“I’m sorry I’m late, Aunt,” Alice said as she slipped into her seat.
Lady Mary looked at her. “Are you quite well, my dear? Your eyes are glassy.”
“I still have a headache. I found it difficult to sleep last night which is why I overslept so disgracefully this morning.”
“Would you like me to send for the doctor?”
“Oh no, I’ll be fine directly. Kitty has asked me to go for a walk with her and the air will do me good.”
“Are you sure? It is unlike you to be ill.”
“I do suffer from headaches sometimes when I am tired, but they always leave me after an hour or so. I don’t know why this one hasn’t done the same,” Alice said hoping she would be forgiven the white lie. She knew very well the cause of her headache.
After breakfast, Kitty lost no time in pouncing on her cousin and whisking her off before anyone could object. Indeed, she hurried her along so fast that Alice hissed,
“Slow down! People are beginning to stare at us.”
“I’m sorry, but I want to reach Hyde Park before noon.”
“Why?”
“Charles goes for his luncheon then. I sent him an urgent note to meet me by the Serpentine.”
“Kitty! An assignation? You should not.”
“Of course I should. I have to tell him about Edward, don’t I? It would be disastrous if he decided to call on him now. We must find a way to change Edward’s mind before Charles does so.”
“Meeting him is dangerous. What if someone should see us all together?”
“Pooh! That’s why I begged you to accompany me. What is unseemly about encountering a friend by chance in Hyde Park? Even the old quizzes cannot make a scandal out of something like that. Your presence makes everything correct and no one can say I am behaving unbecomingly by walking in Hyde Park with my cousin. Come on!” Kitty tugged Alice’s arm and urged her down the street. “I’m longing to see him again.”
Chapter Six
The two girls had barely seated themselves when Captain Roper arrived. He seemed slightly breathless and looked anxious as he gave them both his hand.
“What is it? I had your note. What has happened?”
“The worst. Edward spoke to me this morning and told me that he will never allow me to become your wife. We must find a way to persuade him.”
“But why? Did you tell him that I would be calling on him soon?”
“No I didn’t. He broached the subject to me without any prompting at all. He said that I had made my preference for you perfectly clear to everyone who sees us together. He won’t have a sister of his acting in such an unbecoming way. As you can imagine, I felt ready to sink through the floor.”
“What is your brother’s objection to me?”
“None except that, in your profession, you have to go away on long voyages. He says Navy men always do and I will be a poor wife who won’t behave with propriety during your absence. I shouldn’t, of course, but I couldn’t make him accept that.”
“Is that all?”
“It is enough, surely?”
Roper smiled. “The thing is easily answered then. I am in no danger of being sent abroad just yet and so I can tell him. Admiral Saunders, whose aide I am, is unlikely to receive another posting before his retirement in a few years time. You made me worried.”
“If by chance you were sent away unexpectedly, you could always resign your commission, could you not?”
A distinct look of shock appeared on the Captain’s face. “No my love, I definitely could not. What else would I do? I am only trained in one profession and it is unlikely that my father would support me if I throw it away.”
“There are other ships besides Navy ones, are there not? Merchant vessels for example? After all we are now at peace and there is less need for the Navy.”
“My love, you do not realise what you are asking of me. I am not the right man to carry cargoes back and forth to Spain or France. I have always served in fighting ships and I would not know how to go on. I should certainly make a mess of it if I tried. I have no head for business.”
“I see.” Kitty seemed to deflate even as Alice watched. “You really cannot care for me so much then.”
“I adore you,” Roper told her promptly. “I’ll do anything I can to win your hand, except to desert my profession. Besides, your brother definitely would not welcome me as a suitor if I became unemployed or turned to trade. We must find another way. We can between us. Don’t despair.” He rose. “I must leave you now and return to my work. We are very busy in the office and I shouldn’t really have left but your note sounded so urgent.”
“It is urgent. I didn’t want you to meet my brother not knowing his attitude to us. That would be fatal.”
“I’ll consider how we may best change his mind. I will have a word with the Admiral and see what he suggests. You will think hard too?”
“Yes,” Kitty promised, but she had lost her liveliness and pouted a little.
Roper was barely out of sight before she began to weep. “We’ll never be together, I just know it. Edward will find some way to kept us apart. He’ll probably make me go and stay with horrid old Aunt Eliza. She lives in the country miles from anywhere and keeps pug dogs which smell.” She sniffed and Alice was obliged to hide her smile at this masterly description. She too, had similar relatives and she would be equally unwilling to live with them.
“There must be some way to change Edward’s mind.”
They sat in the park talking together for some considerable time, discussing ways and means. Most of their ideas were preposterous, the fruit of increasing desperation. They ranged from an instant flight to Gretna Green since Kitty was not of age, to abduction or bribery. Kitty even suggested running away on Charles’s former sloop, Black Swan. When it was pointed out to her that the ship was probably laid up and not ready for sea, she shrugged and dismissed the suggestion. Her eyes turned glassy as if she were about to cry. Alice, although she was worried, set herself to the task of soothing Kitty’s feelings and helping her into a more hopeful frame of mind. She only partially succeeded, but Kitty appeared calmer on the surface.
Becoming chilled at last in spite of the heat of the discussion, the girls left the park and visited Grafton House. They bought a few trinkets to give themselves an excuse for being away from home for so long. They returned with their thoughts depressed and in confusion. Fortunately Edward had gone to his club, so they managed to avoid him until the dinner hour. If her life depended on it, Alice would not have been able to say what courses had been set before them that evening. She ate little; it was an effort for her to talk naturally. She was grateful the family was dining alone. For the moment, calm prevailed, although Kitty was in a brooding silence, occasionally throwing black looks in her brother’s direction. Lady Mary noticed Kitty’s abstraction and commented on it.
“Whatever is the matter with you, my dear? You have not said two words since you came in to dinner.”
“Nothing, Mama. I was merely wrapped in my thoughts.”
“The dining table is no place for deep thoughts, even when we are alone. I thought you had been taught better than that,” Lady Mary reproved her gently.
“I am considering my future, Mama. Surely that is more important than making polite conversation.”
“Infinitely more important, but not here and not now.” Lady Mary shot a significant look at the servants laying out the next course. “I will speak to you tomorrow morning when we are quite private and you can take all the time you need to tell me what is troubling you.”
“Of course, Mama,” Kitty said but she looked rebellious. Alice was grateful that she had the sense to realise that any outburst now would only reduce her chances of a happy outcome.
Lady Mary intended to take both girls to Almack’s that evening. Neither looked very pleased about the prospect as they set forth to one of their favourite pastimes. Kitty had already warned Charles not appear since Edward had promised to escort them.
She did not want the two to meet until they had made a firm plan. Alice kept looking around for her brother but there was no sign of him. She felt she spent an insipid time, although normally she would have enjoyed herself very much.
Part of the problem was that Mr. Hardwick was present and had been watching to see Alice and her party arrive. They had barely been announced when he was bowing before her and begging her hand for the set that was still forming. She did not have time to frame an adequate refusal so, perforce, she danced with him. He showed a distinct tendency to remain by her side when she was sitting down and became quite huffy when she was claimed by several others. She escaped him as often as possible, dancing with any of her beaux who begged the honour of standing up with her. She wished that her brother had been there to rescue her, although she knew he was wise to keep away. The only time of the evening that was pleasant was the cotillion. She stood up with Edward and found out that, in spite of his denials, he was an excellent dancer.
She teased him about it, saying, “Now I know that the rumour is true.”
“What rumour is that?” He looked down at her with a smile and she thought how much it changed his rather solemn countenance.
“That all the best dancers served in the Duke of Wellington’s army.”
“I am glad to hear you say so. May I return the compliment? You are as graceful a dancer as you are an excellent rider.”
“Goodness, what a set of compliments all at once! Thank you, kind sir.”
Alice was pleased to find herself in harmony with him again but the headache that had afflicted her during the morning had worsened. The tension of the day, the movement of the dance and the music were to blame, she thought, although Mr. Hardwick’s attentions had not helped. Alice felt flustered and uncertain that she would be able to stop him from asking her to marry him. Why he should even want to do so she could not comprehend. It was one more worry to add to all the others that had beset her during this last week. By the time she returned to the house, her head was throbbing behind her eyes making it difficult for her to see.
She was just going up the stairs to bed when the porter handed her a note. He told her that it had been delivered by hand earlier in the evening. Alice thanked him and carried it upstairs to her room. She laid it down on her dressing table, intending to read it in the morning, but a glance at the subscription gave her a shock. She sat up straight and hurriedly dismissed Sarah, who was brushing her hair.
“Please stop. My head hurts so much, Sarah. Give me my nightcap. I’ll get into bed directly and go to sleep.”
As soon as the maid left, Alice drew the candle nearer and broke the wafer. The handwriting was undoubtedly Philips’s scrawl. She would recognise it anywhere. It said simply,
I intend to go to Kew tomorrow night. I will call for you at two o’clock in the morning. Can you be ready to accompany me? Come to the back gate of Aunt’s house; I will have a carriage waiting in the mews. If you agree, put a lamp in your window after you have returned to your room tonight. I shall see it, however late you are. Don’t fail me in this, sweetest sister.
Philip.
Oh no! Alice thought. Dear God, what a day. First Kitty, then Mr. Hardwick, now Philip. Her heart was thumping at the very thought, but whatever happened, she could not disappoint him. She hurried to light a spare candle, pulled aside the curtains and set the candlestick on her window ledge. She started to weep uncontrollably as she crawled into her bed and drew the bedclothes up to her ears. I can’t think about this at the moment. My head hurts so much. I don’t want to make a mistake. I’ll be able to cope with everything in the morning.
In spite of her troubles, tiredness took its toll and Alice slept. She woke refreshed and even happy until she remembered Philip’s note, which she had placed beneath her pillows for safety. She smoothed it out and read it again in the dim light filtering through the curtains. She had not been mistaken. Philip needed her. She lay still for some considerable time, deciding how to accomplish what she would have to do, glad that her headache had lessened and she could use her brains again.
It would never do for her absence to be discovered. She thought she could reach the back door without alerting anyone if she avoided the step that creaked in the servants’ staircase. If she was seen, she would undoubtedly be questioned. A sudden thirst had driven her to the kitchen, she decided. She would ask Sarah for a glass of water before she went to bed. She would say she was thirsty and carry the empty glass as an excuse. Having thought out her plan, she rang the bell for Sarah to bring her morning chocolate.
Alice tried hard to put thoughts of the forthcoming night’s activities out of her mind. It was difficult. She lived through the day almost as if she was acting mechanically. Kitty, who wanted to discuss her own problems, found her distant and with no new suggestions to offer. She was offended, until Alice said,
“I am so sorry, but I still have a headache a little and I find it hard to fix my mind on anything today. Forgive me. I am sure that, if I did suggest a plan, the notion would be totally impractical. I will help you, once the pain goes.”
“You aren’t becoming really ill. Are you?” Kitty asked in a horrified tone.
“I hope not, but it is unlike me to have constant headaches. I am just tired and a good night’s sleep should cure me, I’m sure. Would you mind if I didn’t come with you and Aunt Maitland to the play this evening?”
“No, you are right, you should rest. The play is almost certain to be uninteresting and you must get better. I need you Alice. Do you want me to tell Mama that you are unwell?”
“No. I shall do that myself and ask her to excuse me.”
Her aunt was sympathetic and happy to allow Alice to retire early and have her supper in her room. A fire was kindled on the hearth and Alice rested on a small sofa, eating and drinking a cup of tea. Anxiety had taken away her appetite but she knew she must eat something to keep up her strength. She did not know what lay before her this night. She remembered to ask Sarah for her glass of water, hoping the subterfuge would not prove to be necessary. It was just after ten o’clock when Sarah tucked her up into bed, with a pastille burning to cure her headache.
Alice found her eyes closing. It would have been far too easy for her to fall asleep. So, as soon as Sarah was gone, she climbed out again. She stirred up the fire and sat in front of it, trying to read a book by its flickering light. It was when she had gone over the same sentence for the third time without understanding a single word, that she decided the task was impossible. She laid the novel aside, got up and began to dress herself. An old brown frock, a plain bonnet and a warm pelisse seemed sensible clothing. What should one wear for such a crazy undertaking? She certainly did not know. She put on slippers and carried a pair of stout boots. She did not dare put them on until she was out of the house, lest they make a noise and wake someone. The church bells struck twelve, then one. The little repeater clock in Alice’s room seemed to be broken, its hands moved so slowly. Eventually they reached ten minutes to two. The family had returned from the play much earlier and retired. No one had disturbed her, although she had blown out the candles and put a bolster in her bed in case someone looked in. She wanted to seem to be asleep if anyone should have opened the door to check. Alice picked up her glass and the boots. Everything was dark and silent. Very carefully, she edged her door open. It made no sound, thanks to the candle wax she had rubbed into its hinges earlier in the day. She stepped into the hall and closed it, making sure that the catch did not click. Alice walked along the edges of the corridor, testing each step before she put her weight on it. She reached the access to the servant’s quarters and peeped round. Nothing stirred. She crept down the stairs, holding her breath.
The kitchen was deserted. The glow of the banked-up fire gave sufficient light to show her that the back door was barred and locked. Several keys hung on a nail in the wall. She caught up the bunch and tried them in the lock. The third one turned with a muffled thump. She turned the key in the lock before drawi
ng the bolts. The last bolt was stiff and squeaked, bringing her heart into her mouth. Although the sound seemed to echo in the empty room, no one came to investigate. She stepped out into the yard, giving thanks for the moonlight, so she could see her surroundings. The yard was full of obstacles and it would be easy to trip in darkness. She withdrew the key, locked the door on the outside and hid the key beneath a convenient box.
I shall need it later, she thought, hoping that her return might be as simple as her exit had been. When she made opened the gate into the mews behind the house, a figure loomed out of the shadows and she jumped.
“Alice?”
“Oh Philip, how you startled me,” she said as she took his hand and let him lead her to the waiting coach.
Philip had hired a small dog-cart with two fast horses harnessed to it. He untied the reins himself and swung up into the carriage. No one else was visible.
“No point in letting others know our business, now is there?” he asked as he drew a rug over Alice’s knees. “I won’t overturn you but hold on, for I am going to spring them,” he told her.
The miles passed swiftly. Philip concentrated on holding the two lively ones to the moonlit road, but as they neared their destination, he told Alice his plans for the evening. He had arranged to meet his servant in the lane that led to Staunton's manor. Jacques was to visit his dairymaid again. He hoped to be able to convince her to give him access to the house and to discover the location of Celia Staunton's bedroom. He would also warn them if Staunton had returned. Jacques had sent no warning, so Philip presumed that the master of the house was absent. Alice asked what part he expected her to play in this adventure. He told her that he wanted her to take care of Celia if she was in a distressed state.
Lady Alice's Dilemma (Regency Belles and Beaux Book 1) Page 6
