"He wanted to speak with Mother, but I asked him to wait until after Elaine's season… What do you think?"
"I don't know what to think. I thought that he was interested in the Minty girl?"
"Apparently he's doing Miss Minty's father a kindness." Catherine stared at her sister. "You think I should have put him off — refused?"
"How could you say no to a duke?" Anne asked, her tone dry.
"You don't approve." Catherine had begin to think that she didn't approve either. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"A duke… For Elaine. I've nothing against Sommerforth," Anne said slowly. She stared out the windows at the garden's trees, lashed by the wind and rain.
Catherine saw that her sister was close to tears. "Tell me," she said gently.
"It's just that he's so much older." Anne sniffed. "Foolish, am I not? Why Elaine? I didn't know that Sommerforth wanted to marry again."
"I'm glad to hear that you have doubts."
"Why?"
"Because I asked him to wait until after the season — I didn't want him to say anything to Mother. She'd be overcome."
"Yes, we'd all be preparing for a wedding in six months, and Elaine would have no chance of refusing him, no matter how much she wanted to."
"We shouldn't have taken her to Sommerforth Abbey."
Anne laughed, and blew her nose. "Mother was set on it. Nothing would have stood in her way."
"No, we can't say anything to Mother. And who knows what will happen by the end of the season? Elaine may take him in dislike, and he may change his mind."
8
For two weeks, Volkov and Worley met the ladies in the park each morning. Volkov always rode with Felicity.
Sommerforth didn't appear. It annoyed Elaine that she looked for him. It was only to ask him about Joy, she told herself. However, she knew that she could visit his stables at any time.
One morning, Worley and Elaine had returned to the carriage after riding when Bobby, Felicity's groom, approached Elaine and asked that he be sent back to Gostwicke Hall. Felicity had deliberately escaped him to ride alone with the count.
Elaine realized that Volkov and Felicity hadn't yet returned from their ride. "Escaped you?" She asked the groom, bewildered.
Bobby wouldn't meet her eyes. He looked down at the ground and turned his hat in his hands. "Mrs. Grove said that I was to guard Lady Foxton — and I can't do it."
"Thank you Bobby — yes, of course you may return home, if you wish it," she said gently. "But would you wait until I've spoken with her ladyship, and asked that she take more care? I'm sure she's just been a little thoughtless."
He looked up at her then. The look in his brown eyes told her everything she needed to know. She smiled, and praised Bobby for his expert care of the horses. "I'll speak with her ladyship," she promised.
Elaine tamped down her temper. Was Volkov to blame, or Felicity? Perhaps she was to blame.
She realized that she'd been foolish for insisting that Felicity come to town for the season. Felicity was staying at Eardley House, so that made Elaine responsible for her behavior.
Sooner or later, Sir Oliver would learn that Volkov was carrying on a flirtation with his betrothed, and he would blame Elaine for it. What then? Elaine shuddered to think that Catherine would discover that she'd allowed Sir Oliver to kiss her when she was staying with Felicity at Foxton Park.
Elaine spoke to Felicity about Volkov in the carriage on their way back from the park. Catherine hadn't joined them that morning. "Are you developing a tendre for Volkov?" She asked bluntly.
"Whatever do you mean?" Felicity opened her blue eyes wide, but a deep red flush covered her face.
Elaine felt like slapping her.
Lilly looked from Elaine to Felicity and back again. She nudged Elaine's hand, and Elaine patted her to comfort her. The dog was sensitive to moods.
She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She'd told Bobby that Felicity was thoughtless. She hoped that that was all it was. "You know quite well what I mean," she said as gently as she could. "Bobby was looking for you this morning, and came to me. You deliberately evaded him. He's so upset that he wants to return to Gostwicke Hall. You're engaged — do I need to remind you?"
Felicity's flushed face grew even redder. She played with the fringing on her glove, and avoiding looking at Elaine. "I don't know what you mean — just because Bobby can't keep up, I don't see why you should blame me."
Elaine groaned inwardly, but what could she say? She couldn't do more than warn Felicity. She decided that if she had to do it, she would stop riding in the park in the morning. She could make some excuse to Catherine, and ride at the fashionable hour. That would put paid to Felicity's clandestine meetings with Volkov.
Nevertheless Elaine was surprised when just a few hours later, Mr. Morley told her that Sir Oliver was in the large drawing room.
Everyone was out, paying calls. Elaine had chosen to remain at home because she had a slight cold. She hoped that her cold would leave her in time to attend a dinner party that night. She was reading in her sitting room, when Mr. Morley tapped on the door.
"Sir Oliver insists that he see you, ma'am," Mr. Morley said apologetically.
Elaine sighed. She was home, and hadn't given explicit instructions to deny callers. "Very well — ask Denise to attend me." She had no intention of seeing Sir Oliver alone. She didn't trust him. If he'd come because of Volkov, he would be angry.
"At once, ma'am."
Fifteen minutes later, Elaine strolled into the drawing room, trailed by Denise and Lilly. "Sir Oliver."
He raised his eyebrows at her. So he didn't like that she'd brought her maid. That made her relieved that she'd done so. "Miss Eardley," he bowed.
"How kind of you to call… I've bespoken tea. Mrs. Grove was asking about the major — do you know where he is?"
"A house party I believe — somewhere up north. If Mrs. Grove wishes it, I can discover his direction for her."
"Thank you."
He glanced at Denise, who'd retired to a chair beside the windows. She gave them her back, but she would hear their conversation.
Elaine sat on one of the sofas, and waved to one of the chairs for Sir Oliver. "I'm sorry that Felicity isn't at home," she said, gifting him with a smile. "She'll be distressed that she missed you. She was enquiring after you."
His gaze narrowed on her. So she was right, she thought, he'd heard about Felicity and Volkov, and he was angry. He sat on the chair, and leaned back in it. "Enquiring?"
"Of course. You haven't called on her."
"You're criticizing me?" He sounded disbelieving. Then he added, "you and Felicity ride in the park every morning, I hear."
She nodded, keeping her expression bland, and showing only mild interest.
"I wasn't aware that Felicity had suddenly become so enamored of riding — she doesn't ride at Foxton Park."
"The park is pleasant in the morning."
To her relief, the servants brought in tea, sandwiches, and cakes.
He waited until the servants had left the room. "What do you know of Count Volkov?"
So he knew, she thought. "The count is Lord Worley's friend — but other than that, I don't know much about him at all, why do you ask?"
"I ask because Felicity is causing talk. I hear that he's been carrying on a blatant flirtation with her, and I won't have it. Under your very nose too. I thought you were Felicity's friend. How could you allow this?"
Elaine wished him and his intended to the devil. "A flirtation? I think you refine too much on a friendship… And why should a flirtation — if it exists — concern you? There's no harm in it." If you want to prevent flirtations, she thought, you ought to pay more attention to Fee.
"Volkov dances attendance on her. He rides with her in the morning, calls on her, and partners her whenever he gets the chance. It's a flirtation, and it's causing talk."
He's enraged, Elaine thought. She'd never seen this icy coldness in him. Drat Felicity.
>
Lilly, lying at Elaine's feet, sat up, and pressed closer to her. She patted the dog, and sipped her tea for a few moments. "There's always talk. Your friends are twitting you, I'm sure of that. You might call on Felicity — and ride in the park with her."
"I've no time for riding."
She thought, no, you spend your nights gambling and with your mistress, and sleep all day. But he wouldn't appreciate her comments on his activities, so she remained silent.
"I'll speak to Volkov, and tell him that he's to keep away from Felicity — you'll ensure that he does."
That caught her on the raw. "How do you imagine that I might accomplish that?" She could be quite as cold as he was. "I certainly won't be rude to anyone! Felicity's behavior has been proper, and Lord Worley and Count Volkov have been politeness itself." Almost proper. She winced.
"If I had known how she would behave in town, I would never have allowed her to join you! But then, I did know, did I not? If your behavior with me is an indication of what you consider proper, Miss Eardley, I don't consider you a suitable friend for Felicity. I shall encourage her to return home. I should never have agreed to this adventure!"
Now he was raising his voice. For effect. As before, Elaine felt as if she were watching a performance, and yet, underneath that outward display of temper, was danger.
How could she ever have imagined herself in love with this man? She'd never seen him like this, and had smiled when Catherine and Anne referred to him as dangerous. He was, she saw now.
She cleared her throat, her own anger displaced by fear. She glanced at Denise, who looked back at her, and had risen from her chair.
Elaine stood too. "Thank you for calling, Sir Oliver. Felicity will be dismayed that she missed you…" She had to soothe the man somehow, so she kept her tone gentle.
Suddenly the drawing room doors opened, and Cormac stepped into the room, closely followed by Catherine.
"Tea! How wonderful," Catherine said heartily. "And Sir Oliver too… You've called to visit Felicity — she will be saddened that she missed you. She's still paying calls with Mother and Anne. I had to come home. Three calls in one day is more than enough for me." She stripped off her gloves, and set them on a side table.
Elaine saw that Cormac had closed the doors, and was standing at the side of the room. Although he looked calmly into space, she sensed that all his attention was on Sir Oliver. That gave her courage.
Sir Oliver bowed to Catherine. "Mrs. Grove."
"Sir Oliver feels that Felicity is carrying on a flirtation with Count Volkov," Elaine told her sister. "He does not approve."
Sir Oliver looked startled at Elaine's plain speaking. He might be willing to bully Elaine, but he wouldn't dare try that with Catherine, Elaine knew.
"Is she? How enterprising of her." Catherine poured a cup of tea, and added a slice of lemon to it. "A Russian nobleman." She smiled at Sir Oliver, and then chided Elaine playfully. "My dear sister, she's showing you how you must go on — you should be collecting beaux too."
She sat at a chair close to the tea table, and waved at Sir Oliver to sit down again. "Seed cake, Sir Oliver? Or perhaps some bread and butter?"
She set a couple of slices of bread onto a plate, rose, and offered the plate to him.
Startled, he took it, and she smiled in approval. "The butter's from Gostwicke Hall, I can recommend it… Now, I can see that Felicity's flirting with Volkov concerns you. And very proper too, it shows that you have a nice concern for young Felicity." She took a large bite of her own slice of seed cake, and ate with obvious enjoyment.
"Do eat, Sir Oliver," Catherine said after a few moments, and took another sip of tea. "Otherwise I feel so greedy."
He stared down at the plate, shrugged, and ate.
Elaine forked a mouthful of custard tart, watching her sister in admiration. Catherine looked lovely, in an expensive walking gown from Paris, with her red-gold tresses enticingly curled underneath a tiny confection of a hat.
Catherine soothed away Sir Oliver's temper effortlessly, and Elaine wished that she had that ability. Hiding her smile, she allowed herself to relax for the first time in almost half an hour.
She felt Lilly relax beside her as well, and slipped the dog a piece of pie crust.
Catherine set down her plate when she'd finished the cake. "Delicious," she said. She took another sip of tea.
"You should be proud of Felicity," Catherine said to Sir Oliver finally, her tone confiding. "A young girl, on her first season, catches the attention of a Russian nobleman." She sighed. "The girl's showing you how to go on, Elaine — I wish that you would follow her example."
"Mrs. Grove, you're making a game of me." Sir Oliver smiled in reluctant admiration. "You're bewitching, just as the major says."
Elaine blinked. He was smiling? Her gaze met Cormac's. She saw his lips twitch.
"I daresay he said I was a witch, which is something else altogether," Catherine said, her tone dry. "Where is my errant husband, do you know?"
"Up north, I believe — I'll have my man send you his direction."
"Thank you."
Sir Oliver rose. He bowed over Catherine's hand, and retained it for a moment. "You'll give Lady Foxton the hint?"
"Indeed I will not, Sir Oliver. You're always welcome in this house, you know. You may tell Felicity of your concerns yourself… If you wish. Unfounded as those concerns might be."
He nodded to Elaine, then he was gone.
Catherine met Denise's gaze, and the maid left. Cormac had already gone, after opening the doors for Sir Oliver.
"Well, well," Catherine took another slice of seed cake. "Sit down, Elaine, and eat. He's gone. The dragon is vanquished, for now, at least." She put her hand on the silver tea pot. "It's cold."
Elaine ate, and her sister was silent, after ringing for another pot of tea. Elaine knew that Catherine wasn't pleased, and sighed.
"Now, Lady Foxton…" Catherine said, after the doors had closed on the footman who'd delivered another pot of tea, "What's happening with Felicity — something is happening, otherwise Sir Oliver wouldn't have come." She chuckled. "My dear husband's dripped poison about us into his ear for years. If we weren't such excellent ton, he would never have allowed Felicity to stay at Eardley House."
She realized that her sister always saw through her, so Elaine explained about Bobby. The groom felt that Felicity had deliberately evaded him.
"The count's young, just 25, I believe," Catherine said, after staring down at the carpet for a few moments. "I heard that he was wounded at Borodin, in 1812…" She cleared her throat. "I daresay he's charmed by Felicity, but I can't see that he means more than that. His family would never agree to an English bride."
"Will you speak to Felicity?"
Catherine shook her head. "No, but nor will I allow you and that dizzy young lady to ride in the park without me. Volkov wouldn't dare to throw dust in my eyes. And nor would Felicity. You can be sure that I'll show my displeasure to Lady Foxton however."
Thank goodness, Elaine thought, relieved that the matter was closed.
Or so she thought.
A week later, after breakfast, Elaine discovered that the matter wasn't closed at all.
Catherine, Felicity and Elaine had ridden in the park, but for the past several days, Worley and Volkov hadn't joined them. Elaine had been relieved. However later, when she learned the truth, she realized that Felicity hadn't looked disappointed, and that that had provided a clue.
Denise was helping Elaine to change into a walking dress. Anne was taking all the women to the silk warehouses. She'd heard that a new shipment of silks had arrived.
"Ma'am…"
"What is it?" Elaine asked. She met her maid's gaze in her dressing table mirror. "You might as well tell me — I daresay the laundress has singed one of my night gowns again?"
"It's not that. It's just that I don't know whether I should speak…"
"Tell me, whatever it is."
"Lady Foxton, ma'am…
She's been slipping out at night, after midnight, alone, without even her maid. She doesn't come home for hours. It is scandaleux."
"Going out — alone?"
"Oui ma'am… two nights I saw her. I didn't want to speak, it's not my place," Denise looked tearful.
Two nights? Elaine strove to keep her expression bland. It wouldn't help to rage at Denise for not telling her immediately. Denise kept secrets well. Perhaps she imagined that Elaine knew, and approved.
"Go to Lady Foxton, please. Present my compliments, and ask her to attend on me."
Denise looked frightened, so Elaine took her hand, and squeezed it. "It's all right, Denise… How did you discover this?"
"I could not sleep for pain — la migraine. I went to the kitchen for some chamomile tea, and sat in the garden for a little fresh air… Then I saw her ladyship. She did not see me. She left by the small garden gate in the back area… I — I thought that I had better wait, to see… she returned some hours later."
"You saw her go out twice, you say?"
"Oui. Again last night. I took the room next door to Lady Foxton, a guest room, and listened. She went out again, and then returned."
"Fetch Felicity."
Duplicitous minx, Elaine thought, striving to control her temper. She continued dressing her hair. So Elaine had been slipping out at night. Denise had seen her twice, but she could have gone out for many nights, unobserved.
Volkov. Elaine didn't believe for a moment that Felicity was meeting Sir Oliver. She didn't even want to imagine what Sir Oliver's reaction would be, should he discover what Felicity had been doing.
Felicity took her time. Denise returned, finished dressing Elaine's hair, and Elaine was ready to go out by the time Felicity tapped on her door. Elaine nodded to Denise to leave them.
"You look delightful!" Felicity bounced into the room, and looked Elaine up and down. "I like that hat… Where did you buy it?"
"Where you do go when you leave the house at night?"
Color faded from Felicity's face, then rushed back into it again.
Elaine's hope that there might be a reasonable explanation for Felicity's actions faded. What explanation could she give, after all? "Volkov," Elaine said, and shook her head. "I'd thought better of him than to compromise you in this way."
The Lady and the Duke_A Dangerous Season Page 10
