He had changed his driving-dress for knee-breeches and silk stockings, an elegant waistcoat of watered silk, and a swallowtailed coat of black cloth; and no one, observing the exquisite set of that coat across his shoulders, and the nicety with which his starched neckcloth was arranged, could have suppose
d that he had effected this transformation with extreme rapidity, and without the assistance of his valet.
He came across the hall, saying, with his delightful smile: ‘I have been lying in wait for you, hoping to exchange a word with you before we go downstairs again. Has that absurd child told you the truth about herself? I warned her that I should! How good it was of you to accept her without a murmur! But I knew you would. Thank you!’
She returned his smile, but nervously. ‘Oh, no! Pray do not! There is not the least need – I am only too happy – ! She has told me how she came to meet you. You did very right to bring her here.’
‘Were you able to discover her name?’ he demanded.
‘No – but, then, I did not ask her to tell me. I expect she would rather not disclose it.’
‘I am well aware of that, but this grandfather of hers must be found. Good God, she cannot be permitted to carry out her outrageous scheme!’
‘It does seem very hazardous,’ she agreed.
‘Hazardous! Quite foolhardy! With that face, and no more worldly wisdom than a baby, how can she escape running into danger? She is as confiding as a kitten, too. Did she tell you I had abducted her? Well, I might have done so, you know! She hopped up into my curricle in the most trusting way imaginable.’
‘I expect she knew she could trust you,’ she replied. ‘She is quite innocent, of course, but not, I think, stupid. And so courageous!’
He said, after a tiny pause: ‘Yes – a headstrong courage, and enchanting waywardness which could so easily be her undoing. When I first saw her, I was reminded – I hardly know by what! – the tilt of her chin, perhaps, and a certain look in her eyes –’ He broke off, as though he regretted his words.
‘I, too,’ she said, in her quiet voice. ‘I expect it was that resemblance which drew you to her.’
‘Perhaps. No, I don’t think it was. She was plainly a gently-bred child in difficulties: I could do no less than go to the rescue.’
‘I am afraid she is not very grateful to you,’ she said, with a glimmer of a smile.
‘Not a bit!’ he said, laughing. ‘She has promised to make me very sorry, and I daresay she’ll do it, for she is the naughtiest little wretch I ever encountered. My dependence is on you! If you can prevail upon her to disclose her grandfather’s name –’
‘Oh, but I can’t!’ she interrupted apologetically. ‘You see, I promised I wouldn’t try to overset her plan of campaign. So even if she were to tell me who she is I couldn’t betray her confidence, could I?’
He said, between amusement and exasperation: ‘In such a case as this? I hope you could, for most certainly you should!’
‘I think she ought to be allowed to marry her soldier,’ she said thoughtfully.
‘What, at her age to be allowed to throw herself away on a needy young officer, and to undergo all the hardships of a life spent following the drum? My dear Lady Hester, you can have no notion of what it would be like! I am entirely at one with the unknown grandfather on that head.’
‘Are you?’ She looked at him in her shortsighted way, and sighed. ‘Yes, perhaps. I don’t know. What shall you do?’
‘If she can’t be persuaded to let me escort her to her home, I must find out this Brigade-Major of hers. That should not prove to be a difficult task, but it will mean my posting back to London tomorrow. I see nothing for it but to take her with me, and to place her in my sister’s charge. It is really the most abominable coil!’
‘Would you like to leave her in my charge?’ she asked doubtfully.
‘Of all things!’ he replied. ‘But I am reasonably certain that she would run away as soon as my back was turned! Nor do I think that your brother and his wife would welcome her as a guest here.’
‘No,’ she admitted. She raised her eyes to his face, and said, with an unhappy little smile: ‘I beg your pardon: I am being so very unhelpful! But I could not compel Amanda to remain here, or, I am afraid, prevent Almeria’s saying cutting things to her. Excuse me! I have to fetch a shawl for her to wear!’
‘Must you do so immediately?’ he asked, putting out his hand. ‘We have spoken of nothing but Amanda, and it was not, I assure you, to talk about a troublesome schoolgirl that I came to Brancaster.’
She seemed to shrink into herself, and said quickly: ‘It is almost time for dinner! I would so much rather – indeed I must not stay!’
She was gone on the words, leaving him to look after her in some little surprise. He knew her to be very shy, but it was not like her to betray agitation; and he had believed himself to be on such easy terms with her as must preclude her receiving his proposal with embarrassment. But embarrassed she undoubtedly was; and she had certainly shrunk from him. A suspicion that she was being coerced into accepting his offer crossed his mind, and brought a frown into his eyes; but that she meant to refuse it he could not believe, not deeming it possible that Lord Brancaster would have permitted him to come to Brancaster only to be rebuffed.
It was a reasonable belief, and one shared by Mr Theale; but no sooner had Sir Gareth left the saloon to change his dress than his lordship had exclaimed: ‘That’s knocked everything into horse-nails! What the devil made him bring that chit here? Just when I was in hope Hester meant to have him after all! Depend upon it, she’ll shy off!’
‘Eh?’ said Mr Theale. ‘Pooh! Nonsense! She wouldn’t be such a fool!’
‘You know nothing of the matter!’ snapped the Earl. ‘She never had a grain of commonsense!’