It seemed to Sally that Stephen Harrington was well able to cope with his wife’s melodrama, for now he merely thrust a hand through his tousled fair hair, smiled at Sally and remarked placidly that if Jack had decided to leave he doubted there was anything anyone else could do to change his mind.
‘For you know he is as damnably obstinate as you are, my love,’ he said to Charlotte, ‘and once you have set your mind to something, there is no arguing with you.’
‘And I,’ Charlotte said with spirit, ‘have quite set my mind to the fact that they must stay.’ She turned back to Sally. ‘At the least you must come inside and take some tea before you go dashing off again.’ She slipped her hand through Sally’s arm. ‘This way, Miss Bowes. I am sure you will appreciate the chance to have a rest. Travelling by automobile is all very fashionable, but it can be wearisome, especially when accompanied by a bad-tempered brute!’ She shot Jack a look of reproach. ‘Stephen darling, Gregory, do take Jack away and give him a big drink of something in the hope of improving his temper, or, if that does not work, in the hope of making him incapable of driving that car!’
In Charlotte’s opulently decorated blue-damask drawing room, Sally removed her hat and veil and sank with relief into a seat. She felt exhausted. Charlotte rang for tea and came across to sit beside her on the satinwood sofa.
‘I am most dreadfully sorry about this, Mrs Harrington,’ Sally said, as Charlotte turned, smiling, to face her. ‘Mr Kestrel was certain that Mr Basset would have brought Connie here.’ Her face fell. ‘I was so disappointed to find that we had not guessed right.’
Charlotte patted Sally’s hand comfortingly. ‘I am sorry for your distress, Miss Bowes. It must be very difficult for you trying to do the right thing by your sister. Do you have any other relatives or are you alone in the world?’
‘I have another younger sister,’ Sally said, thinking of Nell, ‘but our parents are dead.’
‘And I suppose that you have always been the one to look after the others,’ Charlotte said, nodding. ‘It must have been lonely for you. Being the eldest can be a burden sometimes, can it not, Miss Bowes?’
‘It can be,’ Sally said, realising with a rush just how lonely she had been sometimes. She looked up to meet Charlotte’s compassionate gaze. ‘I do feel a sense of responsibility. Nell—my sister Petronella—is a great supporter of women’s suffrage. She is a widow without two pennies to rub together.’ She just managed to stop herself before she blurted out the whole tale of Nell’s debts and her own despair. Charley’s warmth of manner was so soothing after Jack’s contempt that Sally was terribly afraid she might tell her everything on the strength of ten minutes’ acquaintance.
‘And your sister Connie,’ Charley prompted, ‘the one who has eloped with my cousin …’
‘Yes, Connie.’ Sally shook her head. ‘Well, I suppose one could say that Connie goes her own way. She works in my nightclub in the Strand, Mrs Harrington.’ She looked a little defiant. ‘You can see now why both Lord Basset and your brother consider her an unsuitable match for Bertie and think me a bad influence into the bargain.’
‘Oh, Uncle Toby always was a stuffed shirt,’ Charlotte said, waving a hand around. ‘But I would have thought better of Jack.’ She frowned. ‘He is no snob.’
‘Perhaps,’ Sally said with a sigh, ‘if he believed Connie’s regard was sincere he might be more sympathetic. But …’ she met Charley’s eyes very honestly ‘… I think he believes her a fortune hunter. Certainly her behaviour has painted her in that light so it is no great wonder.’
‘Well,’ Charley said indignantly, ‘that is no reason to judge you in the same way, Miss Bowes, and I will tell Jack so! He can be odiously callous and cutting at times. It is one of his worst faults—though there are plenty of others to choose from!’ She smiled at Sally. ‘Please do call me Charley, Miss Bowes, and I hope I may call you Sally? I am not one to stand on formality.’
‘Of course,’ Sally said, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Jack’s sister was rather like a force of nature and quite unstoppable. ‘I would be delighted.’
‘That is settled, then,’ Charley said. She gave the butler a bright smile as he entered with the tea tray. ‘Thank you, Patterson. And would you please be so good as to ask Mrs Bell to prepare two further bedrooms? Mr Kestrel and Miss Bowes will be staying tonight.’
‘I admire your confidence,’ Sally said.
Charley laughed. She stirred the tea vigorously, splashing a fair quantity on to the tray and the plate of shortbread biscuits. The butler looked pained but resigned, as though such incidents occurred each day. One of the black Labradors came over to tidy up the damp biscuits.
‘Tell me more about your sister Connie,’ Charley said, as Patterson went out. ‘If she is strong-minded, she could be just what Bertie needs. I think that he would benefit greatly from marrying a strong and clever woman. He is quite weak and easily led and needs firm guidance, like so many men.’
Sally smiled to think of Stephen Harrington being receptive to firm guidance. He hardly struck her as that sort of man.
‘You are very generous, Charley,’ she said, ‘but I do not think that Connie is the right woman for Mr Basset.’ She thought about the blackmail and sighed. ‘Your brother is no doubt right in his judgement. I myself suspect that Connie is merely hunting a fortune.’
‘Well, we shall see,’ Charley said. Her chin jutted pugnaciously. ‘If Bertie and Connie are genuinely in love, then I for one shall support them all I can! At the least they should be left to sort the matter out themselves. I cannot understand why Jack has dragged you into this farrago, Sally.’
‘I did rather drag myself,’ Sally admitted. ‘I wanted to make sure that Connie was safe and well.’
‘I suppose that Jack is acting as Uncle Toby’s agent in all this,’ Charley said, passing Sally her teacup, ‘and has become all haughty about the family honour.’ Her face broke into a mischievous smile. ‘How rich is that, and Jack with the reputation he has! I shall tell him not to be so pompous!’ She peered closely at Sally. ‘I do hope that he has not upset you too much, Miss Bowes? He can be frightfully rude.’
‘Indeed he can,’ Sally said. She fidgeted with her teaspoon. ‘But I can look after myself.’
‘Well, I am not sure that you can, with Jack,’ Charley exclaimed. ‘He is so very high-handed. Sometimes I think he was born in the wrong century. He behaves like some sort of eighteenth-century rake—’ She stopped, eyes widening, as the hot colour burned Sally’s cheeks. ‘Oh! Have I said something tactless? I do apologise!’
‘No,’ Sally said, ‘no, of course not.’ New friend or not, she thought, there was no possible way she could discuss Jack’s rakish tendencies with his sister.
Charley handed her a plate of tiny cucumber sandwiches and apple and walnut cake. Sally ate hungrily, suddenly becoming aware just how tired and ravenous she was. She had not been able to eat much at lunch. Jack’s presence had made her too nervous.
‘Now,’ Charley said, ‘I have a plan. It is foolish for you and Jack to go charging off to Gretna Green tonight—’ a dimple dented her cheek ‘—particularly in the Lanchester, which may be a splendid vehicle, for all I know, but would take days to reach Birmingham, let alone Gretna! I suggest that I send a footman to bring your cases in and then an overnight stay will be a fait accompli. I will tell Jack it is all decided.’
As Sally started to protest, she waved her comments aside. ‘I can lend you something to wear for dinner if you require it, Sally, so you need not regard that as a problem. And I will talk Jack around. See if I don’t!’
Sally