Crossed Quills (16 page)

 “Only two of the gentlemen left cards while we were out,” Millicent reminded her, “so the other three may turn up at any moment. Let us hurry.”

 The girls went off. Bina sank into a chair.

 “What energy the young have!” she sighed. “Do sit down, ma’am. They can manage without a chaperon for a few minutes, however many gallants arrive. Kitty is vastly popular, and Millicent profits from her friendship.”

 “Kitty does seem to have a great many admirers,” said Mrs Lisle with quiet satisfaction, “though how many are willing to take a wife without a portion remains to be seen. But there are those who prefer Millicent.”

 “One or two of those who have nothing to say for themselves,” Bina agreed with a laugh, “though the most silent of all, Mr Chubb, languishes after Kitty. I wonder if it is his doing that Wynn is so assiduous at doing his duty. I must confess I doubted he would attend more than the bare minimum of parties to launch Millie, but he goes with us everywhere.” She gave Pippa a sly glance.

 Pretending not to notice, Pippa reminded her, “Lord Selworth is anxious to turn us up sweet—us Lisles, that is—for  fear of giving offence to Prometheus.”

 “He has done all Prometheus required,” said Mrs Lisle, “and more. I am sure Lord Selworth’s chief aim is to promote the comfort of his sisters.”

 “He has always accepted responsibility for the family’s well-being,” Bina conceded. “I do believe, though, that he has not found the Season the ordeal he expected. It will be interesting to see if he fights shy of Almack’s, which is, in its way, the distilled essence of the Season. Today being Thursday, he has a whole week to screw his courage to the sticking place.”

 “I had much rather not go,” said Pippa. “Its only purpose appears to be to exclude half of those who wish to go so that the rest may regard themselves as superior.”

 “The exclusivity is precisely why young ladies may be certain of meeting unexceptionable gentlemen,” Bina argued, “many of them with marriage in mind.”

 “But I am not on the catch for a husband.”

 “Even so, I hope you will go with us, my love,” Mrs Lisle said. “Obtaining vouchers is more of a triumph than I ever expected. You are at liberty not to regard yourself as superior but it cannot hurt for others to think you so.”

 Bina and Pippa both laughed, then Bina heaved herself to her feet with an exaggerated effort, saying, “I shall leave you to persuade her, ma’am. I had best go and see what the girls are doing.”

 Mrs Lisle eyed her elder daughter consideringly. “I thought you had been enjoying yourself, dearest,” she said. “If not, you have put on a brilliant show. Was it just so as not to appear ungrateful to Albinia?”

 “Oh no, Mama, I have enjoyed myself much more than I supposed possible, much more than I ought when people all over the country are in desperate straits.”

 “I fear your absence from Almack’s will not help to feed the hungry, my love. Indeed, who knows but what you will make some acquaintance there whom you may later influence for the general good.”

 “Now there is an original reason for attending an assembly!” Pippa teased. “I should do better to spend the time working on Lord Selworth’s speech.”

 “How do you go on?”

 “I can no longer postpone the evil day. When we meet at the theatre this evening, I shall tell him I have his manuscript and Prometheus wishes me to discuss the suggested alterations with him.”

 “Evil day?” asked Mrs Lisle with raised eyebrows. “I have never known you reluctant to express your views!”

 “On the contrary, I am constantly at great pains to hold back.”

 “Do you dislike the prospect of consulting with Lord Selworth? I was under the impression you took pleasure in his company.”

 “I do,” Pippa confessed, turning away and hiding her face in her hands, “too much. Oh Mama, I know his only interest is in the connection to Prometheus, but I dread his finding out who Prometheus really is and turning from me in disgust. “

 Her mother came over and put an arm about her shoulders. “My poor darling, have you conceived a tendre for the viscount? It is my fault, I ought to have foreseen the possibility.”

 “It is only a slight attachment,” Pippa strove to convince herself as much as Mama. “I shall be quite content to be his friend, truly. But I should hate to lose his friendship, and I doubt my ability to conceal the truth once I cannot avoid the subject of politics altogether.”

 “I suppose there is no chance...No, your papa was one in a million, and you being his daughter he had cause for pride in your intellectual achievements. You will just have to do your best to keep Lord Selworth in the dark, my love.”

 Pippa summoned up a smile. “So it is fortunate that I am not wildly enamoured,” she said wryly. “To be forced to withhold one’s complete confidence from one’s beloved cannot be considered desirable.”

* * * *

 “The quality of mercy is not strain’d,” quoth Portia. “It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that receives.”

 Lord Selworth leant forward to whispered in Pippa’s ear, “Would that I might lift this speech entire!”

 “Hush!” Pippa was entranced by
The Merchant of Venice
, often read, never before seen on the stage. Edmund Kean made Shylock come alive, no bogle but a tormented man struggling for his rights in an unsympathetic society.

 Jews ought to have the vote, she thought, as well as Catholics, Nonconformists, and the property-less masses. Not to mention women. Had not Portia faced a court full of men and out-argued them all? Three hundred years ago, with the example of his accomplished queen before him, Shakespeare had recognized the talents of women. Pippa was not unique in her abilities, merely rare in being encouraged to develop them.

 Music brought her attention back to the stage. She had always found the final scene clever and amusing; now, with Lord Selworth close behind her, its bawdy innuendos made her blush. She fanned her face, glad that the heat of a thousand bodies and as many candles in the theatre was reason enough for pink cheeks.

 The curtain descended for the last time. In the noise and bustle of departure, Pippa found it no easier than before or during the play to speak privately with Lord Selworth.

 As he handed her into the Debenhams’ carriage, she said, “I must talk to you. Are you free tomorrow morning?”

 His face lit up. “You have heard from....” Glancing over his shoulder at the crush of playgoers close behind him, waiting for their carriages, he lowered his voice. “News from my mentor? Splendid! Will eleven be too early?”

 “No, I shall expect you then.” Sadly Pippa took her seat in the carriage. His delight at the conclusion he had so quickly jumped to, when she asked him to call, confirmed that his only interest in her was the connection to Prometheus.

 As the carriage rolled towards Charles Street, Bina interrupted Millicent’s interminable review of the play. “Poor Shylock, losing his only daughter. It has made me realize how much I miss my boys. Mrs Lisle, I have a great favour to beg of you. Now that you have met a great many people, would you mind chaperoning Pippa and the girls alone for a few days while I go down to Kent?”

 “Not a bit, my dear,” said Mrs Lisle cheerfully. “You will return in good time for Almack’s on Wednesday, no doubt, and we do not entertain formally before then, do we? For the rest, just make sure I know what invitations we have accepted each day, and I shall make your excuses to our hostesses.”

 “No dinner parties, as I recall, so my absence will not upset anyone’s numbers.”

 “May I hope you can spare me also, ma’am?” George Debenham asked Mrs Lisle. “There are one or two matters of business on which I should like to consult my father in person. If you don’t care to be without male protection, I daresay Selworth will agree to stand in for me.”

 “I cannot think we shall need protection,” Pippa protested. If Lord Selworth were to move into the house, she would be unable to work on his speech without fear of his catching her at it.

 “We have had large numbers of gentlemen callers recently,” Bina pointed out, “though I hardly fancy any of them are likely to trouble you.”

 “There is safety in numbers.” Pippa did not want Wynn Selworth constantly at hand, disturbing her peace of mind.

 “Besides,” said Kitty, a laugh in her voice, “I have noticed that Mr Debenham takes great care to leave for his club well before our swarms of beaux begin to arrive. Whereas Lord Selworth or Mr Chubb or both almost always turn up. I am sure we can rely upon Mr Chubb as much as Lord Selworth if Lieutenant Pendrell starts to wave his sword or Lord Fenimore’s invitations to a masked ball at the Pantheon become too pressing.”

 “Oh dear,” said Mrs Lisle, “has he asked you again, Kitty? Still, a butler and three stout footmen are surely sufficient to eject him should it become advisable!”

 “I shall direct my butler to station two footmen within earshot whenever Lord Fenimore is admitted,” George Debenham promised dryly.

* * * *

 Next morning, the Debenhams departed for Kent shortly before Lord Selworth arrived. Pippa had advised her mother of her appointment with the viscount. Mrs Lisle and Kitty had no difficulty enticing Millicent out to the shops to look for matching ribbons and buttons and such fal-lals. Nor was Millie surprised that Pippa stayed at home. Her lack of interest in fashions and fripperies had long since ceased to arouse comment.

 Millicent had been told originally that her brother had business with a friend of the Lisles. The nature of the business was kept from her, in view of her lack of discretion, and she appeared to have forgotten all about it. Everyone agreed that the longer she could be kept in ignorance the better.

 So Pippa awaited Lord Selworth alone in the ladies’ sitting room. She ruffled through the sheets of manuscript, noting with dismay the proliferation of red ink.

 Had she made too many changes? He might be offended by such lavish criticism, or so discouraged he decided to give up.

 Through the open window came the chime of church clocks striking eleven. Though she expected him and had left the door ajar, Lord Selworth’s knock made Pippa start.

 “I beg your pardon, Miss Lisle.” He stood on the threshold, a trim figure in a blue morning coat, fawn Unmentionables, blue and grey striped waistcoat, and neatly tied cravat. Only the unmanageable fly-away hair had not been spruced up since their first meeting. Pippa was glad he had not taken to pomading it into submission. “I did not mean to startle you,” he continued. “I ought to have sent a footman to announce me, perhaps. I have grown accustomed to treating my sister’s house as my own, but she has gone off to Kent, I am told, and in her absence—”

 “Oh no, Lord Selworth, I am sure Mama would not wish you to feel less at home because Bina is away. Do come in and be seated. It was idiotish of me to be taken by surprise when you arrived exactly on time.”

 He moved a chair alongside the desk and sat down. “Your thoughts were far away. I fear you were wondering how to convey Prometheus’s verdict without driving me to despair.”

 His guess was too close to the truth. Mutely Pippa pushed the pile of papers across to him.

 Ruffling through the sheets as she had just done, Lord Selworth groaned. “A sea of red ink! I daresay I ought to be grateful it isn’t the red ink of debts. Have you read his comments, Miss Lisle? Can you tell me if it is salvageable, or shall I take up agriculture instead of politics? Has Prometheus pruned, as you suggested, or has he uprooted my roses and consigned them to the bonfire?”

 “By no means. Your rootstock is sound. That is, Prometheus has no quarrel with what you wish to say, only it might be put more persuasively. At least....” Pippa hesitated.

 “Pray let me know the worst. “

 “I...Prometheus is inclined to believe you are attempting to cover too many disparate subjects in a single speech. It might be more effective if you concentrate on a few closely related topics rather than putting all your convictions in one basket.”

 Lord Selworth looked much struck. “That is precisely what I was doing,” he admitted with a rueful grimace. “Now I come to think of it, I suppose I tried to include the whole batch for fear of never having the opportunity to make a second speech!”

 “But if the first is good enough, you will make many more,” Pippa encouraged him. “I am not sure how long a maiden speech in the House of Lords is expected to last, but Papa used to say if your listeners are bored by the end they will forget the beginning.”

 “And everything in between, no doubt. So Prometheus says it is too long, as well as too complex and too verbose?”

 “It is hard to tell without reading it aloud.”

 “Which would be a waste of time until it is whipped roughly into shape. I had best take this home to study.” He tapped the manuscript on the writing table to straighten the sheets. “Then, when I comprehend what Prometheus approves and what he condemns, I shall make a fresh start. Miss Lisle, may I ask a very great favour of you?”

 “Of course,” Pippa said cautiously.

 “It is perfectly clear to me that you understand and agree with the criticisms Prometheus has written here. Will you be so good as to advise me as I go along, so that I shall not humiliate myself by sending him another thoroughly bungled effort?”

 With what she hoped was a becoming degree of hesitant modesty, Pippa acquiesced. In fact she was delighted. She would be able to express her own opinions openly, without having to constantly filter them through “Prometheus suggests...” and “I believe Prometheus means....”

 She must be careful not to venture far afield from the comments already attributed to her alter ego. Fortunately, she had dissected Lord Selworth’s first effort with ruthless thoroughness. His second was unlikely to present new difficulties unsolvable by the same methods. On the whole, Pippa was inclined to believe she had a good chance of scraping through with her secret preserved.

* * * *

 Wynn spent the afternoon poring over his annotated speech. On the whole he had to agree with the extensive deletions. What remained was more forceful for being leaner, though it hurt to lose the intricate embellishments he had laboured over so lovingly.