Gail Whitiker (15 page)

‘Conniving? What on earth are you talking about?’

‘I’m talking about the fact that you’ve been having me on as regards your sister,’ Stanford accused. ‘Why didn’t you tell me she was a diamond?’

Wishing to make light of it, Robert smiled. ‘I didn’t think you would be interested.’

‘Not interested? In a lady who will undoubtedly set London on its ear? You’ll have to do better than that, my friend.’

‘On the contrary, I had no reason to believe you would look at Hannah with any degree of interest, since you’ve already told me you were madly in love with Miss Blazel.’

‘Well, of course I did. And I am,’ Stanford blustered. ‘But
you
were the one who told me that Miss Blazel wasn’t good enough for me. You were the one who said I should look elsewhere for a bride.’ The younger man’s eyes narrowed. ‘I say, Winthrop, this isn’t all part of some grand scheme, is it?’

‘A scheme?’

‘Yes. To make me forget Miss Blazel.’

‘Rest assured, I am guilty of no such ploy.’

‘Then what was all that nonsense about introducing me to a young lady of quality? Someone with impeccable breeding who was coming up from the country? You were referring to your sister all along, weren’t you?’

‘Gudgeon.’ Robert abruptly pulled his friend into the shadow of a large potted plant. ‘I was referring to the young lady I was just on my way to introduce you to.’

Stanford looked blank. ‘What lady?’

‘The one standing over there by the Chinese screen. Miss Caroline Thorpe.’

Stanford glanced towards the screen, where an exquisite young lady was indeed engaged in conversation with Lord Rutherford. ‘
That
is the lady you wished me to meet?’

‘It is. As you can see, she is exceptionally beautiful, and her breeding is all that any parent could wish. Her father is Lord Thorpe, and her mother was the eldest daughter of the Earl of Trowbridge.’

Stanford glanced at Miss Thorpe again, and then slid his gaze back across the room to where Hannah and Alice were chatting. ‘I think if you don’t mind, I should rather become better acquainted with your sister.’

Surprised at the guilt he felt over having to keep a secret from his friend, Robert sighed. ‘James, you don’t understand. Hannah isn’t ready to form any serious attachments yet. She told me so herself.’

‘She may not be ready, but I’ll wager there’ll be plenty of gentlemen willing to give it a try. Oh, come along, Winthrop, you must see your sister’s a beauty. When you said she was ungainly, I thought you meant it.’

‘I did. And she was.’

‘Well, she isn’t now. And if you weren’t her brother, I’d accuse you of having kept her in the country for your own evil purposes.’

‘Thank you for that small concession,’ Robert muttered, finding his friend’s remark a little too close to the truth for comfort. Much as he wanted to tell Stanford the truth, he knew he couldn’t. Not after
he
had been the one to convince Hannah of the need for secrecy. What would she say if she were to learn that he had broken his promise to her by telling one of his closest friends the truth the first chance he’d got?

‘Still, you may as well get used to the fact that she’s
not going to be your sister much longer,’ Stanford said, cutting into his thoughts.

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Well, look at her. Apart from the fact that she’s beautiful, there’s something about her that makes a man want to be with her. Dashed if I’m not tempted to run back to her side this very instant.’

Robert bit back the sharp retort he’d been about to make, because he knew there was no justification for him to make it. Despite the need for secrecy, he had no reason to be annoyed that Stanford wished to further an acquaintance with Hannah. On the contrary, he should have been happy that his friend was so taken with her, because it proved there was absolutely no reason for Hannah to be concerned about her future. Even if she didn’t find out who her real parents were, she could still look forward to the prospect of a successful marriage. And James Stanford would be an excellent match, Robert told himself. And that was what he wanted for Hannah.

Wasn’t it?

Hannah was agreeably surprised to find herself enjoying the evening. Perhaps because the company was comprised of such a wide variety of ages and backgrounds, the conversation did not become boring and predictable as it so often could. Indeed, they discussed everything from politics to agriculture, before switching to a lively discussion of literature and the finer points of Shakespeare’s plays.

Alice was a little out of her depth, Hannah noticed, but she was wise enough not to draw attention to herself over it. She did not offer opinions on topics she knew nothing about, and pretended a believable interest in the
subjects that were being discussed. For her own part, Hannah thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of being able to exchange ideas with people of like mind and interests.

At the conclusion of dinner, Lady Donaldson led the ladies to the drawing-room so that the gentlemen might enjoy more masculine conversation over port and cigars. Hannah chatted for a while with Lady Donaldson and her good friend, Mrs Benbrook-Hyde, before making her way to a comfortable looking loveseat located next to the window.

Moments later, she looked up to see Miss Caroline Thorpe standing in front of her.

‘Good evening, Miss Winthrop,’ the elegant young woman greeted her.

Hannah inclined her head. ‘Miss Thorpe.’ She could see why Caroline Thorpe had been deemed an Incomparable by the
ton
, for everything about her was pleasing to the eye. Slim of build and dainty of form, she nevertheless possessed enough feminine curves to attract the attention of even the most discerning gentleman in the room. And it was only to be expected that her attire would be of the first stare. Her gown of pink gros de Naples was striking, cut low over the bodice and draped with a folded gauze of pale pink that only accentuated the dusty rose in her cheeks.

‘I hope you don’t mind,’ the young lady said now, ‘but I wonder if I might sit with you for a while? I have been longing to speak to you, but this is the first opportunity I’ve had to do so all evening.’

Surprised that the acknowledged beauty should be so anxious to sit down for a coz, Hannah nevertheless smiled and moved over on the bench. ‘Of course.’

‘Oh, good.’ Miss Thorpe’s smile was open and warm.
‘Lord Winthrop has spoken of you in the past, of course, but never in any great detail. And I must admit, I have long been curious to meet you. But first, let me say how very sorry I was to hear about your loss of your mother, Miss Winthrop. Lord Winthrop said the two of you were very close.’

‘Thank you,’ Hannah replied, surprised to learn that Robert had spoken of her at all. ‘Yes, we were.’

‘You are fortunate that your family has rallied around you.’

‘Y-yes. My…aunt and uncle have been most kind in having me to stay with them, and they do try to keep me occupied.’ Hannah hoped the girl would put her stumbling hesitation down to emotion. ‘And Robert has been most attentive, of course.’

‘Yes. I should think he is a most wonderful brother.’

Hannah glanced at the girl sharply. Was that adoration she’d heard in her voice? ‘Do you know my brother well, Miss Thorpe?’

A tell tale sweep of colour rose to the lady’s cheeks. ‘I cannot say I know him well, but I do admit to thinking most highly of him. He and my eldest brother, Jeremy, were at Oxford together, and Lord Winthrop often used to come stay with us during the summers. But he has not been to see us for some time, so I was very pleased when he paid a call upon us in London a few weeks ago. He is not like the other gentlemen I’ve met. But then, you would know that better than anyone.’

Hannah smiled, gleaning more from the lady’s heightened colour than she did from her carefully phrased words. ‘Actually, I’ve had very little to do with my brother or with any other gentlemen, Miss Thorpe, so the comparison is a difficult one for me to make.’

‘Oh, but the other gentlemen are all quite gay and
charming, and prone to saying the most flattering things. Your brother isn’t like that at all. I mean, he does say nice things,’ the lady added hastily, ‘but not in such ridiculous ways. He does not compare my beauty to the radiance of a flower, or the colour of my hair to spun gold. Rather, he is quiet and thoughtful. He doesn’t speak until he has given careful consideration to what he wishes to say, and when he does speak, it is with intelligence and wit.’

Hannah bit her lip, wondering how far the lady’s revelations would go, surprised to discover she had no wish to encourage them.

‘He has said nothing to me, of course,’ the lady carried on, ‘because it is widely known that he is not looking to bestow his favours on anyone. But I do hold out hope that, when the time is right, he may look kindly in my direction.’ Miss Thorpe turned to gaze at Hannah with what could only be called an expression of hopeful expectation. ‘You do understand what I’m saying, don’t you, Miss Winthrop?’

‘I’m not sure I do, Miss Thorpe.’

The young lady bit her lip. ‘I’ve noticed the closeness between you and your brother, and I simply thought that perhaps you might consider telling him, should the chance ever arise, that I think of him with the utmost respect and…affection.’

‘Ah, I think I do begin to see now,’ Hannah said slowly. ‘You wish me to speak favourably of you to my brother, should the opportunity present itself.’

The girl’s lashes dropped down, hiding the expression in her magnificent violet eyes. ‘I would never wish to be so forward, Miss Winthrop. I only thought that, if you knew of my…affection for your brother, you might be able to assure him, should he ever enquire, that he
would be very welcome to call upon me. I know my father would also be most accepting of his visits.’

Finding herself at something of a loss, Hannah merely looked at the girl and smiled. Thankfully, Lady Donaldson chose that moment to approach with a request of her own. ‘Ah, Miss Winthrop, forgive me for interrupting your little coz, but I wonder if I might prevail upon you to entertain us. Your aunt has been most generous in her compliments, and I should dearly love to hear you play whilst we await the return of the gentlemen.’

Grateful for the reprieve, Hannah nodded. ‘Thank you, Lady Donaldson, I should be happy to play for you.’ Then, after giving Miss Thorpe another smile, and assuring her that she would do whatever she could to further her case with her brother, Hannah made quickly for the pianoforte in the far corner of the room.

Faith, but the evening was growing stranger by the minute.
First, her cousin Alice had quizzed her about her feelings for Mr Stanford, and now the lovely Miss Thorpe had sought her out to ask her if she might be willing to help further an amorous acquaintance with Robert. How had she suddenly become the centre of all this romantic upheaval?

More to the point, why was she feeling so irritated about it? There was certainly no reason for her to feel out of sorts because Miss Thorpe liked Robert and wished to share her feelings about him with her. Or because she had asked Hannah to speak to him in a helpful way, should he happen to mention her in conversation. After all, was not such honesty expected between a sister and her brother?

Hannah sat down on the bench and began flipping through the music. Of course it was, and as Robert’s
sister
, she would likely have done all she could to facilitate a match between him and the lady of his choosing. As his sister, she would have done her best to ensure that the woman who married him did so because she loved him, and not simply because she was looking for a title or a comfortable living. As his sister, she would have done all those things.

But she wasn’t his sister, which made her present mood of disgruntlement all the more difficult to comprehend. After all, why should she resent being involved in Robert’s love life?

Coward
, a tiny voice murmured in the back of her mind.
You know why you don’t wish to be involved.

Hannah placed her fingers on the keys and began to play. The voice was right, of course. As ridiculous as it seemed, she didn’t wish to know which young ladies might be in love with him.

Because she also didn’t want to know which young ladies Robert might be in love with in return!

T
HE
following morning Hannah awoke feeling strangely out of sorts, though what the cause of her malaise might be, she was reluctant to say. She suspected it had something to do with the conversations she’d had the night before, but she preferred not to delve too deeply into the matter for fear of what she might discover. Suffice it to say that the dinner at Lady Donaldson’s had been enlightening.

But it had been enjoyable too, Hannah admitted. She had carried out her subterfuge with little or no difficulty, and had been complimented both on her appearance and on her resilience in dealing with her recent loss. She had also made the acquaintance of several very pleasant people, including Mr James Stanford, the gentleman with whom she now knew Alice to be enamoured. The fact that Mr Stanford had seemed more interested in
her
than in Alice had robbed Hannah of some of the pleasure she might have taken in the introduction, but she had done her best to downplay the significance of the event.

As for the lovely Miss Caroline Thorpe’s willingness to share her intimate feelings for Lord Winthrop with her, Hannah wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. It was the first time her standing as Robert’s sister had truly been called into play, and while there was no doubt in her mind that Miss Thorpe had spoken to her with her own interests in mind, she had to admire the girl for having had the courage to do so. After all, Miss Thorpe had taken a chance in admitting her affection for one of
society’s most eligible bachelors to a lady who might or might not be willing to help her. If, for example, Hannah had taken an instant dislike to Miss Thorpe, she could have influenced Robert’s opinion away from her and thereby ruined any chance she might have had of becoming the next Lady Winthrop. Yes, Miss Thorpe was sure to have recognised that she did not run the same risks in speaking to Hannah as she would in speaking to another rival for Lord Winthrop’s affections, but there was still a chance that Hannah might have been of a mind to sabotage her efforts.

What would Miss Thorpe have said, Hannah wondered, if she’d known that she was no more in a position to influence Robert’s opinion than Caroline herself? Would the confessions have flowed so easily from her lips? Hannah doubted it, because at that point, she would simply have become one more rival for Robert’s affections. After all, had Miss Thorpe not already made note of the fact that the two of them seemed particularly…close?

The remark had given Hannah pause at the time, and she thought about it again now as she sat down to breakfast. Not because she was willing to attach any emotional significance to the remark. She didn’t deceive herself into believing that Robert had any romantic feelings for her. He had been more attentive to her these last few months than he had at any time during their past, but that was only because he felt sorry for her.

Oh, yes, Hannah knew sympathy when she saw it. A less than flattering reality, perhaps, but a fact of life nonetheless. Lord Winthrop knew that he had turned her world upside down, and perhaps as a result of some deeply rooted sense of obligation, he now felt compelled
to try to make things better for her—at least until she decided what she was going to do with her life.

But dealing with her life was one thing. What was she to do about her growing feelings of affection for Robert? She wasn’t even sure when her feelings had begun to change. Perhaps when she had started seeing him as a man rather than the self-centred brother she’d always believed him to be. Yes, he was reserved, but that was only because he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself rather than share them with the world. Nor was he as selfish as she had been inclined to think. Certainly, he had demonstrated his compassion to her by not forcing her to reveal her secret to the world when he could quite easily have done so. She could not be absolutely sure what his motivation for such conduct had been, but she suspected it had a lot to do with pride—his
and
hers.

Whatever the case, the awareness of considerably warmer feelings towards him had crept up on Hannah like a thief in the night, threatening to steal her heart as surely as a pickpocket stole her purse. Perhaps it would have been better had her feelings towards him
been
more in the nature of what a sister might feel for a brother, because at least then she would be able to
miss
him in such a way when she left Gillingdon Park. But what she felt for him now had little to do with such obligation.

Still, whatever her feelings, it did not alter the fact that her association with Robert would come to an end once she left Gillingdon Park. And since she intended to do that in the very near future, Hannah knew their time together was drawing to a close. She had no wish to leave her home, but doing so now was more necessary than ever. She couldn’t risk exposing her heart, and there was no question in her mind that that’s what would happen if she stayed. The more time she spent with Robert,
the more time she would want to spend with him. And that was not only a foolish dream but an unattainable one.

Better to walk away now when she still had a choice, than be forced to leave when the situation became intolerable.

As it turned out, Hannah was not the only one feeling a little blue that morning. Alice too, appeared rather subdued as they sat together in the drawing-room. Suspecting her cousin’s mood of preoccupation had to do with Mr Stanford’s conduct the previous evening, Hannah tactfully put the question to her. She was surprised at finding her cousin grudgingly accepting of the situation.

‘Well, why would he not be taken with you? You are so lovely, Cousin Hannah, and you have such a sweet personality that I do not see how any gentleman could fail to be charmed.’

‘Nonsense. You are reading far too much into his attentions,’ Hannah said briskly. ‘Mr Stanford seems a jovial man by nature, and I am sure he tries to make everyone he meets feel special.’

‘Oh, yes, he does have a gift for making a lady feel special. Is that not so, Mama?’

‘It most certainly is, my dear.’ Lady Montgomery was perusing a selection of fashion magazines. ‘Mr Stanford is a very fine gentleman to be sure, and while he does seem to smile kindly upon all the ladies he meets, I do not believe he is the type to dangle after one lady, if he is interested in another.’

‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that,’ Robert said upon entering the room. ‘Stanford changes his mind as frequently as the breeze changes direction.’ He cast a sharp
glance in Alice’s direction. ‘I wouldn’t pin all my hopes on his coming up to scratch in the near future, cousin.’

Alice flushed. ‘I haven’t pinned any hopes on him at all. I was merely telling Cousin Hannah that Mr Stanford seemed to show a marked interest in her last evening, and that she should be pleased to have his affection. After all, he is your best friend, Cousin Robert. Do
you
not think Hannah is fortunate to have been singled out for his attention?’

‘If I thought she
had
been singled out for his attention, I might be more willing to comment,’ came Robert’s somewhat dry retort. ‘But I happen to know that James’s affections are engaged elsewhere at the moment.’

Hannah flicked a quick glance at Alice, fearing that the casually uttered remark would serve to depress her even further. She was not wrong. Alice went pale, and then quickly looked down at her embroidery, pretending an intense concentration on the French knots she was endeavouring to tie.

‘Sister,’ Robert said suddenly. ‘Would you care to accompany me to Hatchard’s? I’ve a mind to pick up some new reading material, and thought you might appreciate the opportunity to do the same.’

Hannah looked up and seeing a gleam of purpose in Robert’s eyes, hastily put aside her hoop. ‘Yes, of course.’

‘Oh, please, may I come too?’ Alice said, her own expression brightening.

Hannah’s gaze slid towards Robert, wondering how he would gracefully extricate himself from the problem, when Lady Montgomery unexpectedly solved it for them.

‘Now, Alice, have you forgotten that we are expected at Mrs Pendleton’s? And given that we have already
cancelled the outing once, I suggest we do not do so again for fear of not being invited back at all.’

Alice’s face fell. ‘Oh, bother. Yes, I had forgotten. Well, never mind. I shall go with you next time, Cousin Hannah.’

Relieved that they had achieved a painless resolution to what might have been an awkward situation, Hannah gave her cousin a reassuring smile. ‘Of course you will. I’ll just go and fetch my bonnet, Robert.’

It was a beautiful morning, and upon stepping out Hannah tipped her face up to the sky, thinking how lovely it was to see the sun after all the rain they had endured over the last few weeks. ‘I vow, if I must be in one place or the other, I should far rather find myself in the country than in Town when it comes to the bearing of inclement weather,’ she said. ‘Everything smells so fresh and clean there after a rain, whereas here, everything just seems muddier and more hopelessly soiled.’

‘Never say that you are actually missing rural life?’ Robert teased as he handed her up into the carriage. ‘I thought you might have enjoyed the conveniences of living in Town for a change.’

‘Well, yes, I suppose I do, in some ways, but it is not where I would wish to spend my life.’

‘So you would prefer to live in the country?’

I would prefer to live at Gillingdon,
Hannah wanted to tell him. But she did not, because there really wasn’t any point. It wasn’t her decision to make any more.

Perhaps because of her own heightened awareness of Robert, Hannah felt somewhat strange at being alone in the carriage with him. She knew, of course, that society would not expect a brother and sister to go out in the company of a chaperone, but because
she
knew the truth,
Hannah felt the breach of decorum keenly. Unfortunately, Robert would not expect anyone to join them, and given that they were going to the library, it was hardly necessary that she ask her maid to accompany her.

But was it only the lack of suitable chaperonage that was causing her such distress?

Hatchard’s on Piccadilly was particularly crowded that afternoon, but as Hannah soon found out, it was not merely a bookshop and circulating library. It was a popular meeting place for the
ton
. Ladies turned out in all their finery to chat with well-dressed gentlemen who were there ostensibly to acquire new editions for their libraries but who were actually more intent on furthering their acquaintances with said ladies, while older matrons gathered to exchange the latest news and scandal broth.

Strictly there for intellectual pursuits, Hannah’s eyes widened in delight at the selection of books stretching out before her, everything from gothic romances to tomes of a more improving nature. There were volumes in the original Latin and Greek, or more recent translations for those not skilled in the ancient languages, as well as an excellent selection of novels by the current authors of the day.

Skimming over the shelves, Hannah took a few minutes to look for something to take back to Alice. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl, both for having had to miss the outing, and for being forced to face the fact that her dear Mr Stanford was enamoured of someone else. As such, Hannah was delighted to come upon a collection of beautifully bound Shakespearean sonnets. She also discovered a copy of
Essays on Various Subjects, Principally Designed for Young Ladies
, but
knowing that her cousin was more romantically inclined than intellectually so, she quickly decided on the sonnets.

Lord Winthrop too, found what he was looking for, and with a copy of
The Memoirs of Signor Gaudentio di Lucca
tucked under his arm, the two prepared to leave. They were stayed by a cry of ‘I say!’ echoing across the floor, and turned to see a grinning James Stanford striding across the shop towards them.

‘Winthrop, what a pleasant surprise. And Miss Winthrop, how delightful you look this morning.’ The warmth in his eyes was as bright as the smile on his face. ‘Did you enjoy yourself last evening?’

Hannah smiled too, for it was difficult not to respond to Mr Stanford’s amiability. ‘I did indeed, sir, thank you.’

‘Yes, excellent company, I thought. Quite…excellent,’ he said, fixing his gaze intently upon her face.

Beside Hannah, Robert cleared his throat. ‘I was thinking of taking Hannah over to Gunter’s for some refreshments, James. Would you care to join us?’

‘Gunter’s? I say, what a splendid idea! Haven’t been there this age.’

‘Fine. Have you a carriage outside? If so, we can meet you there.’

‘Oh. Well, yes, all right, that would probably be best. I’ll just take care of these books and see you there.’

Having already made their purchases, Robert and Hannah headed back outside to their carriage.

‘I hope you did not mind my inviting him,’ Robert said in a quiet aside, ‘but I feared that unless I suggested some other diversion, you were quite likely to spend the next half-hour engaged in conversation with him, and in
a place where his attentions to you would most surely not go unnoticed.’

Hannah laughed, but her cheeks grew warm. ‘I have no objection to your inviting him to join us, Robert. He seems a very pleasant young man.’

‘You think him young?’

Hannah shrugged. ‘He appears that way to me, but perhaps that is because his expression is so open and guileless, and because I have always associated youth with such freedom from care.’ She risked a hesitant glance in his direction. ‘You know, of course, that Alice is very fond of him.’

Robert briefly inclined his head. ‘I gathered as much from the conversation earlier. Which is why I let it be known that his feelings are engaged elsewhere.’

‘Did you say that in an attempt to make Alice feel better, or to convince her that I was not a rival for his affections?’

Robert turned to her in amusement. ‘You think me so noble?’

‘I think you would not wish to see her hurt if it was within your power to prevent it.’

‘You credit me with far more integrity than I possess,’ Robert muttered as he helped her climb into the carriage. ‘In truth, it was
your
feelings I was trying to spare.’