Sally James (3 page)

“Oh, Miss Mary, the gentleman wanted to see Mr Matthew,” Susan gasped, and then recalling her training, “Sir Ingram Leigh, Miss.”

Mary stared at him, encountering his gaze, and seeing something there which sent shivers down her spine. She was incapable of moving, for her legs appeared to have been turned to water, and for a fleeting moment thought Teresa was wise to be afraid of him. Then she became dimly aware of the commotion behind her as Matthew leapt from his chair, oversetting it in the process, while Teresa screamed and the parrot, tired of his long silence, celebrated the excitement by emitting a piercing shriek, then gabbling “Damn bird! Damn bird!” continuously at the top of his voice.

Chapter 2

“Your self-condemnation at least has the merit of accuracy,” the newcomer remarked coolly and walked across to the bird cage, shrugging himself out of his greatcoat and draping it over the parrot, effectively bringing its monologue to an abrupt halt. “It’s all of a piece that you so foolishly burden yourself at such a time,” he went on, eyeing Teresa with scornful amusement. “As for you, Mr Wyndham, I would advise that next time you attempt an abduction, you refrain from abducting a parrot as well. They are even less manageable than foolish chits like Teresa. Get your things, child. You are driving back to town with me this instant.”

“No, I will do nothing of the sort!” Teresa gasped.

“How the devil did you know where to find us?” Matthew demanded, while at the same moment Mary, recovering from her numbness, spoke too.

“Do I understand that you are Sir Ingram Leigh?” she asked coldly.

Ignoring the other two, Sir Ingram turned to her.

“You are correctly informed, Ma’am. From the resemblance I detect between you and Mr Wyndham, I take it you are some connection of his?”

“I am his sister and this is my father’s house. May I ask by whose leave you march in here, insulting my brother, and issuing orders to my guests?”

His eyes narrowed, and for a horrified moment Mary had the impression he was about to annihilate her. Then, after subjecting her to a close scrutiny, his lips twitched slightly. He smiled and held out his hand, stepping close to Mary so that she could not refuse to take it without appearing as uncivil as he had been.

“Forgive me, Miss Wyndham. No insult was intended to you. As to rights, I am Teresa’s guardian and have the duty of protecting her from fortune hunters.”

“If you are implying I want to marry Teresa for her money, then you are out by a long chalk!” Matthew interposed hotly. “I had far rather she had none! Then it would be simpler!”

“I doubt if Teresa would agree with you,” Sir Ingram responded conversationally. “Would you care to be a pauper, Teresa?”

“Oh no, that would be horrid above all things,” Teresa replied candidly. “But you need not think I am coming with you, for I am not! “

“We shall see,” he replied grimly.

“You cannot force me now! I have friends to help me. Mary has promised to protect me from you! You will not allow him to cozen you with false promises, will you?” she demanded, turning anxious eyes towards Mary, who felt herself blushing as she saw Sir Ingram glance at her sardonically.

“No one shall remove you from here without your consent,” she said firmly. “Sir Ingram, it appears that there is much to discuss. Will you take a cup of tea?”

Susan had disappeared as soon as she had announced the visitor, and while Mary waited for her to bring an extra cup and a fresh pot of tea, she attempted to make polite conversation with Sir Ingram, inwardly marvelling that she could remain so calm in such fantastic circumstances. Matthew and Teresa were of no assistance, having retreated to chairs as far away from Sir Ingram as the room permitted. He seated himself near to the table where Mary had resumed her seat behind the tea tray, and responded coolly but politely to her conversational gambits.

The tea came, was dispensed, and Mary cast around desperately for a way of opening the impossible subject. Her first impressions of Sir Ingram had been of an overpoweringly vital personality, and his actions had reinforced this view. She was half convinced that, whether or not he had treated Teresa in the way she had described, he would be fully capable of such behaviour. Even, and Mary shivered at the thought, to the extent of disposing of someone whom he found a hindrance to his plans.

She considered him with a frank gaze. She estimated him to be in his early thirties, and he had the air of command, even arrogance, that went with great wealth. Obviously a man used to obtaining his own way. He was handsome in a rugged fashion, with a broad brow over which errant black curls tended to fall, and regular features, the most noticeable of which was a firm, square chin. He was attired in a close-fitting coat of blue superfine, and though slim, was very muscular. A signet ring and a matching diamond pin in his cravat were the only adornments he wore, but Mary recognised the height of excellence in his tailoring. Teresa’s fashionable air had affected her not at all, but suddenly she felt dowdy and countrified in the simple muslin gown that had pleased her until now.

“Do I look like Bluebeard?” Sir Ingram suddenly queried, and Mary blushed in confusion.

“I - I beg your pardon,” she stammered, angry at herself for apologising, and yet incapable of not doing so. “I find it all so incredible.”

“You won’t when you know Teresa better,” he rejoined.

“How can she if you persist in this plan of removing me?” Teresa demanded from her corner.

“Ah! A flush hit, my dear cousin! How, indeed? But do not read undue significance into my words, for remove you I fully intend to do.”

“I am going to marry Matthew!”

“Indeed? I wonder if he is fully aware of the colossal task he proposes to undertake? Let me see, Mr Wyndham, it is precisely three weeks and two days since you first encountered Teresa, is it not?”

“About that, Sir,” Matthew agreed reluctantly, but Teresa flung herself into the fray again.

“It does not take five minutes to recognise the person you love,” she declared fiercely.

“How truly you speak,” Sir Ingram agreed amiably, casting a swift glance at Mary. “Unfortunately your acts of recognition seem to occur with tedious regularity. Over these past six months you have paraded your unswerving devotion to at least ten young gentlemen.”

“They were not like Matthew,” Teresa responded without any trace of discomfort.

“No, for they did not attempt to abduct you.”

“I must ask you to take that back, Sir Ingram! My intentions towards Teresa are entirely honourable. I did not abduct her, and consider you are offensive to say it!”

“But that is what the law would say.”

Matthew blanched slightly. “You would not enjoy such a scandal,” he said, but with ill-concealed dismay in his voice.

“I should not enjoy it, but I do not shrink from necessary tasks merely because they are unpleasant. Like taking charge of my dear cousin.”

“We were eloping,” Teresa contributed, “and if you do take Matthew to law about it I will never, ever, speak to you again!”

“You almost tempt me,” Sir Ingram replied gravely. “However, since no harm is done and you are about to be returned to my care, I do not think it need come to a suit. After all, the scandal might harm your chances of making a good marriage.”

“There is no need to be offensive to my brother,” Mary said swiftly. “I am well aware that from your viewpoint Matthew cannot be an appropriate match for your cousin, but we are of good family and fit to mate with anyone!”

Sir Ingram turned to her and looked at her steadily, so that she had great difficulty in holding her own gaze still.

“I do not question that,” he said at length. “I am not thinking of worldly considerations, merely what would be best for Teresa. Estimable as Mr Wyndham no doubt is, if he can be bamboozled into such escapades by Teresa he is by no means the man capable of controlling her. In addition, if he is not man enough to come to me, her guardian, and plead his cause, would you expect me to regard him with favour?”

Matthew, unable to excuse himself without appearing to throw the blame onto Teresa, looked unhappily at Mary. She smiled comfortingly.

“From the little I have heard I collect that your reputation is enough to terrify anyone rash enough to love Teresa,” she said tartly. “But as you are here the whole matter can be discussed calmly. However, we dine unfashionably early in the country and dinner will be ready in little more than half an hour. I will not permit my father’s comfort to be sacrificed to this imbroglio so I suggest, Sir Ingram, that you dine with us, and we can discuss everything afterwards when we have all had the opportunity of recovering from the shock and are more rational.”

“I would have thought there is little to discuss. I intend removing Teresa from here with no more ado, having thanked you for your hospitality. We do not wish to impose on you any further.”

“It is far too late for you to reach London tonight, and even if Teresa were not tired after her journey, and unwilling to accompany you, I could not allow her to set out.”

He raised his eyebrows slightly at the determined tone of Mary’s voice, and then gave her a slow, lazy smile.

“My cousin has found a doughty champion,” he said softly. “What do you propose after dinner, when we will have reached no conclusion?”

“I am not so inflexible as to prejudge the results,” Mary retorted. “I would offer you accommodation, but we have no more spare rooms. There is a good, though modest inn in the village where I suggest you obtain a room for the night. I will take care of Teresa and it will be time, in the morning, for any plans we might make to be put into action.”

“Leaving your brother free to make an abortive attempt to reach the border by setting out tonight? Or possibly France, since we are so near the coast?”

“My brother will do no such thing!” Mary said hotly. “I give you my word on that. In fact, I think it would be advisable for him to stay at the inn too!”

“I can’t,” Matthew said slowly. “I’ve shot my bolt,” he explained uncomfortably as Mary turned towards him. “It took all my ready to hire a chaise as far as here, and until quarter day I’m pockets to mend.”

Sir Ingram gave a shout of laughter and sat back in his chair, legs negligently crossed, eyeing Matthew with amusement.

“I must hand it to you, eloping with no money! Did you spend too much on a special licence?”

“Special licence? I did not buy that!”

Sir Ingram’s amusement deepened. “So you were proposing to sit here for three weeks, waiting for banns to be called, trusting I would not find you? There is a greater certainty I would discover you than that Teresa would remain constant for so long!”

“Well, you
have
discovered us,” Matthew said ungraciously.

“There was no choice, I
made
him come,” Teresa contributed, oblivious of Matthew’s scowl. “And I had money. At least,” she hesitated, a thought suddenly striking her. “Oh dear, I had forgot!”

“Left your purse at home?” Sir Ingram enquired amiably.

“Of course not!” she answered indignantly. “It’s just that yesterday I saw the most delightful dress at Madame Blanche’s, and she would not make me one like it until I had paid some of the money I owed her, and so I had to. I forgot about needing some for our elopement.”

Mary began to feel thoroughly exasperated with all three of them.

“Sir Ingram, will you dine here?” she asked abruptly. “I must give cook orders.”

“Without wishing to be ungracious, Miss Wyndham, I appear to have no alternative! You have spiked my guns so far, and I would be delighted to dine with you,” he added, as Susan again appeared at the door to announce yet another visitor.

“Mr Knowle, Miss,” she said to Mary, who turned to greet the newcomer with an abstracted air.

Mr Knowle was tall and broad shouldered, with finely moulded, regular features, and carefully brushed fair hair. His sober garb and modest stock showed his good looks to advantage, but Mary found herself thinking he did not present nearly so imposing a presence as Sir Ingram, who had stood in the doorway so short a time before.

“I beg your pardon, Miss Wyndham, I was unaware that you had visitors. Ah, Matthew, good afternoon, I thought you were in London. I will return in the morning, if it will be more convenient, Miss Wyndham?”

“Hello, Geoffrey,” Matthew greeted him without enthusiasm. “Why don’t you join the happy gathering?”

Mr Knowle glanced at him and smiled deprecatingly. “I have no desire to discommode you. My business is private, and as I was passing I merely dropped in to ask your sister whether she could spare me some time. Possibly tomorrow morning?” He turned to Mary, but before she could reply her father, having in one of his less abstracted moments heard the door bell, came to see who the visitor was.

The elder Mr Wyndham was tall, but now bent with years of study, and very thin. His sparse hair was white, and his skin pale, for he seldom ventured out of doors. His expression was kindly, and he now beamed short-sightedly round the company.

“Why, Geoffrey, dear lad, I thought it might be you. And Matthew! Bless my soul, when did you arrive? I haven’t seen you before and forgot it, have I? My memory is going, I fear.” He peered up at Sir Ingram, who had risen to his feet and now, tall as Mr Wyndham had been, towered above him. “I don’t think we have met, have we, sir? And a young lady. My dear, I do apologise. I did not see you in that dark corner. Mary, you should have told me we had visitors, they will think me remiss in not greeting them.”

“Miss Teresa Standish, Father, and her cousin Sir Ingram Leigh.” Mary performed the introductions briefly, not attempting to explain the reason for their presence. “They are dining with us and Teresa is staying here for a while,” she added, casting a defiant look at Sir Ingram.

He merely grinned, and she felt foolishly belligerent, but she had no time to dwell on this.

“Leigh? I know the name. Haven’t you a place in Kent?”

“Yes, sir, I have.”

“Then I believe I knew your father. He was with me at Oxford. Sir Edward?”

“That was his name. He died ten years or so back.”