“ Oh, that was well done of him!” Elizabeth cried, her cheeks glowing.
“Certainly one may say that he behaved with dignity and propriety,” conceded Charlotte. “And if that is all you have to tell us of Horry’s behaviour, my dear Theresa, I must confess I feel you have wasted your time.”
“Pray do not be thinking that I am a mere mischief-maker, Charlotte!” besought her cousin. “And it is not by any means all. I have it on the best of authority that she had the—yes, positively I must call it the audacity—to drive young Dashwood’s gig up St James’s for a bet! Right under the windows of White’s, my dear! Now don’t mistake me: I am sure no one thinks anything but that she’s a madcap child—indeed, I understand she takes extremely, and people think her exploits vastly diverting, but I put it to you, is this conduct befitting the Countess of Rule?”
“If it befits a Winwood—which, however, I do not maintain,” said Charlotte with hauteur, “it may certainly befit a Drelincourt!”
This crushing rejoinder put Mrs Maulfrey so much out of countenance that she found herself with very little more to say, and presently took her leave of the Winwood ladies. She left behind her a feeling of uneasiness which culminated in a suggestion, put tentatively forward by Elizabeth, that Lady Winwood should think of returning to South Street. Lady Winwood said in a failing voice that no one had the least regard for the frailty of her poor nerves, and if ever good had come of interfering between man and wife she had yet to hear of it.
However, the business was settled in the end by a letter from Mr Heron. Mr Heron had got his Captaincy, and was to go into the West Country in the further execution of his duties. He desired to make Elizabeth his wife without any more delay, and proposed an immediate wedding.
Elizabeth would have liked to be married quietly at Winwood, but her Mama, having no notion of allowing her triumph in getting two daughters respectably married within three months to pass unnoticed, arose tottering from her couch and announced that never should it be said that she had Failed in her Duty towards her loved ones.
The wedding was naturally not so brilliant an affair as Horatia’s, but it passed off very well, and if the bride appeared pale she was allowed to be in great beauty for all that. The bridegroom looked extremely handsome in his Regimentals, and the ceremony was graced by the presence of the Earl and Countess of Rule, the Countess wearing for the occasion a gown that made every other lady blink with envy.
Elizabeth, in all the bustle of hurried preparation, had had few opportunities of being private with Horatia, and on the only occasion when she found herself alone with her sister she had realized with a sinking heart that Horatia was on her guard against too intimate a conversation. She could only hope to have more opportunity later in the year, when Horatia promised to come to Bath, which watering-place Captain Heron was to make his headquarters.
Chapter Six
“Well, if you wish to know what I think,” said Lady Louisa stringently—“though I make not the smallest doubt that you don’t—you’re a fool, Rule!”
The Earl, who was still glancing over some papers brought to him by Mr Gisborne a few moments before his sister’s arrival, said absently: “I know. But you must not let it distress you, my dear.”
“What,” demanded her ladyship, disregarding this flippancy, “are those papers? You need not put yourself to the trouble of telling me. I know the look of a bill, trust me!”
The Earl put them into his pocket. “If only more people understood me so well!” he sighed. “And respected my—er—constitutional dislike of answering questions.”
“The chit will ruin you,” said his sister. “And you do nothing—nothing to avert calamity!”
“Believe me,” said Rule, “I hope to have enough energy to avert that particular calamity, Louisa.”
“I wish I may see it!” she replied. “I like Horry. Yes, I do like her, and I did from the start, but if you’d one grain of sense, Marcus, you would take a stick and beat her!”
“But think how fatiguing!” objected the Earl.
She looked scornfully across at him. “I wanted her to lead you a dance,” she said candidly. “I thought it would be very good for you. But I never dreamed she would make herself the talk of the town while you stood by and watched.”
“You see, I hardly ever dance,” Rule excused himself.
Lady Louisa might have replied with some asperity had not a light footstep sounded at that moment in the hall, and the door opened to admit Horatia herself.
She was dressed for the street, but carried her hat in her hand, as though she had just taken it off. She threw it on to a chair, and dutifully embraced her sister-in-law. “I am sorry I was out, L-Louisa. I have been to see M-mama. She is feeling very low, because of having l-lost Lizzie. And Sir P-Peter Mason, whom she quite thought was g-going to offer for Charlotte because he doesn’t like L-levity in a Female, is promised to Miss Lupton after all. M-Marcus, do you think Arnold might like to m-marry Charlotte?”
“For heaven’s sake, Horry,” cried Lady Louisa with foreboding, “don’t ask him!”
Horatia’s straight brows drew together. “N-no, of course not. But I m-might throw them together, I think.”
“Not, I beg of you,” said his lordship, “in this house.”
The grey eyes surveyed him questioningly. “N-not if you would rather I didn’t,” said Horatia obligingly. “I am not set on it, you understand.”
“I am so glad,” said his lordship. “Consider the blow to my self-esteem if Charlotte were to accept Arnold’s hand in marriage.”
Horatia twinkled. “Well, you n-need not put yourself about, sir, for Charlotte says she is going to D-dedicate her Life to M-mama. Oh, are you going already, Louisa?”
Lady Louisa had risen, drawing her scarf round her shoulders. “My dear, I have been here this age. I came only for a word with Marcus.”
Horatia stiffened slightly. “I see,” she said. “It was a p-pity I came in, perhaps.”
“Horry, you’re a silly child,” said Lady Louisa, tapping her cheek. “I have been telling Rule he should beat you. I doubt he is too lazy.”
Horatia swept a polite curtsy, and closed her lips firmly together.
The Earl escorted his sister out of the room, and across the hall. “You are not always very wise, are you, Louisa?” he said.
“I never was,” she answered ruefully.
Having seen his sister into her carriage the Earl returned rather thoughtfully to the library. Horatia, swinging her hat defiantly, was already crossing the hall towards the stairs, but she paused as Rule spoke to her. “Do you think you could spare me a moment of your time, Horry?”
The scowl still lingered on her brow. “I’m g-going to luncheon with Lady M-Mallory,” she informed him.
“It is not yet time for luncheon,” he replied.
“No, but I have to change my g-gown.”
“That is naturally important,” agreed the Earl.
“Well, it is,” she insisted.
The Earl held the door into the library open. Up went Horatia’s chin. “I m-may as well tell you, my lord, that I’m feeling c-cross, and when I’m cross I don’t talk to p-people.”
Across the wide stretch of hall the Earl’s eyes met and held hers. “Horry,” he said pleasantly, “you know how much I dislike exertion. Don’t put me to the trouble of fetching you.”
The chin came down a little, and the smouldering eyes showed a certain speculative interest. “C-carry me, do you m-mean? I wonder if you would?”
The gravity of Rule’s expression was dispelled by a slight look of amusement. “And I wonder whether you really think that I would not?” he said.
A door at the end of the hall, leading to the servants’ quarters, opened, and a footman came out. Horatia shot a triumphant glance at the Earl, set one foot on the bottom stair, hesitated, and then swung round and walked back into the library.