The Reckoning (54 page)

He gave a tight smile. 'At your time of life, it's to be
expected that you would be much engaged.'

‘And I haven't visited the mission –'

‘
I'm sure no-one looked to see you there. You are very
young, Miss Morland, and it's right that you should enjoy yourself. Pleasure must take preference over more serious
considerations.'

‘
You're angry with me,' she said in a small voice. 'I am so
sorry if I've offended you.’

His eyes widened, and he looked at her for a long moment,
a strange look, full of trouble. Then he said, more gently, 'I'm
not angry with you. I have no right. Indeed, I –' He stopped, and then resumed hastily, 'I have the warmest regard for you
Miss Morland. I'm sincerely glad you're happy.’

He seemed about to leave her and walk on, but she stopped
him with a slight gesture.

‘I would still very much like to see the tenements you spoke
of,' she said shyly, ‘so that I could understand your plans for
them.’

He hesitated, looking at her doubtfully, like a child who
had too many times been given a bitter black pill concealed in
a sweetmeat. 'If you really wish to –'

‘Yes, really.'

‘
I have a little time this afternoon; or I could possibly make
myself free tomorrow morning, if it would suit you –?' Sophie was embarrassed. 'I'm sorry, I'm engaged this afternoon to drive out with Mr Farraline, and tomorrow
morning –’

He bowed stiffly, his eyes veiled again. 'I quite understand.
Another time, perhaps. Your servant, Miss Morland.'
And then he really was gone, leaving Sophie feeling dis
satisfied and uneasy, as though there were some misunder
standing she had not managed to put right; though she
couldn't quite think what it could be.

 
The first hint that anything was wrong came a day or two
later when Héloïse and Sophie were at the theatre, sharing
the box of Lady Batchworth and Mr Farraline. During the
interval, Mr Farraline took Sophie for a walk around the corridors, leaving Héloïse to talk to the dowager, and to
return the nods of acquaintances in other parts of the audi
torium.

‘
Why, there's Lady Grey,' Héloïse said suddenly, seeing
that impoverished viscount's wife in a box on the other side,
her feathers brushing those of Mrs Pendlebury, with whom
she was deep in conversation.

‘
Ah, the titled friend the Pendlebury woman boasts of!'
Lady Batchworth said, lifting her lorgnon. 'Which is she? Do
you know her?'

‘
She's a neighbour of ours in York. Some of her daughters
were intimates of my stepdaughter, Fanny.'

‘
Some
of her daughters? How many has she?'

‘Seven – and no sons.'

‘
Unfortunate in the extreme. Are they handsome?' Héloïse
hesitated, and Lady Batchworth went on, ‘I understand. Not
handsome. One must hope they have large portions.'

‘I'm afraid Lord Grey's estate is rather encumbered.’

Lady Batchworth nodded. 'She will never get them off her
hands, then. A girl must have either beauty or a fortune.
Name alone is nothing.’

A puzzled question hovered on Héloïse's lips, and died
there. She saw quite plainly that Lady Grey had seen her, and
that she and Mrs Pendlebury were discussing her, for the
heads were nodding vigorously while the eyes bored into her across the auditorium. Héloïse bowed civilly, and Lady Grey returned it slightly, but Mrs Pendlebury did not acknowledge
her, which was strange, considering how effusive she had
been until now. But perhaps, Héloïse thought, Lady Grey wasto usurp her position as favourite. If so, she was welcome to it.
Meanwhile Sophie's grand promenade with Mr Farraline
had been interrupted by Mrs Percy Droylsden, who hailed her
from her husband's arm and said cheerfully, ‘Well, now, Miss
Morland, your nose is to be put out of joint! Do you know
who has arrived today? Mama's friend Lady Grey from York!
And she's brought one of the Miss Greys with her – you
know, the one with the squint. I forget her name.'

‘Roxane?'

‘
That's right. There, I knew you'd know them! I told Percy
... Well, I've just seen her in the upper foyer making
languishing eyes at my brother Fred – Miss Grey, I mean, not her mother – so it's plain as glass she's come to try to cut you
out with him!'

‘
Come on, Annie. You talk too much,' said her husband
genially. 'Servant, Miss Morland – sir.' With a civil nod to
both of them, he dragged Agnes away.

‘
You'd better hurry if you want to change your mind,
Sophie!' she called over her shoulder with an impish grin.
‘Who is Lady Grey?' Farraline asked Sophie. 'Should one
know her?'

‘
She's the wife of Viscount Grey, who has an estate near
ours,' Sophie said. 'She was a Miss Parr before she married,
so she's very proud; but she gets cross because none of her
daughters is married. Your friend Mr Hawker would tell you
about them – he had to dance with several of them at a ball at
our house once.'

‘
Including the one with the squint?' Farraline asked,
raising his brows in astonishment.

‘
I don't know,' Sophie said. 'I was too young to be at the
ball.'

‘
And did Mr Pendlebury really have the impudence to
make you an offer?’

Was it impudence? I felt as though I
ought
to feel obliged
to him.’

Farraline laughed. 'You have a cruel and subtle tongue,
Miss Morland. Yes, it was impudence for a mere builder's son
to address you, and if you have any more impudence of that
sort from any of these creatures, I hope you will allow me, as
an old friend, to send them about their business!’

Sophie blushed and looked at her feet, for really, his
attentions were growing very particular; and though there
could be few young women with a more modest view of their
charms to be noticed, even she was beginning to think that he
meant, sooner or later, to make her an offer.

Later, when the play was over, they were all walking down
the wide staircase towards the lower foyer when the odd thing
happened. A little of knot of people was standing at the foot
of the stairs, evidently waiting for carriages to arrive. They were talking amongst themselves, and Héloïse saw the long
purple feathers of Mrs Pendlebury's head-dress wagging in
the centre, with Lady Grey, like a wraith in voluminous grey
gauze, Miss Roxane Grey in pink silk, and Mr Fred
Pendlebury in a dazzling waistcoat, close beside her.

Suddenly Mrs Pendlebury turned and saw Héloïse, and
tossing her head she turned abruptly away, hustling her party
before her towards the door. It was the most obvious and
shocking 'cut'. The group she had broken open with her
departure stood as they had been scattered, looking awkward,
embarrassed, or self-righteous according to character. One or
two looked at Héloïse and quickly away again; others avoided
her eyes altogether, pretending to be fastening a glove or
looking in a reticule.

Such a thing had never happened to Héloïse before and it
was upsetting, however little, at bottom, she cared for Mrs
Pendlebury's opinion. She wondered what on earth it was all about, was angry, amused, and hurt by turns. Sophie, beside
her, was scarlet-cheeked and bright-eyed with indignation;
Farraline looked grimly amused; Lady Batchworth appeared
not to have noticed anything. The crowds parted before them
like the Red Sea, and they found themselves first out in the
porch, with Farraline beckoning up his coachman and a space
around them like quarantine.

No-one mentioned the circumstance on the short journey
back to Hobsbawn House, where they were put down with
cheerful farewells before the Batchworth carriage drove
away. Héloïse and Sophie went inside to the waiting supper of
hot soup and patties, and found other things to talk about
until they went up to their beds.

They didn't have long to wait to find out why they had
been snubbed. The following morning, shortly after break
fast, when Héloïse was preparing to leave for an appointment
with the attorney, Mrs Percy Droylsden and Miss Pendlebury
were announced.

Héloïse glanced at Sophie. 'They're sure to be calling for
you, my love, so if you don't mind, I won't wait, or I shall be
late. Richards, shew the visitors up to Miss Morland, but
don't mention that I am at home. I'll slip down when they are
safely in here.'

‘Very good, my lady.’

A few moments later Agnes and Prudence came in, Agnes
looking excited and Prudence grave.

‘
Oh, dear Sophie, what fun!' were Agnes's opening words
as she hurried across the room to kiss Sophie's cheek. 'I've come to tell you the news – but first, do tell, is it true that
Mama cut you and your mama at the theatre last night?’

Sophie nodded, a little taken aback.

‘
Annie!' said Miss Pendlebury. 'It's not a matter for levity.
Miss Morland, I was shocked beyond measure when I heard
of my mother's inexcusable rudeness. I know I owe her a
daughter's loyalty, but there are times when the demands of
simple justice supercede that.’

Sophie invited them to sit down. 'It was more surprising than shocking,' she said. ‘Maman and I have no idea what
we've done to offend your mother.'

‘
You've done nothing, nothing at all,' Prudence began
indignantly, but Agnes broke in, unable to restrain herself.

‘
It's the greatest joke! You can't imagine, Sophie – when
Percy told me I almost died of laughing! He had it from
Harry, who had it from Fred, for of course Fred would never
come and tell me himself, knowing how I love you. But he's
afraid he will be the laughing-stock now, only as I said to Pru, he's more likely to make a sport of himself with his behaviour
now
than anything he did before.'

‘But what is it? What's happened?' Sophie asked.

‘
It's all Lady Grey's fault, as I suppose you've guessed,'
Agnes said. 'Of course, Mama provoked her, boasting to her that Fred was all but engaged to marry you – oh yes, I know
you refused him, but he meant to ask you again, and he never
believed for an instant that you'd reject him at last. Only of
course Lady Grey had come with the express purpose of
getting Fred to take Squintabella off her hands –'