An Infamous Army Read online

  Lady Worth grasped its significance, but could scarcely believe that quite the most soberly-dressed gentleman in the room (if you let out of account that casual sprinkling of Orders) could really be the Field-Marshal himself. Even Lord Hill, at his elbow, was more resplendent, while any Cornet of Hussars would have cast him in the shade.

  That was Lady Worth’s first impression, but a second, following it swiftly, at once corrected it. The Duke had no need of silver lace or a scarlet-and-gold coat to attract the eye. He had a presence which made itself felt the instant he entered the room. He stood surrounded by his general staff, and they became no more than a splendid background for his trim figure. It was very odd, reflected Lady Worth, watching him, for his height was no more than average, and he did not bear himself with any extraordinary dignity. Indeed, there seemed to be very little pomp about him. He was shaking hands briskly with the Belgian notables presented by the Mayor; he was laughing again, and really, his laugh was over-loud, not unlike the neighing of a horse.

  He came further into the ballroom, pausing to greet individuals, and, catching sight of Colonel Audley, said in a quick, resonant voice: ‘Ah, there you are, Audley! One of my family, Baron—Colonel Audley, who has been with me in Vienna, and will show us all how they perform the grande ronde there.’

  ‘Why, Charles, how do you do?’ exclaimed the Duchess of Richmond, giving him her hand. ‘And Lady Worth! My dear Duke, I think you have not met Charles’s sister-in-law. Lady Worth, the Duke of Wellington!’

  Judith found herself under the piercing scrutiny of the Duke’s deep-set eyes, which surveyed her with an expression of decided approbation. She would have bowed merely, but he took her hand in a firm grasp, and shook it, saying: ‘Delighted! You must let me tell you how delighted I am to meet Audley’s sister. Do you make a long stay in Brussels? Eh? Yes? That’s capital! I shall hope for a better acquaintance.’

  Judith said something graceful, and as his Grace seemed inclined to linger, presented her husband. A brief How-de-do? was exchanged; other people pressed forward to claim the Duke’s attention; and he passed on, bowing to one person, shaking hands with another, calling out: ‘Hallo, how are you? Glad to see you!’ to a third. Unlike the figure of her imagination, he seemed very much at home in a ballroom, quite accessible, cheerful to the verge of jocularity, and ready to be pleased. Such remarks of his as reached Lady Worth’s ears were none of them profound, and when the anxious besought his opinion of the political situation he replied with a joviality which had almost the effect of making him appear to be a little stupid.

  Lady Worth was still looking after the Duke when she caught sight of Miss Devenish, standing not many paces distant, beside her aunt. Judith noticed with satisfaction that she was in her best looks, her hair very prettily dressed, her cheeks faintly flushed, and her large eyes glowing. She had just decided not to seem to be in too great a hurry to introduce Charles, when his voice said in her ear: ‘Who is that?’

  Nothing, thought Judith, could have been more opportune! Lucy was far too unaffected to have purposely placed herself beside a plain young female in a dress of particularly harsh puce, but the effect could not have been more advantageous to her. How right she had been to advise the child to wear her white satin! It was no wonder that she had caught Charles’s eye. She replied in a careless tone: ‘Oh, that is a young friend of mine, a Miss Devenish.’

  ‘Will you present me?’

  ‘Why, certainly! She is pretty, is she not?’

  ‘Pretty!’ repeated the Colonel. ‘She is the loveliest creature I ever beheld in my life!’

  Prejudiced as Judith was in Miss Devenish’s favour, this encomium seemed to be to her somewhat exaggerated. Charles sounded quite serious too: in fact, oddly serious. She turned her head, and found to her surprise that he was not looking in Miss Devenish’s direction, but towards the big double doorway.

  ‘Why, Charles, whom can you be staring at?’ she began, but broke off as her gaze followed his. It was quite obvious whom Colonel Audley was staring at. He was staring at a vision in palest green satin draped in a cloud of silver net. The Lady Barbara Childe had arrived, and was standing directly beneath a huge chandelier, just inside the ballroom. The candlelight touched her hair with fire, and made the emerald spray she wore in it gleam vividly. The heavy folds of satin clung to her form, and clearly revealed the long, lovely line of a leg, a little advanced beyond its fellow. Shoulders and breast were bare, if you ignored a scarf of silver net, which (thought Lady Worth) was easily done. Any woman would have agreed that the bodice of the wretched creature’s gown was cut indecently low, while as for petticoats, Lady Worth for one would have owned herself surprised to learn that Barbara was wearing as much as a stitch beneath her satin and her net.

  A glance at Colonel Audley’s face was enough to inform her that this disgraceful circumstance was not likely to weigh with him as it should.

  His hand came up to grasp her elbow, not ungently, but with a certain urgency. ‘Miss Devenish, did you say?’

  ‘No, I did not!’ replied Judith crossly. She recollected herself, and added with an attempt to conceal her annoyance: ‘You are looking at the wrong lady. That is Barbara Childe. I daresay you may have heard of her.’

  ‘So that is Barbara Childe!’ he said. ‘Are you acquainted with her? Will you present me?’

  ‘Well, really, Charles, my acquaintance with her is of the slightest. You know, she is not quite the thing. I will allow her to be excessively handsome, but I believe you would be disappointed if you knew her.’

  ‘Impossible!’ he replied.

  Judith looked wildly round in search of inspiration, and encountered only the mocking eyes of her lord. She met that quizzical glance with one of entreaty not unmixed with indignation. The Earl took snuff with a wonderful air of abstraction.

  Help came from an unexpected quarter. Those standing by the door fell back; the orchestra struck up William of Nassau; the King and Queen of the Netherlands had arrived.

  There could be no question of performing introductions at such a moment. As the ushers came in, the crowd parted, till an avenue was formed; their Majesties were announced; every lady sank in a deep curtsy; and in walked King William, a stout gentleman, with his stout Queen beside him, and behind him his two sons.

  Majesty was in an affable mood, smiling broadly, ready to have any number of presentations made, and to be extremely gracious to everyone; but the Princes attracted more attention. The younger, Frederick, was a fine young man, with not inconsiderable pretensions to good looks. He bore himself stiffly, and favoured his acquaintances with an inclination of the head, accompanied by a small, regal smile.

  His brother, the Prince of Orange, though arrayed in all the magnificence of a general’s dress uniform, was a much less impressive figure. He was very thin and held himself badly, and his good-humoured countenance bore a slight resemblance to that of a startled faun. His smile, however, was disarming, and a marked tendency to wink at cronies whom he observed in the crowd could not but endear him to his more unceremonious friends. When he caught sight of Colonel Audley, an expression of delight leapt to his rather prominent eyes, and he waved to him; and when the Duke of Wellington, having bowed punctiliously over the King’s hand, turned to pay his respects to him, he frustrated any attempt at formality by starting forward, and taking the Duke’s hand with all the reverence of a junior officer honoured by a great man.

  ‘I hope I see your Royal Highness in good health?’ said the Duke.

  ‘I am so glad to see you, sir,’ stammered his Royal Highness. ‘I would have reported at your house this morning, but I did not know—I was at Braine-le-Comte—you must forgive me!’

  The Duke’s face relaxed. ‘I shall be happy to see your Highness tomorrow, if that should be convenient to you.’

  ‘Yes, of course, sir!’ his Highness assured him.

  Majesty, listening indulgently to this interchange, intervened to draw the Duke’s attention to his younger son. The