“It isn’t in your power to repay him, twin.”
“Not yet. But it will be—when I’m thirty, if not before. I must talk to him.”
“Of course—but he bade me tell you it was none of your business, since it all happened during my father’s lifetime, when you couldn’t have rescued Mama. And further,” Kit said, with a twinkle, “that he didn’t want to have you buzzing round him like a hornet.”
Evelyn laughed, but ruefully. “No, no, how could he think I would?”
“Well, he knows you don’t like him! What’s more he told me that you hadn’t been able to wind him up in all the years you’d been trying to do it, so that it wasn’t likely I could!”
Evelyn pulled a grimace. “Not so bacon-brained, after all. I suppose I have tried to draw wool, now and now. I don’t dislike him precisely—or I shouldn’t, if he didn’t dangle after Mama, calling her his pretty, talking of his devotion, when even she knows how many mistresses he’s had in keeping! But I never suspected him of this! I own, I thought it was all a hum: that he pretended to feel an unalterable attachment to Mama because to be her most favoured cicisbeo added to his consequence.”
“Yes, so did I,” Kit agreed. “I think now, however, that he is devoted to her, in his way. Good-natured, too, and certainly generous—though he says himself that a few thousands here and there meant nothing to him.”
“I must see him!” Evelyn said, in a fretting tone. “He has placed me under an obligation, and however much I—I hate it, I am very sensible of it, and must tell him so, and make it plain to him that I hold myself responsible, in my father’s place, for Mama’s debts.”
“You will do as you think right,” Kit said equably. “We have also to consider, you, and Mama, and I, where you should go to until I am safely out of the country. You can’t remain cooped up here, and while Lady Stavely is known to be at Ravenhurst you can’t go to London, or to Brighton.”
“It’s a pity I didn’t break my neck instead of my shoulder. That would have solved all our problems,” remarked Evelyn. He turned his head to look at Kit, and added quickly: “No, no, I don’t mean that! Only funning, Kester!”
“Not one of your more diverting jokes, brother,” replied Kit. “I mean it hasn’t sent me into whoops, precisely!”
“I know, I know! don’t rake me down!” Evelyn begged, in a penitent voice. “The fact is, I’m blue-devilled!”
Kit nodded, but said: “Very likely. Of course we’re in the deuce of a hobble, but we shall bring ourselves off! When did we ever fail to?”
Evelyn smiled at him. “True! Don’t let us talk about my affairs: I’ll retire to Leicestershire. Let’s discuss yours instead! I suppose you can’t immediately announce your engagement to Cressy, but I’m strongly of the opinion that you should see Stavely before you go back to Vienna, and get his consent. I’ve been considering that, and I think I should go with you to Mount Street.”
“I don’t know that, but I agree that I must see Stavely as soon as may be possible. But my affairs are simpler than yours, and don’t call for discussion, Eve.”
“Mine are beyond discussion,” Evelyn answered. “I’ve had plenty of time for thought, and I can see that my case is pretty hopeless. You said as much last night, didn’t you?”
“I neither said it nor thought it.”
“Well, you said that my uncle will be opposed to my marriage to Patience Askham, and that is the same thing. I’ve tried to think he might not dislike it, but of course he will. How could I ask Patience to wait for six years? Even if I were sure that she loved me! I haven’t—I haven’t tried to fix her interest, and as things are—No, even if her father would permit me to declare myself, I mustn’t do it.”
“If ever I knew such a fellow!” exclaimed Kit, in a rallying tone. “Either you’re in alt, or in flat despair!” He laid a hand on Evelyn’s knee, and gripped it. “You’re not quite knocked up, you gudgeon! I shall try to see my uncle before I leave England, and though I don’t yet know just what I shall tell him you may depend upon it that your part in my story will be positively saintly!”
“If you try to pitch it as rum as that, he’ll smell out a hoax immediately!” Evelyn interrupted, laughing in spite of himself.
“Not at all! I fancy you sacrificed your own interests to further mine—and that he will believe. It won’t do to say anything about Miss Askham, and I don’t mean to. You will have to wait for a period, but not for very long, if you will but stop committing what he calls extravagant follies. Spend more of your time here, twin, and interest yourself in the estate! In fact, interest yourself to such a pitch that he’ll be only too glad to relinquish his authority! Urge improvements, demand information—pester him! Add a melancholy air to your demeanour, as though you had suffered a disappointment, and ten to one he’ll be so much concerned that he’ll greet with relief your engagement to Miss Askham!”
He spoke with a gay confidence which amused Evelyn, and served, for the moment, to put up his spirits; but he was not himself convinced. He knew his uncle’s inflexible nature too well to believe that he could be easily persuaded; nor was he able to entertain any hopes that he would look with favour upon Evelyn’s marriage to one whom he would infallibly consider a nobody. Knowing his twin, he entertained almost as little hope that Evelyn would adhere for any length of time to the line of conduct he had suggested to him. His disposition was too impetuous, his spirits too volatile, to enable him to wait, enduring boredom and frustration with patience. He would fall into one of his fits of despair, and seek alleviation in sprees and revel-routs.
It was therefore in a mood of considerable anxiety that Kit at last left his twin, and walked slowly back to the house, cudgelling his brain to discover a way to overcome difficulties which bore all the appearance of being insuperable. He began to feel almost as depressed as Evelyn, and was not cheered by the intelligence, imparted to him by Norton, upon his entering the house, that Miss Stavely had driven out with the Dowager. By way of solace, Norton offered him the newspapers, the post having come in some time previously.
It had brought no letters for Evelyn, but several for Lady Denville, and two franked by Lord Stavely, and addressed to his mother and his daughter.
Cressy was carrying her letter when she entered Lady Denville’s drawing-room, and she said, as she shut the door: “Godmama, I have had such good news from Papa! Albinia was brought to bed on Tuesday, and was delivered of a son! Papa is so delighted! He writes very briefly—just to tell me that it is a very fine child, and Albinia going on prosperously, in spite of a difficult labour.” She broke off suddenly perceiving that Lady Denville had been crying. She went swiftly forward, falling on her knees beside her ladyship’s chair, and saying: “What is it? Dearest, dearest Godmama, what has happened?”
Lady Denville made a huge effort to pull herself together, responding, with a valiant smile: “Why, nothing in the world, dear child! What was that you said? Your father has a son? Well, that is charming—at least, I suppose one must say it is, though for my part I consider he should have been content with his daughter, for it isn’t as though he had no brothers to succeed him, and I cannot think that any son of Albinia Gillifoot’s will be anything but an odious child!”
Cressy gave an involuntary giggle, but said: “Never mind that! Only tell me what has happened to distress you, ma’am!” Her eyes fell upon a closely written sheet of paper, lying on the table at Lady Denville’s elbow. “You have received disturbing news, ma’am? I do most sincerely trust you—you haven’t suffered a bereavement? One of your sisters, or your brothers?”
“Oh no, nothing of that nature!” Lady Denville assured her. “Much, much worse! Of course, I should be excessively sorry to hear that any of them had died, but I shouldn’t cry about it, because I hardly ever see any of them, and Baverstock and Amelia I positively dislike! To own the truth, it made me feel very low when I saw Evelyn this morning. Just when Kit had made me so happy, too! Dearest Cressy, indeed I am overjoyed! You are the very wife for my darling Kit, and so I’ve been thinking for the past sennight!”