‘That horse is as sound as a bell. I cannot imagine why you thought—’ William stood in the doorway, whip in one hand, hat in the other, regarding the two of them with some confusion. ‘I beg your pardon. Have I interrupted? I could hear voices and I thought you would want your mind set at rest about the animal.’
‘Not at all, Cousin William,’ Tallie said warmly. ‘I am delighted to see you. Do, please, come in and tell Cousin Nicholas all about his horse. I must go and write a letter.’ His arrival had only put off the painful declaration she was certain Nick was going to make her sooner or later, but, although she reproved herself for being a coward, she could only be glad of the respite.
‘We were just discussing Jack Hemsley’s latest activities,’ Nick said smoothly, ignoring Tallie’s horrified expression. He moved across and placed a hand on her shoulder. Without an unseemly struggle she was effectively trapped. ‘Cousin Tallie thwarted his attempts to seduce a friend of hers and it appears that two blows to his pride by one young lady was more than he could stomach. Added to that, it seems he realised that to attack the young lady living under my aunt’s roof would be to attack me—and I have been acting in such a way recently that his dislike of me has grown inordinately. He hatched a plot to ruin Tallie, which fortunately misfired last night. I have been considering what to do about him.’
Tallie sank back into the chair and considered giving herself up to strong hysterics. Nick was blandly ignoring the furious looks she was shooting him while William was reacting with predictable indignation. ‘What to do? How can you even hesitate? Why, I will call him out, the bast—blackguard. Cousin Tallie is a guest under my roof, my mother’s companion. This is outrageous!’ He took an agitated turn around the room and swung round to face them. ‘What did he do?’
‘I really would prefer not to discuss it,’ Tallie interjected hastily. If she had not been feeling so flustered she might have been amused at the confusion into which she had thrown William, who blushed and began to stutter at the thought he had embarrassed her. ‘And, please, I could not bear it if either of you call him out. What if you were to be wounded?’
William looked hurt, Nick merely raised an eyebrow and remarked, ‘Unlikely. No, we need to avoid any hint of scandal in dealing with Hemsley—Tallie’s position in this household is too well known not to arouse suspicions if one of us openly challenges him. I have a better idea—one that I can thank you for, Tallie. Financial ruin is going to be a much more effective punishment for Jack than an uncomfortable dawn meeting on the Heath. Is Aunt Kate downstairs, William?’
‘In the front salon,’ he replied. ‘I thought it was odd; she is usually in here at this time of day.’
Tallie glared at Nicholas through narrowed eyes. So, Lady Parry had tactfully removed herself while he made a declaration, had she? It was regrettable that she had to disappoint her kind patroness, but she was not going to marry Nicholas Stangate to satisfy anyone’s ideas of what was the right and proper thing for a compromised young lady to do.
‘Then let us consult her.’ Nick opened the door for Tallie and steered them both in the direction of the front of the house. ‘If my memory serves me right, we will have the perfect opportunity for our retribution tonight.’
Lady Parry looked up with a smile that rapidly faded as she took in Tallie’s tight lips, Nick’s expressionless face and William’s pink-cheeked indignation.
‘We have just been telling William that Jack Hemsley has attempted to ruin Tallie.’
‘Oh, dear.’ Lady Parry fluttered a white hand and lay back against the sofa cushions. ‘This is all very … distressing. You will not say anything, William dear, will you?’
‘Of course not.’ Her son looked indignant. ‘Don’t know what happened anyway, so I can’t say anything. I just want to put a bullet in the man. Damn it, when I think I believed him my friend!’
‘Language, dearest! You are not going to call him out, are you, Nicholas?’
‘No. There is too much risk it would draw attention to Tallie.’ Nick pulled over a chair and sat down. ‘Am I right in thinking it is Lady Agatha Mornington’s dress ball tonight?’
‘Oh my goodness, yes, it is! I had quite forgotten, what with all the excitement of having to go down to Sussex and then poor Tallie’s adventures. Were you thinking that Mr Hemsley would be sure to be there in attendance on his aunt and it would therefore be embarrassing for Tallie to see him?’
‘Not at all. I was wondering if you felt rather too tired after your journey to go, that was all.’ Nick sat twisting his signet ring round his finger with a vaguely abstracted air. Tallie eyed him cautiously. He was plotting, she was sure of it.
His aunt was even more certain. ‘Out with it, Nicholas. What do you have in mind?’
‘A punishment for Jack Hemsley that will ensure he is hurt where it will do him most damage—in his pocket and in his reputation. And it will ensure he will not dare to return to town for a good long while. If he can afford to, that is. But I am going to need all three of you to pull it off.’
Lady Parry sat up sharply, eyes sparkling. ‘Wonderful! I have been wanting to box that young man’s ears ever since I heard of his ungentlemanly behaviour.’
Nick turned to look at Tallie, who found that her hands were clenched into fists in her lap. The thought of turning the tables on Jack Hemsley was powerfully attractive. ‘Tallie? Do you feel you can cope?’
‘With anything,’ she affirmed with emphasis. ‘What do you want us to do?’
At ten that evening Nick smiled at his troops as their carriage drew up at the steps of the Morning tons’ town house. In the light from the flickering flambeaux their faces were curiously intent and dramatic. ‘All ready? Are you sure you know what to do? We cannot know the layout of the ballroom in advance, so we will have to improvise if necessary.’
‘We will cope,’ Lady Parry declared. ‘After all, there are only so many ways one can arrange the room and Lady Mornington is not one to be endlessly seeking for variety and novelty. But poor Agatha! I do dislike being the one who reveals the depths of infamy her wretched nephew has sunk to.’
‘Think how she is being deceived now, though,’ Tallie comforted. ‘And you did say she had some very pleasant nephews and nieces on the other side of the family from whom she has been estranged because she so favours Jack. How much better it will be if she has their loyal support and not that of a money-seeking rake.’
‘I would not put anything past him,’ William added grimly. ‘If the moneylenders get impatient at having to wait too long for that post-obit to be repaid, goodness knows what he might do to get his hands on her fortune.’
Lady Parry gasped, but Nick said repressively, ‘Your Gothic imaginings are frightening the ladies, William. Now, if we are all ready, let us draw the first covert.’
With butterflies in her stomach Tallie followed her patroness up the double staircase to the wide landing outside the ballroom. They had deliberately timed their arrival for when the receiving line would have ended and their hostess would be found inside with her guests. Kate stepped into the hot, noisy throng, nodding and bowing to friends. With her hand under Tallie’s elbow, she steered her firmly past the young gentlemen who stopped to request a dance.
‘A little later, Lord Dimsdale, we are on an errand at present … Good evening, Mr Hubbert, I am sure Miss Grey will give you a dance later, but just now we really must find our hostess for a few words.’
Tallie craned to see the other side of the room. Nick’s dark head could be glimpsed in the gaps between sets of the country dance, which was boisterously under way. He was making steady progress up the room and suddenly Tallie saw his objective at the same time as Jack Hemsley saw Nick.
He turned abruptly on his heel and headed deeper into the onlookers towards the head of the room. ‘Gone away,’