On their way home he warned her that on no account must she divulge where she had been, and most strictly forbade her to frequent Lady Appleby’s company. Close questioning on the subject of Mr Yarford’s advances made him reject, not without regret, his first intention to send his cartel to this callow young gentleman. The Viscount, finding for the first time in his life that he had to be wise for two people, realized that to call Mr Yarford to account would be to plunge his Hero into the very scandal he wished to avoid. Much as it went against the grain with him, he had sense enough to perceive that his best course would be to remain in official ignorance of his wife’s escapade. Since Mr Yarford had been made to appear ridiculous at the hands of a sturdy Cit, it was safe to assume that he would certainly preserve the most discreet silence concerning the day’s doings.
“None of the Yarfords are at all the thing, Kitten,” he said abruptly. “Brockenhurst ain’t either. Yes, I know I’m pretty well-acquainted with him, but that don’t signify. A fellow may know any number of bloods he don’t choose to present to his wife.” He suddenly recollected that this was precisely what he had done, and added: “Never ought to have invited him to dine with us. The thing is I keep forgetting I’m married.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, Sherry, I did not care for him very much,” confessed Hero. “And I was quite shocked by Gussie’s headstrong manners. You know, she never used to behave in that odd way, when we were children. And although, of course, I know that a great many ladies have lovers I do not think that it is good ton to permit them to treat them with such familiarity as Sir Matthew uses towards her.”
“Who told you that a great many ladies have lovers?” demanded the Viscount. “Don’t say it was me, now! I never told you any such thing, I swear I didn’t!”
“Oh no, but I have been about the world now, and I know hundreds of things I never had the least notion of before!” said Hero, not without pride. She glanced shyly at him. “And that was what you meant, wasn’t it, Sherry, when you said that you would not mind what I did if only I were discreet?”
The Viscount met her eyes full. It was, in fact, exactly what he had meant. He wondered if there were any insanity in his family, and replied shortly: “No, it was not!”
“Oh!” said Hero. She suggested: “I dare say you think me too young for such things?”
“I do. Much too young!” replied his lordship emphatically.
“Oh!” said Hero again, and said no more.
A few nights later he took her to a Grand Gala at Vauxhall Gardens, making up an agreeable party for the expedition. Miss Milborne was amongst their guests, her parent having been persuaded, not without misgiving, to entrust her to Hero’s chaperonage. Nothing could have been more decorous, however, than the party, or more correct than the Viscount’s attentions to his guests; and the only thing that happened to mar the peace and propriety of the evening was the stormy quarrel which took place between Miss Milborne and Lord Wrotham, consequent upon the Duke of Severn’s detaching himself from his own party, on first catching sight of the Incomparable, and joining the Viscount’s for the greater part of the evening. This was of course regrettable, but as Miss Milborne was far too well-bred to permit her annoyance to appear, and everyone was quite accustomed to see Lord Wrotham in a fit of the sullens, the incident was not allowed to spoil the pleasure of the remainder of the guests.
Chapter Eleven
THE QUARREL WHICH HAD SPRUNG UP AT VAUXHALL Gardens between Miss Milborne and Lord Wrotham flourished longer than was expected, Wrotham’s temper having been worn thin, and Miss Milborne being so much incensed with him for choosing such a public spot for a quarrel that she refused to receive him when he called upon her next day to make his apologies. As the Duke of Severn ascended the steps of the Milbornes’ residence just as George came down them, and was instantly admitted into the house, it was not surprising that that fiery young man’s patience should there and then have deserted him. Encouraged by his long-suffering friends, he determined to relinquish his pretensions to the hand of the most hardened flirt in London, and for some time made great efforts to abide by this resolve, even allowing himself to forget his broken heart for long enough to enable him to challenge Sherry to a grand driving contest, in praiseworthy emulation of a feat once accomplished by Sir John Lade, who had driven his curricle twenty-two times in succession through a gateway only just wide enough to admit the vehicle. Neither young gentleman succeeded in bettering this performance, Sherry coming to grief at the fifth lap and George at the seventh. Sherry was quite unhurt, but George wrenched his shoulder, and went about for several days with his arm in a sling, looking even more romantic than usual, and causing ill-informed persons to spread the rumour that he had called someone out, and had himself sustained a wound. This story reached Isabella’s ears in due course, and she naturally supposed that she must have been the cause of the duel. She strongly disapproved of duelling, but she could not help feeling a little touched, as well as anxious; and as George did not come to see her she made an excuse to pay a morning call in Half Moon Street to discover what she could learn from Hero.
Hero, who had just come in from a ride in the park, and was wearing a saucy little hat, with a most provocative plume curling over its brim, which quite wrung Miss Milborne’s heart with envy, received her guest with her usual sunny good humour, accepted with thanks the marble-covered novel, straight from the Minerva Press, which was Miss Milborne’s excuse for the call, and begged her guest to be seated. Miss Milborne complimented her on the saucy hat, and confessed that if only she herself rode better, and were not so nervous of horses, she should be tempted to ride in the park too.
“Well, I don’t ride very well, you know,” said Hero frankly. “Sherry says I’m cow-handed. It isn’t true, because I drive my phaeton most creditably. Gil taught me, and he, you know, is quite a nonpareil. The thing is, my mare bolted with me yesterday, and there was such a commotion!” She gave a little gurgle. “Sherry was as mad as fire, but of course he could not scold me on account of that nonsensical match of his. And I was not thrown, and so there was nothing to be in a pucker over. In fact, George said I kept my seat admirably.”
This gave Miss Milborne her opportunity. She lowered her fine eyes to her lap and said gravely: “I hope Lord Wrotham has sustained no lasting injury?”
“Oh no, not the least in the world!”
“I was very much grieved when I heard — I hold such practices in abhorrence, as I am sure everyone must. Who — who was the other man?”
“Why Sherry, to be sure!” replied Hero. “Are you indeed shocked, Isabella? I did not think you would be so stuffy!”
“Sherry?” gasped Miss Milborne, looking up quickly. “Impossible! Oh, I would not have had such a thing happen for the world!”
“I declare you are as bad as Lady Sheringham!” Hero cried. “She actually came to call on me, only to tell me that if I were not such a wretched wife I should put an end to such pranks!”
“Hero, what happened?” asked Miss Milborne, a crease beginning to appear between her brows. “I collect that George’s injury was not sustained in a duel?”
“A duel? Good heavens, no!” cried Hero, laughing. “It was the most absurd start! Merely, George challenged Sherry to drive his curricle through a narrow gate, and back himself to beat him — which, indeed, he did, though he only contrived to scrape through seven times to Sherry’s five!”
A tide of colour rose to the very roots of Miss Milborne’s admirably cut and dressed copper locks. She said in a strictly controlled voice: “I had heard nothing of this. How — how absurd! Really, it is beyond everything! I do not wonder at Lady Sheringham’s displeasure.” She encountered a sparkling look from her hostess, and gave a little laugh. “Oh! do not eat me, my dear! I am sure it is no concern of mine. Shall you be at Almack’s tomorrow evening?”