by Mary Nichols
They were a little late arriving, but that was no more than their host and hostess expected. Duncan could hear the music as he climbed the stairs to where Lord and Lady Bulford and Annabel stood receiving their guests. Annabel looked very young in a white gauze gown over a taffeta slip, a colour that did nothing for her complexion. She had white ribbon about her waist and another threaded through her fair curls and her blue eyes looked worried.
‘Your Grace.’ they said, addressing the Duke and Duchess in turn. Then to Duncan. ‘Marquis.’
Duncan bowed. ‘Ladies, your obedient. Bulford, good evening.’
‘Please go in,’ Lady Bulford said. ‘We will join you directly.’
They passed on into the ballroom, leaving the Bulfords to continue greeting latecomers. ‘My goodness, what a squeeze,’ Frances said, looking round the overcrowded room. ‘She has invited far too many. The world and his wife are here. Duncan do go and see if you can find a corner for us to sit.’
He made his way through the mêlée, looking for vacant seats, and came across his sister and her husband. ‘Come and sit with us,’ she said, pushing her skirt to one side to make room on the sofa beside her. ‘We were just talking about the latest on dit.’
‘I am sure you are,’ he said smiling. ‘But if you have spare seats, I will go and fetch Mama.’
‘I can see her talking to Lord and Lady Graham and she won’t want to sit down until she has heard all their news. And Papa has quite disappeared. Sit down, we will have no opportunity to talk when the dancing really begins.’
‘We shall be dancing cheek by jowl, by the look of it,’ James said. ‘I shall probably go and play cards.’
‘You will do no such thing,’ his wife said, tapping him with her fan, as Duncan sat down beside her. ‘Have you heard the latest?’
Duncan smiled. ‘No, but I expect you are going to tell me.’
‘Miss Charron has disappeared. One night she was on stage as usual, the next gone and the actress who came on instead of her was so bad, she was hissed off the stage. The audience threw orange peel at her.’
Duncan allowed himself a small smile at the memory of Madeleine’s anger when orange peel had been thrown at her. ‘I expect Mr Greatorex thought she needed to be rested.’
‘Perhaps, but the newspapers are reporting the mysterious disappearance of Covent Garden’s leading lady as if there were something havey-cavey about it. They say she would never have gone of her own free will when she has never missed a performance before. They say she had no reason to go; she was the darling of the London stage and earning hundreds of pounds a year. They say the Bow Street Runners are looking for her and hint that a certain well-known investigator has been asked to join the search. That must be Major Greenaway. Do not tell me you did not know?’
‘I knew she had left, but as for the rest, that is pure conjecture.’
‘You would say that, my lord, considering you are helping the Major with his investigation.’ Startled by the voice, he looked up to see Annabel standing behind his seat. How long she had been there listening he did not know.
He scrambled to his feet to make her a bow. ‘Miss Annabel, your obedient.’
‘Is it not strange,’ she said, ‘Maddy appears from nowhere to be our kitchen maid and then she disappears for years, only to reappear as a renowned actress. And now she has disappeared again. I wonder what her next metamorphosis will be?’
‘I have no idea,’ he said, made uncomfortable by her look of innocent contemplation.
‘It was a long time ago, to be sure. She was only a little thing, thin as a beanpole and pale with it, but look at her now. She is so composed and she speaks so beautifully. I never would have believed it if Hortense had not remembered who she was when I said her face looked familiar.’
‘Was she called Charron then?’ James asked, unaware of Duncan’s discomfort.
‘Yes. She came to us from an orphanage.’
‘Which one?’ Duncan asked, unable to stop himself.
‘I do not remember, my lord. I was only a little girl, but when we spoke of it the other evening, Hortense said it was the one the Duchess is patron of, though she said it was not in Maiden Lane then.’
‘How extraordinary,’ Lavinia murmured, looking at Duncan.
Duncan could not bear to hear any more and turned to hold his hand out to Annabel. ‘Miss Bulford, a dance is beginning, shall we take to the floor?’
‘Oh, yes, to be sure,’ she said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead the way on to the floor where the dancers were grouping themselves for a country dance. They joined a set and there was no opportunity to continue the conversation. When the dance was ended he offered her his arm to take a turn about the room before returning her to her brother and sister-in-law.
She had a very high colour, he noticed, and asked her if she were perhaps too warm. ‘The room is very crowded,’ he added.
‘Yes, Dorothy was determined to squeeze everyone in. I wish she had not.’
‘Why not?’
‘Oh, my lord, can you not guess?’
His heart sank. ‘They are expecting…’ he paused, then went on ‘…someone to offer for you tonight?’
‘Yes, I believe so.’ She blushed to the roots of her hair. ‘Surely, my lord, you know?’
He guided her out of the room and on to the gallery that looked down on the wide marble-floored vestibule. It was cooler out there and there was no one about, though he had no doubt their exit had been noted. Both were silent for what seemed a very long time, then he said, ‘Miss Bulford, I am at a loss to know how to proceed…’
She gave a cracked laugh. ‘Do not tell me you expect me to guide you, for I know even less than you do of how these things should be done.’
He smiled slowly. ‘It isn’t that I do not know the procedure. But I am of the opinion a proposal should come from the heart, and that if a man cannot in all sincerity lay his hand upon his breast and say “I love you”, he should remain silent.’
‘Oh.’
‘You do understand what I am saying?’
‘I understand, but I doubt whether Henry will. He told me it was all arranged, that he had spoken to the Duke and they had come to an agreement…’
That was not his understanding of the conversation of the two men, but he let that pass. ‘Whether they came to an agreement or not is of no consequence, Miss Bulford. Do you really think that two men putting their heads together over a bottle of port should decide the happiness or not of two otherwise independent people?’
‘You may be independent, my lord, but I am not. Henry promised to find me a good husband and I must bow to his superiority. He is my guardian and it is the way of things.’
‘You do not sound very happy about it.’
‘He says happiness comes later.’
Her face was scarlet and he began to feel very sorry for her. ‘And do you believe that?’
‘I have to or I could not endure it.’
‘Endure it! What an extraordinary word to use about an offer of marriage. Endurance should not come into it. Joy, perhaps elation, delight at being loved, a desire to make another person happy, never unequivocal obedience, however one might esteem the person giving the direction. Miss Bulford, would you view an offer of marriage from me as something to be endured?’
She looked at her feet and remained silent.
He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to his. ‘Come now, tell me the truth. The whole truth.’
‘My lord… I…’ She gulped. ‘Yes, I suppose I would. I truly cannot see myself as the wife of a Marquis, let alone a Duke, which is what it would come to in the end. Henry says I would have nothing to do but look pretty, but I know there is more to it than that and…’
‘And?’
‘I cannot put my hand on my heart and say I love you, any more than you can say it to me. But I am afraid.’
‘Of me?’ he asked, startled.
‘No, my lord, of Henry. He will be so angry. He wil
l blame me for not making a push…’
‘Miss Bulford—Annabel—do not think about your brother, think of your own happiness. I will undertake to deal with Lord Bulford.’
‘Oh, would you?’ She sounded so relieved, he smiled.
‘Now, let us go back, we have been absent long enough.’
He offered her his arm and guided her back into the ballroom. He was aware of hundreds of pairs of eyes watching their progress as they made their way to where Lord and Lady Bulford and Hortense were sitting. He bowed to them and Annabel took her place beside them.
‘Well?’ Lady Bulford said, shutting her fan with a snap. ‘Are we to felicitate you?’
‘I fear not, my lady,’ he said.
Her ladyship turned to Annabel, hardly able to conceal her fury. ‘You never were such a ninny as to turn him down, miss?’
‘Do not blame Miss Annabel,’ Duncan said. ‘We agreed we should not suit. It was a decision mutually arrived at.’
‘You mean you never offered!’ Her voice was too loud and Duncan was aware that others had turned towards them, listening. ‘Henry, do something. The man is a mountebank, a rake to lead an innocent, well-nurtured young gel into expecting an offer and then balking at the last fence.’ She turned to Duncan, eyes flashing. ‘Fie on you, sir!’
‘Be quiet, Dorothy!’ her husband commanded. Then to Duncan in a low voice, ‘Risley, I think you have some explaining to do, but we are already attracting too much attention. Follow me, if you please.’
Duncan gave Annabel a reassuring smile and followed his host to his book room, where Henry turned to face him, his eyes cold with suppressed fury. ‘I am waiting for an explanation, Marquis.’
‘Explanation of what, Lord Bulford? I have already told you Miss Annabel and I agreed we should not suit.’
‘You mean you convinced her of it and she is such a lily-livered chit she dare not stand up to you. But I will. I will tell the world you reneged on an offer.’
‘The offer was never made, so how can I have reneged on it?’ Duncan said. ‘Not once have I hinted that I intended to do so. And I tell you at once that Miss Annabel was more relieved than sorry and it was only her fear of your bullying that led her to agree to receive an offer should one be made.’
‘Bullying, my lord! I am the girl’s guardian and it is my duty to guide her.’
‘Then guide her. Do not force her. Or I shall be forced to believe her happiness is more important to me than it is to you.’
Lord Bulford looked as though he was about to have a fit of apoplexy. His rotund face became almost purple as he struggled to find the words to put Duncan down. ‘The world shall hear of this,’ he said at last. ‘Your name will be reviled.’
‘I do not think so,’ Duncan said calmly, though not without a frisson of trepidation. If the man made good his threat, he would be cut by everyone. ‘I think your reputation would be more damaged than mine.’
The man’s reaction to this was extraordinary. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his brow, then sat heavily in a chair. His face was the colour of chalk and it suddenly came to Duncan that Lord Bulford had something to hide, something shameful, something he thought Duncan was privy to. For a moment it aroused his curiosity and he almost forgot the reason for their exchange of words. ‘The brazen jade is a liar,’ Henry said.
‘You don’t say so,’ Duncan said, having no idea what he was talking about, but not about to admit it.
‘I do say so. Whatever she has told you, you may be sure she has invented. ’Tis plain she wants to put an end to Annabel’s hopes in favour of her own, surely you can see that?’
‘Can I?’
‘Are you being deliberately obtuse, Risley? She is an actress, after all, skilled in the art of pretence.’
So he meant Madeleine! What was Maddy supposed to have said to put his lordship into such a taking? He smiled slowly. ‘You may be sure whatever she told me has no bearing on whom I marry, Lord Bulford,’ he said firmly.
Henry mopped his brow. ‘No, naturally it would not. We know her for a liar. All that nonsense about a French comte…’
This was a little too near the bone and Duncan was anxious to bring the interview to an end before he throttled the man with his own cravat. ‘What is that to the point, my lord?’
‘No, you are right, it is not relevant at all.’ He seemed to pull himself together. ‘We were speaking of your engagement to my sister.’
‘We certainly were not, we were discussing the reasons why it could not and should not be.’
‘Quite. I see I was mistaken in Annabel’s wishes.’
‘Good. Then no more need be said.’ He turned to leave. ‘And if I hear you have been browbeating Miss Annabel, then you may be sure I shall know what to do.’
And with that he left, having threatened a man without knowing precisely what he was threatening him with. Madeleine would know, but Madeleine was heaven knew where and probably would not tell him even if she were right beside him. And how he wished she was!
He went back to the Duke and Duchess, who were sitting with Lavinia and James. ‘There you are, Duncan,’ his stepmother said. ‘You have been gone an unconscionable long time and the rumours are flying.’
‘I’m sorry, Mama. I would not, for the world, embarrass you.’
‘So you have not offered?’
‘No, Mama. Annabel did not wish it any more than I did. She had been bullied by that brother of hers, but we have come to an understanding, Lord Bulford and I.’
‘Amicable?’
‘As amicable as it is possible to be with someone like him.’ He paused. ‘I came to tell you I was leaving, then everyone can gossip to their heart’s content.’
‘Perhaps that would be best. We will stay a little longer for appearance’s sake.’
He left them and walked deliberately over to where Annabel sat with Lady Bulford and Hortense. He made her a sweeping leg. ‘Your most obedient, Miss Annabel. Whatever you do, I wish you happy.’
She smiled bravely and stood to face him. ‘I will walk with you to the door, my lord.’
He bowed to Lady Bulford and Hortense and offered her his arm. Watched by everyone, they made their stately way to the double doors that led to the gallery. ‘I am sorry I brought this upon you,’ he said.
‘You did not, my brother did. And I am extremely glad you had the courage to tell me the truth.’
‘On the contrary, you are the one with the courage.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Not a great deal. After I had explained, he agreed we should not suit.’
‘He did not threaten you?’
‘No, he did not threaten me.’ He gave her a quirky smile. ‘It is all over. But I shall not mind if you let it be known you turned me down. I intend to leave London shortly. There are things to be done on the family estate in Derbyshire. If the haut monde chooses to believe I am nursing a broken heart, then let them do so.’
They stopped at the door, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it and then he was almost running down the stairs and out into the night air. He would find Madeleine. He could not live without her. Oh, there might be a little malicious gossip to start with, but he could endure that. He would have to endure the disapproval of his father and stepmother too, but nothing and nobody would stand in the way of his marriage to the woman he truly loved.
But where was she? Where to begin looking for her? Miss Doubleday would know. It was too late to go visiting, but tomorrow he would go to the theatre and ask. And wherever she was, he would go to her. He strode home on foot, determination in every step.
But Marianne did not know where her friend had gone. Or she pretended not to know. ‘She simply said she wanted a change of scene,’ she said. ‘No doubt she will return in due course.’
‘That won’t do. I want to find her now.’
‘Why?’
‘Why?’ He looked at her as if she were an idiot. ‘Why would a man go after the woman he loved?’
>
‘Do you? Love her, I mean.’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘I believe you, but unlike many actresses, she will not become anyone’s fille de joie…’
‘I know that, she told me so often enough. I cannot believe she has simply disappeared. Someone must know. Do you know the tattlers are saying the Runners are looking for her?’
She laughed. ‘No? Oh, how droll! Though I must admit Major Greenaway came looking for her, but I thought you had sent him.’
‘No, I did not. He is looking for someone entirely different and thought she might know something.’
‘Yes, he told me. He had a portrait with him.’
‘He showed it to you?’
‘Yes, and though I give you a certain likeness about the eyes, it cannot have any connection with Maddy.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because I know her story is true.’
‘Not the comte?’
She smiled. ‘No, not the comte, but you know that already, for she told me she had confessed her deception. But everything else is the truth.’
‘You mean the orphanage and the place at the Bulfords.’
‘Yes.’
‘What happened there?’
‘That is something you will have to ask Madeleine, my lord.’
‘I would, if I could find her,’ he said. ‘But since she is not to be found, I need to know.’
‘I believe she was turned off and before you ask why, she has not confided the reason to me, but I think it must have been something very dreadful. It gave her an aversion to all the aristocracy and a determination to revenge herself on them all. In her own words, she determined to make herself a lady of consequence, to be accepted in Society.’
‘And used me like a flat,’ he said bitterly.
‘The trouble was, my lord, that everything changed when she met you. She discovered that not all aristocrats are rakes and tyrants…’
‘I am glad to hear it,’ he said drily, his mind in a whirl. Something had happened to Madeleine at the hands of Henry Bulford and he could easily guess what it was. Some men thought kitchen maids were fair game and he would not be surprised to learn that Bulford was one such. Had Madeleine succumbed? Had she been forced? But if she had, it meant… No, it did not bear thinking about.