With his initial public humiliation of her now achieved, he was shifting the game into a more subtle, more personal form of attack. And since the Marquess of Brooke had taken his time to examine every inch of her ample curves, she knew he would have made a mental inventory of all her shortcomings. She wondered when the first piglet or ham hock would arrive.
Millie closed her eyes and the corners of her mouth began to crease. Letting her head fall back, she let out a long and wicked laugh. The conversation with her mother had done her a lot of good. She would accept the flowers and enjoy them, and she would proudly wear the blue ribbon in her hair. Let him spend his father’s money on sending her lavish gifts.
‘I am not sure if Mrs Knowles can put half a side of beef to good use, if he sends me one. I don’t suppose he realises that in my part of the world, cows are considered to be sacred. Stupid boy,’ she chuckled.
Since discussing her lack of ladylike manners with her mother, Millie had promised to curb her use of foul language. Now, after enjoying a good, hearty laugh at Lord Brooke’s expense, she took a deep breath and congratulated herself on her restraint. Not one foul word had passed her lips.
‘Thank you, Lord Brooke, the flowers were lovely.’
She pulled the needle back out of her tapestry and calmly went back to work, pushing all thoughts of Alex Radley from her mind.
With the third morning came the third beautiful bunch of flowers and as with the two previous deliveries, the card only had Millie’s name on it.
Later that afternoon, she stood staring at the three arrangements now crowding the mantelpiece and smiled. She could not fault his taste: they were all truly exquisite. This time, the flowers were a mix of little white flowers and lavender in a blue china bowl. Running her finger around the rim, she noted the colour of the flowers.
‘You are cheating, Lord Brooke; any fool could tell you lavender is not blue, but purple. I shall have to take you to task if you are going to start changing the rules of battle,’ she observed.
There was a knock on her door and a moment later Charles appeared. Seeing the flowers, he gave her a smile. ‘So he has not given up yet?’
She smiled. ‘His father’s pockets must be bottomless. I was just thinking of how I could get him to send me jewellery. Anonymously, of course, which would mean I could only wear them at home, but I am sure I could live with that.’
‘Or take them to the pawnbrokers in Exchange Alley; I would be happy to do so for a small fee,’ Charles replied as he leaned back against the doorframe.
Millie eyed a cushion on a nearby chair and wondered if she could hit him with it from that distance. ‘What is the purpose of your visit, dearest brother? I can’t remember the last time you set foot in my bedroom. Are you just arriving home from somewhere or heading out?’
He cleared his throat. ‘It’s been three days since the welcome-home party and I think it is time I took you out for a stroll in the park. You can get some fresh air and stretch your legs. You must be going mad being cooped up here at home.’
She saw his eyes make a sly sideways glance to the clock nestled between the vases of flowers on the mantelpiece.
‘It’s nearly five o’clock and the best of society take over Hyde Park this time every day without fail. The only thing that would keep them from setting out would be a storm blowing in from the Atlantic, and since the day is fine, it’s high time the Ashton siblings joined the fray. Put on your coat, Millie, grab your gloves and I shall await you downstairs. Don’t be long, old girl,’ he said.
Charles stepped away from the door and disappeared.
Millie sighed. Why did big brothers have to be so bossy? And why did they have to be so right about what little sisters needed, for that matter?
Of course Charles was right, she had spent three pleasant days at home and now it was time to get out and face London society once more. She could not hide away in her father’s house forever.
‘Old girl? I am this side of one and twenty,’ she muttered as she rang for her maid. If she went out without allowing Grace to pull her coat out of the cupboard and fuss over her hair, she would never hear the end of it.
Chapter 6
Twenty minutes later, Millie and Charles were walking down Union Street, heading towards Hyde Park. The wind had died down but the sky was still overcast. Although the sun had not managed to make much of an appearance, at least it wasn’t snowing or raining. Millie had yet to decide which of the two forms of English weather she disliked the most. At least the monsoon rains of India had been warm.
‘Stephens says we will get more snow tonight,’ Charles said, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.
She smiled at him. She could not have cared less about the weather; it was just good to be out with her brother, walking the streets of London. Numerous barouches and curricles passed them by, all of which, by the look of their passengers, were also headed in the direction of the park.
‘Does he have bunions?’ she replied.
Charles stopped and gave her a quizzical look. ‘What?’
‘Stephens; you said he told you we would get more snow tonight. Remember how Nishant would tell father the rains were coming because his feet hurt?’
He laughed. ‘Oh yes, and how many times did we have to listen to him complain for days until it finally did rain? He was no weather vane, Millie, just a daft old man who thought he ran the house servants.’
‘Didn’t he?’ she replied.
From first thing in the morning to last thing at night Nishant had bustled about the Ashton family home in Calcutta, giving orders to servants and the Ashton children alike.
Charles shook his head. ‘No, he was a remnant of the previous family who’d lived in our house, and he had nowhere else to go. When we arrived from England, Father didn’t have the heart to make him leave. The other servants seemed to respect him, so he stayed. Ash was really the head servant, but he wouldn’t have dared say anything.’
A warm grin spread across his face and he laughed once more. ‘For over fifteen years Ash worked under a man who had no right to be in our house. Father even paid them both the same wage. I suppose Ash had nothing to complain about, Nishant had a home and it all seemed to work. When Nishant died, Ash simply took over the role he had spent all those years understudying.’
Charles took hold of Millie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. They continued into Dean Street, then crossed over Park Lane and entered the park via the main gate.
Cold though it was, everyone seemed to be prepared to ignore the freezing temperature and venture out for his or her daily promenade. Millie had never seen so many carriages in the one place before; her gaze followed the seemingly endless line as it slowly snaked its way in and through the park.
Noticing that many of the carriages were marked with family crests and arms, Millie looked to see if any of them bore the markings of the Duchy of Strathmore. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Charles following her gaze. She turned and gave him an innocent smile.
Everywhere she looked, there were people. In London society it was obviously of vital importance to be seen at this hour, no matter what the weather.
The long rows of flowerbeds stretched into the distance. How anything could survive in this weather amazed her. A few rose bushes were still managing to flower along the edge of the paths, but the rest of the beds were covered with a thick layer of straw. She imagined that come spring, a riot of colour would erupt from beneath the straw and fill the flowerbeds. She thought that perhaps she might remain in London long enough to see Hyde Park in all its glory.
As they walked, Charles pointed out the newest models of carriage, promising her a ride when he had purchased his new means of transport.
‘Papa keeps telling me I need to get a decent buggy to get around town in, something with a sleek line. Something like that one,’ he said, pointing to a shiny black phaeton being drawn by a pair of magnificent matching greys.
Millie lifted her eyebrows. Their father had t
aken to poring over the daily news sheets every morning, checking the advertisements for the latest phaeton while pretending to be catching up on news from the subcontinent.
‘I don’t know who is more pathetic. The pair of you can be so childlike,’ she laughed.
‘Though he does insist that he will be the first to take it into the five o’clock crush, as he wants to make certain that everyone knows Mama is back in town,’ Charles said, as he keenly eyed off yet another a shiny new phaeton.
Millie cleared her throat. He was so caught up with the prospect of a new horse and carriage that he had completely missed her comment. It was obvious to her that he was taking to his new role of future viscount with gusto; Uncle Oscar had called earlier that day and invited him to watch proceedings from the strangers’ gallery at the House of Lords. When the time came, Charles would take his place in the house.
She hoped that day was many years from now; the prospect of both her father and uncle being gone was not something she wished to consider. Charles deserved time to enjoy being an English gentleman before he took over running a town house and a sizeable country estate. Of course, by then he would likely have a wife and a brood of children.
She looked up at him; he had the same little smile on his face he had been wearing since the day they arrived. London was all an exciting, big adventure for him. In a few months when the season began, he would be ready to take on the ton.
She caught his infectious smile, happy in the knowledge that he would be a success in his new home.
Charles suddenly stopped and turned to her.
‘Don’t hate me,’ he said. He nodded his head in the direction of a group of people who were making their way down the gravel path towards them. Millie saw a hand wave in their direction, followed by the sound of a cheery hello.
It was Lucy Radley, accompanied by her two older brothers.
‘You rotten cad, you could have given me more warning,’ Millie spat out.
He put an arm around her and pulled her close.
Returning Lucy’s wave with a hand held high, he whispered into Millie’s ear. ‘You wouldn’t have come if you knew they were going to be here. I know you won’t make a scene while Lord Brooke attempts to apologise to you in person. You are not the only one who suffered as a result of the other night. I understand Lady Lucy was most aggrieved on your behalf. Let her brother attempt to make amends.’
Millie sucked in a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks. Although this encounter had been inevitable, she still intended to have words with her brother when they got home.
The plans for her grand revenge had included preparing a whole series of witty and cutting remarks. Now, as the Radley siblings approached, she found her mouth had gone dry and her wit had abandoned her.
Don’t cry, whatever you do, don’t cry. The second he says anything untoward, you feign a headache and ask Charles to take you home.
She would have been the first to admit that hers was not amongst the greatest battle plans in the history of warfare, but she had to use the weapons at her disposal. The delicate female with a sudden headache was a tried and true tactic, however feeble it was.
Lucy let go of David’s arm and hurried ahead of her brothers. Reaching Millie, she threw her arms around her and exclaimed, ‘I am so pleased to see you. I have been out of my mind with worry. Your mother said you were still tired from the trip, but I thought perhaps you had come down with some terrible tropical disease.’
Millie shook her head. ‘No, I was just tired from the long voyage and getting used to this London weather,’ she replied. She cast a quick upward glance at the grey heavens.
‘Besides, if she was going to come down with a tropical disease she would have done so before she got to London. We don’t tend to have too many of them here,’ David offered as he and Alex stepped up to stand beside their sister.
He reached out and took Charles by the hand. ‘Thanks.’
Charles gave him and Alex a brief nod. Then he bowed to Lucy. ‘I am sorry my sister has not been well enough to visit, it has taken her a little longer than expected to regain her health.’
Millie forced a smile for Lucy’s benefit as she quietly steadied her temper for the moment when Lord Brooke eventually spoke. Perhaps his plan was to stand silently in the group, but she doubted that David and Charles would grant him that indulgence. The brothers had obviously arranged this meeting to allow Alex to offer his apologies. Now all that remained was to see if he could manage to speak to her without causing further offence.
She steeled herself.
Alex cleared his throat and took a tentative step forward.
The other men fell silent.
And poor hapless Lady Lucy went and made a mess of the whole thing. Before anyone could stop her, Lucy had grabbed Millie firmly by the arm and begun to march her off towards the Walnut Trees Walk.
It was not completely her fault. No one had bothered to mention to Lucy that the apparently chance meeting with the Ashtons in the park had a purpose. As her friend dragged her away from the group, Millie looked back at the dumbstruck men. She gave them a tiny wave goodbye but saw to her disappointment that Lord Brooke had started to follow them.
Lucy began talking at a hundred words to the minute, of which Millie only understood about one-third. Every second sentence bounced to a different topic. She talked about her family, their trips to Scotland, frogs and Roman history. She had just started rambling on about the Great Fire of London, when Millie stopped her.
‘Slow down, slow down, I cannot keep up with your train of thought,’ she pleaded.
A look of horror appeared on Lucy’s face.
‘I’m sorry; I can’t seem to help it. I just start and my mind runs so fast that my lips struggle to keep up. Oh, please don’t go away, Millie; I have been waiting every day for you to get well again so I could see you. After meeting you the other night, I knew you were special, that you were different. And I know my brother embarrassed you, but please don’t . . .’ Lucy burst into tears.
Millie looked back and saw Alex close behind, a look of deep concern on his face. With one long stride he reached his sister, flung his arms around her and hugged her tight. She buried her face into the lapels of his coat as great sobs wracked her body.
Millie was mortified.
‘It’s all right, Lucy,’ he murmured into her ear.
Charles and David caught up with them.
‘What happened?’ Charles asked, his voice edged with disapproval.
‘I just asked her to slow down; I couldn’t keep up with what she was saying.’ The look on her brother’s face told her he did not believe her. Millie was angry with Lucy’s brother and now she had taken it out on poor Lucy.
‘Your sister’s version of events is accurate,’ Alex replied. ‘Miss Ashton simply asked Lucy to slow down; she didn’t say anything else. I heard her.’
He continued to stroke Lucy’s hair.
‘Miss Ashton, rest assured it was not your fault. Lucy has been on edge for days now and she became a little overcome with excitement at seeing you again. If anyone is at fault here, it is me,’ Alex said.
Millie was dumbfounded.
The Marquess of Brooke had just performed two miracles in under a minute. He had spoken at least a dozen words to her and he had actually said something nice. She checked the miracle count and found another one to add to the tally. He had defended her.
Where was the bully from three nights ago who had stood smiling as he humiliated her, and who was this kind, caring brother now holding Lucy in his arms?
Just remember how he smiled at you after he mocked you on the dance floor. This is all part of his plan. He saves you from looking like a shrew so you cannot take him to task.
Lucy waved a hand toward Millie and pulled away from her brother. ‘He’s right, she didn’t say anything wrong. I just got a bit upset. It is so good to see you again, Millie.’
Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and to
ok several deep breaths in an attempt to compose herself.
Millie pulled a clean white handkerchief out of her reticule and offered it to Lucy, who sniffled back her tears and accepted it. She gave Lucy a gentle rub on the back and whispered an apology. It might not have been her fault, but she still felt badly that her new friend had been reduced to tears by something she had said.
The little gathering breathed a collective sigh of relief as Lucy rallied and managed a smile for them all. Millie felt Charles’ gaze fall upon her and knew she had to be the one to make the first approach to Alex. With his sister in tears, she could not expect Alex to offer her an apology.
‘So, do you come to the park each day, Lord Brooke?’ she asked her nemesis.
He nodded his head, and looked away.
‘Yes, we do come most days,’ David replied. ‘We have not been out much this week as my brother has had a bad back and been unable to walk any distance.’
As if on cue, Alex rolled his shoulders and placed a hand in the small of his back.
David gave Alex an approving nod. ‘You may recall he was experiencing some difficulty at the party the other night. I thought he was all in jest, until he explained to me that he was in absolute agony, the poor chap.’
A bad back? Sounds more like a rather convenient lie to me. But if that is what you wish to pretend, who I am to question you? Just don’t think you are getting away without rendering a proper apology, Lord Brooke.
She counted to ten before painting a concerned look on her face and stepping in close to Alex.
‘I am so sorry that you have also been unwell, Lord Brooke. It appears to have been an unfortunate week for both of us. Pray tell me, how did you manage to injure your back?’ she asked.
Alex shot her a look of surprise and she heard him swallow deeply. He was rattled. Good. Why should she be the only one feeling uncomfortable at this moment? However, she felt a pang of disappointment, as it appeared Lord Brooke was going to transpire to be an unworthy adversary. Arrogance was bad enough, but if it was coupled with stupidity or, even worse, laziness, she would retire from the battlefield. There would be no honour, or fun, in besting him if that were the case.
Letter From a Rake Page 6
