‘What kindness was this?’ she asked, in saccharine tones. ‘Do tell me more.’
‘There is really nothing to tell, ma’am, disclaimed Harriet hurriedly. ‘I merely returned one of his damaged possessions to him. He—he was a little effusive in his gratitude, that is all. Please do not laugh. It is a dreadful thing to lose one’s home. I, myself, know this only too well!’
In the ensuing silence Sandford, his eyes full of compassion, reached out to clasp her hand and she made no attempt pull away from him.
Her ladyship studied her thoughtfully for a moment then, turning to the viscount, she reverted to the topic of the cottages.
‘You intend to replace them or merely to clear the site?’ she asked. ‘I was under the impression that the new ones in the upper meadow were already a replacement.’
Ridgeway answered for his clearly distracted cousin. ‘That was the idea originally, ma’am,’ he said. ‘But as more of our lads return from the continent, we are finding that accommodation is scarce, especially for youngsters wanting to get wed and set up their own homes. And you know that Beldale likes to take care of his people.’
‘I should have thought it would be difficult to justify such an expense at the moment—I hear that Beldale is threatening to cut back as it is!’
She sat back in her chair, satisfied that her words had hit their mark.
Sandford looked ill at ease and, raising accusing eyes to his sister-in-law’s, he encountered her shocked and guilty expression.
‘I didn’t say ‘'cut back'', Mama,’ she said, in some confusion. ‘I merely mentioned that Robert and Charles were devising some sort of consolidation for the estates—at least—’ she turned to Sandford ‘—that is what I inferred from our conversation?’
‘That’s all it is, Judith,’ he returned, with feigned good humour. ‘Just one of several ideas we’re considering. I told you to forget about it. You must know that we would consult you about anything that might affect Westpark.’
‘But, of course!’ Lady Butler was at pains to point out. ‘Although it is hardly for our bailiff to be making major decisions regarding our property!’
There was an uncomfortable pause as Judith coloured violently and Ridgeway, eyes fixed on the table in front of him, clenched his fists between his knees.
The meal was completed in subdued undertones, Sandford ruefully conscious of all the effort that Harriet had spent in contributing to the evening’s earlier success. Looking sideways at her pensive expression, he had a desperate longing to take her in his arms and soothe away her hurts and fears, in spite of her angry declaration that he was ‘not that man'.
Finally, when all the covers had been removed and the decanters placed at the gentlemen’s elbows, Judith rose to escort the ladies from the room. Lady Butler, with her usual officious manner, deemed it necessary to linger behind to point out some deficiency or other to Finchley and instructed the two men not to linger over their drinks, before following her daughter from the room.
Left to themselves, Sandford and Ridgeway relaxed and the viscount, pouring his cousin a large glass of brandy, grinned sympathetically and said, ‘You look as though you need that, old chum! Get it down you and let’s talk!’
‘I’d drink the whole bottle if I thought it would answer,’ said Ridgeway, with a grimace. ‘But it didn’t serve my father, so its efficacy is clearly in doubt!’
Sandford contemplated him gravely for a moment or two before taking a sip of his own drink. ‘What do you hear about this Potter business—with Harriet?’ he asked casually. ‘I know she picked up a memento when I showed her the cottages—but I’m damned if I can see why it should have set the whole village on its ears!’
Ridgeway looked up in surprise and, seeing that his cousin was clearly ignorant of the whole matter, furnished him with the details with which Lady Eugenie herself had supplied him, she having got them first-hand from Meggy Watts.
‘And you say you didn’t know any of this, man?’ exclaimed Ridgeway, in amazement. ‘What do you do? Walk around with your eyes and ears closed?’
‘No need to be offensive, old chap,’ said Sandford calmly. ‘I don’t have a houseful of chattering females to bring me the latest on-dits like you do and I’ve been stuck in the outfields most of the week, don’t forget.’
‘But you were at Mrs Watts’ cottage the other day—you spoke to old Josh himself! Didn’t he mention it?’
‘Well, apart from damning me to perdition, he did suggest that I wasn’t worthy of a certain lady’s regard—something about not being ‘'fit to lick her dear little boots” springs to mind—but since I’m well aware of that fact, I didn’t pay a great deal of—why are you looking at me like that?’
What’s going on, Robert?’ asked the older man sharply. ‘You and Miss Cordell have been at daggers’ drawn all week—any fool could see that. Last week it was much the same, if I’m not mistaken and—I have to say this, old chap—you don’t act like a man newly in love!’
‘Do I not, indeed?’ drawled Sandford coldly and for the merest moment his eyes looked bleak as they studied his cousin’s concerned face. Then, with a sudden urgency he leaned across the table and said decisively, ‘Fill your glass, Charles. I have a tale to tell you—but it must go no further than this room.’
Chapter Eleven
Judith could not imagine what could be keeping Sandford and Ridgeway so long at the table, particularly since Charles had earlier given her the impression that he would be happy to spend every minute of the evening by her side and she had supposed that Robert must wish to do likewise with his new betrothed, yet the tea tray had come and gone and still the gentlemen had not appeared.
She was perfectly content to sit and chatter to her young friend, of course, but, of their own volition, it seemed, her eyes constantly wandered to the clock on the mantelshelf. Her mother, she observed, must also have registered their non-appearance, for Judith was aware of that lady’s continual glances towards the door whenever the slightest sound penetrated from without.
Harriet, too, had marked the long absence but, since she knew that inquiries about her assailants were still in progress, she assumed that this must be the topic that engrossed them. She had no objection to Sandford’s absenting himself for as long as he chose, she told herself, for she had found that, having expended all of her energy and resources in keeping up the performance of constant good humour which she had promised him, she now felt quite drained and was perfectly happy to relax into exchanging idle pleasantries with Judith, for this required no false effort on her part.
‘The gentlemen appear to prefer their own company, I see,’ Lady Butler intoned peevishly.
‘I’m sure they will not be long, Mama,’ answered Judith, attempting to soothe her. ‘I dare say they have become involved in estate matters and forget the time.’
‘They must be very deeply involved—for even Miss Cordell’s skills at the keyboard seem have to have lost their former attraction!’
Harriet laughed, one of her soft infectious chuckles. ‘I know you jest, your ladyship,’ she said. ‘I do not pretend any skill at the keyboard. That was but a game we played whenever we found ourselves in possession of a piano—which was very seldom, as you can imagine.’
‘Do tell us,’ begged Judith, as much to pass the time as anything. ‘This would have been while you were wintering in Lisbon, I collect?’
‘Yes, and I cannot claim to have been the inventor