A Rival Heir (11 page)

"You can never be too careful, Sir Hugh. Aunt Longstreet has taken note of all the invalids who congregate at the pump room and it is her opinion that any number of them may as easily be harmed as helped by the waters, since very few of them appear to be cured when they leave Bath."

"Ah, I see. I have not myself indulged in the waters on a regular basis, but I have to admit that they taste vile. Still, some people do swear by them. Have you considered bathing in them?"

His godmother narrowed her eyes. "And just what would be the point of that? Are you hoping I'll drown myself?"

"I'm quite certain no one has ever drowned in the baths, ma'am," he assured her. "Apparently the minerals in the water, and its warmth, are particularly good for the gout."

"And you would be an authority on gout, would you, young man?"

"My father had it, so I do have some experience at second hand."

Miss Armstrong, rather than her aunt, showed a decided interest. "And he found the baths helpful?"

"On many occasions. Of course, some people say it is all in one's head, the benefits of such a treatment. That if you expect some comfort, you will convince yourself that you have received it."

"Fools," muttered his godmother. "I've seen it happen myself."

Miss Armstrong's brow knit in thought. "Well, aunt, I'm not sure that it matters, so long as one perceives a benefit. On the other hand, perhaps if one is convinced that no benefit will be achieved, one denies oneself the chance of getting one."

The older woman locked eyes with her niece. Hugh, delighted with Nell’s response,  thought there was a battle of wills silently occurring between the two even as he watched. Miss Longstreet glared her intimidating scowl and her niece regarded her with another of those tucked-away smiles. After a very long pause, Miss Longstreet looked away and said, "Perhaps one day I would be willing to try the baths, but only if you were to accompany me into the water, Helen. And I have no intention of paying a fortune, mind!"

"Certainly not, aunt," her niece said with deceptive meekness.

Sir Hugh would have offered his services in escorting them, except that he was aware his godmother would take the opportunity to give him a proper setdown. Instead he asked, "Are there any evening entertainments to which I might escort you ladies? Or might I procure tickets for a musical evening later in the week?"

"What sort of musical evening?" Rosemarie demanded suspiciously. "No, no, don't tell me. You may tell Helen. She's the musical one. If she should like it, you may get the tickets. Now go away, both of you. I need my nap."

Saying this, she laid her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. Miss Armstrong placed a blanket over her aunt’s knees and beckoned Sir Hugh through a door into the smaller parlor. Sir Hugh saw a number of books lying on the table there and assumed these were the books the librarian had brought.

He picked up one of the volumes and turned it over, recognizing a popular guidebook to Bath. "My sister mentioned that the young man at the lending library had brought by some books for you and your aunt. That was exceptionally kind of him, especially considering the treatment to which my godmother subjected him on the occasion I happened upon the two of you. Or perhaps it was not the same man?" he asked blandly.

"Yes, it was Mr. Bentley, the same young man. Aunt Longstreet has managed to be abrupt with him on more than one occasion, but he is so good as to overlook her ill humor."

"Very good of him indeed. And yet, I cannot help but wonder if his advent at your home was not something of a surprise?" He made it sound a question, but Nell did no more than blink at him. "What I mean is, unless you had suggested that he call here, perhaps you did not welcome his intrusion. My godmother might consider it something of a liberty."

"I did not suggest that he come, Sir Hugh, but I did not find it distressing that he did. My aunt is not as yet aware that he called, as she was resting at the time. All things considered, I believe I shan't tell her that he did."

Hugh felt suspicion prod at him. "And why is that?"

Miss Armstrong--Nell, as his sister would call her--moved to the small sofa, straightened a pillow, then went to the window and lightly touched the curtain. "It is my policy not to distress my aunt any more than is strictly necessary, Sir Hugh. If I felt that there was something improper about Mr. Bentley's visit, or that he had some nefarious purpose in discovering where we lived, then I should certainly inform my aunt. But I have no such suspicion." She turned then and regarded him curiously. "Have you?"

"No. I merely find the behavior a trifle—odd." Sir Hugh could hear the stiffness in his own voice.

"Your sister didn't."

"My sister is a romantic."

"And you are not."

Sir Hugh did not like the flat way she said it, as though it were not to his credit. "I am a practical man, Miss Armstrong. Sometimes I ask myself what motive a man has for doing what he does. That may not be a very trusting attitude, but it is a prudent one. I assure you that I do not suspect Mr. Bentley of any unworthy purpose. No doubt he is precisely the generous fellow he presents himself as. But because his actions are somewhat out of the ordinary, and because they circumspectly touch my godmother, I choose not to overlook them. I hope you won't take my interest amiss."

"Not at all. But I trust you have no intention of quizzing poor Mr. Bentley on his kindly impulse to befriend my aunt and myself."

"I intend to do nothing but discover the young man's character, by having a word with his employer or someone who knows him."

A flush brightened Nell’s cheeks, and she frowned. "You could lose him his job, Sir Hugh. What if his employer thought it unacceptable that he brought us books? I must ask that you not risk such a resolution."

"My dear Miss Armstrong, that is hardly likely to happen. I would of course be circumspect."

But she had come to a halt in front of him, the frown still creasing her brow. "I cannot feel sanguine about your plan, and I should hate to be responsible for something untoward happening. Rather, I would tell him not to come here again. Would that meet with your approval?"

Feeling that somehow matters had gotten out of hand, Hugh abandoned his stiff tone and said, "It will not be necessary for you to tell him not to come again, Miss Armstrong! I beg your pardon for raising the issue in the first place. I had no intention of distressing you. If you are confident of Mr. Bentley's goodwill, I shall pursue the matter no further."

"Thank you." Nell’s high color ebbed and she  smiled a little wryly at him. "You know, there is no chance of his imposing on us, Sir Hugh. When you consider my aunt's disposition, you must realize that at the first hint of anything untoward, she would be likely to dispose of him in a fearsome manner."

"True," he agreed, amazed and grateful she hadn’t taken offense. "I could find it in me to pity him, if she did. But enough of Mr. Bentley. Tell me what my godmother meant that you were the one who appreciated music."

They had been standing all this time, but now she waved him to a chair and took one opposite. "Aunt Longstreet finds music soporific, I fear. I have only to sit down at the pianoforte for her to fall asleep. I, on the other hand, find music invigorating. I am not a particularly accomplished player, but I thoroughly enjoy it."

"And would you welcome attending a musical evening here in Bath?"

When she laughed, the sound was deliciously rippling, rich and melodious. "Oh, yes, I should enjoy it of all things. But I am inclined to believe that Aunt Longstreet would be dreadfully bored. In all likelihood she would fall into a slumber and snore!"

"Does she do that often in the country?"

"Most of our neighbors know better than to invite her for anything of a musical nature. She is not in the habit of going about much--at home. I was quite surprised to learn of her intention to come to Bath."

"Yes, you may imagine my astonishment in encountering her at the circulating library. I had not the first notion that she was in the city."

Nell shook her head slowly, a worried frown drawing her brows together. "I have actually been a little concerned about that, Sir Hugh. I’d thought of seeking your advice…"

"By all means! What is it that troubles you?"

For a moment the young woman didn't speak. He watched her expressive countenance as she continued to hesitate. He endeavored to look trustworthy, and was rewarded when she nodded slightly. Then she said, "Where to begin? I suppose when Mrs. Dorsey's letter arrived. Before that Aunt Longstreet had never in all the time I'd been with her suggested the possibility of traveling so far as one of the lakes. In fact, she had impressed upon me her truly deep dislike of travel."

"She has mentioned as much to me, as well."

"Yes, and yet after reading Mrs. Dorsey's letter, she turned to me, with quite a wicked look on her face, and said, 'Helen, we shall go to Bath.' I have seldom been so astonished in my life."

"Do you know what the contents of the letter were?"

Nell shook her head. "Not really. Aunt Longstreet indicated that Mrs. Dorsey recommended the Bath waters for her gout, but I hardly think that is possible."

Sir Hugh's brows rose. "Why not?"

"Because she and Mrs. Dorsey have corresponded for many years and the subject has never been broached before. Why should she do so now?"

"Perhaps Miss Longstreet had only recently mentioned her gout to her friend."

"Aunt Longstreet has never mentioned it at all! She likes her friends to believe that she is in perfect health for a woman of her age--to make them all envious, I believe." She smiled at him, and added, "She is given to describing her constitution as robust."

"In some ways, I should think it is."

"Oh, yes. But, Sir Hugh, since we have come to Bath, she has not contacted Mrs. Dorsey at all, and I am informed that the good lady lives but a few blocks from here."

"It is easy enough to imagine a falling out between them," he suggested, bearing in mind his aunt's temperament.

"Possibly." But Nell sounded skeptical. "Aunt Longstreet wrote back to her that time, however, and has since had a letter from her, which I believe she may also have answered. But I don't think she could have mentioned that we were coming to Bath!"

"Odd, certainly. What do you know of Mrs. Dorsey?"

"Very little, except that they have known each other forever. I had hoped you might recognize the name, as I understand you are a regular visitor to Bath."

"I am, yes, but I cannot recall a Mrs. Dorsey. I did know a Ralph Dorsey a few years ago, but I believe he no longer lives here. In fact, I think he took orders and is serving in a parish not far from London."

"I suppose she might be his mother," Nell said uncertainly. "Did you know where he lived?"

"In the lower part of town, I believe, but that is merely a guess." Sir Hugh regarded her curiously. "What is it you feel is amiss, Miss Armstrong?"

Nell made an all-encompassing gesture. "Everything. I know that sounds dramatic, but consider. Aunt Longstreet never leaves home, unless she has a very pressing reason. She never spends money if she can avoid it. And yet here we are in Bath--Bath, of all places. Why, it is almost as expensive to rent a place here as in the metropolis, I dare say. And then she told me we were coming at Mrs. Dorsey's suggestion, but we have made no attempt to contact Mrs. Dorsey. When I asked my aunt why her friend had not yet called upon us, she said, "She's probably out of town."

"It's possible," he suggested.

"But not very likely, is it, after her recommending that we come. Oh, no, I think Mrs. Dorsey is in Bath, but she does not know that we are here."

"What possible reason could Miss Longstreet have for not contacting her?"

"I ask myself that daily," Nell admitted, "but I have arrived at no reasonable answer. And then there is the matter of Lord Westwick."

"Lord Westwick?"

"Yes, he came to visit us and my aunt turned him away. When I reproached her with that, she was positively gleeful. She said, 'We are making progress, Helen.' But she would not enlighten me on her meaning. This morning she insisted I should shun his lordship but would give me no explanation. Do you not think that odd?"

"For my godmother, no. She appears to dislike a great many people." Including myself, he might have added.

"Well, yes, but this is different, I think. It's difficult for me to put my finger on the problem, but when you take it in conjunction with her strange behavior with regard to Mrs. Dorsey, I cannot help but be concerned that there is mischief afoot."

Sir Hugh did not bother to ask her what type of mischief she suspected, because it was clear that Nell was at a loss on that score. Instead he asked, "In what way do you think I might be of service, Miss Armstrong? I should be happy to assist in any way I can."

She smiled gratefully. "I believe there is something, if you would be so kind. It is not just a matter of curiosity with me, you understand. I am not a naturally suspicious or even particularly curious person, in the ordinary way. If you were to put out inquiries about a Mrs. Dorsey, a Gertrude Dorsey, I would be most appreciative. For if I knew her direction, I could pay her a visit and attempt to sort this matter out."

"You would call on her without your aunt's knowledge?"

Nell raised her chin.  "I would. Do you think that reprehensible of me?"

"Not at all." His lips twisted ruefully. "But if she should find out about it, she would not be pleased. In fact, she might very well do something drastic--like turn you off. And I cannot think that would be an acceptable conclusion to the affair."

Nell frowned but eventually shook her head. "I don't think she would turn me off. I should certainly be in her black books for a while, but I am not exactly an employee. Longstreet Manor is my home, for as long as Aunt Longstreet lives. That is understood."

Sir Hugh wondered by whom it was understood. He could not feel as certain as Nell that Miss Longstreet would not cast her out if she did something so counter to her will as to truly irritate that old autocrat. But he decided it was not his place to correct her at this point. He could, he felt certain, take the blame should anything go amiss.