The Portrait (4 page)

"I don't think you know what your feelings are at this precise moment," he replied, noting the indignant tilt of her chin
and the militant look in her eye. "If you would but be guided
by me, I'm sure you will see the right of it and will be relieved
to be rid of me"

"I am beginning to think that I shall," she said, coming
abruptly to her feet and nearly upsetting the tea tray in the
process. "I'm excessively grateful to you for pointing it out to
me. You have saved me the need to deliberate further on the
matter."

He, too, came to his feet and bridged the distance between
them to take her hand in his. "You may not think it now, but
you will come to be grateful to me for making the decision,"
he said earnestly. "Let not your sentiments at this moment
cloud your judgment. You see me as a case for pity, and that is not what I would wish. I will not allow you to take me when
such emotions rule."

"You are quite right, sir," she snapped, withdrawing her
hand from his warm clasp. "I would not wish you to think that
I take you out of sympathy; therefore, I see the sense of it."
She did not understand why his words piqued her so. Had it
not been her own intent to end the betrothal?

An unfathomable look came into his eyes. "I hope we may
still meet as friends."

"As friends? I see no reason why we should not," she
replied coolly, deciding her reaction was that of resentment
because it had been he who had uttered the words that ended
the betrothal and not she.

Relieved, he smiled. "Then we are in agreement?"

"Most certainly. You have taken a burden from my mind. I,
too, had wondered at the sense of continuing with the engagement and had reached the same decision as you. Now we are
both free to continue with our lives unhindered."

"Have you felt the betrothal a hindrance?" he asked with
some concern.

She colored with confusion. "Yes ... no ... I don't know
what I have felt. We had become as strangers, and you were so
far away... " Her voice faltered, and she refused to meet his
gaze.

"Then the decision to end it is the right one, and you may
recommence your life without its burden. Now that the matter
is settled, we can be easy in each other's company. Won't you
be seated and take some tea with me? Talk to me for a while.
I am in dire need of civilized conversation."

When the time came for Jennifer to leave Fly, Edward
escorted his former betrothed and her companion to their
chaise. Watching from the shallow steps that led to the gravel
drive, he raised his hand in farewell as the equipage rolled down
the long driveway, waiting until it disappeared from view before turning back to the hall.

Repairing immediately to his apartment, he went straight to the dresser and pulled wide the drawer. Without taking it from
its resting place, he opened up the handkerchief and looked
once more at the delicate face in the portrait.

"The deed is done, my love. The deed is done," he said quietly, and, once more folding the cloth, he gently closed the
drawer.

When the earl had retired to his bedchamber and Croft was
closing Fly for the night, he became aware of a commotion on
the driveway outside the front door. Drawing back the bolts, he
stepped out into the frosty night air to see who would be arriving at such an unearthly hour. To his great surprise, the Honorable Peregrine Thurston was in the process of alighting from a
hired coach. He was a young man of medium height, as fair as
the earl was dark, yet still bearing a striking resemblance to his
older brother. Following closely on his heels was another young
man of about the same age and a large brown mastiff-like dog
that lollopped up the steps and stood grinning at the retainer.

"What's all this, Master Perry?" demanded Croft, coming
forward to greet the youngest member of the family. "Why
aren't you at Oxford? We weren't expecting you for at least
another week. Who is this you bring with you?"

Perry grinned good-naturedly. "Oh, take a powder, Croft.
I-we've-been rusticated for the remainder of the term, so
where else would we go but here?"

" `Rusticated'?" repeated Croft, shaking his head and leading the way into the brightly-lit hall. "The master will not like
that. He will not like that at all. Has he not enough to contend
with, what with his injuries and such, without you finding it
necessary to get yourself rusticated?"

Perry grinned. "Oh, Ned won't mind. He's a great gun and
understands these things. He'll see how it was when I explain
to him. He'll read me no lecture."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Croft, closing the large
door and driving home the bolts in the aged wood. "It's not
right that you should be causing him more trouble at a time
like this."

"Is he very bad?" asked Perry, suddenly serious. "How is
he, Croft? Is he in a great deal of pain? I can't bear it if he is."

"Whatever pain he's in, he bears very well. You will not hear
him complain, and I do believe he is much improved from
when he first arrived. He tires easily though, so you must not
be wearing him out with your pranks."

"Told you he was made of stern stuff, Freddie," affirmed
Perry, turning to his companion, a deceptively cherubic-looking
young man of about his own height whose dark locks were in
permanent wild disarray. "Go with Croft to the kitchen. I'm
sure Rose will find you something. You will see that he's fed,
won't you, Croft? We have had nothing to eat since breakfast,
and then it was only the merest morsel. Had no money to buy
food on the road, once the chaise had been paid for."

"Aye, I'll see he's fed, but you are not to go bothering the
master at this time of night. He needs his rest. Leave it till
morning."

"That I will not," replied Peregrine, starting toward the
stairs, the large dog hard on his heels. "I will see him tonight,
or I'll have no peace"

"You're not to take that great brute up to the master's
room," remonstrated Croft. "He's in need of peace and quiet.
Leave the dog here"

"Don't be such an old hen-worrier, Croft" Perry grinned.
"Ned won't mind my waking him in the least, and I am sure
he will be delighted to see Caesar. He's always been a good
judge of dogs, and he will recognize the nobleness of his nature"

"Nobleness? Nobleness? When he stands drooling over his
lordship's carpet? He's nothing but a big, dirty brute and will
be seen for what he is. Your brother will soon send you away
with a flea in your ear. You mark my words."

Taking no heed whatsoever of the retainer's words, Perry
turned from the hall and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a
time. Turning midway, he called Caesar to follow in his wake,
and the large dog lumbered playfully after him, his large jowls
emitting copious amounts of drool as he went.

Croft turned away, shaking his head as he went. For more
than fifty years he'd served this noble family, and he had long
since given up any hope of understanding the vagaries of
youth. Now, Master Ned, he had been a different kettle of fish,
he thought. Even so, there had still been times when the old
earl was obliged to read him a lecture and point out the error
of his ways. Always very understanding, though, was Master
Edward; he never held a grudge against his father. Then
Croft's grizzled countenance was transformed as, much to the
surprise of the young gentleman he was now leading toward
the kitchen, he let out a dry chuckle as he continued to silently
reminisce. There was that time when Master Edward was
caught snatching apples in the orchard, and his sister, Miss
Flora, took away the ladder. Such a noise he set up, shouting
to be let down and threatening all manner of things he would
do to the little miss. Almost two hours he was stuck up that
tree until she relented and let him down. The old earl, not
pleased, had thrashed Master Edward and banished the little
miss to her room.

Alone candle set on the bedside table softly illuminated
the earl's bedchamber, leaving the corners of the room deep
in shadow.

"Rusticated?" expostulated Sinclair, raising himself on his
pillows. He had not been asleep, merely dozing, but at the sound
of his bedchamber door being so rudely opened had come
fully awake to find his young brother standing at the foot of
his bed.

"Only until next term," Perry hopefully assured him.

"And may I ask, in my ignorance, why, for no matter what
length of time, you've been rusticated?"

"Well, you see, it was because of Caesar...

"And what, precisely, had the great Caesar to do with the
matter?"

"Oh, not the great Caesar, Ned, just this one" Perry grinned
engagingly as the huge dog raised himself up from the floor
and laid his massive head on the bed, his doleful eyes examining its occupant.

The earl returned the stare, a slight twitching of his lips threatening to betray his amusement, but he fought to keep the
severity of his tone as he turned his regard to his brother. "You
will no doubt appraise me, in your own good time of course,
why this animal should be the cause of your suspension and
how it came to be in your possession."

"Don't look so cross, Ned," said a penitent Peregrine.
"They were going to use him for baiting, and I'm sure you can
understand my need to rescue him."

"Undoubtedly. And how much did this `rescue' cost you?"

"Ten guineas, sir."

"I didn't think you would own ten guineas this late into the
term"

"I had only half that amount, but I borrowed the rest from
Freddie. Freddie's a great pal, a real regular gun"

"So now I am obliged to bail you out to the tune of five
guineas, am I?"

"If you would be so kind, I would be enormously grateful,
Ned. I must tell you, though, that everything would've been
fine if it hadn't been for that damned cat...

"Ah, now a cat comes into the narrative," replied the earl, as
if enlightened.

"Well, I'm sure you will understand that even though it was
the House Master's cat, Caesar felt obliged to give chase. No
self-respecting dog would've been able to ignore such a challenge."

"May I ask why this perfectly understandable chase should
have such dire results?"

"It was through the dining hall while we were at supper."

"Ah, that certainly does explain it," said the earl with a half
smile, which he immediately attempted to hide. But it was too
late. Peregrine, ever watchful of his brother's face, had seen
its birth.

"Knew you would appreciate it, Ned." He grinned, his boyish countenance flushed. "Lord, if you could've seen the upset
he caused. There was rice pudding for supper...

The earl laughed openly. "Then we must ensure not to consume the likes in his presence"

"Then he can stay?"

"After causing so much trouble, I suppose he must, if only
to bear witness to your stupidity."

"You are the best brother a chap could have, Ned. Knew
you could be relied on to understand."

"You will think me less than good when I tell you that your
studies are to be continued despite your rustication. You will
read the classics to me to improve your Latin."

Perry hung his head. "There's just one more thing I need
explain, Ned. Freddie Lynton is with me."

"Don't tell me they rusticated him too?"

"Devil a bit, though I did warn him not to champion me.
Now he daren't go home. Says there would be hell to pay. His
brother is not as understanding of a chap's difficulties as you
are. You will let him stay, won't you, Ned? It is, after all, my
fault."

"I'm not so sure of the prudence of his staying here," replied
the earl soberly. "I must tell you that my betrothal to his sister
is at an end, and his family might not like that he should remain here. He may only be allowed to stay on the understanding that he notifies Lady Jennifer of his whereabouts. I will
not have it thought that he's absconded while searches are
made for him, and he must return home in time for the holidays."

Throughout the discourse Caesar had been watching all
with an extremely intelligent eye and thought it about time the
earl be repaid for his kindness. To this end, he reared himself
up and, placing his front paws on the coverlet, attempted to
lever himself up onto the bed.

"Down, sir," commanded the earl. "You may have won
your case to remain in my house, but you will not inhabit my
bed. Away with you." Turning a stern countenance toward his
brother, he ordered, "If it's your intention to keep the brute,
Perry, I suggest you take him to the stables and give him a
bath. I will not tolerate the odor of the kennels in my bedchamber."

Undaunted, Peregrine gave a wide grin. "I'm so glad you're
home, Ned. Don't know what we would've done without you"

"You will be less than grateful for my return if you don't
get that animal out of my room" Suddenly exhaustion overcame him. The day had taken its toll, and he lay back upon his
pillows, his countenance paler than ever.