Amanda Scott (16 page)

When the footman announced their names, the duchess greeted Sydney as an old acquaintance and demanded at once to know where his mother was, thus giving Carolyn a brief moment after she arose from her curtsy, while Sydney explained that Lady Skipton was indulging in her usual afternoon nap and would no doubt be down soon, to collect herself and observe her hostess.

It was often said of the Duchess of York that not only was she the most popular member of the royal family but the only one among them who knew how to hold court. Indeed, Oatlands was called “the little court” by many, and nearly everyone who knew its mistress had only good things to say about her. Frederica was known for her dignity, her charm, her humor, and her charity. She was not, however, noted for her beauty.

Even shorter than Carolyn, she was particularly tiny next to her husband, who stood chatting with a guest beside her chair. She wore an expertly-cut gown of china blue to match her eyes, and with her flaxen hair modestly arranged, she made a passable showing, but Carolyn thought it a pity that Frederica’s teeth were so poor, and unfortunate that she had been marked by the smallpox in her youth. The duchess had had no beauty to spare.

Sydney begged leave to present Carolyn, and when Frederica nodded regally one moment, only to chuckle and shoo him away the next, saying she wished to get to know Miss Hardy without him hovering over them, Carolyn responded instantly to the warmth and sincerity of the welcome and promptly forgot the duchess’s looks.

With an accent and manner more French than German, that gave her words a pleasing, musical quality and her gestures a bubbling vitality, Frederica said, “We are very pleased that you come to us, child, and hope you will enjoy your visit. Sit still, you!”

Although the rider was clearly addressed to the monkey, which had suddenly evinced a desire to peer down the duchess’s décolletage, Carolyn had all she could do to maintain her gravity as she replied, “Indeed, your royal highness, I should be very odd if I did not like it here, for I have heard much about the wealth of hospitality to be enjoyed at Oatlands.”

“You must see my grotto,” the duchess said in a confiding tone, her eyes atwinkle, “for it is of all places my favorite. You may bathe there, if you like,” she added, feeding the monkey a nut from a little dish on the table beside her, “although I must warn you that the water—particularly at this season—is like ice! Only the bravest dare make the plunge.”

Carolyn smiled as the monkey shoved the treat into its mouth and reached greedily for another. “I am not so brave, ma’am, but if the weather does not grow much colder I shall certainly like to explore your gardens, and I am persuaded that I will find all manner of other things to do, as well.”

“Indeed, you will, child. And all manner of handsome gentlemen will beg leave to accompany you, I make no doubt.”

A snort of laughter from her spouse showed that he had overheard her words. He exclaimed, “Well said, my dear, well said! Daresay the chit’ll have the lads all atwitter. Pretty little thing, ain’t she? Do I know you?” he demanded of Carolyn. “Daresay I ought to remember you, but I don’t.”

Carolyn curtsied. “We have not been introduced, your royal highness. Though I was presented to her majesty, and to the Regent on two occasions, I have never had the pleasure of making your acquaintance.”

“Very pretty,” observed the duke, but since she was uncertain whether he meant her words or her appearance, she had not the least notion of what to reply to him. Fortunately, he shared with Lady Skipton that trait of being able to converse at length without benefit of response from his audience. “You shall walk with me when you are done exchanging witticisms with my dear Frederica,” he said, adding as he turned back to the guest he had been speaking to before, “Mark me, you’ll not outwit her.”

The duchess smiled at Carolyn’s startled expression. “Do not heed him. ’Tis only his way of funning. I am well educated but not nearly intelligent enough to be called clever. Therefore do I invite to Oatlands persons like Mr. Brummell and Lord Alvanley, who are deservedly noted for their wit and who amuse me. Mr. Brummell does not honor us on this occasion, but Alvanley—Oh,” she said in a different, less animated tone, looking beyond Carolyn, “you did say you had been presented to the Regent, did you not?” Then, politely, she added, “Sir, perhaps you will condescend to remember Miss Carolyn Hardy.”

Carolyn turned to find that the Prince Regent had come up directly behind her. Sinking into another deep curtsy, she was conscious of a fleeting hope that her narrow skirts, not to mention her knees, would survive the visit. If several royal dukes joined the company, plus the Princess Charlotte, she might well spend the greater part of her time bobbing up and down.

Allowing his gaze to drift over her person as she arose, the portly Regent smiled and said affably, “Damme, but I could never forget so lovely a lady, and here is Alvanley to talk with you, ma’am, so you’ll not miss her if I steal her away. We met in London, Miss Hardy, as I am persuaded you will remember,” he added as the plump, round-faced Alvanley stepped forward to make his bow to the duchess.

“I remember, your royal highness,” Carolyn said, returning the Regent’s smile as he drew her away from the duchess, and hoping as she had hoped on earlier occasions that she would not somehow betray the mild contempt in which, like so many others, she had come to hold him. “I am flattered to think you would remember me among so many ladies of much greater beauty.”

He responded gallantly, flirting with her, reminding her by his attitude that he was known as the First Gentleman of Europe. A few moments later, when he observed Sydney some distance away and announced that he had one or two matters to discuss with him, she curtsied again and watched him walk away, thinking that he was growing fatter than ever but that his increasing bulk didn’t seem to distress him in the least. His manner was as elegant and polished as it could be.

Indeed, she thought, so polished were the royal manners that it had been impossible to tell by their behavior that the Regent and the royal duchess were anything but friends, despite the fact that, as everyone knew, he rarely spoke to her, having taken offense at her refusal to associate with his mistress, Lady Hertford. For her part, the duchess was said to care little for any of the royal family, including her own spouse, who visited her only when he brought a party of friends to Oatlands to hunt or to play whist into the small hours of the morning.

Carolyn, watching idly now to see if Sydney would offer the Regent his snuff box at once, was alone for only a moment before the Duke of York approached and said in his bluff voice, “You mustn’t think I had forgotten you, my pretty one.”

She smiled at him. “I am not so conceited as to believe you ought to have remembered me, sir, particularly when your house is filled with so many other visitors.”

He looked around as though he saw the large company for the first time. “Begad, so it is,” he said, “but pay them no heed. I shall not, nor shall my Freddie when she tires of their conversation. Both of us a bit queer in our attics, I daresay, though not so queer as Ernest there.” He indicated a man with bristling gray side-whiskers, wearing green regimentals, and a patch over one eye, who was watching them intently. “My brother Cumberland, you know. Can’t think why he’s even looking this way, since he ain’t generally one for the ladies, but perhaps he saw you talking to Georgie—the Regent, you know. He always wants what Georgie wants. Been like that from a child, poor fellow. But never mind him. I thought perhaps you might like to walk about with me a bit, perhaps see something of this place.”

She didn’t wish to do any such thing. Although his bluff manner and easy habits made it easy to talk to him, and the one pleasant advantage of having come of age lay in being able to move about freely without feeling guilty if Miss Pucklington or the dowager were not near at hand, she would not have minded the presence just now of a proper chaperon, for when York offered his arm, she could not imagine telling him to his face that she did not want to leave the room with him. However, they had walked for only a few moments before Sydney approached them.

“There you are, my dear Carolyn,” he said languidly, nodding to the duke. “You’ll forgive us, highness, but my mother has come downstairs and desires me to fetch Miss Hardy to her.”

“Very well,” the duke said, smiling at Carolyn. “We must have our walk another time, pretty one. Saint-Denis, Brummell gave me a new bit of lacquerware last week. Like you to have a look at it while you’re here.”

“I daresay if he gave it to you, sir, it is a fine piece and one that I should be most pleased to see. Allow me to deliver Miss Hardy to my mother before you indulge me, however.”

The duke dismissed them with a nod, and Carolyn waited only until they were out of royal earshot before saying tartly, “Deliver me? You make me sound like a parcel, Sydney, and you are behaving yet again in a perfectly Gothic manner. I doubt that Godmama expressed any sort of a wish for my presence, for she will have Puck with her and will be wishing to speak with the duchess, so she cannot even want me.”

“I don’t know if she does, but I didn’t know any better way to get you out of York’s clutches,” Sydney said. “In any event, she has come downstairs, and the duchess has gone somewhere, so you’d best stay with Mama for a bit. Keep you out of mischief.”

“Good gracious,” she said, “I am perfectly capable of managing my own affairs. Am I to understand that you winkled me away from the Duke of York because you think he cannot be trusted to keep the line? I never heard of such a thing!”

“Just so,” he said, nodding as though she had said something wise. “I knew you couldn’t have heard much about York beyond common gossip. Stands to reason you wouldn’t heed what Mama told you, knowing she don’t like him, and in any event, I believe she does not keep the sort of eye out that she should.”

“On me, do you mean?” Carolyn inquired gently.

“That is precisely what I mean.”

“Well, you are talking nonsense. I don’t need to be looked after like a child, and I will thank you to remember that.”

“The thing is,” Sydney said in a musing tone as though she had not spoken, “one cannot expect you to know when the royal lads are amusing themselves, and you might think one or another means more by his behavior than he does. That happens, I’m told, to the most sensible of females. Each thinks that despite the infamous Marriage Act, which clearly prevents their marrying where they choose, she will somehow end up a royal duchess.”

“One cannot indulge such hopes with regard to the Regent or York,” Carolyn reminded him. “They are already married.”

“But as you yourself pointed out, Cumberland isn’t, nor Clarence, nor Cambridge, nor Sussex, nor Kent.”

“But all of them except Cumberland, you said, have wives or mistresses, so therefore Cumberland is the only—”

Sydney’s air of indolence vanished. “See here, Carolyn,” he said abruptly, “don’t be such a little fool! I daresay,” he added more calmly, having visibly taken control of himself, “that your fortune isn’t large enough to tempt them beyond flirtation, but I wouldn’t trust even York, with his duchess on the premises, to keep the line. As to Prinny or Cumberland …”

When he paused, clearly at a loss for what to say that would convince her, Carolyn, feeling truly mischievous now and wanting to see how far she could press him, widened her eyes and said encouragingly, “Yes, Sydney? What about them?”

“Dash it all,” he said, “I don’t trust you any farther than I trust them. If I’m such a cod’s head as to tell you again to keep away from them, I know you well enough to guess you’ll bid them ‘come hither’ if only to vex me. On the other hand, if I don’t warn you and you fall afoul of one of them, I’ll wish I’d spoken up. I’ll tell you this, though. If I had any real authority over you, you’d soon learn to pay heed to me.”

She was surprised by such vehemence, but not enough to let him preach restraint to her. “I shall attempt to remember your advice,” she said politely.

Although she could see that he was not deceived, he said no more, delivering her in silence to the dowager’s side. Then, offering as his excuse that York had said he had something to show him, he turned away again at once and left them.

“Dear me, Carolyn,” Lady Skipton said, “what a sad crush this is, to be sure. One can scarcely blame Frederica for absenting herself, thought one trusts she will recall our presence in time to join us for dinner.”

Miss Pucklington said, “One wonders how many more persons even this great house can hold, does one not? But I believe it will be bursting at the seams by the time the princess’s ball begins tomorrow night. Do you not agree, Cousin Olympia?”

But the dowager’s attention had wandered. “I see that Frederica has not extended to Lord Yarmouth her disapproval of his mama’s connection with the Regent,” she said with a sniff. “There he is now with his lady beside him—a flighty piece, I believe, but one could expect no less from a woman whom no less than three men have claimed to father, and whose mother was an Italian ballet dancer!” She went on in this vein for several moments, pointing out others among the company whom she deigned to recognize and comment upon.

Carolyn, listening with but half an ear, looked about for friends of her own until it occurred to her that in such a collection of the
beau monde
she might see one or another of the gentlemen to whom she had so briefly been betrothed. She was startled enough by this unwelcome thought, and so intent upon her scrutiny thereafter, that she ceased to hear her godmother’s voice and did not notice when she became separated from the other two ladies until, stepping back to make way for a couple to pass her, she bumped into the Duke of York.

“My dear Miss Hardy,” he exclaimed, “how comes it about that I find you alone again?”

“Hardly alone, sir, merely unaccompanied.” She smiled. “I had two companions but a moment ago, who appear to have been swallowed up by this crowd.”

“More fools, they,” he said, “to have left such a little beauty behind.”

She grinned at him. “I am no different from all the other ladies who enjoy your pretty compliments, sir, so I hesitate to confess that those who left me are female, lest you should regret your kind words to me.”