Ice Angel (16 page)

L
ADY
Portland was sitting up in bed when her maid
delivered
the message, ‘
Madame! Madame!
You have a gentleman visitor.’

‘What nonsense is this, Celeste?’ replied her mistress in
irritation
. ‘It is half past ten – no gentleman calls upon a lady so early.’

Celeste threw out her hands, saying indignantly. ‘I tell the truth,
madame
. Your visitor is in the library and he says he will not leave until he has spoken to you.’ She looked slyly under her lashes at her employer. ‘He is very handsome – I should be pleased to see such a man at any time.’

Felicity looked up. ‘Who is it?’

‘Lord Bramwell,
madame
.’

A slow smile curved Felicity’s lips. ‘So, he has changed his mind and prefers me to that milk-and-water miss after all.’ She scrambled out of bed and added, ‘Hurry, Celeste! Help me to get dressed. I shall wear the dark-green muslin – no, wait – it must be the blue silk: it is more becoming. Where is Lord Portland?’

‘Still in his bedchamber,
madame
. I understand he returned late from his club and has not yet called for his valet.’

‘Excellent. Tell the other servants that Lord Bramwell and I are not to be disturbed.’

‘Of course,
madame
,’ said Celeste, with a knowing smile.

A short while later, Felicity went downstairs and opened the library door. Hal stood at the window, his tall figure silhouetted against the sun as he looked out on to the street. He turned round and for a moment, she could not see his expression because his features were in shadow.

She walked towards him with hands outstretched, saying, ‘I knew you would think again and come to me—’

Felicity stopped abruptly when she saw his face. His features might have been carved out of stone, so grim and merciless was his expression. Narrowed eyes and the set of his shoulders spoke eloquently of towering rage, but this was different to the anger she had witnessed in him last night. It was implacable, unyielding and, for the first time in her life, Felicity felt vulnerable and a little afraid of being alone with a man.

He had not uttered a word and, in an effort to break the tense silence, she said, ‘I thought you had decided to accept my offer, but I see now that is not the case.’ His mouth tightened, but still he did not speak and she gave a nervous laugh. ‘Have you lost your tongue, Hal?’

‘Don’t play games, Felicity,’ he said tersely.

Clasping her hands together, she stammered, ‘I – I have not the least idea why you should come here, other than to accept my offer.’

‘I know that you said or did something to upset Lady Vane last night and I swear by the Almighty if you do not tell me – at once – what you have done, I will choke the truth out of you.’

Her eyes widened in shock and, in an involuntary action, she put her hand to her slim, white throat. His low tone made her shiver and Felicity did not doubt he meant every word. She
hesitated
, then said, ‘I recall now that I did speak to her briefly.’

His eyes glinted. ‘I await the details with bated breath.’

‘We – we talked of you.’

‘That much I had guessed,’ he snapped. ‘Continue.’

‘Well, I … that is, I told her that we still cared for each other,’ said Felicity.

His lip curled in derision. ‘A complete lie. What else?’

Lady Portland shrugged. ‘Does it matter?’

‘Yes – what else did you say?’

Goaded by his manner, Felicity abandoned all pretence and with a note of exultation in her voice admitted, ‘I said that you had courted her only to win a wager – a wager running in the gentlemen’s clubs to thaw the Ice Angel. Stupidly, she believed every word. It was easy enough to convince her, especially as I made certain that she saw me kiss you in the garden – she was watching us.’

‘My God,’ he muttered under his breath, moving towards her. ‘Your lies have done more damage than you know. I hope you are satisfied.’

She flinched under his blazing gaze, but shrugged her
shoulders
again. ‘Not particularly. I have still not obtained what I really wanted – you – but it was worth it to see the shock on Lady Vane’s face at your supposed perfidy. Her love for you must be great indeed if she can be so easily persuaded.’

Hal’s arm shot forward and his long fingers fastened around her wrist. Jaw clenched, he hissed, ‘I would knock you to the ground if you were a man,’ before releasing her and turning away.

Lady Portland rubbed the skin where his fingers had gripped. Realizing he was controlling himself only with visible effort and that she had pushed him to the limit, she tried to assuage some of his anger. Giving a trill of laughter, she exclaimed, ‘What a mountain you make of this! If you and Lady Vane are so much in love, you can tell her that you were not involved – that it was all a lie, invented by me and what she saw in the garden was not what it seemed. If you think it necessary, I will write a letter, or even see her in person, to admit what I have done.’

He turned back to face her. ‘How magnanimous of you to offer help after instigating the problem,’ he replied sardonically. ‘And how conceited of you to think that we would need or desire your intervention.’

Flushing, she retaliated, ‘I know I am spiteful and shallow – it is my nature – but that need not worry you because I shall stay out of your way in future. Go to your Isabella! I wish both of you joy.’

‘I called in Curzon Street before I came here – she has already left Town and I have no idea where she has gone,’ he said in a bitter voice.

She gave him a look of astonishment. ‘Surely the servants know?’

‘I had already considered that,’ he flung back in disgust, ‘but either they do not know or have been sworn to secrecy. However, I will find her and afterwards, we shall have the kind of
happiness
you can only imagine. As for you … if you ever interfere with me or my family again, Lady Portland, you will discover what invoking my wrath will bring down upon you.’

Felicity was growing to hate as well as fear his low-pitched even tone. ‘I am a respectable woman, married to a wealthy man of good standing – how could you hurt me?’ she asked warily.

‘You are tolerated if your affairs do not become food for gossip. However, I could ensure that your behaviour becomes common knowledge, that you are discussed in every drawing-room, gentleman’s club and ballroom in London until you are no longer welcome in London society, and perhaps elsewhere. You would be shunned and receive no invitations or morning calls from those whose company you have been enjoying the past few weeks. Have you any idea what it would be like for someone of your character to be an outcast, completely ostracized by polite society?’ She shuddered but made no reply, and he smiled
mirthlessly
. ‘I thought the prospect would not appeal. You have gone too far and your lies have touched someone dear to me. Stay away or I swear that you will regret it until the end of your days.’

He strode to the door and Felicity breathed a sigh of relief, glad that this extremely uncomfortable interview was drawing to a close.

Then, he turned back. ‘I almost forgot to mention it – do not attempt to attend Almack’s again.’

‘Why … what have you done?’ she asked, startled by this cryptic comment.

‘I was prepared for your treachery. Last night, I composed a letter to the patronesses which, following this conversation, they will receive within the next half an hour. I will not trouble you with the exact contents, but suffice to say I have mentioned your scandalous appearance at Julia’s ball and also hinted that when you lived on the Continent, your sympathies, both moral and financial, lay with Napoleon rather than with Wellington and his allies.’

Felicity gasped as she realized the import of what he had said. ‘But that’s not true!’

‘Oh, nothing is stated as fact; I have merely alluded to your guilt. The patronesses will not mention it outside their circle, but with matters reaching another crisis across the Channel, any hint of disloyalty will mean your exclusion.’ His lips twisted into a sinister smile. ‘There will be whispers and conjecture, of course, and you will have to live with the constant fear of
exposure
, but perhaps this will stop you interfering in other people’s affairs once and for all.’

‘Damn you, Hal!’ she cried, but he made no reply as he left the room.

Lady Portland stared blankly ahead. To be denounced for scandal was bad enough, but to be branded, albeit in whispers behind cupped hands, as a traitor was quite another and she swallowed nervously, knowing that anti-French feeling was running high in England.

She sank into a chair and remained there for some time until she decided that breakfast might steady her nerves. She was still lingering over her coffee and musing on whether to accept Lord Taylor’s amorous advances after all, when her husband entered the breakfast parlour. The vision of Lord Portland, ruddy of complexion and grimacing at his gout, seemed oddly comforting for once and Felicity went to him, throwing her arms around his neck. ‘My dearest, I have been waiting for you.’

He did not return her embrace. ‘Have you?’ he replied. ‘Well, that is most gratifying, since my valet informs me you have been entertaining Lord Bramwell.’

She looked at him from under her lashes and, seeing his sullen expression, decided to make light of it. ‘Really, Portland,’ she replied with a tinkling laugh. ‘I am a married woman. There is no scandal in me receiving a gentleman in my own house, in full view of my husband and servants.’

His expression did not change as he asked in a brusque voice, ‘What did he want, Felicity?’

‘Oh, nothing to speak of,’ she said, nonchalantly. ‘He enquired after our health and asked about the Continent – he has a mind to take his new wife there, if events will allow it.’

‘Hmm, that sounds implausible, but let us leave that subject for the moment while you explain why you went to Lady Julia Cavanagh’s ball without an invitation?’

Felicity was taken by surprise; she had not expected to be questioned by her placid and malleable husband. ‘Do not be angry with me, Portland. It was Lady Cumberland’s fault – she convinced me to go with her against my better judgement.’

‘You should have refused, madam,’ he said, grimly. ‘Indulgent I may be, but I do not appreciate being made a damned laughing stock! Dryburgh told everyone at the club how you appeared uninvited at Berkeley Square. I was furious to hear my wife being discussed in that manner, but I was forced to remain silent – your actions were indefensible.’

‘Oh! Please, do not—’

‘And now I find you have transgressed again by meeting Lord Bramwell alone this morning,’ continued Lord Portland
inexorably
. ‘I suspected that you have cuckolded me for some time, but I was prepared to tolerate it as long as you were discreet. However, now we are back in London, I find you behaving like a hoyden, holding morning assignations with a former admirer, and making me the butt of ribald jokes at my club – it is the outside of enough and I shall act.’

Real tears now stood in Felicity’s eyes; she had never seen her docile husband aroused to such fury and there seemed no way to soften his mood. ‘What do you intend to do?’ she asked.

‘Go to Harrogate.’

‘Harrogate!’ echoed Felicity in astonishment.

‘The waters there will be beneficial to my gout, and you will accompany me. We shall be away from London for several months.’

‘But Harrogate is in the north,’ she said, horrified. ‘There will be no society and nothing to do.’

He gave an unsympathetic shrug. ‘Excellent – a period of quiet reflection is exactly what you require.’

‘Can’t we at least go to Bath?’ she pleaded.

‘No, I am set upon Harrogate and will brook no further discussion on the matter. Please make the necessary
arrangements
for our departure. Until your behaviour improves, I have also decided to limit your allowance and cease purchasing those expensive gifts you delight in; I will not tolerate being embroiled in scandal.’

‘You cannot cut my allowance as well, Portland – it is too cruel.’

‘I can and I will, madam.’ Unmoved by her tears, he narrowed his eyes and added in a biting tone, ‘And let me warn you that if I am given further reason to question your conduct, you will be banished to Portland House in Devonshire, where you will have ample opportunity to practise your needlework and nothing else.’

Lord Portland then limped to the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Lady Bramwell found her son in the library. He sat in the chair beside the fireplace, frowning into the embers, tiredness and sorrow carved into his features.

‘Have you spoken to Isabella?’ she asked.

He did not look up, but shook his head. ‘She left London early this morning with Mrs Forster and Dominic.’ Hal then recounted his visit to Lady Portland, adding quietly, ‘No doubt there are some wagers concerning Isabella – it is the way of things in London – however, I know nothing of them.’

There was a long pause until Marguerite said, ‘So Felicity lied out of spite to cause problems between the two of you?’

Hal nodded. ‘Whether it was her intention or not, she has succeeded in driving Isabella away and I don’t know where she has gone.’ There was a note of desperation in his voice.

‘You must find Isabella and tell her the truth,’ said his mother firmly.

‘But why couldn’t she trust me? It pains me that she believed Felicity’s lies so readily and considered me capable of such a thing.’

‘Hal, I do not usually interfere in your affairs, but I must make an exception and ask you this: do you believe Isabella loves you?’

He gave a half-smile, remembering the tender moments they had shared. ‘Yes, I know that she cares.’

‘Then that is all that matters,’ replied Lady Bramwell. ‘We both know that Isabella has been hurt in the past – that is why she is insecure and needs your love. She is probably already regretting leaving without speaking to you, and Mrs Forster, who is an eminently sensible woman, will also be trying to convince her to return.’