Amanda Scott - [Dangerous 04] (30 page)

“I hope the government isn’t making a mull of things,” he said.

Ned Delahan said at once, “In my opinion, Parliament ought to give the Jamaican assembly time to act. I have been reading the arguments presented in the
Times,
you know, and I think some of them have made excellent legal points.”

Lord Witherspoon, standing nearby with Catherine, said amiably, “I daresay you can safely leave the management of Jamaica to the British Parliament, lad.”

“But the law is clear,” Ned said. “The Jamaican assembly has every legal right to ignore a law Parliament thrusts upon it. We didn’t do that to them even in such a great cause as emancipation. Not only did the assembly support our wish to free the slaves, but it passed its own emancipation act. Clearly, we should give them time to do the same with the prisons act. Once we have explained its purpose—”

“We are not obliged to do that, however,” Melbourne said, “and certain factions in Parliament are dead set against allowing any such discussion.”

Much as she wanted to cheer Ned’s efforts and support them with arguments of her own, Letty kept her mouth shut. She found herself looking around for Raventhorpe, to see if he appreciated her restraint. He was nowhere at hand, however, and although Miss Dibble might have commended her, had she been aware of the exchange, she was talking with the woman on her other side.

The debate continued until several ladies cried out for a cease-fire. Then, those who wanted to continue arguing withdrew to a distant corner to do so.

Letty burned to hear their conversation, and to take part in it. She had begun to consider the possibility of inching her way close enough to the corner to overhear, at least, when Lady Sellafield’s approach claimed her attention.

“Will you walk a little with me, my dear? I’d like to talk with you.”

“Certainly, ma’am,” Letty said, rising at once. “Will you excuse us, Elvira?”

Miss Dibble rose to greet Lady Sellafield and tell her how pleasant the evening had been, then returned to her conversation.

“Come to the terrace, my dear,” Lady Sellafield said. “The rain has stopped, and I am persuaded that the air must be quite fresh and invigorating now.”

The air was also cold, Letty discovered when she followed the countess through a set of French doors to a flagstone terrace overlooking the back garden. Torches lighted both the terrace and the paths through the garden, bearing witness to the fact that the rain had stopped, but the sky overhead looked black, and the torches flickered in a stiff breeze that rustled branches and shrubbery in the garden. Letty wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.

“Oh dear,” Lady Sellafield said, “it is much colder out here than I thought it would be, but this is the only place where I could be sure we’d be quite alone.”

“Must we be quite alone, ma’am?”

“Oh, yes, for it would not do to let anyone overhear. Still, I will be as quick as I can. Justin has said I should stay away from Upper Brook Street, that it’s not a good idea for me to be seen there now. I bristled up, just as I would have, had I not known exactly what he was talking about—but Aunt Abby and Aunt Miranda had warned me, of course, that he had discovered their little secret.”

“Did they?” Letty said, wondering if perhaps she and Raventhorpe had been the only people in London who had not known that little secret.

“Oh, yes, of course they did,” Lady Sellafield said, “just as they told me when your amusing little monkey discovered it. So, of course, then I got to thinking about exactly what Justin had said to me, and I wondered if perhaps you might have let something slip, dear. Could he possibly know about me, do you think?”

Letty forgot her goose bumps and shivers. She stared at Lady Sellafield. “About you, ma’am? But what could I have let slip about you?”

“Why, about me and Teddy, of course.”

Just then the French doors opened, and Admiral Rame put his head out. In a voice that carried easily despite the increasing noise of the wind in the trees, he said, “Sally, you idiotic wench, it’s as cold as the deck of a ship out there. Come in at once, before you catch your death of cold.”

“We’ll be right along, my dear,” Lady Sellafield called. “Shut the door, will you, before a draft blows out one of the gaslights.”

Letty gasped at the endearment, but before she could speak, the admiral said, “Very well, Sally, but don’t dawdle.”

Letty stared at the admiral until he had shut the door. Then she said, “I understand now what you feared I might have let slip, ma’am. Of course, it is none of my business, but—”

“Since you clearly did not know, you could not have said anything to Justin, could you? I hope you will not do so now, for he would guess at once who it is.”

“No, of course I won’t, ma’am. I will keep your confidence.”

“Then that is all right. We had better go in before we both are blown away.”

Thinking the cheerful countess seemed singularly unalarmed at having given away her secret, Letty followed her back into the house. Her thoughts were racing, for Raventhorpe was more right than he knew. The stakes had grown enormously.

Not only was her reputation at stake, and that of the two old ladies, but now his mother and Admiral Rame stood at risk. If he put a foot wrong, he would cast them to the wolves, and he did not even know the peril existed. Nor could Letty tell him, now that she had promised to keep the information to herself. Nonetheless, one thing was clear. To leave the entire burden of keeping them all safe to Raventhorpe would be most unfair. How fortunate that she had made him no promises.

F
OR THE NEXT FEW
days, Letty’s duties at court kept her busy. On Sunday morning, she attended the Chapel Royal, St. James’s, with the queen and the Duchess of Kent. That afternoon, the queen took an airing in Hyde Park, and on Monday the royal party attended the water-color exhibit in East Pall Mall. On both days, the Earl of Uxbridge served as lord-in-waiting, so Raventhorpe was not present. Letty did not know whether to be glad or sorry for his absence.

Much as she tried to pretend she did not miss him, she did, but although she was curious to know what he was doing about the Upper Brook Street house, she was not sure she wanted to find out. She hoped he would do nothing to upset the old ladies, and nothing at all about the house without discussing it with her first.

Late Monday morning, not long after the royal party emerged from the water-color exhibit, she heard, to her horror, that someone had assassinated the Duke of Wellington. Rumors spread quickly through London, producing painful reactions throughout the business community as well as the beau monde. Members of the court buzzed with the news, and staunch Whigs expressed as much dismay as Letty felt. The hero of Waterloo was still much beloved by his countrymen.

It was Raventhorpe who brought word to court that the rumors were false, and he approached Letty soon after he arrived. “I know you care deeply about him,” he said, “so I came to find you as soon as I’d arranged for the news to reach the queen. Wellington himself announced that he has never been in better health.”

“Thank heaven,” Letty exclaimed. “Thank you, sir. I am most grateful to you for telling me.”

His smile warmed her even more than the news he had brought, but he did not linger. The court was buzzing again, this time with good news.

“Who could have started such a horrid rumor?” Letty asked Catherine as they went up to their palace apartments to change for dinner. Both were to dine with the queen, along with her other ladies, for she had also invited Melbourne, her lord privy seal, and the secretaries of state for the Home, Foreign, and Colonial offices.

Catherine shook her head. “Witherspoon said that no one seems able to identify the source. Nor can anyone imagine a motive for such a wicked business.”

Letty was trying to think how to phrase tactfully what she was thinking when Catherine looked at her, surprised by her silence. Letty said, “I was just wondering. Would anyone tell Witherspoon who started the rumors, if they did know?”

“Oh yes, I think they would,” Catherine said. “The secretaries of the various departments and most members of Parliament think very highly of him, because he has a reputation—uncommon amongst his peers—for studying issues before casting his vote. They frequently discuss the threat of assassination in those circles, you know. Apparently Wellington has received many such threats over his long career.”

“I know he has,” Letty said. “Someone tried to kill him once in Cornwall, when I was a child.”

“I’ve heard tales about that attempt,” Catherine said. “Still, it’s odd that such a rumor would fly about now, when he is older and not so active politically. One does hear occasional threats against Her Majesty, of course.”

“Yes,” Letty said with a disgusted grimace, “and not just because she is queen but simply because she is a woman. Although she has governed capably for two years now, many men still think she has no business to be ruling the country.”

“True. I’ve even heard—” Catherine broke off, then added hastily, “About Witherspoon … I-I know why you wondered if anyone would speak to him of such things. He just does not look like a knowing one, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Letty agreed, wondering what it was that Catherine had so nearly said. “I ought to know better than to judge a man by his looks, though,” she added. “Perhaps I see him as I do because you think so little of him.”

“But I don’t!” Catherine looked astonished. “Just because he is not the ideal husband for me does not mean that I hold him in contempt, Letty. In many ways, he is much more honorable than—” She broke off again, turning red this time.

“Much more honorable than whom? I do wish you would finish your sentences, Catherine.”

“Never mind. I should not speak of him in the same breath as … as anyone else,” Catherine finished lamely.

With a quick look around to be certain no one else was within earshot, Letty said, “Well, it is plain now whom you mean. Have you spoken with him yet, Catherine? Have you warned him to stay away from Upper Brook Street?”

“Oh, don’t even speak of him here,” Catherine implored, looking around frantically, as if she expected listening ears to pop out of the wainscoting. “I have not met him privately since you warned me that Raventhorpe knows about the house. Fortunately we’ve been too busy here, and have had practically no time for personal business. Then, too, even when he might have expected me to find time to myself, he was obliged to … Well, he has duties, too, you see.”

“I don’t see,” Letty said frankly. “Who is he, Catherine?”

However, Catherine would not say, and when Letty pressed her, the other young woman said with alarm, “I can’t, Letty! Pray do not ask me! He has threatened to kill me if I speak his name to anyone, and I believe him.”

“I do wish you would not be so melodramatic,” Letty said. “I have my own suspicions as to who it is, you know. I have seen how you look at a certain man.”

Blushing again furiously, Catherine said, “Nevertheless, you have heard no name fall from my lips, Letitia Deverill, nor will you. Moreover, pressing me further will afford you naught.” Obviously wanting to change the subject, she said, “Did Tavistock tell you that Her Majesty will drive in the park tomorrow morning and that she expects us to attend the opera at Drury Lane tomorrow evening?”

“Yes,” Letty said, accepting momentary defeat. “Also that she will hold a privy council at one o’clock, and an audience with Melbourne and the Marquess of Landsdowne afterward. Thus we are to remain in attendance at the court nearly all day, which is particularly awkward for me. My parents may arrive in London at any time now, and I have things I must attend to before they do.”

“Well, with the usual drawing room on Thursday, I doubt we’ll have much time to ourselves before Friday,” Catherine said, “and I, for one, am grateful.”

Letty was not grateful, however. She found herself in a continual fret to know what Raventhorpe was up to. Therefore, at a little past four the following day, when she saw Puck Quigley strolling aimlessly about while Victoria was meeting with her privy council, she seized the opportunity to speak with him.

“We do not often see you here, sir,” she said.

“I try to avoid the court as a rule,” he said with a smile. “My cousin Landsdowne dragged me along with him today, though. Said it would do me good to be seen here. Don’t know how it can, though. Dashed boring place, the court is nowadays. Lacks some of the dash and splendor of years past.”

“Goodness, sir, you sound like a graybeard,” she said, laughing.

“I do, don’t I? Bored, I expect. One grew up hearing about one scandal after another at court, and one expected to see and be part of such things oneself. Ought to have gone to Newmarket with Raventhorpe. Much more entertainment there.”

“Oh, has his lordship gone out of town?” Though she tried to sound casual, she was certain he must detect the relief in her voice.

“Left late yesterday to attend the second Spring Meeting,” Puck said. “Be back tomorrow night, I daresay. What with the drawing room and all, royal duty will recall him if nothing else does,” he added with a mischievous grin.

“Yes, I expect it will,” she said, paying no heed to the grin.

Her thoughts were racing. Mrs. Linford and Miss Abby must be wondering by now if she had deserted them, she decided; and, if Raventhorpe had issued any orders or ultimatums before departing for Newmarket, they would be distraught. At the very least she ought to reassure them that she would not allow him to do anything horrid. However, for her to see them before he returned to London meant getting away from Buckingham Palace as soon as possible.

Accordingly, she pinched her cheeks till they hurt, then sought out Lady Tavistock. “Pray, ma’am,” she said, “I’d like permission to retire for an hour or two if I may.”

Lady Tavistock looked at her with concern. “You look feverish, Letitia. Are you ill?”

Unwilling to lie, Letty said, “I do not think I am ill, ma’am, although my companion did remain at home today because she has caught a feverish cold.” That much, at least, was true, although she had not expected to feel grateful for Elvira’s sniffles and sneezes. “I do feel that I should take precautions, don’t you? One does not wish to prove contagious to Her Majesty or to others at court.”