Joanna Maitland - Marrying The Major

The corner of Hugo’s mouth quirked in sudden irony but he said only, ‘I see. London calls, no doubt. And the urgent business that brings you here in the middle of the night?’

Emma made to move back towards the stairs. She had no desire to eavesdrop on Hugo’s family affairs. Her father was obviously of a similar mind, opening the door of his study so that the two guests might converse in private.

Kit still did not move an inch. ‘Oh, it’s nothing so drastic, Hugo. John asked me to let you know that they’re off travelling again—Scotland, this time, I think he said—so the house at Stratton Magna will be shut up for a few months. He didn’t want you arriving to find you’d been abandoned. Knows you find travelling difficult.’ Kit cast a surreptitious glance at Hugo’s weak leg and then quickly looked away.

‘Good of him,’ Hugo said curtly. ‘But he could as easily have written, you know. A crippled leg doesn’t affect my ability to read.’

Kit grinned like a naughty schoolboy. ‘Oh, very well. If you must know, I offered to come. Wanted to see for myself how you were. Should have known you’d be just as cantankerous as ever.’

Hugo cast his eyes up to the heavens for a second and then turned to Sir Edward. ‘It is not surprising if I am, sir. John and I have tried every avenue we could think of over the last few years, but nothing can tame this scapegrace brother of ours. Gambling, drinking—’ He stopped abruptly. Such matters should not be mentioned in front of young unmarried ladies.

Emma broke the taut silence by saying politely, ‘Will you come and meet our other guests, Mr Stratton? There will be refreshments upstairs, too—if you can spare the time, of course.’

Hugo stifled a laugh. ‘I’m sure he can, ma’am, no matter how early his call to London. He never did seem to need much sleep.’

Kit cast a quelling look at his brother, but it produced no response at all, Emma noticed. Hugo was really very good indeed at dealing with provoking young men.

Emma re-entered the drawing room a little behind Kit and her father. She knew that Hugo would hate her to watch his slow progress on the stairs. And yet, she lingered by the door. She was not needed immediately. Her father would make the necessary introductions.

A soft gasp, quickly swallowed, made her turn back to the drawing room. Miss Mountjoy’s eyes were as round as guineas as she gazed at the new arrival. Her mouth hung partly open. Emma suppressed a desire to take the girl by the shoulders and shake her. No wonder Kit Stratton had such a disdainful view of womankind if this was the reaction he had learned to expect.

Emma did not wait to witness the introductions. It was all too embarrassing. She moved instead to meet Hugo who had just regained the landing.

‘Your brother has certainly made an impression,’ she said somewhat tartly.

‘It is to be expected,’ said Hugo in a flat voice. ‘Kit has the happy knack of being welcomed wherever he goes.’

Emma thought Hugo was about to say something more, but he did not. She wondered what was hidden behind his apparently simple words. He had called his brother a ‘scapegrace’, after all. Was there something to be ashamed of about this beautiful—and undoubtedly somewhat arrogant—young man? She would have to find that out for herself. Of a certainty, Hugo would not tell her.

‘I was just about to order the supper brought in, Major. I am sure your brother would welcome some refreshments after his travels. And you, too, perhaps?’

‘You are most kind, ma’am,’ replied Hugo, stopping in the doorway. Emma, too, paused to survey the scene. Jamie was seated at the instrument once more, choosing her music. Kit Stratton was leading a blushing Miss Mountjoy on to the floor. Emma was relieved to see that Mr Mountjoy was partnering the Rector’s wife. If the young man had been forward enough to ask Emma to dance a third time, she would have been forced to snub him. That would have given her no pleasure at all.

The Rector came to claim Emma and lead her into the set. Her father looked on, smiling benignly. He liked nothing better than to see his guests enjoying themselves—even if it was a little improper for them to be dancing in this way.

Hugo crossed to the pianoforte once more. ‘May I turn for you, Lady Hardinge?’ he asked quietly.

‘If you wish,’ she replied. ‘Your brother’s arrival was unexpected, I collect? I hope he has not brought bad news?’

‘Have no fears on that score, ma’am. It’s only Kit’s insatiable curiosity. He always has to know everything about John and me. A problem of being so much younger, I think. He always wanted to do whatever we could do, and long before he was old enough. He’s a born rebel, I’m afraid. He was sent down from Oxford because of it. And, of course, he was much indulged, being the child of my parents’ old age—besides having the face of an angel.’

Hugo smiled wryly, fearing for a moment that he might have said too much. But the Hardinges, of all people, were to be trusted. He bent to turn the page of music and received a brief nod of thanks. ‘I would not have you think unkindly of Kit, ma’am,’ he continued earnestly. ‘He is a little wild, I admit, but he has a good heart under that splendid exterior. It is only a pity that the ladies cannot see beyond the handsome face.’ And that he trades on it with so little compunction, Hugo added to himself. In spite of Kit’s comparative youth, he had left a string of broken hearts behind him—never mind the discarded mistresses. Every one of them had thought she would reform him. And every one had failed.

Hugo raised his eyes to watch the dancing. Miss Mountjoy was gazing up at Kit as if she had never beheld anything so beautiful. Hugo shuddered inwardly. Yet another impressionable female…

Emma, now…Emma was clearly made of sterner stuff. Hugo assessed her carefully. Her attention was firmly focused on her conversation with her partner. She was sparing not a single glance for Kit. And earlier, in the entrance hall, she had seemed to have the measure of him. Perhaps…

At that moment, the dance brought Emma round to face Hugo and she looked directly at him. She smiled, fleetingly, before turning back to her partner.

Entranced, Hugo watched her retreating back move down the set. He could see that Kit was watching her closely, too. But Emma was studiously ignoring Kit Stratton. Excellent tactics on her part.

Kit had broken altogether too many hearts, in Hugo’s opinion. It would do him the world of good to fall in love a little, especially if his love were not returned in equal measure. Hugo had little experience of Society ladies—he had spent too many years with the army—yet it seemed to him that Emma was just the kind of woman to give Kit the lesson he needed…if she once decided to take any notice of him at all. But why should she?

Hugo allowed himself a little smile. It would not be so surprising, surely, in the down-to-earth world of ton matches? Emma, as an heiress, was in need of a husband. Kit was a very attractive man—and better husband material than many a suitor. He might be a scapegrace… No, that was not quite true. Hugo had to admit to himself that, at twenty-two, Kit was already a fair way to becoming an out-and-out rake—though without as much wealth as he would have wished to fund his spendthrift habits. A good marriage might be the making of him. And what woman could resist the challenge of reforming a rake?

Hugo turned back to the music, feeling suddenly guilty. How quickly his mind had moved from love to marriage. It was not his place to arrange Emma’s future, even to help tame his incorrigible brother. Kit was still very young, younger than Emma. Flirtation might provide a useful lesson—but marriage would be a disaster. He should not interfere. Let the young people make their own decisions.