‘Yes. I wasn’t going to be away because of Aunt Derwent, but I couldn’t tell Henry the truth, he simply wouldn’t have understood, and anyway, I didn’t want him to find out about the Swan.’
‘Where were you going if not to Beaconsfield?’
She hesitated. ‘I – I would rather not say.’
He searched her face for a moment. ‘Very well, I won’t press you.’
‘Well, having said I was going to my aunt’s, I thought it best if I wrote to her and explained, in case Henry should become suspicious and make inquiries.’
‘He was suspicious. He thought you were meeting Lewis Ardenley.’
Hot color rushed into her cheeks at that. ‘It – it doesn’t really matter where I was, it only matters that I dragged Aunt Derwent into it. I told her all about my plans to trounce Henry in the Midsummer Day race and she thought it was all splendidly exciting.’ She gave a wry, ironic laugh. ‘Exciting? Well, I suppose it was in the beginning, but now it’s all gone sour and I wish I’d never embarked upon it.’
‘Don’t digress, Jane, you were telling me how you’d involved your aunt.’
‘It was because of my plotting that she came to London. She said she couldn’t bear to be left in the sticks in Beaconsfield. She wanted to be on the coach with me on the day, but I said—’
‘Let me get this straight, you’re actually going to be on the Swan during the race?’
‘That was my intention, yes.’
‘I trust you’ve changed your mind, because if not, I think you’ll be doing something very imprudent and hazardous indeed.’
She looked at him. ‘The way I feel at the moment, Charles, I don’t think the Swan will be entering the race at all, let alone with me on the box. Where was I?’
‘Your aunt wished to join you on the coach.’
‘Oh, yes, well as it now is, she’s going to be following with Blanche.’
‘Blanche is in on all this nonsense?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have I been walking around with my eyes and ears closed these past few weeks?’ he asked a little helplessly, sitting back on the sofa with an air of such bewilderment that she could almost have smiled, except that she was too miserable and upset to see humor in anything at the moment.
‘We’ve been very careful to keep it all secret, Charles, because we were determined to spring it all on Henry on the day of the race. But I won’t be going on with it now that my aunt has got herself into such an alarming fix.’ She rose agitatedly to her feet, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘Oh, where are they? I do hope she’s all right.’
‘Where is she?’
‘At the Black Horse.’
He stared at her. ‘The Black Horse?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘To find out about the new Nonpareil. Oh, I didn’t know that was where she was going. She told me she was staying at Lady Lindleigh’s.’
‘I know, she said so that afternoon in Hyde Park.’
‘So she did. Well, I believed her, and by the time I realized it was a fib, it was too late. Anyway, one of Lewis’s footmen saw her with Mr Chapman at the Black Horse and—’
‘Lewis?’ His face became still. ‘He’s in on this too, is he?’
‘Yes.’
‘I suppose you went to him about it.’
‘No, he found out and came to me.’
He got up then, returning to his place by the fireplace and picking up the book, flicking rather angrily through the pages.
‘The fellow has a way of staying in your life, doesn’t he? After all he did to you, I would have thought you would have grown a little wiser by now.’
‘It isn’t what you think, Charles, truly it isn’t. He’s been trying to dissuade me from riding on the coach during the race.’
‘But apart from that he’s been assisting you, I suppose.’ He looked rather accusingly at her.
‘He – he’s horsing the race. At least, he would have been if the race was still on as far as the Swan’s concerned.’
He gave a slightly incredulous laugh. ‘Is he, by God!’
‘Yes.’
‘And you’d still have me believe there’s nothing between you?’
‘It’s true, Charles. Oh, I admit that I still love him, but I didn’t seek his help, he forced himself into it all. He’s not doing it because he loves me, he’s doing it because he agrees with me about Henry.’
He studied her face for a moment. ‘Henry was right, wasn’t he? You were with Lewis Ardenley when you claimed you were with your aunt?’
She knew that her cheeks were flaming and had to turn away, looking again at the clock. ‘Oh, where are they? They should be here by now.’
‘Were you with Lewis?’ he demanded again.
‘Yes, but not in the way you think.’
‘Don’t treat me like a fool, Jane,’ he replied abruptly, closing the book with a snap and replacing it on the mantelpiece.
‘Please don’t be like this, Charles,’ she begged, her voice on the verge of breaking again, ‘for I have enough to contend with at the moment. Lewis is absolutely furious with me because my aunt is at the Black Horse. He won’t believe that I didn’t know anything about it and he said some very cruel things.’ She drew another steadying breath, forcing away the bitter memory of what had happened in the stableyard at the Feathers. ‘He’s gone to bring her back now, before Mr Chapman finds out who she really is. Oh, I do hope she hasn’t come to any harm. Why did she have to take such a risk? It wasn’t important enough for that. Nothing’s that important.’
The misery in her voice made his anger dissolve and he went to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. ‘Forgive me,’ he whispered, ‘but I can’t help my jealousy, even though I know that you’ll never love me enough to marry me. Please don’t worry any more. I’m sure Lady Agatha will be quite all right and that Lewis will bring her safely back. I’m sure too that she’ll put him right about you, for she knows that she tricked you.’
At that moment the saloon doors were suddenly opened and Lewis and her aunt came in. Jane turned in Charles’s arms, looking involuntarily into Lewis’s eyes. His glance flickered coldly over Charles and then away.
She drew sharply away then, almost running to hug her aunt and hold her tightly. ‘You’re safe! Oh, I’m so glad! I’ve been desperately afraid for you! You are all right, aren’t you?’
‘Perfectly. In fact, I really can’t understand what all the fuss is about. Mr Chapman was quite the gentleman, wining and dining me as elegantly as any fine lord.’ She sat down on the sofa, looking up at her niece’s anxious face. ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but if I’d told you the truth, you’d never have agreed to my going, would you?’
‘No.’ Jane didn’t glance at Lewis, who had placed himself behind the sofa, one hand resting lightly on its velvet smoothness.
‘I just couldn’t resist the temptation,’ her aunt went on. ‘I knew how much you all needed to know about the new Nonpareil, so that you could have brakes fitted to the Swan if necessary, so I concocted the tale about Lady Lindleigh and went to the Black Horse. I knew about Mr Chapman’s liking for wealthy widows, you see, Henry had told me all about him at luncheon the day I arrived, so I thought that I could pose as just such a lady and win his confidence. He latched on to me immediately, of that you may be sure. The fellow’s quite incorrigible, you know. He quite obviously saw me as a possible fourth Mrs Chapman! Anyway, it all went very well and I didn’t have any trouble at all persuading him to show me his new coach.’ She looked around at them all, evidently very pleased with herself. ‘Even if I say so myself, my thespian talents are quite considerable, and were it not for my wealth and situation, I’m sure I could have been the queen of Drury Lane. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, the new Nonpareil. I must say that it is an extremely ugly vehicle, quite unlike any stagecoach I’ve ever seen before.’
A spark of interest lingered in Jane. ‘Is it a safety coach?’
‘Fr
om what Lewis tells me, yes it is. It’s lower and much wider, and isn’t designed to carry anyone on top. All the outsiders are supposed to sit in an open compartment behind the driver’s box, with their luggage in a boot underneath them. It’s a very novel idea, I suppose, and much safer than perching on the top and hanging on for grim death, but it looks most peculiar. Its wheels are small, to lower the center of gravity, or so Mr Chapman says, and this will also give it more stability and speed when cornering. And it has brakes, which he tells me are worth the resultant strain on the wheels, because it is only for one day.’ She looked urgently at Lewis. ‘You were right, sir, and I sincerely hope that we will be able to match his brakes with some of our own. Do we have time to fit them to the Swan before the race?’
He nodded. ‘I believe so. After all, there’s all tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and—’
Jane interrupted. ‘There’s no point in discussing it further,’ she said, ‘because I’ve decided to forget the whole thing. The Swan isn’t going to enter the race anymore. Everything has got out of hand, and I want nothing more to do with it.’
Aunt Derwent was appalled. ‘Jane, you can’t possibly mean it!’
‘I’m afraid that I do.’
‘But I won’t let you. My dear, after all we’ve done, you can’t simply bow out. Think of all the others, of Mr Wheddle and his daughter, of Mr Huggett and his son. Oh, Jane, you mustn’t let my naughty and irresponsible escapade sway you like this.’
‘It isn’t just that,’ she replied, finding the will at last to meet Lewis’s steady gaze. ‘It’s just that I realize how very foolish the whole business is and I wish to withdraw from it before it’s too late.’
Aunt Derwent looked a little crossly at Lewis. ‘Sir, this is all your fault, for you were most definitely out of line in speaking to Jane as you told me you did at the Feathers. It was very wrong of you and I think that you owe her an apology.’
He drew a deep breath and turned toward Jane. ‘Jane, I—’
‘Don’t bother to say anything, sir, for it would make no difference. Besides, when you spoke earlier, you left me in no doubt at all what you really think, so I rather think that any apology would be worthless.’
‘Nevertheless, I do apologize. I had no right to speak to you as I did. It was unforgivably hasty and harsh.’
‘Yes, sir, it was.’ She looked at Charles and her aunt. ‘If – if you will excuse me….’
Aunt Derwent put out a restraining hand. ‘Please, my dear, don’t stop the Swan from entering the race, not when there are others to think about.’
Jane hesitated, torn between a desire to forget everything she’d started and an acceptance that her aunt was right and she shouldn’t cast aside the feelings and efforts of everyone else. At last she nodded. ‘Very well, let it all proceed, if that’s what you really want.’
‘It is.’ There was an understanding gentleness in Aunt Derwent’s eyes as she watched her niece withdraw, for she understood only too well the anguish which was besetting her now.
Lewis hesitated only a moment and then went out after her, much to Charles’s anger. Aunt Derwent glanced at him. ‘There’s nothing you can do about it, Charles. There will always be something between them, whether it’s the passion of love or of anger.’
Lewis caught up with Jane at the foot of the staircase. ‘Jane, I must speak with you for a moment.’
‘I don’t think there’s any point, sir.’
‘You have every right to be angry with me. I behaved abominably and I wish with all my heart that I hadn’t said those things to you.’
‘But you did say them, Lewis, and I could tell that you meant every word. Your opinion of my integrity is evidently very low indeed, which I had not realized until today. But still, they do say that it’s better late than never.’
A cold light passed through his eyes then. ‘Oh, you’re so right, madam, for after tonight I’ve seen you in your true colors as well.’
‘And what do you mean by that?’
‘I was referring to the touching little scene your aunt and I interrupted on our return. You and Charles were clasped so intimately in each other’s arms that I can only imagine that I’ve been wrong all along about your feelings for him. You evidently want him as much as he wants you.’
‘Shouldn’t you be leaving, sir? No doubt Alicia is becoming quite impatient.’
‘Yes, no doubt she is. Very well, Jane, I will leave, since that is quite obviously what you wish. However, in spite of everything, I will still honor my word concerning the race. I will go now and inform Lord Sefton that the Swan is a late entrant. There seems little point in delaying the matter any further, especially as we now have the new coach.’
‘Then by all means do that,’ she replied with an icy mien which concealed completely the hot misery she felt deep within.
His eyes were very dark and angry. ‘You may rest assured that your involvement will remain secret. Good night, madam. I trust that you will be very happy in the future as the Marchioness of Bourton.’ He strode across the vestibule to snatch up his hat and gloves from the table, leaving the house and slamming the door behind him before Melville had time to come to his assistance.
Jane remained motionless for a long moment, and then she went slowly on up the stairs.
TWENTY-SEVEN
News of the Swan’s last-minute appearance on the race scene spread over Town like wildfire that very night, with Lewis’s association adding a new dimension which electrified the coaching fraternity and caused a considerable stir throughout fashionable society. Before the night was out, there was brisk betting at Brooks’s and White’s, with the Swan being given a very good chance of holding the other two to a close finish because it had Arthur Huggett on the box and Lewis Ardenley’s bloodstock in harness. At the Black Horse, Chapman was already in a disgruntled mood because of the mysterious disappearance of his fascinating widow; he was more disgruntled and displeased than ever when told about the Swan. A great deal of money rested on the race, money he intended to win, so something would have to be done to keep any unwelcome latecomers well and truly out of it. The Nonpareil must be free to deal only with the Iron Duke if the Earl of Felbridge was to be relieved of his cash. Chapman was disquieted on another score too, for Lord Ardenley’s involvement with the Swan was disturbing; he was too good, better than the earl, and his presence made the Swan more of a threat than ever. The Swan would have to go as quickly as it had come.
By breakfast time the next day, there was hardly a household in London where the race wasn’t being discussed, and by mid-morning it was evident that the start of Tower Hill was going to be more of a crush than ever, with the Brighton road a mill to end all mills as society sallied forth en masse to watch.
Henry was at the Fleece when he heard about the Swan, and the news brought him back post haste to South Audley Street in order to change to call on Lord Sefton and find out all he could. He bounded up the staircase two at a time, almost colliding with Jane as she was coming down from sitting with poor Ellen, who was feeling most unwell with hay fever.
‘Jane! Have you heard?’ he demanded.
‘Heard what?’ she inquired innocently.
‘Your damned Lewis has had the gall to back Wheddle and enter the Swan in the race!’
‘He isn’t my Lewis.’
He hardly heard her. ‘No wonder he refused to horse the Iron Duke – he had designs on the race himself all along! By God, I should have known when I was told about him being at the Feathers, he wasn’t there just because he had an eye for a….’ He cleared his throat, once again deciding not to mention Lewis’s activities with the serving girl in the stable. He looked at his sister then, noticing that in spite of her pretty apricot muslin morning gown she was rather pale. ‘Are you all right, sis? You look washy.’
‘Thank you, I’m quite all right.’
‘You don’t look it,’ he answered, untying his cravat and drawing it thoughtfully off, forgetting her again. ‘I had a fe
eling about Wheddle from the moment he somehow managed to keep going when other coachmasters would have caved in under such pressure from Chapman. Of course, he could keep going, he had Ardenley’s money behind him! Still, I’ve seen the new Swan, and to be quite frank, it doesn’t stand an earthly.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because it hasn’t got brakes.’
‘Nor does the Iron Duke.’
‘That’s what you think,’ he said, tapping a conspiratorial finger against the side of his nose.
‘You mean you’ve had them fitted?’
‘Yes. Chapman’s not going to steal my money as easily as that!’
‘But I don’t understand, I thought you disapproved of brakes.’
‘I do, but the new Nonpareil has them.’
She stared then. ‘How do you know that?’
‘One of my men managed to get into the Black Horse while Chapman was wining and dining a new lady friend. It’s funny, actually, I’m told she looked a lot like Aunt Derwent. Anyway, the new Nonpareil he’s got hidden away under wraps is a new-fangled safety coach, very flashy and revolutionary. No doubt he fondly imagines it’s going to give him the edge to lift my £50,000, but he’s sadly mistaken, tried and trusted is still best.’
‘Did you say £50,000?’ she asked faintly.
He shifted a little uncomfortably, for he hadn’t intended to let that slip. ‘Yes.’
‘Oh, Henry!’
‘It’s safe as houses, sis. The Iron Duke’s going to win and it’s Chapman who’s going to have to cough the money up.’ He grinned then. ‘Safety coaches indeed! They’re nothing more than wide carts. He might think it’s going to be faster on corners and so on, but I don’t. He’s going to be eating the Iron Duke’s dust all the way to Brighton, and so is Lewis Ardenley’s Swan.’
The irony of the situation was enough to make her want to laugh out loud. After all the anxiety of the previous day because of her aunt’s dangerous visit to the Black Horse, the information they’d wanted had fallen into their laps anyway, courtesy of Henry.
Lady Jane's Ribbons Page 25
