The Aim of a Lady (7 page)

“I had hoped we might have a ride together today,” he suggested as he awkwardly attempted to take snuff in an imitation of George’s elegant manner.

“Perhaps later, Walter. I should prefer that you offer Lord Alma a game of billiards after a bit, and later you might like to ride his horse, Crusader. He allowed me to do so yesterday, but hesitantly, and he was quite right. I have never ridden a more powerful animal. I told him you would not be overconfident were you to try him.”

“You intrigue me,” Walter admitted as he sneezed. “I have never known you to have the least problem with a well-mannered horse.”

“Oh, Crusader is perfectly trained, and his speed is exhilarating. I am sure you would enjoy your ride.”

When Allison and Alma joined them, Walter obligingly suggested a game of billiards. Alma cast a questioning glance at Diana, who said, “Yes, you two go along. Allison and I have some things to discuss.”

After they had left the room Allison chuckled. “I found it disconcerting to stand the whole time we were talking. It’s a pity he cannot sit.”

“Yes, Mrs. Lewis feels it, too, but it will not be for so very long.”

“Do you think he will go to London when he is recovered?” Allison asked hopefully.

“Yes, he and George had been planning to go there after a short stay here and I have no doubt that he will leave the moment he can sit comfortably in a carriage for a few hours. You will probably see both him and George in London while you’re there. Now tell me how your plans progress."

While the young women discussed the only topic which engrossed Allison’s interest of late, the two men found their skills at billiards well-matched and enjoyed several games. They carried on a desultory conversation during which Walter decided that Lord Alma was not such a bad fellow after all, and Alma decided that Walter was better than the usual country gentleman. Alma could give Walter five years, and he was not intent on developing their acquaintance into a friendship, but the younger man proved a better companion than he had expected. It made Alma all the more puzzled that Walter was obviously in love with Miss Savile, but there was no accounting for taste.

When the men rejoined them Diana announced that she had ordered an alfresco luncheon in the gardens. Walter obligingly stood with Alma during this repast while Diana and Allison seated themselves on the old stone benches and continued their discussion. Alma was surprised to learn that Allison, too, tried her hand at archery.

“It is one of our country sports for women hereabouts,” Diana explained as they headed toward the archery range. “Walter, will you see that Rogue is locked up?”

Her suitor willingly attended to the small commission before joining the others. He and Diana formed a team against Allison and Alma, and since neither of the latter could compare with the former, they won handily. This did not seem to distress either of the losers; in fact Alma was encouraged by his progress.

Diana took Alma aside for a moment as the equipment was being returned to the shed and asked, “Will you mind if Walter rides Crusader? I have suggested it to him, and I am sure you need have no fear of the horse coming to any grief.”

“I bow to your judgment of his abilities, Miss Savile,” he replied politely. “Will you all be riding now?”

Her eyes laughed at the forlorn note in his voice but she assured him that she would stay with him if he so desired. “I had thought you might wish a break, though, for your face is beginning to look pinched again.”

He stiffened at this mention of his weakness and his stormy eyes glared at her as he replied, “I have not the slightest need for a rest, Miss Savile.”

“Then you will wish for me to stay with you while Allison and Walter ride,” she replied with mock disappointment.

“No, I will not. I am perfectly capable of entertaining myself for an hour.”

“Excellent,” she said cheerfully. “We shall have tea when we return.”

Alma watched irritably as the other three mounted and rode out of the stable yard. Walter proved to be as capable as Miss Savile had predicted; there was no overconfidence in his handling of the powerful Crusader, but a healthy respect for the strength of the mount. When the three were out of sight Alma returned to his room and flung himself on his bed, exhausted.

While riding, Diana had the beginnings of an idea for keeping Lord Alma occupied during his stay. It was evident that the enforced disassociation from horses while he recuperated was the largest of his burdens. She had been appalled to see him mount the wild black that morning and wished for no further recurrence of such folly. Obviously he had not wished to pass up the perfect moment to mount the horse, but he had not aided the progress of his recovery by doing so.

When the three returned from their ride Diana took some time to speak with Jenkins, who was astonished by her idea but grudgingly admitted that it could probably be carried out. She instructed him to do so and inform her when he was finished. Although Alma joined her and the Dodges and Mrs. Lewis for tea somewhat refreshed by the nap he had inadvertently succumbed to, he disappeared again after the Dodges left, not to be seen for the rest of the day.

Chapter Seven

Diana took the precaution the next day of sending a message to Frank Edwards, Sir Lowell’s son, inviting him to spend the afternoon at the Park if he was free. Frank was the best fencer in the area. It did not particularly please her to have to invite him because he was another of her local suitors and he was aggressively persistent in his importunings. Walter considered him negligible as a rival for Diana’s hand—a frippery fellow carousing about the countryside when he was not living high in London. There was none of the solid, hard-working virtue Walter himself had to bring to Miss Savile. Frank led a life of pleasure, always dressed to the nines and ready for a lark. It must be admitted, of course, that he was exceedingly handsome, perhaps even intriguing, with his brooding air which gave place to laughing animation at the drop of a hat. Walter thought him loose in the haft; Diana found him annoying.

Mrs. Lewis shared a companionable breakfast with Diana after which she adjourned to the small parlor to work on her embroidery. The old woman considered it strange that Diana’s guest kept so much to his room and she took to forgetting his presence at the Park at all, except when she remembered that he was her reason for being there. Diana sat with her for a while before sending a message to Alma that she planned to walk to the deer park if he would like to accompany her.

Now this was an invitation Alma could easily refuse, but it arrived when he was intolerably bored. He had spent the previous evening playing piquet with his valet and then reading a book he had sought from the library. When he had been in the library he had heard the sound of the harpsichord and Miss Savile’s voice in song in the next room. Although he was tempted to join Mrs. Lewis and her there, he was determined that he would not be cajoled out of his black humor. He could have been in London at that very moment enjoying himself!

His hand crept to his right buttock, which he had caused to bleed again that morning by his foolish action of riding the black horse. It exacerbated his temper rather than soothed it that Miss Savile had made no comment on his rashness. He chose a book at random and returned to his room to find that if he wished to read he might learn of the native plants of Cambridgeshire.

So Alma joined Diana for her walk to the deer park. He was resolved to appear pleasant this morning, ashamed of his churlishness. When the opportunity presented itself, he pointed out the plants he had read of the night before, being possessed of a wonderful memory for drawings. After he had identified several obscure plants correctly Diana turned to him in amazement.

“I had no idea you were so well-informed on our native oddities, Lord Alma."

Alma cursed himself for being a blatherskite. With a slight flush he remarked, “I happened to pick up a book in the library by mistake.”

“Heavy going, I should imagine,” she retorted with a grin. “I wonder that you bothered.”

“I was bored,” he said without thinking.

“I have invited Frank Edwards to visit this afternoon. He is the finest fencer in the area, besides George, and I had hoped you might enjoy having a bit of sport.”

He turned to her guiltily. “I have not been a pleasant guest, Miss Savile, and I hope you will forgive me. I cannot understand why such a little inconvenience should so discompose me. I am used to being very active, you know, but I would not have you rack your brains for ways to amuse me.”

“It is a challenge.” She laughed as she gathered some brilliantly yellow daffodils into the basket she carried. Her eyes were impish as she told him mysteriously, “I think I shall have a surprise ready for you tomorrow.”

He regarded her dubiously. “What is it?”

“You shall have to wait and see. I am not altogether sure it will work out,” she mused. In an effort to turn the conversation she treated him to some escapades of George’s youth which soon had him laughing. They returned to the Park in charity with one another, but he did not join her for luncheon.

When Frank Edwards arrived Mrs. Lewis and Diana had settled in the small parlor. He bore with him the equipment he needed for fencing, since Diana had requested him to do so, but he was more intent on flattering her than on participating in the sport with Alma, who joined them shortly.

Mrs. Lewis regarded Edwards benignly, as did all of the old women of the neighborhood, since he adopted an exaggerated gallantry which was pleasing to them. Alma took an immediate dislike to him.

“I have had George’s equipment set out for you, Lord Alma. I thought you might use the Long Gallery.” Diana made no move to accompany them when they turned to depart.

“You don’t come with us, Diana?” Frank asked quizzingly.

“I am sure you will do very well without me.”

“Not I,” he declared fervently, his eyes sparkling. “Come with us, do. I dare swear you do not often have the chance to watch someone fence, and I know you are interested.”

Alma was puzzled that his hostess had chosen not to accompany them and added his invitation to observe. When Diana turned to Mrs. Lewis and asked if she would like to see a fencing match, the old woman’s face lit with enthusiasm and eventually all four headed for the Long Gallery.

Frank was an excellent fencer and conceived of this as an opportunity to exhibit one of his skills to Diana. The object of this exercise, however, was more interested in the general interaction between the two, explaining their advances, retreats, thrusts, and parries to Mrs. Lewis, who murmured admiringly the while.

“You see, Frank is beating in fourth, and feinting with a straight thrust, while Lord Alma parries with the fourth and Frank deceives and lunges. Well done.”

Mrs. Lewis had not the faintest idea what all these terms meant, but she was entranced by the spectacle all the same and urged Diana to keep up her commentary. Alma frequently allowed Frank to take the initiative but his defensive tactics were brilliant and Diana longed to fence with him, though she refused to suggest it again herself. If he wished to fence with her, an amateur, he would have to propose it himself. Perhaps he would become bored enough for even that.

The familiar pinched look began to appear on Alma’s face after a lengthy exhibition and Diana feared he would not admit his fatigue. She watched for another ten minutes, becoming impatient with Frank for not realizing that his opponent was spent. Unobserved she rang and when a footman arrived in answer to the summons, she sent him off directly to have tea served in the main parlor and announced to the two that their bout must be concluded. Frank appeared reluctant to relinquish his sport, since he felt that he had showed to excellent advantage. Alma gladly lowered his foil and removed his mask; he refused to acknowledge his pain and exhaustion, but he had seldom greeted the announcement of tea with such alacrity.

Mrs. Lewis fluttered over the teapot with enthusiastic comments on the fencing skills of the young men. Frank was as susceptible to flattery as he was handy at delivering it, and repaid her enthusiasm by devoting some minutes in conversation with her. Alma took the opportunity to tell Diana that he would be retiring to his room to take care of some correspondence. “And I wish you will not allow that young man to ride Crusader,” he muttered darkly.

“No," she replied thoughtfully, “I think you are right. I fear he would do some mischief.”

Although Diana did not really want to be alone with Frank, she felt it was inevitable. He had entertained her friend for her and she owed him the drive he soon requested. His ornate phaeton was at the stables and she wrapped a shawl about her to accompany him there.

“I dare say you noticed how much better a fencer I am than your guest, Diana,” he remarked as they settled :themselves in the carriage.

“What I noticed, Frank, was that you did not call a halt to the bout when you could see that Lord Alma was flagging,” she replied with asperity.

“And why should I?” he asked indignantly. “I wore him down."

“I believe I mentioned in my note that he had recently suffered an injury. You might have realized that he has not as yet recovered his strength.”

“You refine too much on it, Diana,” he said crossly. “Come now, it’s a beautiful day. Let us forget all that and enjoy our drive.”

They tooled along the lanes around the neighborhood while Frank disclosed to Diana his latest accomplishments in amateur dramatics, boxing, driving four-in-hand, gambling, and women. This last was only an inducement to her to understand how desirable he really was and what a bargain she would be passing up if she refused his renewed addresses to her. As they approached the Park again, but were still out of sight of the stables, he stopped his pair and turned to her.

“Do say you will marry me, Diana. You cannot be interested in that clodhopper Dodge. What a dull life you would lead with him! Marry me and you will see some excitement.” He attempted to kiss her but she pushed him away. Chagrined he said, “Do not be so prudish, Diana. If you would let me kiss you, you would understand how it could be with us.” Convinced that this was true, he grasped her wrists and pinned them behind her so that he was able to bestow on her a passionate kiss. She bit him.