The Chaperon Bride (Harlequin Historical)

by Nicola Cornick

  ‘I imagine Lord Ashwick’s past will encourage many a young lady to think that she will be the one to help him love again!’ she said, with deliberate flippancy. ‘And how odiously mawkish would that be?’

  ‘You do not have any finer feelings, do you, Annis?’ Sibella was looking very irritated now. ‘You are handed an opportunity that most right-thinking women would clamour for and what do you do—precisely nothing! I despair of you.’

  ‘Next time that I meet Lord Ashwick in the dark I shall be sure to take your advice,’ Annis said, getting to her feet. ‘You are a blessing to any indigent chaperon in search of a lord!’

  She tried to duck the cushion that her cousin threw with surprising energy and accuracy. ‘Ouch! Sib, I did not deserve that.’

  ‘You did,’ her cousin asserted. She put out a hand and rang the bell for the maid. ‘When do the Misses Crossley return? I could scarce believe my luck when you arrived unaccompanied today!’

  ‘They are back tonight, after a visit to the theatre with the Ansteys. Miss Mardyn is not dancing tonight, I am glad to say. It is The Forest of Hermanstadt, which I understand to be a melodrama, so it should suit Fanny very well. Poor Clara Anstey, I doubt she will enjoy the company for all her mother pretends she does. Fanny makes her cry.’

  ‘I am not surprised.’ Sibella yawned. ‘That child will be one of society’s most spiteful, cattish creatures in a few years, Annis. Do you know, she told me that she thought I had quite good taste for a cit’s wife! The little madam.’

  Annis smothered a smile. ‘Oh, dear, she is a dreadful girl. Although I do think that comment merely lacked polish, Sib. Fanny needs more practice before she is truly malicious!’

  Sibella sniffed. ‘She is quite impertinent enough for me. Besides, David is not a cit! He is a gentleman.’

  ‘How lucky you are. Many of us have to earn money to survive.’

  Sibella shuddered. ‘Oh, do not be so blunt about it, Annis!’

  ‘Oh, Sib, do not be such a snob!’ Annis laughed. ‘Money makes the world go round, they say.’

  ‘No, I am sure that that is love!’ Sibella frowned.

  Annis, quick to avoid a return to Sibella’s favourite subject, made for the door. ‘If you will excuse me, I shall have to run. Days without Fanny and Lucy are so precious and I am trying to squeeze so much into today.’

  Sibella brightened. ‘Do you go to the shops?’

  ‘I do. To Gilbertson and Holmes for some new fabric to make an evening gown, and to Wilson’s Library, of course.’

  Sibella struggled to her feet. ‘If you will but allow me fifteen minutes, I shall join you.’ She saw the look on her cousin’s face and said pleadingly, ‘No, Annis, it will not take me an hour to get ready, I swear! Besides, we may take the carriage, which will be quicker. You will not be wasting any of your precious time.’

  Annis sighed and gave in. ‘Oh, very well. But I know you. You will be wanting to go to Robey’s to buy that china ornament of the girl with the apple basket that we saw last week, and once you are in there you will spy something else to your taste…’

  Sibella smiled happily. ‘Oh, I do hope so. After all, Annis, I need to purchase some trifle to compensate me for being seen with you in that hideous bombazine!’

  ‘You are such a good influence on me, Sib, that I feel I may end up buying poplin instead,’ Annis said, as her cousin hurried out of the drawing room, calling for her maid as she went.

  ‘Poplin?’ Sibella said over her shoulder. ‘For an evening gown? Dearest Annis, I shall not rest until you are arrayed in silk!’

  ‘Did anyone call whilst I was out, Hardy?’

  Annis, laden with a roll of muslin, three books from the circulating library and two week-old copies of the Leeds Mercury, which Hargrave’s bookshop always let her have for free, entered the hall of her town house in Church Row and put her parcels down with a sigh of relief. Mrs Hardcastle promptly picked them up again, putting the books on a side table, the material at the bottom of the stairs and the papers under her arm to be taken into the drawing room.

  ‘Mind what you do with those parcels. You know I cannot abide mess, Miss Annis.’

  ‘I am sorry,’ Annis said. She tried to sound casual. ‘So, did anybody call, Hardy?’

  ‘’Appen they might’ve done.’ Mrs Hardcastle put her hands on her hips and watched as Annis drew off her spencer, gloves and bonnet. She took the spencer and laid it gently over the back of the hall chair. ‘Were you expecting someone, Miss Annis?’

  ‘No, not really,’ Annis said. It would have been both troubling and pleasing of Adam Ashwick to pay his compliments in the daylight, but perhaps on balance she should prefer to forget the whole incident. ‘I thought that Mrs Bartle might call,’ she said hastily, seeing that Mrs Hardcastle’s suspicious gaze was still upon her. ‘She said something about a trip to the theatre next week.’

  ‘Aye, well, she didn’t pay a visit.’

  ‘Oh. Well, never mind—’

  ‘Lady Copthorne called,’ Mrs Hardcastle said. ‘She said that you had done a right good job on Miss Fanny and she wondered whether you would consider taking her Eustacia to London for the Little Season.’ Mrs Hardcastle sniffed. ‘I said as I’d ask you. Between you and me, Miss Annis, you’d do better to refuse.’

  ‘Would I?’ Annis looked intrigued. ‘I would have expected you to encourage me to accept gainful employment for the autumn, Hardy.’

  ‘Aye, well, if you thought Miss Fanny was bad, Miss Copthorne is worse,’ Mrs Hardcastle said darkly. ‘Don’t say as I didn’t warn you, Miss Annis!’

  ‘I shall remember that,’ Annis said meekly, thinking that it was a shame she could not always be choosy in her employment. Much of the money she had earned from chaperoning the Crossley girls was already earmarked, intended for improvements to Starbeck.

  ‘A gentleman called,’ Mrs Hardcastle added, as Annis started up the stairs. Annis paused, feeling a tickle of anticipation.

  ‘Indeed? Which gentleman was that?’

  ‘Mr Flitwick,’ the housekeeper said. There was a twinkle in her berry black eyes. ‘Said he needed to measure your foot again for those new winter boots you ordered.’ She made it sound as though the cordwainer had suggested some unspeakable perversion. ‘To my mind, Mr Flitwick is a bit too anxious to take your measurements, Miss Annis. ’Tis my belief he sees you as a most suitable wife for a prosperous merchant.’

  Annis grimaced. ‘Oh, dear. Hardy, surely you are teasing me? Mr Flitwick cannot wish to marry me!’

  Mrs Hardcastle looked triumphant. ‘He doesn’t wish to now. I told ’im as you were too good for the likes of him!’

  ‘Oh, Hardy, you didn’t!’ Annis looked horrified. ‘The poor man! He was probably not interested in the first place and now he will be hopelessly embarrassed.’ Another thought struck her. ‘And I will never get my boots, for he will not speak to me again!’

  ‘Gimson’s make boots as well,’ the housekeeper pointed out, ‘and what’s more, Mr Gimson is very happily married already.’

  Annis sighed. Mrs Hardcastle had always protected her with the enthusiasm of a mother bear looking after a single cub, but sometimes that enthusiasm went a bit far.

  ‘Thank you, Hardy,’ she said. ‘I shall bear that in mind when I choose my purchases in future.’

  Mrs Hardcastle beamed. Annis ascended another three steps.

  ‘A second gentleman called,’ Mrs Hardcastle said. This time her tone suggested that Annis was a hussy to have so many gentlemen on a string.

  Annis raised her brows. ‘And was he good enough for me, Hardy?’

  ‘Don’t know about that.’ Mrs Hardcastle frowned. ‘Mebbe. Francis Ashwick’s boy—mind those books, Miss Annis!’

  The library books tumbled from Annis’s hand and bounced down the stairs to land at Mrs Hardcastle’s feet.

  ‘Mess!’ that lady mourned, bending creakily to pick them up. Then, ‘Thank you, Miss Annis,’ as Annis ran back down the steps and put a hand under he
r elbow to help the housekeeper straighten up.

  ‘This gentleman,’ Annis persisted. ‘Lord Ashwick, you said—’

  ‘Aye?’

  ‘What did he say when he heard that I was out?’

  ‘Said that you’d told him not to call.’

  Annis felt a little deflated. ‘Yes, I did.’

  ‘So I asked him,’ Mrs Hardcastle said triumphantly, ‘why he had bothered to call if you’d told him not.’

  ‘And he said?’

  ‘That it had been a pleasure to meet you in the moonlight and he wanted to pay his respects in the daylight.’

  ‘Very pretty of him.’ Annis smiled a little. ‘One cannot fault his turn of phrase.’

  ‘Handsome is as handsome does in my book,’ Mrs Hardcastle sniffed. ’T’would be a very unusual gentleman who would be good enough for you, Miss Annis.’

  Annis’s shoulders slumped a little. ‘I do not look to marry again, Hardy, truly I do not.’

  Mrs Hardcastle patted her hand and passed the books over again. ‘Don’t blame you after that Sir John, love. Shockin’ martinet, that man was. But not all men are like that.’

  ‘I know.’ Annis hesitated, a hand on the banister. ‘It is just that I could not bear it again, Hardy—accounting for my every move, being allowed no liberty to read, or walk out on my own, or do any of the simple things that give me such pleasure—’ She broke off. ‘Excuse me. I think I shall go up and rest for a little.’

  ‘What you need is a nice glass of elderflower cordial to refresh you,’ Mrs Hardcastle said comfortingly. ‘I’ll bring it up for you. And don’t worry about that Lord Ashwick, love. He’ll be back. I’d stake my life on it.’

  Annis looked at her and Mrs Hardcastle thought that she looked very young. Young and bewildered.

  ‘Will he?’ Annis said. ‘But the trouble is, Hardy, I do not know if I want him to. I do not know what I want at all.’

  The following day was hot and cloudless. Annis and her charges spent the morning shopping in High Harrogate, where Fanny purchased a bonnet and Lucy, rather sweetly, bought a gift of Whitehead’s Essence of Mustard Pills for their uncle. Annis then suggested a walk on The Stray, which was not popular. Fanny hated to exert herself and was inclined to sulk.

  ‘Must we do so, Lady Wycherley? The poor people graze their sheep there and it is uncommonly dirty!’

  At that moment, Lucy espied a group of gentlemen riding towards them. ‘Oh, look, Fanny! It is Captain Hammond, Lieutenant Greaves and…’ she blushed ‘…Lieutenant Norwood. Lady Wycherley—’ she turned a flushed, eager face towards Annis ‘—may we walk a little way with them? Just across to the livery stables at the Granby?’

  ‘Of course, Lucy,’ Annis said gravely, amused at how attractive a walk had suddenly become. She was certain that Lieutenant Norwood was going to declare himself soon and so was making sure that he and Lucy had every opportunity to be together.

  The gentlemen dismounted and there was a flurry of greeting. Lucy took Barnaby Norwood’s arm and Annis watched in secret entertainment as Fanny tried to decide whether to walk with Captain Hammond or Lieutenant Greaves. Captain Hammond had the rank, of course, but the Lieutenant was decidedly more dashing. And whichever one she rejects, Annis thought, will end up having to escort me! Her lips curved into a little smile at the thought of the young man having to hide his disappointment.

  ‘Good morning, Lady Wycherley.’

  Annis jumped and spun round. She recognised Adam Ashwick’s voice, although his tall figure was little more that a silhouette against the sun. Annis suddenly wished that she were carrying a parasol like the girls. Not only did she feel decidedly too hot in her grey bombazine, she also felt strangely vulnerable. She raised a gloved hand to shade her eyes.

  ‘Good morning, Lord Ashwick.’

  Adam smiled at her. ‘May I offer you my arm across The Stray, ma’am? It looks as though your party is headed that way.’

  At the same moment, Fanny made her choice in Lieutenant Greaves’s favour and turned back to Annis.

  ‘You may have Captain Hammond, ma’am, which is only appropriate as he is senior and so are you—oh!’

  Her gaze fell on Ashwick and narrowed slightly. ‘Lord…Ashwick, is it not? I believe we saw you at the theatre, sir.’

  Adam bowed very slightly. ‘Miss Crossley.’

  Fanny fluttered, transparently intent on monopolising him. She dropped Lieutenant Greaves’s arm and bustled forward, placing herself between Annis and Adam. ‘Well, this is famous, sir! We met in London earlier in the Season.’

  ‘I recollect.’ There was something in Adam’s tone that suggested his memory of her was not a particularly outstanding one. ‘I hope that you are well, Miss Crossley. Miss Lucy…’

  He bowed and Lucy Crossley blushed, as well she might.

  ‘Are you settled in Harrogate for a space, my lord?’ Fanny was gushing now and Annis watched, torn between amusement and embarrassment on the girl’s behalf. She had a dreadful feeling that Adam was about to deliver a crushing set-down.

  ‘For a while,’ Adam said, a slight hardness entering his voice. ‘At the moment, however, I am here to escort Lady Wycherley wherever she wishes to go.’

  Fanny turned to Annis and her gaze sharpened. ‘Lady Wycherley? But…did you know that she is our chaperon, my lord? I was not aware that you even knew her.’

  Adam looked at Annis. There was a smile lurking deep in his eyes.

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I do.’ He held out his arm to her. ‘Shall we proceed, ma’am?’

  There was an edge of authority to his voice that no one cared to gainsay. Fanny turned back to the spurned Lieutenant and in short order she had taken his arm, Lucy had fallen in with Lieutenant Norwood again and the luckless Captain Hammond had taken charge of the three horses and was leading them back to the livery stable.

  ‘Oh, dear,’ Annis said ruefully, as she and Adam fell into step behind the other four, ‘I was so afraid that you were about to give Miss Crossley a most tremendous set-down, my lord. I must thank you for your forbearance.’

  ‘It is more than the silly little chit deserves,’ Adam said. There was a flash of anger in his eyes. ‘Did I know that you were their chaperon, indeed! She should be grateful for that privilege instead of being intolerably snobbish about it! You have all the qualities she needs to learn and yet she has the impertinence—’ He broke off, scowling blackly.

  Annis glanced at him, a little shaken by the vehemence of his tone. His grim gaze was fixed on the back of Fanny Crossley’s head and there was a frown between his brows. When he saw Annis looking at him, however, his expression lightened and he smiled.

  ‘I beg your pardon, ma’am. I should not have said that.’

  Annis smiled back. ‘Do not apologise, my lord. I know that some of my charges think themselves better bred than I—’

  ‘And some, knowing they are not, are even more ill behaved, I’ll warrant!’ Adam laughed grimly.

  Annis made a slight gesture. ‘Whatever the case, it does not upset me. I take their money and I do my work.’

  There was a small silence between them.

  ‘I am glad that I have caught up with you at last, ma’am,’ Adam said in an undertone, as they fell back a little from the main group. ‘I called to see you yesterday, but found only your housekeeper at home.’

  Annis nodded. ‘Mrs Hardcastle. Yes, I understand that she quizzed you shamelessly about your visit.’

  ‘I remember that her mother was much the same,’ Adam said, ruefully. ‘Did you know that her family worked for my father at Eynhallow? They are true Yorkshire stock, calling a spade a spade.’

  ‘At least one knows where one stands with such blunt honesty,’ Annis said.

  ‘Indeed. I believe that you are also Yorkshire born and bred, Lady Wycherley? There is about you the same sort of frankness. It is refreshing and unusual to find in ton society.’

  Annis smiled slightly. ‘I hope that I am not so forthright as Hardy! But I am ce
rtainly Yorkshire born, my lord, if not bred. My father being in the navy, we travelled about a great deal.’

  ‘Of course. I had not forgot.’ Adam’s gaze was warm as it rested on her and Annis felt herself blush a little. She had been fearful that when they met again Adam might approach her with some familiarity, which would be embarrassing, particularly in public. Now she realised that she need not have feared this. Though there was a shadow of a smile about his mouth as he watched her, she could not fault him for his manner to her. He was as respectful as ever she could have demanded. She felt herself relax a little.

  ‘What of your own antecedents, my lord?’ she queried lightly. ‘Can you claim a true Yorkshire pedigree?’

  ‘Certainly, for both my parents are from the county. Further back the bloodline is more mixed.’ Adam squared his shoulders. ‘I do believe there have even been some instances of Ashwick and Lafoy alliances, Lady Wycherley. Our two families go back a long way.’

  ‘I cannot believe that, for we have always been of yeoman stock,’ Annis said, laughing, ‘and far too far beneath the notice of the Ashwick lords! Mrs Hardcastle says that your family has grown mighty high in the instep, my lord!’

  Adam looked amused. ‘I see that people have been talking.’

  Annis looked at him from under her lashes. ‘People do talk about you. It is only natural when you are one of the most…’ she hesitated ‘…one of the most prominent landowners in the locality.’

  Adam sighed. ‘I accept that but I think it unfair that you should set me so high when you are the granddaughter of a Marquis and connected to half the noble families in England!’

  Annis laughed. ‘If you have heard that, you must also have heard that my mother’s family do not acknowledge me. When one’s mother runs away with a sea captain I fear it is inevitable.’ She made a slight gesture. ‘It is perfectly understandable that people should discuss you, my lord, but I cannot believe that anyone has been talking about me!’

  Adam stopped and took her gloved hand in his. ‘I have been asking about you,’ he said softly.