Sally James (14 page)

Well, this had not happened. Adam had inherited all the property, half of the money, and would acquire the rest of it whether he married her or not. Only his strong scruples about keeping promises made him so determined to marry her. It was not her looks which attracted him, rather that they did not unduly repel him.

Having solved that to her satisfaction Kate shivered again. If she were to be left locked in, cold and supperless, she might as well get undressed and into bed.

Exhausted, she fell asleep at once. Kate was fully restored the following morning, apart from a nervous anticipation as to how Adam would treat her. But he seemed oblivious of any undercurrents, and she was soon arguing with him as fiercely as ever, but fruitlessly, against his determination to send her to school.

Her aunt was also not to be persuaded, saying that Mrs Rhydd had invited her to remain in Town for the time being, and she would enjoy the opportunity of renewing her acquaintance with many old friends. Kate was suddenly achingly aware of how much she owed her aunt, who had given up the social life she had led before her brother's death, and also all possible chances of marriage, and pooled her own small income with what her brother had left in order to provide a home for Kate.

It was that thought, more than the threats Adam made to fetch her back from whatever sanctuary she sought, and guard her even more securely if she ran away again, which ultimately made her accept the necessity, for the time being at least, of doing as they wished.

Two days later, therefore, having been rigorously confined to the house and permitted to see no one except the family, Kate allowed Adam to drive her in a chaise to Mrs Johnson's Academy for Young Ladies of Good Family, in the village of Kensington.

It was a large square house set behind a high brick wall. Twenty young ladies of good family aged from twelve to eighteen were pupils. Mrs Johnson, fat and supercilious, made it plain to Kate at the start that she was exceedingly fortunate to have the opportunity of attending the Academy, and even to oblige the Earl of Malvern she would not have accepted her had not one of her older young ladies left unexpectedly to marry, leaving a place vacant.

Kate glared at Adam as this information was imparted to her, but he was talking blandly to Mrs Johnson. Kate, spending hours in her room during the previous two days, had decided that open rebellion would achieve nothing. She was not at all sure what she wanted to achieve, except that she was determined to escape from the power of Adam Rhydd, and if she were to succeed she must win the trust of those she regarded in the light of jailors. So she lowered her eyes and smiled demurely at Mrs Johnson, nodding her head occasionally, and appearing to be fully conscious of the honour done her by her acceptance into this select establishment.

'Farewell, Kate. I look forward to hearing of your progress,' Adam said as he rose to depart and walked across to take her hand in his.

She glanced up at him and frowned at the mocking, sardonic gleam in his eyes, but firmly pressed her lips together. He should not provoke her into an outburst.

The next few days passed quickly as Kate was introduced to the other pupils and the routine of the school. The younger girls had lessons in subjects such as arithmetic, history and the use of the globes, but the older ones concentrated on music, painting, needlework, dancing and deportment, and other accomplishments including house management, which would fit them to become wives of gentlemen. Apart from the music lessons Kate found it intolerably tedious, and the dullness made her even more determined to find a way out.

When the weather permitted they walked in the gardens, and twice a week rode decorously about the country lanes on staid, safe hacks. Kate soon chafed at the tameness of this exercise and began to long for a more exciting steed.

The younger girls slept in a large dormitory, but Kate shared a room on the first floor with another girl a year older than herself, Prudence Grey. Prudence had been friendly and welcoming, remarking that the girl who had left had been unbearably smug, and she would welcome someone different.

Soon the two were fast friends, and Kate had confided her troubles to Prudence, who showed great sympathy and much imagination, exotic rather than realistic, in devising schemes to outwit Adam. But for over a week nothing practical occurred to them, and Kate had to contain her impatience. The one ray of hope she had was a letter which was smuggled in to her by one of the maids, from Darcy.

He wrote how shocked his sister had been at the way in which the Earl of Malvern had stormed into her house and abducted Kate. He went on to say that William had consulted lawyers, but they did not think he could possibly win any action against the Earl. William had no legal rights over Kate, she was being taken back to her aunt, her legal guardian, and the only complaint would be a very doubtful one of the Earl forcing his way into the house.

'But he says that if he can be of any possible help to me he will hold himself at my disposal,' Kate said eagerly to Prudence, who was with her when she read the letter. 'He says the treatment he himself received was cause enough to challenge Adam, but he has decided against it. I am so glad, I hate that barbarous practice of duelling. Oh, Prudence, how noble! He says the reason he does not wish to fight Adam is because he realizes the stresses of a man in love. And though he does not believe Adam is truly in love with me - I should think not, indeed, he is incapable of any tender emotion - he appreciates that a man could lose his head and his wits at the prospect of being deprived of - oh!'

'What is it?  Oh, do go on, Kate.'

'It - it's too embarrassing,' Kate replied slowly, blushing.

'Nonsense!' Prudence said robustly. 'Kate, you are a tease. Are we friends or not? You cannot read so much and then not permit me to know the rest.'

'Well, he exaggerates. Oh, very well. At being deprived of someone so lovely and charming that even the pagan Gods would pine at the loss,' she read out rapidly and without expression.

'Is this Darcy Limmering in love with you?' Prudence demanded eagerly.

'No, of course not! How could he be? We only spent a couple of hours together. It's impossible. He's a poet, and I suppose is used to using extravagant language.'

'Anything is possible,' Prudence declared, a faraway look in her eye. 'Men can fall in love with a girl the moment they meet. I wonder if I will ever meet someone like that?'

Hastily Kate scanned the rest of the letter, skimming hurriedly over a sonnet which Darcy modestly said he had been inspired to write about her beauty, and then gasped.

'He says that he will wait outside the Academy tonight, by the back driveway, in case I can get out to see him. If it isn't possible the maid who brought me the letter will take a reply to him on her next afternoon off.'

Prudence stared at her in awe. 'Will you go?' she asked breathlessly. 'Dare you?'

'Of course I dare!' Kate retorted, her eyes gleaming at the prospect of action after the weary days of doing nothing.

'How?' Prudence asked. 'The gates are all locked at dusk, and now it's November that is early. In fact it will be within an hour.'

'I could slip out now,' Kate mused.

'But you might have to wait ages, he's not likely to come until it's really dark. And how would you get back?'

'How I wish I need never come back!'

'Will Darcy take you away? Would you elope with him?'

Kate paused. That possibility had never crossed her mind. She laughed uncertainly.

'He hasn't asked me,' she temporized. 'And I don't love him, and I won't marry anyone I don’t love. But I must see him. He's my only hope of escape. Prudence, how can I contrive?'

They thought for a while, and then Prudence gave a squeak of excitement.

'The small wicket gate behind the stables. I heard the head groom say that the key had been lost. It was a week or so ago, when we were coming back from our ride, and he was shouting at one of the stable lads about it. It has bolts on the inside, but you could reach them easily.'

'But the key might have been found, or a new one obtained,' Kate objected.

'Yes it might, but I can think of no other possibility, and if it has been found you'll be no worse off than before. You will just have to write to him and contrive a meeting in the daytime, when it would be possible to get out.'

Kate, unable to think of a better plan, eventually agreed.

'How early can I go?' she wondered. 'I daren't be missed at supper.'

'You could plead another headache and come up to bed straight afterwards.'

Kate nodded. The older girls spent the last two hours of the day in the drawing room, taking it in turns entertaining one another by playing the pianoforte or the harp, or singing, while the rest did needlework. On more than one occasion when she had been ready to scream with frustration Kate had made an excuse of feeling unwell in order to escape to her room and the forbidden novels Prudence had somehow obtained. She would be perfectly safe, for she could slip down the back stairs and out through a small side door at the end of a passage which led past a row of storerooms.

Some hours later, wrapped in a dark cloak, she was creeping through the door and then running, helped by the faint glow of the moon, across the lawn and into the shelter of a thick shrubbery.

Here it was dark and she had to feel her way slowly, stumbling occasionally over fallen twigs or unevennesses in the ground. Eventually, however, she reached the small gate, and began to search for the bolts.

The one at the bottom was loose and she drew it back easily, but the top one was stiff, and even for someone of Kate's height, rather high to reach. Fulminating under her breath at being thwarted by such a silly problem, she gave the bolt a vicious tug and it came suddenly free, screeching loudly as it slid back.

She lifted the latch and pulled. The door was not locked, and swung easily on well oiled hinges. Kate stepped outside into the narrow lane which was at the back of the house, and peered about her. A dark shape some yards away made her jump, and then a voice came softly to her.

'Kate? Is that you?'

'Mr Limmering? Darcy!' she exclaimed, relief flooding through her, and took a tentative step forwards.

He moved swiftly towards her and grasped her hands. 'My dear Kate. It's been so long. I've been wondering how I could help you, and this seemed the best way,' he said urgently, squeezing her hands.

She laughed tremulously. 'You are both kind and clever, Darcy. Oh, it's good to feel free, even if only for a short while. You can have no idea what a prison this place is!'

'I am sorry you feel like that about my Academy, Miss Byford,' a cold voice from behind said drily, and both Kate and Darcy swung round in dismay. The shutter of a lantern was pushed back and the glow which suddenly illuminated them made them blink, then Mrs Johnson stepped forward into the light.

'I had been worried about your frequent complaints of headaches, Miss Byford,' she went on when neither of the culprits seemed to wish to speak. 'I came to your room with a particularly effective remedy of my own, and saw you creeping down the back stairs. I followed to see what you were up to. How many times have you crept out so clandestinely? And was it you who contrived to lose the key to this convenient gate? We shall have to take steps to prevent a recurrence. Hicks, give me the lantern and catch the man!'

Before the gardener, Hicks, could follow these instructions, Darcy had moved swiftly.

'I'll find a way, Kate,' he called as he ran, and in a few moments they heard the sound of a horse's hooves galloping away from them.

'And now, Miss Byford, we will return to the house.'

Chapter Twelve

Kate found herself locked for the night into the small room used as an infirmary when any of the pupils were ill. She fumed impotently, raging alternately against the ridiculous restrictions of this appalling Academy, and Adam for causing her to be trapped here. By the end of a largely sleepless night she had determined that in some as yet unknown way she would have her revenge on him.

In the morning a maid, accompanied by Mrs Johnson, brought her a breakfast tray. When Kate renewed the attempts she had made the previous night to explain that she was being constrained against her will, and forced into an abominable marriage, and Darcy merely brought a message from her cousin William who was the only person in the world able to help her, Mrs Johnson curtly bade her be silent.

'Eat your breakfast. I will send for you later,' she announced ominously as she left the room.

Kate sat down again, toyed angrily with the slices of bread meagrely spread with butter, and discovered she was ravenously hungry. When she had eaten her spirits began to rise, and she wondered what would be the outcome of her exploit. Surely Mrs Johnson would not want to keep her. After some consideration Kate began to hope her escapade would cause Mrs Johnson to send her away, to tell Adam she did not wish to have such a girl in her Academy. If news of her exploit spread he might not be able to find another to accept her.

She began to fret at the continued inactivity. What was happening? Was Mrs Johnson considering what to do? Could she even be arranging for her trunks to be packed so that she could be sent straight back to Grosvenor Square? She wrote a letter to Darcy and kept it in her reticule with the hope of being able to persuade a maid to deliver it, but that was all she could do. When she was summoned two hours later it was with eager steps that she accompanied the two maids who had been sent to fetch her to Mrs Johnson's private sanctum.

'Why does she send two of you?' Kate asked. 'Is she afraid I would try to escape?'

The maids, who regarded her adventure with awed admiration, giggled but vouchsafed no explanation.

'She do be in a terrible temper,' one of them muttered at last in her soft country burr, and then clapped her hand over her mouth in dismay. Clearly they had been ordered not to converse with her.

Kate tossed her head, smiled in gleeful anticipation at the thought of her imminent release from this place, and when after a tap on the door she was told to enter, marched into the room with her head held high and her chin thrust determinedly forward.