‘In the sense that you mean it, no. Harry’s discretion is to be trusted, Lizzie has plainly drawn her own conclusions and my sister will do as she’s told. Aside from yourself, there is no one else in this house whose opinion matters a jot to me … and neither am I feeble enough to be coerced. On the other hand, when Nemesis speaks, I listen.’
‘I see. And you are proposing, in effect, a marriage of convenience?’
‘Something of the sort. Yes. I believe you might call it that – at least, for the time being.’ He continued to regard her enigmatically. ‘I do not, you will notice, expound on what I can offer you.’
‘No.’ Pale blue silk and silver tissue, she thought wildly. ‘No. It’s self-evident, isn’t it? You can take me away from this house. That, as I imagine you probably know, is a greater gift than I ever expected to have.’
He replied with the merest inclination of his head and waited. Silence yawned about them and, finally, when she still did not speak, he said courteously, ‘I am sorry to be importunate … but I really would like an answer. Would it help if I went down on one knee?’
She shook her head, incapable of either humour or her usual astringency.
‘Well, then,’ said Rockliffe. ‘If you could see your way clear to putting me out of my misery, I would be more than grateful. I was rather hoping, you see, that we might leave this place today.’
The aquamarine eyes flew to meet his. ‘Today?’
‘Yes. I see no reason to linger. Quite the reverse, in fact. And my valet is already packing.’
‘Oh.’ Her hands tightened on one another till the knuckles glowed white and she made one last attempt to combat temptation. ‘Marriage to me will relate you to Diana. You can’t want that.’
He sighed but a glint of humour re-appeared in his face. He said, ‘I don’t. But, unless you are planning to make a bosom friend of her, I believe I can resign myself to it.’
A faint answering smile touched her mouth.
‘Does nothing at all about this worry you?’
‘No.’ He circumnavigated the table to her side. Then, taking her hands, he drew her to her feet and said, ‘We’ve talked enough for now, I think. Look at me … and, if you feel you can’t live with me, say so now.’
‘You – that is unfair.’
‘Do it.’ His tone was still soft but unmistakeably magisterial.
Slowly, very slowly, she looked up at him and drew a long, unsteady breath. Then, smiling crookedly, she said, ‘I can’t, of course. It would be a lie.’
‘So you’ll marry me?’
She swallowed hard and nodded.
‘Do you think you could say it?’
She hesitated, but only for a second. ‘Yes. If you truly wish it, I’ll marry you.’
For perhaps the space of a heart-beat, he continued to look at her with an expression she was unable to interpret. Then, ‘Thank you. We may now attend to the practicalities. But before we do …’ And, without any warning whatsoever, he slid one hand around her waist and used the other to lift her chin. Then his mouth found hers.
This time it was no fleeting brush of the lips. This time, he took what he had been wanting to take for a week; and Adeline, stunned as much by the suddenness of it as by the feel of his body against hers, found herself powerless to resist. As her hands crept up to grip his shoulders, Rockliffe gathered her even closer and slid his fingers into her hair. Her mouth was indescribably sweet and her response little short of intoxicating; and it was that which made him forget – since it was unlikely she’d ever been kissed before – that he had meant to keep this first time lightly experimental and, instead, deepen the kiss beyond the bounds of either sense or good intentions. He had known he wanted her. Until this moment, he had not known how much.
Drowning in sensations that flooded her body with inexplicable heat, her pulse pounding erratically and her breathing hopelessly disrupted, Adeline simply dissolved against him. His kiss both enticed and demanded, filling her senses to the exclusion of all else and shrinking the world to the compass of his arms. The moment lasted forever and ended too soon.
Slowly releasing her, Rockliffe looked into eyes that were no longer coolly composed but startled, confused and a little shy. Eyes that belonged less to the woman she was now than to the girl she had been eight years ago. ‘Ah,’ he thought. ‘Yes. There you are.’ And said lightly, ‘My apologies. That … went a little further than I had intended. I will try, for a time at least, not to make a habit of it.’
She looked back at him, noticing the faint hint of colour touching his cheekbones and the odd expression in his eyes. She supposed she ought to say something but she didn’t know what. As if he understood, Rockliffe raised one hand to gently caress her cheek with the back of his curved fingers. Then, stepping away from her and becoming unusually brisk, he said, ‘Pack only what you need for tonight – and bring the remains of Lizzie’s dress. Then make your goodbyes.’
‘Is that all?’ she managed to ask. ‘Shouldn’t – shouldn’t I go and speak with my aunt?’
‘No. That pleasure,’ he replied with a sudden, sardonic smile, ‘will be all mine.’
*
Having ejected Mr Horton from the room and shut the door in his face, Rockliffe’s interview with Lady Miriam was brief and to the point. He said, ‘Your niece has done me the honour to accept my hand in marriage. We will return to London today and I shall arrange for the wedding to take place as soon as possible. Since there will be no need for you to put yourself to the inconvenience of attending the ceremony, you may offer Adeline and myself your good wishes before we leave.’
Her ladyship’s expression indicated that she had numerous wishes she’d like to offer but none of them were good. She said stiffly, ‘This is all very sudden. I hope your Grace does not come to regret it.’
‘Your concern is appreciated,’ came the smooth reply. Then, ‘I imagine that you will be bringing your daughters to town for the season?’
‘I – yes. That is certainly my intention.’
‘Of course. Then perhaps you will accept a word of advice? As I imagine you are already fully aware, it would be … inadvisable … to gossip about the events of last evening since, if the true facts were to become known, Mistress Diana is the one who would suffer most from it.’
Lady Miriam’s colour rose. ‘I doubt that very much.’
‘Your mistake, then. I regret to say it – but your daughter’s behaviour reflects very poorly on her upbringing and if she cannot learn to govern her temper, her prospects are bleak. Also, neither you nor she should rely on my sister’s continuing friendship since I would prefer Nell not to acquire any of Diana’s other unfortunate habits. I trust I make myself clear?’
‘You are insulting, sir.’
‘That is not my intention – though, in Diana’s case, one would have to admit that it is hardly possible,’ he returned calmly. ‘There is just one final thing. I shall expect my wife to be accorded the courtesy that is her due. Anything less than that and I fear I may be a trifle … annoyed.’
The threat was veiled but it was there nonetheless. Left with nothing she could usefully say, her ladyship merely inclined her head glacially.
‘I rejoice that we understand each other,’ murmured Rockliffe. ‘All that remains, then, is for me to thank you for your hospitality. I believe I may truthfully say that my sojourn in your house has been one I shall never forget.’
~ * * * ~
NINE
Adeline was never to know what took place that day between Rockliffe and her aunt. He did not tell her and neither did she ask. Her own leave-taking was discreet in the extreme and had about it a curious feeling of unreality. She did not see Diana; Lady Miriam was frigidly polite and only Tom seemed to mind her going. Aside from that, her sole and abiding recollection of the event was contained in Richard Horton’s strangely satisfied smile.
Then they were in the carriage, she and Nell and the Duke … and the unreality persisted. Nell, who strongly objected
both to her brother’s decision to wed and her own enforced early departure, stared darkly through the window and declined to talk. Adeline tried to think of something to say that might help matters but eventually concluded that her wits were still too scrambled to be relied upon and abandoned the notion.
It should have been a relief, therefore, when they arrived in St James’ Square – but somehow it wasn’t. Adeline took one look, first at the majestic porticoed entrance and then, past his Grace’s dignified butler, at the exquisitely appointed hall beyond, and her nerve failed.
‘My God!’ she thought feebly. ‘What have I done?’
Rockliffe drew her hand through his arm.
‘Welcome,’ he drawled, not without a hint of humour, ‘to Wynstanton House. Something of a mausoleum, of course … but one does one’s poor best.’
‘Yes. I can see that,’ she responded, with as much acerbity as she could muster, before somehow finding herself inside.
Nell had already vanished – which could not be considered a hardship – so when the Duke decreed that she herself should have dinner in her room and go early to bed, it seemed a lot easier to acquiesce than to point out the unlikelihood of her sleeping. So she did as he asked, dined in solitary state on duck and green peas, climbed into the vast splendour of the red silk bed … and knew nothing more until morning.
The maid who opened her curtains and brought the hot water offered to help her dress. Adeline, accustomed to helping herself, sent her away. Half an hour later, having asked for and received directions, she found his Grace at breakfast with a round-faced young man whom he introduced as Matthew Bennett, his secretary.
‘Matthew,’ he told her, ‘is entrusted with the matter of arranging our wedding. An onerous task but one which will not, I hope, tax him unduly.’
Mr Bennett grinned and rose, clutching a fistful of papers.
‘Much obliged, sir! I’ll try not to let it. And may I just say that I wish you both every happiness?’
‘You may – and we thank you,’ replied Rockliffe lazily. And then, to Adeline, ‘Will the day after tomorrow suit you?’
Having resolved to retain her composure at all costs, she kept her expression at its most impervious and said, ‘Yes. Perfectly.’
‘You hear, Matthew?’
‘Indeed, sir. With your Grace’s permission, I’ll put things in train immediately.’
‘By all means. Ah – and just one thing more. On my bureau, you will find two letters. The one to Lord Amberley, I require him to receive today; the other, to Mr Ingram, will need to be with him by noon tomorrow at the latest. You might, perhaps, send Fletcher with them. And … er … Matthew?’
This, as Mr Bennett showed visible signs of wishing to be gone.
‘Yes, your Grace?’
‘I’ll need the carriage at the door in half an hour,’ said Rockliffe.
The young man left the room laughing.
‘You’re going somewhere?’ asked Adeline.
‘Not I, my dear. We,’ he corrected. ‘Yes. I’m taking you shopping.’
‘Oh.’ A tiny frisson of excitement crept down her spine but she hid it, saying, ‘What about Lady Elinor?’
‘Nell is still abed. I think we shall not disturb her.’ He rose from his chair. ‘And now I must leave you for a few minutes. So little time and so much to do, you know. Ring the bell if you need anything - and I will see you presently. Ah …’ He turned back, smiling faintly. ‘Have Lizzie’s dress put in a box and brought downstairs, would you? We will need to take it with us.’ And was gone.
Adeline indulged in a number of very natural reflections and summoned her fortitude over two cups of coffee. Then she prepared to accompany his Grace.
He took her first to the Maison Phanie where Madame la Directrice was discreetly informed that she was to have the honour of providing a complete wardrobe for the future Duchess of Rockliffe. Madame refrained from rubbing her hands together and, instead, adopted a mood of brisk elation. Then, having scrutinised Adeline from head to toe, she announced that – since Mademoiselle’s figure and deportment were possessed of a certain elegance – it would be a pleasure to create for her A Style.
Having agreed that this was certainly desirable, Rockliffe then proceeded to take a hand in the matter, approving some gowns, vetoing others and suggesting alterations in style or fabric to yet more. Far from being annoyed by this, Madame considered each of his remarks with pursed lips before, more often than not, agreeing that his Grace was perfectly right.
At the end of two hours, Adeline had lost track of precisely how many gowns had been ordered and in what materials; at the end of three, all she remembered with any clarity was that Lizzie Pickering would presently receive a copy of her ruined gown in bronze-green watered silk. She herself had been parted from Lady Miriam’s grey polonaise and arrayed in a pink and cream striped gown, hot from Madame’s work-room. The carriage already held boxes containing garments of every description – whose purpose, it appeared, was merely to equip her suitably for the next few days; and a complete trousseau, including the pièce de resistance which would be her bridal gown, was to follow in due course. Adeline contemplated the probable cost of it all and felt faint. Rockliffe waved her qualms aside and bore her off to buy some hats.
They returned to St James’ Square in the late afternoon, heavily laden with spoils. Nell, who had spent a very tedious day and felt decidedly hard done by, greeted them reproachfully. His Grace replied with provocative levity and Adeline, seeing a storm approaching, retreated to her room on the excuse of exploring her new wardrobe and stayed there until it was time for dinner.
When, with unaccustomed self-consciousness because of her new gown, she took her seat at the table, there did not seem to have been any appreciable improvement in the atmosphere. Rockliffe complimented her on the embroidered blue taffeta he himself had chosen and maintained his deliberately light manner, while Nell continued to address both of them with chilly politeness and as rarely as possible. Adeline talked composedly of generalities, swallowed her food without enjoyment and wondered how long it was going to last. And then, when the sweetmeats had been brought in and the servants withdrew for the last time, his Grace brought matters to a head.
‘I have to tell you, Nell, that Adeline and I are to be married on Wednesday – with or without your blessing. It would be better for us all, therefore, if you could accept the fact with some semblance of grace. If, on the other hand, you wish to continue sulking, I shall be forced to arrange for you to do so beneath Lucilla’s roof rather than mine.’
Nell’s cheeks grew very pink.
‘Lucilla,’ she said crossly, ‘won’t approve of this any more than I do.’
‘In which case, the two of you should deal extremely together,’ came the gentle reply. ‘Please sit down, Adeline. If Nell has something to say, you have as much right as anyone to hear it.’ He waited while she sank reluctantly back into her seat and then turned back to his sister. ‘You have our undivided attention. Speak now or not at all.’
‘All right!’ said Nell. ‘I can’t understand how it can have happened and I can’t bear the thought of what everyone will say. Also, I think I’ve a right to hear the truth.’
‘Well there,’ remarked Adeline, ‘I have to agree with you.’
Nell looked faintly nonplussed.
‘Thank you.’ And to her brother, ‘Well?’
Rockliffe sighed and made a gesture of surrender.
‘It seems that I am out-voted, doesn’t it? Tell her, Adeline. She won’t believe it, of course … but there’s no harm in trying.’
The narrow brows rose but she turned calmly to Nell and, in as few words as possible, told her exactly what had occurred in the book-room on the night of the Franklin ball.
When she had finished, Nell said hotly, ‘I – I don’t believe it! Di couldn’t!’
‘Unfortunately, she both could and did,’ replied Adeline. ‘I’m afraid you don’t know Diana nearly as well as you think.’
‘A fact,’ drawled his Grace, ‘on which you are to be congratulated.’
‘You’re horrid!’ cried Nell, surging to her feet. ‘I think you’ve just made it all up.’
‘Why?’ Adeline’s voice was suddenly stripped of all tolerance. ‘Because it’s easier to believe your brother a clumsy and unprincipled lecher than your friend a selfish and monumentally spiteful cat?’
Nell stared at her and lost most of her rosy glow. Then she made a small strangled sound and fled.
Completely unperturbed, the Duke rested a companionable gaze on Adeline.
‘Far be it from me to say I told you so.’
She met his eyes irritably. ‘I suppose you realise that there are times when you’re not an enormous help?’
Laughter stirred.
‘Naturally. But I strongly suspect that, of all women, you are the one least likely to be defeated by it.’
*
With the best will in the world, it was impossible to simply dismiss this remark and Adeline was still considering its implications on the following morning whilst under the ministering hands of the hairdresser. Then there was a tap on the door and Nell’s face appeared anxiously around it.
‘May I come in?’
‘Please do,’ invited Adeline. ‘You may be able to help me convince Signor Leonardo here that I don’t want my hair standing on end as though I’ve had a fright.’
Nell surprised herself by giggling. The signor sniffed and brandished his scissors.
‘Eet eez zee moda,’ he said severely. ‘I am harteest! ‘Ow I create eef youno leesten what I say? You wanna look like meelkmide, hah?’
There was a pregnant pause.
‘Meelkmide?’ Adeline asked of Nell.
‘Si – meelkmide! Meelkmide!’ He was almost hopping with excitement. ‘I, Leonardo, no do eet! Eet ruin me! I do for you nice ‘edge’og, no?’
‘No,’ responded Adeline, cheerfully but with finality. ‘You do for me exactly what I asked. And, if I look like a milkmaid, I’ll promise not to tell anyone who did it. And now,’ she said, turning to Nell, ‘tell me what I may do for you.’
Mesalliance Page 10