Miss Cresswell's London Triumph (7 page)

During this interchange, Lady Jersey, always alive to an attractive young man with an interesting background, had managed to wean Ned away to partner her in a waltz. And Horace, who had eschewed such useless social gatherings until he had met Cassie, suddenly noticed that the object of his attention was bereft of company and led her off into a quiet corner where they could discuss the merits of the translation of Euripides which had just appeared in Ackermann's Repository.

Cassie was naturally delighted to see Horace, but despite her consuming interest in the topic, she discovered she could not keep her mind on it. Try though she would to concentrate on Horace's eloquent and admirable defense of someone whose works he had heard Cassie criticize severely, she found her eyes wandering to the center of the room, where Ned, a teasing smile on his lips, was bending over Lady Jersey, apparently enthralled by the latest on-dits that Silence was recounting in her own inimitable fashion. Where had the shy and self-effacing Ned acquired such an assured and positively flirtatious manner? That aside, where had those broad shoulders and the confident manner come from? Struggling to analyze the transformation, Cassie could barely muster the monosyllables to answer Horace. "Very true," or "Of course," or "Without a doubt," she rejoined at appropriate moments, trying to nod sagely, while the entire time her mind was in a whirl.

Cassie was not the only one to be taken aback at the changes in the two travelers. Limpet-like, Arabella Taylor clung to Freddie Cresswell's arm as he strode over to claim his sister as a partner. "Oh, Freddie, you're so very grown up!" she cooed. "What exotic scenes you and Ned must have encountered! Why, I should never have recognized either one of you if you hadn't appeared together and sought out the Mainwarings. You're both so brown! I expect that dealing with all those heathens has made men out of both of you." She sighed audibly. "I am so tired of the same old beaux one finds in Town. All they think about is their tailors. There is not a true man to be found among them. I grant you I have been paid some very pretty compliments by leaders of the ton "—here she blushed becomingly and lowered her eyes. "But one becomes bored with such trifles and longs to meet someone who is a man of strength and a leader in society instead of a mere hanger-on."

Her eyes followed Ned as he restored a laughing Lady Jersey to her coterie. Freddie and Arabella were just close enough to hear her as she tapped his cheek with her fan, scolding him coquettishly, "Naughty boy. Your travels have taught you wicked ways. You must take me for a drive in the park and tell me more."

"And," pursued Arabella, keeping a close eye on Ned as he leaned over to respond to Lady Jersey's latest sally, "IVe heard you have both become disgustingly plump in the pocket, veritable Golden Balls, if ballroom gossip is to be believed."

"Don't believe a word of it, Bella," admonished Freddie, trying desperately to pry himself loose from her clutches. "You know what the town tabbies are." He at last succeeded in pulling away from her to join his sister, whom he greeted with visible relief. "Cassie, at last! Will you grant a
poor fellow, desperate for intelligent female companionship of any sort, even if it is his sister's, this dance?"

Cassie laughed. "Of course, Freddie, with all the pleasure in the world." The two strolled off, leaving Arabella and Horace to deal with each other as best they could.

It would have been a gross exaggeration to say that all of London was intrigued by the reappearance of the two travelers, but their return certainly formed the main topic of conversation the next day in several select drawing rooms. The floor of one of these in particular was littered with exotic trifles as Freddie distributed acquisitions from his travels to his nearest and dearest. "Freddie, how lovely! You are rigging me out in the latest fashion whether I will or no," exclaimed Cassie, surveying the effect of a cashmere shawl draped artistically over her shoulders while Frances slid numerous delicate gold bracelets onto her wrist. Theodore, totally entranced by a set of elephants and their mahouts beautifully carved in ivory, was arranging them on the floor before an interested audience. Nelson, Wellington, and Ethelred were divided in their opinions—Nelson wishing to bat the pieces around on the carpet, Wellington feeling it would be more amusing to chew them, while Ethelred, unready as usual, sat regarding them suspiciously with beady black eyes.

Lord Mainwaring was ensconced in a chair by the fire reviewing the reports Freddie had brought back. Agreeably surprised by the thoroughness of the observation and the degree of detail with which they were recorded, he remarked, "Well done, Freddie. Your recommendations about replacing the banyans, who can charge what they will for their services as brokers of goods to unsuspecting foreigners, with knowledgeable Englishmen is certainly well founded. I hope you will help me in effecting the change."

Freddie, accustomed to holding his formidable brother-in-law in some degree of awe, flushed with pleasure, replying modestly. "That's very kind of you, sir, but even the veriest neophyte can see how these men are able to take advantage of those unfamiliar with the commodities so as to charge whatever price they wish and exact whatever-percent commission they desire."

Cassie, beaming proudly at her brother, disagreed. "That's as may be, Freddie, and I daresay that's a common enough topic in the coffee rooms all over India, but your suggestion of setting up an exchange where such abuses can be remedied shows an active intelligence that is lacking in so many people who merely listen to hearsay and add their own complaints to the general conversation but do not bestir themselves to discover a solution."

Unused to such praise in a family whose talents usually outshone his, Freddie was visibly flattered but disclaimed any credit in his most offhand manner. "Oh it was nothing, Cassie. Any gudgeon could see what needed to be done."

Cassie refused to be convinced. "You are far too modest, Freddie, truly. You must make a push to ensure that your recommendations are heard." Privately she was relieved to hear how well her twin had conducted himself. Cassie had always had faith that he had more bottom and sense than his peers. Even though his talents had failed to assert themselves during his school years, she had remained certain that given the proper opportunity, Freddie would prove himself brighter and more steady than he was credited by most people, who were inclined to dismiss him as a lovable chap but sporting mad and devoted to nothing more serious than his stable.

This reverie was broken by Higgins, who announced, "Lady Taylor. Miss Arabella Taylor."

Cassie gave a start of surprise. Never intimate with Arabella in the country, she had not sought her out in the city, and had been annoyed at herself for being piqued at Arabella's failure to acknowledge her existence when their paths had crossed at various social functions. Wise enough in the ways of the world to recognize that Arabella never entered into friendships that did not profit her, Cassie perfectly understood that someone determined to be labeled an incomparable would rather die than admit a connection to a young woman who, to all intents and purposes, was a country nobody and content to remain exactly that. Furthermore, running an eye recently educated in the shops of Bond Street modistes over Arabella's walking dress of jaconet muslin under a richly worked open robe with a mulberry-colored spencer that showed off to perfection the flawless skin and dark eyes, Cassie was puzzled by the visit and the obvious care Arabella had lavished on her toilette. The plaited front of the gown enhanced a generous figure and the cornette of lace under her hat framed her face delightfully.

"La, Cassandra, you are looking vastly elegant, I am sure," Arabella declared, tripping across the room. Modifying this uncharacteristically generous praise, she continued, "I vow I wouldn't have recognized you at all."

A casual observer might have been pardoned for being confused over the intended recipient of this speech as Arabella, ostensibly addressing Cassie, never looked in her direction but smiled and dimpled at Freddie instead the entire time she was speaking.

"You must think I showed a sad lack of conduct in not calling on you directly you arrived in Town. I am sure I meant to call times out of mind, but one has so many engagements, so many pressing social obligations..." She trailed off, hoping to be asked to elaborate on these.

Cassie, who found more to comment on in this sudden appearance than in her neglect, was cudgeling her brains for an explanation for this sudden solicitude and wondering how best to discover the reason for the visit in order to bring it to a close as expeditiously as possible. Town bronze, in her opinion, had done nothing to improve the dubious charms of Hampshire's reigning belle. "Do not refine too much on it, Arabella. Having been about a bit, I can see that someone as sought after as you must have many more urgent engagements," Cassie replied, adopting what she hoped was an interested enough tone of voice to encourage Arabella to state the purpose of her visit.

However, Arabella was not to be led. Her eyes surveying the room, she disposed herself elegantly upon a chair and smiled intimately at Freddie, remarking, "What a stir you and Ned caused at Almack's! Everyone has a different story to explain how you made your fortunes and what you plan to do to dazzle us with your wealth. Do tell me all your adventures. I feel certain you and he outshone everyone there. You certainly did last evening— both of you brown as natives and looking as though you had a hundred hair-raising tales to relate. Do tell me." She looked up expectantly, her whole being expressive of eager anticipation—an attitude that had won the hearts of numerous swains happy to recount the least little exploit to such a charming listener.

Freddie had known Arabella too long to be overwhelmed by the thought of so much charm and beauty waiting breathlessly to hang on his every word. Like his sister, he was extremely curious as to what really lay behind the unexpected call. Whatever it was, it had not been accomplished, because Arabella's eyes never left off their restless inspection of the room. In the midst of a truly gripping account of stalking a man-eating tiger, he became aware that her wandering attention was occupied elsewhere. "And so, the mahout and I climbed down from the elephant and I was able to dispatch the wounded tiger with a bullet between the eyes," Freddie concluded.

"Very interesting. I am sure you did yourself proud, Arabella replied vaguely with a notable lack of enthusiasm. "Was Ned with you? I vow he is vastly changed since I saw him last. I overheard Lady Jersey telling Countess Lieven that he left a trail of broken hearts in India and Europe. Such a man of the world is sure to cast the other pinks of the ton into the shade, such dull lives as they lead. Did you say he stays with his sister?"

At last Freddie understood the impetus behind the visit and was highly amused by it.

Cassie, on the other hand, was incensed. She could barely keep from ringing a peal over their visitor and was debating the wisdom of depressing their visitor's ill-concealed interest in Ned with a sharp retort when the object of all this interest himself was announced.

Ned Mainwaring in riding clothes was even more arresting than Ned Mainwaring in evening attire. The exquisite cut of his coat showed off his broad shoulders to advantage and the close- fitting breeches emphasized the powerful long legs that made him tower over other men. This height, which had made him a gangly and somewhat self-conscious youth, now gave him an air of command, which was further accentuated by his piercing blue eyes and resolute jaw.

"Hello, sir," he greeted Julian, extending a lean tanned hand to his former guardian and mentor.

"Ned, my lad. It's wonderful to see you. I hope you have come to enlighten us on the true state of things behind the undoubtedly highly embellished tales with which Freddie has been regaling us," Lord Mainwaring greeted his nephew with quizzically raised brows.

Ned barely had the opportunity to shake his hand and bend over Lady Frances's before Arabella pounced.

"Ned! How delightful to have you back. WeVe missed you this age. London has been sadly flat," she declared as she swept gracefully across the room, extending a hand and smiling at him in such a way that he received the full effect of charming dimples and pearly teeth.

Behind Cassie, Freddie, who was enjoying the scene hugely, snorted, "What a bouncer!"

And Cassie, unable to contain herself, gasped, "Why she never paid the least mind to him in Hampshire, let alone London!"

The subject of all this attention appeared unaware of it as he smiled broadly down at Arabella. "Arabella, you are as exquisite as I remember you. Though absent from London's salons, I have nevertheless heard news that you have taken the ton by storm."

If Freddie had snorted before, he fairly gagged now. Ned was the best of good fellows and someone you could count on in the most desperate of situations, but this was doing it much too brown.

Cassie, too, was taken aback. How could Ned, her simple, direct, awkward Ned, speak such fustian?

Arabella, who did not share the twins' critical point of view, scolded him archly as he bent over her hand. "Flatterer. You know you never gave a rap about the latest on-dits."

Ned raised a mobile eyebrow, rejoining, "You will not let me forget the gaucheries of my past, I see, but where the on-dits concern you, I assure you, I listened very carefully."

This bantering exchange could have continued for some time, delighting some and boring others, if Lady Taylor had not recalled with a start their appointment with the dressmaker. "Arabella, come my dear, we must be off," she announced, rising majestically. "Lady Frances, I shall be sending cards for an affair we're having—nothing elaborate, you understand—just a pleasant evening with a card party for us and some dancing for the young people."