He made no attempt to detain them, but murmured provocatively, as he put Miss Wychwood's shawl round her shoulders: 'Accept my compliments, ma'am! Were you obliged to put great force on yourself not to rise to that fly?'
'Oh, no, none at all!' she retorted, without an instant's hesitation. 'My father taught me many years ago never to pay the least attention to the ill-considered things uttered by rough diamonds!'
He gave a shout of laughter. 'A facer!' he acknowledged. He turned from her to flick Lucilla's cheek lightly with one careless finger. 'Au revoir, niece!' he said, smiling quite kindly at her. 'Do, pray, strive to re-establish the family's reputation, which I have placed in such jeopardy!'
He then escorted them downstairs, and, while Miss Wychwood's carriage was called for, engaged her, with the utmost civility, in an exchange of very proper nothings. These were interrupted by the entrance from the street of a somewhat rakish looking gentleman whose lively eyes no sooner perceived Miss Wychwood than he came quickly forward, exclaiming: 'Ah, now, didn't I know fortune was going to smile on me today? Most dear lady, how do you do?'
She gave him her hand, which he instantly carried to his lips, and said: 'How do you do, Mr Kilbride? I collect you are in Bath on a visit to your grandmother. I trust she is well?'
'Oh, in a state of far too high preservation!' he said, with a comical look. 'Out of reason cross, too! It is most disheartening!'
She ignored this, and briefly introduced him to her com panions. Her manner, which was slightly chilly, did not encourage him to linger, but he was apparently impervious to hints, and, after exchanging nods with Mr Carleton, with whom he was already acquainted, turned to address himself to Lucilla, which he did to such good purpose that she told Miss Wychwood, on the drive to Camden Place, that he was the most delightful and amusing man she had ever met.
'Is he?' said Miss Wychwood, with calculated indifference. 'Yes, I suppose he is amusing, but his wit is not always in good taste, and he is an incurable humbugger, which I find a little tedious. By the bye, your uncle has charged me with the task of engaging a new abigail for you, so will you go with me tomorrow morning to the Registry Office?'
'No, has he?' cried Lucilla, astonished. 'Yes, indeed I will, ma'am! And may we take a look in at the Pump Room? Corisande will be there, with her mama, and I told her I would ask you if I might join her.'
'Yes, certainly. And while we are in town we must buy a new pair of gloves for you, to wear at our rout-party.'
'Evening-gloves?' Lucilla said eagerly. 'They will be the first I have ever possessed, because my aunt will buy mittens for me, as if I were a mere schoolgirl! Did my uncle say I might have them as well as a new maid?'
'I didn't ask him,' replied Miss Wychwood. 'From what I have seen of him, I am tolerably certain that he would have answered in a disagreeably rusty way that he knew nothing about such matters, and I must do what I thought best.'
Lucilla gave a gurgle of laughter, and said: 'Yes, but the thing is, will he pay for them? For I know how expensive long gloves are, and – and I haven't very much of my pin-money left!'
'There is no need for you to tease yourself about that: of course he will do so!' replied Miss Wychwood, adding, with a good deal of mischievous satisfaction: 'His pride makes it a hard matter for him to be forced to permit his ward to reside with me, as my guest, and I take great credit to myself for having imbued him with enough respect to have prevented him from offering to pay me for taking charge of you! I shouldn't wonder at it if he tried to transfer the allowance he makes Mrs Amber to me. As for cutting up stiff at being required to meet the cost of whatever you may purchase – pooh! he is a great deal more likely to encourage you to be extravagant, for fear that if he refused to pay your bills I might do so!'
Seven
Just as Miss Wychwood and Lucilla were walking next morning along Upper Camden Place on their way to Gay Street, they encountered Ninian Elmore, striding towards them. It became immediately apparent that he was labouring under a strong sense of resentment, for hardly waiting to greet them he burst out with the rather unnecessary information that he was coming to visit them, adding explosively: 'What do you think has happened, ma'am?'
'I have no idea,' replied Miss Wychwood. 'Tell us!'
'I was coming to do so. You wouldn't believe it! I scarcely do myself ! I mean to say, when you consider all that has taken place, and how it was their fault, and not mine – well, it makes me as mad as Bedlam, and so it would anyone!'
'But what is it?' demanded Lucilla impatiently.
'You may well ask! Not but what it will send you up into the boughs when I tell you! For of all the –'
She interrupted him, stamping her foot, and hugging her pelisse round her against the sharp wind that was blowing. 'For heaven's sake tell me, instead of talking in that hubblebubble way, and keeping us standing in this detestable wind!' she almost screamed.
He glared at her, said with stiff dignity that he was just about to tell her when she had so rudely broken in on him, and, pointedly turning his shoulder towards her, addressed himself to Miss Wychwood, saying portentously: 'I have received a letter from my father, ma'am!'
'Is that all?' interpolated Lucilla scornfully.
'No, it is not all!' he retorted. 'But how anyone can utter more than a word with you interrupting –'
'Peace!' intervened Miss Wychwood, considerably amused. 'You cannot quarrel in the street – at least, I daresay you can, but I beg you won't! Has your father disinherited you, Ninian? And, if so, why?'
'Well, no, he hasn't done that, precisely,' he replied, 'but it wouldn't astonish me if he did do so – except that I rather fancy it isn't within his power, on account of the Settlement which was executed by my grandfather. I didn't pay much heed to it at the time,
though I know that I had to sign some document or other – but he threatens to discontinue my allowance (besides repudiating any debts I may incur in Bath) if I do not instantly return to Chartley! I – I wouldn't have believed he could ever have behaved in such a manner! It has opened my eyes, I can tell you! He has always seemed to me to be the – the best of fathers, and – and the most understanding, and I don't scruple to say that this business has wounded me deeply! And, what's more, I'll be – dashed – if I crawl back to Chartley with my tail between my legs, as though I had done something wrong, which I have not !'
'It certainly seems very odd,' acknowledged Miss Wychwood. 'But perhaps there is an explanation! Will you walk with us to Gay Street, before Lucilla becomes quite frozen, and tell us why your father has issued such an ultimatum?'
He agreed to this, and, falling into step between them, disclosed that Lord Iverley (like Mrs Amber) had washed his hands of Lucilla, whose conduct had shown him that she was unworthy to be admitted into the family, being such as to convince him that she was so wholly wanting in propriety, modesty, and delicacy as to have sunk herself below reproach.
Ignoring an indignant gasp from Lucilla, he ended by saying: 'And so if you please, he forbids me to have anything more to do with her, but to return instantly to Chartley – under pain of his severest displeasure! As though the blame for her running away didn't lie at his door! Which it did! By God, Miss Wychwood, it has put me in such a rage that I have a very good mind to marry Lucilla immediately!'