echoing down from above.
‘Oh, very well,’ said Juliet petulantly. ‘I suppose if I must meet the President without even a chance to see that my curls are in place, I must. Here —’ she handed the man her shawl, shook out her skirts, and turned to the curving stairway that led up to the principal rooms on the first floor.
It was like arriving at a theatre after the curtain had gone up. Above them, the buzz of conversation and the music; here, silence and emptiness, so that she actually had time, as she mounted the stair, to look up at the high ceiling, three floors above, where Mr. Jay had painted a huge, domed skylight with the stars of the midnight sky. ‘It’s a splendid house,’ she turned for a moment to Hyde, forgetting their ‘quarrel’.
‘Yes, poor Scarbrough.’ And then, to remind her, sharply, ‘You will make your own apologies to the President.’
‘Well, of course I shall! I’d rather be late than arrive looking a fright.’ The words, angrily spoken, carried her into the ballroom. It was packed with people, but a lane opened at once to let them through to the far side, where the President was standing in a bower of evergreens, surrounded by his entourage and the town worthies. As usual, none of their wives were in the group. It made Juliet’s part much
easier. ‘Mr. President,’ she swept him a deep curtsy, ‘before you even accept my apologies for our lateness, you must settle an argument between my husband and me.’ A furious glance for Hyde, just behind her. ‘He said you were of Irish descent, and I must wear green in your honour. I maintained you were Scots, and true blue was your colour. Now, tell me’ — another burning glance for Hyde — ‘which of us was right?’
‘Madam.’ The President smiled down at her. ‘You were right of course, but I cannot regret a mistake that has brought you to us looking so delightful.’ He took her hand. ‘They are waiting for us, I believe, to begin the dancing.’
Extraordinary to be here, sweeping her curtsy to the President and then to the man on the other side of her, waiting for the music to begin, looking down, for just a moment, to Hyde, half-way along the set, talking animatedly to Mrs. Broughton. What in the world could he be saying to her? What in the world did it matter? Later, when they got home, she would ask him. She let the slow, sure realisation of happiness flood through her. Tonight she should have been rowing down to Winchelsea and exile, the last, quick farewells said, the play ended, and forever. ‘Die on the field of battle,’ the rowers would have sung, ‘Glory to my soul.’
And here she was. And furthermore, she realised, the President of the United States had just said something to her and she had no idea in the world what it was. She made her smile an apology. ‘Forgive me. I came in such haste, I’ve hardly caught my breath.’ Luckily, it was time for them to cross hands and part, and when they met again she had herself well in hand, ready for the necessary social exchange of nothings.
The next dance, inevitably, was Scarbrough’s and here she was profuse in her apologies for their lateness, and animated in her description of Hyde’s absurd suggestion that she wear sapphires with a green dress. Scarbrough gave her, she thought, a strange look, but then he was so obviously keyed up this evening that his looks were beyond interpretation.
The entertainment was incredibly lavish. When the signal was given to move through to the long dining-room behind the ballroom they found champagne running like water, and a luxurious display of cold meats, made dishes and shivering desserts laid out among a thicket of greenery. Trying to remember when she had eaten last, Juliet realised that it had been at breakfast. Or had Anne made her take something while she was changing? At all events, she was starving, and delighted to accept a lavishly loaded plate from the devoted hands of Mr. Jay. Congratulating him on the house, she was aware that already a large proportion of the men had slipped away. No doubt, somewhere downstairs, more solid food, and drink, was being served to them.
All for Love Page 21