Marianne & the Marquis

by Anne Herries

  ‘Major Barr may have something to tell you,’ Robbie suggested.

  However, when he called later that morning, the Justice of the Peace was as frustrated as they were. ‘Seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth,’ he said. ‘We’ve had men out searching all the empty barns and ruins in the district. Even sent some volunteer miners down that old shaft—but so far there’s no sign of him. If it was Hambleton, he probably cut and ran for it after he killed Symonds.’

  ‘Ah, yes, Symonds, the name had escaped me,’ Drew said and looked thoughtful. ‘Well, if Hambleton has gone, so much the better. I have been worried about Lady Edgeworthy and her visitors.’ Frustrated would have been a better word, for in his weakened state he had been unable to rise from his bed.

  ‘Well, they are in Bath for the moment,’ Major Barr said. ‘To tell you the truth, I had hoped we might have it all finished and done by the time they come back—but he can’t be found and there’s not much more we can do.’

  ‘In Bath?’ Drew nodded. ‘I had forgotten they intended to go for a visit. Yes, it would be good to have it all sewn up before they return. I think perhaps I shall go to Bath myself. Lady Edgeworthy may know something of Hambleton’s lifestyle that we do not.’

  ‘Doubt it myself,’ Major Barr said. ‘But ask her by all means. I dare say you’ll be glad to see the back of this place after your illness.’

  ‘It wasn’t the most comfortable of places to be ill,’ Drew said with a wry smile, ‘and Robbie has had hard work of it to look after me. At least in Bath we shall be sure of a comfortable inn and someone to cook for us.’

  ‘Come and dine with me this evening,’ the major said. ‘At least I can offer you some decent beef.’

  ‘Thank you, but another time,’ Drew said. ‘I think we may leave this afternoon. I have business that will not wait.’

  Henriette came up to Marianne and Mrs Horne a few moments after they had entered the ballroom at the Assembly Hall. She was looking very pretty in a dress of pale pink silk with a ruffled hem and a demure neckline.

  ‘Is Lucy not here this evening?’ she asked.

  ‘She is not out,’ Mrs Horne told her. ‘She may come to your private dance, Henriette, and I am sure she will be happy to walk out with you to the library or the shops, but I do not want her to attend public affairs like this for another year or so.’

  ‘Oh, yes, I shall enjoy having her at my dance,’ Henriette said. ‘There are so many people here and we do not know the half of them…’ Her words died away as her gaze fell on a gentleman who had just entered the ballroom. ‘Oh! Surely that is…him…’

  Marianne turned to look at the gentleman who had brought a delicate blush to Henriette’s cheeks, and her heart jerked as she saw that it was Drew. He seemed to be looking for someone and, catching her eye, began to walk towards where the three of them stood.

  Marianne would have fled if there were anywhere to go, but she was in a ballroom and she could not simply leave without an explanation to her mama. She decided to be cool but polite, for she must not let him see that his sudden arrival had thrown her into confusion.

  ‘Good evening, ladies,’ Drew said as he reached them. ‘Mrs Horne, Marianne…Miss Forester, I seem to remember?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Henriette breathed, her eyes glowing as she gazed up at him. ‘Mama told you our names, of course, but I do not recall yours, sir.’

  ‘This is Lord Marlbeck,’ Mrs Horne said, looking from Henriette to Drew. ‘You seem to have met briefly?’

  ‘Lord Marlbeck…’ Henriette said and her voice carried a tinge of surprise. ‘Oh, it was when our coach came off the road and Marianne took us up in her carriage as far as the next inn. Lord Marlbeck helped us, for Mama was likely to have hysterics had he not come along when he did.’ The look she gave him was unashamedly adoring, and it was clear that she was brimming with excitement at having discovered her rescuer was a marquis.

  Lady Forester had been talking to another lady, but she came up to them at that moment. ‘Ah, there you are, Henriette.’ She looked at Drew, but gave no sign of recognition.

  ‘Mama, this is Lord Marlbeck. You recall that he helped us when we had an accident to our coach…’

  ‘Lord Marlbeck?’ Lady Forester’s tone seemed to question the validity of her daughter’s words for a moment, her eyes going over him sharply. However, she could find no fault with his appearance because he was dressed in perfect taste that evening, his coat the work of a master tailor, and his cravat a pristine waterfall that many a dandy would envy. Suddenly she was smiling her approval. ‘Yes, I remember perfectly. It was so kind of you to help us that day, sir.’

  ‘It was nothing,’ Drew said in a dismissive tone. The set of his jaw was hard and Marianne sensed that he was angry. She guessed that it was a struggle for him to control his impatience. She could hear the music playing in the background and knew that the dancing was about to begin as he said, ‘Would you give me the honour of this dance, Miss—’

  ‘Oh, yes, thank you,’ Henriette said before he could finish and looked at him expectantly. ‘I have been longing to dance, my lord.’

  Drew’s eyes flashed with some pent-up emotion that Marianne thought might possibly be frustration, but he gave his hand to Henriette and led her away to join the other dancers who were forming into groups.

  ‘They make a pretty sight, do they not?’ Lady Forester said, nodding indulgently. ‘Are you much acquainted with Lord Marlbeck, Mrs Horne?’

  ‘He is an acquaintance of Lady Edgeworthy, with whom we are staying,’ Mrs Horne replied. ‘Marianne knows him better than I do myself.’

  Lady Forester nodded, but what she was about to say was lost to Marianne, for at that moment a gentleman of their acquaintance came up to her and asked if he might have the pleasure of that dance. She gave him her hand and they took their places at the end of a line of ladies and gentlemen. It was a progressive dance in which all the participants danced with each other as well as their particular partner. And being at one end of the line, while Drew was at the other, it was a while before she found herself curtsying to him, and giving him her hand.

  He threw her an exasperated look. ‘You knew it was you I intended to ask, Marianne.’

  ‘Henriette thought otherwise.’ She gave him a cool nod and they parted to walk down the line and then joined hands again to dance back up. ‘She is a charming girl and I am sure you cannot regret your choice.’

  ‘Jade!’ Drew hissed at her and gave her an awful look, which made her smile inwardly.

  As she naturally progressed to the next gentleman in the line she had no further chance to speak with him, until after the dance was finished. Drew escorted Henriette to her mother, thanked her for the dance and walked straight back to where Marianne stood with her mama and two other ladies.

  ‘Marianne, I believe you promised me the next dance,’ he said and took her arm, leading her away to where dancers were collecting for what it became clear was to be a waltz.

  ‘I am not sure that I should be dancing this,’ Marianne said. ‘Is it not true that most young ladies dare not accept unless they have been given special permission?’

  ‘You are not most young ladies and I have no time for such nonsense,’ Drew said grimly. ‘If you do not dance with me, I shall drag you outside to the balcony and kiss you in full view of the room.’

  ‘You are very forward, sir,’ Marianne said coolly, though her heart had begun to race wildly. She lifted her head, gazing into his eyes in a challenging manner, determined to give him no quarter. ‘Especially when the last time we spoke you gave me to understand that there could be nothing between us.’

  The music had begun and she was in his arms, her head tipped to look up at him, his hand at the small of her back, their bodies too close for her comfort. She hoped that he was not aware it had become difficult for her to breathe. Already she was feeling herself relax, their feet, bodies and hearts as one as they danced. They were so in tune that it was like floating through
air, a heavenly sensation that made her feel as if she wanted to melt into him and fly away.

  ‘I am all kinds of a fool,’ Drew said. ‘You must know that there is something between us, Marianne…something that is stronger than both of us. It is perhaps the nearest thing to love that I can feel.’

  Marianne looked at him uncertainly as their dance came to an end. In his arms she had felt as if she wanted to stay there for ever, but now she was not sure what he was saying. Her own love for him was overwhelming, and she knew that without him her life would have no real meaning—but just what did he feel for her?

  ‘I do not believe this is the right moment to speak of these things,’ she said as they walked towards her mother. ‘Perhaps if you called tomorrow?’

  ‘I shall take you driving, if you will permit me?’

  ‘Yes, thank you. In the morning at ten?’

  ‘I shall be there,’ Drew promised. ‘If you will excuse me, I think I shall leave before I am obliged to dance with more innocent young girls who have match-making mamas.’

  ‘Lord Marlbeck!’ Marianne’s eyes flashed at him indignantly. ‘You are unkind.’

  Drew grinned, made his bow to her and walked away without looking to the left or right. Marianne watched him go, her thoughts in some confusion. Did he mean to offer her marriage? Surely he had not been thinking of offering her carte blanche? He must know that she would never accept such an offer.

  ‘Has Lord Marlbeck gone?’ Henriette said as she came to join Marianne. ‘Mama was going to ask him to my dance.’

  ‘Yes, unfortunately he had another appointment,’ Marianne said. ‘But I dare say you will meet again soon.’

  ‘You do not happen to know where he is staying?’

  ‘No, I am afraid not,’ Marianne replied. She turned as a gentleman came up to her and bowed.

  ‘Good evening, Miss Horne. We were introduced earlier. I wonder if I may have the honour of this dance, please?’

  ‘Oh…’ Marianne saw that Henriette was also being asked to dance and she need not fear to leave her standing alone. ‘Yes, thank you, sir. You are most kind.’

  The dance was once again a progressive and Marianne found that she was enjoying herself as she passed from one partner to the next. None of them made her breathless, but she was able to smile and laugh, and at the end of the evening told her mama that it had been a pleasant evening.

  ‘It was a pity that Lucy and Aunt Bertha were not with us, but tomorrow we are invited to a private party, and the day after that is Miss Forester’s dance.’

  ‘Yes…’ Mrs Horne looked thoughtful. ‘I think Lady Forester would have been pleased if Lord Marlbeck had stayed longer. She quizzed me about him after he had left, and she was interested to know that we had once lived within walking distance of his estate. She asked me if it were true that he was one of the wealthiest men in England, but I told her I could not answer her question for I did not know.’

  ‘What a thing to ask!’ Marianne said and laughed. ‘No wonder poor Drew made such a hasty retreat. If he has been the subject of such scrutiny by match-making mamas, as he calls them, it is not to be wondered at if he shies off dancing with their daughters.’

  ‘Poor Drew?’ Mrs Horne raised her brows. ‘I was not aware that you were on such terms with Lord Marlbeck, Marianne?’

  ‘Oh…’ Marianne blushed—it had been a slip of the tongue. ‘We did become…friends, I suppose, before you came down, Mama. I suppose I should not have spoken so freely, but he told me that his friends call him Drew.’

  ‘I see…’ Mrs Horne studied her face. ‘Have you anything more to tell me, Marianne?’

  ‘Lord Marlbeck has asked if he may take me driving in the morning, and I have said yes…I hope that was acceptable, Mama?’

  ‘Yes, perfectly acceptable,’ her mother said and smiled. ‘I do not believe I have seen you smile as much for days as you did this evening.’ She kissed her cheek. ‘Sleep well, my darling. You will want to look your best in the morning.’

  Marianne nodded and went into her own room. She closed her door and leaned against it, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension. Her mama was clearly imagining an understanding between her and Drew—but what were his intentions towards her really?

  She moved towards her dressing table, sitting down to unpin her hair, looking at her reflection as she struggled to unfasten the hooks at the nape of her neck. Slipping her gown off, she stepped out of it and laid it carefully over a chair for Bessie to press and put away in the morning. It was her best evening gown and she would need it again for Henriette’s dance, because although they had ordered a new one it would not be finished in time.

  Getting into bed, Marianne blew out her candle and closed her eyes, but sleep did not come immediately. Drew was still a mystery to her. She could not help feeling a little apprehensive about what he would say to her in the morning.

  Chapter Eleven

  Marianne dressed in a carriage gown of green velvet, adding a matching pelisse and a bonnet tied with crimson ribbons and decorated with a bunch of cherries. She had made it herself, but it was as stylish as any she had seen in the fashionable milliners in Bath, and she was happy that it complemented her gown.

  Drew arrived punctually. Marianne was with Lucy upstairs, and Mrs Horne invited him into the parlour where she and Lady Edgeworthy were sitting. Marianne heard his voice and, kissing her sister’s cheek, picked up her reticule and went downstairs. He turned to look at her as she entered the room, and his eyes lit with what she imagined must be a mixture of pleasure and approval. He came towards her. She offered her hand. He took it, lifting it to his lips to kiss it chastely.

  ‘You look beautiful, Marianne,’ he said. ‘Are you ready to leave?’

  ‘Yes, thank you,’ she said and glanced at her mama. ‘I am not perfectly sure how long we shall be…’

  ‘Your mama has invited me to take nuncheon with you,’ Drew told her, and the look of satisfaction in his eyes made her tremble inwardly. ‘I have promised we shall return by half-past twelve.’

  Marianne nodded, turning to lead the way outside to where his horses were being held by a young tiger. Drew assisted Marianne into his curricle and climbed up beside her, taking the reins. He nodded to the lad.

  ‘Climb up, you rascal,’ he said. ‘And mind you behave yourself.’

  ‘Yes, milord,’ the lad said. ‘Don’t I always?’

  Drew ignored him. For a few minutes he concentrated on his horses. Apart from one smile, he did not look at Marianne until they had cleared the traffic of the busy streets.

  ‘I thought we would drive into the countryside, for it is quite pretty around here,’ he said. ‘Did you enjoy your evening?’

  ‘Yes, it was very pleasant. Miss Forester was disappointed that you left so early, and so, I believe, was her mama.’

  ‘Marianne,’ he warned, giving her a look that took her breath. ‘Think yourself fortunate that I do not allow the rascal to drive my horses or you would receive instant punishment for that remark.’

  ‘Why do you call him that?’ Marianne said, determined not to let him fluster her. ‘Has he no other name?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ Drew said and grinned at her. ‘He came down the chimney into my bedroom at Marlbeck when I first came home from the army. The imp was so terrified of what his master would do to him if he was discovered and blamed for being in the wrong place that I gave his master twenty pounds for him and took him on as my tiger. He has his uses, despite a propensity for insolence.’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘Tell Miss Marianne your name, rascal—if you have one.’

  ‘Don’t know,’ the lad replied. ‘Him what owned me called me ’ere you or blasted boy. Reckon I answer to anything, milord.’

  ‘There you are,’ Drew said. ‘Rascal will do for now. It suits him.’

  Marianne had to admit privately that it did, for the boy was hardly angelic. He had a snub nose, ginger hair and a big gap in his front teeth when he grinned, which he did most of the time, a
nd especially when Drew spoke to him. Apparently, he was happy in his present work.

  ‘You seem to have some odd servants, my lord,’ she said and her lips quivered as she looked at Drew. ‘Robbie is a pirate if ever I saw one.’

  Drew gave a shout of laughter. ‘He would love that,’ he said. ‘He calls you the Beauty…’

  Marianne saw the look of unholy glee and cast her eyes downward. It made her heart race to know that she had been a matter of discussion between master and servant, though in truth they were more like friends.

  ‘You are an unusual man,’ she said at last. ‘I have not met many men of your rank, my lord, but I had imagined they would think rather more of their consequence. Your uncle was a very proud man as I recall, though generous.’

  ‘Yes, he had his good points,’ Drew agreed. ‘He seemed very remote to me as a child. As for my consequence, what does that mean? I have inherited a title and a fortune, which ought never to have been mine—and which I never expected. I find it more of a burden than a pleasure and might have preferred the army career I had chosen for myself. Had my cousin lived, I should have been quite happy to continue as Captain Beck.’

  ‘So that was your real name then?’

  ‘Did you think I had lied to you?’

  ‘You did not tell me you were a marquis.’ Her eyes accused him.

  ‘No, for obvious reasons.’ They had reached a pretty village and Drew halted his horses at the edge of a large green. He got down, the rascal having jumped ahead of him to take the horses, and then gave his hand to Marianne. He offered her his arm and they began to walk across the grass to a picturesque pond where ducks swam and there was a wooden bench under a chestnut tree. ‘I thought you understood that I was in difficulty, Marianne. I used my family name, because I wanted to avoid the visitors and invitations I would have received had it been known Marlbeck was staying in the area.’

  ‘Is that why you left so hurriedly last night?’

  ‘I did have another appointment. I came to the Assembly, because Lady Edgeworthy told me you were there when I called on her. It is a sad fact, but true, my dear one. Since I inherited the title I have been hunted by a succession of determined mothers, all hoping that I will make their daughters a marchioness. It is not me, you understand, but the title and the fortune that makes me such a prize. At least in the eyes of some.’