Unconquered (63 page)

Because of the vast number of guests, and because it was assumed that most had eaten substantial dinners, the Prince Regent’s buffet table was a modest one in comparison with the usual thirty-six-course dinners he served his guests at Carleton House and at his pavilion in Brighton. A separate table set up
along one wall of the Gothic conservatory held the liquid refreshments, which included iced champagne, fine wines both red and white, and Madeira and port.

Tables with silver services had been set up in the gardens, and the guests who wished to eat there or rest from the dancing came to sit in the cool evening air. Earlier, a rather silly pageant depicting sweet Spring banishing cold cruel Winter had been held. It would have been, decided Amanda, a great deal more successful if sweet Spring had not been played by the hefty Lady Jersey, who was one of Prinny’s favorite ladies.

“Milady?”

Amanda looked up to see a bewigged footman. “Yes?”

“His Royal Highness would like to see you, Lady Dunham. I am to take you to him at once.”

Good Lord, thought Amanda. Was Prinny planning to get amorous with Miranda? What would she say to him? She should have to admit their deception, and hope that his sense of humor was firmly established this evening. She rose and followed the footman. It was as she had suspected, for he led her deep into the darkest part of the garden. There could be no mistaking the Prince Regent’s intentions toward her twin sister. She rehearsed what she would say to him, but nothing seemed to sound right. Oh Lord, what a pickle! The noise of the party was becoming fainter. At least no one would see this meeting, she thought.

Abruptly her headdress was ripped away and something stifling was thrown over her head. Viselike arms wrapped around her, but somehow Amanda managed to scream and began struggling wildly to free herself, flailing out blindly.

“Jesus, she’s a fighter!” she heard a voice say. “Can’t you shut her up?”

“No one can hear her down at this end of the garden, but the prince don’t want no trouble. Hold on till I get the stuff.”

Amanda flailed at her captors, using every ounce of her waning strength to kick out with her heavy wooden clogs. A voice howled as she made contact with shins. The two men wrestled her to the ground, and then one of them pulled the blanket from her head while the other forced a sweet-smelling linen cloth to her nose and mouth. Amanda tried not to breathe, but finally she gasped and the sweet scent burned down her throat, quickly overcoming her.

“Whew,” said one of her captors, “I thought we’d never get her quieted down. The hall door’s open so let’s get her through it and into the coach. Then we can go back and get the gent. My advice is to cosh him on the head right off.”

“You cosh him, and I’ll get him here. What’ll I tell him?”

“What the prince told you to tell him, you fool! That Lady Miranda Dunham would like to see him in private, and you’re to lead him to her. Go on now. I’ll put her into the coach, and then be waiting for you.”

The festivities went on, and then at two o’clock in the morning the signal was given for the guests to unmask. Standing next to the blue page, Jared Dunham stayed the hand that reached up to remove the scrap of blue velvet and silver lace. “Did you really believe I could look at those legs of yours, wildcat, and believe them Amanda’s?” His bottle-green eyes were laughing at her.

“You rogue! You knew?” She pulled her mask off. “When did you know? Did I fool you at all?”

“No. You might have if you had worn something that covered more of you,” he answered.

“You knew from the beginning? You kissed Amanda deliberately?”

“She has a sweet mouth,” he teased her, “but she kisses like a child.”

Miranda laughed, and said, “Do you remember the first time we went to Almack’s after we were married?”

“Yes,” he said slowly, and then he laughed. “Do you mean, milady, that you want to go home now?”

“Yes, milord, I do. I have had enough eating, drinking, and dancing to last me a lifetime.”

“As always, madam, your slightest wish is my command,” and he took her arm.

“Fiddlesticks, milord, you lust after me as I lust after you!” she shot back.

“I do indeed,” he chuckled.

“How are we getting home? Our carriage was sent back.”

“We’ll take Adrian’s. The last time I looked he was playing cards with Prince de Lieven, Lord Alvaney, and Prinny. We’ll send it right back.”

“That’s rather rich company for Adrian to play with, isn’t it?” Miranda worried.

“Adrian’s no fool, darling. He was winning. The moment he begins to lose anything he can’t afford he’ll take his winnings and leave the table. He has such a charming, boyish way about him that nobody ever gets offended when he does it. They’ve all played with him at White’s and Watier’s often enough.”

They found their way through the wide corridors of Carleton House back down to the main entry hall, and Jared ordered his brother-in-law’s carriage brought around while they got their cloaks. Helping her into the coach, he ordered the driver to take them home, and then to return to wait for Adrian and Amanda. The vehicle clopped through the silent city streets while its inhabitants embraced passionately. Holding her in the crook of one arm, Jared let his other hand roam her body beneath the velvet tabard, finding the small pearl buttons of her silk shirt, opening them, and pushing through to cup a full, sweet breast. His lips moved to the softness of her neck, and she murmured restlessly, her nipples hardening against his palm. His hand moved up again to pull her feathered bonnet off. Running his fingers through her lovely hair, he whispered, “You were the most fetching page I have ever seen, wildcat. It was all I could do not to whisk you away hours earlier.”

“
Say it!
” she commanded.

“I love you, Miranda,” he replied.

“And I love you, Jared. Now can we please go home? Really home, I mean. To Wyndsong.”

“Will next week suit you, milady?”

“Next week?” She sat up, shaking his arm off. “I have packing to do! It isn’t like before Tom was born, Jared! Traveling with a child is next to impossible. You must take everything imaginable, for there are no shops in midocean.”

“
Dream Witch
will be back next week from Massachusetts, wildcat. We can go anytime you’re ready.”

“Next week!” she cried joyfully. “I’ll manage somehow.” Then she thought a moment, a little smile on her face. “I wonder what Anne thinks of America. And I wonder what your father and mother think of Jon returning with a second wife, her two children, and their own two babies, Susannah and Peter!”

“Well, at least Father can’t accuse Jon of being idle these two years. When you add Jon’s three children by Charity, he now has seven children. We’ll have to work hard to catch up with him, wildcat.”

“Unless you have another wife, Jared Dunham, we will have to concede to your brother in this matter. I have given you the next lord of the manor. Now I want a daughter, and then I am finished.”

“You may have your daughter, milady, but I must have two sons.”

“Two? Do you remember how badly your father treated you because he didn’t want you to try and rob Jon of his place as heir?”

“I am not my father. Besides, I will need the second son for the ships. If Tom is to be lord of the manor, he cannot handle the trading business as well. One son for the land, one for the sea, and a daughter we can both spoil.”

“Agreed,” she said solemnly. “We will begin serious work on Jason Dunham tonight,” and they laughed.

“Jason, is it? I like it, milady. It has a good ring to it. I assume that since you have named both my sons I get to name our daughter?”

Her eyes clouded as she thought of Fleur. Then, knowing that he expected an answer, she said brightly, “Indeed, milord, you must name our daughter. I am very bad with female names.”

He had seen the momentary lull in her high spirits, and wondered as he had more than once since her return just what secret she was keeping from him, and why.

The Swynford carriage turned into Devon Square, and pulled up before their town house.

Jared dismissed the house servants for the evening while his wife went upstairs to undress. Perky, dozing by the fire, quickly sat up as her mistress entered the room. Her jaw dropped, and she rubbed her eyes sleepily, looking hard at Miranda.

“But I thought you was to be a wicked witch, and Lady Swynford, the page,” she said, confused.

“Which was just what we wanted everyone to think,” said Miranda. “That’s why we would allow no one but the seamstress to help us this evening. Amanda and I have always wanted to play that trick on someone, but because we don’t look alike we have never done it. This masquerade gave us the perfect chance.”

“Well,” said Perky, “I must say you make a pretty page, milady, and that’s the truth.”

“Thank you, Perky, and Mandy was marvelous as the witch!”

As Perkins helped her mistress undress, Miranda spoke again. “Perky, we are going home to America in another week or two. I would like you and Martin to come with us. I know that Martin doesn’t like driving a coach, but rather, aspires to the type of position that Simpson holds in this household. Wyndsong is a far different place from London, but we are going to need someone for our home. If, however, you choose to remain in England we will give you and Martin both the most complimentary references, and you will be paid for the full year, of course, through Michaelmas. You may also remain until then, in your quarters. The house, however, is being closed, and only the senior servants who have been in my husband’s employ for some time will remain to serve Mr. Bramwell, who stays to care for my husband’s European interests. Everyone else will be paid for the year and given a reference. We will try to place some of the servants among our friends, but time is short.”

“Martin and I have often talked of asking you to let us come with you to America,” said Perky, “but one thing worries us, milady.”

“What is that?”

“The wild Indians.”

“What?”

“The wild Indians, milady. We’re mortally afraid of those savages. Martin’s grandpa fought with the Redcoats in your war back almost forty years ago. He says the Indians was terrible cruel.”

“There are no Indians on Wyndsong, Perky, nor are there any in the surrounding area. There haven’t been for over a hundred years. It’s as peaceful as the countryside around Swynford Hall. London is much more dangerous than Wyndsong.”

“In that case it’s just possible that we’ll come with you.” She paused and looked at Miranda curiously. “Is it true that all people are equal there?”

“Not really,” Miranda answered honestly. “In one sense it is the same as anyplace in this world. Those with money have power. But it is different in that the opportunity for wealth and success is there for everyone. The class distinctions are not as rigid as here in England, and the people are truly freer.”

“Then our children could be better than us?”

“Yes,” said Miranda, “it is possible.”

“I’ll talk to Martin, milady,” said Perky thoughtfully, placing her mistress’s costume in the wardrobe.

“Go on to bed, Perky. It’s quite late,” Miranda said. “I’ll finish.”

“If you’re sure it’s all right, milady,” and when Miranda nodded, smiling, Perkins bobbed a curtsey and left the room.

Jared, wearing a green silk dressing gown, joined her several minutes after Perky had gone. He admired his wife at leisure while she bathed her face and sponged herself lightly, having had a full bath before the ball. He was at the point of suggesting a little dalliance when suddenly there was a discreet but insistent knocking on the bedroom door.

“Milord! Milord!” Simpson sounded urgent. Miranda quickly wrapped a gown around herself and Jared answered the summons.

“What is it, Simpson?”

“Lord Swynford is downstairs, milord. He is most distraught.”

Adrian was pacing back and forth in the library. “I can’t find Amanda,” he burst out as Miranda and Jared entered the room.

“I went to look for her, the blue page, but no one had seen her, and no one had seen the witch or the frontiersman, either. I guessed you might have already left, and so I went in search of my coach. Horsely told me what you had said, that you and Amanda had switched costumes right from the beginning, and so I shouldn’t be looking for the page, but the witch. I went back into Carleton House and looked everywhere. She wasn’t in the ballroom, or the conservatory, or anywhere in the gardens. No one had seen her for hours. Nobody remembered her at the unmasking. I thought perhaps that she had taken ill, and gone home early without telling us so as not to spoil our fun, but her maid said she hadn’t returned home at all.” He looked at them helplessly. “Where is my wife?” he asked them. “What has happened to my Amanda?”

Jared Dunham walked over to the grog tray and poured a full measure of smoky Irish whiskey into a cut-glass tumbler. He handed it to Adrian, and commanded, “Drink it down. It will calm you, and we can think this out.” The younger man gratefully swallowed the liquid fire, and then Jared said, “Adrian, this
may seem an impertinent question, but have you and Amanda been happy lately?”

“Good Lord, yes!” was the immediate reply.

“Then did Amanda have any admirers? You know, one of those precious fools like Byron or Shelley who attach themselves to happily married women, and pay them outrageous court because they know it is safe. Sometimes those idiots begin to believe themselves, and try and make off with the lady.”

“No,” said Adrian, wearily shaking his head. “Before we were married she loved the attention that they paid her, but since our marriage she has had no time for such silliness. In fact on the few occasions that she has been approached by one of those gentlemen, she has sent them packing most unceremoniously.”

“Was any one in particular more attentive than the others?”

“No. It has been months since anyone paid her that kind of attention.”

“You are absolutely positive that she had no lover?”

Adrian looked crushed, and Miranda snapped, “She had no lover, Jared! If she had I would have known. The only secret Amanda has ever been able to keep was our secret tonight about the costumes.”