A Country Gentleman

by Ann Barker

  ‘Benjamin Twizzle!’ Lavinia exclaimed under her breath, at almost the same time as Timothy Ames.

  ‘Indeed,’ purred Riseholm. He rose in a leisurely manner and strolled towards the door.

  ‘Full?’ exclaimed Benjamin Twizzle. ‘I don’t believe you.’

  ‘That’s as may be,’ the landlord replied. ‘But you’re a ne’er-do-well if ever I saw one, and if that there doxy is your wife, I’ll eat my wife’s best Sunday bonnet.’

  ‘How dare you!’ Isobel’s voice exclaimed.

  Riseholm grinned. ‘Innocentia, I do believe,’ he murmured. He threw open the door. ‘Mr Twizzle,’ he said, making an elegant bow, ‘I do not think that we have met. Your wife, on the other hand, is well known to me. I am Riseholm.’

  There was a moment’s silence as the rest of the group in the parlour came to stand by the open doorway. It had come on to rain a few minutes before, and all the three newcomers looked very tired and bedraggled. Isobel perhaps looked a little worse than the others, since her blue velvet carriage dress had not survived the rain at all well, and nor had her bonnet.

  Isobel’s hand went to her throat. ‘Riseholm,’ she breathed. Then, seeing her friend standing by, she exclaimed, ‘Lavvy!’ her voice breaking on a sob as she took two steps forward. Lavinia hurried to meet her, and without any hesitation put her arms around her dishevelled friend.

  Mr Twizzle took a step backwards in consternation. ‘The lady appears to be somewhat the worse for wear,’ said the earl, staring at him in a way that the young man found extremely unnerving. He paused. ‘Perhaps I should inform you, sir, that this lady, far from being your wife, is engaged to be married to me. It is therefore my privilege as well as my duty to protect her reputation, with which you appear to have been playing ducks and drakes. Well? Do you have any explanation to offer?’

  Mr Twizzle had had a very trying day, and given all the circumstances, he really felt that he had done the best that he could. He had managed to escort Miss Macclesfield to safety, for instance, when for two pins he could have left the termagant to fend for herself. Now, the dangerous-looking man who had not been in the vicinity when gallantry was called for, stood with his hand resting where his sword hilt should be, clearly threatening violence. It was all too much.

  ‘Be damned to you all!’ he exclaimed, and ran out into the inn yard, intending to flee.

  A single horseman who had arrived at that very moment blocked his way. ‘Benjamin Twizzle!’ exclaimed Lord Thurlby, swiftly dismounting and seizing hold of his arm. ‘You’ve a lot to answer for.’

  Twizzle’s reply was a single word that would have made his father blush right up to his ears.

  Chapter Twenty

  On hearing Thurlby’s voice, Lavinia involuntarily took a step towards the door, breathing his name. Riseholm came to take Lavinia’s place. ‘Go to him,’ he said.

  Isobel and Riseholm were left facing one another. This was not how she had planned to appear before him next, in a wet gown with a muddy hem and her hair all coming down. With this misfortune, all her ability to flirt or dissemble seemed to have deserted her. ‘You can’t be engaged to me,’ she said, her eyes looking very big in her pale face. ‘You’re engaged to Miss Egan.’

  ‘I’m no more engaged to Miss Egan than you are to Twizzle out there,’ he said. ‘Whatever possessed you?’

  ‘It all began when we left London on the stage,’ she said with a sigh, clearly intending to embark on a long tale.

  ‘Oh, enough,’ he said impatiently, tilting her chin with one finger and kissing her firmly on her mouth. ‘Tell me later.’

  Having first ordered the landlord to make hot drinks for everyone, Timothy Ames went outside to help Thurlby with Benjamin Twizzle who was still struggling. As for Lavinia, the harsh words that she and Thurlby had exchanged were all forgotten. Riseholm had almost challenged Twizzle to a duel, but was now exchanging endearments with Isobel. What if Thurlby felt obliged to fight Twizzle in his place? What violence might be done out there if no one intervened? Regardless of the rain, Lavinia ran into the yard. ‘Please, no! You mustn’t fight him,’ she cried.

  On catching sight of her, Thurlby released Twizzle into Ames’s care, and covered the ground between them in two strides. ‘Lavinia, my darling! Forgive me!’ he exclaimed, pulling her against him and kissing her fiercely under the brim of his wide country hat.

  ‘Forgive what?’ she asked him as soon as she was able, her eyes shining.

  ‘For keeping you out in the rain, for one thing,’ he responded, taking her hand and running with her into the lighted entrance. He handed his wet hat and riding coat to the landlord, but instead of going straight into the parlour to join the others, he drew her along the passage that led towards the back of the inn, and then into the recess beneath the stairs. Once there, he took hold of both her hands and raised them to his lips, one after another. ‘My mother told me that I was being pig-headed,’ he said. ‘I was bound to agree with her. I should say that I also admitted to her that I was an unreasonable bully. Lavinia, I should have listened to you; I should have believed you.’

  ‘Yes; you should,’ she agreed, determined not to let him get away with this too lightly.

  ‘What would you say if I promised you that I would greet your every utterance from now on with full attention and absolute deference?’ he asked her.

  ‘I don’t think I would believe you,’ she replied. ‘And what’s more …’ She paused.

  ‘What’s more?’

  ‘I think I would find that rather dull,’ she said frankly.

  He caught her in his arms and, drawing her close to him, kissed her tenderly. ‘That’s what our first kiss should have been like,’ he said remorsefully. ‘Instead I handled you with unforgivable roughness, and turned what should have been a pleasure into a punishment. You know why, of course.’

  ‘No I don’t,’ she responded. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I was horribly jealous,’ he admitted. ‘Just the thought of you exchanging endearments with Riseholm was more than I could bear.’

  ‘I have never exchanged endearments with Riseholm,’ she said.

  ‘I know that now,’ he answered. ‘I suppose I always did.’

  ‘Nor have I ever received – what was it? – boxes of sweetmeats and palomino ponies,’ she added mischievously.

  He drew her close to him again, chuckling. ‘Would you like to do so?’ he asked her.

  ‘Well, maybe just one or two,’ she replied, running a hand up the front of his waistcoat.

  ‘I shall attend to it as soon as may be,’ he smiled, lowering his head to kiss her again.

  In the meantime, Timothy Ames’s patient approach had succeeded where Riseholm’s insinuations and Thurlby’s more open threats had failed, and the vicar had managed to persuade Benjamin Twizzle to come into the inn and to tell his story. Caroline had ministered to the driver who was now dozing by the fire in the tap room, the graze on his head tended by her expert hands whilst he had told her his version what had occurred.

  ‘There’s no real harm in him,’ the vicar explained to the rest of the party when they were all gathered together in the parlour with the exception of Mr Twizzle. ‘He’s just a silly young man, desperate to cut a dash in the world but without the means to do so.’

  By now, the rain had become increasingly heavy, the inn yard was awash and the company had come to a decision to stay the night. There was no danger of Twizzle’s absconding in such atrocious weather, so after he had changed into dry clothing, he had taken refuge in the tap room. Unsurprisingly, he had not wanted to sit in the same room as Isobel or Riseholm, not to mention Thurlby, and the landlord had promised to keep an eye on him.

  Thurlby and Lavinia had returned from their spot under the stairs, looking a little bashful, but very happy. Isobel had also changed out of her wet clothes, and she was sitting with Lord Riseholm on a settle next to the fire, her hand in his. Caroline was next to Timothy at the table.

  ‘He was blackmailing me,
’ Isobel said indignantly.

  ‘He was desperate for money,’ Ames explained. ‘This villain Nightshade had won money from him, and he had no means to pay it back. He discovered that you, Miss Macclesfield, had a secret that you did not want revealed, and he decided to see if he could make money out of it.’

  ‘All because of a few letters,’ Isobel replied. Riseholm chuckled and raised her hand to his lips.

  ‘A pity you had to drag Lavinia into it,’ said Thurlby. ‘If you’d just given a little thought to someone other than yourself—’

  ‘Hush,’ said Lavinia, squeezing his arm. ‘It doesn’t matter now.’

  Riseholm raised his hooded eyes and looked straight at Thurlby. As the years went by, they would doubtless meet because of the friendship between Lavinia and Isobel; but they were unlikely to become close friends.

  ‘The point is, what to do with the fellow?’ asked Ames.

  ‘Have him thrown into prison,’ said Isobel.

  ‘It is what he deserves,’ Caroline agreed reluctantly. ‘He has broken the law after all. Blackmail is against the law, isn’t it? And he did run off with Miss Macclesfield.’

  ‘My dear, we must be fair,’ the vicar responded. He turned to Riseholm. ‘I have no wish to offend you, my lord, but we are not talking about an abduction here. This was an elopement. As we both know, for an elopement to take place, one person generally has to suggest it. I will say no more.’

  ‘Isobel?’ said Riseholm.

  She had a handkerchief in one hand. Now she began twisting it into a screw. ‘I could not see any other way out,’ she protested. ‘Everyone either hated or disapproved of me. There was no one to help. What else could I do?’

  ‘You could have come to me,’ Riseholm suggested.

  ‘Yes, but you were engaged to that insipid Miss Egan.’

  ‘I hesitate to contradict a lady, but I was not anything of the kind,’ he responded.

  ‘I, too, have been brought up not to contradict a lady,’ said Thurlby, ‘but I must tell you, Miss Macclesfield that regardless of whether I did or did not approve of your behaviour, I would never have allowed Twizzle to blackmail you.’

  Isobel looked up at him. ‘I’m sorry for damaging your desk,’ she said.

  ‘What’s this?’ Riseholm asked.

  ‘Twizzle isn’t the only law-breaker in this inn,’ Thurlby said. ‘Tell me, Riseholm, what would you do with someone who broke into your desk and stole a hundred pounds?’

  Isobel murmured and buried her head in her lord’s shoulder. Riseholm raised an ironic eyebrow. ‘Keep my eye on them, in exceedingly close confinement,’ he drawled, before kissing the top of her head.

  ‘Nevertheless, Twizzle is a young man with a penchant for bad company, and it would break his father’s heart if he were to go to prison one day for lack of guidance,’ said Timothy. ‘Is there no other way? What he needs is help; a good example; and work to do, for someone who will not let him get away with anything.’

  There was a long pause. ‘Clearly that can’t be me,’ said Riseholm, ‘for everyone knows that I am an appalling example and I let everybody get away with everything.’ He looked down at Isobel.

  Thurlby sighed. ‘What do you suggest?’ he said.

  After some further conversation, the company retired to bed, the three ladies sharing one room. Thurlby and Ames shared another, Twizzle, anxious to put some distance between himself and the others, bedded down above the stable, and Riseholm slept alone.

  Caroline and Lavinia awoke in the morning to find Isobel gone, and in her place a note informing them that she was eloping again, this time with Riseholm. Although the earl had taken her in his own carriage, he had given orders for word to be sent to Thurlby, requesting a conveyance for the rest of the party. For Thurlby and Lavinia, this slight wait was no punishment, and a gentle walk in the countryside, fresh and clean after the rain provided a welcome opportunity to make further confessions of love, to their mutual delight.

  ‘I think that I began to fall in love with you when you first stepped down from the stagecoach at Stamford,’ the earl confessed. ‘You confused me because although I was angry with you for behaving recklessly, I couldn’t get out of my head what a lovely woman you had become. Then soon I found that I couldn’t stop thinking about you.’

  ‘When I was a girl, I was a little infatuated with you,’ Lavinia admitted. ‘I was so angry with you when you thought the worst of me, but I couldn’t stay angry with you for long. Then, at Folkingham when you almost kissed me …’ She paused, blushing.

  ‘Well?’ he prompted. They had been walking along a little woodland path, her hand tucked in his arm. Now they turned to face one another and he caught hold of her.

  ‘I was so disappointed that you didn’t,’ she confessed.

  ‘I will do my best never to disappoint you again,’ he murmured against her lips.

  Epilogue

  There could have been no one happier than Lady Thurlby on the morning when her son was united in marriage to Miss Lavinia Muir in Thurlby parish church. The day dawned bright and clear, and the whole village turned out to see the wedding of an exceedingly popular couple.

  The ceremony was conducted by The Rev’d Timothy Ames, and the church looked a picture, adorned with flowers arranged by Mrs Ames, whose own marriage had taken place in the next parish only three weeks before, with Miss Lavinia Muir acting as her attendant, as the friends had both agreed.

  It had been hoped that Lord and Lady Riseholm would grace the occasion with their presence, but they had not been heard from since their late night elopement.

  ‘We’ll soon hear about them cutting a dash in London, no doubt,’ said Lavinia one day when she and Thurlby were talking about those who would be coming to the wedding.

  ‘They are welcome to do so,’ he responded, ‘as long as you don’t expect me to do the same.’ He paused briefly. ‘I hope you won’t be disappointed in me, Lavinia,’ he went on a little diffidently. ‘I know you’ll want to go to London from time to time, and I’ll be happy to escort you; but essentially I’m a country gentleman.’

  ‘I could never be disappointed in you,’ she assured him, giving his arm a little squeeze. ‘Unless, of course, I find that Isobel has received more sweetmeats and palomino ponies than have I!’

  Lord and Lady Thurlby’s wedding breakfast took place in the ballroom at Thurlby Hall, with tables also set out on the south lawn, for the earl’s tenants and servants to share his joy. Scurrying between the two was Benjamin Twizzle, who had been made responsible for the arrangements. Part of his salary was being paid to the landlord of the Horseshoe in order to make up for the loss of his horses and carriage.

  ‘He makes me laugh,’ Lady Thurlby told her son and daughter-in-law at the wedding breakfast, when they asked her if she would be lonely without them whilst they were on their honeymoon. ‘And with Miss Wheatman to keep me company, I shall be very well cared for. Unless, of course, you would like to take her with you. Should the weather be inclement, I’m sure that she would have some helpful suggestions as to what to do.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t think that that will be necessary,’ the earl replied, smiling down into his wife’s eyes.

  By the Same Author

  His Lordship’s Gardener

  The Grand Tour

  The Squire’s Daughter

  Derbyshire Deception

  Fallen Woman

  The Wild Marauder

  The Squire and the Schoolmistress

  The Adventuress

  The Other Miss Frobisher

  A Gift for a Rake

  Lady of Lincoln

  Clerkenwell Conspiracy

  Jilted

  Ruined

  Spoiled

  Theodora in Love

  Copyright

  © Ann Barker 2011

  First published in Great Britain 2011

  This edition 2012

  ISBN978 0 7198 0722 0 (epub)

  ISBN978 0 7198 0723 7 (mobi)

  I
SBN978 0 7198 0724 4 (pdf)

  ISBN978 0 7090 9331 2 (print)

  Robert Hale Limited

  Clerkenwell House

  Clerkenwell Green

  London EC1R 0HT

  www.halebooks.com

  The right of Ann Barker to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988