“And I tell you that I don’t trust either of you to make him come to his senses. Alice is too weak and why should he listen to a stranger he has never met?” The colour in the Countess’s cheeks was so fiery, Grace jumped to her feet and came forward.
“Shall I fetch you some water, ma’am, or perhaps your smelling salts?” she asked, speaking for the first time and immediately drawing her mistress’s fire.
“I’ll thank you not to interrupt. I want nothing from you.”
A lackey appeared at this moment to advise the company that dinner was served. They dined in a private dining room but the meal was a silent one. Alice and Grace were still smarting from the Countess’s words. She remained angry and uncommunicative. Edward thought it better not to reopen the subject of their argument in front of the servants. Alice found it difficult to eat although the food was excellent as usual. When her mother’s attention was distracted, Edward said quietly,
“You must be strong. We don’t know what state your brother will be in when he comes. People grieve in different ways. Try to be calm and rational so you can help him confront your mother. Fainting away from lack of food would not be useful.” He grinned at her.
“You’re right of course,” Alice agreed and smiled in return.
“What are you saying?” the Countess demanded of Edward.
“Why nothing, ma’am. I was merely encouraging Alice to eat her dinner.”
“Why should you trouble? She’s getting fat enough already.” The Countess looked down at her plate as Edward shot startled eyes at his wife.
“Alice?”
“I’m not sure.” Ever since her conversation with Mademoiselle Céleste, Alice had wondered. She did not feel any different but perhaps her clothes were a little tighter. Perhaps it was only her imagination. Nevertheless, Edward caught up her hand and kissed it in front of everybody, causing her to blush and her mother to say bitingly,
“You must have had a strange upbringing, Edward. I thought better of my sister-in-law. Did no one ever tell you that to be fondling someone in public is the height of rudeness? My daughter is not some light o’love.”
The ready reply leaped to Edward’s lips but he bit the words back and merely murmured,
“Very true, ma’am. Forgive me.”
By the end of the meal everyone’s temper had frayed. None of them could have been said to enjoy their dinner. Alice was positively dreading returning to the salon even though Edward did not call for his port and accompanied the ladies in an effort to protect her from her mother’s bitter tongue.
Chapter Six
There was no need for Alice to worry. The party had no sooner resumed their seats in the salon when there came a discreet scratch on the door. Alice sprang to her feet, even before Edward could call “Entrez!”
The door opened and Alice almost reeled back in shock, barely recognising her own brother. Philip was thin and his face looked grey. He had deep circles under his eyes. Alice, forgetting the others in the room, ran straight into his arms.
“Oh, my dear, what has happened to you?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he said, hugging her and then gently putting her to one side as he caught sight of his mother.
The Countess had risen and stood confronting him, a deep frown on her face.
“Mama.” He bowed but made no move to come any closer to her. He had not released Alice’s hand and she could feel him shaking so she gave him a squeeze which seemed to steady him.
“Pray what do you have to say for yourself, sir?”
“Many things, ma’am, but first I would like you to present me to this lady, who I have not had the pleasure of meeting before.”
“Let me, Mama, please,” Alice interjected, drawing forward Miss Talbot from her usual retired place. “Miss Talbot, may present my brother, Lord Philip Sutherland. Miss Talbot is Mama’s companion and the daughter of the vicar who used to hold the living at Kirkmore.”
“Delighted to meet you, Miss Talbot.” Philip bowed over Grace’s hand as she dropped into a curtsy and murmured,
“Lord Philip.”
In that moment, the hero of her imagination, a tall, dark handsome stranger, aloof and rather haughty, vanished forever. This slight, fair haired man with haunted eyes would be a much more interesting character to dream about. As she moved away from him, she was surprised to find that she was breathing rather deeply.
Alice, who had never taken her eyes from her brother’s face, saw that he seemed a little surprised as he turned towards her. Then she said, “Philip, this is my husband, Sir Edward Maitland. Edward is our cousin as well as your brother-in-law, as you will remember.”
“Your aunt is my stepmother,” Edward commented, holding out his hand and shaking Philip’s. He looked hard at him. They had actually met in London when Philip was still masquerading as Louis de Vezey, but this was not the moment to acknowledge their acquaintance. These few months apart had marked the younger man, whose face had become deeply lined. “I am glad to meet you at last. I have heard such a lot about you.”
His grin changed Philip’s weary expression. “Very little of it good I suspect.”
“Oh you have your supporters, Alice among them.”
“I am very pleased to meet you. My sister is in such looks; marriage must agree with you both. My felicitations.”
“I hesitate to interrupt this delightful exchange Alice, but don’t you think you should introduce your brother by his correct title?” the Countess said waspishly.
“Proper title?” He turned to his sister.
“I’m sorry, Philip. I should not have called you Lord Philip Sutherland but rather the Earl of Kirkmore.”
“What! Alice what are you telling me?” Philip suddenly became conscious of the colour of the clothes that his mother and sister were wearing. “Papa?”
“Don’t pretend that you did not know,” the Countess snapped at him.
“Indeed I did not. How could I? Mama I am so sorry.”
“You are offering me Spanish coin as usual. Why should you care? If you thought anything of your father or your brother, you would have returned home the moment that you learned of Julian’s death.”
“There were very good reasons I could not come, Mama, if you remember. Also, I did not think Papa would want to see me since he had disinherited me. How did he die?”
“A wasting illness,” Alice replied quickly. “He suffered, but it did not last long. He was still grieving over Julian’s death.”
“Much you know about it, miss.”
Edward cleared his throat and looked at his wife and then his mother-in-law.
“Would you prefer Miss Talbot and I to leave? You have not seen each other for years so perhaps it would be better for you to speak in private.”
“Nonsense. I don’t belong to your mealy-mouthed generation. What is said here concerns you as Alice’s husband. Miss Talbot can decide for herself.”
“Then if you will be pleased to excuse me, ma’am.” Grace rose and hurriedly left the room.
“Philip, shall I go?” Edward asked eliciting a heavy frown from the Countess which he pretended not to see.
Philip who had been hesitating, glanced at Alice's face and spoke before his mother. “Not on my account and from the look of her, not Alice’s. Stay please.”
“Then let us make ourselves comfortable. A glass of wine with you, brother?”
Edward ignored the rigid hostility of Lady Kirkmore and poured out the wine.
“Since I could not be at your wedding, I would like to offer a toast to your happiness,” Philip replied.
The toast was drunk and, in answer to questions posed by Alice and Edward, Philip was coaxed to tell them the story of the last few months. He found it exceedingly hard to talk about Celia, mentioning her only briefly, as he described the upheaval the change of government had caused and his present situation.
“You sound as if you liked that dreadful man,” the Countess commented.
“He gave me e
mployment when I needed it, Mama. No I did not like him. I doubt many people would tell you that they did for he is ruthless, but I am grateful to him. As for King Louis, he packs his court and the offices of state with his own followers. None of them held any position of power before his return and do not know how to go on at all. Everything is chaos and spite. That is why I chose to work for Marco. It is honest labour at least.”
“A belted earl teaching fencing!”
“My ancestors fought or they would not have become earls. As for belted, I have yet to be given that privilege.”
“From what you’ve told us, I see no reason why you shouldn’t return to Kirkmore without delay and take up your position.”
Philip looked at Edward. “Do you agree with Mama, Edward?”
“It appears that Staunton has no great case against you. My lawyer, Denny, thought any such prosecution would likely fail for lack of evidence.”
“Staunton won’t forget and is certain to pursue it with vigour. I took Celia away from him, remember, and he will never forgive me.”
“That hussy bringing all this trouble on the family! The Blackwoods always had more hair than wit.”
The blood surged up into Philip’s pale cheeks and he stepped forward. For a second, Alice thought he would strike their mother because his face had become distraught. She quickly put herself between them. The gesture was enough to make Philip recollect himself. He walked over to the table and picked up his hat and gloves. He looked at the group and bowed.
“It is time I left you. Mama, your obedient.” He turned on his heel and even though he heard his mother’s cry of “Philip!” he did not stop. Alice and Edward followed him out of the room and shut the door firmly behind them. A distant ringing told them that the Countess was tugging at the bell pull. They hurried down the stairs and caught up with Philip in the foyer of the hotel.
“Don’t heed her, Philip. You know she lacks any vestige of tact,” Alice said breathlessly as she grasped hold of his arm and forced him to halt. “She warned us that she was not mealy-mouthed, if you remember.”
A slight grin was her reward for this sally. “Indeed she did, but I won’t allow anyone, including Mama, to insult Celia’s memory.”
“She is distracted by the need to persuade you to go home.”
“Then she is approaching it in entirely the wrong way. It’s not like you to take her side, Alice.” She saw the reproach on his face and responded to it.
“I’m not; I’m just more used to her ways. You’ve been away from her for years and I have not.”
“I’d better leave before I say something I regret.”
“No, don’t go,” Edward said. “I would like to talk to you, without your mother being present.” He called to one of the lackeys and they were shown into the empty dining room. Candles were hurriedly lit and they sat down.
“I shall put flowers on Celia’s grave tomorrow,” Alice promised, taking hold of Philip’s hand. “That is three deaths this year among our family and friends. Let us hope that the cycle of bad luck is finished.”
“I can’t say I grieve for Papa or Julian. We weren’t close and neither of them would expect me to. Nor would they grieve for me, but Julian’s death must have been a blow to both our parents.”
“I have never understood Mama,” Alice confessed. “I haven’t seen her cry for Julian or for Papa. They were her first born and the husband that she married for love, or so we were told. Why even Matilda showed more emotion at the funeral.”
“Matilda would!”
“I thought that Mama was angry because their deaths mean that she is no longer the Countess. As a dowager, she would be replaced as soon as you bring home a wife.”
Philip’s laugh did not ring true. “Small chance of that. I can hardly claim my inheritance with or without a wife, can I?”
“That is what I want to talk to you about,” Edward said. “I have been considering your situation, ever since I learned of your father’s death and realised what it must mean for you. That is why I spoke to my lawyer before I left England, so I could give you the correct information. From what Alice has told me, there are two charges that might be brought against you, the attempted murder of Staunton and the masquerade you perpetuated last summer in London.”
“It wasn’t a masquerade. As I explained to Alice at the time, the name I used was as much my own as Philip Sutherland.”
“Society understood you to be French and an agent of the previous government.”
“Both true, but I am Mama’s son not just Papa’s and a French citizen as well as an English one. I was acting as a courier sent over to carry documents to the Prince Regent on behalf of the Emperor, a task I completed in public. There was no secret of the fact.”
“You would be seen by certain people as an Englishman who served Bonaparte when he was waging war against your country. That makes you a traitor.”
“I was neither a soldier nor a spy. I fought against nobody. A translator at the Foreign Ministry has little power to influence the course of events and Caulaincourt, my master, worked hard to secure peace. I assisted both countries, even though his efforts were unsuccessful in the end. No one asked me to commit treason against England and, if they had, I would have refused. I came to London openly, completed my given task and left.”
“You argue well but I doubt your explanation would be accepted by the authorities at home if they learned of the affair.”
“I agree with Edward,” Alice said. “You disguised yourself and told no one your true name. Captain Roper suspected you and so did his superiors at the Admiralty.”
“How many people in London wear wigs or dye their hair? It’s not a crime as far as I know. I used another of my titles; noblemen do that occasionally. As for Roper, I regret that I wasn’t able to explain to him what I was about. He’s an honourable man and a good friend. I was sorry to deceive him but I couldn’t tell him what was happening. He would have felt obliged to intervene and stop me.”
“We will carry a letter to him when we return to England, if you wish. He is part of our family, now he is married to my sister, Kitty, and therefore likely to keep the secret to himself, since you did nothing to damage the country.”
“I’d like you to do that. I owe him an explanation and apology.”
“If Philip came home, Edward, would he be arrested?”
“Denny says not. If Philip avoids London and lives quietly on his estates for a few years, his activities last summer would be soon forgotten unless they were brought to people’s attention. The other matter as I said before, is also likely to fail.”
“Have you seen or heard from Staunton?” Philip asked.
“He’s unlikely to come anywhere near me after our duel but, to answer your question, no, he hasn’t frequented London society since, to my knowledge. Should he appear, he could be charged with abducting Alice, if I allowed her to put herself through the ordeal of giving evidence against him, which I would never do. I suspect that he, too, is living quietly out of sight. I wounded him and he may still be recovering.”
Philip grinned. “He doesn’t seem to be fortunate when he encounters our family. Bad cess to him. If he wants me, no doubt he will be able to find me.” Philip repressed the impulse to speak about Mr. Charville’s visit and the message he had sent to his foe. Time enough to tell Edward if Staunton appeared and challenged him to a duel. As for Alice, he had no wish to frighten her with the prospect which he hoped would occur but she assuredly would not. Lost in his thoughts, Philip almost missed what Edward was saying,
“Staunton’s evidence is his word against yours.”
Philip smiled. “Knowing Staunton, he would bribe enough people to bear witness against me and I would be obliged to lie. I did challenge him and try my best to kill him. He was lucky to live, but I was younger then and in a flame of rage. I wouldn’t make a mistake again.”
“You’re still bloodthirsty I see. Then we must ensure that the affair does not come to court.”
<
br /> “You would be bloodthirsty too if Alice was standing in Celia’s place.”
“I was.” Edward smiled at the memory. “Yet I contrived to let the man live. Discretion is sometimes a good policy to adopt.”
“I shall consider it.” Philip stood up. “But it is getting late and I must go.” He hugged his sister and gave his hand to Edward who said,
“Alice and I will be leaving here in a week or so and going on to Grenoble. We would be pleased if you would come with us.”
“I thank you for the offer but, at the moment, I can’t leave Paris, whatever Mama may think. The Salle is so busy and I owe Marco for many favours. I’m not free to come and go as I please and I must pay my rent.”
“As to that, I can advance you funds if you are purse-pinched. Call it a gift or a loan against the estate, whichever you wish.”
“Mighty good of you, Edward. I don’t need anything at this time but if I do, I will certainly remember your offer.”
“What did you think?” Alice asked as soon as the door had shut behind him.
“He is a young man who has not yet emerged from the shadow of the last few months. He’s groping towards the light but something is pulling him back. I wonder what it is?”
Chapter Seven
The next few days passed pleasantly enough for Alice and Edward but their presentation to Louis XVIII proved to be something of an anti-climax. One misty afternoon, Lady Kirkmore, Alice, Edward and Miss Talbot entered a carriage for the short journey to the palace. The Countess had insisted that Philip should come with them as the new Earl but Philip explained,
“I have no wish to draw the attention of the court to my existence.”
“Nonsense,” the Countess snorted in reply, but all her efforts did not persuade him to change his mind. Visiting the palace was a strange experience. The building itself and the entrance hall were imposing, but it was not as well cared for as the palaces and homes of the Ton. Alice noticed dust on ledges and odd, out-of-place articles which she assumed must have been overlooked in the recent transition from one regime to another. Nobody could accuse the new king of a particular fondness for the stern Roman style of Napoleon. When she drew Edward’s attention to an Etruscan vase which stood half hidden in an alcove, he shrugged and said,
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