Lord Sidley's Last Season (21 page)

“To be sure, he is! Why, the other day we went so fast,
I almost lost my newest bonnet! Everyone was plunging
to the side!”

Sidley smiled sadly as they reached a table of refreshments. He handed a glass of punch to Katherine. “I
find that speed often makes me quite queasy these days,
Lady Katherine. If Lord Carroll does consent to ferry
us, we must plead with him to drive slowly.”

Katie frowned. “Perhaps we should not go out with
Lord Carroll, then.”

“But he seems most amiable.”

“Oh, he is! But I could not ask him to-to-”

“Drive in such a sedate manner?”

Katie nodded.

“Then sometime he might accompany us on a walk.
Or better yet, we might all sit together. I have never
asked-are you fond of needlework, Lady Katherine?”
As just then the dancers were engaged in another lively
reel, Sidley could barely keep his countenance as he
watched Katie’s reaction. He suspected that she had at
last struck him from her prospects.

“Well, no matter,” he said cheerfully. “Perhaps you
also do some drawing, as does your cousin? When we
sit together, you might draw, while Lord Carroll and I
discuss the drainage of fields”

“I have never had much patience for drawing, my
lord,” Katherine said, taking another gulp of punch and
looking longingly at the joyous group of dancers. Lord
Carroll, his magnificent blond mane shining in the
lamplight, was notably one of them.

“Ah! Well, I imagine that Lieutenant Reeves must be
most content to be home at last and watching Miss
Ware draw. Although I did expect they might attend tonight. Or did Miss Ware have yet another lesson?”

“No, she was-” To his surprise, Lady Katherine
again looked flustered. “She told us this afternoon that
he had left”

“Left? To precede her to Northampton?”

“I don’t know quite where he’s gone, my lord.
But … well. . ” She lowered her voice. “I suppose I
might tell you, as you know her so well, and as it will all
be out soon enough, about Marian’s-about her disappointment. She was looking very pale. It must be so
distressing! I know that I should have been much beside
myself-after two years too! She did ask that we not
speak of it for a few days. But as you have always been
so kind to Marian, my lord, about her painting, and the
portrait-”

“Spare the saints!” In his impatience he spoke too
loud. As Katie glanced uncomfortably at the startled faces about them, he leaned closer. “What has happened?”

“She seemed most calm about it, my lord. Though it
must have been such a shock. William has cried off!
He married someone else, someone named Rose, two
months ago in Gibraltar, without letting on to Marian at
all. He wrote her brother, Michael. And Michael told
him he should come along to see Marian the minute he
docked, although of course he must have dreaded doing
so. But ‘twas the honorable thing to do, was it not?”

“Honorable!” Again he spoke too loudly. But he
was amazed that he spoke at all. He was wild with
glee. He wanted to kiss the thoughtless tattler before him.
He wanted to leap into the midst of bounding dancers
and plant Carroll a facer. He wanted to toss back his
host’s insipid punch as though it were the finest Champagne. Only effort kept him from yelling aloud. His
gaze sought Vaughn, whose own gaze narrowed as he
left Lady Adeline and Clara and began to walk his way.

“Lady Katherine,” Sidley managed. The desire to
smile nearly choked him. “This is shocking news.
Shocking! Lieutenant Reeves has behaved in a most unacceptable manner. His conduct is disgraceful. Miss
Ware is to be pitied.” Though a less pitiable creature
than Marian Ware is hard to imagine. “She will rally. But
it is imperative, absolutely imperative, Lady Katherine,
that you not say one word more to anyone-no one at all,
not even Lord Carroll” He laid one finger lightly against
her lips. “It is not in your cousin’s best interest. And you must not tell her that you have informed me. She must
not feel embarrassed or pitied in any way, becausebecause it is important that she be able to complete the
portrait. That is my main concern. You understand?”
What utter balderdash!

“Yes,” Katie said dubiously, “I see. Of course you
wish it finished. And Marian is always happiest when
she is painting.”

Happiest-yes, he thought. Out of the mouths of
babes. And at once he saw his way clear.

“Lady Katherine, you are a gem,” he said, raising her
gloved hand for a kiss. “Bless you” She glowed as he
walked her back to Formsby. “You will remember what
we discussed, Lady Katherine, will you not?” She nodded absently. Lord Carroll had not finished his dance.
Katie’s gaze already followed her favorite in his exertions. But Sidley believed he might rely upon her-for
perhaps a day at most.

Vaughn met him as he moved to the hall and escape.
“What’s toward?” he asked. “You look the very devil,
Sidley.”

“She is free, Vaughn”

“Free? Miss Ware?”

Sidley nodded as he collected his hat and gloves. “If
you would, kindly see Clara and Lady Adeline home.
I’ve a small matter to attend to just now. Not a word,
please.”

Vaughn did not quite grin, though one eyebrow
quirked expressively. But before Sidley could take his leave, a coachman came running up the steps to the
door to confront the butler, the footmen, and Sidley.

“Here, you blokes-ah, sir-milord,” he gasped. “I
saw the lights. Thought as you might help. There’s been
a dreadful wreck. Up at the square. Lord Addlestrop’s
landau and my, that is-Mr. Knox’s carriage. I fear Mr.
Knox is very bad indeed. And there’s a lady …”

“Mrs. Knox?” Sidley asked sharply as Vaughn surged
to his side.

“Ah, no, milord. Not the missus. Some-some
other-”

Sidley pushed Vaughn back into the hall. “You must
stay here,” he snapped. “You mustn’t be involved.”

And Vaughn nodded grimly as Sidley raced down to
the street.

Edgar called Marian to the study in the morning.
Since she had advised her cousins only the previous evening of her broken betrothal, she expected Edgar to
speak to her regarding her future. And as she had spent a
sleepless night considering that very future, she now
faced the meeting with a lingering megrim and considerable trepidation. She knew she would have no alternative
if Edgar were to suggest, however kindly, that she return
home to Brinford.

But to her relief, Edgar did not look worried or resigned. He held a letter, which he perused repeatedly
and with obvious astonishment.

“Marian,” he said, his eyebrows high as he waved the
missive in front of her, “I had no idea! Five hundred guineas! ‘Tis what Prinny shall give Lawrence for his
portraits of the tsar and the king of Prussia!”

“I had no notion. But, Edgar, what five hundred
guineas?”

“Your five hundred guineas, Marian! Sidley has deposited five hundred guineas at Drummond’s Bank in
your name. You need only sign for the sum. ‘Tis payment for his portrait, and an advance for one of Mrs.
Knox”

“Mrs. Knox?”

“He wants a portrait of Mrs. Knox as well. You mean
you did not know?” As Marian shook her head, he added,
“Perhaps you should not rely on that part of the payment, then. For there was a carriage accident last night,
Marian, and Knox could not be saved.”

“How awful! And Mrs. Knox?”

“The missus wasn’t there, apparently, though Knox
had company. And Mama’s friend Lady Addlestrop was
injured in the other carriage. I sent ‘round for news earlier…. But as to this, Marian, whatever Sidley may have
settled with Knox-well, we must sort that out. Seems
to me, though, that even half of five hundred guineas is
a considerable sum”

“It is too much-”

“You did not arrange it?”

“We spoke of a commission. I knew he would pay
me-”

“If I invest this for you-or Michael does, of course-you shall have a small income, on top of that
bit from your portion. And if others should want a portrait-”

“Then I would like to make some restitution to you
and Aunt Edith, Edgar.”

“Oh, bosh, Marian! Mother and I discussed it last
night. You are family. You must stay with us. ‘Tis absurd to think you should pay for your tea and jam. You
won’t want to be back in Brinford just now anyway,
with all of this upset over Reeves. And Mother would
rather you kept company with Katie in any event”

“That is very good of you, Edgar. Though I shouldn’t
wish to impose. And if I keep these funds from Lord
Sidley, given the cost of my lessons, I must certainly
give you-”

“If you keep it? Why, of course you must keep it! Sidley’s pleased with the work, else he wouldn’t have convinced the ‘Gruff’un’ to part with so much of the ready.
And I must say, Sidley has more to hand than any of us
supposed. What’s to frown about, Marian? Of course
we’ll have to look into this Knox portrait. Mrs. Knox
won’t want herself done up in mourning. But, otherwise, you should be fit to fly!”

“I am. I am. I-” She was just then comprehending the
staggering size of the payment. “I needn’t marry at all”

Edgar shot her a quizzical look. “But you will, of
course. Everyone does. ‘Tis expected. Though you’re unlikely to do so now, certainly, for a bit. Reeves did you no favor there, Marian. Mother’s quite cross with him.
I’d no idea”-he waved the letter once more, ignoring Lieutenant Reeves’s failings for the much happier
development-“that portraits were so much the thing.”

“‘Tis an excessive amount, Edgar. You mustn’t think
anyone else would be so generous.”

“All the same, once this gets about-”

“I shouldn’t wish it to just yet. Do you understand?
With William, and then Mr. Knox’s passing, I shall be
rather infamous.”

“All the better!”

“Oh, Edgar!”

He looked a bit shamefaced. And just as Marian
wished Edith were present, Edith arrived-to exclaim
over Lord Sidley’s gesture and then to claim that it
must indicate a desire to align himself with the family.

“That can’t be so, Mama,” Edgar protested. “He’s
been seen more frequently of late in Miss Poole’s company than Katie’s, and if Katie’s serious about Sidley,
she’s goin’ about it in a very odd manner. Steppin’ out
with Carroll-”

“Your sister has not been `stepping out’ with Lord
Carroll,” Edith reproved him.

“Now, you must admit that Katie’s smitten with Carroll, Mama. Making a cake of herself, if you ask me.
And the bettin’ books at the clubs-”

“I will not have it, Edgar! Such wagers are not to be
taken seriously.”

Edgar withdrew somewhat mulishly. And as he stood
idly fingering Sidley’s letter, Marian asked if she might
see it.

The note was brief and most unsatisfactorily terse:

Formsby

My lord,

As Miss Ware has substantially completed the
portrait I commissioned from her, I have arranged
for the sum of five hundred guineas to be available
upon her signature and presentation of this letter at
Drummond’s; this amount in final payment for the
finished portrait and one additional, to be executed
within the next twelvemonth, of Mrs. Griffin Knox.
Yours & c.

Sidley

He had stamped it with a crest, which Marian examined with some curiosity. She had never before read
his hand.

“Marian,” Edith said, drawing her bemused attention,
“are you quite all right?”

“Yes, Aunt.”

“And Edgar told you of Mr. Knox’s accident last
night?”

“Only that there was such an accident, and that as
Mrs. Knox is now a widow, the commission may not still
be desired.”

“I’ve just sent ‘round to Addlestrop’s, Mama,” Edgar said, “to inquire after Lady Addlestrop. She is not doing well. They’ve called for a physician.”

“Goodness! Poor Beulah. That such a thing should
happen to her, who has such fragile nerves!”

“Not so surprising, Mama, when Addlestrop insists
on putting that demented nag in the traces. The-horse,
I mean, Mama. Their coachman said Knox would not
yield, and he couldn’t.”

“Oh, dear. I must attend Beulah. Marian, I know you
go to your lessons, but I must have the carriage. Edgar
shall walk over with you and the maid. Never fear, I shall
send the carriage ‘round for you later. Oh, why is Katie
never up ‘til three?”

And as Edith rushed to ready herself, Marian left
with Edgar, to spend their walk correcting his impression that she now need never take another class. She
told her tutors, without explanation, that she hoped to
remain in town a few weeks longer and then attempted
to draw, with a remarked lack of success. Though she
knew her situation happier than it had been the day before, though she usually forgot herself in her work, so
much remained unsettled that she could not feel quite
content. She had planned that from this summer on, her
future would be William’s, but now that she was to stay
with her cousins, her plans must align with theirs. Just
how long such an arrangement might prove agreeable
seemed most uncertain. And she was wishing fervently
that her future might at last be entirely her own.