Alicia wondered why Steven would snub her. She considered asking Sebastian to escort her to Steven’s box, but did not want to leave Lady Henderson alone. All the young ladies in Steven’s box were exceptionally pretty and wore expensive jewellery and dresses. They seemed to be having fun. She recognised one of the other men as Sir Godfrey Hamilton but he uncomfortably refused to catch Alicia’s eye.
“Lady Henderson, do you know the beautiful girl with Lord Steven?” Alicia asked Sebastian’s grandmother, bemused.
Lady Henderson raised her opera glasses in the direction she had indicated and nodded.
“Her name is Miss Amalie Crouch; she is one of Sebastian’s former mistresses.”
Sebastian protested at his grandmother’s bluntness. Alicia pressed on with her enquiries.
“And the other ladies? Do you know who they are?”
“The redhead is called Rebecca, I have never met her. The statuesque blonde is the singer Mrs Coralie Barker. I don’t know the other blonde girl, but I expect Sebastian would be able to tell you her name.”
Sebastian was looking uncomfortable and said repressingly, “Grandmother you should not be discussing those women with Miss Lambert.”
“Why ever not, Sebastian? You sent Amalie to stay with me for a week, to learn how to drive a curricle. She is a lovely girl. Alicia knows you have had mistresses and should realise other men do as well. Who is the other girl?”
“The other blond is Miss Phillipa Clarkson and since you are both so interested, she is also a former mistress of mine.”
The party in the other box were now mostly looking at Sebastian and Miss Lambert, aware of their interest. Miss Phillipa waved and Sebastian frowned.
“I suppose I’m not allowed to meet them?” asked Alicia.
“I don’t see why not,” declared Lady Henderson, “Sebastian, go and invite them to visit our box; I do not wish to have to move.”
“Grandmother!”
“Run along Sebastian!”
Sebastian bowed to his grandmother and did as she bid, but Alicia could see that his usual polite assurance was ruffled. Mallinder, seeing the Marquis leaving the box, headed up the stairs hoping at least to be able to get a message to Miss Lambert. He had a note already prepared in his pocket asking her to meet him. He was unsure whether Lady Henderson had been warned off him, but she was Farndon’s grandmother. Sebastian soon appeared in the other box and the party rose and followed him out. The party of four gentlemen and their female friends soon arrived at his box. Too soon for Major Mallinder to be able to give a billet doux to one of the theatre staff to hand to Alicia. He was wary of being seen by the Marquis, whom he had been informed had rescued Francesca.
The party entered the box and Sebastian made the introductions.
“Lady Henderson, Miss Alicia Lambert may I introduce you to Miss Phillipa Clarkson and Mrs Coralie Barker. Grandmother you have already met Miss Amalie Crouch, may I present you to Miss Lambert. Rebecca, I’m sorry I’m not sure of your surname?”
“Miss Rebecca Mason.”
“May I also present Miss Rebecca Mason? I know you are already acquainted with Sir Godfrey Hamilton and Lord McKinlay. May I also make known Mr Henry Chubb and Lord Rupert McAleer?”
Hands were shaken all around, but the atmosphere was rather awkward until Lady Henderson spoke up.
“Sebastian, we only wanted to talk with the ladies. Take your friends off to find a drink and fetch me a glass of fruit punch and one for Miss Lambert. Ladies please be seated.”
“But Grandmother, there is champagne waiting to be opened. Where do you think I will get fruit punch in a theatre?” asked Sebastian trying to persuade her to be reasonable.
“I have no idea Sebastian. I expect you’ll have to get someone to make some. Hurry along.”
The gentlemen scuttled off to the bar. Sir Godfrey buttonholed Sebastian as they walked. “Vernon, your grandmother gets more eccentric every year! Miss Lambert she won’t gossip, will she? She’s been introduced to my wife.”
“I can assure you she will not gossip, Godfrey, stop worrying. It’s me the ladies are tearing to shreds in there.”
In the box the ‘ladies’ were on their best behaviour. Mrs Barker had adjusted the low décolletage of her gown upwards whilst walking between the boxes. Conversation was at first stilted, but Amalie broke the awkwardness by addressing Lady Henderson.
“I’m so pleased to meet you again, Lady Margaret. I never thanked you enough for allowing me to stay with you. I wanted to say how sorry I was to hear of your brother, Sir Giles’ death. He was such a lovely old man.”
“I enjoyed having you stay Amalie and Sir Giles loved your company. He often talked about you.”
“Do you usually invite Sebastian’s mistresses to stay, Lady Henderson?” asked Alicia surprised.
“No, Sebastian asked me to have Amalie for a week so my head groom Groves could teach her how to drive a curricle. Sebastian didn’t come with Miss Crouch. That I wouldn’t have countenanced.”
“Why didn’t he teach her himself, he is an excellent whip?”
“I understood he was busy at the time, but I don’t think he explained it to Miss Crouch as she feared she’d be stuck in the country with me and he wouldn’t have her back.”
“He was very angry with me at the time. Gave me two hours to pack and bundled me off with my maid in a carriage to Kent to stay with Lady Henderson.”
“Why was he angry with you?” asked Alicia getting to the point.
“I did something dreadful. I took his curricle and his greys without his permission and I raced them. I overturned and smashed the curricle. Sebastian had to put one of the horses down and he was furious with me.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t beat you, his greys were gorgeous,” declared Miss Mason.
“Sebastian would never hit a woman. He always treated me as if I was a lady,” declared Amalie in his defence.
“He treated all his girls as ladies. Insisted we behave like one in public too. If he was really mad at me for something I’d done, he would insist I slept in another bedroom and locked his door,” said Phillipa.
“That doesn’t sound much like a punishment to me,” remarked Alicia but the girls tittered.
“I heard Sebastian had proposed to you, Miss Lambert. Being a lady you wouldn’t know why we would do anything to please Sebastian. But once you’ve shared his bed, you’ll understand.”
“I am considering his proposal. Did he ask you to do shocking things?”
“Apart from sharing his bed? Sebastian never asked me to do anything I didn’t like,” Amalie said.
“My reading and writing wasn’t very good when I became Sebastian’s mistress. Sebastian insisted I learnt properly. I wasn’t very co-operative. Sebastian made me read to him before he would…He did suggest he would find it more entertaining, if I took my clothes off first. But I didn’t mind that. I read quite a lot now,” Phillipa stated.
Alicia wondered if Sebastian was really as good in bed as the reports she had heard said, her face flushed as she thought the question, but did not voice it. Amalie must have read the question on her face.
“He is utterly wonderful, Miss Lambert. We are all so jealous of you, you are so lucky. To marry Sebastian Vernon would be paradise. Who could possibly wish for more?” Amalie assured.
“Everyone sings his praises. He just seems too good to be true. Does he not have any faults?”
Phillipa and Amalie looked at each other saying nothing, as if they were trying to think of something.
“He doesn’t sleep much and usually gets up first, but he was always considerate and didn’t wake me up. He kept all his promises and told me when to expect him,” said Phillipa.
“He can be a bit untidy and doesn’t like his books or papers moved. Sometimes he could be a little secretive. He closeted himself in the library with visitors, whom he didn’t let me see. I was sorry to have to leave, but I knew not to outstay my welcome,” declared Amalie.
&nbs
p; Sebastian and Steven returned with a servant bearing a tray containing a bowl of fruit punch and glasses. The visiting ladies stood and made their curtseys to Lady Henderson and Miss Lambert and left with Lord McKinlay as the lights began to go down for the second act. But not before Amalie and Phillipa had thanked Sebastian effusively for the invitation to dinner and agreed they and their friends would attend. Sebastian served his grandmother and Alicia with fruit punch and sat down. He had spotted Major Mallinder as he retreated back down the stairs and was relieved he had not been absent from the box for long.
The third and fourth Act were also performed without an interval but when the curtains fell a group of Gunter’s men served supper to Lady Henderson and Miss Lambert. Sebastian poured them both a glass of champagne, but drank the fruit punch himself.
“Are you still not drinking, my lord? If I apologize for erroneously calling you a drunkard, will you stop making a cake of yourself?”
“With such a gracious apology of course I will join you in a glass of champagne, Miss Lambert.”
Alicia noticed Major Mallinder in the crowd below looking up at her. Remembering what Sir Anthony had instructed her to do she did not snub him. She nodded as he smilingly tried to catch her eye, but didn’t smile back and then turned to talk to Lady Henderson. Mallinder was slightly unsure of her behaviour for a minute. She had not cut him, but nor had she been encouraging. Then he decided she was being careful not to warn the Marquis and his grandmother of her interest. Mallinder thought as soon as he could get Alicia on her own she would be eager for his advances. She said nothing about Major Mallinder to either Sebastian or Lady Henderson, not knowing he was concerned about Mallinder’s intentions to her.
There were several visitors to the Marquis’ box while they ate, but Alicia never left the box and Mallinder did not dare to enter. He waited hoping when the final curtain fell he would catch her alone, but Sebastian left with his grandmother on one arm and Miss Lambert on the other. They were handed straight into their carriage and it swept off to bear Lady Henderson home. Sebastian got down and escorted his grandmother to her door before climbing back into the carriage. Alicia and Sebastian made little conversation when they were alone as he kissed her and swept all other thoughts from her mind. At the Wynstanleys he escorted her to the door and reluctantly returned home to Langsdown House.
Chapter Twenty
The following morning Alicia went riding without Sebastian, but having seen Major Mallinder the night before she and Greenways visited Hyde Park where there were more of their acquaintance around. They couldn’t gallop but Yellow Star’s paces were so neat she still enjoyed her ride. Sebastian was at the Chalcombes where he has having his first fencing lesson with the Comte de Morlaix. That gentleman was impressed with his performance and praised Madelaine for her effective teaching. Louis had him practice with foils against Madelaine and for the first time he managed to land a hit. Louis agreed with Madelaine that at their next session they would fight buttons off. Sebastian was now quite an accomplished fencer, but there was a way to go before he could be considered a swordsman.
Alicia and Greenways returned to the Wynstanleys for nuncheon and they set out once more with Sally for Claudette’s for the fitting for her new gown. The new dress was cream with gold lace and matching ribbons, and fitted her beautifully. Quite satisfied with the new dress, Alicia undressed and was going to redress when Claudette brought out another dress. This dress was white with a very pale blue underskirt. The neckline, sleeves and hem were partially trimmed with seed pearls and what looked like small sapphires. Alicia, whilst approving the Marquis’ taste, could not fail to understand the purpose of the dress.
“Claudette, did Farndon order this dress?” she enquired.
“He thought you might like to have something ready in case you married quickly. Which he clearly hoped would be the case. He said if you didn’t like it, then you could have whatever you wished instead. I think you will look beautiful in it.”
Claudette was busily arranging the dress around Alicia and doing up the tiny pearl buttons at the back.
“It must be terribly expensive, are the stones paste?”
“They are the real thing I assure you, but you needn’t worry about the cost. The Marquis said to send your bills to him.”
“But I haven’t agreed to marry him yet, Claudette. He keeps trying to give me presents and makes it very difficult to refuse them. It looks like I have accepted a carte blanche from him.”
“You’d be the first he ever offered one to, Miss Lambert. All his girls were kept to an allowance. Lovely girls to look at and nice natured, but they didn’t have your class.”
“I don’t understand why he wants to marry me, Claudette. Last night I saw two of his ex-mistresses and they were exquisite, I just don’t measure up. I’m worried if he could tire of them he’ll soon get bored with me.”
“The Marquis struck me as an exceptionally intelligent man. I’d seen him pointed out, but not met him before. He is so in love with you. I expected him to be arrogant but he kept asking whether I thought you’d like the dress, he wanted only to please you. I don’t find it surprising he wants something different for his wife to a mistress. Would you choose to marry a man who only had looks to recommend him?”
“He is very good looking. I was fascinated by how beautiful he is, but I am more captivated by how his mind works. The more I know him, the less I understand him. He seems to be several people at once, but I would not consider marrying him if he was stupid, no matter how rich he is.”
“I’ve heard many women discuss his beauty and reputation as a lover. None of them mentioned he was intelligent even in passing. The debutantes were interested in his appearance, title and money. The matrons just wanted to seduce him. The demi-mondane girls saw him as a way of advancing their careers, there was a certain cachet to having been chosen by the Marquis. Have you considered he might want his bride to love him for qualities other than his handsome face?”
Alicia wondered if Sebastian might really want her to love him in return, but still felt despondent fearing his love was counterfeit or fleeting. How could she prove he truly loved her and it was not just transient lust? Claudette made a few tiny adjustments to the dress which was far from completed but which looked lovely on her. Alicia could not imagine a prettier wedding dress. She would never have dared to order something so extravagant. Deciding she must have a serious conversation with Sebastian to find out what he really hoped for from marriage with her. She was looking forward to seeing him at the Laurences’ ball that evening, but knew they would not be able to talk with so many other people around.
Alicia took the cream and gold dress home with her as she intended to wear it that evening. She travelled home with Sally trying to decide what marriage to Sebastian would be like. The more she saw Sebastian, the more impossible it became to visualize a future without him. If she did not marry him she could not be happy with any of her other suitors. Retiring quietly to live with Lady Maud no longer seemed an attractive prospect. She would be missing out on having children of her own, Sebastian’s children. She would miss Sebastian.
Sir George Laurence and his wife Lady Harriet’s ball celebrated the engagement of their second daughter Daphne to young Lord Tarrant. Daphne, a slender honey-blonde was well pleased with the match. Lord Tarrant was a good looking young man with an open countenance and bright blue eyes. He was well proportioned apart from a rather short neck and was of amiable disposition. Alicia had previously struggled to converse with him until they settled on the topic of horses on which subject he was quite knowledgeable. As Daphne had no conversation either, Alicia thought they would be well suited.
The Wynstanleys’ carriage took some time to reach the steps to the Laurences’ town house as there was a queue of carriages ahead of them. Eventually they entered the house and were welcomed by the Laurences. Sebastian had waited in the entrance hall so he could escort Alicia, but the Duke had gone in ahead of him. He requested two dances
with her including the waltz before supper. Alicia’s dance card soon filled up and she was in the thick of things enjoying everything.
Major Mallinder had arrived early, unusually for him, he had not joined his acquaintances but had tucked himself away in a secluded corner behind a potted fern from where he could watch the arrivals without being seen. He was being invited to fewer events in town as the word was beginning to circulate about the state of his finances. He knew if certain other stories circulated, he would not be welcome anywhere but he wasn’t worried, in such matters he always had luck on his side. It was only the cards that did not favour him. He spotted Alicia entering with the Wynstanleys and the Marquis bowing over her hand. Then as the dancing started he watched her perform a set of country dances with Lord Cosgrave. Lord Cosgrove took the opportunity to offer marriage to her, which Alicia refused politely trying to explain she liked him as a friend.
Alicia danced with Robert Lyall next before her first dance with the Marquis. Mallinder watched annoyed that the least pretty of his conquests was proving so hard to contact. How could he expect to seduce the chit if he couldn’t even speak to her? After dancing with the Marquis, Captain James Redgrave was Alicia’s next partner on the floor. Their dance was not without incident, the gentleman next to them in the set was rather foxed and at one point he barged into Alicia, arms flailing round him and knocked against her hair. He apologized but Alicia could feel the pins loosening and some of her heavy hair trying to escape. As soon as the dance was over, Alicia headed for the withdrawing room where Sally could make repairs to her coiffeur. This was Mallinder’s opportunity to make his move. He followed in her wake. Most did not notice Mallinder. Their eyes were on the dancing or their personal friends.
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