Ianthe and the Fighting Foxes: The Fentons Book 4

by Alicia Cameron

  'I can't catch her on that horse,' remarked Ianthe, looking after her. 'Whatever made you give her Sapphire?'

  He was still looking in the direction of Sally's gallop. 'I thought she'd refuse him.'

  'I saw there was another ready saddled.' They both gazed ahead. 'She's wonderful, isn't she? On a horse she doesn't know?'

  'She's odd today,' said Audley in a distracted tone. 'Doesn't talk.'

  Ianthe considered. She looked again, as Audley's eyes were following Sally's. Should she help or not? It may hurt her new friend. But that look in his eye … She decided to further this just a little, to see where it may lead. If she was concerned afterwards, well then, there was still time to avoid the worst. Sally was a sensible woman. 'That is because she is grateful and embarrassed.' Ianthe explained to him. 'It has restored her to her usual social manner. Keeping her distance from a well-known, and well-distant-in-status, marquis.'

  'It is a pity,' he sighed. 'But I suppose you are correct.'

  'Don't try to charm her, Audley. She knows enough to avoid a flirtation with you. She has spoken to me on this head when I warned her.'

  'Yes?' he looked annoyed. 'You should keep your nose out of my affairs, Ianthe.'

  'Is this then one of your affairs?' demanded Ianthe with a warning in her voice.

  'Do not take me up so. I only meant I liked to hear her real feelings instead of social offerings. I was looking forward to her berating me when I brought out Sapphire.'

  'Then you are justly served, my lord.' They both looked as Sapphire, followed by a groom doing his best to keep up, disappeared behind the brow of a hill. 'If you wish to restore her to herself, do not try charm, it will not work.'

  'You underestimate my charm.'

  'Well,' lied Ianthe, 'it never worked on me.'

  His eyes looked like he would call out her lie, but instead he said, 'Very well. What then shall I do?'

  In a few minutes, he took her advice.

  Once Sally Richards, with hair escaping from her bonnet, a becoming flush on her cheeks and nose, and a deliriously happy smile on her face rode back to them, they all pulled up. 'Are you empty headed?' cried Audley. 'Galloping a horse on roads you did not know?'

  Sally's euphoria was not dented. 'But Sapphire knew the road, so I had only to trust him!' She leant forward and caressed the horse's sweaty neck, then looked up a trifle pertly at the marquis. 'I asked the groom if Sapphire knew the road before I galloped.'

  'You might have harmed him! Or yourself!'

  She looked a trifle guilty. 'I quite understand that it might have worried you. I am sorry! But you see, all is well.' The marquis snorted. 'It is! Why, if you were afraid, did you give him to me then?'

  'I had another horse ready saddled. I thought you would refuse him. Instead you mounted a horse so tall without a block, before I could prevent you.'

  'Huh!' ejected Sally, 'You were caught in your own net! Serves you right. I'm not sorry at all, now. I suppose that the other horse was Missy's grandmother.'

  'A suitable horse for a lady, merely.' He paused. 'And how did you manage that mount? The stirrup was too high for you.'

  'I jumped and pulled up! It was easy. My papa had a hunter as tall as Sapphire and I rode him often.'

  'Your papa was?'

  'Sir Guy Richards. He was not much in town.'

  'I knew him!'

  'You did?' Sally sounded overjoyed.

  'Not well, but he was a member of my club. A very affable gentleman.'

  Sally's eyes filled. 'He was.'

  The marquis was at a loss for a moment but acted by instinct. 'And a good horseman who would not have been amused by his daughter risking her life on a mount too strong for her.'

  'Nonsense! He trusted me well!' said Sally fiercely.

  Audley was grateful that the tears were gone and added another faggot to the fire. 'When next you come, I shall find a more suitable ride for you.'

  'How can you say that when you have just seen me ride without mishap? You could not be so cruel, just when I know Sapphire's tricks.'

  'Well, if you promise not to gallop without us, perhaps I will permit it. Sapphire does not always take with other riders.'

  'And knowing this you gave him to me! You are the most complete hand, my lord. But if you let me ride him again, I will try to be grateful and forgiving.' She smiled at him pertly, and Audley tried to mask his own smile in return.

  The marquis pulled behind with Ianthe and the road slowed them both down. 'Thank you for your advice, dear heart. She is now fully restored to insulting me.'

  'It seems you enjoy it,' said Ianthe with a laugh. But she was apprehensive. Audley was too engaged, too concerned. This might mean nought. However, if he set out to charm Sally, this might end in pain. Sally, lovely and vivacious, was nevertheless not someone he was likely to marry. She knew that Audley was no saint, his affairs were legendary. If he wanted to play with Sally because she had spirit enough not to worship his looks or position, if he only wanted to win … but no. Ianthe trusted him, and if he were to pursue something for no good reason, she would pull him up short, before he did any serious damage. He did not trifle with young ladies of quality. His liking for Sally was evident, but probably not ardent. They could both do with a friend, thought Ianthe. And socially, Audley could do much for Sally and her mother. If they ever returned to London, that was. It was part of Ianthe's new ambition to have the Richards less dependent on the unpleasant Foxes and it would be more difficult to negate poor relations who also have powerful friends. Ianthe would, as usual, trust her instincts. They had gotten her out of more fixes than this.

  When handing the ladies back into the gig, Audley said, 'I received a reply from Lord Fox last night. You all return tomorrow for dinner here.'

  'Well, I wonder what made him give in?' wondered Sally.

  'Mmmm,' said Ianthe, and Audley grinned.

  'You will find that people around Ianthe Eames frequently behave in a manner out of character.'

  'You are right, sir! I am even now being more disobedient than I ever have in my life!'

  'You see?' The marquis looked over Ianthe to Sally. 'Just what are my instructions for the party again?' he asked as though about to commit them to memory.

  'Do not notice me. Do not ignore me either, because it would pain my mother.'

  'It seems impossible, but I will do my level best. Did you not request a sneer?'

  'I did. But we thought again.'

  'So we did.'

  Sally frowned. 'You might have to use it in an emergency.'

  'Very well. What emergency might arise?'

  'Oh, if my mother becomes enamoured of you!'

  'We wouldn't want that…' said Audley.

  'What are you two about?' asked Ianthe, laughing.

  'Ah, it is the delicate social balancing of a marquis and a … a middling sort of woman, I believe.' As Ianthe looked lost, he laughed. 'Ask your friend. Her request might defeat even my notable social address.'

  Sally unexpectedly took the gig reins, saying, 'Just be your superior self, my lord.' And led off, leaving him.

  Ianthe thought, looking back at her friend the marquis smiling after them, that Sally Richards, when she was not being the terrified satellite of Lady Fox, might be more than even he could handle.

  Chapter Seven

  Enlisting Lord Fox

  'I quite see!' said Ianthe as she and Sally re-entered the side door of Studham. Sally had been instructing her on the "middling sort of woman" social dilemma that the marquis faced, and Ianthe had laughed at her demands of him. She thought that Sally Richards was even more intelligent and delightful than she had guessed, and was looking forward, in a frankly inquisitive way, to the dinner at Audley and her two friends' interaction.

  But now her laughter with Sally was halted by encountering Lord Fox, also in riding dress, in the hall.

  'I can explain everything!' said Ianthe, holding up an appeasing hand. Lord Fox stood stock still. 'Sally, go and change!' She saw
that Sally was frozen into the terrified rabbit again and was distressed to see the figure of Lady Richards above, swaying a little in shock. She nudged Sally roughly. 'Go to your mother!' and Sally stumbled upstairs. Lord Fox wore his habitual frown, but it was tinged today with confusion. 'In the study!' ordered Ianthe, leading the way. He followed her.

  In a break from good etiquette, Ianthe moved past him to close the study door firmly behind them. He supposed, as relatives of a sort, it was permissible, and he was too confused to do other than turn to her, as she leaned her back against the door.

  'I can explain,' she said.

  'You have said so,' he countered. 'What have you to explain?'

  'About the ride.'

  He was silent, waiting.

  'You don't seem shocked,' Ianthe mused, tilting her head a little.

  He supposed the head tilt was one of her tricks. He was feeling a little suffocated that his exit was blocked by a lady looking at him with such an open expression. He controlled his breathing. 'I am most shocked that you have come again into my study, a room I have explicitly forbade you to enter.'

  'That is all?' Ianthe seemed amused.

  'Is that not sufficient?'

  'Then you are not shocked by the ride?'

  'Why should I be …? What—?'

  Ianthe straightened herself. 'Ah, so you do not know!' She smiled as though in relief. 'I thought you were too good for that!'

  Lord Fox recoiled as though struck. 'I beg your pardon?'

  'Lady Fox banned riding,’ she explained.

  He looked aghast. 'Why would she do so?'

  'To be unpleasant,' said Ianthe flatly. He blinked. 'That is not the point. Did you not notice that the Richards have not ridden during their stay here?'

  He frowned again, but this time in reflection. 'I did not think of it. I have no idea what they do all day. If I had noticed, I would have assumed that they did not care for it.'

  'Not at all. Sally Richards is the most brilliant rider I have ever seen.' Ianthe informed him enthusiastically. Then she sighed. 'It is because all horses and carriages are forbidden them.'

  'But why?' asked Lord Fox, aghast.

  'I have already told you why.' Ianthe sat down and Fox watched in amazement. 'Now what do we do?' she asked him invitingly.

  'We?' He was taken aback by more than this new information, but further thrown off by her open regard.

  'You quite see we have to do something.' She looked up at him frankly. His eyes looked down into her dark velvet ones and he gulped, unable to unlock them. It was she who broke the lock, looking off to the side as though her quick brain was creating something. Why it terrified him, he could not fathom. He was still catching up.

  'But wait,' he said, 'you are in riding gear. Does that mean you took the horses against Her Ladyship's prohibition?'

  'No! For the head groom is completely in Lady Fox's pocket, you know.'

  'My step-mama's? No, I did not know!' He frowned. 'So, how might you?'

  'Well, Hawkins took far too much delight in refusing me a mount when I asked. I could quite see he belongs to Lady Fox. Stephens,' she said, referring to another groom, 'later told me he came with her to Studham.'

  'I had not remembered.' Fox frowned again. 'So how come you to be in riding dress, if you did not take any of my horses?'

  'Well, I suppose I have been stealing the gig. Stephens said he would bring it as he had not received orders to the contrary. He's very sweet.' Fox would never have thought to hear of the burly, balding, ugly figure of Stephens as sweet, but he did not question this. 'The best way is for you, over dinner you know, to make a request to the Richards and I to help to exercise your horses.' Fox was too astounded to be angry. Her casual assumption that he was her ally needed rebuking, but he had not yet the words… 'But not yet,' she continued thoughtfully. 'Sally has only just got acquainted with Sapphire and there is nothing to match him in your stables barring your own Thor.'

  'Sapphire? Wait — not the chestnut hunter of Audley's?'

  'You men do not socialise at all, and yet you know each other's mounts. It is so like gentlemen.' Ianthe remarked, amused.

  'You mean you have been riding at Audley? And he let Miss Richards ride Sapphire?'

  'Well, he was teasing her because …’ Ianthe threw up her hands, ‘it is too difficult to explain. He did not expect her to ride him, but she did. And magnificently.'

  'But you have been riding at Audley?'

  'Well yes, because my mare is there, you know.'

  'What?'

  'Well, I did not wish to give you yet another burden without at least asking, and Audley agreed to keep her until I got your permission to house her.'

  'You brought your mare from Paris?' He shook this off. 'And yet you did not ask me.'

  'Well, I thought you were aware of the riding ban, you know, and I knew Audley would be delighted to house her.'

  Fox was beside himself. 'Because of his intimacy with you I presume?' He had made "intimacy" seem like a soiled word, but she did not react.

  'Honestly — he is! It is not charity you see, for Purity once saved his life. But that is quite another story.' She stood up, smiling sunnily. 'I must go to see Sally now, for she will be sorely worried, thinking you are about to eject her from Studham.'

  'Why would I eject her…?'

  'Oh. Even I mistook you for a while. You do not smile, you know, and people think it is because you have no heart. Or at least, a heart as black as your step-mama's.' He shuddered, and her voice softened, consoling. 'It is only because they do not know how kind you are.' He took a step back. She had whisked around to open the study door and put her head out carefully. She turned again, smiling. 'We did it! No one is there. I'll see you at breakfast! Remember, not a peep to Lady Fox yet!' She turned to leave but looked over her shoulder winningly, 'And do try a smile at Lady Richards over breakfast, or she will make herself ill worrying that she will be thrown out.' She opened the door and was gone with a conspiratorial wink.

  Lord Fox, stunned, sat back in a chair.

  ***

  Lady Fox and Curtis came down to breakfast that morning. Sally Richards, coming into the room with her mama, froze on the threshold before a helpful shove from Lady Richards propelled her in.

  'You are late!' said Lady Fox acidly.

  'We are at our regular hour, I believe, your ladyship,' ventured Lady Richards faintly.

  A look at a clock on the mantelpiece told Lady Fox that it was she who had been mistaken, but said, nevertheless, 'You should be down before the family, I believe. Even Curtis is here this morning and he has a delicate constitution.'

  The Richards sat down, both trembling and uneasy. Lady Richards shot a look at Ianthe, who smiled at her.

  'I am so sorry to hear you are not strong, Mr Fox,' said Ianthe, smiling warmly at Curtis in a way that made him give a reluctant twitch of his lips in exchange. 'What precisely is your malady?'

  This was an intrusive question that should not be asked — and Sally Richards understood in it a way to direct Lady Fox's wrath from her mother and her to Ianthe herself. It worked. Lady Fox's breath caught in that precursor to a lengthy tirade, but Lord Edward Fox had entered the room, and he replied dryly, 'No one has yet discovered what that might be, Miss Eames, though many surgeons have been called upon. However, the mystery does seem to be linked to how much of the brandy bottle had been emptied the night before.'

  'Damn you, Edward!' Curtis spat.

  A servant had brought a plate for His Lordship, and Sally noted that rather than respond to Curtis' venom, as was his wont, Lord Fox merely began to eat. Sally herself, free from attention for the moment, nibbled on a sweet roll and drank some chocolate.

  'We dine at Audley tomorrow, remember, Stepmother.'

  'You cannot mean it!' said Lady Fox. 'I will not permit it.'

  'You must do as you choose, ma'am, but I shall certainly attend, and invite our guests to do so.' He gave a stiff smile across the table to Sally's mama. 'Lady Richar
ds, you have no objection to dining at Audley?'

  Returning his smile with a shy one of her own, Lady Richards replied, 'No objection at all, my lord.'

  'What new quirk is this?' said Curtis with rancour. 'You have always avoided Audley before.'

  Lord Fox gave a slight shrug. 'As to that, I have no more affection for the marquis than usual. But you must see that to return the land to the estate, as he has just offered, is to the advantage of the family.'

  There was a silence broken only by the noise of cutlery and eating for two minutes. Sally gave a nervous glance to Ianthe whose return look was mischievous. Lady Fox broke it. 'Since this concerns the estate, I suppose we must be present, my son.' When Curtis sulkily expostulated, she held up a hand. 'No, my boy, as heir to the estate, this concerns you.' At this, Sally let out a little laugh that became a cough. The ice-cold voice of Lady Fox impaled her. 'Pray, what did you find amusing, Miss Richards?'

  Sally, putting a napkin to her mouth for a second, replied quietly, 'Only that I know Curtis is the heir, of course, but it sounded so strange.' Sally wished she could stop her own mouth, as Her Ladyship's brows descended below the bridge of her nose.

  'Strange? I do not understand you.'

  That voice would certainly have effectively shut her mouth with only a few apologetic cries a few days ago, but Lord Fox had smiled, however briefly, at her mama. And Ianthe Eames was here, so Sally ventured the truth. 'Well, it is just that Lord Fox, being a handsome man of fortune, can hardly fail to be expected to have children of his own.'

  Lady Fox's rage held her silent, but Curtis said, 'Fox is too unpleasant to attract the ladies. He has no plans to marry at all. Mama has always said so.' He added rather desperately.

  'But you have just heard a young lady describe him as handsome, you know Curtis,' said Ianthe Eames.

  'Is this your plan, my lady?' said Lady Fox with a snarl at Lady Richards. 'To ensnare Lord Fox for your daughter? I did not think you would dare to look so far above yourself. I did not think you encroaching.'