After that, she didn’t want for partners. Once Richard and Freddy, both leaders of fashion, had shown their approval, other men came forward and claimed her hand until she beamed with attention and pride. When we went in to supper, she positively glowed. Lizzie joined us, accepting Gervase’s support. “You’re a success.”
Eustacia, holding Freddy’s arm in a strong clasp, was joyful. “I didn’t think it would be so easy. Although Mama always said I could do it.”
Richard had done it by starting the ball rolling, though I still couldn’t work out why. He’d never liked Eustacia, only deterred from cutting her publicly when I pleaded with him. She had not been kind to me in the past, singling me out for ridicule, enough to make Richard determined to punish her. Now, it seemed, he was reconciled to her. I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
He joined me, put his hand on my elbow and steered me to a seat. As he handed me a glass, he murmured, “Better now?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“I thought you were going to faint. You went pale.”
I took a sip from my glass. “I can’t stand too long at present. Walking, dancing I’m fine, but standing seems to be a problem.”
He found a chair, a little removed from most people and we had our first opportunity for a private word. I made the most of it. “Will you let Miss Terry become fashionable?”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Within limits.” He glanced at me. “Didn’t you guess? I paid her just enough attention to draw people to her. But it will be remembered that it was my approval which started it all.” I watched Eustacia, surrounded by a group of young men, trying her skills at flirting.
I understood then. By paying her that attention, he could bring it to a close as quickly as he’d started it. If she put a foot wrong, he would cut her, make it clear she no longer amused him. I caught my breath. “Machiavelli.”
“Thank you, my sweet.”
I sipped the ice-cold wine. “She’ll enjoy it.”
“It’s of supreme indifference to me whether she enjoys it or not. But she had better behave herself.”
I glanced around the supper room and saw Lizzie and Ruth. “My sisters don’t want for admirers.”
“Neither do you. I’ll have to give you up to yours pretty soon.”
“Foolish.”
“Not at all, my sweet. You are as much a success as they are.” He glanced down, his polite smile turning to fondness. “A hit.”
“YOUR SISTER’S BALL was a great success,” said Lady Southwood, a few mornings later at breakfast.
My reply was cautious. “It seems to have been judged so.”
“And your sisters made a sensation.”
“I’m happy for them.”
Richard joined us at the table with a laden plate. “But it seems that they like their beauties in threes. Rose hasn’t escaped notice.”
Lord Southwood smiled. “I should think she would not.” I glanced up and caught Maria’s sympathetic gaze. I thought she might have a streak of shyness herself.
“I was lucky to get her,” he continued. Lady Southwood dropped her close regard of me. She disliked any declaration of affection and this came perilously close.
Richard glanced at his mother. “You expressed some concern about the Drurys, ma’am. I agree with you, we don’t want to become the subject of gossip. So we’ve arranged to see them here, to clear the air.”
Her ladyship frowned, then, remembering it would leave lines in her immaculate maquillage, deliberately raised her eyebrows to smooth her brow once more. “It might be best if we weren’t seen to be at odds. Whatever they did, or tried to do to you, we don’t want the rest of the world knowing.”
“We asked them to call at midday. I thought we would use the red parlour.”
“Of course. I’ll see that tea is served and you’re not disturbed.”
They arrived at mid-day, precisely on time. We waited for them in the red parlour, a dauntingly formal room, full of stiff-backed chairs and elaborate woodcarving, a relic of the previous generation. We didn’t use it much.
I found it a shock to see Steven close, even after all this time. Darkly handsome in deep red velvet, he bowed deeply. He chose to meet my gaze as he rose. I didn’t look away, meeting it with a cool look of my own. He glanced at Richard and made his bow. Richard watched, waiting to see me seated. Julia was as cool and frosty as her husband was darkly brooding.
I poured tea and we exchanged civilities like any other people who are mere acquaintances until Julia Drury asked if our bride trip had been pleasant.
Then Richard did pay attention to her. “Mostly.” He leaned back in his chair, seemingly at ease, a feat in these rigid seats. “However one incident disturbed us and caused considerable inconvenience to my brother.” He waited.
Julia stared at Steven meaningfully. He drew a deep breath. “We regret the occurrence of the incident intensely. It was arranged while we were on our bride trip. We had not had time to consider the foolishness of such an action and by the time we realised the consequences, we could not find the man to reverse the proposal.” He didn’t look at us while he made his speech. I wondered how she’d compelled him to do it. So he described employing a paid assassin to kill us on our honeymoon. We had only escaped by using resources of our own, and Gervase had suffered a bullet in the shoulder because of their machinations. I would not forgive that easily, if at all.
“I see.” Richard sat at his ease but perfectly still. When I handed Steven his tea-dish, his hand brushed mine, I was sure on purpose. I glanced at him, startled, but I said nothing and moved back to my seat.
“So you say you did it in the heat of the moment?” Richard continued smoothly. Unlike Steven, whose red velvet clashed with the different red of the parlour, he wore darkest green, in dull ribbed silk which reflected nothing but looked marvellous against the upholstery of his chair. A great emerald flashed on his finger as he shifted his hand.
A shadow crossed Steven’s handsome face. “We regret it now. It was a foolish thing to do. The man exceeded his authority and he has been admonished for it.”
“I thought we admonished him enough.” Richard’s cool answer gave me pause. A shiver passed through me when I remembered what we’d done to Jeffries.
“You rendered him useless.” Julia’s cut-glass voice chilled the air around her.
“Do you usually have an assassin in your pay?” Richard’s tone was so casual it sounded as though he was asking about her hairdresser.
Julia frowned. “Not at all. This was an exceptional circumstance.”
Richard said nothing for a time, just studied her consideringly. “I could have married you.” His voice carried no emotion, no challenge.
She made a sound of exasperation. “You should have married me. What you did was foolish.”
Richard seemed to agree with her. “Foolish and sheer madness.” He paused. “I haven’t regretted it for a minute.”
Steven and I might have left the room, so little notice was taken of us. I sat quietly and sipped my tea, watching Steven covertly while Richard addressed his erstwhile betrothed.
“We could have made things extremely difficult for you.” Julia’s fine gown rustled as she turned to put down her half-empty tea-dish.
“You were the ones who eloped,” Richard reminded her.
Julia stared at her husband with a curl to her thin mouth that looked like contempt. “If we had kept our heads, you would have been the ones to elope.”
Richard confirmed it. “I’d never have proposed to you had I been thinking properly. We would not have suited and once I got to know you better, I realised it.”
Julia regarded Steven in a warmer way, if she could ever be said to look warmly. “I, too, have never regretted it.” She reached to take his hand, then dropped it again when Steven smiled at her. The whole gesture seemed like an afterthought, uncomfortably insincere.
Steven’s voice sounded warm in comparison. “We wish to assure you suc
h a thing will not happen again.”
Richard smiled at him. “That’s a rash promise. What if a highwayman should take it into his head to shoot at me? Would you be responsible for that?”
Steven sounded exasperated. “No, of course not.”
Richard put a finger to his lips and frowned. “You’re assuring us that you won’t make such an attempt again?”
Julia was quick to respond. “We can’t say we made such an attempt. We did something foolish in the heat of the moment, then found ourselves unable to correct it, that’s all.”
“Of course.” It didn’t matter what form the words took, so long as the meaning was clear. “But you wouldn’t dream of doing it again.” He smiled, without humour or friendliness.
“No,” said Julia.
“Thank you.” Richard stood and crossed the room to the window but he kept our guests under observation, and they were forced to move their heads as he strolled. “We progress. We asked you here today because we have no wish to become a spectacle for the idle and if we cut each other in public, this will necessarily happen. Do you agree?”
Julia watched him eyes as cold as a snake’s. “We have no reason to continue. After all, you brought Steven and me together.”
Richard didn’t comment. I knew he found it anathema to show his private emotions in front of two people he had every reason to hold in dislike. He appeared perfectly at ease, the image of the aristocrat at leisure, no hint of any emotion about him. He gazed at his former betrothed. She met his gaze coolly. There was one woman I need never feel jealousy about and she sat in this room.
“You want a quiet life?” Steven’s voice verged on the sneering.
Richard turned his gaze to him. “I don’t think unnecessary antagonism should be promoted. We all have more important matters to deal with. But if you wish, we can continue. I’m perfectly indifferent to it. I’m doing this for my family, not myself.”
Steven shrugged with every appearance of unconcern but turned away from my husband to look at me with an expression I couldn’t fathom and which I chose to disregard. Pity? Love? Did he still imagine some feelings for me then, or was it as much of a sham as it had always been? “You’re looking well, Rose.”
I hadn’t looked for such a remark and I didn’t care for his opinion but I thanked him for the compliment and ventured nothing of my own.
The exchange had not escaped Richard. “So we will not cut each other in public and we will not engage in private vendettas?” He moved from his place by the window and went back to his chair.
Steven stood, then helped Julia to her feet. Standing, her hand placed lightly on his red coat sleeve, she looked like one of the marble statues from Hareton Abbey, except, of course, she was clothed. “Indeed I would prefer a warmer connection but I fear that would be too much to ask,” Steven said smoothly. Julia shot her husband a poisonous look but he met it with a bland smile.
They bowed and left. Richard made sure there was a footman outside to escort them to the door, then came back. When he sat down again, his pose was far less studied.
He gave me a quizzical smile. “Do you believe them?”
“Not for a minute. He’s up to some game of his own and I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could see her.”
“What do you think he was up to?”
I sipped my tea. “I’m not sure. Perhaps he wonders how we are now. He saw us before we married but he doesn’t know how marriage is suiting us, how we’re getting on together. Perhaps he thinks he can spite you by starting up with me again.”
Richard frowned. “How do you feel about that?”
I was shocked. “There’s only you, you know that.”
He smiled at my vehemence. “I never tire of hearing it, my love. But he doesn’t know it. Can you tolerate that kind of attention for a while? If you should be at all apprehensive, don’t give it another thought but I rather thought Julia was putting out feelers to me.”
“I didn’t see anything but cold disregard in her.”
“She didn’t want you to.” He shook his head. “No, it won’t do. I don’t want him anywhere near you. I nearly killed him because of what he tried to do to you before. I can’t risk you like that again.”
“But he didn’t and by the time you reached him, he couldn’t. I kicked blindly but I managed to reach the target pretty well, didn’t I?” I gave him a mischievous grin.
“My sweet love, I can only pray I never displease you like that. Believe me, you would have caused him some extreme agony for some time. He doesn’t distress you any more?”
“No. I feel nothing, not even dislike. They should deal well together.”
“Not as well as we do.”
Chapter Nine
I GREW INCREASINGLY busy, shopping and interviewing servants for the new house. October gave way to November and I became eager to see us in our own house.
One afternoon in the great drawing room, waiting for dinner guests, my mother-in-law began again with her persuasions for us to stay in Piccadilly. “I lived with my husband’s family all the time. We felt they needed us nearby.”
“They were old,” Richard pointed out. “They started their family late. I prefer to retain my independence, if at all possible.”
Lord Southwood studied his son, taking his measure. “Strang has a point, but I hope he has longer to wait than I did for the title.”
His wife’s head turned sharply to stare at him, eyes wide with alarm. “I should hope so. Really, my lord, there is no need to be so morbid. I merely wished to see my son and his wife well established, that is all.”
“We won’t be far away,” Richard assured her, keeping his tone of reasonableness. “A short chair ride.”
“And in the summer?”
Our plans for the summer were necessarily flexible now but Richard answered her without a blink. “They will include Eyton, naturally.” His voice as frosty as his blue coat, he didn’t say more to her than he needed to about our future plans.
“I’m glad to hear it.” The blue gown Lady Southwood wore was royally hued, not reflecting the cold blue of her son’s coat.
Richard bowed his acknowledgement.
“It might be for the best.” Lord Southwood was a frank man and when he had anything to say would say it, occasionally giving way to bouts of temper which no one but Richard could stand up to, but in general he was more easygoing and less controlling than his wife. “Strang has become accustomed to having his own establishment in recent years and perhaps he would prefer it. It is usual, after all.”
Grudgingly, Lady Southwood had to admit it was true but said she was only thinking of his welfare. It would have ended then had she not added, “I hope he has sense to keep clear of this Lucy Forder affair. I don’t want to hear of you involved in that, Strang.”
Richard faced her coolly. “Then I fear you are doomed to disappointment, ma’am. She was found in the house of Rose’s aunt and I can’t refuse my help in these circumstances. Please rest assured I’ll try and keep our name out of it but no one is aware of the past connection except you, Gervase and Rose.”
Lady Southwood cast a startled look to where I sat, as serene as I could manage. “You told your wife?”
I nodded. “I needed to know, considering the circumstances. If anything should come out about Richard’s past involvement with her, I had to be prepared in case we have to scotch any rumours.”
“Is there any reason why anyone should know?” Lady Southwood’s eyes narrowed. Her husband gave her an apprehensive glance and I knew at once more secrets hid here. My heart beat a little faster and I drew a few deep breaths to control it.
“Not that we are aware of.” Richard’s attention was fixed on his mother now; he had seen something, too. “What is there for anyone to find out? Sixteen or more years ago you discovered me in flagrante with a maid and you sent her away. Hardly unusual, or something that would embarrass us if the story got out. Where did you send her, Mother, what did you do with her? Surely there�
��s no harm in telling me now?” His eyes took on a sharper expression.
Lady Southwood assumed an air of hauteur. “What does it matter now? As you say, it happened a long time ago.”
She couldn’t deter Richard from discovering what he had yearned to find out half a lifetime ago. “I have asked you repeatedly since we discovered her body. I waited until Rose’s presentation was over with, as you asked me, but now I insist on an answer. My affair with Lucy is long over and she used a different name by the time we found her. There is no reason to connect us. Enquiries about her recent behaviour have come up blank, so I need to trace her movements from the last time I saw her.” I could see he was keeping his demeanour as frostily haughty as he could. His mother would not respond to emotional requests, but she might respond to reason. “You can tell me now, Mother. After all, she’s dead,” he added bitterly.
“Is this a proper topic of conversation for your wife?” Lady Southwood asked.
Immediately Richard turned to me. “Would you rather withdraw, Rose?”
Yes, oh yes. I shook my head. “Not at all. Only if you wish me to.” He needed my support.
He smiled and walked to where I was sitting on a wide sofa and joined me, putting his hand lightly over mine but he addressed his mother. “What did you do with her?”
All through this his father was silent but now he came forward and stood between us, looking first at his wife and then at his son. “You said you wanted to marry her.”
Richard didn’t move. His hand on mine remained steady. “I would have listened to reason.”
Lord Southwood regarded his son steadily. “People have done such things before and you were running wild at that time so we couldn’t be sure you wouldn’t do something rash. She came to us when she knew she was pregnant and we helped her.”
Richard hand tightened on mine but I didn’t move. He hadn’t known, they hadn’t told him; he’d told me once he didn’t think he had any offspring from his many mistresses, might not be capable of fathering a child for all he knew. I felt apprehensively sick. “She was pregnant?” I repeated, since Richard didn’t speak.
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