'Whether she wants to or not, or what you wish, my lord, he'll marry her! It's the only way to survive such a scandal that your nephew has brought on my family.'
'With Miss Hoyland's willing cooperation, Mr Hoyland. Don't forget we saw them, and she was not protesting or struggling.'
The battle between the two men went on for some time, no one else apart from Mrs Hoyland saying a word. When she kept asserting the impossibility of her taking Matilda back to Cheltenham, she was ignored. At last Rupert brought the fruitless argument to an end.
'We cannot do any more until Cedric is found, but he will not marry Matilda. You can be sure of that. I intend to send him to a naval friend of mine, a commander who is about to leave for the West Indies. There will be no fear of any flight to Gretna. But what is best for Miss Hoyland? If you, Mrs Hoyland, will not accept the responsibility for your daughter, will you, Mr Hoyland? You are, after all, her guardian.'
'Louise can carry on looking after her. They can go either to Devon or Yorkshire, away from the gossip.'
'Louise has done enough. You cannot ask her to look after the girl again,' Lady Barlow said.
'I would not do so. I suggest a strict seminary,' Rupert said. 'After all, the girl is still only seventeen, and a year or so in a school where she might be given lessons in decorum would not come amiss.'
'You mean send me to school?' Matilda was red with fury. 'I won't go! You can't make me! You have no right, I'm not your ward or your niece. And if you do, I'll run away,' she finished before retreating once more into loud sobs.
'You'll find I can do it. I'm sure Mr Hoyland will agree it is the best solution. Meanwhile until arrangements can be made, Matilda, you will stay here with your mother. I'll not ask Lady Rushton to do more than pack up your belongings and send them here.'
*
Chapter 13
Lady Barlow, the Dowager Lady Rushton and Louise went back to Half Moon Street.
'I do like a dominant man,' Lady Barlow said. 'Wasn't Rupert superb?'
'I'm not sure Grandfather thought so,' Louise said. 'At least he agreed, and the problem of Matilda is settled for the time being. I wonder where Cedric is?'
'Hiding with some friend, I expect. If he didn't have money to get away from London, that's his only course. Rupert will soon find him. Now, Louise, it will be miserable for you staying on alone in this house, so you will come and stay with us.'
'Grandfather will dismiss all the servants and close the house,' Louise said. 'I thought of going back to Devon.'
'You cannot leave London until Arthur and I are married. And if you accept Emily's invitation you can help me choose my bride clothes. It seems so odd to be doing that at my age, and there is so little time.'
They turned, thankfully, to the arrangements for Lady Rushton's wedding, which had been booked for the following week. It was to be a quiet affair at St George's, with just a few friends, a small reception in Mount Street, and afterwards they would go straight to Sir Arthur's house.
'There is no point in a wedding journey. Neither of us have close relatives we need to visit, and I want to get to know my new children as soon as possible.'
Louise, contemplating a solitary existence, was happy to accept her mother's suggestion. She missed Rushton Manor, but did not wish to leave London yet. She refused to admit, even to herself, the real reason, which was the Earl of Newark. If she left London she would not see him again. He might be going back to the Peninsula at any time, but until then she would be able to see him, especially now she had made friends with Amelia, and he might need to consult with her about Matilda's future.
'I will have Jenny and Peg pack up Matilda's belongings, and then Peg can pack mine. I will bring a few things and come to you tomorrow, if that is not too soon?'
'Come today, leave them to it, they are both very capable. I am thinking that when Matilda is at her school, I will offer Jenny a position. My maid wishes to leave to get married, and I have not yet advertised for another.'
'I need a day to recover,' Louise insisted, and they left her to make her own arrangements. Emily said she would send a coach the following day, and the two ladies departed. Louise expected her grandfather to call, but instead Mr Littleton came with a note and a message that Mr Hoyland was posting to Bath that very day, staying at the Pelican for one night. He was to travel with him, and must return to Limmer's at once, there was no time to be lost.
In one way Louise was grateful not to have to face her grandfather. Joseph would no doubt be furious at being worsted by Rupert, even though it had solved his difficulty. He would not, however, refrain from endless complaints about the Earl's high handedness, and determination that at some time in the future, when Cedric was of age, he should marry Matilda. Who else, he had muttered to Louise when they had parted at Dubarry House, would ever marry the chit now?
*
Later that day Rupert was preparing to go to White's, when his butler announced Sir Henry Goodger.
'Show him into the library.'
What had brought the man here? Rupert did not know him well, although they were much the same age and had both been at Eton. Sir Henry was neither a soldier nor did he indulge in sport, though like all men he rode and drove in the Park. But he never patronised Manton's shooting gallery or Gentleman Jackson's saloon. Rupert had never seen him at the races, or at sparring matches. Of course, he had been away in the army, and his work at the Foreign Office made it difficult for him to pursue these interests, but he felt sure he would have known if Sir Henry had ever indulged.
His musing was cut short when Sir Henry was shown into the library. Rupert seated him, and offered him a glass of Madeira, and blinked slightly when Sir Henry downed it in one swallow. Without comment, Rupert topped up the glass and began to sip at his own.
'What can I do for you, Sir Henry?'
The man seemed to have difficulty speaking, gulping and wiping his forehead which was damp with perspiration. Rupert waited patiently. At last Sir Henry spoke.
'I understand Miss Hoyland is staying here?'
'For a while, yes.'
'Er – you must know that I know the details about the misadventure at Vauxhall,' he said.
Rupert's eyebrows were raised. He would hardly call it a misadventure. But what did it have to do with Sir Henry? He was not, so far as Rupert knew, one of those men who delighted in spreading gossip, so he was unlikely to have come hoping to glean more details, or even the truth. Much of the gossip, Rupert had been told, was wildly inaccurate, and Sir Henry had not been there when Matilda and Cedric had been discovered.
'You have?'
'Yes, and I wanted to say I did not believe it was more than a young couple kissing! A natural result of being in a romantic spot, unobserved.'
It had been rather more than a chaste kiss, Rupert thought, but did not care to destroy Sir Henry's delusions.
'I see.'
'I have spoken to Mr Hoyland. I was fortunate to find him at Limmer's Hotel before he set off for Bath.'
'So he has gone, has he?'
'Yes, and he has given me permission.'
This interview was becoming more and more odd.
'Permission?'
Sir Henry swallowed. 'To make Miss Hoyland an offer. An offer of marriage,' he elucidated.
He had silenced Rupert, who was staring at him in amazement. Rupert recovered his voice.
'Do I understand that, despite the scandal, you wish to marry Miss Hoyland?'
'Yes.'
Rupert got up and refilled both their glasses. 'Why? Is this some form of chivalry?'
'Of course not. I'm no knight in shining armour. You must know I have driven out with her frequently, and I feel sorry for her. She has had a most unfortunate upbringing, and it is hardly surprising that, on her first visit to London, she would feel excited and perhaps lose her head somewhat. She needs love and sympathy. I can give her both.'
It was the longest speech he had made. Did he know what he would be taking on? Did Rupert hav
e the right to encourage him?
'Would you remain in London?'
'I have lived here most of the time, but I have my estate in Norfolk. I would wish to obtain a special licence and marry her as soon as possible, then take her there, to the peace of the countryside, where she would not be tempted by rakes and loose fish. Forgive me, my lord, but I must speak truthfully of your cousin.'
'I have called him much worse things! Do you really believe you can make her happy?'
'I would do my utmost.'
The man was patently sincere.
'I am not in any way her guardian, but I feel responsible while she is in my house. She has a large fortune.'
'Yes. Mr Hoyland told me the extent of it, and mine is greater, so you need have no qualms that I am marrying for money. May I speak to her now?'
'I will send for her, and leave you with her here.'
Rupert escaped, and shook his head in bewilderment. Did the man really love that dreadful girl? But if he married her, that would resolve all their problems. He sent the butler to summon Matilda, and retreated to the breakfast room where he would be sure to be alone.
*
The news of Matilda's unexpected betrothal reached Mount Street just after Louise had arrived on the following day. Amelia brought it.
'She's impossible! She doesn't seem to care whom she marries, so long as it's someone with a title. That seemed to be all that concerned her, that she would be Lady Goodger. The marriage is to be in two days, and they will go straight to Norfolk afterwards. Mrs Hoyland has, with some reluctance and a good deal of pressure from Rupert, agreed to attend, provided he sends her back to Cheltenham the same day. Luckily, David and I don't have to go with her. Oh, the house will get back to normal again, thank goodness. It only needs you to become betrothed, Louise.'
'Or Rupert,' Lady Rushton said, and Louise hoped she was not blushing.
'He's a lost cause,' Amelia said. 'You can't believe the number of lures that have been cast for him. Hundreds, every Season, but he is not interested in any of them. It's a shame, I would hate to see Cedric inherit.'
'Has he been found? Cedric?'
'No, he's keeping well away. He'll come crawling back when he is so short of money no one of his friends will suffer him any longer. But he'll not hear of Matilda's wedding, it's being done so quickly and no announcement will be made. That was Sir Henry's wish, and neither Matilda nor her mother cared. Sir Henry has a much older sister, and she and her husband will be the only guests apart from Mrs Hoyland. Sir Henry tried to persuade Rupert to give her away, but sadly dear Rupert has to go out of town on Foreign Office business that day. How fortunate for him!'
'Diplomatic,' Lady Barlow said.
They laughed, but they were all relieved to have the problem of Matilda solved.
'Though will she make Sir Henry happy?' Louise worried. 'He's a pleasant man, even if he is staid and seems much older than he is.'
'He should know the worst by now. He has driven her out several times, and before the ball, apart from Cedric was the only man to ask her to dance more than once.'
They forgot Matilda's wedding and began to talk of Lady Rushton's. She had refused to order lots of new gowns, saying she had plenty already, and would be living in the country for most of the time. They had persuaded her to have a new wedding gown, of silver gauze over pale blue satin, and she begged Louise, who was to be her only attendant, to wear the yellow ball gown.
Rupert was to support his uncle, and Lady Barlow was organising a small reception in Mount Street afterwards.
'It will be so quiet when they have all gone,' Emily said to Louise. 'And I think Rupert will soon be going back to the Peninsula. Though nothing much appears to be happening there.'
'Have his blackouts stopped?' Louise asked.
'He says so, but I suspect he would be going back even if they haven't. And now Arthur will not be on hand to prevent him. Haven't you noticed how restless he has been the past few weeks?'
Louise nodded. 'I suppose, for a man used to action, sitting at a desk in the Foreign Office must be frustrating. Are we going out tonight? I feel embarrassed to show my face, when everyone will be blaming me for Matilda's fall from grace, but if I am to remain in London I have to begin to go into society again. At least she will not be with me and I won't be frantic with worry over what she might do!'
*
Louise dressed in her drabbest clothes and oldest cloak and slipped out of the house on the morning of Matilda's wedding. She took a chair to Hanover Square and bade the chairmen wait at the far end, away from the church but with a good view of the entrance. She wasn't sure why she had come. She had no intention of making her presence known. She decided she still felt a sense of responsibility for Matilda, and needed to be certain the girl was married and no longer her problem. It was, she knew, irrational, but she could not help it.
As she waited she noticed a man on horseback, who also appeared to be lingering, at the opposite end of the square. She looked more closely. Surely it could not be Rupert? Then her attention was distracted as a carriage appeared and Matilda, in her white ball gown, was helped out. Mrs Hoyland followed, and a second carriage arrived with Sir Henry and a couple Louise did not know. The best man and the bride's supporter, Louise decided. Well, despite her silly fears, the wedding seemed to be going ahead.
She was not sure she wanted to wait throughout the ceremony, but a sudden fear that something might still go wrong made her hesitate. She must wait until the end.
Louise had not noticed the horseman move, and was startled when a shadow fell across the door of the chair.
'Are you here with the same intention as I?'
It was the Earl, bending down from his saddle. He laughed, and dismounted.
'I – I don't know why I came,' Louise confessed.
'Probably for the same reason I did, to make sure that troublesome wench is finally some other poor devil's responsibility. Do you think it will work?'
'I hope so, or I will feel we leapt at the chance to pass on the problem to someone else.'
He glanced over at the church. 'That was a very short ceremony. Here they are.'
Matilda, beaming, walked out on Sir Henry's arm. A the same moment the Earl's travelling carriage appeared, and while the happy couple climbed into a post chaise that had also just arrived, Mrs Hoyland was helped into the carriage. The doors were shut, the carriage and the chaise rolled away, and the other couple hailed a hackney.
'Will you drive with me in the Park this afternoon?' Rupert asked. 'You are in Mount Street now, Amelia tells me.'
'I – yes. I mean, yes thank you, I would like to drive out with you.'
'When we can talk of things other than your troublesome charge.'
*
Chapter 14
It was a warm day. Rupert drove in the Park, chatting of various things, until he pulled up in the shade of some trees.
'Louise, my dear, have you thought about my offer? Can you give me your answer?'
Louise had thought of little else the past few days, when she was not worrying about Matilda. She had come to the conclusion she did love Rupert, but also had decided she could not marry him. She tried to explain. It was the first time she had spoken of her feelings to anyone but Richard's mother, and she found it difficult to control her voice. When Rupert took his hand in hers it made it worse. She didn't deserve his comforting grasp.
'I cannot marry another soldier,' she said.
'But you do not deny you love me?'
Louise took a deep breath to steady herself. 'I married a soldier before,' she tried to explain. 'We had two months, and then he was recalled to the Peninsula. For two years I read every report I could about what was happening in the war. I combed the casualty lists. I was terrified, every day, that news would come of Richard's death. I think, if it had not been for Richard's mother, I would have died. I could scarcely eat. She came to live with me at the Manor, and bullied me into taking nourishment. She literally spooned sou
p into me. When I look back I am ashamed I had so little control. She must have been just as anxious as I was but she hid it for my sake. He was her only child.'
Rupert put his arm round her shoulders and she dropped her head against his chest. It did not feel incongruous when she was refusing his offer, just perfectly natural to accept his comfort.
'My poor dear! I think I can understand.'
She glanced up at him and drew away. 'Do you? When the news did finally come, that Richard had been killed, I think in an odd way I was relieved. There would be no more waiting for news. I knew what had happened, and now I could grieve. It has convinced me, however, that I cannot marry another soldier. You will be going back to Spain soon. I cannot face again the prospect of waiting for news, and every day hearing nothing. I'm sorry, Rupert. I am honoured you might think of me, but I cannot marry you.'
'If I were no longer a soldier? What then?'
'Then? It would be different. I cannot deny that. But Rupert, you are a soldier. It's your duty to fight. I cannot ask you to sell out for me. That would make both of us unhappy.'
He nodded. 'Yes, it would. I understand that. We would feel we had somehow lost our integrity. I must remain in the army, where I believe I can play a part, until the Corsican ogre is defeated. But then? Can I still hope?'
Would he still be alive? And after so many years how soon would Napoleon be beaten, and his maniacal rampage across Europe ended? Louise felt incapable of making any decision when faced with such uncertainties. She dropped her head, covering her face with her hands. Her voice when she replied was muffled and Rupert bent close to hear her.
'I – don't know. You may meet someone else. You must not tie yourself to me. It would be unfair.'
'I've never met anyone else I wished to marry, Louise. It would be unfair of me to marry without love.'
'You will. You must. You owe it to your name. You need an heir. It would be a disaster if you were killed and Cedric inherited.'
'If I were dead it would scarcely matter to me.'
'It would matter to all your relatives and friends and dependants. To Amelia and David especially.'
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