Lord Deverill's Secret (7 page)

“I see you have been bathing,” he said. “It is very intrepid of you.”

“There’s nothing nicer on a fine day,” said Cassandra.

“Are you returning home?”

“Yes.”

“Then allow me to escort you.”

He offered her his arm. She hesitated, remembering the strange frisson that had assailed her when she had taken his arm at the ball, but then, not wishing to appear particular, she put her hand lightly on his arm. Again, she felt a shiver of awareness wash over her.

He appeared not to notice it. He offered Maria his other arm, but she claimed she wanted to speak to Moll and fell behind them.

“Do you swim?” Cassandra asked him.

“Yes, I do. It’s one of the things I enjoy most about living in Brighton.”

“Have you always lived here?”

“No. I grew up on a country estate, but my father had to sell it when I was at Oxford. Since leaving, I have lived here.”

Cassandra found her thoughts wandering back to their previous conversation.

“When I spoke to you at the assembly rooms, you said you had promised Rupert you would help me if I ever needed it. I knew that you and he were friends because I had overheard him talking about you, but I did not know you were on such intimate terms. Did you know each other well?”

“Well enough,” he said non-committally.

“I’m surprised he did not tell me all about you. He was always dazzled by titles.”

“Whereas you are not,” he said, turning to look at her.

“I like them well enough. But they are like the ribbon on a gown. A fine ribbon will improve even the most beautiful dress, but it will not disguise a poor fit or shoddy stitching.”

He laughed. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been compared to a gown!” He glanced at her. “I hope I am not shoddily made?”

“Not at all. You are—” She had been going to say, You are very well made, but stopped herself just in time, saying instead, “a very good man, I am sure. You must be, if you promised to help the sisters of an acquaintance. Even so, I’m surprised Rupert asked you. I would have expected him to ask Mr. Raistrick, perhaps, or Mr. Goddard.”

“I was the only person with him when he died,” he said. “He had no one else to ask.”

Her mood sobered. “I wish Rupert had not been so wild. If he had not gone riding at night, he would still be alive today.”

They crossed the road, threading their way through carts and carriages, and arrived safely at the other side.

“Why were you with Rupert that night?” asked Cassandra.

“I often go out riding on the Downs. Do you mean to ride now you are in Brighton?” he asked, changing the subject.

“No. Ever since Rupert’s accident, I just don’t want to ride any more.”

“You should have climbed on a horse straight away,” he said.

“I did. I made sure Lizzie did, too. She had always loved riding, but she did not want to go once Rupert had fallen. So I encouraged her, and she overcame her fear.”

“But you did not overcome yours?”

“I overcame the fear, but the joy of riding did not come back.”

“Perhaps, in time, it will.”

“Perhaps.”

They reached the door.

“Thank you. It was very kind of you to escort us.”

“Not at all.”

He bowed over her hand and kissed it. She felt a strange sensation, a hot tingle, and her eyes were drawn to his. She saw a flash of something unrecognizable but strangely compelling there, and then it was gone.

Maria and Moll joined them.

“You must come to my soirée,” said Maria as Lord Deverill made her a bow. “I am holding it next week.”

Cassandra expected him to make a polite excuse, but instead he said, “I’d be delighted.”

Maria glowed. Cassandra found that she was glad yet unsettled at the same time. He made his farewells and then walked away.

“You seem to have found a guardian angel, Cassie,” said Maria.

“Nonsense,” said Cassandra. “Lord Deverill just happened to be passing when we left the beach.”

“Perhaps,” said Maria.

They went inside.

It had been agreed that Maria would stay with Cassandra for the rest of the day. Harry was engaged in business and would collect Maria on his way home after dinner.

“A hot bath, now,” said Moll as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Cassandra and Maria followed her. If she had been able to afford a houseful of servants, Cassandra would have liked nothing better than to bathe in her dressing-room, but as it was, she did not want Moll to have to carry heavy cans of hot water upstairs.

As she helped Moll pull the hip bath out into the middle of the kitchen floor, she thought over what Maria had said. Was Lord Deverill her guardian angel? Was he watching over her? Perhaps he felt he owed it to her brother.

She and Maria took it in turns to bathe, then went to sit outside. The sun was still shining, and the small area behind the house was not overlooked. It was in a quiet alley, unfrequented by fashionable people and rarely traversed by servants. She and Maria arranged their hair across their shoulders and settled down for a comfortable gossip.

“I was thinking,” said Cassandra, “that I would like to go to the races.”

“Oh, what a good idea,” said Maria. “I think you’ll find Mr. Kingsley will be there, too.” She saw Cassandra’s face. “Don’t look at me like that, Cassie. I saw you dancing with him last night and he looked very taken with you. He’s not as good a catch as Lord Armington, of course, but it does no harm to have more than one suitor. He’s very wealthy, and he really is rather a dear.”

“He danced with me. He didn’t offer me marriage,” Cassandra said.

“Oh, Cassie, I do wish you’d make more of your chances. If you married, you could keep the town house and you could holiday here every summer. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Cassandra hesitated. Her visit to Brighton had been full of surprising incidents: her meeting with Mr. Elwin, her encounters with Lord Deverill and her ducking in the water. It wasn’t quite the restful place she remembered.

“Of course you would,” said Maria, answering the question for her.

Moll brought them both a cup of tea, “To stop you catching your deaths,” she said, and they drank the refreshing brew.

“I invited Mr. Kingsley to my soirée,” Maria continued, “but he had another engagement.” She put her cup down in her saucer. “Never mind, Lord Armington has accepted. And what a lucky chance it was that I could also invite Lord Deverill.”

“Lord Deverill needs to marry an heiress,” Cassandra reminded her, putting her cup down.

“That is so, but it will do Lord Armington no harm to have a rival.”

“It’s very kind of you, Maria, and I do appreciate everything you are trying to do for me,” said Cassandra, turning to face her, “but I wish you would not encourage me to see every man as a husband.”

“Not every man,” said Maria. “Just the eligible ones.”

Cassandra laughed and shook her head.

“Don’t set your mind against it too soon,” said Maria, unperturbed. “When you come to know one of the gentlemen better, then you might change your mind.”

Justin returned home.

“There is a person to see you, my lord,” said Manby, as he entered the house.

“A person?” said Justin, turning to look at his butler.

“Yes, my lord,” said Manby. “I have put him in the library.”

Justin went through into the library, where a roughly dressed man was waiting for him.

“So you got my message,” said Justin.

“Yes, m’lord. There’s something you want doing?”

“There is. I want someone watching. A Miss Paxton.” He gave the man her address, then took something out of his pocket. It was a small gold locket. He flicked it open. “This is what she looks like.”

The man glanced at the locket and examined the portrait inside.

“Very good, m’lord.”

“I want to know if anyone is following her, and I want to know that she is safe. You will be working with Peggy Black as usual. It will be up to the two of you to watch over her.”

“Yes, m’lord.”

The man bowed himself out of the room.

Justin stood alone, thinking for a few minutes. As he did so, his eyes strayed to Cassandra’s portrait and he looked at it for the thousandth time. The artist had caught her clear blue eyes and had added the tiny flecks of gold that made them so unusual, and he had caught her hair, making it soft and golden. He had painted her skin so well that as Justin stroked his finger over it he could almost feel the soft touch of it.

He remembered the first time he had seen the portrait. The locket had burst open when Rupert Paxton had thrown it down on to a gaming table to cover a bet. Rupert had had four kings. Justin had had four aces. He had won the locket fair and square. Even so, he had not meant to keep it. For a day or two, yes, to teach Rupert a lesson, but then he had meant to return it: he was not in the habit of keeping personal possessions won from young fools at the gambling tables. But somehow he had not been able to part with it.

CHAPTER FIVE

Despite her misgivings about Maria’s tendency to matchmake, Cassandra found herself looking forward to the soirée. It would be one of her last few chances to enjoy herself and she meant to make the most of it. She also had to admit to herself that she was looking forward to seeing Lord Deverill.

She looked through her gowns, trying to decide which one would be the most appropriate for the evening. The white muslin she had already worn, which left the blue spotted muslin or the jonquil satin. Knowing how much Maria disliked the jonquil, she decided on the blue spot. It was a little short, but it was otherwise unexceptionable. Its short, puffed sleeves were edged with lace, and there was a matching row of lace decorating the high waistline. With a scoop neckline and a long, narrow skirt, it was fashionable enough, and with her blue satin shoes it would make a passable outfit.

She slipped her chemise over her head then put on her drawers and corset, standing still whilst Moll laced it up. Then she put up her arms as Moll slipped the gown over her head, and dropped them as Moll fastened the buttons at the back. She sat in front of the dressing table so that Moll could thread a blue ribbon through her golden chignon, and then pulled on her gloves.

“You’re ready early,” said Moll, as Cassandra glanced at the clock.

“Maria asked me to arrive in good time. Her house keeper hasn’t been well, and I promised I would help with any last minute arrangements.”

Moll nodded approvingly.

Cassandra picked up her fan and went downstairs, to find John waiting in the hall. He was a stocky man in late middle age, and had been with the family for as long as Cassandra could remember. He had put her on her first horse, and had refused to leave her when her parents died. “You need a man about the house,” he’d said, when Rupert had left for Brighton, and he had stayed.

“Has the coach been properly mended?” she asked him, as the two of them went outside.

“Yes, miss They’ve done a good job of it. That wheel won’t come off again in a hurry.”

“Good.”

John opened the door and let down the step, and Cassandra climbed inside. The coach was a ponderous equippage, not like Maria’s smart new carriage, but it was serviceable, and they were soon on their way.

Maria’s house was in one of the less fashionable parts of town, but it was very smart inside. A narrow hall with a straight staircase led upstairs, and Cassandra was taken up by a liveried footman. Once upstairs the rooms were of a good size, and were elegantly proportioned. Gold paper covered the walls in the drawing-room, an oriental rug covered the polished floorboards, and lacquered furniture completed the oriental theme.

“It’s the Prince who revived the craze for chinoiserie,” said Maria, as she greeted Cassandra. “Harry loves it, so we have installed it throughout the house.”

“I like it,” said Cassandra approvingly. “It’s very different from the gilded furniture you had the last time I was here. And the conservatory is lovely,” she said, looking through the door and noticing the new addition to the house, which had been built over the kitchen.

“Isn’t it? You must let me show it to you.”

Maria led the way proudly into the conservatory, her silk gown rustling as she walked. Her gown was a wonderful creation in a shade of deep rose, and it was decorated with artificial flowers and foliage. Over it, she wore a shawl embroidered with silver, and to complement it, she wore a few simple flowers tucked into her hair.

“I suppose I ought to wear a turban,” she remarked, as Cassandra said how well she looked, “but I can never quite get used to them. Besides, Harry doesn’t like them. He says they make me look old.”

“Where is Harry?” asked Cassandra.

“He is seeing to the wine. He is terrified Hingis will serve his best claret and is overseeing him as he brings the bottles up from the cellar.”

They passed into the conservatory. Although small, it had a selection of exotic plants and a few choice pieces of furniture, tastefully arranged.

“I must remember to replace the candles,” said Maria, glancing at the wax candles which had burnt down to stubs. “I have so many things to remember! It’s such a relief that you’ve come early. I’ve had to spend the afternoon organizing the servants, and even so, some things have been left undone.”

“What do you need me to do?” asked Cassandra, after exclaiming over the conservatory.

“If you could see to the candles—no, wait, the cards need putting out first. I’ve set up a card room for the gentlemen,” she explained. “Can you set out new packs of cards for me?”

“Of course,” said Cassandra.

“Good. Then I can make sure that Cook is almost ready.”

Cassandra went into the card-room as Maria departed to speak to her cook. The card-room had been set up in a small ante-room opening off the drawing-room, and four card-tables had been set up in its centre. A candelabra on each ensured good light, but as yet the cards had not been put out. Cassandra looked round. There was no sign of them. She went over to a beaureau at the side of the room and, opening a drawer, found what she was looking for. She set out the crisp new cards, one pack on each table. Then she went through into the drawing-room again. One of the footmen was there. Instructing him to replace the candles in the conservatory, she then set about organizing two further footmen as they arranged the room ready for the concert. A small dais had already been erected at one end, and Cassandra made sure the chairs were placed in rows in front of it. She arranged the music stand and then stood back to view the effect.