Netherby Halls (20 page)

“What can you possibly have to discuss with—”

“Come on. We’ll take leave of our hostess.” The
marquis cut him off and patted him encouragingly on the
shoulder.

Sassy and Sophy were standing shoulder to shoulder at
the moment, and after watching these two gentlemen’s departure they
exchanged glances. Much of the party’s lure had lost its
enchantment for Sassy when she’d watched the marquis leave without
even glancing her way. From what she could see, and because she had
already begun to know Sophy’s many moods, her friend’s had
darkened. Sophy, like she, was putting on a brave face for the
crowd.

They each went through the motions, but only just
barely, until the guests left and Sassy retired to the room the
Delleson’s had provided for her overnight stay.

She pulled the covers over her head, but this didn’t
help her banish his face from her mind. His handsome face, his
luscious lips, were right there, and she wished they had not been
interrupted by Percy.

And then she felt a sharp twinge pinch her heart when
she thought of how he had left without even one backward glance for
her.

* * *

The marquis sipped his brandy slowly, eyeing the
tall, darkly clad man who sat before him. “You look uncomfortable,”
the marquis remarked languidly.

The swarthy man removed his tri-cornered hat and
opened his frieze coat before placing it in his lap. “Eh now,
m’lord, shall we get right to the point of it?” His eyes roved
about the elegantly furnished room.

“Just as you wish, but first, Mr. Wheeler, would you
like a glass of brandy?” The marquis, still on his feet, poured a
bit more in his own glass as he spoke.

“Aye, now, a ball of fire be jest the thing,” replied
the dark man, smiling to display missing teeth. He reached out,
eagerly received his glass, and threw it down.

The marquis’s brow went up, and he smiled as he
poured the man another. He moved to take up a chair opposite
Wheeler, enjoying a sip while he watched Wheeler smack his
lips.

“Eh now, this be prime stuff, and I take it that jest
be in your style—all things prime?” The leer in the man’s eyes made
the marquis stiffen in spite of himself.

“Yes, you are correct in that assumption,” the
marquis steeled himself to reply.

“And you be having need of such merchandise in the
very near future?” Wheeler pursued.

“Indeed, but that would depend on the sort of
merchandise you are offering. I prefer the charms of youth,
although inexperience is not what I seek. To be blunt, I should
like a genteel young miss, the emphasis being on young, and not
afflicted with an ungenteel disease.”

“Aye, then she needn’t be virginal? Cos we can supply
you with that too if ye wish it.”

“She needn’t be, but as I said, I don’t wish her to
be too well used.”

“Aye, aye.” Wheeler nodded. “That’s just what I sized
you up for.”

“Sized me up?” The marquis’s brow rose, as did the
corner of his lip when he sneered.

“Aye, ye don’t think I came here cold, do ye? No,
lord bless ye, I haven’t kept out of the Runner’s path by being
such a fool. Not Tom Wheeler! I had my peepers on ye for days now.
Noticed you had an eye for the ladies and what sort interested ye
most.”

“I see,” said the marquis, who had known Wheeler had
been following him about.

“Well now, m’lord, ye don’t like it, I can see, but
needn’t be hipped over it. Fer yer safety I be careful, as well as
m’own.”

“Of course, Mr. Wheeler. Now that we understand one
another, when may I expect the fair charmer?”

“Friday next, m’lord, Friday next.”

“No sooner?”

“Don’t be impatient. She will be worth the wait. I’ll
be bringing her meself, prompt like at seven thirty.”

The marquis got to his feet and moved towards his
parlor door. Mr. Wheeler followed suit, and the marquis led him
down the hallway to the front door of the small house he had leased
for their stay in Bristol. Mr. Wheeler nodded a good night and
walked out silently into the night.

The marquis turned and found Mr. Percival Lutterel
had entered the room from a connecting door and stood in place
looking shocked.

“By God, Justin!” Percy exclaimed.

~
Seventeen ~

SUNDAY MORNING FOUND Sassy smiling a welcome to the
middle-aged maid who arrived with a tray of hot coffee and
biscuits. She helped the older woman light a fire, though the woman
protested that ‘Miss mustn’t bother’, and then sipped at the
delicious brew.

While she was nibbling at the biscuits, the woman
reappeared with a pitcher of hot water, which she poured into the
basin for Sassy. She then bobbed a curtsey and asked if there was
anything else Miss might like.

“Oh, no. You have been too kind already. Thank you.”
Sassy smiled and then went about the business of brushing out her
long hair in front of the vanity mirror. Her thoughts, like her
dreams last evening, had been all about the marquis.

Nothing erotic, and nothing from him, but dreams of
him all the same. She sighed and said to the young woman looking
back at her in the mirror, “You are in trouble—love is not in the
cards for you.”

At the sound of a knock at her door, she turned and
called out, “Come in.”

Sophy’s somewhat haggard smile preceded her as she
stepped woefully inside the room and went to Sassy to take her
hands. “
Sassy
,” she wailed, “I have done something
dreadful.”

Sassy led her to a pair of chairs near the long
window overlooking the back gardens and said, “Calm yourself. I am
certain it can’t be as awful as you think.”

“It is!
M
y life is over
,” cried Sophy,
wringing her hands.

Sophia’s distress appeared genuine, not theatrics.
Sassy squeezed her hand and said soothingly, “Why don’t you tell me
what it is, and we will see what we can do.”

“I have told my dear, my wonderful Percy that
I …” She gulped and then said on a sob, “that I intend to
marry Grey.”

“What?” Sassy exclaimed, dropping her hand and
putting it to her mouth. This was not good, she thought. “But do
you intend to marry Grey?”

“No, of course not. I have in fact told Grey that I
would not marry him. He does not make love properly, Sassy …
he kissed me again last night, and it made me quite sick. But what
was worse, Percy saw him, and although I was quite upset with
Grey—for you must know he kissed me against my will—I could not let
Percy kill him, and he declared that was what he was going to do,
and then what would Mama say? Well, so I threw myself between them,
and Percy pushed me aside. Can you imagine, he even took his glove
out, and I knew … I knew he was going to challenge Grey, so I
said that I had given my hand to Grey!”

“Oh … oh no, Sophy. Well, now what does Grey
think? Does he think you will marry him?”

“Well, how could he when he has not yet applied for
my hand? But when Percy …” She waved her hand about. “Oh
Sassy, he went white, so white and turned on his heel and left, and
when he did, Grey began to mumble, and I told him to go to the
devil—
I did … I did!
I was never so ashamed of myself,
but I told him that and that I would never, ever marry him!”

“I must think,” Sassy said as this all played out in
her mind. Would magic work in this instance? She had been turning
to magic more than she should. Was this one of those times when she
must rely on magic? Repercussions … there were always
repercussions when magic was used too often.

“Percy looked stricken, and then he went off I
suppose to find the marquis, and the two of them left together.”
Sophy wrung her hands. “What shall we do?”

“Ah … so that was it,” Sassy said, as this
explained much.

“All is lost! I am doomed to be without my one true
love.” Sophy got to her feet and began pacing.

“Nothing is lost. It is done, now we shall undo it.
You can explain matters to Percy at church this morning.”

“He won’t listen.”

“Yes, he will. He loves you, Sophy, and he wants you.
He will listen.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, I do. He has had a fitful night, I am sure, and
is calmer now. He will listen,” Sassy said, hoping she was
right.

“We are taking the curricle, you and I. I promised
Mama you are an expert with the reins,” Sophy said and then giggled
in spite of her mood. “Do you drive?
F
or I do
not
—Papa says I am ham-handed and won’t let me near his
driving horses.”

Sassy laughed. “Then it is a good thing, that, yes, I
drive quite well, but why are we going alone?”

“You don’t want to be squooshed in with my sisters in
the family coach, do you? I do not.”

“Quite foresighted of you.” Sassy chuckled.

“Just so,” agreed Sophy, brightening. “Things may
turn out after all! Oh, Sassy, you have turned out to be my one
true friend.”

“Now, just go and put on your prettiest ensemble,”
Sassy said, ignoring this but feeling quite happy about the
friendship herself.

“Yes, yes! He must not be able to resist me!”
declared Miss Delleson, jumping in place and clapping her
hands.

* * *

“Sophia!” Mrs. Delleson snapped in a hushed voice as
she glanced around in the church and frowned. “Do stop casting your
eyes around the room as though Prinny himself were about to enter.
It is most hoydenish of you.” She fretted with the lace cuffs of
her velvet spencer. “I do wonder where Lord Grey is this
morning?”

“He does not like church, Mama. In fact, he advises
me that he rarely attends, unless he must,” lied Sophy
expertly.

“Really?” Mrs. Delleson said, sounding surprised.
“Well—that is something I cannot approve of. But no doubt he shall
change such thinking when he has a good wife to guide him.”

Sassy adjusted the pale yellow silk scarf around the
collar of her blue redingote and avoided Sophia’s eyes. However,
this seemed impossible, and when their glances did in fact meet,
both girls nearly gave over and laughed. They checked this and sat
perfectly ladylike on the hard wooden pew, though Sassy felt a
gurgle lodge in her throat.

Sophy was looking around though, and it was obvious
to Sassy that Mr. Lutterel and the marquis were not attending
church this morning. It was most depressing and did not bode well.
Apparently Mr. Lutterel had still not forgiven Sophia’s
betrayal.

“Oh, dear, Sassy,” Sophy cried after the doors
closed, “
he is not coming
.”

“Hush, love. Your mama will hear you,” Sassy
warned.

“He will leave Bristol, and he will never look at me
again.” Sophy seemed to be already working herself into a state;
the thought that the marquis would leave with Mr. Lutterel swept
through Sassy and made her own heart ache.

When Mrs. Delleson’s attention was diverted by her
younger daughters, Sophy leaned into Sassy and said, “We must think
of a plan.”

The minister began his sermon, casting Sophia a
disapproving eye as he noted she was busy whispering to her
companion instead of listening to him.

“Hush, Sophy—you are drawing attention to yourself.”
Sassy eyed her friend meaningfully.

Unhappily, Miss Delleson obeyed, but as the sermon
dragged on, she began fidgeting in her seat, much like a child.
When at last the sermon was over and people began filing out of the
church, Sophy turned to her mother and announced enthusiastically,
“Mama, I have just had the most marvelous notion. Instead of
returning Miss Winthrop to Delleson and then having Dibbs drive her
home, why don’t I just drive her to Netherby now? As it happens,
Dibbs put Sassy’s portmanteau in the boot, I suppose thinking we
would be taking her directly back to Netherby, so we are quite
set.”

“Sophia, you are perfectly aware that your father
does not allow you to drive his horses.”

“Sassy will drive us there, and Lord Grey, who has
business at the school this morning, can drive me home. He always
has a driver, and he can send the driver on ahead to Delleson. What
fun, don’t you think?”

“With Lord Grey?” Mrs. Delleson smiled brightly.
“Yes, yes, that is a very good notion, my dear.”

Excitedly Sophia took the lead, allowing Sassy barely
a moment in which to thank Mrs. Delleson for her gracious
hospitality.

They took up seats, and Sassy sighed heavily. She did
not like openly deceiving Sophia’s mama. “Sophia, that was a wicked
lie, and I don’t like being a party to such things.”

“Oh pooh.” Sophy pouted. “You had naught to do with
it. Don’t be a prude, Sassy—she will never know the whole. Oh, do
not look at me like that. Things have gone awry, and I must make a
push to save the day, must I not?”

“That depends. Just what are you planning?”

“I am persuaded that your parents would never have
put your happiness aside simply because they wished you to be rich,
would they?”

“No, no. They would not …” Sassy said with a
frown, trying to follow Sophy’s reasoning.

“And to be fair, Papa has told me not to let Mama
bully me into a marriage I might not like. He thinks the world of
Percy, you see. So Papa is on my side.”

“What are you planning, Sophia Delleson?” Sassy felt
a trickle of concern.

“This is my mother’s fault. If she had just allowed
Percy to court me openly, none of this would have happened. He is
not a man without means after all, and he travels in the first
circles.”

“I do agree. I do not understand the objection,”
Sassy said, frowning again.

“I knew you would understand,” Sophy declared
joyously.

It was at this moment that Sassy slowed the horses
and said, “Sophy … the direction you gave me can not be
correct. This is not a shortcut to Netherby.”

“You are quite correct. This takes us to
Bristol.”