Page 82 of Not Quite a Lady
‘Me!’ Penelope was bouncing up and down in her seat. ‘You promised me you would take me in the curricle next time we went into Newcastle.’
‘I was going to offer the seat to Miss France. She is our guest, Penny.’
‘And a promise is a promise. I am more than happy to travel in the carriage, Lord Allerton. But thank you for the offer.’
Goodness, an hour alone in a curricle with Jack, even with a groom up behind, would be terrifying – in fact, even more so with a groom, when one would have to watch every word one said.
‘As you wish, Miss France.’ The twist of his lips told her he knew perfectly well that she was nervous of travelling with him. ‘I will take you up on the return journey.’
Lily opened her mouth to protest, realised just in time that itwould sound most ungracious to do so, and shut it again with a snap.
He was smiling now, the exasperating man, although what he hoped to achieve, other than to infuriate her, she had no idea.
Expecting a somewhat workaday team, Lily was surprised at the sight of the four matched bays harnessed to Lady Allerton’s rather shabby travelling carriage and the neat pair in the curricle.
Her wonder changed to suspicion as they bowled down the drive and onto the road and they remained surrounded by unbroken grazing and coppices. ‘Caroline,’ she said low-voiced while Lady Allerton was busy discussing a distant cousin’s impending wedding with the younger girls.
‘Yes, Lily?’
‘Whereexactlywere these horses ploughing yesterday, Caroline?’
‘Um…’
‘They were nowhere near a plough, were they? And the pair in the curricle did not have new shoes either.’
‘Oh dear, you have caught me out. I am afraid I kidnapped you.’
‘But why? I mean, I am a complete stranger, I was obviously at outs with Jack …’
‘I liked you. And it seemed so inhospitable to let you drive off all the way back to Newcastle in the rain after Jack had been such a grouch.’
Lily regarded her doubtfully. It appeared to her that there was rather more to it than Caroline was saying. She had recognised Lily from Jack’s description of her, and she obviously knew about the duel and his wounded arm, unlike the rest of her family – but that ought to have made her hostile, not welcoming.
But Lily could hardly dispute the point or probe further with the others in the carriage, so all she could do was smile andaccept it. It was not until they had driven a further three miles and there was a lull in the conversation that Lily recalled that Jack had said nothing about Caroline’s transparent fabrication. Had he really wanted her to stay?
Lily watched the passing countryside abstractedly while she wrestled with the problem – and the unanswerable question:what good will it do me to know?
‘Where is your agent’s office, Miss France?’ Lady Allerton broke into her thoughts and she realised they were coming into Newcastle.
‘I have it written down.’ Lily flipped through her notebook and offered it to Lady Allerton. ‘I am afraid I have no idea where it is.’
‘Very conveniently placed, as it happens. We can leave the carriages at the Maid’s Head, which is what we usually do. I have some calls to make and Lovell can escort you to your agent’s. With Caroline of course.’
Lily managed to keep from blushing. What Lady Allerton would think if she knew what had taken place yesterday in her own picture gallery she shuddered to imagine, but now she thought it correct for Lily to be chaperoned in public with Jack. For which one could only be grateful.
‘We can meet for a light luncheon and you can all do your shopping after that, while Jack sees to his own business,’ Lady Allerton continued, clearly satisfied she had organised everyone’s conflicting needs to a nicety.
The agent’s office was so commonplace to Lily that she was amused at the interest Caroline was showing.
A clerk came forward with a polite enough greeting which turned to positively obsequious grovelling when he realised with whom he was dealing. They were ushered into an inner office with much ceremony.
Lily kept an eye on the clock and was not surprised to see Jackdoing exactly the same thing.
‘Taking a suspiciously long time,’ he observed. ‘Do you think they are digging out the second set of books?’
‘I sincerely hope not,’ Lily said with feeling. ‘I really do not want to spend a week going through everything with a fine-tooth comb…Good day, Mr Lovington. I imagine you are surprised to see me.’
As soon as she saw him Lily thought she could see the problem: Lovington was a worrier. When she had met him at the time of his appointment by her trustees several years ago he had seemed a straightforward, cautious and reliable man.
