The Elusive Earl

by Anne Herries

  ‘We have already met the earl,’ Merry said, turning her aunt’s attention from her cousin. ‘He served us with our supper because we did not know what to choose – was that not kind of him?’

  ‘Very obliging,’ Lady Melbourne said. She had observed the earl’s attentions from across the room, as had his sister, both of them wondering which of the two girls had caught his eye. ‘Celia had the devil of a job to get him here this evening, for he does not care for this kind of thing – it was only the promise of the recital by Signor Barrichello that secured his agreement.’

  ‘He was the pianist,’ Merry said. ‘Yes, I noticed that the earl disappeared when the soprano was introduced but came back for the recital on the pianoforte.’

  ‘Had you met Sutherland previously?’ her aunt asked, eyes narrowing.

  ‘Oh no – but he smiled at me as he left,’ Merry said less than truthfully, but the exact truth might earn her a look of disapproval for she had said nothing of her meeting with the gentleman in the library the previous evening. ‘I could not help noticing for he was sitting quite close to me.’

  Lady Melbourne nodded. Merry’s revelation did not surprise her. She had no illusions about Jane’s prospects; they would be lucky to get her off with a gentleman of modest prospects, but Merry was more lively. She had hopes that they might bring something off for the gel – and she knew her sister had plans of her own. However, she was fond of her niece and meant to do what she could to see the gel well settled and not sold to the highest bidder.

  ‘I know Celia has despaired of seeing him wed,’ Lady Melbourne said with a little frown. ‘He is past thirty and has avoided the marriage mart since he first came into his fortune. She believes him past redemption, but he is a respectable man and you will be noticed if he escorts you. We have received several invitations, but not yet all those I would wish for you.’

  After supper, they returned to the salon, where a quartet was about to play for them. The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, though when Merry looked for the Earl of Sutherland, she could not see him. He had either disappeared into one of the other rooms or left his sister’s house altogether.

  * * *

  ‘Celia, that was not well done of you,’ Sutherland addressed his sister with a frown. ‘You know that I do not care to escort insipid girls to any event. A balloon ascension of all things! As if I had not seen them enough times.’

  ‘It will do you no harm to watch another, and you may have the pleasure of explaining it to Miss Hamilton and Miss Melbourne, which I am sure you will enjoy for you know so much about these things.’

  ‘Do not try your wiles on me, sister,’ Sutherland murmured with a wry smile. ‘How did you know that I had no important engagements for the morning – or did you simply not consider that?’

  ‘Oh, I did not think there could be anything so very urgent about a visit to your club or a few rounds with an ex pugilist. Tell me, John, do you fight under Broughton’s rules at that club of yours?’

  ‘It is very vulgar for a lady to ask such a question,’ Sutherland reproved her with a twinkle in his eye. ‘Am I to understand that you have attended a bare-knuckle fight? Remind me to speak to Portmeiron on the subject. I am certain he has no knowledge of your vices, Celia.’

  ‘Wretch!’ his sister cried and laughed. ‘Well, John, tell me – have you a vital engagement tomorrow that would entail your breaking the promise I gave in your name?’

  Sutherland hesitated, tempted to spike her guns. He knew very well what she was about but his good nature overcame the devil prompting him.

  ‘What you mean, sister dearest, is – am I completely given over to selfish pursuits or will I sacrifice one morning to save you from embarrassment? The answer is that I shall join your little excursion – but if you repeat the exercise I shall probably end by breaking your neck!’

  Celia Portmeiron laughed softly for she had no fear of ever provoking her rather lazy brother to such a show of force. She believed that his lack of progress in the pursuit of matrimonial happiness was most likely because he just could not be bothered to pursue any of the suitable young ladies she had thrown his way. However, she and Lady Rutledge had decided between them that this state of affairs could not go on, and they had put their heads together to come up with a plan.

  ‘My dearest John,’ she said, a look of affection in her eyes. ‘If I believed that, I should abandon you to your fate, but as I know you to be the most loving creature living, I shall pursue my first aim in life…which it to push you into finding happiness.’

  ‘You are an interfering minx,’ her brother said. ‘Remind me to ask Portmeiron to give you a beating when next I see him, though I dare say you lead him by the nose! And stop looking so very pleased with yourself! I shall admit that I find the Hamilton girl a little out of the ordinary – but that does not mean I shall instantly fall in love with her.’

  * * *

  The huge, brightly-coloured, balloon caused a great deal of oohs and ahhs, as it rose majestically into the sky above the heath. Several of the carriages set out to follow it as it drifted across the sky, but others had decided to enjoy the warm sunshine by having a picnic, and many ladies and gentlemen were simply walking about, laughing and talking.

  ‘Oh, what a shame, it has almost disappeared,’ Merry said. ‘That was such fun, sir. I cannot thank you enough for escorting us, for we could not otherwise have come. Was it not exciting, Jane?’

  ‘Oh yes. I am glad that Lady Portmeiron brought a picnic,’ Jane said for she was always hungry and she had preferred watching the people walking about on the heath to the balloon, which she had thought noisy and a little dangerous. Her mother never allowed her to do more than pick at her food because she was not the most slender of girls and she was ready for her nuncheon. ‘It is so pleasant to eat out of doors on a lovely day such as this, is it not?’

  ‘Yes, very pleasant,’ the earl said, and smiled. It was clear to him that Jane was a very shy girl, the kind he had assiduously avoided since he first came on the town. ‘My sister has one of the best cooks in London at her disposal, which means that she is always very willing to provide food for her guests. Shall we join the others? I believe they are ready to eat now.’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Jane said, smiling at him as he helped first her and then Merry down from his curricle. ‘We often have tea in the garden at home, of course.’

  ‘Do you mean here in town?’

  ‘Oh no, this isn’t home,’ Jane said and sighed. ‘I like the country best…’ she blushed and realised that she was being dull. ‘It is very pleasant in town, of course.’

  ‘But you miss your home, Sutherland said sympathetically. ‘I dare say you will get used to the racket of the town in time, Miss Melbourne.’ He turned his gaze to Merry, who was looking about her with interest. She was a very different young lady, and he found that she interested him despite himself. ‘Are you enjoying yourself, Miss Hamilton?’

  ‘Oh yes, very much,’ Merry said and smiled at him. ‘This morning was extremely entertaining, sir. Especially as we had you to explain what was happening. We were fortunate that you had the time to accompany us.’

  ‘It was my pleasure,’ he assured her. It was the truth despite his initial reluctance when his sister told him what she had arranged on his behalf. ‘At least there is some scientific interest attached to such spectacles, whereas many of the functions we are invited to attend are a little dull.’ He had enjoyed explaining to her the reason that the balloon needed the application of hot air, for she had been truly interested, which her cousin had not. Miss Melbourne had spent most of the time watching the other young ladies walking about and commenting on their gowns. However, she was no worse than most others of her age, but it was certainly a refreshing change to discover a girl with an inquiring mind. ‘I am told that I am required to attend my sister’s ball later this month and that is sure to be tedious…balls do tend to be boring do you not think?’ There was a sparkle in his eye as he played devil’s a
dvocate and waited expectantly.

  ‘You may find them so,’ Merry said, suspecting that he was teasing them, ‘but we are eager to attend our first dance, are we not, Jane?’

  ‘Oh…yes, I think so,’ Jane agreed a little nervously. ‘Shall you be there, sir – at Lady Harris’s dance?’

  The earl was silent for a moment. The dance she spoke of was a small affair and like to be insipid. He seldom bothered to attend such affairs, though he knew the invitation was sitting at the bottom of an expensive Sevres bowl together with a great many others.

  ‘At least we should be acquainted with one gentleman,’ Merry said and pulled a face. ‘I must admit it is daunting to be introduced to a room full of strangers. I suppose we must do it for as yet we are acquainted with very few gentlemen.’

  ‘Yes, I imagine it must quite nerve wracking,’ he said thoughtfully. As a young man on the town he had met friends from his days at Oxford, and they had all done their best to stay out of the way of match making mamas and their eager daughters. It was refreshing to see things from the point of view of a young lady. Meredith Hamilton was not the most beautiful girl he had ever met, and she certainly wasn’t a bold adventuress, but neither was she an insipid child. ‘Yes, I think I may attend, if only for the pleasure of dancing with both of you. You must both promise to keep at least one dance for me if you please.’

  ‘Thank you, that is very kind. At least we shall not have to sit out every dance,’ Merry said, her eyes alight with pleasure at the thought of seeing him again so soon. He was such a pleasant gentleman.

  ‘I assure you that you will not be left sitting for long, Miss Hamilton,’ he said. ‘Nor you, Miss Melbourne, I am sure.’

  Jane did not hear him, for she had already joined a group of ladies who were being served with all manner of delicious trifles from the large hampers, which Lady Portmeiron’s servants had set out for them.

  ‘Shall we join the others?’ he asked of Merry. ‘Or would you prefer to stroll for a while first?’

  ‘I am not particularly hungry,’ Merry told him with a smile.

  ‘Then we shall walk as far as that tree,’ Sutherland said. ‘It will give us both an appetite.’

  He offered Merry his arm and they walked unhurriedly towards a very large and majestic oak tree.

  ‘It is lovely here on the Heath now,’ Merry said, ‘but there are tales of people being attacked here by highwaymen and I do not think I should care to cross it at night.’

  ‘No indeed, one would have to be well armed,’ Sutherland said and smiled for his companion truly had a lively mind. ‘It is rumoured that highwaymen have stabled their horses at the Spaniard’s Inn – and it was here to Hampstead that people fled during the great plague of London in the seventeenth century.’

  ‘Was it not the discovery of some healing springs near by that made Hampstead popular?’

  ‘I see you are well informed, Miss Hamilton.’

  ‘I like to read, sir, and not just the latest novel,’ Merry said. ‘As I believe you do yourself.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ he murmured, a rueful look in his eyes. ‘You discovered my little secret that evening, did you not?’

  ‘I promise I shall not tell a soul,’ Merry said.

  ‘Thank you, Miss Hamilton,’ he replied, amused. ‘Perhaps we should join the others now? I believe there are some strawberry tartlets with a delicate pastry base and a French custard filling that will tempt even you to try them.’

  ‘They sound mouth-watering,’ Merry said and turned obediently.

  They returned to the others and found that a portion of the most delicious morsels had been reserved for them by Lady Portmeiron’s servants, who were all used to the earl’s habits of disappearing whenever he felt like it, and would not have dreamed of letting him go hungry. He gave all the nicest things to Merry to try, teasing her as she nibbled the delicious pastries.

  ‘You have a drop of custard on your nose, Miss Hamilton,’ he said and leaned towards her, removing it with his kerchief.

  Merry blushed a little for she had eaten far more than she would normally have allowed herself, but she refused to feel embarrassed for she had thoroughly enjoyed the outing, and she was sorry when everyone began to make a move.

  ‘I think I should take you home now,’ Sutherland said, handing first Merry and then Jane into his curricle. ‘Otherwise, Lady Melbourne will begin to think you have had an accident.’

  He gave the reins a little shake, for he had elected to drive himself, though he had a groom standing up behind. As the carriage began to move off, Merry caught sight of a gentleman watching them intently. She blushed and turned her head away, for she thought that he was staring at her and she found his interest uncomfortable. However, she said nothing for he was soon left behind, and the carriage gathered speed as they gained the highroad.

  The earl was concentrating on his driving, and did not speak until they arrived at their destination, whereupon he gave the reins to his groom and got out to hand the ladies down.

  ‘Thank you again, sir,’ Jane said. ‘It was so kind of you to offer to take us.’

  ‘I enjoyed myself immensely,’ Merry said and he held her hand for a fraction longer than necessary. ‘I shall look forward to seeing you again soon.’

  ‘The feeling is mutual…’

  The earl watched as the two young ladies disappeared into the house. He was puzzled by his willingness to agree to an evening of stunning boredom, which was how he usually viewed such events. However, he knew instinctively that for one small moment of time he would not be in the least bored, though he might very well be so for the rest of the evening.

  He thought that perhaps he would leave once he had danced with Merry and her shy cousin…though perhaps that would look too particular. He must dance with one or two other young ladies or the society gossips would start hearing wedding bells. And that was something he had not yet considered, even though his sister had been trying to badger him into it for the past several years.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Merry looked at herself in the mirror as she prepared for the dance that evening. Her dress was a deep green silk and overlaid with silver tissue that draped in folds around the skirt. She had been doubtful when the seamstress had explained how it would work, but now she saw that it was rather effective, and there was a swathe of the same tissue across the dipping neckline of her gown. Without the tissue it would have looked provocative, but now it was modest enough to please her aunt, though allowing a glimpse of soft flesh.

  She was wearing her pearls again, for they were the only jewels that she possessed. Jane was more fortunate; her mother loaned her various trinkets that she had had as a young girl, and she had other trinkets that had been given her for recent birthdays. That evening she knew Jane would be wearing a pale pink gown and a delicate pendant of rose quartz and pearls. Satisfied with her appearance, Merry picked up her fan and reticule and went next door to her cousin’s room.

  ‘You look pretty, dearest,’ Merry said for she could sense that Jane was nervous. ‘I think you will secure lots of partners this evening.’

  ‘Do you think so?’ Jane asked nervously. Both her elder sisters had married well, but she believed that she was the plain one of the family and would be fortunate to marry at all.

  ‘Yes, of course. I should not say it if I did not think it,’ Merry said and had the pleasure of seeing her cousin’s eyes light up. ‘Are you ready? I think we should go down for otherwise your mama will have the trouble of sending for us.’

  Jane nodded, turning to her maid, who placed a velvet cloak about her shoulders. The day had been pleasantly warm but it had become cooler this evening and there was a hint of rain in the air.

  The two girls made their way downstairs to greet Lady Melbourne, who looked at them with approval. Jane looked well enough in her pink gown, and Merry was extremely elegant in that toilette.

  ‘I do not think we shall have much need to worry about your cards being filled this evening,’ she t
old them. ‘I dare say neither of you will sit out above twice the whole evening.’

  ‘I shall not mind that,’ Merry said. ‘But I should be upset if we did not get up for most of the dances for it would be such a waste of an evening.’

  ‘I do not think you need worry that you will be a wallflower,’ her aunt said. ‘Come along, gels. We do not want to be the last to arrive.’

  Their groom assisted the ladies into the carriage for they had no gentleman escort. Lord Melbourne had declined to accompany his wife and daughter, though he had promised he might come up for a brief spell later on. However, Lady Melbourne was chaperone enough, and acquainted with most of the influential hostesses, and she expected the invitations to flood in after this evening.

  When they arrived, the links boys illuminated the approach to the house, holding their torches aloft. A line of carriages was before them and they had to wait their turn to draw forward so that when they stepped out of their carriage, they alighted in front of a carpet laid down for the ladies. It was to protect their delicate dancing slippers, and the links boys walked before them to the front door, lighting the way. At the door, a majestic figure announced their arrival in a booming voice.

  Inside they could hear the sound of music, voices and laughter, following the other guests up a magnificent staircase to the floor above. Here a serious of large rooms led one into the other, and they were all overflowing with ladies and gentlemen.

  Lady Melbourne introduced them to their hostess, who greeted them kindly and directed them towards the ballroom. The first two reception rooms were crowded with people enjoying a glass of champagne, but the third had been cleared for dancing. It was not a huge ballroom, but there was room for some thirty couples to stand up without becoming too severe a crush. Since half of those present were chaperones who would not dance, the lack of space presented no problem.