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  He returned her gaze in a considering way, but after a slight pause, he merely said: ‘He is too young.’

  She felt that he had not told her the real reason; she was annoyed, but tried not to show it. ‘Perhaps he is too young; I do not deny that I thought so at first. But now I feel that marriage would be the very thing for him. Miss Fairford does not like London, and I believe she would wish to reside the most of the year in Yorkshire. And it would be best for Perry, after all. He gets into dangerous scrapes in town. Only the other day –’ She stopped, looked a little confused, and said after a moment: ‘Well, that is nothing. It is over now, and I should not have spoken. But I have been in some alarm about him.’

  ‘You refer, I collect, to the duel which did not take place,’ said the Earl.

  She raised her eyes quickly. ‘You knew of that?’

  ‘My dear Miss Taverner, when challenges are offered at the Cock-Pit it is not wonderful that there should be no secrecy attached to the subsequent meeting.’

  ‘The Cock-Pit! That I had not heard! If you knew how much I detest cocking, and all that it leads to! I have had to see as many as a hundred cocks walking on my father’s estate, and to know that both he and Perry – but this is beside the point. I begin to understand now how it all came about. If it had not been for the intervention of one who has proved himself very much our friend, Perry might not be alive to-day.’

  The Earl turned a singularly penetrating gaze upon her. ‘Pray go on, Miss Taverner. Who was this well-disposed person?’

  ‘My cousin, Mr Bernard Taverner,’ she replied.

  He lifted his quizzingglass. ‘Your cousin. Are you sure that it was he who intervened?’

  ‘Why, yes,’ she said, rather surprised. ‘He was to some extent in Perry’s confidence. Perry taxed him with it afterwards, and he could not deny it. It is only one more instance of his con sideration, his regard for us.’

  The Earl kept his glass up. ‘This gentleman is a good deal in your confidence, I gather.’

  ‘I know of no reason why he should not be,’ said Judith, a little stiffly. ‘I believe him to be very worthy of our confidence. He is not only our cousin, but most truly our friend.’

  He lowered his glass. ‘He is fortunate to have so easily secured your good opinion,’ he said. ‘Does he advise an early marriage for Peregrine, I wonder?’

  ‘He has not told me so,’ said Judith.

  ‘No doubt he will,’ said his lordship. ‘You may tell him, when he does, that I have not the least intention of permitting Peregrine to marry yet awhile.’

  He got up, but she detained him. ‘I don’t know why you should take this tone, Lord Worth, nor why, having promised your consent to Perry’s marriage next year, you should suddenly change your mind.’

  ‘Oh,’ said the Earl with a sardonic smile, ‘you may take it that I have too nice a sense of my duty to allow my ward to entangle himself in matrimony so young.’

  ‘That is not the true answer,’ she said. ‘For some reason it does not suit you to see Perry married. I should wish to know what that reason is.’

  ‘At the moment,’ said the Earl, ‘I fear I cannot call it to mind.’

  He left her considerably put out. She had been in a fair way to acknowledge herself to have been mistaken in him, and now, just as she had warmed towards him, he made her angry again.

  She looked after him resentfully, until her consciousness was recalled by Mr Pierrepoint, who came up to ask her if she would join a lottery-table in the next room.

  She went at once, and did not set eyes on the Earl again until she went with the rest of the ladies to bed. He was in the hall with several of the other men of the party then, and he gave her her candle. As she took it from him, with downcast eyes and a very sober countenance, he clasped her wrist in a light hold, and said quietly: ‘Do you dislike me as much as ever? It is a pity. Try not to let your prejudice lead you into mistrusting me. You have no need.’ He paused. ‘Look at me!’

  She raised her eyes. He smiled faintly. ‘Obedient girl! If you had as much confidence in my integrity as you have in your cousin’s it would be no bad thing.’

  ‘I do not mistrust you,’ she answered in a low voice. ‘We shall be remarked. Please let me go, Lord Worth!’

  He released her. ‘One of a guardian’s privileges is to be seen talking to his ward without occasioning remark,’ he said. ‘I can assure you he has not many.’

  She set her hand on the stair-rail, preparing to follow Lady Jersey. She looked a little arch. ‘Is your position as my guardian so painful, sir?’

  ‘It is a damnable position,’ he said deliberately, and turned away, leaving her staring.

  Thirteen

  NOT ALTOGETHER TO MISS TAVERNER’S SURPRISE, PEREGRINE’S stay in Hertfordshire was prolonged beyond the original week to a fortnight, and again to three weeks. She was warned four times through the medium of the post to expect him, only to receive a hasty scrawl next day postponing his return a little longer; and remarked humorously to her cousin that the sight of the postman’s scarlet coat and cockaded hat in Brook Street was beginning to mean nothing but another put-off. ‘But it cannot go on for ever,’ she said with a twinkle. ‘Sir Geoffrey must grow tired at last of franking Perry’s letters to me, and then we may expect to see him in town again.’

  Meanwhile, Miss Taverner’s days continued to be so fully occupied that she had little leisure for missing her brother. She received two more offers of marriage, both of which she civilly declined; sat to have her portrait taken by Hoppner at the earnest solicitation of her cousin, and twice went to the play in the company of her guardian. He said nothing to annoy her on either of these occasions, but on the contrary talked so much like a sensible man, and saw to her comfort in such a practised manner, that she was quite in charity with him, and could thank him for two pleasant evenings with perfect sincerity.

  ‘You have nothing to thank me for,’ he returned. ‘Do you think I have not had a great deal of pleasure in your company?’

  She smiled. ‘I have not been used to hear you say things so prettily, Lord Worth.’

  ‘No, nor have I been used to find my ward so amiable,’ he replied.

  She held up her finger. ‘Do not let us be recalling past differences, if you please! I am determined not to quarrel with you; it is useless to provoke me.’

  He looked amused. ‘Ever, Miss Taverner?’

  ‘Oh, as to that, there is no saying, to be sure! To-night I am your guest, and must accord you a little extraordinary civility, to-morrow I may abuse you with a clear conscience.’

  ‘Indeed! do you mean to do so? Have you received another offer of marriage for me to refuse without consulting you?’

  She shook her head.‘I hold it to be a bad thing for any female to talk of the offers she may have received,’ she said briefly.

  ‘Your opinion does you honour; but you may confide in me with perfect propriety. I conjecture that you have received several. Why do you look so grave?’

  She raised her eyes to his face, and found that he was watching her with a softened expression, which she might almost have believed to be sympathy, had she not been persuaded that he knew nothing of so gentle an emotion. She said in a despondent tone: ‘It is quite true. I have received numerous offers, but there is nothing to boast of in that, for I think not one of them would have been made had I not been possessed of a large fortune.’

  He replied coolly: ‘None, I imagine.’

  There was no vestige of sympathy in his voice. If her spirits stood in need of support this matter-of-fact tone was no bad thing. She was obliged to smile, though she said with a faint sigh: ‘It is a melancholy thought.’

  ‘I cannot agree with you. Being born to a handsome independence you have all the consequence of being the most sought-after young woman in London.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said rather sadly, ‘but to be sought after for one’s fortune is no great compliment. You laugh at me, but in this respect I must think myself most uncom