by Anne Ashley
'You may possibly be right,' Daniel agreed, rising to his feet. 'But I for one have no intention of fruitlessly trying to speculate on which of his numerous enemies might have been the perpetrator of the crime—if indeed a crime was committed, for that in itself has yet to be proved. I have a far more important matter taxing my poor brain at this present moment in time—namely, how to pacify Kendall for the ordeal ahead of him.
'You may or may not he aware of it, ma'am,' he continued, in response to the faintly bewildered glance his mother cast up at him as he passed her chair, 'but my most loyal retainer, being a confirmed bachelor, retains one or two preconceived notions where the fair sex is concerned. He is not a total misogynist, for he has on the odd occasion been overheard to utter mild praise when observing some female equestrian displaying a modicum of skill. He is, however, old-fashioned enough to deplore the present vogue for ladies tooling their own carriages.'
'Why not simply leave him here when you take Robina out?' her ladyship enquired, at a loss to understand why her son was making such an issue of an easily resolved problem.
His expression was faintly mocking. 'Because unlike you, Mama, who have proved to be possibly the most negligent chaperon on the face of the planet since we took up residence here in Brighton, I'm endeavouring to ensure that Robina's hitherto spotless reputation does not become slightly tarnished in the eyes of this censorious world of ours by being observed leaving the town's limits solely in my company.'
Although the explanation appeared to satisfy the Dowager, Robina was not quite so certain that she fully understood the reason behind his lordship's resolve to observe the proprieties wherever possible. Whose reputation was he striving to protect—hers or his own? she couldn't help asking herself. Was he doing everything within his power to ensure that she was not forced into a union with him? Or was he determined that he would not be obliged to offer her the protection of his name because of any gossip which might arise from their being observed together? And why was it, she wondered, had the latter possibility brought a return of that very uncomfortable hollow feeling deep inside?
By the time she had taken her place beside his lordship in the curricle later that morning, Robina had come very close to convincing herself that Daniel's determination to have a third person present as much as possible whenever in her company was prompted by entirely unselfish motives. Yes, she had almost convinced herself, but not quite. She refused, however, to permit the remaining lingering little doubt to mar the pleasurable excitement she was experiencing at the prospect of being taught to handle such a fine pair of horses.
Having been expected to perform many tasks over the years under her mother's, watchful eye had certainly stood her in good stead for just such an occasion as this, Robina reflected, happily taking charge of the equipage as they reached the outskirts of the town and the open countryside lay before them beckoning invitingly. At some point in her young life she had acquired a dogged determination not to allow fear of failure or an expert's critical opinion to prevent her from attempting something new. Consequently, she was able to concentrate fully on the task in hand, even though she had been forewarned that the small, stocky individual perched on the seat behind her was undoubtedly watching her every move, just waiting for the opportunity to give his opinion of 'uppity' females who thought themselves capable of handling the ribbons by giving vent to a loud snort at any foolish mistake she might make.
Thankfully no such derisive sound reached her ears. More satisfying still was the fact that only once, before she was requested to draw to a halt at a convenient spot in the lane where there was room enough for two carriages to pass quite comfortably, did her tutor feel the need to correct a slight error by placing his hand over hers, though why the fleeting and unexpected contact should have resulted in her heart momentarily beating a little faster she was at a complete loss to understand.
'That performance was extremely creditable for a person who has only before ever handled a one-horse gig,' Daniel announced, sounding genuinely impressed. 'What say you, Kendall?'
An ominous silence, then, 'Miss Perceval, m'lord, 'as a pair o' good light 'ands, I'll give 'er that.'
'Praise, indeed!' murmured Daniel for his pupil's ears only. Then louder, 'Do you wish to continue, or would you like me to take over now?'
Although highly delighted with her progress thus far, and with the praise she had received, even the groom's mild offering, Robina knew her limitations. Her arms felt a little tired, and her head was beginning to throb with the sheer effort of concentrating so hard, so she decided she'd had enough for one day and willingly handed back the reins.
'Do you wish to return to the house, or would you, perhaps, enjoy a further exploration of the countryside?'
She certainly would have enjoyed that, but felt she ought not to impose on his lordship's good nature further by taking up any more of his time, and echoed her thoughts aloud.
'You are not imposing, I assure you,' he countered. 'If I hadn't wished to drive you about, child, believe me, I would never have offered.'
There was an undoubted glint in his eyes which in a child might have been taken for devilment. 'You appear to have gleaned, undoubtedly from my endearing mama, a very false impression of my character, my little bird. It is worth remembering that doting parents frequently refuse to see faults in their offspring.'
'Is that so, my lord?' Robina parried, a rare dry note creeping into her voice! 'In that case, all I can say is that you have been blessed, for my mama, loving and caring though she has unfailingly been throughout my life, has never been slow to point out my many failings.'
Having found himself in the punctilious Lady Elizabeth Perceval's company on numerous occasions during those weeks spent in London, and having become in recent years something of an astute judge of character, Daniel was not surprised by this innocent disclosure, but chose not to comment, and merely said,
'Besides which, I have a very good reason for pandering to your every whim. I am hoping that you will grant me a favour in return.'
He watched the questioning lift of delicate brows. 'You see, I've written to Miss Halliwell, my daughters' governess,' he explained, 'expressing my wish that she breaks the journey to Lyme Regis by spending a few days here in Brighton with us. My daughters, Hannah and Lizzie, spend a month each summer visiting their great-aunt Agatha in Dorset. She was my father's youngest sister and simply dotes on the girls.'
That lovely and totally spontaneous smile, which never failed to reach her eyes, and which was the very first thing he had ever noticed about Miss Robina Perceval, curled up the corners of that perfectly shaped mouth of hers.
'How delightful! I had secretly hoped that I might be given the opportunity of making your daughters' acquaintance. Lady Exmouth has told me so much about them that I feel I know them already.'
Daniel smiled to himself as he recalled that the second thing that had occurred to him about Robina in those first meetings in London was that she always managed to say precisely the right thing. She really was a darling!
'Well, I'm relieved to hear you say that, because I hoped you would assist me by keeping them amused whilst they're here. Lizzie, I'm afraid, is easily bored. It may well yet prove to be a grave error of judgement on my part, but I've tended to be rather indulgent since their mother's demise, and Lizzie, I'm afraid, can be something of a handful on occasions.'
It wasn't the admission itself which momentarily deprived her of speech, for she had learned from the Dowager that her son was both a loving and lenient father. It wasn't the fact that this was the first time, as far as she could recall, that he had ever mentioned his wife, either. What had come as a complete surprise was the fact that there had not been, as far as she could detect, so much as a hint of sadness in his deep, mellow voice.
She cast a fleeting sideways glance up at the strong contours of his wholly masculine profile to discover that, although he wasn't precisely smiling, there was nothing in his expression to suggest that mention
ing his wife had caused him the least distress.
'Having three younger sisters myself, I can appreciate the mischief young girls can get into from time to time. I shall be only too happy to offer any assistance I can, my lord,' she assured him, and was surprised for the second time within the space of a few short minutes to discover that her willing offer of help did not appear to please him very much. In fact, if anything, he looked faintly annoyed.
The reason behind the unexpected frown was soon made clear. 'I thought we had agreed that we would dispense with formality when in private, Robina.'
'We did,' she agreed, unable to forbear a smile, or to resist the temptation to tease him a little. 'But might I remind you, sir, that we are not alone. Kendall is with us.'
Only for a moment did Daniel take his eyes off the road ahead to cast her a narrow-eyed, deeply assessing stare. 'I am beginning to realise that when my daughters arrive I shall have not just one unruly little baggage residing under my roof. Thank heavens my Hannah is always well behaved!'
Robina frankly laughed. She had been called many things in her young life, most notably a sweet, biddable girl, which in recent years she had found increasingly irksome. It always made her feel as if she were a complaisant half-wit, some mindless creature without a will of its own. So it was little wonder that his lordship's observation had come as something of a refreshing change, more like a compliment than any slur on her character, though she doubted very much that he had intended it as such.
Feeling marvellously content, a state which she had been experiencing very frequently of late, she leaned back in the comfortable seat and gazed about with interest at the unfamiliar landscape, something which she had not dared to do whilst tooling the curricle herself, lest she lose her concentration and make some foolish mistakes. His lordship, on the other hand, seemed quite capable of doing both. He really was most accomplished at handling the ribbons, controlling the spirited greys with effortless ease.
On the few occasions she had been privileged to sit beside him in the curricle, she had not once witnessed him give way to temptation with displays of dashing flair. He had never, for instance, attempted to feather-edge a corner or manoeuvre the curricle between two vehicles with only an inch to spare. She didn't doubt for a moment that he could easily accomplish such feats, but she could never imagine him putting either his horses or any passenger he might have taken up beside him at risk by making the attempt, unless the manoeuvres were totally unavoidable. Which made her ponder yet again on what must have occurred eighteen or so months ago that had resulted in the tragic accident which had killed his wife.
She was not so foolish as to suppose for a moment that only careless exhibitionists met with accidents. Where horses were concerned anything might happen at any time. Why, one only had to consider the many occasions her good friend Lady Sophia Cleeve, a fine horsewoman by any standard, had taken a tumble from her mount, or the occasional mishap her cousin Hugo, a most notable whip, had experienced over the years, to appreciate that the most skilful handlers of horseflesh could, and often did, come to grief from time to time. None the less she found it difficult to believe that a momentary lack of concentration or gross negligence on Daniel's part had resulted in the death of his much beloved wife.
It was all rather pointless trying to speculate on what might have occurred, she reminded herself. She had never been given any details about the accident whatsoever. Which, now she came to consider the matter, was most strange. The Dowager simply adored her son and never required much encouragement to begin talking about him. From things she had let fall from time to time, her ladyship had been touchingly fond of her late daughter-in-law too. Whether the truth of the matter was simply that the Dowager wasn't in possession of all the facts herself, or that she found the subject of the beautiful Clarissa's demise too painful a topic to discuss, was anyone's guess. It was strange, all the same, that Lady Exmouth had never once attempted to touch on the subject.
Robina came out of her reverie to discover that they had, at some point, turned off the narrow twisting lane, and were now bowling along a much wider road and at a much brisker pace. From the position of the sun, she judged that Daniel had decided to head back to Brighton to enjoy the light luncheon which no doubt awaited their return. She was just beginning to feel that she could do justice to whatever the excellent cook had prepared for them, when she caught sight of a great deal of activity in a field just up ahead.
'Oh, what is taking place over there, do you suppose?'
'It'll be one of the horse fairs held in these parts every summer. The main one takes place in August.' He couldn't mistake the faint look of interest in her blue eyes. 'Would you care to stop and take a look? There are bound to be some side-shows.'
Robina very much looked forward to the annual summer fete held in the grounds at Perceval Hall, her uncle's estate in Northamptonshire. She would miss it this year, as it always took place in July, so she would not have minded in the least making up for the loss of that particular yearly treat by enjoying this unexpected event now. Nevertheless, always considerate to the feelings of others, she expressed her wish not to upset Cook by being late for one of her delicious luncheons.
'There's no need to concern yourself on that score,' Daniel assured her, after expertly turning the curricle into the field and quickly finding a sheltered spot beneath some trees. 'I made it clear before I left the house that I was unsure of precisely when we would return.'
'But what about Kendall?' Robina said, willingly accepting his lordship's helping hand to alight. She turned towards the groom, who now stood at the horses' heads. 'Do you not care to browse too?'
'No, thank you—er—Miss Robina. I'm more than 'appy to bide a while 'ere in the shade, and enjoy me pipe.'
Daniel cast a brief glance at his trusted henchman, before easily capturing Robina's hand, placing it in the crook of his arm, and leading her towards the first of the side-shows. She was perhaps sublimely unaware of it herself, but Kendall's familiarity had not been a token of disrespect, far from it. Robina had undoubtedly found favour in the loyal retainer's eyes.
'I rather fancy that Kendall was more impressed with your display this morning than he would have you believe, my little bird.' That and your undoubted consideration for the feelings of others, he added silently.
'I must confess I was rather pleased with my performance myself,' she admitted, smiling faintly as the thought occurred to her that, had her dear father been present to hear that particular disclosure, he would probably have approved of her honesty, but the self-gratification might well have earned her a frown of disapproval.
Evidently her present companion did not appear to think that she was being in any way conceited, for he smiled down at her like some indulgent uncle. He had a delightful smile; she had thought so from the first. It emphasised that rather attractive cleft in his firm chin, and crinkled the corners of those warm brown eyes.
'Yes, well,' she said faintly, amazed at her wayward thoughts, and fervently hoped that the sudden heat she could feel in her cheeks might be attributed to the warmth of the day. 'I do realise, of course, that I've still a great deal to learn. Tooling Papa's one-horse gig, with dear old Bessie between the traces is one thing; trying to control a pair of spirited horses is quite another.'
While she had been speaking, she had been taking a keen interest in the various attractions and the wide variety of wares for sale on the stalls, but now her sweet countenance unexpectedly betrayed a hint of distaste. Daniel followed the direction of her disapproving gaze to see a brightly coloured sign inviting people to step behind the screen to inspect the wondrous sight of a calf with two heads, a goose with three legs and various other oddities.
'Evidently you disapprove of such spectacles, child.'
'I find them distasteful in the extreme, not to mention needlessly cruel. Not many of those poor creatures are destined to live for very long. It would be much kinder to put them out of their misery at birth. On the other hand, tho
ugh,' she sighed, 'who am I to criticise or condemn? I have never known hunger. I cannot truly blame any poor wretch for ensuring that his children have food in their bellies, no matter how distasteful the means by which he achieves this might be.'
Her smile swiftly returned as they reached the next attraction, a rough wooden structure housing, if the sign outside were to be believed, the world's fattest lady. Two yokels suddenly emerged from behind the screen, both, it appeared, decidedly unimpressed after witnessing the spectacle.
'She weren't as fat as the one they 'ad 'ere last year,' the taller remarked in a carrying voice, after fortifying himself from the jug he carried.
'No, she weren't,' his companion readily agreed. 'She weren't nearly so fat as your wife, come to that.'
'No, she weren't. I were thinking the selfsame— 'Ere, what do you mean?' the first demanded, evidently realising at last what his friend had just said. 'I'll 'ave you know my Betsy ain't fat, just got plenty o' meat on the bone, that's all.' He fastened one grimy hand on his friend's shirt, spilling some of the contents of the jug in the process. 'You takes that back!'
Swiftly drawing his highly amused companion away before the ex-friends came to blows, which looked imminent, Daniel gazed down at her smiling face, thinking what a wicked sense of humour she possessed, something which he had suspected from the first.
He was convinced, too, that Lady Elizabeth Perceval had instilled strict codes of conduct in her eldest daughter, and this he considered highly commendable. He knew from experience that children needed to be kept under control and taught how to behave, as long as one remembered not to take discipline to extremes, and thereby run the risk of crushing a child's natural vivacity. He would not go so far as to say that this is what had happened in Robina's case, but he had felt increasingly, as he suspected his far from obtuse mother had too, that Robina had been reared to maintain a strict control over emotions and inclinations. She would no doubt always continue to do so to a certain degree, but since their arrival in Brighton there had already been a very noticeable change in her. She seemed far more relaxed and outgoing, and he couldn't help wondering how many more interesting facets of her character would emerge during the forthcoming weeks.