Page 29 of A Sense of Injustice
Luke chuckled and shook his head. ‘You really have no idea.’
Paul put his head around the door. ‘Sorry to interrupt,’ he said, looking surprised to see Luke in close conversation with Flora. ‘Exton’s here, asking to see you.’
‘He was only here last night. What can he possibly want with me that we couldn’t have talked about then?’ Luke shared a panicked look with Paul. ‘He hasn’t got that niece of his with him, has he?’
Paul laughed. ‘Don’t worry, you’re quite safe.’
‘Well in that case, you’d best show him in.’
‘And I ought to return to the countess.’ Flora stood. ‘She will be waking about now and probably asking for me. Thank you for your advice,’ she added, giving Luke a formal little curtsey. ‘Hopefully it will put my friend’s mind at rest, knowing that you are willing to fight her corner.’
‘What was that all about?’ Paul asked, having sent Woodley to bring Exton through. He watched Flora as she ruffled Romulus’s ears and left the room.
‘I will tell you later. Let’s get Exton out the way first. Stay, Paul. Whatever it is that he’s come to say, I want you to hear it too. No doubt someone’s broken the law and Exton feels a need to draw that person’s misbehaviour to my notice.’
Paul nodded. ‘Someone’s probably urinated in the streets or knocked a gentleman’s hat off.’
Both men laughed. Exton was a stickler for law and order and felt it his duty to report more serious breaches of local byelaws to Luke in person.
‘Squire Exton, my lord,’ Woodley said from the open doorway.
‘Thank you,’ Luke said to his butler, who inclined his head and retreated from the library, closing the door softly behind him. Romulus barked once, cast a speculative look at Exton, decided he wasn’t worth making an effort to get up for and promptly went back to sleep.
‘Lord Swindon.’ Exton offered his hand, which Luke shook. He then turned to Paul, repeating the gesture. ‘Good of you to see me.’
‘My door is always open to you, but I can’t help wondering why you needed to come again so soon after last night’s party. Has something happened in the area that I need to know about?’
‘Actually…’ Exton hesitated, glancing at Paul.
‘You can speak freely in front of my friend,’ Luke said briskly. He liked and respected Exton but resented the fact that his arrival had broken up his private conversation with Flora.
Luke indicated the chairs in front of the fire, removing Romulus’s backside from one end of the rug by pushing the toe of his boot beneath it, thereby creating room for Exton to take the chair closest to the blaze. Luke himself leaned back in the seat that Flora had just vacated, conscious of the light fragrance he associated with her lingering in the air.
‘This is delicate.’ Luke said nothing but watched the squire closely, sensing his embarrassment. He’d never seen a man shuffle his feet in a seated position as Exton now did, concentrating his gaze on the fire. ‘The fact of the matter is that I came to apologise.’
‘Whatever for?’ Luke asked, genuinely bewildered.
‘My niece. She didn’t behave well, all but throwing herself at you like a common harlot. I was totally shocked by her actions.’ He shook his head. ‘Not good form. Not good at all and I told her so in no uncertain terms the moment we left here.’
Luke smiled. ‘Think nothing of it. She isn’t the first.’
‘Luke has grown to expect it,’ Paul said, in a failed attempt to assuage Exton’s mortification. To a man with such high standards, Luke supposed that his embarrassment and pressing need to apologise should not have come as a surprise.
‘That’s hardly the point.’ Exton’s brow creased. ‘The girl is my responsibility while she’s beneath my roof and I won’t have you thinking that I encourage that sort of behaviour. I value my friendship with your family, my lord, and will not have the chit placing a strain upon it.’
‘I wasn’t aware that you had a niece before you mentioned her presence to my brother,’ Luke remarked. ‘Is she your closest relation?’
‘Since my wife died, yes. She and her sister.’
‘She has a sister?’ Paul asked.
‘Lydia has lived with her sister ever since her mother died. Their father died some years before. I hadn’t seen Lydia for several years and was frankly appalled by her conduct. When I chastised her for being too forward, I could see that she had absolutely no idea that she had behaved inappropriately. I can only assume that she picked up her flirtatious manner from her sister. She lives in London, but I seldom set foot in the capital and don’t see much of her. Married women do enjoy a certain latitude, I suppose, but she ought not to have encouraged Lydia to follow her example.’ The squire shook his head, his conscience clearly troubled. ‘Her behaviour came as the most terrible shock to me, and I now feel guilty for not having kept a closer watch over the girls these past few years. But really, with Lydia’s sister being married, I felt the girl would be safe enough under her husband’s care.’
‘Please, Exton.’ Luke held up a hand, conscious of the fact that Exton would apologise for the next half-hour if Luke didn’t do something to stop his flow. ‘Don’t give it another thought.’
‘You are very understanding.’ Exton bowed his head. ‘Her sister is coming down here. She sent me a note telling me to expect her. I shall have a few words to say to her regarding her guardianship, just you see if I do not.’ Exton straightened his spine. ‘She is not long widowed, and I am very sorry for her loss, but that doesn’t excuse…I mean, she is only just out of mourning so she cannot have been entertaining much. Lydia must have picked up on her sister’s manner of conducting herself before her husband died.’
‘She has been made to think well of herself,’ Paul said.
