The Rebellious Debutante

by Meg Alexander

  ‘Of course not!” Verreker bridled at the thought. ‘She was just a young girl, quite unprotected, and possibly at the risk of unwelcome attentions—’

  ‘Including your own?’

  ‘Miss Bryant was grateful for my help,’ Verreker assured him. ‘I saw her safely back to the Academy.’

  ‘For that, at least, I must be grateful, sir. What I cannot accept is your behaviour from then on…clandestine meetings, the exchange of letters, and finally this suggestion of a betrothal.’

  ‘It is not a suggestion, my lord. We are betrothed.’

  ‘Let me assure you that you are not, and nor are you likely to become so—’ Rushmore caught himself in time. He must not refuse this creature out of hand. Nothing would be more likely to drive Louise into his arms. ‘You will understand my position,’ he continued. ‘I cannot countenance an attachment undertaken in this underhand way.’

  ‘I have no excuse except that our love struck like a bolt of lightning.’

  ‘Then let me advise you not to get burned.’ There was something in Rushmore’s eyes which struck terror to the heart of his companion, but the look was swiftly veiled.

  Verreker was at a loss. He was beginning to understand the Earl, and he knew in his soul that this man was his enemy. Rushmore would never allow Louise to marry him.

  He was tempted to cut and run, but he had too much at stake. His pockets were to let, and his creditors were gathering like sharks about a wounded fish. Within weeks, or possibly even days, they would close in on him and consign him to a debtors’ prison. Only the certain prospect of a marriage to a wealthy bride would hold them off.

  He made a last despairing appeal to Rushmore. ‘Sir, would you break Louise’s heart?’ he asked in a low voice.

  ‘My ward is seventeen years old. Better a little unhappiness now than to suffer a lifetime of misery.’

  ‘But I would make her happy…I swear it.’

  ‘How? I know nothing about you, Mr Verreker. You have not mentioned your past life. Where do you come from? Who are your parents? What are your prospects? You have said nothing of these things.’

  ‘I come from the north of England, sir. Sadly, my parents are dead. They cannot speak for me. As to prospects, well…I have influential friends…I think of entering politics.’

  ‘Do you, indeed? And what settlements would you make upon my ward?’

  Verreker glared at him. Then his eyes fell. ‘I…I have nothing to offer her but my love…but surely that is beyond the price of rubies?’

  ‘Possibly, but it will not put a roof above your head, nor fill your larder. Louise cannot help you. The control of her fortune is in my hands.’

  ‘Her fortune?’ Wide-eyed and innocent, Verreker stared at him. ‘My lord, I had no idea! Do you tell me that she is an heiress? Well, I suppose that that must be the end of me.’ Apparently crushed, he rose from his chair and prepared to take his leave. ‘I see now why you are against me. You think me a fortune-hunter.’

  Rushmore gave him a lazy smile, but his knuckles whitened. He was strongly tempted to thrash Verreker within an inch of his life. The man must think him a fool!

  ‘And I am wrong, of course?’ he mocked. ‘Now, sir, let me warn you. There will be no more clandestine meetings, nor an exchange of letters. You may see Miss Bryant for one last meeting. Miss Langrishe, I am sure, will allow you to present yourself at Laura Place. I shall speak to Louise myself.’

  ‘She will defy you,’ Verreker cried hotly. ‘We are tied together by the bonds of love.’

  ‘Oh, spare me your histrionics!’ Rushmore eyed his companion with distaste. ‘You should consider a career upon the boards, sir. I shall tell Louise that she must wait…at least until she has enjoyed her London Season.’

  ‘I see!’ Verreker looked at him with undisguised hostility. ‘You hope that someone more suitable will offer for her?’

  ‘She is unlikely to be approached by anyone less suitable,’ his lordship suggested with a pleasant smile. ‘In a year’s time, who knows? If she is still of the same mind…well…we’ll see.’

  Silently, Verreker cursed him to perdition. He could not afford to wait a year and he suspected that Rushmore knew it.

  Chapter Nine

  After ridding himself of his unwelcome visitor, Rushmore strolled round to Laura Place. The walk gave him time to think. A shrewd judge of men himself, he had seen Verreker for what he was…a handsome fly-by-night, living on the fringe of society, and always with an eye to the main chance.

  Doubtless the fellow had a pack of creditors after him. That had been all too clear when the Earl had insisted upon a delay. With any luck he would be thrown into a debtors’ prison before he could carry his plans much further.

  The Earl frowned. That would not do, he decided. He must not make a martyr of Matthew Verreker. Louise would feel obliged to stand by him out of loyalty, if for nothing else. Could she really be so naive as to take the fellow at face value? With a sigh, his lordship realised that she had done so. Perhaps he could expect little else from a seventeen-year-old.

  As always, his thoughts strayed to Perdita. Would she have been so gullible? A smile curved his lips. Perdita was all woman…capricious and sometimes unreasonable in his eyes. Fondly he recalled how she had clung to him after he had killed the adder. It was a very feminine reaction, but in his heart he knew that behind that lovely face lay a strong reserve of common sense.

  He was assured of it when she greeted him in the salon at Laura Place. Perdita looked at him intently.

  ‘Something has happened,’ she insisted. ‘Won’t you tell me what it was?’

  ‘Verreker has been to see me,’ he told her as he drew her towards the window-seat.

  ‘And what did you make of him?’

  ‘I thought him false in every respect, Perdita. All he could offer me by way of recommendation were high-flown sentiments.’

  Perdita chuckled. ‘Those will carry no weight with you, I think.’

  ‘You think me impervious to the softer feelings. I assure you that I am not, my dear, but in this case I found it impossible to believe him. He claimed not to know that Louise had any expectations.’

  ‘That could be true,’ Perdita said slowly. ‘She does not flaunt her prospects…’

  ‘I think she had no need to do so. If I am not mistaken, this fellow knows her worth down to the last penny.’

  ‘But what can you do, my lord? You can’t force her to give him up.’

  ‘I hope I should not be so foolish as to consider it. I have asked Verreker to wait for a year. If Louise is still of the same mind after her London Season, then we’ll see.’

  Perdita looked at him. ‘Remind me not to take up any cause against you, sir. Verreker durst not wait a year, if your suspicions are correct.’

  ‘Louise does not know that. It is my hope that she will see my views as sensible.’

  ‘She will…as long as you don’t fly into alt, my lord.’

  ‘Now, would I do that, Perdita? I am the most reasonable of men. If she will but listen to my arguments, all may yet be well. Don’t you agree?’

  Perdita was tempted to argue the point. Did Rushmore truly believe himself to be the most reasonable of men? The notion made her want to laugh. Then a glance at his face told her that he was deeply worried. The interview with Matthew Verreker had confirmed his worst suspicions.

  Now he was in a quandary. Outright condemnation of the man would persuade Louise to fly to his defence, but he could not pretend to give his blessing to the match. The situation needed careful handling.

  ‘My lord, it is not for me to give advice,’ she told him slowly.

  ‘But I have asked for it, my dear. I’d welcome your thoughts on how I should proceed. I have no wish to drive Louise away.’

  ‘Then speak to her of her father. Tell her how happy you are to fulfil his wishes in becoming her guardian and that you will never regard it as an unwelcome burden upon you.’

  ‘Do you think I should? I have a
voided the subject of her father’s death, fearing that it would cause her pain.’

  ‘Perhaps it will, but it may also bring relief. My own feeling is that we need to speak of those we have lost. It keeps their memory alive and somehow it brings them closer to us.’

  Rushmore took her hands in his. ‘You have wisdom beyond your years, Perdita.’ Something in his tone brought the hot colour rushing to her cheeks.

  ‘My lord, we should rejoin the others. This private conversation must give rise to comment and I would not have Louise believe that we are plotting against her.’

  He released her hands at that and strolled over to Miss Langrishe, who was deep in conversation with the girls.

  ‘Your pardon, ma’am, but may I steal my ward away from you for a few moments? I have something to discuss with her in private.’

  Louise paled and threw a hunted look at Thomas. This was the moment she had dreaded. Matthew must have been to see his lordship. Now she had to learn her fate.

  ‘Use the study, Adam.’ Miss Langrishe nodded encouragement to the shrinking girl. ‘Go along, my dear!’

  Louise walked to the door with lagging footsteps, and Thomas watched her with a frown. He made as if to rise to his feet, but a look from Miss Langrishe stopped him.

  ‘Leave it, Thomas!’ she ordered. ‘You must not interfere. The Earl has every right to speak to his ward alone.’

  A silence fell upon the assembled company. Only Crispin and Henry were unaware that momentous decisions were being made in the other room. Perdita and Amy fell prey to speculation, and Thomas wore a thunderous expression.

  Miss Langrishe called him to her. ‘Don’t make a cake of yourself, my boy,’ she advised. ‘Rushmore will not eat Louise, nor threaten to beat her.’

  ‘He had best not do so,’ Thomas muttered darkly. ‘Else he’ll have me to deal with. She is afraid of him, you know.’

  ‘Then she is a very foolish girl, and you are not much better. You know the Earl…you have served with him…I thought that you admired him.’

  ‘I do, ma’am. He is the best of men, but Louise don’t know it, you see. Have you not noticed how she quakes whenever he appears?’

  ‘Thomas, you could change all that. In your company Louise seems perfectly at ease. I think she sees you as a friend. Why not speak to her about the Earl? She may trust your judgement.’

  Thomas brightened. ‘Do you think I should?’

  ‘I am convinced of it, my dear boy. It is of great importance that Louise learns to have faith in her guardian.’

  Thomas glanced towards the door. ‘What can be taking them so long?’ he asked impatiently. ‘I hope he ain’t laying down the law as if Louise is one of his captains.’

  Miss Langrishe laughed. ‘I doubt if he’ll do that. Now, are we in agreement, Thomas? You will try to persuade Louise to feel more in charity with the Earl?’

  ‘It depends…I don’t know what he’s said to her. If she is in tears again he will have lost my good opinion of him.’

  Fortunately his lordship was spared this dreadful fate. Louise looked perfectly composed when he led her back into the room and the sigh of relief from all her friends was almost audible.

  Normal conversation was resumed at once, but the subject of the interview was carefully avoided.

  It was not until the gentlemen had departed and the young ladies retired to their rooms that their curiosity was satisfied.

  A tap at the door brought Louise to join her friends in their bedchamber.

  ‘Well, what happened?’ Amy could not contain her excitement. ‘Did Matthew go to see his lordship?’

  ‘Yes. I believe they spoke together for some time…’

  ‘And did Rushmore call him out? Is there to be a duel?’

  ‘Of course not, Amy… What a ghoul you are!’

  ‘No, I’m not, but I’ve never seen a duel. It always happens at dawn, you know. I thought if we could find out where it was to be held we might rise early and go to watch. We could have hidden behind a tree.’

  ‘Be quiet, you wretched little monster!’ Perdita glared at her sister. ‘You can’t wish to see a man get killed.’

  ‘That doesn’t always happen,’ Amy told her stoutly. ‘Sometimes they delope…that is, they fire into the ground or up in the air. I don’t see the point myself.’

  ‘Shut up!’ Perdita cried. ‘Don’t you see? You are upsetting Louise—’

  ‘No, she isn’t. There is to be no duel. His lordship was not too hard on Matthew about the way we met, nor of our assignations and the letters. He was more concerned as to Matthew’s background and his prospects.’

  ‘Well, that sounds reasonable enough,’ Perdita announced. ‘After all, he takes his promise to your father very seriously. Your papa would have done the same, I’m sure.’

  ‘The Earl reminded me of that. He spoke so kindly of my father. They were the best of friends and he feels the loss…’ For a moment her lip quivered. ‘Now he wants me to go on as my father would have wished.’

  Perdita threw an arm about her shoulders. ‘You would agree to that, I’m sure. And in caring for you, your guardian must feel that he has not lost his friend completely.’

  Louise smiled at her through misty eyes. ‘That is almost exactly what he said. I think I have misjudged him. He has a generous heart.’

  ‘So, are you to be allowed to go ahead with your betrothal?’ Amy was all impatience.

  ‘Not for the moment, though the Earl did not dismiss it out of hand. He pointed out that your own mama has kindly promised to sponsor me for the coming Season. All he asks is that I wait until I have made my come-out with you, Amy.’

  ‘And you don’t mind waiting?’ Amy was bewildered. ‘It will be almost a year.’

  Louise managed a faint smile. ‘His lordship admitted that at seventeen a year can seem a lifetime, but he told me too that true devotion would stand up to the test.’

  ‘So you have agreed?’

  ‘Yes, I have.’

  ‘But what will Matthew say?’

  ‘I expect he will be disappointed, but I am to be allowed to see him and to explain. That is, if Miss Langrishe will allow me to receive him here. He is to call tomorrow… Certainly he cannot object to the Earl’s suggestion.’

  Louise was mistaken. When Matthew Verreker was shown into the study at Laura Place, it took him less than a minute to learn that all his plans had been foiled. His soulful expression disappeared to be replaced by one of fury as he listened to her.

  ‘My darling, you can’t have agreed to this!’ he cried. ‘Oh, cruel…cruel! How are we to bear it?’

  ‘I believe it is what my father would have wished, my dearest. I am not yet out, you know…and, well…his lordship is convinced that true devotion will stand the test of time.’

  ‘He’s a liar!’ Verreker shouted. ‘He hopes that you will forget me…I know his thinking…he made it clear enough.’

  Louise laid a placating hand upon his arm. ‘Will you not wait for me?’ she begged. ‘We have pledged our troth for a lifetime…is a year so long?’

  It was only with the greatest difficulty that Verreker managed to control his rage. He looked in disgust at the innocent face of the girl beside him. What a vapid creature she was…swayed by the latest argument to reach her ears. Once he’d welcome the compliant nature…now it had turned against him. He assumed a mournful expression.

  ‘I told the Earl that I was unworthy of you,’ he muttered. ‘I should never have attempted to attract your interest, but this is a bitter pill to swallow. I see it all now. I was mistaken. You do not care for me with the passion which I have for you.’

  Louise’s face was twisted in pain. ‘Don’t say that!’ she pleaded. ‘I have risked everything for you. I knew quite well that we were wrong in behaving as we did.’

  ‘Ah, is our love to be measured by convention? I had thought better of you.’

  Gentle though she was, Louise was growing impatient. For the first time it occurred to her that her love
r had a tendency to declaim as if he were acting in a third-rate play. She turned away and that slight movement sounded a warning.

  Verreker pulled himself together quickly. At this stage in his affairs he could not afford to lose her. She was his last hope. Without her there would be no time or opportunity to restore his fortunes before the duns moved in. Tenderly he slipped an arm about her waist.

  ‘Forgive me, my dear one!’ he murmured. ‘You are my life, my only love. We have been so close these last few weeks. I have learned to look for you each day, to offer you my heart, and to bask in the warmth of your affection. Have we not been everything to each other? We have laughed and cried together, sharing our troubles like good friends. Is that not so?’

  ‘I won’t deny it, Matthew.’

  ‘Then listen to me, dearest. Rushmore is my enemy. I don’t know why, but he has other plans for you. For all we know he may intend to wed you himself.’ As Louise gasped he stopped her with a lifted hand. ‘Don’t discount it, I beg of you—’

  ‘But this is nonsense,’ she protested. ‘He was my father’s friend.’

  ‘So he claims, but what do you know of him? Did he come to see you as soon as he returned to England from the continent of Europe? Has he shown you any affection? No! It was not until you announce your intention to be wed that he arrived in Bath. I think you should beware of him. The Earl is not all he seems.’

  ‘I think you are misjudging him. I did so myself at first, but he has spoken so kindly of my father. All that concerns him now is that I shall be happy.’

  She heard a snort of disbelief.

  ‘He has a curious way of showing it. Don’t you care that he has ruined all our plans?’

  ‘He has asked us to wait, that is all.’

  ‘That is all?’ Verreker’s face was ashen. ‘He has broken my heart. Tell me, are we to be allowed to meet during this waiting time?’

  Louise was silent.

  ‘Just so!’ Verreker cried in triumph. ‘And letters are forbidden too?’

  ‘All he said was that we should not meet in secret. If you write to me I must show the letters to Miss Langrishe.’