Page 40 of The Bastard's Iberian Bride
Agruen gazed at her for a long moment, then he looked hard at Bink and smiled broadly. “I see. And you escorted the lady from Cransdall.”
Anger spiked in Bink. That quickly the man had turned his assault back to include the lady, and his devious mind had already deduced an expected relationship between them.
Lady Hackwell set down her napkin. “Of course Mr. Gibson escorted the lady. You smile, Lord Agruen, but heavens, there is no scandal in it. Miss Heardwyn was to be our guest, and it only made sense for Mr. Gibson, who is an honorable man, to accompany her when he returned from his father’s funeral. Especially now, with the rumors of trouble among the weavers, I would not have a young woman travel alone. Would you?” She pushed back her chair and stood.
Bink got to his feet giving a smugly smiling Thomas a prod.
“Steven, we will excuse ourselves. Lady Tepping, Miss Heardwyn, shall we withdraw and leave the gentlemen to their manly discussions?”
Paulette’s eyes glittered. “And we will talk later,” she told Agruen.
He watched her glide out, erect and proud and radiating passion. By God, she was a fine woman.
When he sat down, he noticed Agruen grinning at him.
Deep lines etched the ass’s forehead, and Bink wondered if they were from scowling over the gaming tables. Agruen’s skin wore the yellow pallor that came with drink, a bilious liver, and probably the pox. As tall as Hackwell, he’d gone soft since his days in the Peninsula, shabby under those fine clothes—a dissolute, despicable ass who’d acquired his title by the lucky deaths of others.
A memory flashed, turning Bink’s stomach.
And Agruen was dangerous. If Paulette wanted to talk to him, she would not do it alone.
* * *
Paulette settledherself in a chair in the drawing room, praying Lord Hackwell’s regard for his wife would bring the gentlemen out sooner. Now that she’d survived dinner and broached the need for conversation with Agruen, she wanted to speak to him before she lost her nerve.
Lady Hackwell poured tea and passed it around.
“Agruen is an ass,” Lady Tepping said.
Paulette choked and set down the cup.
Lady Hackwell passed her a fresh napkin. “And his is a vote Steven and Lord Tepping need.”
“Yes, along with Shurley’s, and I’m not certain Lord Hackwell and I had greater luck at our end of the table. Shurley, however, is at least a gentleman.”
Paulette had not heard the conversation at Lord Hackwell’s end. And, too busy steeling herself against Agruen, she’d barely heard Lady Hackwell’s small talk. “But you did not discuss a parliamentary bill.”Did they?
“No we did not. That will come later.” Lady Hackwell sighed. “While they are shooting birds, or perhaps even now over brandy. If the gentlemen do not get to it, we will bring it up before the visit ends. I fear I am not meek enough for some of the aristocracy.”
“It is all the cause of you lacking agovernessor aneducation.” Lady Tepping smiled and then laughed, and Lady Hackwell joined in giggling.
The feather in Lady Tepping’s headpiece trembled, and Lady Hackwell put a hand to her belly.
“Come, Miss Heardwyn,” Lady Tepping said. “You may laugh with us. You are in good company here. Tell us about the travel—how were the roads from Cransdall? Did you encounter roving bands of thugs?”
Paulette described her journey in the vaguest of terms, omitting her eviction and Mr. Gibson’s rescue. The ladies, if they sensed there was more, refrained from probing. Lady Tepping shared news from letters she’d received about the discontent among workers.
“That is all I know about the fears of an uprising,” Lady Tepping said. “But I do have one interestingon dit. Anglesey is to be made a full general. I wonder what Wellington has to say?”
“Lord Wellington?” Paulette asked. “Are they political enemies? I’m sorry, I’m woefully ignorant.”
“This relates more to gossip than to politics,” Lady Hackwell said.
“The juiciest, most entertaining of gossip. You must let me explain.” Lady Tepping launched into the story of the Marquess of Anglesey’s affair with Lord Wellington’s former sister-in-law, their Scottish divorces and remarriage to each other. “Scotland, you see, is more lenient about divorce. Except that now our courts have decided they will no longer recognize those Scottish divorces unless the couple originally married in Scotland.”
“So the trips to Gretna Green will pay off if the couple is unhappy later. Perhaps I should have demanded Lord Hackwell take me there.”
“If they marry in Scotland they may divorce?” Paulette asked.
