Unfortunately, the two girls were soon to discover that the narrow passageway at the rear of the boxes was still heavily congested and, opting to move in the direction that took them away from the vicinity of his Highness’s box, they found themselves at the top of the staircase that led down to the foyer.
‘If we made haste,’ suggested Helena, after casting a concerned look at Lottie’s decidedly pasty-coloured cheeks, ‘we could probably step outside and snatch a few gulps of fresh air. Might that set you up for the second half of the performance, do you suppose?’
At her cousin’s weak nod, Helena took hold of her hand and together the pair made their way through the thronging mass of theatregoers on the staircase down to the ground floor. They had all but succeeded in their venture when, as luck would have it, they found their way barred by a decidedly rattled-looking Lord Markfield.
He, greatly irritated at having been obliged to shoulder his way through the press of people gathered about the theatre bar in order to achieve his objective, had been in the process of making the return journey to the box whilst endeavouring to keep his tray of drinks still intact when, to his utter disbelief, he had caught sight of Helena and her cousin, apparently heading for the exit.
‘Now, where might you two be off to?’ he enquired, fixing Helena with an accusative stare. ‘I trust that you are not attempting to engage in yet another of your renowned withdrawal tactics?’
Helena froze and, in the space of seconds, her attitude went from one of feeling rather like a child who has been caught with its hand in the biscuit box to one of deep resentment. That the earl should stoop so low as to use that which had been shared with him in confidence as some sort of weapon against her was, to her, thoroughly reprehensible and almost beyond belief!
‘In point of fact,’ she said icily, flashing him a look of such contempt that he was, momentarily, stopped in his tracks, ‘it just so happens that my cousin is feeling unwell and I was merely attempting to take her outside for a breath of fresh air!’
Richard drew in a deep breath. The unaccountable feeling of frustrated irritation from which he had been suffering since the start of the evening having been exacerbated by the rude jostling he had received at the drinks bar, the unexpected sight of Helena and her cousin apparently about to flee the building had brought him almost to breaking point, hence his rather tactless turn of phrase.
Nevertheless, even though he was prepared to admit that there was a slight possibility that he could have been mistaken in his surmise, meaning that an apology was in order—an occurrence that seemed to Richard to be repeating itself with a somewhat monotonous regularity, insofar as his dealings with Helena were concerned—his present mood was such that he found himself reluctant to accept what he considered to be a rather far-fetched excuse. His eyes kindling, he was just about to challenge the validity of her words when a low moan from Lottie caused him to switch his attention away from Helena and on to her cousin.
One look at her pasty-coloured cheeks had him instantly gal-vanised into action. Thrusting his tray into the hands of a passing attendant, he directed the man to deliver the drinks to Lady Isobel’s box. Having divested himself of this encumbrance, he then turned back to Lottie who, in the face of her cousin’s anger, was now looking distinctly out of countenance.
‘I do wish that you had confided in me earlier,’ said the earl, by now deeply concerned. ‘Had I known that you were feeling unwell, I would have brought you downstairs myself. You must allow me to escort you outside for a breath of air.’
With that, he lifted Lottie’s unresisting hand and, studiously ignoring Helena’s affronted gasp, placed it on his arm and proceeded to escort her through the doorway out into the street beyond. Since it was impossible for him to miss the expression of rigid indignation that appeared on Helena’s face, as she stood back to allow them to pass, he was unable to prevent the deep sense of remorse that overtook him. Nevertheless, since it was clear that seeking relief for Lottie’s obvious discomfort was, at this moment, of far greater importance than concerning himself with her cousin’s bruised ego, he stiffened his resolve and concentrated his efforts on getting the ailing female through the crowded foyer and out of the building—doggedly shoving all further thoughts of possible apologies to the back of his mind.
Helena, following the pair through the swing doors, was consumed with resentment. She had expected an instant apology from the earl for the hurtful and unjust accusation he had thrown at her. Instead of which, it had been Lottie who had claimed his attention! If this was how he intended to behave towards her in the future, she would jolly soon bring their relationship to a close! To think that she had actually begun to imagine herself halfway to falling in love with the selfish, inconsiderate brute! But then, as she saw how tenderly he was supporting her rapidly wilting cousin whilst attempting to fan her face with his pocket-handkerchief, Helena’s fury evaporated at a stroke and she was overcome with shame. Poor, dear Lottie’s need was, without a doubt, far greater than any petty grievance that she might harbour. How she could ever have thought otherwise was now beyond her comprehension!
Stepping forwards, she took hold of Lottie’s free hand and, patting it gently, said, ‘I think that we ought to go home at once, my love. You will feel better once you have had a little lie down.’
With a weak shake of her head, Lottie emitted a mewl of protest. ‘Oh, no, Nell, please!’ she gasped, frantically dabbing at her lips with her own damp and much screwed-up handkerchief. ‘Whatever will her ladyship think?’
‘Her ladyship will think just as Miss Wheatley does,’ interposed Richard soothingly. ‘It is clear that you are not well enough to return to your seat. If you will give me but a moment, I shall have the carriage brought round.’
With that, he signalled to the doorman who, flicking his fingers at a nearby pageboy, sent him scurrying around the corner to where the line of waiting carriages was parked. Minutes later, the countess’s barouche drew up in front of the theatre and the earl, after lowering the window slightly to allow in a little fresh air, settled Lottie into a corner seat.
‘If you would be good enough to sit with your cousin for a few minutes,’ he said, as he handed Helena up into the carriage, ‘I will collect my grandmother and we will have you driven home without further delay.’
‘Your lordship has been most—’ began Helena but, before she could even begin to express her gratitude to him for attending so swiftly to her cousin’s needs, the earl had closed the carriage door and was walking swiftly back towards the theatre.
Although she was left feeling rather foolish and not a little embarrassed at his abrupt departure, she had no time to dwell upon it, since Lottie, full of apologies for having spoilt everyone’s evening, soon claimed her attention.
‘No, no, dearest,’ she said in reply. ‘You really must not repine so. It is of no consequence whatsoever. Like you, I found the atmosphere in there quite stifling. Apart from which, I feel sure that her ladyship must have been as bored with that stupid opera as I was, for I swear that I caught her nodding off more than once during the performance! So, I beg of you not to give the matter another thought, my love. As soon as we get home, I shall have Mrs Pearson make you up one of her soothing possets and you will feel as right as rain in no time, I promise you.’
Markfield’s return, with his grandmother in tow, quickly put a stop to any further protests from the still-drooping Lottie and, no sooner had they settled themselves in their respective seats than, at a signal from the earl, the carriage moved off.
‘You really should have said something sooner, you silly child!’ remonstrated Lady Isobel as, after ferreting through the contents of her reticule, she fished out a bottle of sal volatile and passed it across to Helena. ‘Wave this under her nose for a moment. It usually serves!’
Inwardly castigating herself for not having had the forethought to tuck her own bottle of this simple remedy into her evening bag, Helena did as she was bid. Just one sniff of the pungent
fumes was enough to produce a choking cough from Lottie who, although far from fully recovered, hastily waved the bottle away.
‘Enough, thank you!’ she gasped, as she dabbed at her streaming eyes.
The countess gave a satisfied nod. ‘There,’ she said, having retrieved her bottle of spirits and returned it to the rest of the jumble in her oversized handbag. ‘I knew it would do the trick—I never travel without it. Restores the constitution wonderfully well. Nevertheless, since you are still looking a little pale, my girl, I recommend that, the minute you get home, you take yourself straight off to bed. Markfield will call in the morning to see how you do.’
Then, turning to Helena, she added, ‘You and I, my dear, will need to get our heads together over all the invitations I have received on your behalf. It might be advisable if you return with his lordship after his visit tomorrow morning in order that we may decide which events will best advertise your growing attachment.’
Growing attachment! thought Helena, with an inward grimace. Little does the elderly dowager realise how far from the truth that is! Then, conscious of Richard’s eyes on her, she hurriedly directed her own gaze out of the window on her side of the carriage, feigning an intense interest in the passing traffic and steadfastly refraining from looking in his direction.
He, too, was beginning to doubt the wisdom of ever having entered into this bogus relationship, which seemed destined to be beset by far more pitfalls than he could ever have imagined when he had first agreed to it. The constant emotional turmoil that he had recently found himself undergoing was, surely, far more than any sane man could be expected to deal with and, as of this moment, he was not entirely sure that he would be able to summon up the necessary stamina to ride the thing out. On the other hand, the gradual lessening in requests for immediate settlement of accounts over the past few days did seem to be giving credence to the fact that word of an impending engagement between himself and the daughter of one of London’s richest stockbrokers was already going the rounds. Thank God he was still sufficiently in charge of his senses to realise that any sudden curtailment of his perceived courtship of Helena would have the most disastrous effect upon his already tenuous financial state. Suppressing those other unsolicited emotions, however, looked set to present him with a far more difficult task than he could ever have imagined!
Chapter Ten
Two days later, riding alongside his grandmother’s landau as she took Helena and the now fully recovered Lottie for their first carriage outing through Hyde Park, it soon became apparent to Richard that their appearance seemed to be causing a good deal of curious speculation from promenaders and carriage-folk alike.
Reining in beside the landau, for what must have been the fourth or fifth time in a passage of less than a hundred yards, in order for his grandmother to conduct yet another protracted conversation with one or other of the occupants of a passing vehicle, the earl, shooting a quick glance at Helena’s surprisingly composed countenance, could not help but wonder what she was making of all this unforeseen attention. Despite his determination to remain coolly aloof from her, he would have needed to be totally blind not to have noticed that she was looking particularly fetching this afternoon, in her skilfully styled lilac-coloured carriage gown, with the wide brim of her matching bonnet framing her lovely face to perfection. Doing his utmost to keep his eyes on the carriageway and not on her, he was only too conscious of the fact that, had he not been bound by this disastrous agreement, such delectable temptation as she was proving to be might easily have been regarded as something of a challenge. As it was, however…Clenching his jaw, he tried to focus his attention on the animated chatter that was going on about him.
She, having been achingly aware of the earl’s reserved demeanour since the disastrous theatre trip, had made up her mind that, despite Markfield’s obvious lack of enthusiasm for the project, she would do her best to comply with whatever demands the countess might choose to make. With her father still being kept in a state of mild sedation, the few short conversations that she had been allowed to hold with him had, fortunately, precluded any necessity of discussing the unsigned contract.
Nevertheless, she knew that as soon as Dr Redfern deemed him well enough to resume his normal way of life, the matter was likely to be brought up straight away. By which time, hopefully, she would have devised a plan by which she might extricate herself from what was becoming a highly stressful association with the Standish family. Until that happened, there was little she could do but sit back, try to give the impression that she was enjoying herself and endeavour not to allow all the unanticipated admiration that had suddenly become her lot to affect her judgement. Fortunately, in that respect, her innate good sense told her that all this newfound interest in her had merely come about as a result of the details of her father’s extensive fortune being passed along the social grapevine. Never having previously encountered this particular brand of sycophancy, she could not help but feel rather amused at the lengths to which one or two of the individuals to whom she had been recently introduced were prepared to go to bring themselves to her notice. Compared with such patently false and effusive behaviour, Markfield’s current somewhat taciturn attitude towards her might even be considered rather refreshing!
Besides which, having spent the best part of the morning doling out chunks of bread and mugs of soup to the several dozen down-and-outs who haunted the chapel basement in Justice Walk on a daily basis, she was inclined to think that many of the countess’s acquaintances seemed to be little more than spoilt, over-pampered gossipmongers who appeared to have nothing better to do with their time than pull one another’s reputations to shreds. She could not help thinking that it was a great pity that some of them could not find something more worthwhile to do with both their time and their money! In fact, when it really came down to it, out of the countless number of the so-called ‘polite society’ to whom she had been introduced, the only ones—apart from Lady Isobel and the earl himself, of course—who had treated both Lottie and herself with a kindly courtesy that was neither condescending nor ingratiating had been Markfield’s two ex-army comrades and his cousin Charles, all three of whom had behaved in the most charming and friendly manner towards them.
Having arrived at this rather disheartening conclusion, it was impossible to conceal her smile of delight when, on glancing casually across the park, she observed that Standish himself, clad in the most elegant riding jacket and mounted on a handsome bay, was riding down the Row in the direction of his grandmother’s carriage.
‘A fine afternoon, ladies,’ he said, doffing his hat respectfully, when he had finally reined in beside them. ‘I’ll join you, if I may?’
Then, after exchanging a few words of greeting with his cousin, he proceeded to take up his position on Helena’s side of the carriage, Markfield, he had been surprised to observe, having elected to ride on the opposite side, at their grandmother’s right hand.
‘I was so sorry to hear of your indisposition on Saturday, Miss Daniels,’ he said, casting a smile at Lottie, who was seated opposite Helena and the countess. ‘I trust that you are now fully recovered?’
‘Oh, yes, thank you, sir,’ came Lottie’s stammering response. Unlike her cousin, she had not yet fully mastered the art of polite conversation and to find herself being singled out in such a manner still had the effect of causing her to blush quite dreadfully.
‘I’m very glad to hear it,’ he replied, with a sympathetic nod. ‘These theatres are apt to get oppressively hot at this time of year, I’ve found.’
Then, turning his attention to Helena, he went on, ‘It was a pretty boring piece of work, anyway, if my memory serves me aright. I myself had the misfortune of attending a performance earlier in the week and must confess that I failed to understand the plot entirely—and as for that soprano!’ Leaning towards her, he lowered his voice slightly. ‘I swear I was forced to stick my fingers in my ears on more than one occasion!’
Hearing Helena’s soft chuckl
e of amusement at Charles’s airily unrepentant condemnation of the opera house’s lead singer, the countess leaned forwards and shot her youngest grandson an admonishing glare. ‘You know very well that the purpose of our visit was not to watch some trumpery opera,’ she reproved him. ‘We went in order that we might be seen by as many people as possible and, all in all, I would say that we succeeded in our aim!’ Then, looking up at Markfield, she added, ‘Would you not agree, Richard?’
The earl, who had been engaged in a slightly surreptitious contemplation of Helena’s beaming countenance whilst, at the same time, envying the ease with which everyone—apart from himself, it would seem—had the ability to cause her face to light up in that entrancing way, found himself having to hurriedly redirect his attention to his grandmother’s question. Having rather lost the thread of the conversation, he was reduced to making a trite comment regarding the press of people outside the Prince Regent’s box.
‘Be that as it may,’ returned the dowager, ‘our presence cannot have failed to make some sort of an impression and, given our reception during the past hour, I have the distinct feeling that today’s little excursion has set a good few more tongues wagging. Furthermore, we have Lady Kettlesham’s supper party this evening, which is certain to add a little more grist to the rumour mill! It will, doubtless, turn out to be one of her usual tame sort of affairs, although I understand that she is to include dancing on this occasion. That usually gets the wheels spinning very nicely, I’ve always found!’
Manfully stifling the groan that threatened, Richard deigned not to respond. But then, finding himself unaccountably eager to witness Helena’s reaction to his grandmother’s words, he was unable to avoid casting yet another covert glance in her direction.
A Marriageable Miss Page 11
