Page 65 of Not Quite a Lady
‘Darling, you look so much better.’ His mother’s greeting was as calm and warm as always, but Jack could sense the tension under it.
He had not come home with a broad smile and a banker’s draft in his wallet and now she, and no doubt Caro as well, were braced for the worst.
‘Six hours sleep and a bath works wonders.’ He smiled at them and went to stand by the fireplace, empty now save for a massive arrangement of foliage and flowers.
The carefully-applied dressing on his arm which Denton had contrived to fit under his evening coat completed the transformation from dishevelled coach traveller to English nobleman in his own castle.
‘I like your hair,’ Susan pronounced. ‘But how did you get that scar?’
‘I found myself in the middle of the most incredible event – a hoax of some sort, and a near riot as it turned out.’ He began to tell them about it as Grimswade announced dinner, and the tale took them through almost to the dessert.
‘Three undertakers and a bear!’ Penelope’s eyes were like saucers. ‘How I would have liked to see that.’
‘It was in the newspapers. To think we read about it and with no idea you were involved,’ Susan marvelled.
‘I do hope that Miss France sent for a good doctor,’ Lady Allerton remarked. ‘Poor lady. What a shock at her age.’
‘Yes, Doctor Ord was excellent. Her age?’
‘I assume she is an elderly spinster, living alone like that.’
‘Oh. Ah. Yes, a spinster.’
Both Caro’s eyebrows were raised now. She gave him a quizzical glance and resumed her dinner.
Jack could feel himself colouring. ‘I attended a ball given by the Duchess of Oldbury just before I left London.’
As a diversionary tactic it worked marvellously and Jack was still being bombarded with questions when they all retired back to the panelled drawing room, Jack bringing the decanter with him.
He could not put it off any longer. ‘I did not succeed in finding an investor for the mine,’ he said baldly. ‘I am sorry, but it seems we are too far north and too far from any canals.’
‘Oh.’ His mother folded her hands neatly in her lap and was silent for a moment. ‘I am sure you did what you could, dearest.’
Jack took a gulp of port. Oh yes, he had done everything he could. Everything except swallow his damned pride and bring them home a fortune beyond their wildest dreams and with it security, dowries, comfort and no more worries.
‘It is too bad!’ Penny was on her feet, hands clenched, tears inher eyes. ‘Why are we so poor? Why can’t Jack make the mine create money? Mr Roper in the next valley does – he is sinking new shafts and he inherited at almost the same time as Jack did. Everything was all right when Papa was alive!’
‘Penelope.’ Caroline jumped to her feet and shook her sister by the shoulder. ‘Apologise to Jackthis minute.’
‘That was very unfair, Penelope.’ Lady Allerton got up, her face white. ‘I think I will retire, if you will all excuse me.’
‘And you too, Penelope,’ Susan added angrily into the shocked silence as the door closed behind their mother. ‘I am ashamed of you.’
Jack stood where he was, feeling sick. He had enough on his conscience as it was; the injustice of Penny’s attack somehow seemed deserved.
‘No.’ Caroline rounded on her sisters. ‘Sit down, both of you. It is about time you knew the truth.’
Jack held up a hand to try and stop her, but she shook her head. ‘Iknow about Papa, and I think it is about time the others did too. I will not have them blaming you for what is not your fault.’
Chapter Sixteen
Lily regarded the excellent dinner set out in the best private parlour in the Blue Boar in Stamford for her delectation. She felt decidedly queasy and she was too honest with herself to put it down to travel sickness. No, it was nerves and the strong conviction that she had bitten off more than she could chew.
It was not too late to turn back of course. All she would suffer would be some lost pride and Aunt Herrick saying, “I told you so,” for at least a week. And she would have to live with herself afterwards, knowing she had not got the backbone to do what was right.
But what if Jack did not understand? What if he thought she was pursing him? She had already demonstrated just how fast and shameless she was by proposing marriage to him. And he could only have deduced from her willingness to yield to his caresses that she was positively wanton, she concluded, mentally flagellating herself for her shortcomings.
Lily pushed a fritter around her plate.
