The Fortune Hunter
Chapter 11
They arrived in London just in
time before it started to rain again, and it continued to rain the next day.
The day afterwards, it cleared up sufficiently to make Olivia wish for some
means to get outside. She was not the only one who wished to do so, it turned
out. Just as Olivia was having breakfast, a messenger brought a note from
Susannah telling her that they would pick her up for a ride in the park, should
she be inclined to join them. Olivia sent back a note telling Susannah that she
would gladly do so.
Their party consisted of
Susannah, Captain Lennox, Lord Burnhope and Jane. Mr Lennox, Olivia was
disappointed to see, was not with them. When Olivia inquired after him,
Susannah informed her that she had not seen her brother Adrian ever since their
trip to Richmond, but that she thought he had left London to attend to some
business in Gloucestershire.
"Wiltshire, Susannah,"
Captain Lennox said calmly. "He told me he was going to some remote place
to see some excavation or other."
"Mr Lennox is greatly
interested in archaeology," Olivia said.
"I wonder what can be so
interesting about it," Susannah complained. "It is a useless science,
and unsavoury besides -- think of all that rubbish one comes across. Shards of
pottery by the dozen! And then there are the skeletons! Call me old-fashioned,
but I do believe the dead ought to remain buried where they are. Just imagine
someone digging US up in a couple of centuries, and displaying us as
particularly interesting specimens!"
Captain Lennox laughed.
"Specimens of what, Susannah?" he asked. "I am sure I do not
mind if they do dig me up. Since I shall be dead, I will not notice."
"Going all the way to
Wiltshire, just to see some excavations," Susannah went on,
contemptuously. "What does Adrian think he will see there?"
"Perhaps he is hoping for
an English Pompeii?" Captain Lennox asked, grinning.
"I am afraid he will be
disappointed if he does," Olivia said with a smile. "There are no
volcanoes in Wiltshire, I am told. -- Do you happen to know when your brother is
expected back in London, Captain Lennox?"
"I do not have the
slightest idea," Captain Lennox said.
The news that Mr Lennox had left
London made Olivia feel deserted -- even though, she told herself, she had no
right to expect Mr Lennox to consider her for a moment if he chose to leave.
Yet she felt that he ought to have said goodbye -- it was quite unlikely that he
had not known, on the day before his departure, that he would make a
journey soon. He could have mentioned it to her, at least, Olivia thought, and
the fact that he had not done so convinced her that he did not care for her at
all. Surely if she -- or her opinion -- meant anything to him, he would share his
plans with her, even if it was only an insignificant journey to see some
excavations in Wiltshire.
Olivia's musings were ended by
Susannah, who informed her brother of all the particulars of their outing to
Richmond, to which account he subjected himself without showing much interest.
Susannah often called for Olivia's opinion, and therefore Olivia could not
dwell on her worries, for which she was glad. She noticed the slight frown on
Captain Lennox's face whenever Colonel Daltrey was mentioned, and again
wondered why he disliked the Colonel. She soon had the opportunity to see the
two men in each other's company -- they were on their way back when they
suddenly met Colonel Daltrey himself on horseback, enjoying a ride in the park
with a friend. Their surprise was great -- none of them had expected the Colonel
to be in London. Susannah was especially pleased to see him, and her lively
questions soon provided them with all the information they needed -- Colonel
Daltrey had come to London to see his man of business and settle the lease of a
house for his mother in Brighton.
"She has taken it into her
head that a sojourn in Brighton will do her good, and being a good son I did
what she wanted without waiting to be asked for it," he said with a
good-humoured smile.
Captain Lennox had not shown his
sister's enthusiasm for Colonel Daltrey. He had greeted him with a cold bow,
and did not contribute to the conversation unless he had to. Colonel Daltrey
did not seem inclined to exclude the Captain from their company, however.
"It has been some time
since we last met," he said, with an affable smile.
"Quite so," Captain
Lennox replied coldly.
"How did you like
Gibraltar?"
"A trifle flat, I
thought," Captain Lennox said.
"How is my old friend,
Colonel Harris?"
"I left him in good health,
sir."
"Glad to hear it. I always thought
Harris was an excellent man; I have always been fond of him. -- Your brother
told me you were trying to get a post in India."
"True."
"If you need any
assistance..." Colonel Daltrey began.
"This is very kindly meant,
I am sure, but not at all necessary," Captain Lennox interrupted him
before he could finish his sentence. "A friend of mine has promised to use
his influence on my behalf. His father is currently stationed in India, and
always on the lookout for good officers, I have heard."
"Indeed? Who is the
gentleman, if I may ask?" Colonel Daltrey asked. There was no sign of
annoyance in his manner, although Olivia believed he had more than enough
reason to be angry. Lively interest in Captain Lennox's plans was all that she
could discern in his tone of voice.
"General Simmons. I do not
believe you are acquainted with him," Captain Lennox said.
"Simmons! I do not know him
in person, I admit, but his reputation has reached my ears. If I were you, I'd
think twice before accepting a post in his staff. Or why do you think is he always
on the lookout for good officers?"
"I neither know nor
care," Captain Lennox said. "All I do want is to go to India to make
my fortune."
"Get killed, more
likely," Colonel Daltrey said dryly.
"Why, Colonel, is it dangerous?"
Susannah exclaimed. "Bernie, you are not to go to India if there is any
danger to your life and health! Promise me..."
"I promise you not to get
killed," Captain Lennox said, with a furious look at Colonel Daltrey.
"But Bernie..." Susannah
began.
"Can we talk about this at
home, Susannah?" Captain Lennox said, quietly but with a dangerous glint
in his eyes. Olivia had never seen him like this before.
Susannah gave Colonel Daltrey a
desperate look. "Sir, do you really think it is dangerous for my brother
to go to India?"
"I am sure Captain Lennox
can take care of himself," the Colonel replied soothingly. Captain Lennox
gave him a short bow, claimed to have seen a friend of his in the distance and
rode off to join him.
"I sometimes think that I
will never understand my brothers," Susannah said with a sigh, and turned
to Colonel Daltrey again. "How long are you going to stay in London?"
she asked him.
"Not long, only a couple of
days," the Colonel said. "I do not think it will take my solicitor
very long to find suitable lodgings for my mother."
"Will you do us the honour
of dining with us one of these days?" Susannah asked.
"I will, if I am
invited," the Colonel said.
Susannah then called on Lord
Burnhope's assistance, and Lord Burnhope assured Colonel Daltrey that he would
be welcome in Burnhope House at any time -- and that he would personally sit
down to write an invitation the moment he got home. Thus they parted on the
best terms.
The moment Colonel Daltrey and his friend had left them, Captain Lennox joined
their party again, and had to listen to his sister's reproach for having been
so uncivil to "the poor man".
"This sounds as if Colonel
Daltrey had made quite an impression on you," Captain Lennox said
teasingly.
"What is so wrong about
that?" Susannah asked furiously. "Colonel Daltrey is an admirable
man! Such excellent manners -- you would do well to follow his example!"
Captain Lennox sighed. "You
too, dearest sister? If you have not noticed -- I cannot stand the man. The very
last thing I want to be is a copy of his perfection. I'd rather be an
imperfect original."
"But what is it you do not
like about him?" Susannah demanded.
"If he were not such a
picture of perfection, I might even like him," Captain Lennox said.
"As it is, I stay away from him when I can -- one can only look bad in
comparison to such a paragon of virtue." The icy accents in which Captain
Lennox pronounced the Colonel a paragon of virtue did not escape Olivia.
There was no love lost between Captain Lennox and Colonel Daltrey, that was
quite obvious -- although if the Colonel disliked the Captain, he made a good
job of hiding it.
Back in Half Moon Street, Agnes
reminded Olivia that Mrs. Somerville had chosen that evening for her rout
party, an event Olivia was by no means looking forward to. The more she saw of
her godmother, the less she liked her, and wondered how her mother could ever
have harboured friendly feelings for a person so completely different from
herself. No doubt Mrs. Somerville had meant well by organising a party in
Olivia's honour, but Olivia did not expect to derive much pleasure from it.
Neither did Sir Felix, Olivia realised -- he, who loved to go into company
normally, did not sound too happy when Agnes told him where they were to spend
the evening.
One had to grant Mrs. Somerville
one thing -- whatever she took on herself to organise, was bound to be a great
success. There were dozens of guests at her house, although Olivia knew hardly
any of them. Those she did know were not favourites with her either --
the Culverthorpes and Lady Wesley were not the sort of people with whom she
wished to associate. Neither the Lennoxes nor Sir Edwin had been invited, and
Olivia suspected that the sole purpose of this evening was to throw her into
Lord Swafford's company and to keep her away from any possible rivals for her
affection.
Lord Swafford was very
solicitous that evening -- he talked less of himself than he was wont to do, and
paid Olivia a couple of very handsome compliments. Olivia did not believe any
of them to be meant seriously, and besides she did not consider Lord Swafford
capable of devising such homage to anyone but himself. Probably someone -- very
likely Mrs. Somerville -- had assisted him there.
Lady Wesley sang some songs to
entertain the guests, and Olivia granted her voice to be very good and her
playing superior to her own. When Lady Wesley was finished, Mrs. Somerville
asked Olivia to play, and although she felt that her own performance would be
nothing in comparison to Lady Wesley's, she sat down at the pianoforte, looked
at the music-sheets and chose one of the easiest pieces.
"I am afraid I am not the
most talented of musicians," she said with a smile, "but I shall play
this to please our hostess."
She put the music-sheets in
place, and Lord Swafford rose immediately, hurried to her side and asked her
whether he could be of assistance. Even though Olivia declined his kind offer,
he remained at her side, and turned the pages of the music-sheets for her.
Unfortunately, he did not quite know what he was doing, turning a page before
Olivia was finished playing it, and thus nearly ruining her performance.
Somehow she managed to finish playing without making a complete fool of
herself, and gratefully received Mrs. Somerville's compliments on her musical
talent. Lord Swafford, she noticed, seemed to be one of her greatest admirers.
Had he known a bit more about music than she thought he did, his applause might
have been flattering. As it was, his compliments did not give her pleasure at
all.
Olivia went back to her seat,
and since Agnes was the next lady to exhibit her skill on the pianoforte, the
chair next to her was vacant. It was instantly taken by Lady Wesley, who sat
down declaring that she had long been waiting for an opportunity to further her
acquaintance with the famous Miss Paige.
"I could hardly take my
eyes off you when you were playing, Miss Paige," she said. "You were
such a beautiful picture! Especially in Lord Swafford's company -- what a
beautiful pair you make! You quite took my breath away!" Olivia did not
quite like the sly smile that accompanied Lady Wesley's praise.
"Lord Swafford is aware of
it, of course," Lady Wesley continued. "Will we soon hear interesting
news, I wonder?"
Coldly, Olivia replied, "I
do hope you hear interesting news every day, Lady Wesley."
Lady Wesley giggled. "You
do not want to talk about it until the matter is settled, of course. Very
prudent of you."
"I did not know there was
any matter to be settled between Lord Swafford and me, Lady Wesley,"
Olivia said, now seriously annoyed but trying hard to hide it.
"His opinion may be
different," Lady Wesley said, still smiling.
"Lord Swafford's opinion is
a matter of greatest indifference to me, madam," Olivia said curtly.
Lady Wesley laughed. "Of
course! We all say so until a gentleman declares himself! Why, until dear Sir
Timothy proposed, I barely acknowledged his existence!"
"You are suffering from
some kind of misapprehension, Lady Wesley. I neither expect nor wish Lord
Swafford to propose."
"I do hope you will change
your mind," Lady Wesley laughed. "The poor gentleman! I did not know
you could be so cruel!"
Olivia had heard quite enough,
and tried to get up from her chair. Lady Wesley detained her. "I beg you,
Miss Paige, stay! Now that I finally have the chance to get acquainted with
you, we ought to make the most of it! I hear you are very friendly with
Susannah Lennox and Jane Hervey! Nothing to be said against them, of
course, charming girls, both of them."
Olivia did not mean to pick up
this topic, even though she realised that this was what she was meant to do.
She simply nodded, but said nothing.
"Lady Burnhope's ball will
be quite out of the common way, I hear. Too bad I shall not attend it -- I have
not been invited," Lady Wesley said.
"I am very sorry to hear
this," Olivia said politely, but unconcerned.
With a sigh, Lady Wesley said,
"Well, ever since my engagement to Sir Timothy became known, the Lennoxes
have slighted me. I am quite disappointed at their behaviour, I am sure they
had no reason ... but ... it will not do to complain to you, will it?" She
gave a brilliant laugh. "Here comes Sir Felix Gordon, looking like a
thundercloud, and I daresay he will take you away from me. Good bye, Miss
Paige! I am sure we will meet more often, once..." She smiled. "No, I
shall not speak of it yet, if it embarrasses you." She walked off in
direction of her husband, who was sitting with Lord Swafford, and left Olivia
to herself. Sir Felix took the empty seat next to Olivia.
"It seems Lady Wesley has
taken to the absurd notion of my marrying Lord Swafford," Olivia said,
nettled. "How can she? I am sure neither of us has shown any sign of
attachment!"
With a smile, Sir Felix said,
"Sir Timothy is a close friend of Swafford's. Swafford may have dropped a
hint to him."
"He never dropped a hint to
me," Olivia said indignantly and made Sir Felix laugh.
"He may not have thought it
necessary," he said. "If you have not noticed yet -- Lord Swafford is
very sure of himself. It may not have crossed his mind that you might not be
interested. -- Agnes wishes to go home. Do you want to stay a bit longer?"
Olivia laughed. "To receive
Lord Swafford's very flattering offer?" she asked. "No, indeed! Let
us go home!"
Two days later, they had an
invitation from Lady Burnhope to dine at Burnhope House. Olivia, not having
heard anything from Mr Lennox ever since their outing to Richmond, hoped she
would see him, or at least hear from him, and was therefore eager to go.
While Crewe did her hair, Olivia
took the sketch Mr Lennox had drawn out of the drawer and looked at it. There
was a strange fluttering feeling whenever she thought of that moment in
Richmond, or the way he had looked at her -- that intense, arresting look.
"You seem in good spirits
today, Miss, if I may say so," Crewe remarked, and as her eyes fell on her
reflection in the mirror Olivia realised she had been smiling.
"Oh, I am looking forward
to pleasant company, that is all," she said, blushing furiously. Crewe
refrained from commenting on that, but simply remarked that she had seen
"that Italian fellow that works for Mr Lennox" in town that morning.
This was excellent news, Olivia thought -- for if Mr Lennox was back in town he
would very likely dine at his brother's house that evening. It was unlikely for
Luca to be in town if his employer was still away.
Olivia was not disappointed --
when they were ushered into Lady Burnhope's drawing room, Mr Lennox was among
the guests, standing next to Colonel Daltrey's chair and obviously sharing a
particularly amusing story with him. She greeted him with a smile that, Olivia
felt on reflection, left no doubt how much she had missed him.
"I am glad to see you back
in London, Mr Lennox," she said. "You were missed, I can tell you --
we were quite a miserable party when we rode in the park the day before
yesterday. Weren't we, Colonel Daltrey?"
Colonel Daltrey laughed. "I
did not notice any particular amount of misery in your demeanour, Miss Paige,
but I shall not contradict you."
"Tell me, sir, what made
you leave London in such a hurry?" Olivia asked.
"Important business called
me to Gloucestershire," Mr Lennox said, "and since I already was on
the way, I went to Wiltshire to see a university friend of mine, who is at the
moment conducting an excavation on his property."
"Does he hope to find
anything interesting?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, he does. Various
coins of Roman origin have been found on the fields surrounding the village, so
he does hope for some more Roman relics," Mr Lennox said.
"And the business in
Gloucestershire?" Olivia asked mischievously.
"Was very important, or I
would not have gone there," Mr Lennox said with a smile.
"More important than riding
into the park with us?"
"Unfortunately." He
smiled. "Do you think anything but important matters could keep me away
from y ... London?"
Olivia had noticed his lapse,
but pretended not to have done so. Lightly, she said, "Who am I to make
such a judgement? Besides, what is of foremost importance to you may seem but a
trifle to me, sir."
"If you choose to take offence,
Miss Paige, I am sorry there is not much I can do to defend myself," Mr
Lennox said, earnestly. Olivia realised that she had hurt him.
"I am sorry, Mr
Lennox," she said. "I should not have said that -- besides, my
curiosity was quite out of place. You have never given me reason to feel
slighted, sir."
"I am glad to hear
it," Mr Lennox said gravely. He soon recovered his good spirits, however,
and the evening turned out to be a very pleasant one. After dinner, they sat
down to card games, and Olivia played a rubber of whist with Mr Lennox,
Susannah and Colonel Daltrey. Susannah seemed to be quite fond of the Colonel,
and even though she could not discern any signs of love in him yet,
Olivia thought they would make a very pretty couple -- though what Captain
Lennox would have to say to a union between them Olivia did not wish to
imagine.
The next morning, Olivia called
on Susannah to take her on a shopping expedition, but when she entered the
drawing room at Burnhope House she saw that there was already a visitor --
Colonel Daltrey.
"What a surprise to find
you here, Colonel!" Olivia said after having greeted everyone in the room.
"I am afraid I cannot stay
long," the Colonel said. "I just came here to take leave -- my mother
has been taken ill, and I am to return to Richmond without delay."
"Poor Mrs. Daltrey!"
Susannah exclaimed, looking disappointed. "Is she very ill?"
"I do not think so,"
the Colonel said. "Just her usual complaint -- which causes a great deal of
suffering, without doubt, but it is not exactly dangerous."
"But you will be able to
come back for the ball, Colonel Daltrey?" Susannah asked. "I had so
hoped to see you there!"
"I shall try to come,"
Colonel Daltrey said. "Although, Miss Lennox, I am afraid I am not much
use as a dancing partner." With his stick, he tapped against his ankle to
emphasise his meaning.
"Never mind, sir, there
will be plenty of amusement without having to dance," Susannah said
eagerly.
Colonel Daltrey said, with a
brilliant smile, that he did not doubt that in the least, took leave of the
ladies, bowed and was off. Susannah turned to Olivia.
"Shall we go for a
walk?" she asked.
"I actually came to ask you
whether you wanted to go shopping with me," Olivia said.
"Good!" Susannah
exclaimed, and went to her room to change into her walking dress.
"Let us take the shortcut
through the park," Susannah said as they left Burnhope House. Olivia had
no objection to that, and as they passed the park gate, Susannah said,
"There is something I want to tell you, Olivia."
"I thought you
wanted to speak to me in private," Olivia said with a smile.
"You can read me like an
open book, can't you?" Susannah said. "Right from the beginning of
our acquaintance, you always knew what I thought. It is as if I had known you
for ages. This is why I want to tell you ... but promise me not to tell
anyone."
"I will not tell
anyone," Olivia said.
"I do not know whether you
have noticed it or not," Susannah said, "but I am very fond of
Colonel Daltrey."
Olivia laughed. "That
was quite obvious yesterday evening," she said.
"Too obvious?"
Susannah asked anxiously. "Did I make a fool of myself, do you
think?"
"Not at all," Olivia
assured her.
"I have always been fond of
him, you know," Susannah said, blushing. "I was just a schoolgirl when
I first met him -- thirteen or fourteen years of age, and he was so handsome, so
kind... He did not take much notice of me then, of course, I was simply Adrian's
annoying little sister. He was a favourite with all the ladies, and could have
had any he fancied, I am sure! He did not think of me at all, but I -- I thought
of him all the time. He was so clever, so lively -- and then there was Waterloo.
I cried for him when I heard, for I was so afraid he might die and never know
what I felt for him. Then he returned, and I saw him sometimes, but he had
changed so much ... He is very different now from what he was, but I love him the
more for the things he has gone through! Do you think I am foolish,
Olivia?"
Olivia, stunned by Susannah's
open confession, shook her head.
"I do, sometimes,"
Susannah said. "To let a schoolgirl fancy get the better of me! But I love
him for different reasons now. I admired his looks and his lively manners when
I was fourteen. I suppose I loved his regimentals most."
She laughed, and Olivia laughed
along with her.
"But now, I have realised
what a good man he is, and how much he needs someone to love him. I love so
many things about him now that I did not even notice when I was younger! And
his regimentals do not mean anything to me any more."
Olivia smiled. Susannah stopped
short. "You are laughing at me," she said, eyeing Olivia
suspiciously.
"No, I am not," Olivia
said calmly. "Only your last statement amused me. I would never make fun
of your feelings, Susannah."
With a sigh of relief, Susannah
said, "I am so glad you understand me. Being in love without knowing
whether one's feelings are returned is not funny. I cannot think of anything
but him, whenever I see him my heart beats so wildly that it chokes me, and in
my mind I repeat ever word of his, every look, and try to discover his state of
mind concerning me. Am I not to be pitied?" She laughed, but it was not
her usual merry laugh. "And yet I would not miss this feeling for the
world."
There was a short pause, and
Olivia reflected on how Susannah's description of her feelings for Colonel
Daltrey corresponded with her own feelings for someone else.
"You will not tell anyone
what I told you, will you?" Susannah finally asked. "If I make a fool
of myself over Colonel Daltrey, I had rather not have everyone know."
"I
told you that this would remain between the two of us," Olivia said.
"I promise."
"I am so glad I told
you," Susannah said. "I could not have kept it to myself much longer,
but I did not really know whom to tell. But then it occurred to me...that you
might understand me." She gave Olivia a searching look. "Or don't
you?"
With a shy smile, Olivia said,
"I think I do."
Their eyes met, and for a moment
Olivia wished she could speak to Susannah as openly as she had done. There was
a bond between them, a mutual understanding, and it would be such a comfort to
know that there was someone who knew exactly how one felt ... but Susannah was Mr
Lennox's sister.
They walked on and, with a sigh, Susannah expressed her hope that Colonel Daltrey would come to the ball. Then they reached one of the busier streets of London, and Olivia's chance to open her heart to Susannah was gone. Her love for Mr Lennox remained her secret.
One afternoon, Sir Felix surprised his wife with the announcement that he had invited his cousin Adrian to dine with them. Agnes was not altogether fond of this kind of surprise -- last-minute guests, she felt, could never be received the way they ought to. The dinner would not be up to her usual standard, and although Sir Felix assured his wife that Cousin Adrian was the very last man to wish to be fussed over, Agnes was not reconciled to the idea until an emergency conference in the kitchen had reassured her that her cook could still prepare a dinner worthy of feeding the King, should he choose to honour them with his presence. Mr. Lennox being a great favourite with her, there was no other reason for her not to look forward to the evening, and when Olivia heard of her brother-in-law's plans, she was hard put to check her enthusiasm. Yet she felt that Sir Felix suspected something -- she did not quite relish his knowing smile.
Mr. Lennox arrived in time, and
the evening promised to be a very agreeable one. During dinner, Agnes mentioned
a new exhibition in Somerset House, and asked Mr. Lennox whether he had already
seen it.
"I went there yesterday,
Lady Gordon," Mr. Lennox said.
"There! Everyone I know has
seen it, while I remain ignorant," Agnes said with a sigh.
"Which means?" Sir
Felix asked, with a wink at his cousin.
"I feel like a fool
whenever anyone talks about it and I have not seen it," Agnes replied
challengingly.
"Why do you not tell
me that you want to see it?" Sir Felix asked. "You only had to
ask!"
"I wanted to give you an
opportunity to show what a good husband you are," Agnes said teasingly.
"By not telling me
what you want? Could there be a fault in your logic, my dear?"
"Not at all! A good
husband knows what his wife wishes without her telling him about it all the
time."
"I never knew I had psychic
abilities," Sir Felix said with a grin.
"You don't.
Obviously." Mr. Lennox said. Sir Felix laughed.
"I am afraid, Agnes, you
will have to go on giving me gentle hints if you want me to do something,"
he said.
Mr. Lennox laughed. "That
is cheating, Felix. You are supposed to be able to guess what your wife wants
without any prompting from her."
"This, Mr. Lennox, is
marriage at an advanced level," Agnes said, smiling mischievously. "I
will not expect Sir Felix to perform this before the third year of our
marriage. He is still young -- he will learn."
"Thank you, my dear, for
not giving up on me just yet," Sir Felix said, taking his wife's hand.
"You want to see that exhibition, and see it you shall. When do you want
to go?"
After some discussion it was
decided that they would go to see the exhibition the day after the next, and
that Mr. Lennox would join them -- even though he had already seen it, he
pointed out that it was well worth seeing more often.
After dinner, they settled down
to a game of whist, and Olivia greatly enjoyed the quiet evening in the company
she loved most -- that of her sister and, more importantly, Mr. Lennox's. When
he left, Olivia hated to see him go, but her spirits improved when she thought
of the treat that was in store for her the day after the next.
The next morning, Agnes asked
Olivia what she was going to wear at Lady Burnhope's ball. Having not decided
yet, she spent half of the morning showing Agnes every single ball gown she
possessed, only to find out that none of them really suited her, apart from
those she had already worn somewhere else, and it was out of the question that
the rich Miss Paige should be seen wearing the same dress twice.
Therefore they set out towards
Madame Lenore's establishment, one of the most fashionable shops in London, to
supply themselves with suitable attire for Lady Burnhope's ball. It took them
nearly an hour and a half, but finally they were both rigged out to their
satisfaction and, after Madame Lenore had congratulated them on their excellent
taste and had promised them to deliver their new gowns to Half Moon Street,
they decided to walk home. They had hardly left Madame's premises when a
carriage stopped next to them, and a familiar voice hailed them. It was Lady Wesley,
who offered to take them home in her carriage. Politely, Agnes tried to decline
the offer, but when Lady Wesley insisted and acted as if she was going to take
offence if they did not join her, Agnes saw no other solution than getting into
the carriage -- it would not do to snub Lady Wesley in public.
"You are staying in Half
Moon Street, are you not?" Lady Wesley asked when they had settled down in
their seat, feeling far from comfortable.
"Yes, we are," Agnes
said.
"We used to reside there
during the first year of our marriage," Lady Wesley said, "but then
Sir Timothy and I agreed that we needed something better. Our house is in
Berkeley Square. Do you frequent Madame Lenore's very often?"
"We do," Agnes said.
"I think her fashions are very elegant."
"Oh, elegant indeed!"
Lady Wesley said dismissively. "Nothing out of the common way, however. I
prefer Arlette's -- she sells French fashions as well, and they are much
more exclusive than Lenore's."
"And frightfully
expensive," Agnes said with a smile. Lady Wesley laughed as if she had
heard the best joke ever.
"Oh yes, but then I always
say to dear Sir Timothy that a lady's style reflects on her husband. I would
not have supposed Sir Felix Gordon to be tight-fisted, I admit."
Though Lady Wesley could not
tell, Olivia was fully aware of Agnes's fury as she replied, "He is not.
But I do not want to spend three hundred on a gown when I can get two for the
same price somewhere else. No one sees the difference, either."
"At least they will not say
so if they do," Lady Wesley said tartly. "Here we are! Half Moon
Street! My compliments to Sir Felix, Lady Gordon. Miss Paige!" While
curtseying to Lady Wesley, Olivia decided that she did not like her. She had
been ready to make allowances for first impressions, which might not always be
favourable but which ought not to weigh too heavily with one, but now her
opinion of Lady Wesley was settled -- she was an odious woman.
Agnes seemed to agree with her
on that matter. At the dinner table that evening, she described her encounter
with Lady Wesley, and though Sir Felix did not say anything at first, the frown
in his face betrayed what he might think.
"I wonder what that woman
may want of you," he finally said. "
"I have no idea,"
Agnes said.
"At Mrs. Somerville's
party, she was chatting with Olivia as if they had always been friends, and now
she tries to be on friendly terms with you..." Sir Felix went on.
"Her method is not
efficient," Agnes said, bitingly.
"Nevertheless, she
tries," Sir Felix said, "and I do not like it. Be careful, Agnes --
and Olivia, too. Lady Wesley has never been known for her altruism."
Sir Felix's condemnation of Lady
Wesley, even if it coincided with her own opinion of her, puzzled Olivia.
"You do not like Lady Wesley, Sir Felix, do you?" she said.
"Not at all, I admit,"
Sir Felix said.
"For what reason?"
Olivia asked.
"There are many, but the
main reason is that that woman has no heart," Sir Felix said.
"Harsh censure,"
Olivia said with a smile.
"But it is true," Sir
Felix said. "Had you seen what I have ... Lady Wesley does not care what
suffering she causes in others."
"Do you have a reason to
think so?" Agnes asked her husband, suddenly suspicious. Even though
Agnes's husband could not, Olivia could read her mind at times. At the moment
she suspected that her husband had, at one point, been in some way attached to
Lady Wesley.
"One of my friends..."
Sir Felix began, but broke off. "You must promise me that this will stay
between the three of us," he said earnestly. "The poor fellow has
suffered enough, and you can be certain that no sympathy on your part would be
welcome -- not at all. One of my friends was engaged to be married with her, but
she jilted him. She found a weak excuse and cried off three weeks before their
projected wedding."
"How terrible!" Agnes
exclaimed, her slight frown giving way to an expression of deep concern.
"How could she! Was he ... very unhappy?"
"Of course," Sir Felix
said. "He loved her very much, and this hit him out of the blue -- he had
no idea that she did not want to marry him. I know this sounds
melodramatic, but she really broke his heart."
"The poor man," Olivia
said. "I do hope he has got over it by now."
"I would not know,"
Sir Felix said bitterly. "It is the one subject he never discusses,
not even with me. Besides, I am the last one to inflict such a conversation on
him. Anyway, this is why I -- and everyone else who really care for him -- cut
Lady Wesley. As for him, he tries to keep out of her way, which is not always
possible. If they do happen to be present at the same function, she acts
as if nothing had ever happened, even though she must know how this must hurt
him. There is no sense of decency in her."
"I discovered as
much," Agnes said. "I do hope we shall not meet her very often. It
was most vexing today, not to be able to decline her offer without snubbing her
in public, which is a thing I would not usually do. But I admit I never liked
her."
Sir Felix smiled. "I knew
you wouldn't, and I am happy to see that I was not mistaken in you. I cannot
influence your choice in friends, of course, at least I do not want to, but I
would have been really sorry if you had taken a liking to Lady Wesley."
Olivia wondered which of Sir
Felix's friends had been Lady Wesley's fiancé, but she could not decide among
them. From what she had witnessed, it could have been any of them. Much as she
wished to know, she knew that Sir Felix would not tell her, probably to protect
his friend from being insulted even further by her compassion. But it would
have been interesting to know.
While they were waiting for Mr.
Lennox's arrival the next day, Sir Felix handed the Gazette to his
sister-in-law and said, with a mischievous smile, that she might find this very
interesting.
"I hardly ever read
newspapers," Olivia said.
"I know," Sir Felix
said and grinned. "Do make an exception today, Olivia. Just check the
announcements page." Olivia turned the pages until she found the page that
was usually reserved for rumours and announcements concerning London society.
What she found there was not exactly a surprise -- she had seen this coming for
quite some time -- but the notion of having made a correct guess made her smile.
"What is the news,"
Agnes asked calmly, and Olivia obliged her by reading the notice aloud.
"Sir John and Lady
Hervey are pleased to announce the betrothal of their younger daughter, Jane
Alexandra, to William Henry Lennox, Viscount Burnhope. - I knew this would happen sooner or
later," she exclaimed. "Can you imagine a couple better suited for
each other? I cannot!"
"I daresay they will be
very happy," Agnes agreed. "Coming to think of it, I believed Lord
Burnhope to be uncommonly fond of Jane Hervey."
"Oh, her sister will be
furious," Olivia said, relishing the thought. That the slighted little
sister should become married before the bullying older one -- and to a Viscount,
too! This sounded like a fairy tale.
When Mr. Lennox was announced,
Sir Felix asked him at once whether he had known about his brother's
engagement.
"I was probably one of the
first people to know that he meant to marry," Mr. Lennox said, with a
smile. "This was why he wanted me to come back -- not that he could not
have married without my assistance, but he wanted me to look after the Burnhope
estate while he was on his wedding tour. It only took him some time to summon
the nerve to offer for Miss Hervey."
"Why did you not tell
me?" Sir Felix asked. "And why did I have to read about the
engagement in the paper, instead of Burnhope telling me himself?"
"As for the first
question," Mr. Lennox said with a smile, "I do not know how it was
with you, Felix, but should I ever marry, I'd rather make the announcement
myself and not leave it to my brothers. This is why I did not tell you. The
second question is easily answered." Mr. Lennox pointed to the pile of
unopened letters in front of Sir Felix. "It is not William's fault if you
read the newspaper before checking your correspondence."
Sir Felix looked through his
letters and indeed found one directed to him in Lord Burnhope's neat hand which
informed him that Miss Jane Hervey had been so obliging as to accept Lord
Burnhope's hand in marriage.
"I like his way of
expressing himself," Sir Felix said, smiling. "Very formal."
"Most appropriate and to
the point," Mr. Lennox agreed. "Just what I would expect from my
brother."
"Have you seen Lord
Burnhope this morning?" Olivia asked. "How is he?"
"Besieged by
well-wishers," Mr. Lennox said, grinning. "He is doing well, however.
Miss Jane Hervey is being beleaguered as well -- everyone in town wants to know
how she managed to catch one of the largest prizes on the marriage mart."
"How do you know Jane is
beleaguered?"
"I went there before I came
here, to congratulate her and welcome her in my family," Mr. Lennox said.
"I must go and see her as
well," Olivia said. "Not now, of course, but after we have been to
Somerset House."
Upon their entering Somerset
House, Sir Felix sighted a friend of his going up the stairs and left his party
behind to follow him. With a sigh, Agnes turned to Olivia.
"You see what happens once
you are married," she said to her sister. "Take my advice, Olivia,
and do not marry -- it only leads to permanent neglect." The sparkle in her
eyes betrayed that she was not quite serious. She turned to Mr. Lennox.
"Don't you agree, Mr. Lennox?"
"I am afraid I know nothing
of the married state, Lady Gordon, so I shall have to take your word for
it," he said smilingly. "Besides, as a gentleman I think I ought to
take your husband's side."
"Of course," Agnes
said, smiling. "Family duty and code of honour among gentlemen, I
suppose."
"Quite so, Lady
Gordon."
Sir Felix waited for them at the
entrance to the Exhibition Room, and together they went in. However, in the
crowd of people admiring the paintings, Olivia soon lost her sister and
brother-in-law and was grateful for Mr. Lennox, who remained at her side and
whose arm she could hold on to. They walked around the room, looked at the
pictures, and Mr. Lennox explained the paintings to her. Olivia wished she knew
more about art, for it was quite evident that it was one of Mr. Lennox's chief
interests, and she felt that her ignorance might throw a bad light on her. If
it did, Mr. Lennox did not show any signs of impatience with her, on the
contrary. Olivia suspected that he quite enjoyed himself. Finally, they came to
a collection of small landscapes, and Olivia went closer to the pictures to
examine them. One of them showed a village, placed on cliffs high above the
sea. Even if she did not know exactly where it was, she could make an educated
guess.
"Mr. Lennox," she said
smilingly, "this is what I have always imagined Italy to be."
"You are right, Miss
Paige," Mr. Lennox said. "This is Italy -- the town is called
Sorrento."
"Have you seen it, Mr.
Lennox? Is the picture like the original?"
"Very much so," Mr.
Lennox said. "Sorrento is not very far from Naples. Or Pompeii, for that
matter, so I went there several times."
"How beautiful,"
Olivia sighed and went on to the next picture. "Palermo. Have you ever
been to Palermo, Mr. Lennox?"
"No, I have not," Mr.
Lennox said. "Sicily was not on my itinerary."
"Oh! Judging by that
picture, Mr. Lennox, I think you have missed something."
"So I have," Mr.
Lennox said. "I shall go to Sicily next time I get to Italy. There is an
interesting volcano to be found -- Mount Etna. Besides, Palermo is said to be
very beautiful. Then there is Messina -- there are many things I have not seen
yet."
Olivia cast another glance at
the pictures and sighed. "I would so much like to see all this," she
said longingly.
With an affectionate look at
her, Mr. Lennox said, "Yes, that would be ... nice, wouldn't it?" His
gaze made Olivia nervous, and she tried to lead away from a subject that had,
in her opinion, become dangerous.
"Have you done any pictures
like these, Mr. Lennox?" she asked. "Ones I have not seen yet?"
Mr. Lennox shook his head.
"No, I have not," he said. "I am quite good at sketching, and I
can do some decent watercolours, if I put my mind to it, but I have always been
a poor hand at oil-painting."
"Have you ever thought of
travelling further than Italy?" Olivia asked him, as they walked on.
"For example?" Mr.
Lennox asked, smiling.
"Oh, I do not know, there
are so many places to go..." Olivia said uncertainly.
"Mongolia?" Mr. Lennox
suggested, smiling mischievously. "China?"
"What I had in mind,"
Olivia said laughingly, "was not quite so far. Greece, for example.
Egypt."
"As for Greece, it would be
worth a thought or two," Mr. Lennox said. "But Egypt -- no, not
really. The Egyptian climate would not agree with me, I think."
"Too hot?"
"I do not mind the heat so
much," he said. "As long as there is some water somewhere, I can deal
with that. But spending weeks and weeks in the desert -- no, I am afraid Egypt
shall never make my acquaintance."
Olivia laughed. "But it
would be interesting to go there, would it not?" she insisted.
"Especially for someone with your interest!"
"My interest, Miss
Paige?"
"Digging," Olivia said
with a laugh. "You went all the way to Wiltshire just to see some Roman coins,
after all, and you spent some time in Pompeii, did you not?"
"Most of the people who are
digging in Egypt," Mr. Lennox said, "do so to enrich themselves. I
see no point in robbing a country of its heritage, as some do, in the name of
Science. I am ready to admit that Belzoni, for example, is doing valuable work,
but I doubt his motives. -- Apart from that, Miss Paige," he continued,
"I am not very interested in temples and palaces, or dead
kings."
"What are you
interested in, Mr. Lennox?" Olivia asked. "What made you join your
friend in Pompeii?"
"People, Miss Paige. I am
interested in the way they used to live -- their daily lives. That is what I
love about Pompeii. It tells us how people lived."
"And died," Olivia
said earnestly.
"That, too," Mr. Lennox
said. "Yet, right up to the end, Pompeii was a place for the living.
Kings' Valley is a place for the dead."
Meanwhile they had reached the
entrance again, where Agnes and Sir Felix were waiting for them. Agnes praised
the exhibition in the highest terms, while Sir Felix admitted that it "had
been worth seeing after all."
Just as their party were walking
down the stairs, Sir Edwin Arncott was coming towards them, accompanied by a
gentleman Olivia did not know. He shook hands with all of them and kept
Olivia's hand in his rather longer than necessary. Everything in his demeanour
indicated that he considered Olivia his property -- probably he wished to make
it plain to a possible rival that he had been there first. Mr. Lennox
was too intelligent not to take the hint, and as he led Olivia down the stairs
after the encounter he said, quietly, "It is none of my business, of
course, but Arncott seems to believe himself in your favour."
"I do not know how he came
to think so," Olivia said. "I thought I had made it very plain to him
that I was not interested."
"Ladies have been known to
change their minds, however," Mr. Lennox said with a smile.
"Not I," Olivia said
hotly. "I am not like..." She broke off as she saw Mr. Lennox's eyes
harden.
"Not like....?" he prompted.
"Not like others, I wanted
to say," Olivia said, without looking at him.
"That, Miss Paige, is
evident," he said with a polite smile, as he handed her into a carriage.
"You are quite unique."
Then, he took his leave and walked off, while the carriage took them back to Half Moon Street. Olivia went upstairs immediately after her arrival, to change into another dress for her visit to Jane. She could not wait to hear all the particulars concerning Jane's betrothal, and in her eagerness to see her friend she almost forgot the look in Mr. Lennox's eyes when she had nearly pronounced herself to be quite different from Lady Wesley.
As they were ushered into Lady
Hervey's drawing room, they found that they were not the only visitors. The news
of Miss Jane Hervey's engagement to one of the most eligible bachelors in Town
had certainly made its way among London society, and everyone seemed to wish to
confirm the news.
Jane was seated next to her
mother, and looked flushed. She had never liked being the centre of attention,
and she did not like it now. Her embarrassment was obvious, and she did not
talk much, but left the talking to her mother and sister.
That she was suddenly very high
in her mother's favour was evident -- Lady Hervey could not utter a single
sentence without referring to her younger daughter as "my dear girl",
or "dearest Jane". Miss Hervey looked resentful -- she obviously
envied her sister's happiness, and that Jane had managed to marry before her,
to marry a man who had evaded so many attempts at match-making already, piqued
her.
Jane received their
congratulations with a shy smile and a half-whispered "Thank you".
"You must tell me all about
it one of these days, Jane," Olivia said, and pressed Jane's hand. "I
can see you are quite overwhelmed at the moment, but I am sure you will
recover." She noticed a stunning diamond ring on Jane's finger she had not
seen before.
"Did Lord Burnhope give you
this ring?" she asked Jane. Jane nodded.
"It is a family
heirloom," she said quietly. "I am afraid Lady Burnhope will hate me
for this -- how could anyone ever part with such a beautiful piece without
feeling resentful?"
"Nonsense," Lady
Hervey said sharply. "If it is a family heirloom, she will have to
part with it, and well she knows it."
"If you say so," Jane
said quietly, but sounded far from convinced.
They sat there talking while the
visitors came and went, and Olivia could not help but feel sorry for Jane. That
someone who was so uncomfortable in company should have to receive so many
guests made her feel uncomfortable on Jane's account, and if there had been
anything she could have done to relieve Jane, she would have done it. This,
however, was not necessary, for Jane's rescue was well on its way.
Agnes had just stated that they
had better leave when the butler announced Lord and Lady Burnhope and Miss
Lennox. Olivia saw the happy glow in Jane's eyes when her betrothed entered the
room, and from that moment on, Olivia noticed, Jane seemed to have forgotten
her self-consciousness. She did not become more loquacious, but at least acted
with more assurance.
Lord Burnhope greeted his future
mother and sister-in-law with exquisite politeness, and kissed Jane's hand with
a smile, asking her whether she had had many visitors that day.
He kept Jane's hand in his and
pressed it reassuringly for a few moments before he released her. Olivia was
happy to witness this -- such a display of affection in public from Lord
Burnhope, she felt, was worth as much as a kiss from any other man.
Susannah congratulated Jane on
her engagement, and expressed her happiness at the occasion quite freely.
"I am very pleased with my
brother's choice, Jane," she said with a smile. "I could not have
been more pleased with it if I had made it myself."
There was a trace of irony in
Lord Burnhope's voice, Olivia thought, as he replied, "I am glad I managed
to make you happy, Susannah."
"Oh, I know you had your
happiness in mind when you proposed to Jane," Susannah said, undaunted.
"I only wanted to tell Jane how happy I was that one of my best friends is
going to be my sister! Now if only Adrian would..." She broke off as she saw
the look in her brother's eyes.
"I do hope, Susannah, that
you will refrain from making any such remark in Adrian's presence," he said
sharply. "Some things are just not your business, you know."
He sat down next to Sir Felix,
and the general conversation continued until a new guest -- a friend of Lady
Hervey's -- was announced. After having heard this friend's felicitations, Lady
Hervey was content to praise her daughter in what she thought were the highest
terms.
"Who would have thought
this of my dearest Jane?" she sighed happily. "That she,
of all people, might make a man of such consequence fall in love with
her!"
A slight twitch around the
corners of his mouth betrayed that Lord Burnhope had heard Lady Hervey, but
chose not to comment.
"To say the truth,"
Lady Hervey continued, "I often felt as if I was going to despair -- Jane
is pretty as a picture, but no one could ever get her to open her mouth and
talk! People thought her quite insipid!"
This time, Lord Burnhope had
evidently had enough of Lady Hervey. With a dangerous look in his eyes, he said
loudly, "I have always thought it was an admirable quality in a lady to
know when to be silent." As everyone looked at him, he said, very calmly,
"Would you not agree, Felix?" He looked at his cousin as if daring
him to disagree.
"Absolutely," Sir
Felix said, with a smile.
Lady Hervey blushed violently
and, for the remainder of their stay, refrained from praising her daughter in
the way she had done. Olivia was happy to see that Lord Burnhope had obviously
taken it on himself to protect Jane from anything that might possibly distress
her. She had never seen him like this before, but she knew from Sir Felix's
accounts of him that he was well capable of assuming an air of authority within
his own family. Apparently, he already counted Lady Hervey into that circle.
Lady Burnhope, it seemed, was
far from resenting that she had had to give up the Burnhope engagement ring for
Jane. Her manner whenever she talked to Jane was warm and motherly, and Olivia
could not help but believe that Jane's future family appreciated her more than
her present family did.
The next morning, Olivia set out
to buy a pair of gloves for the ball at Burnhope House, and some other
necessities. She had soon accomplished her purchases and was on her way home,
when Sir Edwin Arncott drew up his curricle next to her.
"Miss Paige," he
exclaimed. "Let me take you home! You cannot carry all those parcels by
yourself!"
Olivia gave him a disbelieving
look. To her knowledge, she was carrying one parcel and her reticule, and did
not feel over-burdened. "This is very kind of you, sir, but I had rather
walk," she said.
He got down from the carriage
and told his groom to take it back.
"Let me escort you,
then," he said, and held out his hand for her parcel. With a slight
curtsey, Olivia handed him the package, and took his proffered arm.
"I was just on my way to
call on you in Half Moon Street," he said as they walked along Piccadilly.
"Indeed?" Olivia
inquired politely. One had to talk about something, after all.
"Yes, I wanted to take
leave," Sir Edwin said, giving her an ardent look, probably to see whether
the announcement agitated her. However, Olivia did not show any gratifying
signs of anxiety.
"You are going to leave
London, then?" she simply asked, in a calm, indifferent tone.
"Only for a week or
two," Sir Edwin said. "There is some important business that calls me
to Bradenham Park."
"Oh," Olivia said
evasively. Oh was an excellent word, she had found when dealing with Sir
Edwin. It conveyed an interest she did not feel, and encouraged him to go on
without discouraging him, should he wish to remain silent.
"I wanted to ask whether
you had any letters to your parents you wished me to take along," he said.
Suddenly, Olivia felt sorry for Sir Edwin. He was trying so hard to please her.
"Actually, I was going to
write a letter to my mother," Olivia said. "But please, sir, do not
feel obliged to wait for that letter to take it with you. You know you are
always welcome in my father's house, whether you bring letters or not."
Sir Edwin smiled. "Mr.
Paige is indeed an excellent neighbour," he said. "I am looking
forward to visiting him -- we shall sit in your father's library and talk about
you, Miss Paige."
Olivia laughed. "This can
hardly be a rewarding subject for discussion, Sir Edwin," she said.
"It is your modesty that
makes you say so," Sir Edwin said. "But you must be aware that your
father -- both your parents -- will wish to know how you are going on in London,
and as for myself..." He left the rest unsaid. It was quite unnecessary for
him to say anything -- his expression left Olivia in no doubt as to what he
meant. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts, though, because Sir Edwin
hurried to assure her that had not meant to take any liberties.
"I know I have no right to
speak to you in such a way, as you have told me in no uncertain terms, Miss
Paige. But I cannot keep silent on a subject that means so much to me."
Had he not told Olivia, on an
earlier occasion, that love had nothing to do with marriage, she might even
have been taken in. But she did not for one moment believe that Sir Edwin was
in love with her -- more likely, he was trying to give her the impression that
he was, to suit her notions of marriage. There was one flaw in the plan,
though. She did not love him.
She was glad when they reached
Half Moon Street, and Olivia asked him to wait for a couple of minutes, should
he still be determined to take her letter to Bradenham with him. Sir Edwin
assured her that he was, and went to sit with Agnes while Olivia went to her
room to write the letter. Once he had taken leave of them -- telling Olivia that
he would guard her letter with his life, which, she thought, was a bit of an
exaggeration, Olivia turned to her sister to ask her what to do about Sir
Edwin's marked attentions.
"I am in an awkward
situation, Agnes, don't you think?" she said. "With any other man, I
might resort to incivility, at least, to get my message across, but with Sir
Edwin things are different. I owe him at least basic civility; he is one of my
father's friends, after all. The problem is that he seems to mistake politeness
for complaisance. So tell me, Agnes, what am I to do?"
"I am afraid I have no
idea," Agnes said. "But do not blame yourself, Olivia. You refused
his offer of marriage, and if he keeps thinking that you might, one day, change
your mind, it is his problem, not yours. I do not see any fault in your
behaviour with him."
"Thank you," Olivia
said with a smile. "I was beginning to think that I was doing something
wrong. I think it is my fault, however. I told him only love could
induce me to marry a man, and I suppose he is trying to oblige me by making me
believe he does love me. Which he doesn't -- or he would have said so
when he proposed to me."
"Undoubtedly. From what you
have told me about that proposal, he was not in love with you then. A man in
love would act differently." Agnes sighed happily, probably recalling Sir
Felix's proposal.
"Then why does he
persevere?" Olivia asked.
"I do not know. Perhaps he
is piqued?" Agnes said. "Or perhaps he simply wants to have things
his way?"
"The way I see it,"
Olivia said darkly, "he will not give up until I get married to another
man."
"Then you had better hurry
up," Agnes said with a laugh. "Has Lord Swafford already asked
you?"
"I do not think he means
to," Olivia said, and added, dryly, "and even if he does, I do not
mean to have him."
That moment, the butler came in
and announced visitors -- Mrs. Somerville and Lord Swafford. Agnes smiled and
asked him to show them in.
"The Earl makes his
move," she said as she rose to receive the callers, winking at Olivia.
Olivia had never hated her sister more than at that moment.
The purpose of Mrs. Somerville
and Lord Swafford's visit became evident immediately. Mrs. Somerville wished to
invite her goddaughter to come to the opera with her that evening, and Lord
Swafford had accompanied her to add his entreaties to hers.
Unfortunately, Olivia thought,
she had no other plans, and since Agnes had unguardedly said so before, it was
impossible for her to refuse without insulting her godmother. She did not look
forward to what Mrs. Somerville undoubtedly considered a treat. It was just
another means of getting her into Lord Swafford's company, and it was to be
expected that, as Agnes had so inappropriately remarked, that the Earl would
make his move that evening -- though how he should do so in the Opera, with
hundreds of people around him, was a mystery to Olivia.
The evening turned out to be
just as dull as Olivia had expected it to be. She did not meet a single person
of her acquaintance, apart from Lady Wesley, whom she loathed. Sir Timothy
Wesley, accompanying his wife to Mrs. Somerville's box, turned out to be an
intolerable show-off, just the sort of person with whom Lord Swafford would
associate.
"The Wesleys are particular
friends of mine," Lord Swafford said to Olivia when they had returned to
their own box.
"Indeed?" Olivia
asked. "How did you get to know them?"
"I met Wesley at the
club," Lord Swafford replied. He did not go into detail, neither did he
mention in which club he had met Sir Timothy, nor what interests they had in
common. Olivia conjectured that a number of convivial evenings spent in each
other's company meant friendship in Lord Swafford's eyes.
The opera performance was rather
indifferent. Olivia did not enjoy herself very much, and was glad when the
final curtain went down. Had it been for her, she would have returned to Half
Moon Street immediately, but Mrs. Somerville held another treat for her in
store -- they were to have supper in a restaurant before going home.
The meal was excellent, but the
company did not much to enhance it. It was true that Mrs. Somerville did her
best to entertain her, but Lord Swafford was not much of a help. Olivia had a
hard time suppressing a sigh of relief when Mrs. Somerville finally announced
that she wished to go home.
They got into the carriage, and
Mrs. Somerville turned to her nephew, asking him to take her home first.
"Old age takes its toll, it
seems," she said with an artificial smile. "I am so very
tired... will you be so kind as to escort Miss Paige home?"
Lord Swafford said eagerly that
he would, and Olivia realised that this was probably what Mrs. Somerville had
had in mind all evening.
Mrs. Somerville left the
carriage at her house, saying that she was certain her nephew would take good
care of Olivia, and then the carriage set into motion again. Olivia leaned back
and waited for the things to come.
"I must say," Lord
Swafford began, "that this is a rather fortunate coincidence, is it not? I
have been meaning to speak to you alone for days."
"Have you, my lord?" Perhaps
the trick she used with Sir Edwin would work with Lord Swafford as well, Olivia
hoped. But then, it was not likely -- of the two men, Sir Edwin was the more
intelligent one, and even he had problems in understanding her meaning.
"Oh yes," Lord Swafford
said. "I had better tell you, Miss Paige, that I have written to your
father."
"I did not know you were
acquainted with him," Olivia said, pretending not to know what he was
aiming at.
"I am not, Miss
Paige," Lord Swafford said. "Though I do hope to become acquainted
with him before long."
"My father will be
honoured," Olivia said dryly. What if they reached Half Moon Street before
Lord Swafford had come to the point, she thought. Would he instruct the
coachman to drive them around London until he had done so?
"I asked your father
whether I was allowed to make you an offer of marriage, Miss Paige," he
said.
"And what did he
reply?" Olivia asked, politely.
"Actually ... I did not wait
for his answer," Lord Swafford said.
"I thought so," Olivia
said. "For I must say I should have been greatly surprised, had my father
given his consent."
"I beg your pardon?"
Lord Swafford asked, unsurprisingly annoyed. "You do not mean to tell me
that your father, a mere Mr. Paige, should consider an Earl an
ineligible parti for his daughter?"
"Not generally speaking,
no," Olivia said. Her voice had sounded sharper than she had intended.
"But is it not true, my lord, that though the fortune you inherited from
your father was large, it is dwindling fast?"
"Who told you that?"
Lord Swafford asked, taken aback.
"That does not
signify," Olivia said calmly. "Am I right?"
"It was Lennox, I
suppose," Lord Swafford said grimly. "It was he who bought my horses
last week."
It had indeed been Mr. Lennox
who had told Sir Felix of his purchase in Olivia's presence, and who had
mentioned that Lord Swafford would be ruined, if he continued to keep up his
expensive lifestyle. Yet, Olivia did not choose to confirm Lord Swafford's
suspicion.
"It may be a consolation,
my lord, that I have never meant to accept an offer of marriage from you,"
she simply said. "Not even if my father had given his consent."
"May I ask for an
explanation, Miss Paige? What renders me unacceptable in your eyes?" Lord
Swafford asked coldly.
"The conviction that we
should not suit," Olivia said. "I am not the kind of wife you need,
my lord."
The carriage stopped in front of
Sir Felix's house, and there was nothing left for Lord Swafford to do but to
assist Olivia in getting out of the carriage. He did manage to keep up the
polite façade, Olivia thought. He wished her a good night, and left. With a
sigh of relief, Olivia entered the house. At least one unwanted suitor
had got the message.
The following days, Olivia spent
most of her time with Susannah. Jane, unfortunately, could not join them too
often -- Lady Hervey kept her busy with buying her bride-clothes. The wedding,
Susannah had informed Olivia, would take place in January, and there was still
a great deal to be done.
"William will have to go to
Burnhope again soon," Susannah said. "The Dower House needs to be put
in order. Mama says she is looking forward to living there, but I am not really
sure about that. She used to like being mistress of Burnhope Hall."
"But surely she knew that
the day would come when she would have to give up her place to her
daughter-in-law," Olivia said. "And, honestly, I think Jane is quite
reluctant to take Lady Burnhope's position."
"Oh yes, Jane is the
dearest creature, and I am sure that, if it were for her, Mama need not
give up a single thing." Susannah said. "She has already tried to
persuade William to take a house in Berkeley Square and leave Burnhope House to
Mama. Is that not generous?"
"What did Lord Burnhope say
to that?" Olivia asked.
"He said he would
take a house in Berkeley Square. For Mama."
"I suppose this was not the
answer Jane had expected," Olivia said with a smile.
"No, but once Mama had
convinced her that she loved the scheme, she seemed to be able to accept
his decision," Susannah said. "And I really believe that Mama prefers
to live in Berkeley Square. How often have I heard her complain about Burnhope
House! A huge, inconvenient mausoleum, she used to call it. A burden. And
indeed it is! What an effort we have to make to decorate it for the ball!"
Olivia smiled. "Are you
looking forward to it?" she asked.
"Oh yes," Susannah
said, beaming. "Colonel Daltrey has sent us a letter and accepted the
invitation!"
Olivia was happy to hear the
news on her friend's account, but doubted that Susannah would be able to spend
much time with the Colonel. Since the ball took place in her honour, she would
have to attend to the guests all evening - but Olivia refrained from pointing
this out.
"Both Adrian and Bernie
will be there, too," Susannah continued. "And they both mean to ask
you for a dance."
Olivia laughed. "You did
not tell them to do so?" she said disbelievingly.
"No, I just mentioned that
I would be VERY disappointed if they didn't," Susannah said and laughed as
she saw Olivia's flushed face.
"There, now, I do not think
that my intervention was necessary," she said. "I know that they are
both eager to meet you again, and, my dear, you need not pretend that you are not
impatient to see ... at least one of them."
Olivia was glad when Susannah
left her to herself soon after that. Were her feelings for Mr. Lennox that
obvious? If so, was he aware of them too? Susannah had mentioned that both her
brothers were eager to see her again. Was it possible that Captain Lennox had a
tendre for her? If that was the case, what would happen if he found out
that Olivia was in love with his brother? The very last thing she wanted was to
cause a rift between Captain and Mr. Lennox. How was she to encourage one
brother and keep the other at a distance without hurting him?
Love was a complicated business,
Olivia thought as she went to bed that evening, and she hoped the ball at
Burnhope House would not turn out to be a disaster. Had she been able to find
an excuse for not attending the ball, she would have seized it. But there was
nothing for it. Lady Burnhope's ball was to take place the next day, and Olivia
was to be one of the guests.
Olivia passed an uncomfortable
night -- she kept thinking about the Lennox brothers, and what Susannah had said
about them. Was it possible that they were both in love with her? What had she
done to let this happen? Olivia was certain that, although she had always liked
Captain Lennox and had had fun with him whenever they had met, she had never
really encouraged him -- or had she? Even with Mr. Lennox, whom she did
love, she had been on her guard, for she did not know what to make of him.
Something told her that she
should acquit him of mercenary motives. But the fact remained that his own
words had condemned him -- it had been Mr. Lennox himself who had told Sir Felix
about his gaming debts, and she had heard him say so. There was no possibility
to explain this away -- Mr. Lennox was in need of money, and meant to marry a
rich woman to get hold of it. Or didn't he? Olivia tried hard to recall the
entire conversation she had heard on that evening in Sutton Court. It had been
Sir Felix who had said that Mr. Lennox would recover -- with the aid of the
right woman. Whereupon Mr. Lennox had said...
At this point, Olivia finally
drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, she received a
note from Susannah, who entreated her to "rescue her, for she was on the brink
of insanity". On her arrival in Burnhope House, Olivia realised what her friend
might mean -- there were people busy in each of the rooms, and Lady Burnhope,
who was instructing each and every one of them on what they were to do, could
only greet Olivia in passing, and advised her daughter to keep out of the way.
"You have heard my mother,"
Susannah said smilingly. "Shall we go out?"
Glad to escape the bustle in
Burnhope House, Olivia agreed to go for a walk with Susannah, and Susannah
suggested that they should call at Lady Hervey's to take Jane with them.
"She will need a break as much
as I do," she said, with a sigh. "I can tell you, Olivia, much as I am looking
forward to that ball, the preparations are likely to drive me mad. Indeed, I
cannot help but wonder how my mother keeps her calm all the time -- she even
seems to enjoy herself!"
"I suppose this is not the first
ball Lady Burnhope has organised," Olivia said.
"Of course not, there used to be
a ball at Burnhope House every season when Papa was still alive," Susannah
said, "and another one every Christmas season at Burnhope Hall. I remember
sitting on the landing and watching the arrival of our guests -- all those
people wearing the most beautiful clothes imaginable, and everyone seemed to be
in excellent spirits! How I longed to be one of them! Besides, Mama always
looked so beautiful in her ball gowns -- she was a beautiful woman in her
everyday clothes as well, of course, but she always looked like a ... a fairy.
A vision. You know what I mean, don't you?"
"I am afraid I do not," Olivia
said.
"I will try to explain it,"
Susannah said. "My mother, you see, is a very pretty woman, but to us she was --
just Mama. None of us ever thought her remarkable, for she was there all the
time! Only when she dressed up for a ball, and came to see us before it
started, we became aware of how beautiful she was."
At Lady Hervey's house, they
were told that Miss Jane had gone out with her Mama, and so they went for a
short walk in the nearby park by themselves. They discussed what they were
going to wear in the evening, and finally returned to Burnhope House because
Susannah felt that, whatever her mother might have said, she did need her
assistance after all.
"I hate it when Mama takes
everything on herself and does not let me help her," she admitted. "I feel
obliged to do something, and if she does not let me, I feel useless and guilty
for letting her down."
Olivia went in with Susannah for
a couple of minutes, and was just about to leave when Mr. Lennox was announced.
He greeted the ladies with a
polite bow in Olivia's direction and a kiss on Susannah's cheek.
"Have you come to see my mother?"
Susannah asked him. "She will not have the time to receive you today, Adrian."
"I feared as much," Mr. Lennox
said with a smile. "No, I have come to call on William. Is he at home?"
"I think he is," Susannah said,
"but he may not be up yet. He was out last night -- escorting Jane to some
dinner party."
"This is quite a novelty," Mr.
Lennox said.
"William going out?" Susannah
asked, smiling.
"That too, but William still
abed at this time of day even more so," Mr. Lennox said with a grin. "He, who is
such an early bird! I shudder when I think of the countless occasions he roused
me at dawn. "Look, Adrian, Flo has had pups!" "Wake up, Adrian, let's go
fishing! The best sport's to be had in the morning!" "What are you doing in
bed, Adrian? I declare I never saw such a lazybones in my life.""
"I take it," Olivia said
smilingly, "that you are not an early riser, sir."
"Not as early as my brother,"
Mr. Lennox said and turned to his sister. "I think I should take the chance and
get even with him for kicking me out of bed at daybreak so often," he said with
a mischievous grin.
"I have an even better idea,"
Susannah said. "Why don't you take Olivia home, and I shall rouse
William? He will be down by the time you are back."
"Spoilsport," Mr. Lennox said,
laughingly. "Really, were it not for the alternative you have offered me, I
would have to reject your offer. But who can resist the company of Miss Paige?
I know I can't."
Olivia blushed, as Mr. Lennox
turned to her. "Miss Paige, I'd be honoured if you allowed me to take you home
in my phaeton," he said.
"I shall be greatly obliged,"
Olivia said quietly, hoping that Mr. Lennox would not notice just how pleased
she was.
Susannah rose and extended her
hand to Olivia. "I am glad you could come and relieve my suffering a bit," she
said with a smile. "We shall meet in the evening -- though the Lord only knows
how much time I will be able to spare for you."
"I shall be grateful for every
minute," Olivia said smilingly.
"Nonsense. Most likely it will
be you who has no time for me," Susannah said laughingly. "I daresay you
will be surrounded by admirers all evening."
"Oh no," Olivia demurred. "You
are much prettier than me. If one of us is going to be surrounded by admirers,
you will be the one, Susannah."
"I shall see to it that you have
your fair share," Susannah laughed and shook Olivia's hand. "Until tonight,
then!"
Mr. Lennox led Olivia down the
stairs and helped her alight his phaeton which was waiting outside. He took his
seat next to her, and smiled at her.
"My sister has made me aware of
one thing," he said. "I shall need to be quick to secure a dance with you
tonight."
Olivia laughed. "I am sure this
will not be at all necessary," she said. "Susannah seems to think more highly
of my charms than they deserve."
"Modesty is a charming virtue,
Miss Paige, but there is no need to carry it too far," Mr. Lennox said lightly.
"You must know that you are greatly admired."
"I ... I only feel, sometimes
... that ... my personal charms have ... little to do with that," Olivia
stammered, taken aback by Mr. Lennox's words. "Some people would certainly not
be so eager to know me if..." She broke off.
Mr. Lennox gave her an
understanding look. "I shall not pretend not to understand your meaning," he
said gravely. "There are such people, of course, but believe me, they
are not as numerous as you believe. -- Anyway, I'd rather be safe than sorry,
Miss Paige, so will you be so kind as to dance with me tonight?" He had assumed
a lighter note, and his comical tone made Olivia laugh out loud.
"Certainly, sir. Since my dance
card is empty at the moment, I can even offer you free choice as to which dance
you would prefer."
"I'd prefer a waltz," Mr. Lennox
said, "but on the other hand, I would also like to dance the first two dances
with you. Tough choice, isn't it?"
"I am afraid I cannot help you,
sir. You will have to make up your mind," Olivia said with a smile.
"What if I choose both? Does
your feeling for propriety allow you such a thing, or do you shrink from it
altogether?" Mr. Lennox asked, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"I think my credit will survive
my standing up with the same gentleman twice in one evening," Olivia said
laughingly. "The first two, and a waltz -- very well, sir."
They stopped in front of Sir
Felix's house in Half Moon Street, and Mr. Lennox went in with Olivia to pay
his respects to her sister. After he had had a few words with Agnes and his
cousin, he left, and Olivia stood at the window, watching him drive away. Now
she was looking forward to the ball.
Never before had Olivia seen
such splendour as at Burnhope House that evening. Lady Burnhope, she felt, had
outdone herself. Probably she felt that this was one of the last occasions on
which she would do the honours as a hostess in this house, and meant to leave a
lasting impression.
Lord and Lady Burnhope and
Susannah were standing at the entrance of the ball room, receiving their
guests. Lady Burnhope looked magnificent, Olivia thought. Her age did not show
at all, and her modish dress and elegant headdress made her one of the most
stylish ladies present. Yet she did not manage to outshine her daughter.
Susannah was dressed in a white
gown trimmed with pink satin ribbons. Her hair was done in a simple, but most
becoming way, and she gave Olivia a radiant smile as she welcomed her at her
ball. Olivia was certain that more than one gentleman would be struck by her
appearance -- but she was also quite sure that just one gentleman's
opinion would count with Susannah.
"Here you are, dearest!"
Susannah exclaimed as she saw her friend. "You have not promised too much -- I
love your dress! And your hair! If I may say so, Olivia, you are by far the
loveliest creature in this house tonight!"
"Jane cannot have arrived yet,
then," Olivia said with a smile. "I know I cannot be compared to her."
She saw Lord Burnhope smile
appreciatively. At least someone, she saw, was of the same mind as she was --
but it was hardly surprising that Jane's fiancé would share her opinion.
"Oh, Jane does not count any more,"
Susannah said with a mischievous smile and turned to her brother. "Now, before
you say anything, William, let me tell you that I am quite aware of what you
mean to say, so you may as well spare your breath. I do not precisely mean that
Jane does not count. I only think that she is engaged to be married now,
and not likely to be anyone's rival any more. Unless, of course, there is some
other young lady aspiring to your hand."
Lord Burnhope laughed. "Not to
my knowledge, Susannah," he said, and welcomed Olivia and Agnes with a gracious
smile. As Olivia entered the ballroom, Mr. Lennox was talking with some
gentlemen, and smiled and nodded in her direction, but was not able to
extricate himself from his friends' company.
Jane and her family arrived shortly
after that, and in their wake another guest made his appearance -- Colonel
Daltrey. Olivia saw the happy smile in Susannah's face as he bowed to her, and
hoped that those two would get a chance to spend some time together that
evening. Colonel Daltrey proceeded into the room, saw Olivia, Agnes and Sir
Felix and joined them, wishing them a good evening.
"So you have been able to make
it," Sir Felix greeted him amiably. "I am glad to see you. Do you mean to
dance, Daltrey?"
"I would not mind dancing if I
could," Colonel Daltrey laughed, but there was a bitter touch in his laugh. "I
have been as bold as to ask Miss Lennox for a dance, though -- she told me that
if I obliged her by asking her for a dance, she would oblige me by being
tired and wishing to sit down when it actually comes to dancing."
"This sounds like an agreeable
compromise," Olivia said, shaking hands with Colonel Daltrey. "I am happy to
see you here tonight, Colonel, and I hope you will enjoy yourself exceedingly."
The Colonel answered in the same
fashion, and then Agnes took Olivia with her, to present her to some people she
was not familiar with. They were soon accompanied by Captain Lennox, who did
his best to make himself agreeable and asked Olivia to dance the first two
dances with him. He did not look too disappointed when Olivia informed him that
she was already engaged for those dances.
"Let me guess," he simply said.
"Adrian has taken the opportunity when he saw you this morning."
"So he has," Olivia said,
smiling. "But how do you know?"
"I saw him drive you home in his
phaeton, Miss Paige, and knowing Adrian I know he does not let such an
opportunity slip away."
"In that case I had better
confess that I have also promised your brother a waltz," Olivia said
laughingly.
"Of course," Captain Lennox
nodded. "How could it be otherwise? It is just like Adrian to take what he can
get." He smiled. "I cannot blame him, however. Is there any chance for me to be
dancing with you tonight?"
After consulting her dance card,
Olivia told him that there was, and Captain Lennox solicited her hand for a
country dance preceding the waltz she had promised to his brother.
After that, he left her to see
whether the guests in the library, which had been turned into a card room for
that evening, had everything to make them comfortable. On her round through the
ballroom, Olivia also met Mr. Farnham, the gentleman who had sold Sutton Court
to Sir Felix, and Lord Swafford, who greeted her with ice-cold courtesy, but
did not ask her for a dance. Olivia was glad about it.
By that time, most of the guests
had arrived, and the musicians began to tune their instruments. Mr. Lennox
suddenly appeared at Olivia's side, and took her away from Agnes to take her to
their place in the set of dancers already forming in the centre of the
ballroom. Olivia noticed his admiring look on her, and could not help but cast
an appreciative glance at him as well. He was dressed in the latest style of
fashion, and was without doubt one of the best-looking men present. There were
several envious glances directed at them, too, Olivia noticed -- young ladies as
well as their Mamas seemed to take an interest in their proceedings.
Lord Burnhope and Jane were to
open the ball, and Olivia could see that Jane was nervous about it. She gave
Jane an encouraging smile, and in return Jane confided in her just how uneasy
she was.
"I do not like to have
everyone's eyes on me," she whispered to Olivia. "Though I hope I will get used
to it, for once I am married I will have to act as hostess on occasions such as
this -- but how shall I manage?"
"You will do very well," Olivia
assured her, "and I daresay Lady Burnhope will advise you whenever you wish it.
Besides, since neither you nor Lord Burnhope are very fond of such
occasions, I doubt he will want you to host a ball very often."
Olivia turned to her partner
again, and Mr. Lennox said, smilingly, "It does not seem as if I were able to
keep your attention to myself."
"I am sorry," Olivia said. "But
Jane seemed so nervous; I had to do something to make her feel more
comfortable. Surely you understand that, sir? It is the same thing you would do
for a friend of yours, I am persuaded."
"Just so," Mr. Lennox said with
a smile. "There is very little I would not do for a friend of mine. -- By
the way, Miss Paige, I have not yet complimented you on your looks tonight. I
cannot remember your being so lovely ever before -- apart from our first
meeting."
"On our first meeting," Olivia
said dryly, "my dress was soaked and dirty, and my hair was looking like seaweed.
Besides, I was terribly scared and, later, rather angry because you were
looking at me in a decidedly insolent manner."
Mr. Lennox laughed. "Did I? I am
sorry to have upset you, Miss Paige. But, though I admit your description was
quite accurate, you did look lovely. That may explain that insolent look
of mine."
"I shall ask Crewe to empty a
bucket of water on my head next time I dress for a ball," Olivia said,
laughingly. "But, to be honest, your confession rather puzzles me, for you did
not see me at my best that day."
"An intriguing thought," Mr.
Lennox said, smiling at her.
"Which one?"
"The fact that you can look even
lovelier than you did that day," Mr. Lennox laughed.
"You are making fun of me,"
Olivia said.
"Never. Not at the moment, at
any rate," Mr. Lennox said. There was a tender note in his voice that sent a
shiver down Olivia's spine. She wished he would talk to her in that voice more
often -- and look at her they way he was doing at that moment. To have his eyes
fixed on her so intently -- this, too, was exciting, in an agreeable way.
By that time, the music started
and they had to concentrate on their dancing. Olivia trod on air -- she wished
that dance would never end, for that would mean that Mr. Lennox would leave her
for the time being and this feeling of unbounded happiness would end.
However, it was not to be. At
the end of the first two dances, Mr. Lennox took Olivia back to Agnes and
excused himself. Being the host's brother, he said, had its drawbacks, for just
like his brother he felt responsible for the guests' well-being, and could not
concentrate on his own enjoyment of the ball as he wished to do.
Olivia's next partner, Mr.
Farnham, probably considered her the most boring dancing partner he had ever
had -- most of the time Olivia was looking around to see Mr. Lennox, and hardly
listened to any of Mr. Farnham's remarks. He had to repeat nearly everything he
said, and Olivia was certain that his relief was nothing short of hers when
their dance finally ended. Olivia had hardly enough time to recover her good
spirits before Captain Lennox claimed her hand for the next dance. She had to
admit she was looking forward to that dance for two reasons -- firstly, Captain
Lennox was an amiable man, and she found him very entertaining. Secondly, this
dance was the one that divided her from her waltz with Mr. Lennox, and she was
looking forward to that one.
Again, Olivia looked whether she
could see Mr. Lennox anywhere, but he was not among the dancers. Olivia
remarked upon it as Captain Lennox led her to the set.
"I wonder where Mr. Lennox has
gone," she said. "I have not seen him ever since we danced together."
"Last time I saw him he was in
the library, playing cards," Captain Lennox said lightly. Olivia frowned.
"Is anything the matter, Miss
Paige?" Captain Lennox asked.
"No, it is nothing," Olivia said
slowly. "Only, I thought he had got rid of the habit."
"What habit? I am afraid I do
not have the pleasure of understanding you, Miss Paige."
"Captain Lennox, it does you
credit to try to keep this from me," Olivia said, "but you need not. I am fully
aware that Mr. Lennox had to leave the country after accumulating gaming debts
-- and I thought that since his return he had given up the habit of heavy
gambling."
"Heavy gambling? Adrian? Whoever
said such a thing?" Captain Lennox asked, thunderstruck.
"I heard him say so himself,"
Olivia said indignantly. Why did Captain Lennox act as if he doubted her words?
"He said to Sir Felix that gaming debts had been his ruin."
Captain Lennox went pale. "I
should have known he would see it like that ... Miss Paige, you think Adrian is
living beyond his means?"
"It is quite obvious, isn't it?"
Olivia asked stiffly.
Captain Lennox took her hand and
drew her away from the set.
"Where are we going?" Olivia
protested.
"To some quiet corner," Captain
Lennox said. "I am afraid you have taken some notion in your head, and I am to
set you right."
"Does this have to be now?"
Olivia asked.
"This should have taken place
weeks ago," Captain Lennox said, and drew her to a quiet nook hidden behind a
curtain, where they could sit and talk without anyone disturbing them.
"Take a seat, Miss Paige, for I
have some explaining to do," he said calmly. "I do hope you will consent to
listen to me, for I must tell you something important."
"What is it?" Olivia asked, with
a laugh. "What makes you drag me here?"
Captain Lennox sat down next to
Olivia and took her hands. "Miss Paige, whatever you do, I beg you, do not
think ill of Adrian."
"I do not think ill of Mr.
Lennox," Olivia defended herself.
"Yes, you do," Captain Lennox
said calmly, "but I hope you will not, once you have heard the truth. I am
aware that this may make me look bad, but I shall take that risk. You
need to know what happened about two years ago to understand, Miss Paige. Will
you listen?"
Olivia leant back in her chair.
"I shall," she said calmly. She would gladly listen to anything that cleared
Mr. Lennox's name.
Captain Lennox rose, obviously
agitated. "Where shall I start?" he asked, in a voice that made Olivia believe
that he was talking to himself rather than her.
"At the beginning?" she
suggested faintly. Captain Lennox smiled.
"Very well," he said. "I shall
start at the beginning. First of all, Miss Paige, Adrian is not living beyond
his means, as you have believed. In fact, he is in the possession of a
considerable fortune -- he inherited his grandfather's estate - Wetherham Priory
in Gloucestershire - and along with some shares in several enterprises this
provides him with a large income. Not quite as large as William's, but
somewhere between ten and twelve thousand a year. Very likely more, because
Adrian is an excellent businessman."
Olivia gasped. "Then how can he
say he is ruined?" she asked. "And why, if I may ask, did your grandfather not
favour his other grandchildren as well?"
"There is only one other
grandchild," Captain Lennox said. "We are talking about Adrian's maternal
grandfather, a Mr. Everett."
"Your mother is not Mr. Lennox's
mother, then?"
"No, we are only half-brothers.
My father married my mother a year after his first wife had died -- he needed a
mother for his two children. But this has nothing to do with Adrian, has it?
Now to your next question -- why did he say he was ruined? Have you ever thought
that a man could be ruined in more ways than one, Miss Paige?"
"You mean to say that though his
gaming debts had not ruined Mr. Lennox financially, they ruined him in some
other way?"
"Exactly," Captain Lennox said.
"Except that the gaming debts were not his, Miss Paige. They were mine."
He looked at Olivia and smiled.
"I can see you find this confusing," he said. "Let me tell the story from the
beginning. Two and a half years ago, I was stationed in London, and was what
one might generally call a rake. I had a steady income -- though my pay was not
exactly handsome, my brother gave me a generous allowance. Unfortunately, I
could not handle money. The more I had, the more I spent, and of course I
followed the set of my friends and spent a great deal of time at the races, and
playing cards -- though I was not a very successful player. On the contrary, I
lost a great deal of money in various gaming hells -- more than I could afford,
in fact. That did not cause me to think for one moment, for I was absolutely
sure of one thing. If I was in dire straits, William would help me. He always
did, Miss Paige -- whenever I came to him for money, he gave it to me, and
though he did remonstrate, he paid up in the end. It is quite convenient to
have such a brother." He sighed.
"My behaviour at that time was
enough to try the patience of even the most lenient brother, and at one point
he had had enough. I had incurred gaming debts of over three thousand pounds,
and saw no possibility of paying them. I called on William, confident that he
would, once more, enable me to do so. But that time, I was wrong. William
refused point-blank to give me anything more than my quarterly allowance,
telling me that he had helped me too often already. "I have done everything to
assist you in the past, and have found that I have not helped you at all," he
said. "Perhaps if you must for once get yourself out of trouble without
assistance, you may learn your lesson. And do not think you can come back
tomorrow and I shall give you the money, for I won't. You have gone too far,
Bernie." I knew, of course, that William was in earnest. He would not pay my
debts -- and that left me in a terrible fix."
He sat down next to Olivia
again. "I spent a whole night thinking about my situation, and found that I had
three more possibilities. One, to borrow the money -- but who would lend me
money, apart from those moneylenders who charge horrible interest rates? I knew
that would not solve my problem at all, for I would never be able to repay
them. Two, I could ask Adrian for help. That he would help me I had no
doubt -- but I knew that he, unlike William, would only do so under certain
conditions. Yet, considering the third alternative made me take that step."
"What was the third
alternative?" Olivia asked.
"Putting an end to my
existence," Captain Lennox said.
"Oh!"
"Don't be shocked, Miss Paige, I
did not do it after all," Captain Lennox said with a smile. "The next morning I
called on Adrian, and told him about my troubles. He listened to me, and told
me he would think about the best way to help me. When I came back to see him
that evening, he told me that he would pay my debts -- all of them, not just my
gaming debts -- but in return for it I would have to leave England for a while.
He said that those friends of mine had got me into trouble, and would continue
doing so unless we were separated. I did not like this -- but there was no
alternative. Adrian paid my debts, and bought me an exchange, and before I knew
it I was on my way to Gibraltar. I suppose Daltrey had something to do with
that."
"Is this why you do not like
him?" Olivia asked.
"One of the reasons," Captain
Lennox said. "Daltrey did tell me in no uncertain terms that, had
it not been for Adrian, he would not have moved a finger to assist me. Besides
he told me what he thought of my behaviour. Not the kind of thing one wants to
hear from someone who does not even belong to one's family."
"But that does still not explain
why Mr. Lennox thinks your gaming debts ruined him," Olivia said, after a short
pause.
"That is because I am not
finished yet," Captain Lennox said. "Of course, word got round that young
Lennox was in trouble. It also reached the ear of the lady to whom Adrian was,
at that time, engaged, and whom he planned to marry three weeks after that. She
did not pause to think which Lennox it was -- assuming that it was Adrian, she
broke off the engagement, telling him that she would not marry a man with such
a character. She did not even give him the chance to explain, which gives me
the impression that she had only waited for an opportunity to get rid of him. I
think it was this what Adrian was talking about when he told Sir Felix
that my gaming debts had been his ruin."
"I think this is ... quite
possible," Olivia said quietly. She remembered Sir Felix's words. You will
recover -- once you meet the right woman...
"I suppose there was a scandal,"
she said. "A lady cannot cry off three weeks before her wedding without there
being some talk."
"She brushed through that pretty
well," Captain Lennox said grimly. "She told everyone that she had found out
something about her fiancé that had made her change her mind about him, and
everyone assumed that Adrian had done something wrong. Everyone apart from a
few people who really cared for him, that is -- his family, and some of his
friends. Felix, Daltrey, and a couple of others. The worst blow came six weeks
later -- the girl got engaged to another man, to someone Adrian had believed to
be his friend."
"Oh, how could she?" Olivia
exclaimed indignantly.
"I believe this was what she had
wanted right from the beginning," Captain Lennox said. "She never cared for
Adrian, and always wanted Sir -- that other fellow."
"Are we talking about Lady
Wesley?" Olivia asked, putting two and two together.
"Yes, we are talking about Lady
Wesley," Captain Lennox said.
"So this is why she is not here
tonight!" Olivia exclaimed. "This is why the Lennox family did not approve of
her engagement to Sir Timothy! What a..." She broke off.
"You need not say it," Captain
Lennox said with a smile and took Olivia's hand. "Miss Paige, I hope you are
not angry with me for taking you here. You see, I could not bear you thinking
ill of someone whom I owe so much -- who has put up with a great deal of
suffering to help me. There is one good thing that came of it, at least.
I have changed -- I have given up my gaming habit, and I am no longer a
rake." He laughed. "Not much of one, at any rate. Think of what I
have told you, Miss Paige..."
"Am I intruding?" A cold,
distinct voice coming from the curtain made them look round to see Mr. Lennox
standing there. He smiled, but his expression was murderous, and he was looking
at his brother as if he could hardly believe what he saw.
"Miss Paige, I hope you have not forgotten about our waltz," he continued, still looking at his brother with such hatred in his eyes that Olivia held, for one moment, her breath. She had seen him look like that only once -- when he had met Lady Wesley at Almack's.
"I have not forgotten, of
course," Olivia said, trying to look calm. If Mr. Lennox saw her confusion
and worry, he might think there had been some improper dealings between her and
his brother. "Captain Lennox was just about to take me back to my sister,
weren't you, Captain?"
Olivia looked at Captain Lennox
and saw that, unlike her, he did not seem in the least surprised about his
brother's behaviour. He returned his glare openly, betraying no sign of
discomfort. Realising that Olivia wanted him to say something, he smiled and
said, in a soothing voice, "Just so, Miss Paige. I hope you are feeling
better now?"
"Much better ... thank you,
sir," Olivia said. Thankfully, Captain Lennox was not about to tell his
brother why they had retired behind that curtain, or what they had
talked about. He gave his brother a disarming smile.
"Miss Paige was not feeling
quite the thing," he said.
Mr. Lennox's gaze turned to
Olivia. He was now more worried than angry, or at least his eyes showed nothing
but concern when they met hers.
"Miss Paige, you need not
dance with me if you are not feeling up to it right now," he said.
"But I am much
better," Olivia protested. "All I needed was sitting down for a while
-- and Captain Lennox has taken it on himself to entertain me, for which I can
never cease to be thankful."
"He did not have enough
sense to get you something to drink, though," Mr. Lennox remarked acidly.
"I should have, of
course," Captain Lennox said, rising. "Miss Paige, I am shockingly
inattentive at times. Please accept my apologies." There was nothing
extraordinary in Captain Lennox's behaviour, and Olivia was glad. It did not
look as if the two brothers were going to quarrel over her. Though, perhaps ...
they did not want to quarrel in front of her. Suddenly, Olivia was bent on
getting away from that scene. The tension was getting too much for her nerves.
"Shall we go?" she
asked Mr. Lennox, and without another word, he offered her his arm. On their
way across the room to the dance floor, they passed Lord Swafford -- who was
looking at her with an unmistakably smug grin. It dawned on Olivia that he
might have had something to do with Mr. Lennox's annoyance -- perhaps he had
seen her disappear behind that curtain with Captain Lennox, and had told Mr.
Lennox about it. She did not put it past Lord Swafford that he would try to
make mischief, after she had told him that she would have none of him. Her
suspicions were confirmed when Swafford gave Mr. Lennox an even broader smile,
as if his agitation amused him.
Under normal circumstances,
Olivia would have enjoyed waltzing with Mr. Lennox -- but now there were so many
things on her mind that she hardly had time to consider how wonderful it was to
be so close to him. For a moment, she contemplated telling him what she and his
brother had been talking about -- but she dismissed that idea. She did not dare
to explain matters to him -- for this would mean to confess her mistake, her
firm belief that he was a rake and a fortune hunter. Mr. Lennox must never know
that she had believed this of him, Olivia thought. If he found out, he would
despise her -- as he despised Lady Wesley for believing the worst of him without
proof. No, she could not tell Mr. Lennox why his brother had wished to
speak to her in private, and what they had talked about.
Mr. Lennox was no more inclined
to speak than Olivia. He held her close, however, and Olivia noticed that he
subjected her features to close scrutiny, as if he wanted to find out what she
was thinking. The look in his eyes was still worried, even though he did smile
at her from time to time, as if to soothe her, as if trying to tell her that he
harboured no resentment against her.
The dance ended, and Mr. Lennox
took her into the dining room for supper, where they met Susannah and Colonel
Daltrey. They made a lovely couple, Olivia thought, and Susannah was so
obviously fond of the Colonel that he would have to be blind not to notice it.
Though she detected no signs of love in him, she was certain that he might --
perhaps very soon -- succumb to Susannah's charms. That he admired her was quite
evident -- Olivia had believed him to be a very serious man, but tonight he was
quite ready to flirt with Susannah, laughed at her witticisms, and took pains
to treat her with a consideration that was quite promising. He did not see
Susannah as a mere acquaintance, Olivia was sure -- perhaps he wished for
friendship, but very soon, she surmised, he might want more than that. She was
happy for Susannah's sake, but when she thought of the fix she was in, her
happiness faded.
They sat down, and Mr. Lennox
was talking with the Colonel, quite at his ease, but not speaking with Olivia
unless he had to. Susannah looked from Olivia to Mr. Lennox and back again.
"Are you at odds?" she
whispered to Olivia when no one seemed to pay attention.
"I do not know,"
Olivia whispered back. "I am not at odds with Mr. Lennox, but he
may be cross with me."
"Why?" Susannah asked.
"I cannot tell you
now," Olivia whispered with a look at Mr. Lennox. "Tomorrow?"
"We shall go for a ride in
the morning," Susannah said, smilingly. "But take heart, Olivia.
Adrian is never out of reason cross."
"I know," Olivia
sighed. "That is why I do worry."
Susannah's gaze scanned her
brother's demeanour, and she shook her head. "You are making a mountain
out of a molehill, I am sure," she said resolutely.
Mr. Lennox turned to his sister.
"Were you saying something, Susannah?" he asked.
"Yes, but I was talking to
Olivia," Susannah said. "Are you enjoying yourself, Adrian?"
"What can I say?" Mr.
Lennox asked. "I have attended God knows how many balls in my time, and
one is very much like the other -- but yes, I think I am enjoying myself.
Reasonably."
Susannah laughed. "Do not
get carried away with enthusiasm, brother dear," she said sarcastically.
"Colonel, Italy has turned my brother into a recluse."
"I am sorry to contradict
you, Susannah," Mr. Lennox said. "Italy was not to blame."
Olivia could make an educated
guess at what he was thinking, and said, smilingly, "You cannot call your
brother a recluse, Susannah. He goes into company a great deal, doesn't
he?"
"Thank you, Miss
Paige," Mr. Lennox said with a faint smile.
"The question being, does
he enjoy it?" Susannah persisted. "He may not put his preference for
solitude into practice very often, but he is a recluse at heart."
"At heart I am very
far from being that," Mr. Lennox said quietly and rose. "Daltrey, let
us take the ladies back to the ballroom. It seems as if the dancing is about to
start again, and we do not want their partners for the next dance to despair of
them, do we?"
Colonel Daltrey laughed.
"There is enough selfishness in me to make me quite indifferent to anyone
else's claims on your sister," he said. Yet he rose, and took Susannah's
hand. "But I should not keep you from your dancing, Miss Lennox," he
said, a trifle wistfully, Olivia thought.
The rest of the evening was
quite uneventful. Olivia danced three more dances with gentlemen she either did
not know very well or did not particularly like, met up with Susannah or Jane
in between, and tried to enjoy herself as best she could. But it had not
escaped her notice that Mr. Lennox, after having handed her over to Agnes, had
taken leave and disappeared in the library, from where he did not emerge again
the entire evening. Whenever she thought of him she felt miserable. If only he
were the sort to say openly what was bothering him -- but that he was not going
to do so was obvious. Olivia despised unpleasant scenes, but would have
infinitely preferred a scene to this ... studied indifference. He had been
behaving in a very gentleman-like manner even when he had found her alone with
his brother -- and yet Olivia would have preferred him to act violently. He had
behaved like someone resigned to being, once again, disappointed by people whom
he had trusted, and that broke Olivia's heart.
The next morning, Susannah
called on Olivia to take her riding in the Park. For this time of year, the
weather was remarkably fine, but there were not many people around. Olivia
could be sure that her confession of what had happened the night before would
not be disturbed.
"I had to come alone,"
Susannah said as they set out in direction of the Park, leaving the attendant
groom behind them. "William was still in bed -- he is not used to staying
up so long, you know -- and Adrian has left for Gloucestershire early this
morning."
"He did what?"
Olivia exclaimed.
"Apparently, he is needed
at Wetherham," Susannah said. "Though your reaction is similar to
Bernie's. He said Adrian was not able to hoax him, that he had flown
into a temper yesterday evening, and that he'd make him see reason. I am using
my own words, not Bernie's, for some of the expressions he used are unfit to be
repeated. Anyway, he has gone after Adrian."
Olivia moaned. "Oh,
no!"
"Which makes me
wonder," Susannah said. "Does this have anything to do with you, do
you think?"
Olivia nodded. "Captain
Lennox will tell him all about...oh, what am I to do?"
"Tell me, first,"
Susannah said with an encouraging smile. "Ten to one it is not as bad as
you think."
With a deep breath, Olivia began
to recount her tale -- her initial opinion of Mr. Lennox, how Captain Lennox had
enlightened her on the subject of his brother's "ruin", and how Mr.
Lennox had found them seated close together, Captain Lennox holding her hand,
in a secluded spot.
"And if Captain Lennox tells him what I have been thinking of him,"
she concluded her narrative, "how am I ever to look in his eyes again? I
am so ashamed of myself; I can hardly look at my own reflection in the
mirror!"
"I do not think Adrian will
blame you for your opinion of him," Susannah said soothingly.
"But what about Lady
Wesley? She believed the worst of him, even though she had had no reason
to do so! He will think me as bad as her!"
"There are a couple of
differences between you and Lady Wesley, however," Susannah said.
"First of all, you have not known Adrian for years, as she has
done. For all you knew, he could very likely have been a fortune hunter.
Secondly, if you want to hear my opinion, Lady Wesley was only looking for an
excuse to get rid of him the moment she realised Sir Timothy was interested in
her. That weighs much more with Adrian, I think -- her betrayal. Not that
she cried off, but the circumstances of her doing so -- and that she got engaged
to one of his friends only a couple of weeks later. This led him to believe
that there must have been some dealings behind his back for ages -- very rightly
so, if you ask me."
"Poor Mr. Lennox!"
Olivia sighed. "I hope Captain Lennox will be able to convince him that
nothing ... untoward ... has happened
behind that curtain."
"If Bernie puts his mind to
it, he can convince people that the sky is green," Susannah said
smilingly. "Do not worry, Olivia. Adrian will come back to London before
long -- and then you will be able to kiss and make up."
"Susannah!"
Susannah laughed. "Olivia,
I am not blind, you know," she said. "I know you are in love with
Adrian -- and now we have some proof that he is not indifferent to you, either.
So, instead of worrying, you should be glad. I will like having you for a
sister-in-law, I confess. Now all that is left for me to do is find a suitable
wife for Bernie."
Olivia smiled faintly. "You
are incorrigible, Susannah," she said.
"I know. Don't you like
that?" Susannah asked.
Olivia chuckled. "I
do," she said.
Susannah's prediction, Olivia
found out, had been a trifle inaccurate -- in the following days, no sign of
either Mr. Lennox or his younger brother could be seen in London. Olivia waited
eagerly for news of them, but there was only a short letter to Susannah from
Captain Lennox, informing her that he had safely arrived in Wetherham.
Olivia's thoughts were
constantly with Mr. Lennox. She hoped he would listen to his brother, and
believe what his brother told him. Most of all, she wished he would come back
to London.
In the meantime, she had to find
some other way to amuse herself, and went either shopping with Jane or riding
with Susannah. Sometimes Colonel Daltrey joined them in their outings, and
Olivia liked to watch Colonel Daltrey - slowly but surely - fall in love with her
friend.
A great deal of evening
engagements kept Olivia from repining. Sir Felix and Agnes took her to the
theatre and the opera, there was Almack's and some dinner parties at the houses
of some of Sir Felix's friends. A week passed without her hearing anything of
Mr. Lennox at all. But she was to be recompensed for the loss by Sir Edwin's
return to London.
He arrived a week after Mr.
Lennox had left town, and the first thing he did after his arrival (or so he
said) was to call on the ladies in Half Moon Street. Their parents had
entrusted several letters to him, and he was only too happy to have an excuse
to visit Olivia.
"Thank you for the letters,
Sir Edwin," Olivia said. "Did you find my mother and father in good
health, sir?"
"Oh yes, they were in
excellent health," Sir Edwin said. "I flatter myself that Mr. Paige
was quite happy to see me. He said he missed you very much, Miss Paige."
"I miss him too, at
times," Olivia said with a smile.
"We made a pretty pair,
your father and me," Sir Edwin said. "Each of us praising you in the
highest terms, and each of us wishing you were there with us!"
"Please, Sir Edwin,"
Olivia said, reddening. Why did he always have to mention his partiality for
her, even when he knew she did not like it?
"I know," he said
quietly. "No more of this, Miss Paige. -- Your mother made some special
enquiries regarding Lord Swafford. Is there an announcement to be made soon,
Miss Paige?"
Olivia shook her head.
"Most certainly not, Sir Edwin."
"Oh. I only thought since
he had written to your father..."
"He could have spared
himself the trouble," Olivia said.
"I am shocked, Miss
Paige," Sir Edwin said, a hint of reproach in his voice. "I would
never have suspected that you, of all ladies, would play with
gentlemen's hearts so ruthlessly!"
"I am not ruthless, Sir
Edwin, and I do not play with gentlemen's hearts. You may rest assured that
Lord Swafford's heart has received no injury. I wish you will change the
subject, sir."
Sir Edwin bowed, and started to
give Olivia and Agnes an update on the latest Bradenham gossip -- young Farmer
Wilkins had married, Mrs. Barnard was expecting her eleventh child, the vicar
was more and more troubled with the gout, and old Mrs. Fellowes -- the oldest
resident of Bradenham -- had died, aged 102.
"Poor Mrs. Fellowes,"
Agnes said. "Though she has been ailing for ages now, hasn't she?"
Sir Edwin agreed that Mrs.
Fellowes had not been able to leave her house for several years.
"That did not trouble her
much, though," Olivia said. "I used to visit her regularly -- she
could tell such wonderful stories, it was a treat to listen to her! She only
worried about not being able to go to Church on Sundays. She said she could not
die because she was afraid of what the Lord would say to her about being so remiss
in her duties to Him."
Sir Edwin laughed. "That
certainly sounds like the old lady," he said.
"I am pretty convinced that
Mrs. Fellowes will receive a warm welcome in heaven," Agnes said. "I
hardly knew a better woman. Though I remember being a little afraid of her as a
child. -- We must write a letter of condolence to the family, Olivia."
"Of course," Olivia
said, rose and walked over to the writing desk. "I shall start
immediately."
She had just taken out a sheet
of Agnes' writing paper when the butler announced another visitor -- Mr. Lennox.
Olivia turned to the door to greet him, her eyes glowing with happiness. The
change in her demeanour did not escape Sir Edwin -- he watched her with an
expression of surprise and irritation.
Mr. Lennox entered the room,
smiling shyly at Olivia, and politely greeting Agnes and Sir Edwin.
"So you have come back at
last," Agnes said, holding out her hand to Mr. Lennox. "I must say
your sudden departure had us puzzled, sir! Even Sir Felix was not able to make
anything of it! Whatever took you away from here so suddenly?"
"I could not stay in
London," Mr. Lennox answered, but did not seem inclined to give Agnes any
insight on his motives for leaving. He turned to Olivia, who was standing there
beaming at him.
"I trust ... your business in
Wetherham is ... settled now, is it, sir?" she stammered, confused at the
tender look in his eyes.
He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Yes, my brother has been so kind as to assist me," he said.
"Matters are much clearer now."
"I am glad," Olivia
managed to say. "We would not want you to leave London again in a hurry,
would we, Agnes?"
"Certainly not," Agnes
said.
"Oh, I will not leave in a
hurry," Mr. Lennox said, again fixing his eyes on Olivia. "Next time
I go to the Priory I hope I shall not do so alone."
Olivia blushed, unable to say
anything in reply to this. Sir Edwin, obviously having seen enough, rose and
took his leave, fuming.
"So how have you been
passing your time lately, Lady Gordon?" Mr. Lennox asked, turning to
Agnes. Agnes told him of the various functions they had attended, and he seemed
to listen with lively interest.
"Where is Cousin
Felix?" he asked, when Agnes had finished her report. "Is he at
home?"
"Not at the moment,"
Agnes said. "He mentioned something about going to Tattersall's today, to
have a look at some horses."
"I shall meet him there,
then," Mr. Lennox said. "You see, I have come here on a
mission."
"A mission?" Olivia
asked. He turned to her with a smile. "Two missions, actually. The first
one is to invite all of you to spend Christmas at Wetherham Priory. My mother
likes spending the Christmas season in the country, and since Burnhope Hall is
in the process of being redecorated at the moment, she asked me to assemble a
party at Wetherham."
"I am sure Sir Felix will
be delighted with the plan," Agnes exclaimed. "I can safely promise
that we will come!"
Olivia was slightly disappointed
-- so that had been his meaning when he had talked about not being alone
when he returned to Wetherham. But she was curious to see the place,
nevertheless.
"What kind of place is the
Priory?" she asked. "It sounds ancient!"
Mr. Lennox laughed. "So it
would be, if it were still standing," he said. "The Benedictine
Priory was founded in the eleventh century -- but only ruins are left of it. The
whole thing burned down in Queen Anne's days, and my great-great-grandfather
built a house on a different spot on the Priory grounds. I am sorry to
disappoint you, Miss Paige, but there will be no ancient vaults or
stained-glass windows to look at. No phantom monks, either."
"No spectres haunting the
place?" Olivia asked, smiling mischievously. "What kind of priory is
that?"
"One in which the monks led
respectable, God-fearing lives and did not leave any unfinished business behind
when they departed," Mr. Lennox retorted.
"I am glad to hear it.
Though I am not easily frightened, sir. You said there were ruins?"
"Plenty of them," Mr.
Lennox said. "Are you fond of ruins, Miss Paige?"
"I am," she said,
laughing. "Aren't you?"
"Not of those. It costs a
great deal to keep ruins in tolerable repair, Miss Paige."
Both Olivia and Agnes laughed at
this -- the picture of keeping ruins in repair was an amusing one. Mr. Lennox rose and took his leave. It was
then that Olivia remembered that he had spoken about two missions
before.
"What was your other
mission, Mr. Lennox," she asked as they shook hands. He kept her hand in
his for a moment, and said, lightly, "I shall leave that for you to find
out, Miss Paige."
The look in his eyes, however, betrayed what his second mission had been -- he had come to show Olivia that he did not resent her misapprehension about his character.
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