Authors: A Dissembler
Lady Arabella hung on to the side of the rocking vehicle but did not utter a single protest. The carriage rattled back along the narrow lanes covering the four miles in record time. Three grooms ran forward as Theo pulled up in front of Bentley Hall.
He jumped down first and reached out to swing his passenger to the ground. ‘What a lark! It is a long time since I sprung my horses in a country lane. Hope you are not too shaken by the experience, Lady Arabella?’ He smiled down at the young lady still needing the support of a groom to remain upright.
‘No, it was a delightful drive. I thank you, Sir Theodore. I was anxious to arrive quickly.’
He grinned. ‘And we certainly did that, beat my own record, I daresay.’
He offered his arm and gratefully she clutched it. ‘I shall take you to Mr Grierson, my dear. I warn you he is as sick as a cushion, but my man is taking care of him now. With you to hold his hand, I do not doubt he will rally soon enough.’
He set out at a brisk pace through the house and straight into the sickroom. ‘Here we are, Vincent, look who I have brought to soothe the poor boy’s fevered brow.’
Vincent bowed politely at the visitor. ‘You are welcome indeed, Lady Arabella. The patient has been calling your name repeatedly.’
Arabella run across the room to drop onto the chair vacated by Lady Grierson earlier. ‘Charles, my darling, I am so sorry I did not come before.’ She lifted his hands and held them to her lips, dropping kisses and tears in equal measure.
Charles opened his eyes and seeing the one person he loved above all others sitting at his side his mouth curved, his eyes bright with fever, but still lucid.
‘He is awake, and he recognizes me,’ Arabella cried. ‘Charles, my love, you will get better now, will you not? I promise I shall stay by your side until you do.’ His fingers closed over hers and he nodded slightly, too weak to speak.
Theo sat by the window watching as Lady Arabella sponged the patients face tenderly and held the cup containing the healing bark to his lips. He hoped Charles would be sufficiently out of danger by the time the Hawksmiths appeared to collect their daughter. It could only be a matter of time before they were on the doorstep, baying for his blood.
* * * *
The sound of raised voices in the hall, which was directly under Marianne’s bedroom, roused her from her sleep. She sat up, disorientated. How did she come to be in bed? She remembered sitting in the sunshine and the rose garden but nothing further.
She scrambled out of bed, surprised to discover she was in her chemise. Then she saw the fresh, sea-green dimity afternoon gown laid out over the back of the chair, ready for her to step into.
The noise from downstairs was escalating. Whatever was going on? Without waiting for Jane she pulled the gown on over her head, pleased to see it had no buttons or sashes to do up. She found the matching slippers and pushed in her bare feet. Lady Grierson would be scandalized by her lack of hosiery but she had no time to waste.
She ran the fingers of one hand through her short hair as she sped down the corridor, her skirts held high in the other. From fast asleep to dressed and moving had taken her less than five minutes. She reached the gallery and paused to see who was creating such a furore. To her amazement she saw it was Lady Arabella’s parents who were doing the shouting. And, standing nonchalantly in their path, was a smiling Cousin Theo.
Chapter Eleven
For a second Marianne was tempted to retreat, not risk a second meeting with Lord Hawksmith but Theo, sensing she was there, glanced up and left her no choice. She would have to go down.
‘Lord and Lady Hawksmith, what a delightful surprise. I must apologize for not being here to greet you. I was resting in my room.’
Lord Hawksmith gave her a cursory nod, Lady Hawksmith ignored her. Theo looked down, his face hidden from the irate visitors and his comical expression made her an immediate conspirator.
‘Where is my daughter, you rogue? I demand she be fetched at once,’ his lordship roared.
Marianne curtsied politely. ‘I will go and see if she is able to attend you, my lord. Pray excuse me for a moment.’ She did not have far to go for Lady Arabella was already on her way.
‘Marianne, I am so glad to see you. Charles is not going to die. I am so happy I could burst.’ She ended her greeting by embracing Marianne with unassumed delight.
Marianne, somewhat taken aback by this
volte face,
returned the hug. ‘Arabella, I am so pleased to hear your news. It seems that all it needed was for you to come to his side, I believe you may have saved his life.’
Arabella stepped back, her cheeks wet. ‘I did not understand how much I loved him until it was almost too late. I do not care what my parents say, I will not return with them. I am staying here.’
‘Lady Grierson is here also, so there can be no objection on that score. We are well chaperoned.’
Arm in arm the two girls hurried back to the hall. Marianne felt Arabella tense as they approached. ‘Sir Theo will not let them take you if you do not wish to go,’ she whispered.
Lady Hawksmith spotted her errant daughter’s approach. ‘Come here at once, Arabella. How dare you journey to Bentley Hall without our permission?’
Arabella halted beside Theo. ‘No, I am sorry, but I cannot come. Charles is very ill and he needs me to be here for the moment. I will return when he is out of danger.’
Lady Hawksmith turned purple and appeared to swell. Her husband laid a placating arm on hers. ‘Let her be, my dear, let her be. Shouting will not change things. I do believe our little princess has grown up.’ He smiled sadly at Arabella. ‘You are determined on this course, my love?’ Arabella nodded, too distressed to speak further. ‘Very well—stay. I assume Lady Grierson is here as well?’ The girl nodded a second time. ‘Then we can have no objection. Go back to your young man, Bella, with my blessing.’
Arabella ran forward and embraced her father, then turned and fled before he could change his mind or her mother intervene.
‘She is not left alone in the sickroom, I presume, Sir Theodore?’
‘No, of course not. Blake, the housekeeper, and my man have been with her at all times. And she will not remain there overnight; I shall do that watch myself.’
Lord Hawksmith looked across at his wife. ‘We had to let her go sometime, my dear. And at least married to young Devenish she will not be so far away.’
At the mention of marriage Lady Hawksmith’s mouth closed tighter and her eyes became slivers of granite. ‘Until Charles Grierson has a home and income to support our daughter in the manner to which she is accustomed, there will be no match.’ Allowing her husband no time to reply she stalked, back ramrod stiff, out of the house.
He shrugged apologetically. ‘She is upset, but she will come round. Tell young Grierson I expect to see him at Bromley Hall when he is back on his feet again.’ Then he too turned and vanished through the open front door.
‘Well! That was most exhilarating. I do so enjoy being shouted at.’
Marianne giggled. ‘It serves you right. I take it you collected Arabella without their permission?’
He grinned. ‘I could hardly ask them, now could I?’ He slipped his arm through hers and pulled her closer. ‘Is Edward here or at Frating Hall?’
‘I have no idea, but I am sure Tom and Billy will be around the stables somewhere. One of them can take the good news to Lord Grierson.’
‘Shall we stroll out together and find them?’
Marianne knew she should remove her hand but it felt so good resting where it was. Strangely breathless, she attempted to continue the conversation.
‘Arabella is a different person today. I find that I can like her now.’
‘I agree; a vast improvement on the simpering miss we met before.’ He glanced down at her happy face. ‘She looks better than you did when I discovered you asleep in the rose garden this morning.’
Marianne flushed and looked away. ‘I did wonder how I had arrived in my bedroom.’
The warm sunshine began to soothe away the last of her fatigue and she was fully restored by the time they reached the stables.
* * * *
Billy was cleaning tack, but on hearing Marianne’s voice he stood up, smiling. ‘I take it things have improved with Mr Grierson then, miss?’
‘Yes, he is out of danger, thank God! But I expect it will be some while before he is able to walk on his broken leg again.’
‘Do you wish me to ride over to Frating Hall and let them know the good news?’ Billy asked.
‘Yes, do that. And tell Lord Grierson that I shall be returning tomorrow.’ She felt the arm under hers, tense.
Theo frowned. ‘Why are you returning? There is no need, Lady Grierson is here to chaperone you.’
‘I am redundant as a nurse. Lady Grierson and Arabella are sharing the day and you and Vincent are doing the night shift. And I have been here overlong already.’
‘I would like you to stay, at least until Arabella goes home.’
‘No, I am sorry, but my mind is made up, Cousin Theo. I shall stay tonight, but tomorrow I leave.’
Marianne knew the longer she remained at Bentley Hall the greater the danger Lord Hawksmith would return and, not being so distracted, would recognize her.
Theo’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why are you so determined to leave? Have I offended you in some way? It appears to me that you are constantly running away. What are you hiding from Marianne?
‘It is you who are the dissembler, sir, not I,’ she replied stiffly.
‘Touché
, my love. Come, we shall not argue, but enjoy what little time we have together.’
When he reached out to regain her arm she stepped aside, not wishing for the contact she had found so disturbing. ‘I think it would be better if I return today. There is no reason to wait, after all. Please excuse me, Cousin, I must go upstairs and tell Jane to begin packing.’
She could feel his accusing eyes burning into her back as she fled inside. He was correct, she was constantly running away, but she had no choice. There was the danger from being revealed as a flighty miss, but far worse was a danger of a very different kind. She was running from this now. Cousin Theo was becoming far more than a friend. She was not ready to form a lasting attachment—she had only just broken free from the repression of Upton Manor and Bath. She did not wish to exchange it for another kind of bondage—marriage. The sooner she was back at Frating Hall, away from him and Lord Hawksmith, the better.
* * * *
In less than an hour Tom was outside in the carriage, her trunk tied securely on the back. She had said her farewells to both Lady Grierson and Arabella and explained her reasons for returning. Neither seemed to think her departure in the slightest bit odd. Cousin Theo, strangely, was nowhere to be found. She was relieved she did not have to face him with her emotions in such turmoil.
She turned to her maid. ‘When do you think John will be back from Town? He has been gone several days; surely it would not take so long to visit the lawyers?’
‘He should be back any day now, miss. Indeed, I think it will be tomorrow sometime. It’s hard to believe how much has happened in his absence, he doesn’t even know about Mr Grierson’s accident.’
‘Neither does he know Lord Hawksmith almost recognized me and that I am not safe in Essex anymore.’
Jane patted Marianne’s hand. ‘It’s not as bad as that, miss. If you keep out of his way for a while he may forget all about it. He has more important things to worry about if Lady Arabella is about to become betrothed to Mr Grierson, who hasn’t a feather to fly with.’
She smiled. ‘Lady Hawksmith made it quite clear the engagement will not go ahead unless, by some miracle, Charles inherits a fortune.’
‘I suppose there’s little chance of that, miss, from what I hear they have precious little funds to even run the estate.’
The carriage began its bumpy journey down the drive making further conversation impossible. Emily greeted their return with squeals of delight.
‘Oh, Marianne, I have missed you so badly. It has been so dull here without you and we have all been so worried about Charles.’ She paused to draw breath allowing Marianne to speak.
‘You have obviously heard Charles is out of danger. But did you know Arabella is at Bentley Hall with him?’
Emily was stunned. ‘I do not believe it! Arabella nursing Charles? How can that be? Her mother never allows Arabella to spend time with him.’
The two girls walked inside, deep in discussion about the possible outcome of Arabella’s dramatic bid for freedom.
* * * *
There was to be no dinner served downstairs that night as Lord Grierson had ridden over to Great Bentley intending, as his foster daughter was home, to stay the night with his wife and son leaving her in nominal charge of the household.
Having eaten supper in Emily’s parlour Marianne excused herself finding, after two hours of constant chatter, her head was aching.
‘I am going down to the stables, Emily, before it is too dark to see. I wish to discover if Sultan is fit enough for me to ride tomorrow.’
‘May I come with you when you go out in the morning? We could ride over to see Charles.’
‘I think it would be best to leave our visit until Papa returns. It would not do to overset the patient with too many visitors. But you can take me to Thorrington Creek, I have heard so much about it.’
After fond good nights Marianne left, glad it was warm enough to go outside without a wrap. She paused to listen for the nightingales and Edward appeared at her side, his normal high spirits absent.
‘Marianne, I am in a devil of a fix. Can I ask your advice? Although you’re the same age as Emily I feel you’re more of an adult than she will ever be.’
She was not sure this was a compliment. ‘I am going to the paddock to give Sultan some carrots—walk with me and you can tell me your problems as we go. I promise I will help if I can.’
They walked in silence. It was a while before Edward found the courage to explain. ‘It is like this. Charles and I…’ he stopped.
‘Go on, what about you and Charles?’ Marianne already had a shrewd idea what was coming but wished to see if he had the pluck to tell her himself.