Cotillion Read online

  ‘No need to screech,’ said Freddy. ‘Dashed good notion!’

  ‘It is quite shocking! And when I think that you are for ever telling me I am bird-witted, I declare I could slap you! She had very much better marry Sir Henry!’

  ‘No, she hadn’t,’ contradicted Freddy bluntly. ‘For one thing, not the sort of fellow anyone would do better to marry. For another, getting to be a trifle crack-brained—well, stands to reason he wouldn’t offer to marry this little article of virtue if he weren’t! If she marries him, sure as check she’ll be kicking up larks all over town within the twelvemonth, because it ain’t to be expected she’ll know how to do the thing neatly.’

  ‘Well, it is no concern of yours if she does!’ argued Meg.

  ‘Dashed well is my concern!’ said Freddy. ‘Nice thing if a friend of Kit’s was to be one of the on-dits of town, and very likely drawing Kit into her scrapes! If you think Kit wouldn’t be for ever trying to pull her out of ’em, you don’t know Kit!’

  Impressed by this eminently practical point of view, Meg said doubtfully: ‘Yes, but—an elopement! I cannot like it!’

  ‘I should hope you would not,’ said Freddy, with a touch of austerity. ‘Dash it, you’re a Standen! Point is, the Broughty girl ain’t! Mind, I don’t know yet how Kit’s cousin will take it, so I haven’t said anything to the girl. If he ain’t willing, I shall be at a stand. Going to visit him. Leave Miss Broughty here.’

  ‘Freddy, I won’t be a party to it! Only fancy how displeased Buckhaven would be, if it came to his ears! Besides, what a fix I should be in if Mrs Broughty knew that I had helped her daughter to do anything so improper!’

  ‘Won’t know it: told Skelton to say she wasn’t here, if anyone came asking for her,’ replied Freddy. ‘Can’t stay longer: devil of a lot to do!’

  He waited for no further expostulation, but left the dressing-room, and ran down the stairs. Pausing only to look into the Saloon, and to tell Olivia, nervously seated on the edge of a chair, that he would be back presently, he again left the house, and set off in the direction of Duke Street.

  He was fortunate enough to find the Chevalier at home. The Chevalier, in fact, had risen at a late hour, had partaken of breakfast at noon, and received his unexpected guest in a magnificent dressing-gown, for which he made rueful apologies.

  ‘You find me en deshabille! I have had last night what I think you call a pretty batch of it!’

  He set a chair for Freddy as he spoke. He was smiling, but his bright eyes were wary, and there was a suggestion of tautness about him. He would have assisted Freddy to divest himself of his long coat, but Freddy shook his head, saying: ‘Don’t mean to make a long stay: got a great deal to do!’

  The Chevalier bowed, and turned away to produce from a cupboard a bottle and two glasses. ‘You will, however, take a glass of Madeira with me?’

  ‘Do that with pleasure,’ said Freddy. ‘Come to see you on a devilish ticklish business, d’Evron. Daresay you know what it is.’

  ‘In effect,’ said the Chevalier, after a momentary silence, ‘my cousin has told you certain things?’

  ‘Knew ’em already,’ replied Freddy. He added apologetically: ‘Been on the town for some time, y’know!’

  ‘Quoi?’ ejaculated the Chevalier, flushing. ‘There is, then, something in my ton, my tenue, which betrays me?’

  ‘No, no, nothing like that!’ Freddy assured him. ‘No need to take a pet! Thing is—well, it’s what I was saying to m’father t’other day: can’t be on the town without learning to know a flat from—’ He broke off in some slight confusion, as the infelicitous nature of this reminiscence occurred to him.

  The Chevalier burst out laughing. ‘Ah, I can supply the word! I become very au fait with your idioms. You would say “from a leg,” I think!’

  ‘Well, I would,’ owned Freddy. ‘It ain’t your ton. Dashed if I know what it is! Just thought you was a trifle smoky.’

  ‘It is to be hoped that others are not so—how shall I say?—intelligent! Or have you come to threaten me with exposure?’

  ‘Must know I haven’t,’ replied Freddy. ‘Cork-brained thing to do! Engaged to your cousin: don’t want her to be uncomfortable; don’t want any scandal either. What’s more, don’t wish you any harm.’

  The Chevalier made him a mock bow, and began to pour out the wine. ‘I thank you! Well, and so I am a leg! I live, in fact, d’invention! I take risks, yes, but not, perhaps so great risks as some have thought. I will tell you, M. Standen, that if you had come to threaten me I would have snapped my fingers in your face, so! As I have snapped them in the face of your so-amiable cousin!’

  ‘Which one?’ enquired Freddy. ‘What I mean is, got a lot of cousins! Quite safe to snap your fingers in my cousin Dolphinton’s face, but if you mean my cousin Jack, which I fancy you do, silly thing to have done! Dangerous fellow to cross.’

  ‘Be content! He will not expose me, for he dare not!’

  ‘Might not do that,’ agreed Freddy. ‘Wouldn’t lay a groat, though, against the chance of his doing you a mischief. Very seldom seen him queered on any suit. However, it ain’t any concern of mine.’ He sipped his wine, a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘Come to think of it, might be able to put you in the way of serving Jack a back-handed turn,’ he remarked.

  The Chevalier shrugged his shoulders. ‘A quoi sort de le faire? If I chose to do it, I would remain in England. I do not fear him, believe me! That he knows! It is a little amusing that he should have put himself to such pains to persuade me to return to my own country. It has been my intention to do so, since—several days. That gave me to laugh sous cape! Will he flatter himself I went away because he bade me? No, I think—but it matters nothing! Did you come to visit me to tell me to go, sir? Cela n’en vaut pas la peine!’

  ‘Came to tell you Miss Broughty’s in the devil of a fix,’ said Freddy calmly.

  The Chevalier had walked over to the window, but he turned swiftly at this. ‘You would say that Miss Broughty is in trouble?’

  ‘That’s it,’ nodded Freddy. ‘Run away from Hans Crescent. Not the thing, but can’t blame her. Never saw such a set of rum touches in my life as those relations of hers! What’s more,’ he added, considering the matter dispassionately, ‘not a good part of the town. Wouldn’t like to live there myself.’

  ‘For the love of God—!’ cried the Chevalier impatiently. ‘What has happened to her? Where is she?’

  ‘Left her with m’sister,’ Freddy replied. ‘She came to ask Kit to help her.’

  ‘Ah, she has a heart of gold, this Kitty, and she will do so!’ the Chevalier exclaimed, his brow lightening a little.

  ‘Daresay she might, but she ain’t there,’ said Freddy stolidly.

  ‘Not there! Where then is she?’

  ‘Gone down to my great-uncle’s. Poor girl’s at a standstill: don’t know what to do! Seemed to me I’d best come and tell you about it. Thing is, she can’t stay in Berkeley Square. First place that Broughty-woman will think of, when she starts searching for her.’

  ‘But tell me, I beg of you! It is not—mon Dieu, it is not that madame has discovered—? It is not I who am the cause—?’

  ‘Oh, no, nothing of that nature! You know Sir Henry Gosford? Offered for her.’

  ‘That ancient!’ the Chevalier said contemptuously. ‘I know well the intentions of Madame Broughty, but Olivia will laugh at the vieillard!’

  ‘Wasn’t laughing when I saw her. Said her mother would kill her if she didn’t do as she was bid. Shouldn’t think she would, myself, but no use telling Miss Broughty that: in the deuce of a pucker, y’know! Trembling all over.’

  ‘Ah, la pauvre! it is a dragon de femme, that one, but she cannot force that angel to the altar, after all! She will scold, she will threaten, but she will not harm her own daughter! This Sir Henry will be forgotten—I too must be forgotten!—and one da