Candace Camp - Promise Me Tomorrow

“The grandest party I’ve ever seen,” Marianne replied honestly. She looked around at the eager faces watching her, from Betsy’s wrinkled, powdered visage to Piers’ freckled, snub-nosed one.

“I knew it!” Betsy let out a hoot of laughter. “His father used to come to my gaming house, and he was always flush in the pockets—at least when he came in the door. Drunk as a wheelbarrow, of course, but, still, a real blue blood.”

“Well, I don’t know the color of his blood, but I’d say the son is flush in the pockets, as well. The problem is…” She hesitated, glancing around at them, then sighed. “Oh, the devil! The truth is, I made a dreadful mull of it.”

“Don’t be daft,” Piers said, dismissing her words with a wave of his hand. “You always think you did something wrong.”

“He’s right. I am sure you did wonderfully,” Della agreed.

“No.” Marianne shook her head, and tears sprang unexpectedly to her eyes. She blinked them away and went on. “It wasn’t just something I did wrong. It was everything. I was discovered.”

The room fell silent. Marianne dropped her eyes, unable to look at the others.

Finally Harrison started to speak, then had to stop and clear his throat. “Wh-what? How could you have been discovered? You’re sitting right here. They couldn’t have—”

“He did not turn me in. But he saw what I did. He accused me. Oh, how could I have been so careless? I didn’t see him at all!”

“But who—I don’t understand.” Harrison came forward. “Who saw you?”

“Lord Lambeth. He had been looking at me earlier. But I didn’t see him as I left the ballroom. I went up and down the corridor looking for the study because I presumed the safe would be there—although I did see some excellent silver pieces in one of the drawing rooms. Anyway, I found a smoking room finally, and I began to hunt around the walls, looking for a safe. Then he appeared.”

Della drew a sharp breath. “Oh, no. What did he say?”

“He thought I was about to try to open the safe. Of course I told him that he had misinterpreted the scene, that I was simply straightening the picture, but he didn’t believe it. He was sure I was a thief. He had followed me out of the ballroom, you see, and had seen me looking into all the rooms up and down the hallway, and searching behind the pictures for a safe. He knew I was lying.”

“But he didn’t say anything to anyone? He didn’t betray you to Lord Batterslee?”

Marianne shook her head. “No. It was very odd. He was—well, he seemed rather amused by the thought that I was a thief. A most peculiar man. When Lord Batterslee came into the study and found us, Lord Lambeth did not say a word about what I had been doing.”

“Thank heavens!” Della replied heartfeltly.

“Yes,” Harrison agreed. “But why?”

“Come now, lad.” Da spoke up for the first time. “Don’t tell me me daughter married a nodcock. Just look at the girl.” He winked at Marianne. “Why, any man worth his salt would let such a beauty get away with a little thievery. That’s why Della’s mother was so successful.” He reached over and patted Betsy’s hand, his eyes twinkling. “She was so pleasing to the eye, they scarcely noticed the blunt leaving their pockets.”

Betsy dimpled girlishly. “Go on, you old charmer.”

Harrison ignored his in-laws’ byplay and looked at Marianne. “Is that it, do you think?”

Marianne could feel her cheeks coloring. “Well…I think he was hoping that I would agree to…ah…some sort of arrangement in return for his silence.”

“The blackguard!” Piers growled, jumping to his feet, his boyish face dark with anger. In the excitement of the moment, he forgot his careful work on his accent and plunged back into the cockney of his roots. “I ought to draw ‘is cork. You mean ‘e offered you a carte blanche?”

“Heavens, no. Oh, Piers, do sit down. Don’t get in such a taking. He never really said anything. It was just, well…” She hesitated, not wanting to tell them about that kiss. Just the thought of it made her go all strange and melting inside. “It was just a feeling I had. Perhaps I was wrong. Because I told him I would not, yet he still did not tell Lord Batterslee.”

Piers snorted. “I know ‘is type. ‘E—I mean, he—just didn’t want to give up his power over you. He’s hoping to wangle his way into your bed, that’s what.”

“That thought occurred to me. But he is bound to see that that is an empty threat. I am afraid that then he will tell Lord Batterslee. Harrison, I’m so worried. I fear I have ruined everything for us. What if he tells Lord Batterslee, and he sets a Bow Street Runner on us? Perhaps we ought to try our luck on the Continent for a few months, as you were talking about last year.”

“But what can they prove?” Harrison pointed out reasonably. “You didn’t steal anything. He didn’t even see you trying to steal something. All he saw was you wandering around, looking at things. That’s not proof.”

“They don’t always need proof,” Da put in, his voice tinged with bitterness. “One word from a lord and—” He drew his forefinger across his throat in an ominous gesture.

“Even if he did not tell the authorities,” Betsy pointed out, “all he has to do is spread it around that Marianne is a thief, and the Game will be ruined. She won’t be received in polite society after that.”

“That’s true.” Harrison rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But we were on the verge of such opportunity—I hate to throw it away on a mere chance. I think we should wait and see. If we lie low for a few weeks, we might be all right.”

“Do you think so?” Marianne brightened a little. She hated to think that she had ruined their plans for everyone.

Harrison nodded. “Some other pretty young thing’ll come along to tickle his fancy.”

That much was true, Marianne was sure. No nobleman was going to waste his time looking for or thinking about some socially inferior girl. If one was not of their class, there was only one use for a woman, and no doubt he could find other willing participants. Marianne realized that that idea gave her no joy, but she shoved the thought aside. She was, after all, a realist; she had to be.

“He doesn’t know where you live, right?”

“No. I left the party, and I am sure that he did not follow.”

“If we take nothing from Batterslee House, it will lull his suspicions—or at least give him no proof to back them up.”

Marianne sighed. “I am so sorry. I don’t know how I could have been so careless.”

“It happens to all of us,” Harrison assured her kindly. “The main thing is that nothing happened to you.”

“Thank you. But it would have been a nice bit of change. They had some beautiful things.”

“I am sure it wasn’t all a loss. You met some people, didn’t you?”

Marianne nodded. “A few. Lady Ursula Castlereigh and her daughter. I talked to the daughter at some length.”

“There? That will get you entré into other places. You see if it doesn’t. And if not…” Harrison shrugged. “Well, we’ll try the Continent, as you said, or go back to Bath.”

Piers groaned. “Not Bath! There’s nothing but old ladies there.”

Harrison cocked an eyebrow at him. “We aren’t there for your entertainment.”

“I know. I know.” Piers sighed and subsided.

“Well.” Della glanced around. “There is nothing else to do tonight. We will just have to wait and see. I am sure Marianne would like a bite to eat and a good night’s sleep.”

Marianne smiled gratefully at the older woman. “Thank you. I don’t think I could eat anything, truthfully. But the thought of sleep is appealing. Hopefully everything will seem better tomorrow morning.”