Charity Girl Read online

  'If I were you, Des, I wouldn't be too sure of that,' said Simon.

  'My dear lad, I am quite certain of it! I met her for the first time at a ball the Bugles gave, and had a conversation with her; on the following day I encountered her on my way to London, took her up into my curricle, and conveyed her first to London, and then brought her here, since when I haven't laid eyes on her. So if Steane has any notion of accusing me of having seduced her the sooner he rids himself of it the better it will be for him.' He saw that Simon was looking unusually grave, and said, in a little amusement: 'I'm not shamming it, you know!'

  'Well, of course I know it! But this fellow could make nasty mischief. What if he set it about that you stole Cherry away from her aunt's house, under a promise to marry her?'

  'Good God, is he as bad as that?'

  Simon nodded. 'I daresay you could disprove a charge of having made off with her, and kept her until you was tired of her – '

  'What, in one day? Doing it too brown, Simon!'

  'The point is can you prove it was only one day? I shouldn't think that Bugle woman would support you: she's already told Steane you ravished Cherry out of the house. Seems one of her daughters overheard what you and Cherry were saying, on the night of that ball.'

  'Well, she didn't overhear me trying to persuade Cherry to run off with me. And considering upwards of half-a-dozen people saw me leave Hazelfield some time after breakfast on the following morning, and the Silverdales took charge of Cherry that same evening, I don't think that cock will fight!'

  'No, very likely not, but you wouldn't want such an on-dit to be running round the town, would you? You know what all the tattlemongers would say : No smoke without fire! and the lord knows there are enough of them on the town!' He grinned, watching the kindling of the Viscount's eyes, and the hardening of the lines about his mouth. 'Never mind looking like bull-beef, Des! Would you want that?'

  The Viscount did not answer for a moment, but sat frowning down at his own finger-nails. He had turned his closed hand over, and seemed to find the row of well-kept nails interesting. But presently he straightened his fingers, and looked up, meeting Simon's eyes. 'No, I wouldn't,' he replied. He smiled faintly 'But I hardly think he will attempt anything of that sort. For one thing, it would be to lay himself open to reprisal; and for another, he must surely know that he is in extremely ill-odour here. No one for whose opinion I care a button would believe a word he said.'

  'What about your enemies?'

  'I haven't any!'

  'Why, you old windy-wallets!' exclaimed Simon indignantly. 'Talk of ringing one's own bell – !'

  The Viscount laughed. 'No, no, how can you say so?'

  'Let me tell you, Des, that this is no laughing matter!' said Simon severely. 'I don't say you couldn't beat him all to sticks if he accuses you of having seduced Cherry, for very likely you could – though I don't think you'd enjoy it. But you wouldn't find it as easy to fight an action for breach of promise!'

  'Why not? For that to succeed Cherry's testimony would be needed, and he won't get that.'

  'Anyone would take you for a mooncalf !' said Simon, quite exasperated. 'Next you'll say he's welcome to try it! Well, if you've no objection to setting yourself up as a subject for steward's room gossip, what do you imagine the parents would feel about it?'

  'But, Simon, how could he possibly bring such an action without support from Cherry?'

  'He could start one, couldn't he? What do they call it? File a suit? Because he knows you'd pay through the nose to stop him!'

  'I'm damned if I would!'

  'And what about my father? Ay, that's another pair of sleeves, ain't it? He would! I sent that old hedge-bird here because he threatened to go to Wolversham, and hoax my father with his lying story! And the next thing was that he had the infernal brass to ask me how it came about that Lady Silverdale had been persuaded to receive Cherry at the hands of such a libertine as you are, brother! So I said that you were betrothed to Hetta!'

  'You said what?' Desford demanded, taken aback.

  'Well, I thought there was nothing for it but to go the whole pile,' explained Simon. 'It seemed to me to be the best thing I could say, because if he believed it he was bound to see that it turned his scheme to accuse you of having promised to marry Cherry into a case of crabs. Which he did see! Never saw a man look so blue in my life! But if you don't like it I'm sorry, but considering you and Hetta have been as thick as inkle-weavers for the lord knows how many years, I didn't think you'd care a straw for it!'

  'I don't,' said Desford, a queer little smile hovering round his mouth. 'But my father already knows the true story! I told it him myself, on my way back from Harrowgate.'

  'Told him – Des, you didn't!' uttered Simon, turning pale with dismay. 'How could you have done anything so blubberheaded?'

  There was a good deal of amusement in the Viscount's eyes, but he answered meekly: 'Well, as he had already got wind of the business, and had driven over here with Mama to discover what sort of a girl I had apparently become entangled with, it seemed to be the only thing I could do.'

  'Lord!' said Simon, with an eloquent shiver. 'You've got more bottom than I have, Des! Did he come the ugly?'

  'Not at all! You should know him better than to think he would, when any of us three were in the suds! Oh, he read me one of his scolds, but he told me to come to him if I found myself at the end of my rope! Mind you, he'd met Cherry by that time, and knew at a glance that she wasn't a designing harpy!'

  'So I might have spared myself the trouble of heading him away from Wolversham!' said Simon wrathfully. 'Upon my word, Des – '

  'Oh, no! I'm grateful to you for having done so! He wouldn't have believed Steane's story, but it's more than likely that he would have paid him handsomely to keep his mouth shut, and I'm damned if I'll allow Steane to put the screw on him! He told me himself that when he came here it was with the intention of buying Cherry off, if he found that she was a designing harpy. Never mind that! Did you come here to warn Hetta that she is engaged to me?'

  'Yes, of course! I had to!'

  'And how did she take it?'

  'I'm bound to own that she flew up into the boughs, which surprised me. What I mean is, not like her to turn missish all at once! However, I pointed out to her that if the story were to leak out she could either deny it, or cry off, so she mended her temper, and promised she'd stand buff. No need to fear she may run shy! I'll say this for Hetta: she may be a trifle freakish now and then, but she's a right one at heart!'

  'Yes, the pick of the basket!' Desford said, getting up. 'And the sooner I go to her rescue – '

  'Stay a moment, Des! They are all in an uproar, because that troublesome girl seems to have loped off !'

  'Cherry? Good God, why?'

  'Oh, Hetta thinks it was because Lady Silverdale found Charlie kissing her, and gave her a scold! She also thinks Cherry may have met with an accident, and she's sent off most of the men to search for her. The devil of it is, of course, that if they don't find her Steane will be sure to cut up rough. Very likely he'll accuse the Silverdales of having ill-used her!'

  'Oh, my God, as though we weren't in bad enough loaf already!' groaned the Viscount, striding away towards the door into the house.

  'Hi, wait!' Simon called, suddenly bethinking himself of something, and jumping up from the seat. He thrust a hand into his pocket, pulled out a package, and hurried after his brother. 'Here you are, old chap!' he said, holding it out, with a shy smile. 'Very much obliged to you!'

  'But what is it?'

  'A roll of soft, you gudgeon! The monkey you lent me!'

  'Chuff it!' recommended the Viscount. 'I told you at the time that I wasn't going to let you break my shins! Did Mopsqueezer win?'

  'I should rather think he did! What's more, there was a horse entered for the last race, called Brother Benefactor, so I put all my winnings on him, and he came home at ten-toone! Bound to, of course!'

  The Viscount gave a shout of laughte