Lady Star (9 page)

His lawns were no longer manicured, his
gardens and yard were infested with weeds and he grimaced at the
sight. He saw the flower beds glaring up at him with their
unsightly borders. Once they had sported such beauty, now overgrown
and full with coarse vegetation.

He was twenty-two and he told himself he
should be able to bring things around. Yes, but how? He was a grown
man. Still, he had not yet found a way, at least not a noncriminal
way, to set his home in order.

What was wrong with him?

His door opened and he turned to the sound of
a familiar and welcome voice.

“Hallo, halfling,” Miles Denning said with a
wide grin.

Vern stared at his lifelong friend and
grinned broadly. Miles was the best of the best, he thought. “Look
at you,” he said merrily, in spite of his weakened state. “Dressed
to the nines.” He tried to step toward him and wobbled.

Miles was there in the flash of a moment and
had Vern’s weight firmly leaning against him, “Steady ‘ole
boy…steady.”

Vern coughed and gave him a weak smile as his
friend led him to the bed and deposited him there, saying, “You can
cover yourself, I’m not your nursemaid.” His affectionate grin
mitigated the words.

Vern smiled weakly and did just that. He
regarded his friend thoughtfully as his musings had suddenly came
together and he said while still trying to put his meanderings into
a coherent suggestion, “Well then my fine dandy, what brings you
here? And what the devil are you wearing?”

Miles laughed, ran a hand over his
lightweight blue coat, “Too much do you think? It is the height of
fashion, you know.”

“It might be, but not with all that wadding
in the shoulders. Though I understand your need, since you have
none to fall back on,” Vern teased with an accompanying
chuckle.

“Can’t hurt to make the ladies look twice,”
Miles beamed not at all insulted.

“Those tight fitted britches look absurd on
you. You are too tall and lanky for ‘em,” said Vern still grinning
mischievously. “And your hair! What have you done my man, pomading
it into a roll like that?”

“You have never had any sense of…”

“Brummell
would not
approve,” Vern
announced.

“Tis m’own style…thought I’d…”

“
Don’t think
, brush it out, Miles, you
look like a damn quiz,” Vern interrupted him with a laugh and then
coughed for a few moments.

Miles frowned as his friend’s coughing fit
subsided and sighed before responding, “I am here to make you feel
better. I heard you were not up to par, but if you are going to
continue to insult me, ‘ole friend, I shall leave you to wallow on
your sickbed alone.”

Vern grinned as he saw the twinkle in his
friend’s light brown eyes. “Not quite stout yet, but I shall be. I
am surprised to see you here. Thought you wouldn’t come around till
you were pretty sure you’d be safe from infection.” If he had the
strength he would have punched his friend’s arm with the words.

“Well, as to that, you need to rethink, for
here I am,” Miles said and then more gravely, “How are you, Vern.
You look…drained.”

“I am coming along…”

A knock sounded at the door and Vern called
out, “Come in then.”

Dilly appeared in the doorway. She looked
toward Miles who was well known in the Berkley household and
blushed a bright shade of pink before she lowered her eyes and
dropped a curtsy in the open doorway. Taking a tentative step
forward she held out an envelope, but as it was clear she did not
wish to enter the bedroom any further. Vern’s eyes narrowed as he
regarded his friend.

“Bothering young Dilly here, have you?” Vern
said on a note of disapproval.

“How can you say that? Have I bothered you,
lovely Dilly?” Miles returned, going forward to take up the
envelope and flip it toward Vern.

“Oi just came up to bring ye that…now. Oi’ll
be going then…” Dilly said ignoring Miles altogether.

Vern smiled kindly at her, “Thank you,
Dilly.”

She bobbed her head and ran out and they
heard her steps take the long hallway outside the room with some
speed. Vern turned to his friend and said, “Whatever have you done
to make her act like that?”

Miles shrugged, “Done? Why no more than tell
her how beautiful she looked when she bumped into me earlier.”

“Bumped into you?” Vern said one brow up.

“Well she came out of nowhere and all I did
was put an arm around her to steady her….”

“Tried kissing her, didn’t you, Miles?” Vern
demanded.
Damn.
He had thought to ask Miles to escort his
sister and Georgie to the ball. Now, he was quite certain that
would be a very bad notion.

“Well, only a little kiss…nothing to make her
quake,” Miles answered with a twinkle.

“Scoundrel! Leave her alone. She is shy and
Star adores her and besides that, we only have four servants and
can’t afford to lose her.”

Miles sighed, “Aye aye, my lord, aye aye.” He
shrugged his shoulder and added, “Besides, that is just a bit of
dallying. You know there isn’t a maid alive that interests me save
your sister.”

 “Gammon. You mean there isn’t a maid
alive who
doesn’t
interest you.” Vern snapped, but softened
the words with a boyish grin. “Who knows why you have this sudden
desire to marry my sister. You have known her all your life and
never before gave a hint of such feelings.”

“Ah, never say you have warned Star off me?”
Miles returned grinning amiably.

 “Certes! Don’t have to. M’sister isn’t
a fool. She has your measure. She knows you are just going through
one of your phases. Today it is her, tomorrow another.”

Vern dodged the pillow Miles flung at his
head and grinned.

“Go to the devil!” Miles shouted in lively
accents. “What Star needs is a man just like me. If Star would look
my way, I swear to you Vern, my playing days would be over. I would
never even look at another pretty again.”

“Damn, but you make me sick when you talk
like that.” Vern shook his head.

“Well, but it is true, I swear it and
besides…I’d settle handsomely on her…which would help
you
…”
Miles suggested hopefully if albeit warily.

Vern sighed heavily. It was true. If Star
could but bring herself to look at Miles as a viable suitor, it
would solve all their problems. However, she had told him that she
thought of Miles as a brother. “Star cares for you…like she does
me, so you have a problem there Miles. The truth is… I would like
nothing better than to have my sister wed to my best friend.” He
shook his head and lay back against his pillows suddenly and a
groan escaped him.

“I say, Vern…what is it? You have gone
deathly white…” Miles went toward him, concern lining his
words.

“Miles, Oh hell. Miles, what a tangle I’ve
gotten myself into.”

“What’s this? Tell me at once,” Miles
returned and pulled up a chair to sit up close to his friend.

* * *

Sir Edward returned to Stamford Manor and
stopped at the stables where he dismounted and handed his horse and
a coin to one of the grooms that hurried to take the reins. Sir
Edward smiled kindly and said, “I shan’t be needing him again
today, so you can just put him in the pasture and let him
graze.”

“Edward!”

Sir Edward turned and found Jules striding
toward him. “You old rogue you! Why didn’t you tell me you were off
for a gallop? I would have accompanied you.”

“Precisely why I didn’t tell you,” Sir Edward
said and grinned broadly.

“Impudent dog,” Jules rallied. “However, I
forgive you. Today I am feeling generous to one and all.”

“Are you?” Edward fell into step beside his
friend as they walked the long drive toward the house. “I wonder
what else I can do that will require forgiveness today?” His voice
was dry and teasing. His brows went up when Jules clapped his hands
and sighed dramatically and against his better judgment he asked,
“Do tell…what has you in the clouds?”

“Tonight is the Sefton Ball.
Star will be
there
and I shall waltz with her. I shall take her into my arms
for the first time, waltz her around the floor and make her fall in
love with me.”

Sir Edward barked a laugh and then shook his
head at his friend’s startled expression. “So sorry to tell you
this, indeed very sorry, since I shall once again find myself
falling out of favor, but the beautiful Miss Berkley will not be
attending the ball tonight.” He witnessed Jules’ jaw drop as his
eyes grew wide with the unspoken question. “Ah, I see you are about
to ask me what I mean,” Sir Edward quickly interjected.

“What
do you mean
?” Jules returned and
watched his friend remove his kid gloves, and then stop to lean
against the post and rail fence that lined the pasture running
along the drive.

“Only that Miss Berkley
will not
be
attending the Sefton Ball,” Edward said and watched his friend’s
absurd expression. He could not help but burst into laughter.

“What?” Jules shrieked.

“Certes, man!” Sir Edward said still
chuckling. “It isn’t the end of the world. There will be other
balls, other chits and other amusements.”

“I don’t give a monkey for other amusements!”
Jules snapped and then flung out his arms. “I only want one,” He
frowned and regarded Edward with a penetrating glance. “And, how do
you know this? I don’t understand. Star and Georgina were supposed
to attend…
I am sure of it.”

“That’s right they were, but the young lord
is ill. Remember? Apparently, he is still not quite up to the
rigors of a ball…and Mrs. Madison is too sickly to attend.”

“Ah, yes…but wait,” Jules interrupted. “How
do you come by this information?”

Edward beamed mockingly at his friend, “Look
at you, like a school boy. How you can tumble from one love into
another is beyond reason.”

“Edward, don’t play fast and loose with me
now. How do you know Star won’t be there tonight?”

“She told me,” Edward answered maddeningly,
his eyes twinkling as he tortured his friend.

“
She told you
?” Jules screeched.
“Damnation man! If you are stealing a march on me, why….it is
beyond anything the blackest thing you have ever done!”

“Oh calm down you and don’t be such a dolt,”
Edward laughed. “’Tis no such thing. I have already told you that
the Berkley chit isn’t even in my style.”

“Then why did you go to see her?” Jules
demanded.

“
I did not
go to see her. As it
happened, I chanced upon her during my ride.” Sir Edward watched
his friend’s flitting expressions with some amusement.

Jules made a wide circle around Edward, his
fingers to his chin as he considered all of this, but he stopped
short and asked hopefully, “What did she say?”

“She said that she and Miss Madison were
unable to attend, since they lacked proper escort.”

“Lacked…proper…” Jules’s eyes suddenly lit
up
. “I have it!”

“Do you?” Sir Edward’s brow rose and his
voice was dry.

“
We
shall escort them!” Jules
announced blissfully.

Sir Edward raised his eyes heavenward. “That
cannot be thought proper, Jules. I don’t think it will serve.”

“Wait and listen…”

* * *

“I cannot believe this.” Miles stared hard at
his friend and with an expression of total disbelief. “I have known
you most of my life. We have been through thick and thin. If things
were so dire…why did you not come to me?”

“Miles, you don’t hold your own purse strings
and won’t till you turn five and twenty. There was nothing you
could do.”

“Yes, but even so, I would have found a way
to help. Vern…what you have done…why…this is outrageous! How could
you—‘tis no more than the action of a common criminal!”

Vern’s hand worked his white-gold hair
frantically. His lips were drawn and though he was a man he
suddenly thought he might give over to tears. “Don’t I know it!” He
shouted instead. “What other solution was there? Miles, the bank
would have taken Berkley Grange. My sister would have been put into
service…
my sister
, Miles…and me, I would have ended in
debtor’s prison or shipped off to Australia!”

“Certes! You should have come to me. I would
have found a way. I am very wealthy Vern and I would have found a
way to get my hands on some of it. Mark me. This is bad, very
bad.”

“What is done is done. Understand this Miles.
I was half out of my mind with worry that night I first met Farley
at the Mermaid. I had been drinking deep—too deep. I didn’t realize
at first what I was getting into. The next morning, I wasn’t even
sure Farley was real.”

“Not sure he was real?” Miles squealed with
disbelief. “Now Vern, that is doing it too brown.”

“No, no, Miles, you don’t understand. I told
you, I was in my cups when I gave him the information…and then
later, when he came back to me for more, well, it was so damned
easy and the blunt…he handed it over and it staved off some of the
creditors.”

Miles considered him for a long moment before
he spoke, “Only one thing to do.”

“What’s that?” Vern was surprised that his
friend had already found a solution.

“Leave the country. I’ll come with you and
Star. I’ll marry her. Settle on her and your debts will be done.
We’ll go to Italy….or some other outlandish place. Never see Farley
again. Then when he has moved off, we’ll come back.”

Vern stared at his friend with great
disbelief and some disgust. “Don’t be absurd! First of all, Star
won’t
marry you. Second of all, we can’t leave the country.
Am I to pack my sister off and run like a common criminal?”

“Well, don’t mean to be indelicate and all
that, but…Vern,
you are
…a common criminal. Not a hunted
one—
yet,
but, you never know. Best to leave the country.
Star will marry me to help you and I don’t mind why she marries me
just so that she does.”