The Rake's Rebellious Lady Page 15

  ‘You had no choice but to come in the circumstances,’ George said. ‘The bet was a matter of marriage. You have until Christmas, Freddie…’

  ‘Very well,’ Freddie replied, frowning slightly. He gave his friend a quizzical look. ‘You know, I am not sure that a few months will be long enough. I’m damned if I know if she will have me.’

  * * *

  Caroline sat staring out of her bedroom window. It was a wet day and the streets of London were unappealing. Her thoughts were running in a direction she did not like. She was almost certain that Sir Frederick meant to make her an offer of marriage. An offer he felt obliged to make because of the scandalous gossip that had been circulating about her.

  He had left Almack’s soon after his dance with her, though Lady Stroud had stayed on for two hours, keeping Caroline by her side most of the time and introducing her to everyone who came near as her new friend.

  ‘My godson brought her to visit me early one morning recently,’ Lady Stroud lied stoutly, ‘and we took to each other like ducks to water. She’s a gel after me own heart. I like a gel with spirit. Can’t stand these milk-and-water manners today!’

  Her sally had attracted polite laughter, which meant an end to the threat of scandal. Caroline had watched and listened, for it was soon clear to her that Lady Stroud was a martinet in the matter of proper manners and much respected. When she took her leave, she instructed Caroline to visit her soon, and told her that she expected them to become good friends in the future.

  Caroline had thanked her for coming to her rescue and received a stern look in return. ‘I don’t make a habit of lying, young lady. Make sure that you give me no cause to regret this evening. I happen to be very fond of Freddie. He owes a duty to his family. He will be expected to provide the family with an heir soon, and his wife must be above reproach.’

  Caroline had mumbled something appropriate. She was very grateful to the elderly lady for helping her, and even though she was forced to endure another lecture from her aunt on the way home, she knew that Lady Taunton was impressed.

  ‘Of course you know what this means,’ she told Caroline before they parted. ‘I shall say no more—but I was right all the time.’

  Caroline had not answered her, because she was very much afraid that Sir Freddie did intend to make her an offer. Not because he loved her, but because he thought it was the proper thing to do—and people would expect it after what had happened at Almack’s. His coming there just to dance with her—when he had never done so before—was sure to be taken as a sign that he meant to marry her. She knew from Lady Stroud that he was looking to settle and she had been warned that his wife must be beyond reproach. Surely he could not truly wish to marry Caroline! Her reckless behaviour had aroused gossip, and she had nothing to offer him. It could only be a misplaced sense of honour that had prompted him to think of it.

  She had prevented him from speaking that night, and perhaps once the gossip had died down he would reconsider. After all, it was not truly necessary—and she did not want to be married for the sake of her reputation.

  She would miss seeing him over the course of the next few days, and she thought that she might not be in London when he returned. She was to visit her grandfather at the end of the next week, and Mrs Holbrook was talking of leaving London soon. She had spoken to Caroline of it the day after Mr Milbank came to supper.

  ‘It may not be necessary for you to come back to town after your visit to Bollingbrook,’ she had told her daughter. ‘I am thinking of going down to Bath. Mr Milbank believes it would suit me better than racketing around London, and I think he may be right. I should naturally wish you to join me there. I am sure that you will make new acquaintances in Bath, Caroline, and anyone who wishes to see you will take the trouble of travelling there, I am certain.’

  ‘Will Aunt Louisa accompany you to Bath, Mama?’

  ‘No, I do not think so,’ Marianne said. ‘I have a little money of my own, Caroline. I have been reserving it for the future, but I think I shall not need it now. I have decided to accept Mr Milbank’s offer. It is so that we may see each other comfortably, and make what arrangements we wish, that I have decided to go down to Bath. I am afraid that your aunt is not pleased by my decision.’

  ‘But you will not let her displeasure change your mind, Mama?’ Caroline looked at her anxiously, for in the past months her mother had been much influenced by Lady Taunton.

  ‘No, I shall not,’ Marianne said with more determination than her daughter had seen from her. ‘I shall tell you now, Caroline. My first marriage was not all that it might have been—but I think that this time I am truly loved. I should be foolish to turn down this chance of happiness.’

  ‘I am sorry that you were not happy with Papa.’

  ‘It was only after my illness,’ her mother said. ‘Until then I think he cared for me as much as most men care for their wives. But I was ill and things were not right between us. He formed another attachment—a relationship that lasted until his death.’ She lifted her head proudly. ‘I did not know it, though I suspected it—and then, after his death, I received a very unkind letter. I showed it to Bollingbrook, but he told me not to make a fuss about it, and that was one of the reasons we disagreed. He was inclined to think me foolish. However, I did not think that an affair of long standing was something I could simply forget as if it had never happened.’ She shook her head. ‘It does not serve to dwell on these things. I shall forget it now, because it no longer matters.’

  ‘I am sorry you were hurt,’ Caroline said, understanding now why her mother had seemed to fade away after her father’s death. It was not just a matter of grief, but also of hurt and disappointment. ‘But I think you will be happy with Mr Milbank.’

  ‘Yes, I am perfectly sure of it,’ Marianne said. ‘I did not think that I could ever feel anything for anyone again, other than my children—but it has happened and I feel young once more.’

  ‘You look young,’ Caroline assured her mother and hugged her. ‘Yes, let us go down to Bath, dearest Mama. I believe it will suit both of us much better than London.’

  ‘Yes, my dear, we shall do so. We must attend the masked ball at Lady Mannering’s house, but after that we shall go.’

  * * *

  The ball had begun with Caroline being surrounded by eager partners as always, for it seemed that society had decided to think the best of her and her popularity was restored. Mr Bellingham had written his name in three spaces, her brother Nicolas in another two. Although everyone wore masks, it was easy enough to guess who most of the guests were, though one or two eluded Caroline.

  The room became very warm as the evening wore on and the French windows were opened on to the garden to allow some air to circulate. Caroline felt the heat a little before supper and decided to slip outside to the garden rather than go into the dining parlour. She was not in the least hungry and she did feel very sticky, for it was an airless night.

  It was not so much better on the terrace, but at least the air was fresh out here, and the gardens looked enticing in the moonlight. She thought that she could smell some kind of night-blooming flower and was about to go in search of it when someone came out onto the terrace.

  ‘Ah, I thought I saw you come out,’ George said. He removed his mask and Caroline did likewise, for she thought it was in part due to the silken mask that she felt uncomfortable. ‘Were you thinking of taking a stroll in the grounds?’

  ‘Yes,’ Caroline said, welcoming him with a smile ‘I was not in the least hungry and thought it would be pleasant out here.’

  ‘The air has been heavy all day,’ George said and offered her his arm. ‘May I walk with you, Miss Holbrook?’

  ‘Yes, that would be nice,’ Caroline replied with a smile. ‘Have you heard from Sir Freddie? Do you know when he will be returning?’

  ‘I fear not. Has he said nothing to you?’

  ‘He had some business out of town, I believe, but I do not know when he may return.’ She was torn
between wanting to see him again and dreading it—she was afraid that his sense of honour would make him offer for her even if he did not truly wish her to be his wife.

  They had strolled some distance from the lights of the ballroom. George was struck by the look on her face, for he sensed that she was deeply troubled. Could it be that she did not wish to marry Freddie? He hesitated for a moment, then, ‘If there is anything I can do for you, Miss Holbrook, you have only to ask. You must know that I…have a great admiration for you.’ Caroline’s head came up and he smiled oddly. ‘I do not think that it can be a surprise to you.’

  ‘Oh, Mr Bellingham,’ Caroline said, her breath catching in her throat. ‘I have appreciated our friendship greatly but…’

  ‘You care for someone else?’ he asked gently. ‘You may speak plainly. I shall not be offended, my dear, for I have suspected it, but I know that you are leaving town for a while and that nothing is settled. Indeed, you seem a little unhappy—and I wished to speak. I have never thought of marriage. I am set in my ways, and I had thought that Julia would be my heir, for I have no title to consider. However, if you need me, I am at your service.’

  ‘How kind you are, sir, but you must not concern yourself for me.’ Caroline reached out to touch his hand. He had not quite proposed to her, but she knew that he might have done if she had given him encouragement.

  ‘I think so well of you, sir. And I like you more than any other gentleman of my acquaintance except—’ She stopped and blushed. ‘I am not perfectly sure…’

  ‘I understand perfectly, more than you imagine, I dare say,’ he said. ‘I should be happy if our friendship were to continue, my dear.’

  ‘What a generous man you are,’ Caroline said. ‘I think myself very fortunate to have such a friend.’

  ‘Thank you. I am glad to have your good opinion, Miss Holbrook.’ George smiled at her. ‘I think perhaps we ought to go in for your aunt will be looking for you.’ Hardly had he finished speaking when they saw her brother Nicolas walking towards them across the smooth lawns.

  ‘It was our dance, Caroline. Ah, I see you are with Mr Bellingham,’ he said. ‘Then all is well. I merely came to see if you had wandered out here alone, puss.’ He grinned at her and nodded to George. ‘Warm this evening, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. We came out to take some air, but we are about to return to the ballroom. I believe you are to go out of town in a few days?’

  ‘Yes, that is perfectly right. My brother has to visit Bollingbrook and Caroline is to go with him. Tom isn’t fit to drive yet, of course, though he is much recovered in himself, so I shall take them down.’

  ‘I am thinking of travelling to Bath this coming weekend,’ George told him. ‘The road follows the same direction you must take for a while, I dare say. We may see each other on the way.’

  ‘Indeed we may,’ Nicolas said. ‘My mother goes to Bath in a few days I believe. You will surely see her there, and us too after our visit to Bollingbrook. I have agreed to drive Caroline there before I return to my regiment.’

  ‘Yes, I had heard of Mrs Holbrook’s intention,’ George said with a smile. ‘My estate is on the way, not too distant from your grandfather’s. I shall stay there for a few nights on my journey, I believe. I have a little business to attend to before I go on.’

  ‘Then you must visit us at Bollingbrook,’ Nicolas said. ‘I dare say the old gentleman may like to give a dinner for his neighbours while we are there.’

  ‘Perhaps. We shall see,’ replied George, who knew Bollingbrook’s reputation as a recluse these past years. ‘And now I must bid you both good evening as I am engaged for the next dance…’

  He went on ahead of them, leaving the brother and sister together in the garden. Nicolas looked at his sister thoughtfully.

  ‘Bellingham is a decent chap,’ he said. ‘You might think yourself fortunate if he asked for you, puss.’

  ‘He is very kind,’ Caroline told him a trifle wistfully. ‘And I do like him, but I am not sure who I wish to marry just yet.’

  ‘It’s this other fellow you’ve got your mind set on,’ Nicolas said and frowned, for he had heard some gossip. ‘I don’t say as there’s anything wrong with that, Caroline—but if he ain’t come up to scratch yet, he may not.’

  ‘I know,’ Caroline said. ‘I am not sure I wish to marry him if he does, Nicolas. Sometimes I have thought…and yet I do not know. This marrying business is more difficult than I had imagined. I had always believed Mama happy with Papa, but it seems that it was not so…and that upsets me a little.’ It had made her wonder if there was such a thing as true love, and she was not certain that she could trust her own feelings. Was the most she could sensibly hope for a marriage of convenience with someone she liked?

  ‘Well, I dare say there is time enough for you to find someone you can like.’ Nicolas glanced over his shoulder as he heard a rustling noise behind him. He was not carrying his pistol, though it was in the pocket of his topcoat. ‘I believe we should go in, puss—and I should tell you that I think it would not be sensible of you to venture out alone while you are in town.’

  ‘Are you thinking of what happened the other morning?’ Caroline saw the concern in his face. ‘I know Sir Frederick thinks someone deliberately caused that accident to the balloon, though I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do such a thing.’

  ‘It is difficult to know the reasoning behind it,’ Nicolas agreed. ‘But Tom and I think that you should take care, Caroline—just in case you were the intended victim.’

  ‘I know that I might have been killed, but why should someone want me dead? As far as I know I have no enemies and my dowry is virtually nothing.’

  ‘It may not be as insignificant as you think,’ Nicolas told her. ‘Grandfather may do something for all of us if he chooses.’

  ‘Grandfather has a lot of secrets, doesn’t he?’ Caroline said. ‘He hinted as much to me once, but when I asked him what he meant he became cross and told me to run away to my mother.’

  ‘He certainly does—more than we could ever know!’ Nicolas said and laughed. ‘Well, puss, I think we have probably lost our dance, for here comes your next partner, if I do not mistake his look. I shall leave you now—I have an appointment elsewhere, but do not forget what I told you…the garden is out of bounds for you without someone to protect you.’

  ‘Then I shall not venture out even if it is hot,’ Caroline said. She glanced over her shoulder, for she had felt for the past few minutes that she was being watched…

  * * *

  ‘I shall miss you when you leave London,’ Julia said, looking a little wistful. ‘I am happier with you than any of my other friends, Caroline. I do hope we shall not lose touch?’

  ‘Oh, no, I am sure we shall not,’ Caroline said. ‘I shall write to you and tell you all what is happening. Have I told you that Tom has to go abroad for a while?’

  ‘Go abroad?’ Julia looked surprised and then upset. ‘Oh, I did not know. Will he be gone long, do you think?’

  ‘I would not think it,’ Caroline answered, for she could see that Julia had been greatly affected by the news.

  ‘Mr Asbury has made me an offer of marriage,’ Julia said. ‘Please, do not mention it to anyone, for I have asked him for a little time. I am not sure, you see. I like him very well, and he is the only gentleman to have offered for me—other than Mr Farringdon.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Caroline agreed. ‘You would not wish to marry Mr Farringdon…’ She frowned as she realised something. ‘He has not been in town for a week or more now, I think. At least I have not seen him.’

  ‘George said he has been obliged to leave town in a hurry. His tailor had heard rumours of him being near to ruin and he was pressing for settlement.’

  ‘Oh, that is unfortunate for him,’ Caroline said, for even though she did not like the gentleman, she would not wish such a fate on anyone. ‘However, I must admit that he had a way of looking at one that was most uncomfortable.’

  ‘Oh, y
es,’ Julia said. ‘It is strange how some gentlemen make one feel happy in their company—and others do not.’

  ‘Yes, isn’t it?’ Caroline agreed. ‘It is not easy to know one’s own heart sometimes, is it?’

  ‘I know my own heart,’ Julia replied with a frown. ‘But Mama wishes me to marry quite soon and she likes Mr Asbury…’

  Caroline looked at her, feeling sorry because she knew that it was useless for her friend to have hopes of Tom. However much he might be attracted to Julia, he would not offer for her until he could afford to support her. She wished that she might say something to ease Julia’s uncertainty, but she could not, for Tom had said nothing of his intentions to her and it would be wrong to arouse false hopes.

  ‘Well, perhaps things will turn out as they ought,’ she said and smiled at Julia. ‘Oh, dear, sometimes I think it would have been very much easier to have been born a man, don’t you?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Julia agreed. ‘At least one could have asked the person one liked instead of having to wait to be asked.’

  ‘Yes, that is unfair,’ Caroline said, ‘though I think that if I truly wanted to marry a gentleman who did not speak, I might just give him a hint.’

  Julia looked at her and sighed. ‘You are so much braver than I,’ she said. ‘All I can do is smile and hope…’

  * * *

  ‘Will you allow me to drive for a while?’ Caroline asked her brother. They had been driving for some distance and the busy streets of London were left far behind them now. ‘It is ages since you taught me to drive, Nicolas, and I have had no opportunity since you left to join the army, and I should be glad of some practice.’

  ‘Very well,’ Nicolas said and handed the reins to her. ‘The road is quiet enough. Do you see that phaeton up ahead of us, puss? Let us try to overtake him before we come to the crossroads. Do not be anxious—I am here to take over if you cannot manage it.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Caroline said, much amused. She was sitting up beside him, but she glanced over her shoulder at Tom, who was resting with his head back, his eyes closed. ‘Wake up, Tom!’ she cried. ‘We’re going to race that phaeton ahead of us.’