'Not in this instance. But until your nephew bewitched her she did! She's the dearest girl, but I own that she can be headstrong, and too impetuous.' She paused, and then said ruefully: 'Once she makes up her mind it is very hard to turn her from it. She – she isn't a lukewarm girl! It is one of the things I particularly like in her, but it is quite disastrous in this instance!'
'Infatuated, is she? I daresay she'll recover,' he said, a suggestion of boredom in his voice.
'Undoubtedly! My fear is that she may do so too late! Mr Calverleigh, if your nephew were the most eligible bachelor in the country I should be opposed to the match! She is by far too young to be thinking of marriage. As it is, I need not, I fancy, scruple to tell you that he is not eligible! He bears a most shocking reputation, and, apart from all else, I believe him to be a fortune hunter!'
'Very likely, I should think,' he nodded.
This cool rejoinder made it necessary for her to keep a firm hand on the rein of her temper. She said, in a dry voice: 'You may regard that with complaisance, sir, but I do not!'
'No, I don't suppose you do,' he agreed amiably.
She flushed. 'And – which is of even more importance! – nor does my brother!'
This seemed to revive his interest. A gleam came into his eyes. 'What, does he know of this?'
'Yes, sir, he does know of it, and nothing, I assure you, could exceed his dislike of such a connection! It was he who told me what had been happening here, in Bath, during my absence, having himself learnt of it through someone who chances to be a close friend of his wife. He posted up to London from Bedfordshire to apprise me of it. Pray do not think I exaggerate when I say that I have seldom seen him more profoundly shocked, or – or heard him express himself with so much violence! Believe me, sir, nothing could prevail upon him to give his consent to your nephew's proposal!'
'I do – implicitly!' he replied, the light of unholy amusement in his eyes. 'What's more, I'd give a monkey to have seen him! Lord, how funny!'
'It was not in the least funny! And –'
'Yes, it was, but never mind that! Why should you fall into a fuss? If the virtuous James forbids the banns, and if my nephew is a fortune-hunter, depend upon it he will cry off !' He saw the doubt in her face, and said: 'You don't think so?'
She hesitated. 'I don't know. It may be that he hopes to win James over –'
'Well, he won't do that!'
'No. Unless – Mr Calverleigh, I have reason – some reason – to fear that he might persuade her into an elopement ! Thinking that once the knot was tied my brother would be obliged – ' She stopped as he broke into a shout of laughter, and said indignantly: 'It may seem funny to you, but I promise you –'
'It does! What a subject for a roaring farce! History repeats itself – with a vengeance!'
Wholly bewildered, she demanded: 'What do you mean? What can you possibly mean?'
'My pretty innocent,' he said, in a voice of kindness spiced with mockery, 'did no one ever tell you that I am the man who ran off with your Fanny's mother?'
Four
It was a full minute before Abby could collect her startled wits enough to enable her to speak, and when she did speak it was not entirely felicitously. She exclaimed: 'Then I was right! And you are it!'
With every appearance of enjoyment, he instantly replied: 'Until I know what it signifies, I reserve my defence.'
'The skeleton in the cupboard! Only I told Selina it would prove to be no more than the skeleton of a mouse!'
'You lied, then! The skeleton of a black sheep if you wish, but not that of a mouse – even a black mouse!'
Her voice quivered on the edge of laughter. 'No, indeed! How – how very dreadful! But how – when – Oh, do, pray, tell me!'
'You shock me Miss Abigail Wendover! – you know, I do like that name! – Who am I to divulge the secret which has been so carefully guarded?'
'The skeleton, of course!'
'But skeletons don't talk!' he pointed out.
Preoccupied with her own thoughts, she paid no heed to this, but said suddenly: 'That was why James flew into such a stew! Now, isn't it like James not to have told me the truth?'
'Exactly like him!'
'But why didn't George – No, you may depend upon it that he didn't know either! Because Mary doesn't, though she has always suspected, as I did, that there was something about Celia which was being kept secret. I wonder if Selina knew? Not the whole, of course, for if she had she would never have encour