The Convenient Marriage Read online

  ‘No,’ he answered. ‘She is not, Louisa. I am not at all sure that she is not a heroine.’

  ‘Don’t she wish to marry you?’

  The Earl’s eyes gleamed. ‘Well, I am rather old, you know, though no one would think it to look at me. But she assures me she would quite like to marry me. If my memory serves me, she prophesied that we should deal famously together.’

  Lady Louisa, watching him, said abruptly: ‘Rule, is this a love-match?’

  His brows rose; he looked faintly amused. ‘My dear Louisa! At my age?’

  ‘Then marry the Beauty,’ she said. ‘That one would understand better.’

  ‘You are mistaken, my dear. Horatia understands perfectly. She engages not to interfere with me.’

  ‘At seventeen! It’s folly, Marcus.’ She got up, drawing her scarf around her. ‘I’ll see her for myself.’

  ‘Do,’ he said cordially. ‘I think – but I may be prejudiced – you will find her adorable.’

  ‘If you find her so,’ she said, her eyes softening, ‘I shall love her – even though she has a squint!’

  ‘Not a squint,’ said his lordship. ‘A stammer.’

  Four

  The question Lady Louisa Quain longed to ask yet did not ask was: ‘What of Caroline Massey?’ Her brother’s relations with the fair Massey were perfectly well known to her, nor was she, in the general way, afraid of plain speaking. She told herself that nothing she could say would be likely to have any effect on his conduct, but admitted that she lacked the moral courage to broach the subject. She believed that she enjoyed a good deal of Rule’s confidence, but he had never discussed his amorous adventures with her, and would be capable of delivering an extremely unpleasant snub if she trespassed on forbidden ground.

  Although she did not flatter herself that her influence had had very much to do with it, it was she who had urged him to marry. She said that if there was one thing she found herself unable to bear it was the prospect of seeing Crosby in Rule’s shoes. It was she who had indicated Miss Winwood as a suitable bride. She liked Elizabeth, and was quick to value not only her celestial good looks, but the sweetness of her disposition as well. Surely the possession of so charming a wife would wean Rule from his odious connection with the Massey. But now it did not seem as though Rule cared whom he married and that augured very ill for his bride’s future influence over him. A chit of seventeen too! It could not be more unpromising.

  She waited on Lady Winwood and met Horatia. She left South Street later in quite another frame of mind. That black-browed child was no simpering miss from the schoolroom. Lord! thought her ladyship, what a dance she would lead him! It was better, far better than she had planned. Elizabeth’s docility would not have answered the purpose near so well as Horatia’s turbulence. Why, she told herself, he’ll have not a moment’s peace and no time at all for that odious Massey creature!

  That Rule foresaw the unquiet future that so delighted his sister seemed improbable. He continued to visit in Hertford Street, and no hint of parting crossed his lips.

  Lady Massey received him in her rose and silver boudoir two days after the announcement of his betrothal. She was dressed in a négligée of lace and satin, and reclined on a brocaded sopha. No servant announced him; he came into the room as one who had the right, and as he shut the door, remarked humorously: ‘Dear Caroline, you’ve a new porter. Did you tell him to shut the door in my face?’

  She held her hand to him. ‘Did he do so, Marcus?’

  ‘No,’ said his lordship. ‘No. That ignominious fate has not yet been mine.’ He took her hand and raised it to his lips. Her fingers clasped his, and drew him down to her. ‘I thought we were being very formal,’ he said, smiling, and kissed her.

  She retained her hold on his hand, but said half quizzically, half mournfully: ‘Perhaps we should be formal – now, my lord.’

  ‘So you did tell the porter to shut the door in my face?’ sighed his lordship.

  ‘I did not. But you are to be married, are you not, Marcus?’

  ‘Yes,’ admitted Rule. ‘Not just at this moment, you know.’

  She smiled, but fleetingly. ‘You might have told me,’ she said.

  He opened his snuff-box and dipped in his finger and thumb. ‘I might, of course,’ he said, possessing himself of her hand. ‘A new blend, my dear,’ he said, and dropped the pinch on to her white wrist, and sniffed.

  She pulled her hand away. ‘Could you not have told me?’ she repeated.

  He shut his snuff-box and glanced down at her, still good-humoured, but with something at the back of his eyes which gave her pause. A little anger shook her; she understood quite well: he would not discuss his marriage with her. She said, trying to make her voice light: ‘You will say it is not my business, I suppose.’

  ‘I am never rude, Caroline,’ objected his lordship mildly.

  She felt herself foiled, but smiled. ‘No indeed. I’ve heard it said you’re the smoothest-spoken man in England.’ She studied her rings, moving her hand to catch the light. ‘But I didn’t know you thought of marriage.’ She flashed a look up at him. ‘You see,’ she said, mock-solemn, ‘I thought you loved me – only me!’

  ‘What in the world,’ inquired his lordship, ‘has that to do with my marriage? I am entirely at your feet, my dear. Quite the prettiest feet I ever remember to have seen.’

  ‘And you’ve seen many, I apprehend,’ she said with a certain dryness.

  ‘Dozens,’ said his lordship cheerfully.

  She did not mean to say it, but the words slipped out before she could guard her tongue. ‘But for all that you are at my feet, Marcus, you have offered for another woman.’

  The Earl had put up his glass to inspect a Dresden harlequin upon the mantelpiece. ‘If you bought that for a Kändler, my love, I am much afraid that you have been imposed upon,’ he remarked.

  ‘It was given me,’ she said impatiently.

  ‘How shocking!’ said his lordship. ‘I will send you a very pretty pair of dancing figures in its place.’

  ‘You are extremely obliging, Marcus, but we were speaking of your marriage,’ she said, nettled.

  ‘You were speaking of it,’ he corrected. ‘I was trying to – er – turn the subject.’

  She got up from the sopha and took an impatient step towards him.

  ‘I suppose,’ she said breathlessly, ‘you did not think the fair Massey worthy of so signal an honour?’

  ‘To tell you the truth, my dear, my modesty forbade me to suppose that the fair Massey would – er – contemplate marriage with me.’

  ‘Perhaps I would not,’ she replied. ‘But I think that was not your reason.’

  ‘Marriage,’ said his lordship pensively, ‘is such a very dull affair, you know.’

  ‘Is it, my lord? Even marriage with the noble Earl of Rule?’

  ‘Even with me,’ agreed Rule. He looked down at her, a curious expression that was not quite a smile in his eyes. ‘You see, my dear, to use your own words, you would have to love me – only me.’

  She was startled. Under her powder a faint flush crept into her cheeks. She turned away with a little laugh and began to arrange the roses in one of her bowls. ‘That would certainly be very dull,’ she said. She glanced sideways at him. ‘Are you perhaps jealous, my lord?’

  ‘Not in the least,’ said the Earl placidly.

  ‘But you think that were I your wife you might be?’

  ‘You are so charming, my dear, that I feel sure I should have to be,’ said his lordship bowing.

  She was too clever a woman to press her point. She thought she had gone too far already, and however angry she might be at his marriage she had no wish to alienate him. At one time she had held high hopes of becoming the Countess of Rule, though she was perfectly aware that such an alliance would be deemed a shocking one by the Polite World. She knew now th