‘You cannot introduce her in any way at all!’ Delagarde interposed, in considerable disorder. ‘Good God, I will not be sponsor to a lady looking as Maidie does! I should lose all credit with the world.’
‘You are very right,’ agreed Lady Hester, laying an approving hand on his arm. ‘Her appearance will not do at all. I had not thought of it in all this excitement. She must be properly dressed. I shall see to that at once. Maidie cannot object to acquiring new gowns. You need have no fear, Laurie. I will make sure she does not disgrace you.’
‘If her conduct today is any indication of her company manners,’ Delagarde said bitterly, ‘there is little hope of preventing that.’
But Lady Hester was not attending. ‘We will not make too obvious a stir, I think, for that may defeat the purpose. A soirée at the start of next month will serve admirably. At first, though—’
‘Aunt Hester!’
‘—we shall make it our business to call upon all the leading hostesses. As Maidie’s sponsor, you will of course accompany us.’
‘If you think I am going to dance attendance on that cursed wench morning after morning—’
‘Laurie, what am I thinking of?’ interrupted his great-aunt, unheeding. ‘The servants! We shall never manage with this skeleton staff. You must send to Berkshire immediately. Or, stay. Lowick may go down himself and make all the necessary arrangements.’
‘Aunt Hes—’
‘Gracious, there is so much to be done! I must see Lowick immediately. He and I will put our heads together, and—’
‘Aunt Hes, will you, for God’s sake, attend to me?’
She stopped in mid-stride, and looked at him with an air of surprise. ‘Yes, Laurie?’
‘Aunt Hes, stop!’ he uttered desperately. ‘I will not— I have no intention— Oh, good God, I think I am going mad! Aunt Hes, if you bring that wretched girl to live here, I promise you I shall remove!’
‘Nonsense. Move out of your own house? Besides, we need you.’
‘We!’ he said witheringly. ‘Why are you doing this to me?’
‘Why?’ A trill of laughter escaped Lady Hester, as she made for the door. ‘My dear Laurie, I have your interests wholly at heart, believe me. Do not be taken in by Lady Mary talking lightly of an “independence”. Brice Burloyne was a nabob.’
‘What has that to do—’
But Lady Hester was gone.
Delagarde stood staring at the open door, mid-sentence and open-mouthed, hardly taking in the significance of her last utterance.
‘I do not believe this is happening,’ he muttered.
Was his life to be turned upside down in a matter of hours? He cursed the ill-timing that had brought his great-aunt on a visit just at this moment. She was invariably content to remain in residence on his estates at Delagarde Manor, where she had lived, courtesy of his mother’s generosity, since before Laurence had been born. Her criticism rankled. Idle and hedonistic, indeed! Was he any more so than any other of his class? And what the devil had she meant by saying that he had no responsibilities? Was he not landlord to a vast estate? To be sure, he employed an agent to administer the lands, and his steward could be relied upon to keep all smooth in his absence.
Was that the burden of her complaint? That he was absent from Berkshire for a good part of the time? Good God, one could not be expected to kick one’s heels in the country all year round! Who did not spend the Season in town?
Another thought struck him, and his eye kindled. If this was a dig at his continued bachelorhood—! To be sure, he had to marry some day. The line must be carried on. But there were Delagarde cousins enough for the succession to be in no immediate danger, even were he not in the best of health. Nor was he reckless in his sporting pursuits, which might put him in danger of accident. In fact, he took sufficient account of his responsibilities not to merit that criticism in the very least!
What the devil should possess her to say such an un-handsome thing of him? Aunt Hes was not wont to criticise, and he strongly suspected that she had made that up on the spur of the moment. A ploy to push him into agreeing to sponsor that dreadful girl. Well, he had not agreed! What whim should take Aunt Hes to rush to the wretched female’s aid, he was at a loss to understand.
What had she said? Brice Burloyne was a nabob? One of these Indian fortunes? Oh, good God! And he was to figure as trustee, heaven help him! No doubt the creature would expect him to ward off fortune-hunters on her behalf. A vision of his hitherto ordered and pleasant existence rose up, and he could swear he saw it shatter. No! No, he would not be coerced.
Striding to the bell-pull, he tugged it fiercely, and then marched out into the hall just as a footman came quickly in through the green baize door at the back. Already he discerned an air of bustle about the house, for Lady Hester’s abigail was hurrying up the stairs, accompanied by one of the maids, and the stout housekeeper, pausing only to bob a curtsy to her master as he came out of the parlour, set her foot on the bottom stair and began to puff her way up.
‘Where is Lowick?’ Delagarde demanded of the footman.
‘Mr Lowick has gone upstairs to confer with her ladyship, my lord.’
‘Oh, he has, has he? Well, go up and bring him down here to me. And send for Liss at once!’
‘I am here, my lord,’ said his valet, entering the hall from the green baize door, as the footman ran up the stairs. Liss had apparently held himself ready, for he was burdened with several articles of clothing.
‘My coat, Liss! My hat!’
‘Both here, my lord.’
Delagarde allowed his valet to help him into the greatcoat, and seized his hat. He was standing before the hall mirror, placing the beaver at a rakish angle on his head, when his butler came hurrying down the stairs.
‘Ah, Lowick,’ Delagarde said, turning. ‘Listen to me! If that female should return here, you will—’
‘Lady Mary, my lord?’ interrupted the butler. ‘You need have no fear, my lord. Her ladyship has given me very precise instructions. All will be in readiness to receive her.’
‘But I don’t want you to receive her!’
The butler bowed, and permitted himself a tiny avuncular smile. ‘Her ladyship has explained that you are a trifle put out by the inconvenience, my lord.’
‘Put out!’
‘It is very natural, I am sure, my lord. I understand that there is an obligation which your lordship is determined to honour.’
Delagarde gazed at him. Devil take it! Aunt Hes had neatly outgeneralled him. Working on the principle, he dared say, that it was never of the least use to try to keep things from the servants. No doubt she would have the entire household duped in no time at all, everyone working to thwart him. How the devil was he to refute the obligation now, without appearing churlish or dishonourable?
‘So she has drawn you in, has she?’ he muttered balefully.
The butler gave him a puzzled look. ‘I beg your pardon, my lord?’
‘Never mind.’ He received his cane from the valet with a brief word of thanks, and turned back to his butler. ‘Lowick, I am going out.’
‘Yes, my lord. You need not fear that every courtesy will not be extended to the young lady, my lord. The housekeeper is even now receiving her instructions to arrange for Lady Mary’s accommodation.’
‘I do not wish to hear anything about it! Let me out!’
‘But will your lordship