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

She had spent most of the past week in her room, pleading exhaustion, and the countess, sympathetic as to her real reasons, had not pressed for Harriet’s attendance at the dining table and had generously arranged for her to take her meals in her room. Harriet had forced herself to venture out on two previous occasions, in the furtherance of her project, both times escorted by the stalwart Davy, and was deeply conscious of the interest her appearance always aroused. She admitted, but only to herself, that she was now quite afraid that there might be another attempt to harm her in some way and the greatest fear of all was that she had no way of knowing who her enemy could be.

She had not spoken to Sandford at all since the episode in the copse and had seen him only once when, about to come out of her room later that same day, she had caught sight of him leaving his father’s chambers. She had stepped swiftly back into the shadows as he appeared and she was certain he had not observed her, but she had been shocked at his demeanour. He had stood for a moment outside the earl’s door, shoulders sagging, his face white and drawn and then, as if in a trance, he had walked slowly to his own doorway and entered his room. Harriet had been intending to visit Lord William herself but, after some deliberation, she had decided that it would be unwise to do so and had subsequently returned to her own chamber.

Judith Hurst had ridden over to Beldale that same afternoon, but Lady Caroline had managed to curb her daughter-in-law’s curiosity. Westpark House had been Sandford’s first objective when Harriet had failed to return to Beldale and Judith had naturally been frantically worried over her friend’s disappearance and had demanded to be kept informed as to any developments, sending Ridgeway to assist his cousin in the search.

She failed to comprehend how anyone as level-headed as Harriet could have wandered off the bridleway and become confused in the copse, until the countess explained that Harriet had felt unwell, possibly suffering from a touch of the sun. It had been particularly warm that morning, as she was sure Judith would recall.

Judith did indeed recall that it was she who had been responsible for Harriet’s hasty departure and, at once, felt guilty at having persuaded her friend to stay so long at Westpark, surmising that Harriet’s headlong dash had been the cause of her fainting fit.

Lady Butler’s contribution upon receiving her daughter’s account of Harriet’s misadventure was to the effect that ‘persons who disport themselves all over the Continent with troops of soldiers could hardly be expected to behave with anything resembling acceptable decorum when they returned to civilised society’ and Judith found herself heaving a sigh of relief that Sandford was not present when these uncharitable remarks were uttered.

Both Sandford and Ridgeway had been behaving very oddly since Harriet’s mishap, she thought. Neither one of them seemed to have time for anything other than estate business and they were usually to be found with their heads together. When Sandford had, almost grudgingly it seemed, eventually found time to give his little nephew some attention in the paddock, he had appeared distracted and disinclined to linger. Judith found Ridgeway’s behaviour strange, too. She had thought that he was beginning to let down his guard a little in her favour, for they had exchanged some very promising conversations since their dance together. Then all of a sudden, his interest in her seemed to have vanished overnight and he had no time for anything apart from riding around the park and hanging about in the stables or disappearing off to Beldale with Sandford.

At the end of the week an impatient Judith paid her second visit to Beldale. She had heard that Harriet was apparently well enough to go walking to the village and was hurt that her young friend had not come to visit her. Leaving her horse with her attendant groom, she deliberately forsook her normal practice and entered the house from the rear. In doing so, she almost collided with Harriet as she was crossing the hall. Both girls started back in surprise but it was Harriet who was the first to lower her eyes. Judith quickly noticed this puzzling reticence and impulsively put out her hand.

‘Harriet, my dear,’ she said, in rising concern. ‘Please tell me what is wrong. I know that something dreadful must have happened to upset you so. Won’t you confide in me? I thought we were friends!’

Harriet was sick at heart. She wanted to tell Judith the whole story from the beginning but, by now, the tale had become so convoluted that she felt that it would sound quite absurd. In fact, she suddenly decided, it really was absurd and she reached forward and grasped Judith’s extended hands in her own.

‘Oh, Judith,’ she cried. ‘I’m so pleased to see you. You can’t think how much I have missed you.

Judith at once put her arms around the younger girl and hugged her. As she did so she spotted Sandford in the act of opening the door of the nearby estate office. To her amazement, he took one look at her and quickly closed the door again.

‘What is going on here? she said, thrusting Harriet away from her and, still holding her shoulders, gave her friend a firm shake. ‘Have you fallen out with Sandford? Is that what this is all about?

The office door re-opened immediately and Sandford stepped out, eyes averted, with a set of papers in his hand.

‘Ah, hello, Judith,’ he said, in a poor attempt at heartiness.

Judith registered both the tremor in his voice and the sight of Harriet’s flushed face at the same time. She took a deep breath.

‘Robert,’ she said resolutely, ‘you look awful. And Harriet looks awful, too. I can only conclude that the reason for such joint awfulness is that you have had a lover’s tiff—and I simply will not have it!’ And she stamped her elegant foot. ‘Mark carefully what I am doing, Robert!’

‘Not now, Judith!’ Sandford walked towards his sister-in-law with a warning frown, but Judith put up her crop and prodded it into his chest.

‘You don’t frighten me, Robert Hurst!’ she said defiantly. ‘I’m the one who tipped a bottle of ink over your head—remember?’

‘I remember, Judith,’ said Sandford drily, pushing aside the crop, but this is not a bottle-of-ink sort of problem.’ Harriet found her lips curving into an involuntary smile. ‘What sort of a problem is a bottle-of-ink problem?’ she asked, with an interested glimmer in her eye.

Sandford, with a swift intake of breath, took a step towards her, but Judith moved quickly to stand in front of the girl.

‘Leave my friend alone, Robert Hurst!’

Sandford lips twitched and he said, ‘But you don’t have a bottle of ink, dearest Judith—stand aside!’

‘Will someone please tell me what ink has to do with all of this?’ Harriet asked, now looking from one to the other in amused exasperation.

Judith gave her friend a quick, appraising glance.

‘Harriet,’ she said sweetly. ‘Would you be so kind as to go into the office and fetch me a bottle of ink? A large one, if you please!’

‘Judith!’ warned Sandford, but his eyes were now alight with laughter. He backed sideways towards the office door as Harriet, not sure of the point but perfectly willing to give her friend whatever assistance she required, moved swiftly in the same direction.

They collided in the doorway and Sandford, automatically thrusting out his hands to prevent Harriet from stumbling, found himself with his arms around her and it seemed to him, in that second, that the earth rocked.

Harriet had put up her own hands to save herself and now found herself pressed against him with her hands on his chest. An extraordinary sensation was sweeping through her body and she was acutely aware of Sandford’s laboured breathing. If I look up I am lost, she thought weakly and forced herself to maintain a steadfast interest in his waistcoat buttons.