Courting Lord Dorney (13 page)

‘I don’t think he’d ever recall the words he spoke. He was too bitter. But Jane, 1 still don’t understand what he meant about his brother. That’s several times he’s spoken of him in an odd way.’

‘What do you mean? How odd?’

‘As though his brother were disgraced, or - no, not that - rather as though he’d been let down, deceived or disappointed in some way.’

‘Then he may be particularly sensitive to deception.’

‘Oh, Jane, I wish I knew!’

‘I’ll go and call on Mrs Eversley tomorrow. She’s bound to know and will delight in telling me.’

‘While I pack.’

‘Pack? You mean to leave Bath?’

‘How could I possibly stay in Bath while that devil Salway is here? I’d want to murder him every time I set eyes on him, and one can’t avoid people in Bath. Besides, you have to go to London soon.’

‘Are you determined to go back home?’

‘I’m not going home,’ Bella announced. ‘I’m going to London as well! I’ll hire a house, and find a duenna. That - that obnoxious little beast shan’t defeat me!’

‘London? But - Bella, you can’t! Everyone will know your name there, and all about your fortune!’ Jane gabbled distractedly.

‘So will everyone here by tomorrow! If I can no longer keep it a secret in Bath I may as well go to London. At least it will be livelier there!’

After some anxious discussion, during which Jane realized Bella was stretched taut with suppressed emotion, she suggested that Philip’s godmother, Lady Fulwood, would be happy to have both of them staying with her.

‘I’ve never met her, but Philip says she has a huge house and loves visitors. She always has friends and relatives staying with her. I’m sure she wouldn’t object.’

‘Jane, you’re a dear! That would be ideal! Will you write to her at once?’

‘Are you following Lord Dorney?’ Jane asked apprehensively as she walked across to her small escritoire and pulled a sheet of paper towards her. ‘Do you think that’s wise?’

‘I never want to see or speak to him again!’ Bella announced bravely, but her lip trembled, and she had to blink rapidly.

‘What about the fortune hunters?’

‘I don’t care a toss about fortune hunters! I don’t intend to be taken in by them, either, if that’s what you fear, Jane. I don’t intend ever to marry and give a man power over me or my money. I shall either become an eccentric recluse, secretly devoted to good works, or live in London doing exactly as I wish, and Society can disapprove or not as it chooses. But you can wager it won’t when it knows the size of my fortune!’ she added cynically.

* * * *

Bella retreated to her room and began to write letters herself. If she had rejected marriage, and she would marry no one but Lord Dorney, she would devote more of her time and fortune to her orphans. She wrote to George Jenkins, and after a moment’s thought, to Mr Tomkins in Bristol, asking both if they had any contacts in London with people who might be suitable for running another house if she could find property there.

Lady Fulwood lived in Mount Street, so she asked them to direct any replies to her there. She apologized to the Tomkins that she would be unable to visit them before she left Bath, but was sure they would understand and keep her informed of progress.

She ought also to write to her father. Her letters done, she went to the drawing room to ask Jane if she wanted any help.

‘It’s all in hand, Bella. Forget about him. If he can’t see you for what you are, he is not worth fretting about.’

Bella did not reply. She went to bed, but for most of the night she relived that kiss, trying to explore the new and strange sensations it had aroused in her. What blissful rapture had she lost by her mad masquerade?

* * * *

Although Jane scrutinized her closely the next morning she could find no traces of weeping, just dark shadows under Bella’s eyes which showed she had slept but little. After breakfast Jane set off to discover what she could from Mrs Eversley, while Bella announced to the astonished Mr and Mrs Dawes that they were leaving Bath in a few days.

‘But we mean to give you what you would have earned if we’d stayed here the full two months as arranged,’ she reassured them, ‘as well as excellent references. Dawes, will you please ask Jackson to see about selling the horses? None of them are worth taking to London, I - we can buy better ones there. And return the carriage, we won’t need it any more. Though if Jackson wants to come with us it would save our having to ask Lady Fulwood’s coachman to drive us everywhere.’

‘Yes, miss. What about the dog?’

‘Rags? Oh, dear, I’d forgotten him. Wouldn’t you like to keep him?’

‘No, miss,’ Dawes said firmly. ‘Besides, if we find other posts I wouldn’t be allowed to take him there.’

Bella sighed. ‘I suppose not. I’ll have to take him with us. I’d be sorry to leave him, in a way, I’ve grown fond of him.’

‘And he’d be lost without you, miss. Terrible fond of you, he is, always whining to come after you.’

Briskly Bella ordered trunks brought up, and while Susan was occupied in packing Jane’s clothes Bella began on her own, with Mary’s help.

‘Miss Bella, I’m confused,’ Mary said timidly. ‘You’re not Miss Collins, I heard.’

Briefly Bella explained, and Mary, to her relief, was both amused and sympathetic.

‘Though if I had so much money I wouldn’t want to be thought poor,’ she said, folding Bella’s new dresses with care.

The sight of the gown she’d worn during her first meeting with Lord Dorney almost broke her control. Mary had been unable to get rid of the blood from Rags, or the dirt where Bella had knelt on the ground, but Bella had refused to throw it away, saying blandly it would do for the garden when she went home to Lancashire. She crumpled it in her hands and buried her face in the muslin, and wondered briefly whether to abandon all her clothes again as she’d discarded those which reminded her of her unfortunate visit to Harrogate.

‘I can’t make a habit of that!’ she gasped, half laughing, half sobbing, and thrust the garment roughly into a corner of the trunk. Hastily she tossed others after it, firmly suppressing the memories they evoked of driving with Lord Dorney, or dancing with Lord Dorney, or simply being worn when she had spoken to or merely seen Lord Dorney in the distance.

* * * *

Jane returned after an hour, and Bella ran down to the drawing room.

‘Well,’ she demanded. ‘Did you discover anything?’

Jane was sitting at a small table, abstractedly smoothing the fingers of her gloves. She nodded, and gestured to Bella to sit down opposite her.

‘It’s bad,’ she announced.

‘Tell me!’

Jane took a deep breath. ‘Lord Dorney’s father gambled away most of his inheritance,’ she began slowly. ‘It seems he was a rogue, too, and weak, for he signed vowels which he’d no intention of redeeming and afterwards, if it was just his word against another man’s, claimed they’d been forged. He was ostracized by decent folk, and retired to Dorney Court until he died five years ago.’

‘No wonder Lord Dorney is so amazingly sensitive about deception, ‘ Bella said softly.

‘Yes. His brother, the new Lord Dorney, inherited estates which were badly encumbered, and thought he could redeem matters by marrying an heiress instead of retrenching, as his friends advised. He was charming and handsome and soon found one. They were wed a year after his father died. The debts were redeemed and the mortgages paid, and long-overdue repairs and other improvements made to Dorney Court. But Lady Dorney was a shrew and demanded the most unreasonable things, always pointing out it was her money which paid for them. The ballroom, for instance, which has been used once only since it was built, and is totally impracticable for a country house by no means large enough to accommodate all the guests who’d have to stay if they attended a ball.’

‘Why did her husband allow it?’

‘He was weak too, and he loved her as well as needing her money which had saved his home. But she soon tired of country life and spent all her time in London, creating scandal with her wild behaviour. She was notorious for her indiscretions, and after a time was reputed to be living with a man who left his wife for her. This man was killed, shot in a duel, and Lord Dorney - her husband, not this one, of course, came home and killed himself.’

‘Oh, no! How dreadful! Poor Lord Dorney!’

‘It’s worse. People at first naturally assumed he’d shot his wife’s lover, then odd rumours started that it had been the present Lord Dorney who took his brother’s place in the duel, because he is a much better shot. He’s better at all sorts of sport, Mrs Eversley says. He’s good with his fists, she said, and fences with the best. He can’t afford to keep so many horses now, but he used to be one of the best riders to hounds, and drove with the Four Horse Club. He’s supposed to have a fierce temper, and as a child and a young man often offended people by his outbursts.’

‘He hasn’t a dreadful temper!’ Bella defended him, and then recalled the suppressed fury and passion in his kiss. It had been unexpected, he had seemed so calm beforehand.

‘They say he’s made a tremendous effort to suppress his instincts since then, and of course those who dislike him maintain it’s because of guilt, either he doesn’t want to add fuel to the rumours, or he thinks he caused his brother’s death. Some even say he drove his brother into suicide to get the title.’

‘What utter nonsense!’

‘Perhaps. I cannot believe him so base. But you can understand why he dislikes heiresses and deception of any sort. He must have had a horrendous time with such a disreputable father and weak brother. Mrs Eversley says he’s totally different, takes after his mother. She even hinted - ‘ Jane stopped suddenly, and a slight blush suffused her cheeks.

‘Hinted what? You can’t stop there, Jane.’

‘Well, it’s probably utter nonsense,’ Jane said in embarrassment, ‘but rumour maintained his father was someone else, and Mrs Eversley claims he’s so different from both his father and brother it’s probably true!’

Bella laughed for the first time since Mr Salway had arrived in Bath.

‘So I suppose he’s defensive about that rumour too. I wish I’d known earlier, but it’s all finished now. I have to forget him. When can we start for London?’

‘Patience, Bella! There are matters to deal with here first.’

‘Have you written to Lady Fulwood yet?’

‘Yes, I sent it express and expect an answer in a day or so.’

Jane had had time to regret her impulsive suggestion, though she doubted whether Bella would have gone meekly home. She was becoming more and more apprehensive about Bella’s intentions. She would have little hope of restraining the girl once they were in London, but if Bella had gone alone there would have been the most enormous scandal. At least she could prevent that by being with her.

Uncomfortable though it would be Jane considered it better for her to be on hand, when she might hope to talk sense into Bella and prevent the more outrageous actions if she could.

‘You’re a dear, helping me like this,’ Bella said quietly, and Jane’s feelings of irritation veered towards intense pity for her cousin’s disillusionment.

* * * *

It was late in the evening when Lord Dorney arrived at Sir Daniel’s small town house. His friend greeted him without surprise.

‘How fortunate you’ve come now,’ he said. ‘I’m off to Paris next week, and would have missed you.’

‘For long? Is this a new appointment?’ Lord Dorney asked. ‘Shall I be in your way?’

‘Of course not, you know you’re always welcome. It’s a short visit, no more than a week at most. And you must stay here while I’m gone.’

‘I’m due to visit my godmother soon, but I came to London earlier than I’d planned. I intended at first to go to Dorney Court after I’d seen Alex, but I stayed in Bath instead. Dorney Court can do without me for a while. The builders there can get on with it by themselves. I - Dan, I need to talk.’

He saw the look of surprise on his friend’s face and grinned ruefully. ‘I’ve made a fool of myself. Despite not wanting to follow in Robert’s footsteps I found myself considering marriage. I almost offered for someone. Found out in the nick of time she wasn’t what I thought.’

Sir Daniel nodded. ‘After all your protestations about not wanting to marry, she must have been exceptional.’

Lord Dorney nodded. ‘Different, rather. You recall that incident in the inn yard, the chit who threatened those rogues with a pistol? Well, we met again in Bath.’ He paused, recalling the various occasions when they had met. ‘She was different,’ he repeated.

‘And?’

Lord Dorney shrugged. ‘She wasn’t the usual silly girl, concerned only with her clothes and flirtation. I thought she was open, honest. But she wasn’t.’

‘What did she do to offend?’

‘She was using a false name.’

Sir Daniel raised his eyebrows. ‘What the devil for?’

‘To hide the fact that she was wealthy. Very wealthy. She had this notion of wanting to find a husband who loved her for herself, not her money.’

‘Not an ignoble ambition.’

‘But it meant she lied. And if she lies in one thing, how could I ever trust her? Have you heard of Nabob Trahearne, who died a year or so back?’

‘Who hasn’t? He’s supposed to have come back from India with a shipload of jewels. One of the biggest fortunes ever made there. What has he to do with your girl?’

‘She inherited it.’

‘What?’ Sir Daniel laughed and slapped his friend on the shoulder. ‘And you object to that? Man, it would be the answer to all your problems. You could restore Dorney Court at once, and would have no need to sell your mother’ houses. Has the sale of Fellside been completed yet? Did your cotton merchant or whoever it was increase his offer? ‘

‘Not enough, but if he does offer what I am asking I will feel bound to sell. I won’t go back on that, Dan.’

‘No matter, there are other estates in the area if you want to buy one for the shooting. Or you could buy one in Scotland. That’s becoming fashionable, I hear.’

‘Dan, I don’t wish for that, and how could I use my wife - my possible wife’s money for such things? Have you forgotten what happened when Robert tried that? He thought marrying Selina would solve all his problems, but she made them worse. But why are we even talking of it? I won’t follow in Robert’s footsteps and marry for money, and then spend the rest of my life regretting it. It would be worse than parson’s mousetrap, I’d be completely at her mercy, obligated to her for everything. I can’t endure the thought of that.’