Stripping off, she flung everything in the corner, then washed in the cold water which stood in an ewer on her washstand, finishing by sitting on a stool and paddling her feet in the bowl. It was such a hot day it was refreshing and soothing. After patting herself dry, she sat in her shift in front of her dressing table and picked up her hairbrush.
She had almost restored her hair to shining strands when Daisy appeared, hot, dusty and worried. ‘Oh, my lady, we thought we had lost you. We searched everywhere and all we found was your bonnet. Someone had trodden on it and it was ruined. When we came home and found you had not returned, we were really afraid. I was so relieved to see the Earl and know you were safe.’ She flung herself on her knees in front of Lavinia. ‘Please forgive me. Please don’t turn me off.’
‘Oh, Daisy, do get up, there’s a dear. No one is going to turn you off.’
Daisy scrambled to her feet. ‘Lord Corringham was very angry. He said it was no thanks to me that you were safe and well and, if I wanted to keep my job, I should look after you better and not leave you to be picked up by any Tom, Dick or Harry.’
‘Did he now?’ Lavinia said, with a smile. ‘And was Lord Wincote present when he said that?’
‘No, my lady. Why?’
‘No reason. Now, you are to take no notice of Lord Corringham. It is not his place to reprimand you and I do not blame you for what happened. We were separated, which could not be helped, so we will say no more about it. I do not think I shall even bother the Duchess with it.’
‘Oh, thank you, my lady.’
‘Now, go and clean yourself up and throw those clothes away.’ She indicated the pile in the corner. ‘Is Tom safely back?’
‘Yes, my lady. He brought your books back, except the one you were carrying. They are on the table in the hall.’
‘Good. I must remember to thank him.’
‘The Earl is downstairs, my lady. He said he wanted to speak to you.’
‘I’ve no doubt he means to ring a peal over me, but he will find himself mistaken if he thinks I will pay any attention,’ she said. ‘Daisy, pass me the blue silk pelisse-robe and a fresh pair of stockings. Then go to your room and rest for a while, you must be exhausted.’
Five minutes later, with the robe tied about the waist with a wide sash and her hair lying loose about her shoulders, she went down to the drawing room on the first floor. There, James stood with his back to the room, gazing out on to the parched garden.
He turned on hearing her enter and caught his breath at her creamy loveliness. Her green eyes sparkled and her hair shone from its recent brushing and hung in a curtain of rich chestnut brown, which contrasted beautifully with the pale blue of her gown. The wonder of it was that she seemed totally unaware of the devastating effect she had on her beholder.
‘Vinny, are you all right?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘I am sorry I was angry with you.’
‘And I am sorrier still that you should have redirected that anger at Daisy, my lord. You have frightened the poor girl to death. She is under the impression you have the authority to turn her off.’
‘I apologise for that, but when I came upon her and that groom, they had their arms about each other and were laughing immoderately. I told them it was not a joke that their mistress was missing.’
‘I was not missing, James. It was an unfortunate incident, but no harm has been done and I would as lief forget the whole thing…’
‘By that, I suppose, you mean I am not to mention it to the Duchess.’
‘No, nor Papa. They both have too much to concern them at the moment without having to worry about me.’
He came towards her and, stopping in front of her, took both her hands in his own. ‘I will not say a word, my dear, but only if you promise not to go out alone until this business with the Queen is over.’
She looked down at their hands clasped together and wondered at how small her hands were in his and yet how tenderly he held them safe, just as he would always hold her safe from harm. He was a dear, dear man and she was lucky to be so protected. ‘And when do you suppose that will be?’
‘I don’t know. Until she tires of it, I suppose. Or she is divorced. Whichever it is, I hope it will be soon, for I am heartily sick of the way the population forgets her transgressions and hails her almost as a saviour of the country.’
‘And you are a cynic, James. But I promise not to go out without an adequate escort in future.’ She smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek. ‘There, will that do?’
He smiled ruefully, rubbing the spot her lips had touched. ‘It will have to. Now, unless you intend going out again today, I will take my leave of you.’
‘No, I shall stay in. I am going to read A Midsummer Night’s Dream right through and see if I can cast the main characters; by then Mama will be home. We are going to the play at Drury Lane tonight. You may join us in Papa’s box, if you wish.’
‘No, thank you. I have other fish to fry.’
‘Oh, and am I permitted to know her name?’
‘It is not a lady, it is business which cannot wait.’
‘Very well. But can you be here tomorrow afternoon? I want to give everyone their parts.’
‘I thought there were to be no rehearsals until after Lady Graham’s ball.’
‘It isn’t a rehearsal, simply a preliminary meeting, so that people know who they are to be and can begin to learn their words.’
‘I will be at your service,’ he said, describing a flourish with his right hand while bowing from the waist, making her laugh. ‘“By all the vows that ever men have broke/In number more than ever woman spoke/In that same place thou hast appointed me?/Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.”’
She laughed. ‘I did not know you were so familiar with the play, James, but those are Hermia’s lines.’
‘I once took the part when I was at school. There were no ladies and the boys had to take the female parts too.’
‘Which they did in Shakespeare’s day, but I cannot imagine you as a woman, James.’
‘No? I was young and slim then. A few petticoats and a wig and the transformation was effected. But I sincerely hope you had no such plans for me now. I am grown tall and broad-shouldered and have hairs on my chin. Besides, I can no longer speak in a falsetto voice.’ He attempted it as he spoke, making her laugh.
‘No, I will not embarrass you, James. You will come, won’t you?’
‘Of course,’ he said, bowing over her hand. ‘Until tomorrow.’
After he had gone, she sat on a sofa for a little while, thinking about him, the conversations they had had, things he had said, the offhand manner with which she treated him and the way he took it all in good humour. She pondered on the strange feeling of restlessness which assailed her when he was near, making her want to shout, to laugh, to pace about, even to quarrel with him. She had not been aware of it before but perhaps it signalled that she was now a woman and ought to be wary of too much familiarity with a man, even one she knew and trusted.
She stood up abruptly and hurried to the ballroom to begin on a new piece of scenery, telling herself she was being fanciful. She was still there when Frances returned.
‘Vinny, there you are. I have been looking for you.’
‘Sorry, Mama, I did not hear