Amanda Scott - [Dangerous 04] (18 page)

“Yes, we must, for the entertainments are about to begin. Lady Portman’s daughter is to recite a poem about the Battle of Waterloo.”

As they made their way to the group around the queen, Letty saw that, as usual, the company would remain standing, even for the entertainment. Sitting in the queen’s presence was a rare privilege, and not one that Letty ever expected to enjoy.

Half an hour later she learned she was wrong about that, when Victoria said clearly, “Lady Letitia, we are told that you perform quite tolerably. Doubtless the company would enjoy a ballad or two, if you will honor us at the pianoforte.”

Swallowing the fervent protest that leapt to her lips, Letty said in a strangled voice, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” Feeling every eye upon her, she made her way to the instrument, fighting a strong urge to turn and flee from the room.

Her brain seemed frozen. She could not recall a single piece that would not blindingly reveal her lack of practice. She had not laid hand to keyboard since her arrival in London, and other than to place the sheets in alphabetical order when she and Catherine had sorted them earlier, she had paid little heed to the titles.

Clearly, the queen meant to punish her, for Victoria could not have heard anything good about her performance at the pianoforte. There were people present, of course, who had heard her play and sing in Paris, but all of them were diplomats by trade, and none of them would have put her on the spot like this.

By the time she reached the stool, she had herself under sufficient control that she was able to pick up a stack of music and begin to leaf through it, as if she knew what she was doing. That she did not was doubtless the reason she did not sense Raventhorpe’s approach before he touched her arm.

Startled, she looked at him wildly.

He smiled and took the music from her hand. “I glanced through these earlier,” he said smoothly. “I think the material you want is in this other pile.”

She swallowed again, wholly bewildered. “Is … Is it, sir?”

“Yes, there are a number of rather amusing French and German folk songs in this lot. I am sure you must know most of them.”

He showed her the first one, and when she nodded blankly, he set it on the music rack, saying, “I’ll play for you, shall I?”

“If only you could! But the queen said—”

“She said only that the company would enjoy some ballads. These may not be ballads, exactly, but the company will enjoy them. You can sing, can’t you?”

“Yes. Yes, certainly I can sing those. They are little more than nursery songs. Anyone could sing them.”

“Only someone who speaks French and German fluently could sing them well, however, and the beauty of their simplicity is that most of this company will understand them. The queen certainly will.” He took his seat as he spoke, and his hands hovered briefly over the keys. Then he played a few bars of the first piece.

The buzz of conversation, which had continued even through the recitation earlier, suddenly ceased.

Knowing that to avoid the queen’s gaze at this juncture would be foolhardy, Letty straightened, folded her hands at her waist, and focusing on the space between Victoria’s eyes, began to sing.

The first song told an amusing tale of a mischievous cat, and by the third verse, members of the audience were chuckling, then laughing outright. Letty had a good sense of timing, and as she relaxed and began to enjoy herself, she became more animated, playing up the humor in the songs she sang. She forgot the queen after those first few moments, but midway through the third song, she glanced at her and saw a slight smile. Not a huge triumph, she decided, but certainly not the disaster she had feared.

At the end of the fourth song, she smiled and turned to thank Raventhorpe. Several people called for another, but when she shook her head, Lady Tavistock said clearly, “Thank you, Lady Letitia. We will not impose further on your good nature. Miss Hayworth has generously agreed to play Mr. Beethoven’s
Moonlight Sonata
for us now.”

Sincerely grateful to Miss Hayworth, Letty turned to express even deeper thanks to Raventhorpe. “I don’t know what I’d have done,” she said frankly.

“It was my pleasure, Lady Letitia,” he said with a formal little nod. Then, as he turned to replace the music, he said grimly for her ears alone, “Do not think I am through with you yet. You still deserve—”

Before he could continue, Miss Hayworth was upon them, saying in a gushing way, “Oh, Lord Raventhorpe, I do not know how I dare to take your place here. Everyone knows how skilled you are on this instrument, whilst I am but the merest novice. I protest, sir, I am quite petrified with terror.”

“Don’t be absurd, Miss Hayworth,” he said. “You play well, and no one paid heed to my performance when Lady Letitia was singing.”

Tittering behind one gloved hand, Miss Hayworth turned to Letty and said, “Isn’t he the kindest man? Your songs were quite amusing, of course, but everyone knows how well he plays. Even with those funny little songs, one could tell.”

“Yes, indeed they could,” Letty said, smiling at her. “Shall I perhaps move this branch of candles so the light will fall more clearly on your music?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I know this piece by heart, naturally.”

“Naturally,” Letty said.

Raventhorpe’s hand at her elbow tightened as he guided her away from the pianoforte. Then, with a slight bow, he left her and walked away.

Watching him, she was aware yet again of the mixed emotions the man stirred in her. She did feel exceedingly grateful to him, and would have liked to express that gratitude more profoundly. At the same time, she was certain that he had tightened his hand on her elbow as a warning to watch how she spoke. Worse, she could not decide whether he had intended the arrogant nod and bow as he left to tell her or the company at large that he had done no more than assist a competent singer by playing for her.

She had no time to consider her emotions, however, because Lady Tavistock approached as the first few bars of the
Moonlight Sonata
wafted across the room. “The dowager Lady Kirkland is feeling unwell, Letitia. Be so good as to take her to my chamber and ask my woman to look after her until her carriage can be sent for.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Letty turned to look for Lady Kirkland.

“One moment,” Lady Tavistock said sternly. “I have not dismissed you.”

“Forgive me, ma’am.” Letty assumed an inquiring look, striving to repress unkind thoughts of how much Lady Tavistock enjoyed the power she wielded.

“Her Majesty expects to leave for the riding school at eight o’clock in the morning. Do not be late.”

Allowing doubt to tinge her voice, Letty said, “No ma’am, I won’t.”

“Her Majesty particularly desires your company,” Lady Tavistock added, showing that she understood Letty’s doubt and did not find it out of place. “She will not require it again after her excursion to the riding school, however, so you will have the rest of the day free to contemplate your duty.” Having thus made it clear that Letty was to present herself so early as punishment, she added, “You will find Lady Kirkland sitting quietly in the guard room, near the landing entrance.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Dismissed at last, Letty went in search of Lady Kirkland, whom she knew only as an elderly dowager who seemed friendly with the queen’s mother. She found her sitting with Catherine in the guard room.

The other young woman looked up with a smile. “You are surprised to see me here,” she said. “I overheard Lady Tavistock say she would fetch you, so I stepped out with Lady Kirkland so she would not find herself bereft of company whilst she waited for you. She is feeling much more the thing now, I believe.”

“Perhaps you might ask me,” the old woman said tartly.

To save Catherine the embarrassment of responding, Letty smiled and said, “Do you feel well enough to retire to Lady Tavistock’s rooms now, ma’am? She said that I might take you there to await your carriage.”

“What, go up the stairs and down again, when I could more comfortably wait in the hall? Don’t be absurd, get.”

“I merely obey orders, ma’am. I shall do precisely as you command.”

“Then send someone to fetch my woman. I daresay Anna Maria never thought of that: She’s a considerate child, though a bit of a jumping jack, and I daresay it wouldn’t suit her to sit in the hall, so she assumes it don’t suit me. But I don’t mind. Much easier on an old body, when all is said and done.”

Finding it hard to suppress her amusement at the thought of the demanding (and greying) marchioness seeming childlike to anyone, Letty avoided Catherine’s gaze. “I will be glad to take you down to the hall, ma’am,” she said to the dowager. “Moreover, I will stay with you until your woman joins us. Perhaps Catherine will not mind asking one of the footmen to be sure that someone went to fetch her.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Catherine said instantly. “I believe Lady Tavistock did send someone, but I can find out very quickly.”

“You are a kind child, Letitia,” Lady Kirkland said as they descended the stairs slowly to the grand hall. “I don’t care what anyone else says.”

“Dear me, ma’am, I hope no one has been saying anything too horrid.”

“Well, I did hear that you are a Tory,” Lady Kirkland said, shooting her a glance that held a wicked twinkle. “However, I have lived long enough to know that one’s politics rarely have much to do with one’s character.”

“Well, if that is all you heard, then—”

“Oh, that wasn’t all,” the old lady interjected airily.

Letty had begun to suspect that Lady Kirkland felt perfectly well, and merely had been bored and ready to go home. Since protocol demanded that no one leave a royal dinner before the queen had retired, it would not be the first time that someone had employed such a stratagem.

“Dare I ask what else you have heard?” she asked, deciding the old lady would appreciate bluntness more than tact.

“That would be telling,” Lady Kirkland said archly. “Still, although I like you, there are others who don’t, so you mind your step, get.”

Recalling that the dowager was close to the Duchess of Kent, Letty asked no more questions and, when they were seated in the grand hall, changed the subject to one less likely to stir coals. They had only a few minutes to wait, however, before Catherine appeared with a woman who proved to be the dowager’s companion. Her carriage arrived shortly thereafter.

“She recovered nicely from her indisposition,” Catherine said with a knowing smile.

Letty nodded but said nothing. She was beginning to feel comfortable with Catherine, and she wanted to know her better, but she was not yet ready to trust her with statements that would not bear repeating to the world at large.

They went upstairs together to find that in their absence the queen had retired. The rest of the party was preparing to do likewise, but there were still duties to attend. It was another hour before Letty was able to slip away to her chamber.

She was very tired, so when she walked in to find Miss Dibble sound asleep in the one comfortable chair, and no sign of Jenifry, her irritation stirred.

Shaking Miss Dibble, she said, “Wake up, do, Elvira. Where is Jenifry?”

Blinking away sleep, Miss Dibble sat bolt upright and said, “Good gracious, what time is it?”

“Nearly two,” Letty said, “and I must be back here before eight tomorrow morning. Where’s Jen?”

“Isn’t she here?”

“Elvira, wake up and look around you. This room is not so large as that.”

Rubbing her eyes, Miss Dibble got to her feet. “You must be exhausted, for I’ve no doubt you have been on your feet since dinner. Sit down, child. Sit down.”

“I will, because I want to take these shoes off. But if Jen has disappeared, we must search for her.”

“She hasn’t … Oh, yes, I remember now. She said she was going to take a walk, that she was sure you would not be back till the small hours. And how right she was about that! But, dear me, that was before midnight. Where can she be?”

Seeing clearly that Miss Dibble was going to be of little help until she came fully awake, Letty stood up again, intending to ring for a footman to start a search for Jenifry. Before she had done more than reach for the bell pull, however, the door opened and Jenifry entered.

“Oh, you’re back already,” the dresser said cheerfully.

“Yes,” Letty said, looking at her searchingly. Jenifry looked wide awake, as if it were the beginning of the day rather than the end.

Miss Dibble said sharply, “Where have you been, girl?”

“Never mind that now,” Letty said. “Collect my things, Jen. Elvira, send for the carriage. If I’ve got to be back here before eight, I want to get straight home now. We can talk in the carriage if you like.”

However, by the time the carriage had come, Letty could hardly keep her eyes open, and once inside, Miss Dibble began snoring gently almost at once. Soon, the rocking motion of the coach lulled Letty to sleep as well.

When they reached Jervaulx House, Jenifry woke them, but when Miss Dibble insisted that she would accompany Letty to her bedchamber, Letty refused.

“You need your sleep, ma’am, and you are not to drag yourself out of bed at dawn, either. Jenifry can dress me and accompany me to the palace. I’m only riding with the queen. I shall not have to stay afterward.”

“Very well,” Miss Dibble said, shooting a stern glance at Jenifry. “I hope you will explain to this young woman that her behavior tonight is not acceptable.”

“I’ll talk to her. Good night, Elvira.” Going quickly upstairs, Letty kicked off her shoes and began pulling pins from her hair when she entered her bedchamber. The fire on the hearth had burned nearly to embers, but the room was still warm. “Never mind brushing my hair tonight, Jen. I can just push it into a cap to sleep. I’ll wash my face and put on my nightdress, but that’s all.”

“Yes, miss,” Jenifry said, hurrying to pour warm water from the kettle on the hob into the washbasin. Except for the noise of their movements, silence reigned for the next few minutes before Jenifry said quietly, “Are you vexed, miss?”

“Not particularly, but it’s a good thing that you came back when you did.”