Friday's Child Read online

  His most mischievous smile danced in Sherry’s eyes, drawing an answering gleam from Miss Milborne.‘Oh, I was before you in the lists!’ he said outrageously. ‘For old times’ sake, Bella, my sweet life!’

  ‘Sherry, how can you?’ she said, a tremor of laughter in her voice. But she gave him her hand and let him lead her on to the floor. ‘You are quite shameless!’ she told him, as they began to circle round the room.‘I had not thought what a long time it is since I danced the waltz with you!’

  ‘Too long, by Jove!’ responded his lordship promptly. ‘Ah, Bella, you should never have refused me! What a couple we must have made!’

  She laughed up at him. ‘I never liked you as well until you gave up wanting me to marry you, Sherry!’

  ‘I? Good God, don’t I carry a broken heart in my breast?’

  ‘You hide it admirably! Wretch! You did not wear the willow for my sake for as much as one day!’

  His arm tightened round her waist; he smiled down into her eyes. ‘If there weren’t so many people watching, do you know what I would do, Bella? I’d kiss you! Dashed if I ever saw you look more beautiful!’

  ‘For shame, Sherry! Remember, you are a sober married man now!’

  ‘Lord, yes, so I am!’ He glanced round the room. ‘What has become of Kitten? I left her with Gil, and I’d give a pony to see the old fellow waltzing! No, by Jupiter, he’s ratted! She’s dancing with George.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Miss Milborne, losing her sparkle. ‘How well they suit, to be sure! I am happy to see George in better spirits.’

  ‘Kitten always can contrive to cheer the poor fellow up,’ said his lordship unconcernedly.

  The poor fellow was saying at that moment:‘I should like to know what the deuce Sherry means by making Isabella laugh like that! Yes, and he made her blush a moment ago! I saw her!’

  ‘Do not look at them!’ said Hero.‘If I were you, I would not let Isabella see that I cared whom she danced with, George!’

  ‘Well, I do care,’ he replied unnecessarily. ‘Besides, I don’t see what should get into Sherry to make him flirt with her when he is married to you! For that is what he is doing, Kitten! There’s no getting away from it!’

  ‘Well, if I do not mind it I am sure you need not.’

  His brilliant, dark eyes glanced down into hers. ‘Do you not mind it?’ he asked forthrightly.

  She sighed faintly. ‘Only a very little, George. If we went into the other room we need not see them, and you could bring me a glass of orgeat, and we should be comfortable, don’t you think?’

  He led her off the floor.‘No. There is no comfort for either of us!’ he said, with suppressed passion.

  However, a certain measure of comfort was found in the refreshment saloon, for they discovered Mr Ringwood and Ferdy there, and Ferdy at once disclosed the nature of the wager which he had lost. Hero was a good deal amused, and George’s brow lightened for a moment. But it soon clouded again when he recalled that when he had made just such an attempt as Sherry’s earlier in the evening, it had not met with a like degree of success. When Sherry presently brought Miss Milborne into the saloon in search of iced lemonade, he bore down upon them instantly, and, ignoring Sherry, earnestly besought the Beauty to dance the next waltz with him. She excused herself, and would have joined the group round Hero had he not barred the way.

  ‘You shall not fob me off so!’ he said in a vibrant tone.‘Why will you not so much as dance one waltz with me? What have I done to offend you? Answer me, Isabella!’

  ‘Good gracious, nothing in the world!’ she replied. ‘It is merely that I am engaged to dance –’

  ‘With Severn! It will not do! You will scarcely dance every waltz with him! You use me as though –’

  ‘For God’s sake, do not make a scene, my lord! Remember where you are, I beg of you! We are attracting attention!’

  ‘I care nothing for that! Will you dance with me?’

  ‘The next country dance, then, if you will but conduct yourself towards me with more propriety!’

  He was obliged to be satisfied, but nothing could have been more disastrous than the dance so grudgingly granted to him. He attempted every time the movement of the dance brought them together to continue a conversation which soon developed into a lively quarrel; and as Miss Milborne disliked being made to look ridiculous, and was well aware of the amused eyes upon them, she came near to losing her temper, and said some cutting things, which she did not mean, but which George took in very bad part.

  ‘Dashed if I ever thought I should be so diverted at one of Almack’s Assemblies!’ said Sherry frankly.‘All the same, Kitten, I think we’ll be off before George comes off the floor, or I shall have you kissing him again as like as not, for he’ll certainly need comfort from the looks of it. Are you coming, Gil?’

  Mr Ringwood expressed his readiness to leave the rooms, and as Ferdy wandered up at that moment, the Viscount invited them both to return with him to Half Moon Street for some more invigorating refreshment than was to be found at Almack’s. The Sheringhams’ carriage was called for, and the entire party withdrew, falling in with Sir Montagu Revesby in the vestibule downstairs, and leaving the building in his company. Sherry naturally begged him also to repair to Half Moon Street, but before Sir Montagu had time to reply to this invitation an interruption of an entirely unexpected nature occurred. A figure which had been standing motionless alongside the house started forward, and was seen in the light of a street lantern to be a young woman, clasping in her arms a bundle wrapped in a shawl. If she had not been so haggard, she would have been remarkably pretty, but her face was deathly pale, and there was such a distraught look in her eyes that they seemed scarcely sane. She paid no heed to Hero, descending the steps of the house on Sherry’s arm, but put herself in Sir Montagu’s way, and said in a low, imploring voice: ‘They told me at your lodging that you would not see me, that you was come here, but I must, I must speak with you! For God’s sake, do not cast me off ! Again and again I have been to your lodging, but it is always the same answer which I get! I am desperate, Montagu, desperate!’

  There was a moment’s appalled silence. Everyone stood still, Ferdy goggling at the stranger, and Revesby holding himself tense, his hand clenched on his walking-cane. He looked suddenly pale, but it might have been the uncertain lamplight which made him appear so. His voice broke the silence. ‘My good young woman, you are making a mistake,’ he said languidly. ‘I fancy I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance.’

  A moan burst from the girl. ‘Cruel! Cruel!’ she uttered. ‘Acquaintance! Oh, my God! You shall not cast me off so, you dare not! I will follow you wherever you go! Have you no pity, no compassion? Will you disown your own child? Look! Can you see this innocent, and be unmoved by the ruin you have brought on me?’ She opened the shawl as she spoke and disclosed a sleeping infant.

  ‘Good God!’ said Mr Ringwood.

  ‘I never saw you before in my life,’ said Revesby, still smiling. ‘You are certainly mad, and I must suppose you to have escaped from Bedlam.’

  ‘Mad! No! Yet if I am not it is small thanks to you!’ she cried wildly.‘You said it should be well with me, you promised me – you swore to me –’

  ‘For the lord’s sake, Sherry, get your wife out of this!’ said Mr Ringwood, in an urgent under-voice. ‘We shall have a crowd about us in a trice!’

  Sherry, who had been standing transfixed by amazement, pulled himself together. ‘Yes, my God!’ he said. ‘Here, Kitten, into the carriage! Can’t be dawdling here all night!’

  But Hero had withdrawn her hand from his arm. ‘Oh, the poor creature!’ she exclaimed pitifully, and ran down the remainder of the steps to the distracted girl.

  ‘Now we are in the basket!’muttered Sherry.‘Good God, Gil, what’s to be done? What a damned thing!’

  ‘Think I’ll be going home, Sherry, dear old boy,’ said Ferdy in a very cowardly manner.‘Won’t be needing me!’

  ‘No, Ferdy!’ said Mr Ringwood firml