Chapter Six
Lottie was almost beside herself with a combination of worry and impatience. She had been standing at the window for almost half an hour and when, at last, Markfield’s carriage hove into view, she was out of the morning room and down the stairs in a trice, all agog to learn how Helena had fared at the hands of the imperious Lady Isobel Standish.
Reaching the hallway just as Hayward opened the front door, however, she perceived that Lord Markfield, having brought Helena to the doorstep, was now in the process of saying his fare-wells. Uncomfortably aware that any overly inquisitive behaviour on her part would meet with her cousin’s disapproval, Lottie quickly withdrew from their line of vision but, since her curiosity was by this time almost at bursting point, she found that, by straining her ears, she was just able to catch the earl’s words.
‘I must thank you again for exercising such admirable self-restraint, Miss Wheatley,’ he was saying. ‘I fear that my grandmother can be—how shall I put it?—a little overbearing at times. I trust that she has not caused you to have second thoughts about our agreement?’
‘Not at all, sir,’ came Helena’s reply. ‘You must allow me to disabuse you of such a notion. I have every reason to believe that the countess and I came to understand one another perfectly well.’
‘In that case, may I take it that you are not averse to attending this soirée she has suggested on Friday?’
‘But, of course,’ returned Helena evenly. ‘If her ladyship truly believes that she will have no difficulty in procuring so many guests at such short notice, then it is hardly for me to cry craven.’
‘You continue to surprise me, Miss Wheatley,’ said Richard, a slight smile playing about his lips as he executed a bow and turned to leave. ‘With your permission, then, I shall call for you at eight.’
Realising that her cousin was shortly about to make her entrance, Lottie turned tail and hurried back up to the morning room where, picking up the book that she had recently discarded, she resumed her seat in an attempt to give even the most critical observer the impression that she had been involved in that activity for quite some time. She was, however, considerably taken aback when, just a few short minutes later, Helena opened the door and, with barely a glance in her cousin’s direction, made straight for the window, clearly intent upon catching a glimpse of Markfield’s departing carriage!
‘His lordship appears to have made a considerable impression on you,’ she observed wryly, laying her book aside. ‘May I assume that your visit could be deemed to have been something of a success?’
Suddenly conscious of her extraordinary actions, Helena turned briskly away from the window only to find herself facing a somewhat speculative expression in her cousin’s eyes.
‘As a matter of fact,’ she replied defensively, as a becoming flush suffused her cheeks, ‘it actually turned out to be a good deal more interesting than I had expected.’
Lottie’s face lit up. ‘How so?’ she demanded eagerly. ‘You were gone such an age that I began to fear they had abducted you for some huge ransom!’
Helena laughed. ‘Silly goose! It is clear that you read far too many inferior novels,’ she said, as after peeling off her gloves she made for the door. ‘But I promise that I shall tell you everything as soon as I have been in to see Papa—he will be anxious to know how I got on.’
‘You had best not go in to him just at the moment,’ her cousin advised her worriedly. ‘I peeped in only a short while ago and he was fast asleep. Digby has spent most of the afternoon trying to keep him calm. Uncle Giles is so very keen that this Markfield fellow should come up to scratch, Nell, that I fear you will be hard pressed to persuade him that he has any unacceptable failings.’
‘I rather doubt that he has,’ murmured Helena absently, but then, as she registered the attentive gleam in her cousin’s eyes, she collected herself and added hurriedly, ‘But none of that matters for the present. His lordship has already given me his promise that he will go along with the scheme and his grandmama also seems to have entered into the spirit of the thing most enthusiastically!’
She then proceeded to describe the more salient details of her interview with Lady Isobel, causing Lottie to express, in turns, various degrees of dismay, affront and amazement at the countess’s high-handed treatment of her beloved Helena.
‘You are so brave, Nell!’ she breathed, when her cousin had finished. ‘I could not have borne to have been spoken to in such a way! She sounds the most awful harridan!’ A sudden thought struck her and she paled. ‘I suppose I shall have to meet her if I am to accompany you on any future visits!’
Helena let out a little chuckle. ‘Oh, come now, Lottie,’ she cried. ‘You only have to call to mind old Mrs Pettigrew in your village! You remember how she always tries to mortify everyone with her overbearing behaviour, while you and I both know that, at heart, she would really like to make friends, but simply doesn’t know how to set about it. Look how quickly she came round when we offered to exercise her dog when she was laid up with the gout. In my opinion, her ladyship is merely a rather grander version of our Mrs Pettigrew!’
Lottie looked bewildered. ‘But the countess must have loads of friends if she is going to invite them all to this party of hers!’
‘Plenty of acquaintances, no doubt,’ replied Helena, with a decisive nod. ‘And hangers-on, too, probably, but I take leave to dispute that many of them are actual friends! As a matter of fact, the countess struck me as being rather a lonely old soul. Once you get past her hoity-toity grand manner, you will find that she is very little different from the likes of Mrs Pettigrew.’
‘If you say so,’ said Lottie, not at all convinced by her cousin’s argument, but then, changing the subject, she asked anxiously, ‘Am I to accompany you on Friday, do you know? I imagine that you would be expected to have some sort of a chaperon.’
Helena was silent for a few moments as she considered Lottie’s words but then, shaking her head, she felt bound to admit that the etiquette involved in this particular issue was somewhat outside her sphere. Although the matter had seldom arisen, it was perfectly true that, since her cousin had joined the Wheatley household, Lottie’s inclusion into any invitation, heretofore, had always been taken for granted. But, as Helena was well aware, small gatherings of her father’s business acquaintances, accompanied by their wives and assorted progeny, could hardly be compared with what Lady Isobel was likely to have in mind for the coming Friday.
‘I dare say I could ask Lord Markfield,’ she said eventually but then, recalling her earlier embarrassment over the faux pas regarding the carriage ride, she heaved a reluctant sigh. ‘But it is sure to give him even more reason to think us complete flats!’
At Helena’s crestfallen expression, a puzzled frown appeared on Lottie’s brow but she forbore from commenting on her cousin’s remark. Instead, she felt constrained to point out that, since Lady Isobel appeared to be so eager to sponsor Helena’s début, surely she was the person from whom any such advice must be sought.
Her face clearing, Helena reached out and grasped hold of Lottie’s hands. ‘But of course! How foolish of me not to have thought of that myself! Oh, Lottie, what an absolute gem you are. I shall write a note to her ladyship at once.’
Later that evening, however, as she sat at her father’s bedside and studied his grey, lined features, Helena found herself filled with serious misgivings regarding her continued deception of the sick man.
‘Now, my jewel,’ he was saying, his voice a husky whisper, ‘you must promise me that you will not allow this little setback of mine to interfere with any arrangement that the dear countess cares to make on your behalf. I feel myself growing