Mary Brendan - Regency High Society Vol 1 - A Hasty Betrothal / A Scandalous Marriage / The Count's Charade / The Rake and the Rebel

As she neared the house Harriet’s indignation was replaced with apprehension. Who else had been furnished with this untruth? Had Lord William and Lady Caroline also come to the same conclusion as the viscount? What other interpretation would they put on her long absence?

The sound of horse’s hooves alerted her to the sight of Tiptree riding up behind her, leading her mare. He dismounted and cupped his hands.

‘Up you get, miss,’ he said dispassionately. ‘His lordship wants you to ride in.’

Harriet allowed the groom to raise her into the saddle. She knew that this would be far better than being seen arriving at the stables without her horse but was still at a loss as to how she would begin to explain her disappearance.

The two horses walked into the yard and were immediately surrounded by the grooms and stable-lads, all expressing delight at ‘Missy’s’ return and clamouring for information. Tiptree waved them aside as he swung down from his mount.

‘Miss Cordell got lost in the woods,’ he said, in brief explanation. ‘She’s very tired. Make way, lads. Let’s have a bit of space. His lordship is calling in the others.’

Smithers helped Harriet down and took Clipper’s reins.

‘Glad to see you safe back, miss,’ he ventured. ‘We was all worried you’d hurt yourself. Don’t need no more accidents, you know.’

Harriet took heart from his remark and gave him a shaky smile. Turning to go into the house, she found Tiptree at her side.

‘Beg pardon, miss,’ he said quietly, ‘but his lordship says you dropped this.’ He held out the emerald ring. ‘He says to tell you ‘'not to worry”.’

Harriet looked inquiringly at him but his face was expressionless. She slipped the ring on to her finger once more and took a deep breath as she entered the hallway.

‘Harriet, my dearest child!’ Lady Caroline swept forward to throw her arms around her protégée. ‘Oh, thank goodness you are safe! His lordship has been in such a torment!’

Harriet didn’t inquire as to which ‘lordship’ the countess was referring. Kissing her ladyship on the cheek, she assured her that she was, indeed, unhurt and merely in need of a wash and a very long drink.

Lady Caroline indicated her requirements to March and tenderly led Harriet into the salon.

‘Sit down, dearest, do,’ she said, pressing the shivering Harriet down on to a sofa and offering her a rug to put over her knees.

Harriet, eyes brimming, shook her head and smilingly refused the cover.

‘Please, ma’am, you must not wait upon me,’ she protested. ‘I promise you I have suffered no great harm—but I would like to see Lord William, if I may—if he has been concerned about me I must put his mind at rest—and there is something I need to ask him, if he is not too tired?

‘About that mysterious note?’ the countess nodded. ‘Yes, he told me. Sandford had rushed off in search of you before we could tell him that it was some sort of joke—although I cannot believe he took it seriously …’

I’m afraid he did, ma’am,’ said Harriet miserably. ‘He seems to believe I was involved in some secret—tryst—with someone I met at Judith’s party!’

Lady Caroline was indignant. ‘But that is preposterous! Why should he think such a thing? His father will give him such a trimming when he returns! Come, my dear, finish your drink and, if you feel up to it, we will go straight to his lordship this instant.’

The earl had been furnished with the news of Harriet’s return on the moment of her arrival at the stables and was waiting impatiently for her entrance. Running to his chair she cast herself into his arms and burst into tears. He stroked her hair gently, murmuring comforting endearments, at the same time raising his eyebrows questioningly at his wife, who shook her head in response.

After allowing Harriet to cry herself out, Lord William took the handkerchief the countess was offering and set about repairing the damage to her face, tut-tutting as he did so.

‘Now, now, my child,’ he said softly. ‘This will not do. I will not have these pretty eyelids swollen. This redness simply does not go well with that glorious shade of green—and I fear I shall come down with the croup if my dressinggown gets any damper!’

Harriet, smiling weakly, sat back on his footstool and twisted the sodden kerchief between her fingers.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said tremulously. ‘It isn’t usual in me to give in so easily. But I find myself at such a loss!’

The earl and countess exchanged glances and Beldale motioned to Chegwin to fetch a chair for his mistress. This done, at his lordship’s gesture the valet quietly left the room and Lord William took Harriet’s hands in his.

‘I think you had better tell us what is troubling you and together perhaps we shall make some sense out of your problems.’

‘But you have been so ill,’ said Harriet, in an anguished tone, ‘and I wanted to avoid bringing you more worry!’

Beldale sighed. ‘I have a broken foot, my girl,’ he said briskly. ‘There is nothing wrong with my brain—whatever that fool Lambert thinks!’

And so, tentatively at first, Harriet told her hosts the full story of her lake misadventure and, with increasing confidence, she breathlessly related this morning’s extraordinary events.

Lady Caroline’s eyes grew round with horror at Harriet’s description of her woodland tomb.

‘But this is quite dreadful,’ she exclaimed in dismay. ‘On Beldale lands—how can this be happening?’ and she turned at once to her husband to await his conclusions.

The earl was silent for some little while, conscious of both ladies’ eyes upon him at they awaited some erudite explanation that he feared he did not have. Eventually, he spoke.

‘It is clear that someone has wished you harm from the moment of your arrival,’ he said to Harriet. ‘That person—or persons—seem to be privy to a good deal of information about your movements. On the other hand, a fair amount of coincidence seems to be involved. For instance, at the lake, where you might not have chosen to walk on that particular morning and today—you say you had left Westpark much later than you intended—and who could possibly have foreseen your fainting attack? The emerald ring that they failed to find—thanks to your swift action—has only been in your possession since Saturday evening and advertised only at

Judith’s party and yet, it seems to have been the particular object of the attack—I would not have thought it to be of such singular value.’ He shook his head. ‘I confess, my dears, I am at as much of a loss as you are, but one thing is very clear—one of this household is involved in passing information outside. How else could Harriet’s movements be so well observed?’

He looked at his wife, concerned at her obvious distress.

‘This has been a great shock for you, my love,’ he said, tenderly squeezing her fingers. ‘Most of our staff has been with us for so long, it does not bear thinking about.’

‘I cannot bring myself to suspect any of them,’ said Lady Caroline unhappily. ‘We have hardly any recent additions—Robert’s valet and his man Tiptree, of course, and Rose Watts—but she was parlourmaid here long before Harriet’s arrival …’

Nothing of this sort happened before my arrival!’ Harriet pointed out despondently. ‘It is clear that it is my presence which is causing someone great annoyance!’

‘But everyone adores you!’ her ladyship protested.

‘Apparently not everyone, ma’am,’ said Harriet, rising from the footstool and straightening her skirts. And I can think of at least one person who positively dislikes me, she thought, at the same time sadly recalling the previous day’s easy companionship between herself and that very individual.