by Jo Beverley
She got up and blew her nose fiercely. In two years time when she entered Society with marriage in mind she would have entirely forgotten the Earl of Carne. It would be much more sensible anyway to marry a man closer to her own age. When she was in her prime, Lord Carne would be a gouty ancient.
She blew her nose again.
Then she heard the screams.
She dashed out into the corridor, then headed toward the noise coming from downstairs. A servant, she assumed, but in some terrible distress.
It was Maria—a tattered, bruised, hysterical Maria.
Lord and Lady Featherstone were already with her, helping her into the drawing room.
“He hit me!” she gasped between sobs. “He hit me!”
Sir Jeffrey glanced around. “Anna, get some brandy.” He looked back to his older daughter. “Who hit you? Where were you? What have you been doing?”
“Hush, Featherstone,” said his wife, dabbing at Maria’s dirty, bruised face with her lace handkerchief. “Oh, poor darling. Water. We need water. Who did this to you?”
Maria stared at her mother a moment as if lost for words. Then she said, “Lord Carne! It was Lord Carne. I went out into the garden, and he tried to … I fought him … Lord Carne.”
There was a gasp from the hovering servants. Anna gasped, too, then dazedly brought over the glass of brandy. Sir Jeffrey made Maria drink a little.
Anna studied her disheveled sister, wondering what on earth was going on.
Maria coughed as the fiery spirit went down, but it seemed to calm her, so that she could lie back on the sofa. With a chill, Anna saw that one of the sleeves of her sister’s gown was hanging loose, and it seemed someone had slashed the front so that it gaped, almost showing her breasts.
A servant arrived with a bowl of warm water and a cloth and Lady Featherstone began to wipe her face. “Now, Maria, you must tell us exactly what happened to you.”
Maria’s eyes were still wide with what looked like terror. “He attacked me!”
“Lord Carne?”
Maria closed her eyes and nodded.
“When?” Anna demanded urgently. She couldn’t believe he had done such a thing.
“Just now,” Maria said. “What a stupid question!”
Anna had a moment to consider, to contemplate keeping silent. A moment to consider all the consequences. She swallowed. “Then it wasn’t Lord Carne.”
“Oh, do be silent, Anna,” snapped her mother. “You can know nothing of all this.”
“Yes, I can. Because just now Lord Carne was with me.”
Everyone stared at her. Then her father said, “Anna, this is no time for fairy stories.”
“It’s not a fairy story, Papa. He was with me.”
“Where? I do see that you are dressed for the outdoors rather than for bed.”
Anna thought she’d considered the implications, but the avid looks on the faces of the gawking servants made her want to hide.
Her father went swiftly to close the doors. “Where, Anna?”
“In my bedroom,” she whispered.
Lady Featherstone gave a small scream, and Maria said, “To speak of liars! How on earth would the Earl of Carne get into your bedroom, you foolish girl?”
“There’s a secret door.”
Her father shook his head. “Anna, my dear, I fear you are letting your imagination run away with you. This is not a novel but a very serious situation …”
“I’m telling the truth! If you come up to my room, I will show you. As for the earl, you will have to believe me. We did nothing wrong. We were discussing the mystery of Lady Delabury’s death.”
“Discussing …?” Her father rose to his feet. “Very well, miss, I will come and see this secret door. But if it is not there, there will be no more novel-reading for you.”
Anna knew that proving the door was real was the least of her problems, but she led the way through huddled, whispering servants to her room.
Having a man in her bedroom was enough to ruin her. It was enough to force a marriage …
Was her tiny thrill of excitement at that thought very wicked?
Yes, it was. She had never thought to trap the earl like that, and she would not let it happen.
Once in her room, Lady Featherstone shuddered. “Poor Anna. It is this room that has disordered your wits! I knew I should never have allowed you to sleep here.”
“My wits are not disordered, Mama. This room is a replica of one in a novel called Forbidden Affections by Mrs. Jamison, who was also Lady Delabury …”
This summoned fresh exclamations from Lady Feather-stone. Maria, however, was looking paler, and even more frantic.
“Oh, this is such nonsense,” she gasped. “Don’t listen to her …”
“In the novel,” Anna continued, already having some terrible thoughts about her sister, “the heroine’s room had a secret door. I looked to see if this one had the same door.” She went to the fireplace and used the lever, then swung the door open. “And it does.”
“Good Lord!” said her father. “But surely it doesn’t …”
“It opens into the room where Lady Delabury died.” Anna pushed open the door, noting sadly that the earl had trusted her word and not replaced the chair. At least he wasn’t there.
Maria had collapsed onto the chaise, and both she and Lady Featherstone were staring at Anna in horror.
“How long have you known about this?” Anna’s mother demanded.
“Since the first night we were here,” Anna admitted.
“And you have left a way for that man to creep into this house without saying a word? You foolish girl. We could all have been murdered in our beds!”
“He didn’t murder Lady Delabury!”
“Oh, you poor, misguided child. What has he been doing to you?”
“Yes,” said Maria spitefully. “What has he been doing to you, since you seem so eager to lie to protect him.”
“Well, Anna?” asked her father quietly as he closed the door.
“He’s done nothing,” Anna protested, determined to avoid entangling Lord Carne in just the scandal he’d wanted to avoid. “The earl didn’t know about this door himself until I told him. And he didn’t want me to use it. He even put a chair to block it, but I pushed it out of the way tonight because I wanted to talk to him about Lady Delabury’s death. He made me promise never to use the door again.”
“If true, that shows some sense. It would have been rather better, however, if the earl had come to me to tell me of this foolishness.” He turned to Maria. “So, what does this make of your story, miss?”
“I’ve told the truth,” said Maria stubbornly. “It’s clear to me that Anna has been behaving most improperly. She’s become infatuated with the earl and will say anything to protect him from the consequences of his wickedness. I don’t believe for a moment that tonight was their first meeting.”
Sir Jeffrey turned to Anna. “Well?”
Damn Maria. “I never said it was. I … I know it was wrong, Papa, but I couldn’t resist exploring a little. When we first arrived here, number 10 was empty. Then the earl returned and caught me.”
“Maggie!” exclaimed her father. “Did you really hit him with something, Anna?”
Anna hung her head and nodded, praying desperately that no one would ask why she had hit him.
“Why did you do such a thing, Anna?” asked her mother.
Anna tried desperately to think of a clever story that would cover all the elements of the situation, and failed. All she could do was mute the truth. “He … he thought I was a servant, and he was a little foxed. He tried to kiss me …”
“There, see?” said Maria triumphantly. “He is in the habit of attacking defenseless females. When I think on it, I smelled brandy about him tonight.”
“Maria, he wasn’t in the garden tonight,” Anna said.
“So,” said her father, “having escaped, you never went into the house again until tonight?”
Anna tried
to pronounce the lie, but couldn’t and knew her color was betraying her.
“Anna. The full story, please. What has been going on?”
Anna sat down, for her legs were beginning to feel rather unsteady. “I did go into number 10 one other time to meet him. He asked me to.”
“How, pray?” demanded Lady Featherstone. “How could you speak to such a man, or receive messages from him?”
“It was at the tea party when he was talking about maids-of-honor.” She could see her mother did not understand at all, and looked at her father. “It was a sort of code, Papa. But I understood.”
“But why would you think of going, Anna, when he had assaulted you?”
“He told me I could trust him.”
Lady Featherstone exclaimed, but Anna saw some understanding in her father’s eyes. “And what happened?” he asked.
“The earl had realized who Maggie must be, and that there was a secret door. He was trying to find out what had happened to Lady Delabury.” Anna meticulously went through their discussion and conclusions.
“And that was all?” her father asked at last.
Anna nodded, but she could feel the betraying heat rise in her cheeks.
“Anna?”
She looked up. “He kissed me.” When her mother exclaimed, she added, “I asked him to!”
“And is that all he did?” her father asked.
“Yes. Truly, Papa!”
He nodded. “I believe you. You have been very foolish, my dear, but the blame goes to him, a man old enough to know better who has taken advantage of your innocence.”
Anna thought this dreadfully unfair, but knew that to say so would make matters worse.
“But you do see, Papa, that Maria must be mistaken, for tonight I was speaking to the earl here, in the doorway, when she thought he was attacking her.”
Sir Jeffrey turned to Maria. “Well?”
“She’s lying,” said Maria mulishly. “She’s lying about everything. He’s probably ruined her.”
Lady Featherstone added to this. “What reason could Maria possibly have for lying? And it is clear that someone assaulted her.”
Anna didn’t want to do it, but she had to speak up. “I think it is something to do with Mr. Liddell.”
Maria’s face gave her away.
“Maria?” asked her father.
Maria sat in silence, hands clasped tight together.
“Maria?” asked her mother, disbelievingly. “Did Mr. Liddell do this to you?”
“It was Lord Carne … It was!” But then Maria took refuge in hysterics, and with an aghast look at her husband, Lady Featherstone led her away.
Sir Jeffrey looked at Anna. “You’ve been playing in deep waters, Pippin.”
His disappointment brought tears to prick at her eyes. “I’m sorry, Papa.”
“Are you really? If you had your time again, would you change your behavior?”
Anna considered it and sighed. “No, Papa.”
“I suspect you fancy yourself in love, Anna.”
Anna blew her nose. “It’s all right, Papa. The earl thinks me every bit as much of a foolish child as you do.”
“I doubt that, Pippin. If he did, he would surely have spoken to me about this.”
Her father turned to leave, and Anna said, “Papa! You won’t say anything to him, will you? It wasn’t his fault!”
“I hardly think Lord Carne needs your protection, Pippin. This is a man’s matter. I certainly will have to speak to him, since you unwisely spoke up in front of the servants. Moreover, I fear he may be in danger of mischief.”
“Oh, yes, do warn him, Papa! And I thought Mr. Liddell quite a sensible sort of man when I met him.”
“Young women like Maria can deprive the wisest men of their senses. It seems you have that power, too.” He opened the door, then turned back, truly stern. “And you are not to use that door, Anna. Not even to warn the frail and sensitive earl of the impending visitation of an irate father. Yes?”
“Yes, Papa.” They shared a smile, since it was ridiculous to think that the earl could not handle her father’s annoyance.
She ran into her father’s arms. “Papa, I do love you so. Many fathers might not have believed my innocence.”
He hugged her back. “I know you, Pippin, and I’m sure you’re a match for any man, no matter how rascally.”
“He’s not a rascal, Papa.”
“We won’t argue about that, if you please. But he is not the man for you, my dear. You must believe that.”
“Very well, Papa.”
As she prepared again for bed, Anna fought against tears. She knew there was no hope that Lord Carne would marry her, but that didn’t stop her heart from bleeding. She also felt as if she had betrayed their secret, no matter how good the reason.
Moreover, she and Lord Carne had parted coolly, with him out of patience with her. This turn of events would hardly improve matters. She did want him to like her at least …
But thankfully he would be warned about his perfidious cousin.
The next day, the Featherstone establishment was as somber as if a death had occurred. Maria remained in her room, attended by her mother and Martha. Sir Jeffrey paid a visit to number 10 and then retreated to his study. Anna attempted to lose herself in reading and failed miserably. A careful watch of the street did not catch Lord Carne leaving his house.
As the hours passed she lost patience and went to knock on her father’s door. At his permission, she entered.
“Did you speak to the earl, Papa?”
Her father appeared abstracted and solemn. “Yes, Anna. He freely admitted his fault in encouraging you to use that door, and he was deeply shocked by his cousin’s behavior.”
“What will he do?”
Her father raised his brows. “He had no need to tell me that, and I no cause to ask. I am sure he is a man capable of handling these matters.”
“Oh, poor Maria.”
“Oh, poor Maria if she were to marry Liddell, Anna. Sit down.”
Not liking his tone, Anna sat gingerly on a hard wooden chair.
“Anna, I have told the servants that you were out in the garden with Maria, and that you ventured into the mews and met the earl there. He agrees to support that story. Your rashness in speaking up before the servants could have caused a scandal, though.”
“I’m sorry, Papa. But I could not let Maria’s accusation stand.”
“I realize that. With a little thought, however, you could have held your tongue until we were private.”
“But then the servants would have believed her.”
Sir Jeffrey shook his head. “The earl’s reputation could bear another dent, I think. And if we continued on good terms, no one would believe the worst.”
“But that wouldn’t be fair, Papa!”
“Oh, Anna … Fighting for justice is very dangerous, you know.”
“Do you say we shouldn’t?”
He smiled. “No, I cannot say that. But any parent wants a smooth path for their children’s feet. However,” he said more briskly, “you need a stern talking-to, young lady. You are too trusting. The earl, had he been a different sort of man, could have abused you quite dreadfully, and your rash behavior would have largely been to blame.”
Anna was inclined to argue on both counts, but decided submissive silence was the wise course.
“Mr. Liddell is a handsome man with a smooth social manner, and thus both you and Maria found him attractive and pleasing. The earl could well have been another of the same stamp.”
“I wouldn’t say Lord Carne had a smooth social manner when I first met him.”
“The less said of that, the better, miss.”
Anna blushed, wondering just what her father knew, or guessed. “I would like to know exactly what happened this morning, Papa.”
“I’m sure you would, Miss Curiosity.” He flashed her an intent look. “The earl expressed a wish to meet with you in more normal circumstances, and he seemed to fe
el you were entitled to an explanation of it all …”
Anna’s heart began to beat a little faster.
“I have been considering the matter, and cannot see that it will do harm. Do you wish to meet him?”
Anna suppressed a wild yes and said demurely, “I would dearly love to know exactly what went on, Papa.”
Her father was clearly not bamboozled, but he wrote a brief note and rang for a servant to deliver it next door.
In a few minutes, Lord Carne entered the study.
Anna stared at him anxiously, wondering if he would be angry, but he smiled. “I understand I have to thank you for defending my honor, Anna.”
Anna glanced between the two men, feeling the strangeness of the situation. “I’m sorry if it caused trouble.”
“I’m sure it caused less than it saved. Your father was quite forbearing in the circumstances.”
“Largely,” said Sir Jeffrey, “because of my belief in Anna’s good sense. Please be seated, Carne.”
The earl sat quite close to Anna, reminding her of that meeting in the bedroom, when they had shared laughter and a depth of understanding that still lingered in her heart. She lowered her eyes to her clasped hands. Don’t make a fool of yourself, Anna. This is the earl.
She looked up. “So, my lord. You are going to explain it to me?”
“Can anyone explain the insanity of love? My cousin, desperate for your sister, decided to do away with me. His clever plan was to incite poor Delabury to challenge me. When that failed, he rushed over here, where he had arranged a tryst with your sister.”
“Maria had arranged to meet him in the garden? She must have been besotted.”
“How true. He needed some way to re-agitate Delabury, and hit upon the notion of having me supposedly attack Maria. David would inform Delabury, pointing out that my rank would prevent justice being done, but that he could rid the world of a villain. We’ll never know if it would have worked, thanks to you.”
“I could almost feel sorry for your cousin if he hadn’t hit her.”
“It does show a baser side, does it not? But it had a good effect in that it truly shocked your sister. She stuck with her story at first because she could see nothing else to do, but I gather she no longer wants anything to do with my cousin. You’ll be pleased to know he is to leave England. I have some business interests in Morocco and he will take care of them for me. If he does well he could make his fortune. If he tries any tricks, I fear he will come to a sticky end. As he will if he returns to England in the next ten years.”
