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

‘That’s all it is, Judith,’ he returned, with feigned good humour. ‘Just one of several ideas we’re considering. I told you to forget about it. You must know that we would consult you about anything that might affect Westpark.’

‘But, of course!’ Lady Butler was at pains to point out. ‘Although it is hardly for our bailiff to be making major decisions regarding our property!’

There was an uncomfortable pause as Judith coloured violently and Ridgeway, eyes fixed on the table in front of him, clenched his fists between his knees.

The meal was completed in subdued undertones, Sandford ruefully conscious of all the effort that Harriet had spent in contributing to the evening’s earlier success. Looking sideways at her pensive expression, he had a desperate longing to take her in his arms and soothe away her hurts and fears, in spite of her angry declaration that he was ‘not that man'.

Finally, when all the covers had been removed and the decanters placed at the gentlemen’s elbows, Judith rose to escort the ladies from the room. Lady Butler, with her usual officious manner, deemed it necessary to linger behind to point out some deficiency or other to Finchley and instructed the two men not to linger over their drinks, before following her daughter from the room.

Left to themselves, Sandford and Ridgeway relaxed and the viscount, pouring his cousin a large glass of brandy, grinned sympathetically and said, ‘You look as though you need that, old chum! Get it down you and let’s talk!’

‘I’d drink the whole bottle if I thought it would answer,’ said Ridgeway, with a grimace. ‘But it didn’t serve my father, so its efficacy is clearly in doubt!’

Sandford contemplated him gravely for a moment or two before taking a sip of his own drink. ‘What do you hear about this Potter business—with Harriet?’ he asked casually. ‘I know she picked up a memento when I showed her the cottages—but I’m damned if I can see why it should have set the whole village on its ears!’

Ridgeway looked up in surprise and, seeing that his cousin was clearly ignorant of the whole matter, furnished him with the details with which Lady Eugenie herself had supplied him, she having got them first-hand from Meggy Watts.

‘And you say you didn’t know any of this, man?’ exclaimed Ridgeway, in amazement. ‘What do you do? Walk around with your eyes and ears closed?’

‘No need to be offensive, old chap,’ said Sandford calmly. ‘I don’t have a houseful of chattering females to bring me the latest on-dits like you do and I’ve been stuck in the outfields most of the week, don’t forget.’

‘But you were at Mrs Watts’ cottage the other day—you spoke to old Josh himself! Didn’t he mention it?’

‘Well, apart from damning me to perdition, he did suggest that I wasn’t worthy of a certain lady’s regard—something about not being ‘'fit to lick her dear little boots” springs to mind—but since I’m well aware of that fact, I didn’t pay a great deal of—why are you looking at me like that?’

What’s going on, Robert?’ asked the older man sharply. ‘You and Miss Cordell have been at daggers’ drawn all week—any fool could see that. Last week it was much the same, if I’m not mistaken and—I have to say this, old chap—you don’t act like a man newly in love!’

‘Do I not, indeed?’ drawled Sandford coldly and for the merest moment his eyes looked bleak as they studied his cousin’s concerned face. Then, with a sudden urgency he leaned across the table and said decisively, ‘Fill your glass, Charles. I have a tale to tell you—but it must go no further than this room.’

Judith could not imagine what could be keeping Sandford and Ridgeway so long at the table, particularly since Charles had earlier given her the impression that he would be happy to spend every minute of the evening by her side and she had supposed that Robert must wish to do likewise with his new betrothed, yet the tea tray had come and gone and still the gentlemen had not appeared.

She was perfectly content to sit and chatter to her young friend, of course, but, of their own volition, it seemed, her eyes constantly wandered to the clock on the mantelshelf. Her mother, she observed, must also have registered their non-appearance, for Judith was aware of that lady’s continual glances towards the door whenever the slightest sound penetrated from without.

Harriet, too, had marked the long absence but, since she knew that inquiries about her assailants were still in progress, she assumed that this must be the topic that engrossed them. She had no objection to Sandford’s absenting himself for as long as he chose, she told herself, for she had found that, having expended all of her energy and resources in keeping up the performance of constant good humour which she had promised him, she now felt quite drained and was perfectly happy to relax into exchanging idle pleasantries with Judith, for this required no false effort on her part.

‘The gentlemen appear to prefer their own company, I see,’ Lady Butler intoned peevishly.

‘I’m sure they will not be long, Mama,’ answered Judith, attempting to soothe her. ‘I dare say they have become involved in estate matters and forget the time.’

‘They must be very deeply involved—for even Miss Cordell’s skills at the keyboard seem have to have lost their former attraction!’

Harriet laughed, one of her soft infectious chuckles. ‘I know you jest, your ladyship,’ she said. ‘I do not pretend any skill at the keyboard. That was but a game we played whenever we found ourselves in possession of a piano—which was very seldom, as you can imagine.’

‘Do tell us,’ begged Judith, as much to pass the time as anything. ‘This would have been while you were wintering in Lisbon, I collect?’

‘Yes, and I cannot claim to have been the inventor of the game,’ said Harriet, nodding in reminiscence. ‘Some of the young officers could play, of course—those who had been given lessons in the schoolroom—so they would teach us certain chords, the very simplest of all and, therefore, quite easy to memorise, and our musical game developed from this. One of us would strike a chord and any available pianist would be challenged to extemporise. It was all done to keep the younger ones amused, although we all thought it rather fun—I was quite young myself at the time, of course. The more often one plays the game, the better one gets and, although it was never possible for me to be given proper lessons at the pianoforte, Mama did try to teach me some of the basic principles—and we sang a great deal, of course.’

She was silent for a moment, then turned to Lady Butler with a sweet smile, saying, ‘Such a silly game bears no comparison with real music, of course. Perhaps we could persuade Judith to play for us. I love to listen to her—as I am sure you do.’

Lady Butler grunted, temporarily mollified at this request. ‘Well, to be sure, she had the best of teachers, and a great deal of money was spent on her education—but it is true that she performs excellently, although she gets little enough practice these days. Yes, dear Judith, do play for us—something soothing, perhaps—I believe we have had more than enough jollity for one evening!’

And so, when Sandford and Ridgeway made their appearance shortly afterwards, they perceived Lady Butler slumped fast asleep with her chin on her chest whilst an envious Harriet, standing beside the piano admiring her friend’s virtuosity, was the sole audience to Judith’s expensive musical education.

At their entrance Judith immediately stopped playing and rose from her seat. She came towards Sandford anxiously, with a finger to her lips as she motioned towards her sleeping mother.