As though he sensed her distress, the colonel squeezed her shoulder again. In a low voice that carried only to her ears he said, “Would you like to go, my dear? You look all done up, and we have certainly been here long enough to satisfy Lady Jersey. And if we have not, well I don’t give a fig for what she may think!”
Ariel smiled at that sally. “Your aunt is not likely to agree. Still, I am tired and I should like to go, if we could,” she admitted.
“Stay here and leave Lady Merriweather to me,” the colonel replied. “I’ll fetch both my wife and my aunt and deal with any objections they may have. We’ll be home in a trice.”
Ariel did not notice that Mr. Kinkaid had apparently gone straight from talking with her to Mrs. Merriweather’s side. Nor did she know that he wasted no time in coming to the point. “Mrs. Merriweather, forgive my presumption. I know that we have not been properly introduced. I am Mr. Kinkaid, and I have some interest in Mr. Hawthorne’s work. I understand you have some interest and influence with Miss Hawthorne. May I strongly suggest that you advise Miss Hawthorne to take a trip away from London? Perhaps a nice, quiet visit to the countryside—somewhere far away from anything to do with her father’s work? It would, in my opinion, be advantageous for her health.”
“But—”
She got no further. Kinkaid bowed and was gone, just in time to avoid encountering Colonel Merriweather. It was a circumstance that did not escape the former governess’s attention.
“What the devil was Kinkaid saying to you?” Colonel Merriweather demanded with a frown.
She told him. “Mr. Kinkaid bears watching,” she concluded thoughtfully.
“Yes, but not tonight,” the colonel replied firmly. “It is time to take Miss Hawthorne home. Let us collect my aunt and go.”
If it was a little longer than the trice the colonel had promised, before they were home, it was not a great deal longer. The moment they returned to Lady Merriweather’s town house, Ariel did not hesitate to seek her room. There, after being undressed and prepared for bed, she waited until the maid was gone and then she went to sit on the window bench, staring out at the night sky.
Her thoughts took two directions, both of which felt as though they might easily overwhelm her fragile state. The grief for her father betrayed itself in the tears that streamed down her face. It was nice, tonight, to see how many people had admired Papa, but it was also a reminder that there had been a side of him she had never seen and now never would have the chance to know.
The other direction her thoughts took was of Captain
Stanfield. What if he was beginning to feel for Ariel what she already felt for him? Was it so foolish to hope for that? To let herself believe that such a thing might be possible?
Eventually Ariel sought her bed, but it was hours before sleep managed to capture her, and dawn came and went unseen.
15
The colonel and Mrs. Merriweather regarded each other over the breakfast table. “Perhaps,” he said slowly, “we have been too quick to refuse invitations while we are here in London, my dear.”
“My thoughts precisely,” she agreed. “Indeed, I have been thinking that I have shockingly neglected a number of friends and former charges. Why, look at all the interesting people we met last night.”
“Yes, very interesting people,” the colonel agreed. “And you know that your former girls would all like to see you, if any of them should chance to be in London right now. Perhaps you ought to pay some courtesy calls today.”
“I was thinking the very same thing.”
It was a perfectly ordinary conversation, the sort any couple might have over breakfast. But Ariel sensed far more going on than was being said aloud. She could not, however, ask when there were so many servants hovering with such great interest. Still, she was not in the least surprised when Mrs. Merriweather said to her, “Why don’t you come with me today, Miss Hawthorne? I shall take you to call upon one or two ladies who might be of help to you in the future.”
“But I am supposed to go see Lady Chadbourne today. Captain Stanfield is to come and take me there.”
Mrs. Merriweather waved a hand. “That is this afternoon. We shall be back well in time for you to change your dress, if you wish, and make yourself ready to go.”
Ariel tried again. “I am in mourning,” she said quite reasonably. “I have no taste for visiting strangers, particularly when their drawing rooms are likely to be full of other visitors.”
Mrs. Merriweather smiled kindly. “To be sure, I would enter into your sentiments completely, if I were planning to make ordinary calls. But I mean to send around messages asking if we may call early, before any other visitors might be expected to present themselves. And I assure you, these ladies will quite understand and sympathize with the wisdom in my introducing you to ladies in the ton. They are also quite likely to take you under their wings, so that when the colonel and I do leave London, you will not find yourself entirely without friends here. Oh, I know from last night that your father had a great many friends. And perhaps some of them would take you under their wings. I certainly hope they will do so. But that is not quite the same as having ladies almost your own age as friends. Ladies young enough to be able to enter into the sentiments you might feel.”
Ariel wanted to protest, but it would have been churlish to do so. Mrs. Merriweather was trying to be helpful. She knew, moreover, even upon such short acquaintance with the former governess, that sooner or later Mrs. Merriweather would have her way. Was there anyone, she wondered, who had ever managed to stand up to the woman? Anyone who had ever refused to obey her commands?
She must have spoken aloud, for the colonel laughed. “Not that I have seen,” he told her, a distinct twinkle in his eyes. “Mrs. Merriweather is quite a formidable woman.”
Mortified, Ariel looked at the former governess, who, far from appearing offended, had a somewhat distant look in her eyes.
After a moment Mrs. Merriweather said, in a musing voice, “There have been one or two fools who would not listen to me. As I recall, I had to bash one of them over the head, and another suffered even deeper regrets than that. Not that I would ever do, or need to do, such a thing to you, my dear! For one thing, you are not a villain, and for another, you have thus far shown the greatest good sense. Now, will you come along with me this morning?”
In spite of herself, Ariel laughed. It was impossible to withstand Mrs. Merriweather’s determination or her charm. “Yes, I will come,” she said. “But mind, we really must be back in time for me to go see Lady Chadbourne. It would not do to offend Captain Stanfield’s mother.”
“No, indeed,” Colonel Merriweather said in a grave voice that was belied by the smile upon his face. “Marian, I strictly charge you to have her back here in time.” Mrs. Merriweather cast a withering look at her husband. “That, my dear, is not something I am likely to forget. Of course I shall have her back here in time. And now I had best go write those notes to send round. If I know these ladies, and I do, we shall have an answer straightaway and be able to call upon them within the hour.”
With a sense of unreality, Ariel watched Mrs. Merriweather leave the room. The colonel smiled sympathetically, as if he knew just how she felt.
“Have some breakfast, my dear,” he said in soothing tones. “You appear to have a very busy morning ahead of you, and you will be grateful for the sustenance.” Once again, Ariel did as she was told. Not because she was a spineless creature, but because his words made sense. She had seen enough of Mrs. Merriweather to know that once she had the bit between her teeth there would be no stopping her until she had accomplished her goals. And Ariel had to admit that, as odd as it seemed to her to pay calls when she was in mourning, Mrs. Merriweather had been a governess, and a very strict one to all accounts, so she was more likely to know what was proper than Ariel. More than that, there was a kindness in having some distraction from her grief over her father’s and Tom’s deaths and her nervous anticipation of this afternoon’s encounter
with Stanfield’s mother.
So Ariel did as she was told and ate a far more substantial breakfast than she might otherwise have done. And by early afternoon, she was indeed very grateful she had done so.
It happened as they were leaving Lady Farrington’s house. Mrs. Merriweather had just informed Ariel that they might finally return home. Colonel Merriweather’s carriage was drawn up at the side of the street, waiting for them, but as the two ladies walked toward it, someone crashed into Ariel and Mrs. Merriweather. It was enough to knock both ladies into the street and straight into the path of a carriage whose driver seemed oblivious to the danger. He was springing his horses recklessly and there seemed no way to avoid being trampled.
Ariel heard shouts of horror and cries of dismay. She felt rather than saw Mrs. Merriweather falling toward the street beside her. There was no time to think, only to react. She reached out and grabbed for the diminutive governess and rolled with her, praying there was only one carriage racing down the street. She could not roll backward, for there was no time to do so, but she could roll forward. Ariel kept rolling forward until they reached the other side of the street. Fortunately, Mrs. Merriweather did not fight it but was content to roll with her.
Hands reached down to help them to their feet. Other hands steadied them, and more than one person asked if they were all right. Voices rose all around them. One was Colonel Merriweather’s coachman, apologizing profusely for not having been able to protect them. Mrs. Merriweather assured the poor fellow that it had not been his fault.
Ariel blinked, trying to find her bearings. She reached for her spectacles, only to discover they were missing. When she looked about, she saw the shattered pieces of glass and twisted frame still in the road. She looked at Mrs. Merriweather. The other woman, having reassured the coachman, stared back, a grim look in her eyes. “Are you all right?” the former governess asked. Ariel nodded. “Yes, though my spectacles are hopelessly smashed to pieces.”
“How fortunate, then, that you really don’t need them to see,” Mrs. Merriweather replied briskly. Ariel gaped at her, and the older woman went on. “I presume you wore them because it caused your father’s colleagues to take you more seriously. And perhaps also because it put a distance between you and any young man who might otherwise show too great an interest in you. Am I correct?”
“Yes,” Ariel admitted after a moment’s hesitation. “I suppose I ought to have known you would guess. I only hope that no one else has done so! But never mind that. Are you all right?”
Mrs. Merriweather grimaced and put a hand to her back. “Yes, though I fear I shall feel the effects of this as the day goes on. I am too old for such nonsense.”
As she spoke, Lady Farrington reached their side of the street. Her face was very pale. “Miss Tibbles, are you all right? What happened? From the window it looked as if the both of you were pushed into the street!”
Mrs. Merriweather looked at her. “I wonder if we might prevail upon your hospitality once again, Barbara, to rest for a bit? And then,” she added softly, “we may discuss what happened in private.”
Lady Farrington flushed. “Yes, of course, Miss Tibbles. That is to say, Mrs. Merriweather. Please come back to the house with me. And please be careful!”
All of them were extremely careful, alert for carriages on the street, alert for anyone who might try the trick again of pushing them. Colonel Merriweather’s coachman was the most vigilant of all. It was clear from the grim set of his jaw that he was determined not to allow any further injury to come to the ladies.
Inside the house, Lady Farrington sent for brandy and a basin of water so that Ariel and Mrs. Merriweather could make themselves presentable again.
“Are you really all right?” Lady Farrington demanded.
Mrs. Merriweather sighed. “No, and I doubt I shall be anytime soon. I, and Miss Hawthorne, will no doubt find ourselves covered with bruises by morning. I ache already. But beyond that, yes, we are all right. I should very much like to know, however, who pushed us, and precisely why.”
“So should I,” Ariel said grimly.
“Tell us everything you remember seeing from the window, Barbara,” Mrs. Merriweather told her former student.
Lady Farrington did so. “I thought I saw a man—he seemed to be wearing a hat of some sort well pulled down on his head, so I cannot tell you what his features were like or even the color of his hair. He moved a little strangely, almost as if he was hunched over, and that was what first drew my attention to him. Then he seemed to move a little faster and shove against the pair of you. When I saw you fall toward the street, I left the window and ran down to see how you were so I saw nothing more.”
Mrs. Merriweather grimaced. “I cannot blame you for that,” she said. “In your place, I would have done the same. A pity, though, that you did not see enough to let us determine who the man might have been, or at least to try to find him again.”
“Could it not have been an accident?” Lady Farrington asked cautiously. “I know that I said it looked as if you had been pushed, but it could simply be that the fellow was in a hurry and didn’t notice what he did. Couldn’t it?”
Ariel and Mrs. Merriweather spoke together.
“No!”
“But why not?”
Ariel and Mrs. Merriweather looked at each other. As Lady Farrington had said, there really was no proof. But both women knew, deep inside, that it had been no accident.
“I cannot tell you how I know, Barbara, but I am quite certain it was no accident. I am just grateful that Miss Hawthorne had her wits about her.”
Lady Farrington turned to stare at Ariel, and indeed Mrs. Merriweather seemed to study her with particular shrewdness as well, before she said, “You reacted very quickly, Miss Hawthorne. I am quite impressed. I am also rather surprised. I should not have guessed you would do so well in such a situation.”
Ariel colored up. “Papa took me places with him,” she said, a defensive note in her voice. “And while he spoke with his friends, their children often were left to entertain me. Many of them were boys, and I learned things that Mama was used to say were most unladylike.”
“Unladylike but very useful,” Mrs. Merriweather said dryly.
“But how did you think to roll like that?” Lady Farrington could not seem to help asking.
Ariel looked at her. “We were visiting in northern Africa once, many years ago. Papa and Mama were talking with the adults and I was playing with our host’s son. Someone pushed us both into the street. The boy grabbed me and rolled with me out of harm’s way. I remembered that, I suppose, when this happened just now.”
“You have had a very useful education,” Mrs. Merriweather repeated, after she had stared at Ariel for another long moment, “and I am very grateful for it. I think, however, that we shall not tell the colonel. He might decide that we ought to curtail our activities even further.”
Lady Farrington stared at both of them with a look of impatience in her eyes. “You do not mean to tell me what is going on, do you?” she said.
Mrs. Merriweather regarded her calmly. “No, Barbara,” she said, “I do not. Two of us in danger is quite enough. You are to stay completely out of this. And do not tell the colonel, or I shall tell your husband a tale or two he still does not know about the days when I was your governess!”
Lady Farrington, who had been quite clearly about to argue, abruptly closed her mouth. With ill grace she said, “Oh, very well. Miss Tibbles. But when this is over, I shall expect you to tell me everything.”
Mrs. Merriweather smiled an innocent smile. “Of course we will, my dear. Of course we will.”
She fooled no one. Ariel already knew her well enough to guess that she would tell this lady, and everyone else, precisely as much as she wished them to know and not a word more. Clearly Lady Farrington knew Mrs. Merriweather at least as well as Ariel did, for she frowned with great annoyance but did not even bother to protest.
“Come, Miss Hawthorne,” Mrs. Merriwea
ther said, rising to her feet. “It is time for us to go home. The colonel will be wondering what has happened to us.”
“Be careful this time going out to your carriage,” Lady Farrington said, rising to her feet as well. “Indeed, I think I shall escort you out there. An extra pair of eyes might be useful.”
It was a measure of how shaken the former governess must have been that she did not argue. Instead she nodded curtly and said, “Perhaps it would be wise, after all.” But they reached their carriage without the least hint of trouble this time. They were soon handed in, directions given to the coachman, and the door shut. Only when the carriage pulled away from the curb, however, did Mrs. Merriweather allow herself the luxury of giving way to her feelings.
She leaned back against the squabs and closed her eyes. To Ariel she said, eyes still closed, “I really am too old for this. I wish people would stop doing such horrible things.”
Ariel leaned forward. In a low, concerned voice she said, “Are you all right, Mrs. Merriweather?”
The former governess's eyes snapped open and she abruptly sat upright. “I am fine,” she retorted impatiently. “I just gave way to a moment’s megrims. But I am fine. And I am not going to let this stop me. If the fellow who pushed us thought that it would, he will soon find out that he is mistaken!”
And to that, Ariel had nothing to say because Mrs. Merriweather’s determination only mirrored her own. She did, however, comment, “I am glad you told the coachman to take us to my father’s house. There were far too many people interested in Papa’s papers last night. I should like to go through them again.”
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