An Artful Deception (17 page)

“
I do not think it will suffer if I hire a proper staff and I am chaperoned by my maid. After all, I am an orphan. If I refuse charity, what else am I to do?”

“
You know very well that you could return with me. I am sure my mother would wish for you to be with us once she is convinced of the truth.”

“
She will be shocked and embarrassed. I doubt she would wish to appear in public with me. And I could never feel comfortable in such a circumstance.”

Philip frowned. “Then you are firmly resolved upon your course?”

“
If you will help me gain my funds.”

“
And if I will not?”

“
Then I shall stay here and become the best seamstress this side of London.”

She heard Mrs. Baker give a derisive snort as she muttered something that Katharine did not want to hear.

Philip sighed. “Then I suppose you leave me little choice other than to assist you, though I do not agree with your plan.”

Katharine’s heart welled with happiness. She turned to her protectress. “What do you think, Mrs. Baker? Should I allow Lord Charlesworth to assist me?”

The woman studied Philip with bold eyes. “He seems obliging. Do what you want.”

“
Then I shall. May I stay with you until we are able to secure my residence? When I receive my pension, I shall be happy to pay you rent for the days that I have stayed.”

Mrs. Baker’s grin showed that she was missing two front teeth. “Now that is a fair and proper plan.”

She turned to Philip and said gruffly, “I was going to have to turn her out on the street in a day or two for she sews quite ill.”

Katharine laughed. “I am afraid it is true.”

Philip drew Katharine to her feet. “I shall make inquiries into suitable residences that are for rent. And shall I call for you in the morning to go round to the solicitor?”

“
I should be most grateful.”

He bent over her hand and bestowed a kiss.

“
And, Lord Charlesworth, I should appreciate it if you would send round my trunk.”

He looked down into her eyes and said, “I will send it this very afternoon.”

“
Thank you, my lord.”

She watched his broad shoulders as he departed and swung into his carriage. Part of her longed to go after him and tell him that she had changed her mind and that she wanted to live in his house and see him at supper every night. Yet, she held back, telling herself that she could not be happy living with Lady Charlesworth’scharity. If she and Philip were to find happiness, they must do it on neutral ground, apart from the approval or disapproval of matrons who would be quick to lend their opinions.

Mrs. Baker set down her sewing and studied Katharine. “I have to say, I did not half believe yer story. But with such a proper gentlemen to have come ‘ere, I suppose it must be true.”

Katharine smiled. “He is a gentleman, is he not? And handsome, too.”

Mrs. Baker nodded. “And you were fool enough not to go with him.”

Katharine stared out the window. “I was. But I thought it for the best. I hope that I was right.”

True to his word, Philip sent her trunk that very afternoon. Katharine had it deposited in the small sewing room where she slept. As she went through her choices, seeking a gown for the visit to the solicitor, she noticed how out of place they looked in her bleak quarters. She hoped she might rent a small townhouse on the west end. Perhaps it might even have a garden. She sat, fingering the satins and lace, entranced by the picture in her mind. When Mrs. Baker called her to their simple supper, she was picturing a bedchamber with a proper dressing table and perhaps a window seat that looked out upon the street.

The next morning, Katharine dressed carefully in a soft printed cotton day dress. She washed with cold water from the kitchen basin and pulled her hair neatly back from her face. When Philip arrived, she felt neat, if not as clean as she would like to have been.

“
You look fresh as a flower,” he told her as they boarded the carriage.

Katharine smiled up at him. He was handsome in a dark riding jacket and boots with an ebony shine. “I shall be forever grateful for your assistance. I am afraid my last visit to the solicitor left me with lingering trepidation. And yet, with you along, I do not believe that I shall fear facing the man.”

Philip longed to draw her to him. With some difficulty, he resisted the urge to put his arm around her slender shoulders. “Then let me be your protector, for I shall relish the opportunity.”

They arrived, puncturing the fantasies of the young articled clerk, when he saw Katharine flanked by a gentleman. Glumly, he ushered them into the office of Mr. Adkins, who being familiar with the Charlesworth family and convinced by the testimony of the portrait that Philip had found, was soon brought round and convinced of the truth of the charade.

Katharine graciously accepted his apologies and offered her own for the deceit that had caused the confusion.

On the ride home, she felt overcome by relief. “I do not deserve for things to turn so quickly in my favor.”

Philip grinned down at her. “Perhaps you do not. And yet your charm and beauty melt the hearts of men and make them wish to take up your cause.”

He ran a finger gently down her cheek. When she did not protest, he cupped her chin and kissed her gently as they stopped in front of Mrs. Baker’s rundown shop. Katharine savored the warmth of his lips, and then asked, “Are you not afraid that someone might recognize you, my lord, in this end of London, kissing a girl of unknown reputation?”

“
I am not at all afraid. But perhaps, it is your reputation that should concern us.”

“
Indeed yes. Have you had a chance to inquire as to available lodgings for a young lady of suspicious background?”

Philip turned serious. “I asked around at the club last night. No one knows of anything for rent. It is the beginning of the season, you know. I shall make more inquiries today.”

Katharine tilted her head to look into his eyes. “I am grateful for your help.”

Philip’s dark eyes glittered with mischief. “I shall expect to be repaid. You must dance every dance at each ball with me.”

Katharine feigned shock. “Highly improper, my lord. What will everyone think?”

He planted a light kiss upon her brow. “They will think that I am enamored with you. And they will be right.”

He escorted her to the door and bid her good-day. “I promise to come to you as soon as I find you a proper residence.”

She watched him ride away, once again feeling a keen loss at his departure. Perhaps, one day, they would not need to be parted. Perhaps, they might be together each day…. She reined her train of thought. It was presumptuous and premature. Anything could happen between now and the fulfillment of her dreams. She determined to live each day as it came and let the future unfold as it would.

Philip did not come at all the next day, or the day after. Katharine began to wonder if he had forgotten his promise. She had nearly made up her mind to hire a hackney and visit him when a carriage pulled up at her door. She smoothed her hair and skirt and hurried to greet him, as eager to see him as she was to hear his news.

The ancient hinges squeaked in protest as she opened the door. Her eyes widened to see, not Philip, but Lady Charlesworth standing upon the stoop. Lady Charlesworth fixed her surroundings with a disapproving eye before turning to Katharine.

Katharine closed her jaw that had dropped with surprise. “Lady Charlesworth, what could possibly bring you here?”

Lady Charlesworth glanced behind her as though fearful of being seen. “I must speak with you. I shall be relieved if you will come out to my carriage and take a ride with me.”

Katharine hesitated a moment, and then said, “Let me fetch my bonnet and I shall be right out.”

She hurried to get a bonnet and a light paisley shawl before joining Lady Charlesworth in the carriage. She turned to her at once and asked the painful question that had sprung to her mind, “Is it Philip? Is he sick? Has he been injured?”

“
No. Let me assure you I have not come bearing ill news of Philip.”

Katharine felt her drumming pulse begin to slow with relief. Yet as she absorbed the comforting news, she felt her curiosity rise. What had driven Lady Charlesworth, of all people, to come to this end of town to see her?

Lady Charlesworth directed the driver to head toward the center of town. As they neared Charing Cross, Lady Charlesworth took a deep breath and plunged into her reason for coming.

CHAPTER TEN

“
I convinced Philip to let me come today in his stead. He has told me the whole story and shown me the portrait. At first, I was shocked and quite angry. I suppose I shall never understand your attempt to avoid marrying my Philip.”

During the pause Katharine said, “I want to tell you how heartily sorry I am for all of the inconvenience I have put you through. I never meant to cause anyone pain. I am afraid I did not think ahead when I hatched my plan.”

“
What ever made you do such a thing? Surely you could not have thought my Philip so disagreeable?”

Katharine decided not to mention their childhood meeting. “Though I dare not try and excuse my behavior, I believe I acted thus because I was so distraught over my father’s death. I was not thinking clearly. I hope that you can forgive me one day.”

Lady Charlesworth’s expression softened. “Indeed, it is a hard thing to lose a parent. Perhaps I have been too hard in my judgment. That is why I am here. Your mother was my dearest friend, you know.”

“
Yes, she often spoke of you, and very highly, I might add.”

“
Well, for your mother’s sake, I am inclined to put this whole affair behind us. I am here to stand in on her behalf. Philip has told me that he has spent the last two days scouring the west end to find a townhouse for you. For the sake of your dear mother, I will not hear of it. It is most improper. You must come back to us. I have ordered a comfortable upstairs chamber prepared for you.”

Katharine felt tears gather in her eyes as she stared into the fiercely determined face of the matron. The mention of her mother had elicited an unexpected wave of loneliness. She would have liked to have had a female hand to guide and direct her these last few years.

She gathered her composure and said, “I would not wish to bring embarrassment to your house. My change in position may prove a bit awkward to explain.”

Lady Charlesworthshook her head. “We will deal with that later. There are no townhouses available for rent. So, I want it understood that you are coming back this very day. I will not have you staying on Cheapside. It is too near the river and very damp. You will catch consumption in that drafty house. And then, I could never live with myself.”

Katharine wavered. A stubborn streak inside her bid her have her own way. But had not Lady Charlesworth said that Philip had not found any houses for rent? She did not want to go on living in a small sewing room forever. And it would be lovely to see Philip every day again, to hear him read poetry in the library. And this time, there would be no pretenses between them.

She made up her mind. “Yes, I should like that very much. Thank you for your kind invitation to return.”

Lady Charlesworth sighed. “I am glad you have decided to be sensible. Philip had warned me that you might prove intractable. If that were the case, I was prepared to keep you captive in the carriage until you agreed to return.”

Katharine laughed. “You would kidnap me then?”

The lady nodded her head most vigorously. “If that was what it took.”

“
Then I am glad that will not be necessary.”

They arrived back at Cheapside.

“
You must pack your things. I will send the carriage back round for you this afternoon,” Lady Charlesworth instructed.

“
Yes, my lady. I shall be packed and ready.”