Читать книгу Regency Pleasures and Sins Part 1 - Louise Allen, Christine Merrill - Страница 45

‘I think you would make an excellent clergyman,’ Katherine said firmly, catching Robert’s hands in an effort to convince him of her sincerity. ‘Surely your father can have no objection now that he knows Nicholas is safe?’

Her brother-in-law returned the comforting pressure of her hands with an answering squeeze. ‘I suppose so. It is cowardly of me, I confess, but I have suppressed the very idea for so long that it is hard to talk of it now, let alone believe it would be possible.’

‘It is not so hard—you are telling me,’ Katherine said encouragingly.

‘And I hardly know you. I should be showing you around the house, not pouring my troubles out into your ears.’

‘Well, I am scared of the house and quite comfortable with you, so I would much rather hear about your ambitions. I have heard of many members of the nobility in the church. You will become an archbishop—I can tell you are destined for great things.’

‘And I can tell you are a darling,’ Robert said warmly, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Katherine laughed, quite at ease with him. ‘Thank you, but you flatter me. Oh, look, here is Nick.’

He must have had a difficult interview with his father, she realised, seeing the black fire flickering dangerously in his eyes. ‘Nick! I was a complete ninny and had to confess to being totally confused by the house within minutes, so Lord Robert brought me out here to enjoy the gardens.’

‘So that is what he is doing, is it?’ She saw Nick glance at his brother and felt a sudden qualm. Surely he did not think …?

It appeared that Robert also recognised danger when he saw it. ‘I was confessing my secret ambitions to Katherine and she has taken it upon herself to encourage me.’

One dark brow rose and Robert added hastily, ‘I wish to enter the church.’

‘Good God!’

‘Do not blaspheme, Nicholas,’ Katherine said sternly. ‘Your brother is perfectly serious. I am sure he would make an excellent clergyman. Now you are home safe, should he not speak to your father as soon as possible?’

The darkness had left Nick’s eyes as he regarded his brother with affectionate amusement. ‘Father should jump at the chance of elevating the moral tone of this family.’ Katherine sent him a reproving look and he added with the seriousness that always made her suspect he was teasing her, ‘However, he may not want you committed to this course of action until he sees me married and setting up my nursery.’

‘You are married,’ Robert pointed out.

‘And I have made it quite clear that is a temporary state of affairs!’ Katherine interjected hastily. Nick was teasing, the wretch. Katherine schooled her face and added, ‘But I am sure we can have everything tidied up before next Season and you can find yourself an eminently suitable bride.’ She turned to Robert. ‘I still think you should speak to his Grace sooner rather than later.’

‘Did I mention that I have an exceedingly managing wife?’ Nick enquired.

‘Er, no.’ Robert was watching her face with some amusement and Katherine suspected that she was betraying rather more of her emotions than she was prepared to. She stood up and brushed down her skirt.

‘Delightful as the garden is, I think I should not disregard his Grace’s wishes and should resume my tour of the house.’ She looked expectantly at Nick. The Long Gallery sounded an admirable place to have a private discussion and she very much wanted to speak to him alone.

‘I am so sorry, Kat,’ he replied with a charming smile. ‘But Father has asked that I speak to Witherspoon, our estate manager. I received a clear hint that I am expected to apply myself to learning all those things which I shirked in the past. I am sure Robert can continue to escort you—after all, I hardly feel it would be tactful to deliver a second shock to Father in one day.’

‘Grr.’ Katherine watched his retreating back, wishing that her attention was not drawn quite so forcibly to the breadth of his shoulders or the easy length of his stride.

‘I beg your pardon?’ Robert was also watching his brother. ‘Did you speak? I was just thinking that Nick really must get to a tailor before he goes out into society; we are much of a height, but he is definitely wider in the shoulders than I. It will have to be Newcastle, I suppose. I wonder why he did not stop to order some clothes while he was in town.’

‘Because he had no money and I had hardly any and we were outrunning the bailiffs.’ Katherine began to stroll with him across the grass back to the house. If she only looked at one wing at a time it was not too bad, it was when she looked at the entire extent of the place that she began to feel as though she had strayed into a fairy tale. ‘How much interest do moneylenders charge?’

‘I have no idea.’ Robert looked startled. ‘An extortionate amount, I imagine. But you do not have to worry about that, Nick will pay off the debt. Here, we can go in through this door.’

‘That would stop the interest, of course, but I am sure he will not let me repay him.’ Katherine allowed herself to be guided up a narrow staircase.

‘Why repay it at all? From what I understand, it is your brother’s debt.’

‘I know, but I signed the papers, so it is my responsibility. It will be a lesson to me to read everything first,’ she added ruefully as they stepped out through a jib door into what must be the Long Gallery.

One wall appeared almost to be made of glass divided by slender mullions. The other wall was covered with crimson damask and on it were hung what seemed like hundreds of paintings, nearly all portraits.

‘Behold the family, rogues most of them.’ Robert waved a hand at the rows of gilded frames. ‘You will observe the Nose, and in a few unfortunate individuals, the Chin. Now this one is—What is it, Jenkins?’

The footman bowed. ‘My lord, I am sorry to disturb you, but Durren sent up from the stables to say the farrier is here and he was worried about the shoeing of his Grace’s bay hunter. I cannot find his Grace to ask.’

‘I had better have a word with the man myself. Tell Durren I will be down directly and the farrier is to do nothing until I get there. Katherine, will you excuse me for a little while? The bell pull is over there if you need anything.’ He grinned ruefully, suddenly so like his brother that Katherine’s heart flipped. ‘It is more than our lives are worth to risk anything going wrong with that animal.’

‘Of course, please go. I shall enjoy just strolling here.’ Katherine began to pace slowly down the room, standing back to admire some large groups and full-length portraits of former dukes in ermine-trimmed robes, coming in close to peer at tiny dark paintings, which seemed to her untutored eye to be Jacobean or Tudor.

Nick was unmistakeably a Lydgate; his face looked back at her from countless paintings: dark eyes, straight nose, sensual mouth. Some depictions gave their sitters a familiar haughty look, a few had the spark of mischief she had come to watch for. All had the expression of proud intelligence that she had come to expect of him. One or two had the chin Robert had referred to, not such a handicap for the men, but a definite disadvantage to the ladies on whom a square, determined jaw did not sit prettily. I hope our daughters escape that, she thought, then caught herself with a horrified little gasp. What am I thinking of? Fantasising, that’s what you are doing, you foolish creature. Loving him is no excuse.

Shaken, Katherine continued her examination of the pictures, ignoring her aching neck as she tipped her head back to take them all in. The discomfort was a penance for such undisciplined daydreaming. Suddenly she came upon a group of relatively recent paintings, judging by the hair and clothes. That must surely be the present Duke with a small, fair lady in clothes perhaps half a century out of date. His first wife? Yes, it must be, for here he was again standing behind a different, seated, lady with a baby on her lap and a small boy by her knee.

The child must be Nick. Smiling, she stepped closer to study it.

‘A pretty group, that,’ a voice said dispassionately behind her. She jumped. ‘I am sorry, my dear, I had no intention of startling you.’

Katherine turned hastily. ‘Your Grace. I was quite absorbed by the portraits.’

‘Have both my sons abandoned you?’

‘Nicholas is with your estate manager. Lord Robert left a few minutes ago because of an urgent message from the stables. Something about the farrier and your bay hunter, your Grace.’

‘Indeed? In my young day it would take rather more than a horse to distract me from a charming young lady.’

Katherine’s lips twitched. She was beginning to take the measure of the formidable old man. ‘I believe it was the thought of your displeasure rather than the needs of the horse that animated Lord Robert.’

‘That is as it should be,’ the Duke remarked gravely. ‘I see it falls to me to exhibit the rest of the collection, unless you are bored with an unending succession of Lydgates?’

‘No, your Grace. I find it fascinating.’

‘Then let us see if we can find any other depictions of your husband. Ah, yes, rather over-dramatic, perhaps.’

He had stopped in front of a full-length study of a rearing horse against a stormy sky. Holding its reins, his attention fixed on the animal as it fought for its freedom, was a young man, hardly more than a youth. ‘Two wild animals,’ Katherine said without thinking.

‘And each as stubborn as the other,’ the Duke agreed. ‘Nicholas’s temper was as free as that stallion’s in those days. He appears to have governed it now.’ It was a question.

‘I would say he has quite remarkable self-control,’ Katherine said as judiciously as she could. ‘And remarkable courage. To see him in prison, bearing those dreadful conditions and the certainty of death with such dignity and even humour—that was very impressive.’

The old man said nothing, but Katherine sensed his pleasure. He was not going to admit to his pride in his son, had still not forgiven him, but that pride ran deep and to hear it justified could only gratify him.

All he said was, ‘Nicholas has told me nothing about the conditions in the prison except that he was amazed that, having seen him, you still consented to marry him.’

Katherine chuckled. ‘Well, your Grace, I was desperate. He was filthy, bearded, his hair in rats’ tails and as for the prison smell … But there was something, I am not sure what, something in his eyes that made me feel safe. And his wrists were raw under the shackles.’ She broke off, suddenly finding herself emotional and appalled to be revealing so much of her feelings. She swallowed and said lightly, ‘I sent him soap.’

The Duke laughed, apparently genuinely amused. ‘An admirably practical thing to do. Now, come and see this glass case in the window. There is an excellent series of miniatures that you may like.’

Katherine allowed herself to be drawn into the deep bay formed by an oriole window and they bent over a glass-topped table that contained a dozen or so exquisite miniatures. As she was studying them, there was the sound of doors opening and voices from either end of the Long Gallery.

‘Robert! Where’s Katherine?’

‘I left her here. I had to go down to the stables.’

‘For goodness’ sake, if she has wandered off she will be lost in this maze of a house—we’ll have to turn all the footmen out to look for her.’

The voices were coming closer as the brothers converged on the centre of the Gallery. ‘I am sure if she is lost she will simply ring the nearest bell,’ Robert said placatingly.

‘Fortunately Katherine has not been put to that expedient,’ the Duke remarked drily, emerging from the embrasure, his hand firmly under Katherine’s elbow. ‘Come along, my dear, I will show you the way back to the main hall so you can get your bearings.’ A clock struck and he added, ‘Doubtless your woman will be waiting to help you change for dinner.’ He regarded his two sons as he passed. ‘We have been having a comfortable cose,’ he remarked blandly. ‘Such a pleasure for an old man.’

He shut the door behind them and caught Katherine’s eye. ‘You wish to say something, my dear?’

‘Only that I think neither of your sons regards you as “old,” your Grace.’ She saw the glint in his eye and added daringly, ‘I think you enjoy teasing them.’

‘It is a relief to have two of them to tease,’ he said. ‘Not that you will repeat that to them, I trust.’

‘No, of course not,’ she assured him as they parted company at the foot of the main stairs.

What was it that Nick had said so lightly when she had asked him why he wanted a month to elapse before the marriage was annulled? To allow the charms of my family to grow upon you, perhaps. She had liked Robert on sight, now she found herself unexpectedly liking the formidable Duke himself.

In fact, she suspected that after a few weeks she could well find herself very fond of both of them. Which was no reason not to annul the marriage; in fact, liking them, she felt more than ever that she must not impose upon them.

In her room Jenny was ready waiting with hot water and hair brushes, the best of Katherine’s limited choice of evening gowns laid out on the bed. Light was fading over the park and, as Katherine washed, the maid went round the room closing the heavy blue curtains across the windows.

With the outside world shut out, she looked closely at the bedchamber for the first time and shivered. The room seemed glacial to her eyes, used as she was to a bedchamber as a sanctuary, a warm retreat where she could create a feminine, private world.

The walls were lined with ice blue watered silk, the polished boards were largely obscured by a vast Chinese rug in shades of blue and ivory and the high ceiling and plasterwork seemed to enclose her like the sugarwork on an elaborate cake. Even the bed did not offer much promise of comfort. It was so high she would need a footstool to get into it, the covers were a mass of white lace and the hangings more chilly blue silk.

The pictures played their part in her discomfort—a full-length portrait of an exquisite young lady in a lavish gown and marvellous parure of diamonds regarded her with disdain and, on another wall, a classical scene showed maidens being dragged to a sacrificial altar.

Jenny followed her mistress’s gaze and pulled a face. ‘Nice thing to have in a bedchamber, I don’t think! Enough to give a body nightmares. Here’s your pearl ear-bobs, Miss Katherine.’

Katherine hooked them into her lobes with the sinking feeling that she was the maiden on the way to a sacrifice. The prospect of the meal filled her with dread. She would be surrounded by servants who, if they did not know it already, would soon be aware of the strange nature of the Marquis’s marriage.

Luncheon had been an ordeal, how much worse was a formal dinner going to be? She would have to make polite and appropriate conversation with three men, two of whom she hardly knew and one of whom she loved and could not have. And, to crown it all, she must hope that with her limited experience she did not commit some breach of etiquette in this ducal household and embarrass both herself and Nicholas.

But it was none of those things that made her want to order Jenny to throw everything into their portmanteaux, to send for John to harness the team and to flee back to the shabby comfort of last night’s inn. A creeping unease was coming into her heart, a feeling that she was out of her depth already and into a situation where she had no control. Whatever happened she was going to be hurt, she knew that, but now it was no longer just herself and Nick involved.

The men were gathered in what Heron informed her was, ‘The Chinese Salon, your ladyship, it being more comfortable for small family gatherings.’

Remembering some of the bewildering succession of apartments through which Robert had led her that afternoon, Katherine could only be thankful for that information. She swept into the room with her chin up, telling herself that if she could beard a highwayman in his den she could face a Duke in his palace.

The men looked up as she entered. They had been gathered around a table with a paper spread upon it and, as Katherine came closer, she saw it was a large map. She bobbed a curtsy and looked up to meet Nick’s eyes. He smiled and without calculation she smiled back, relieved to find his warmth in the middle of the cold formality. Then Robert greeted her and the Duke stepped forward, gesturing her to look at what they had been studying and the chill, lonely feeling ebbed away.

‘I was just showing Nicholas this map which Mr Crace, our archivist, found recently in the Muniments Room. He is unable to join us for dinner, as he is dining with Reverend Rossington, our chaplain, at the Bishop’s palace.’

Katherine swallowed a small gasp. Of course, a Duke would have an archivist and a chaplain and of course they normally joined the family for dinner. Was it ever possible to be private in this vast house?

Nick was poring over the map again, one long finger pointing to what seemed to be a house towards the edge of the park. ‘Is Cousin Wilhelmina still in residence in the Dower House, sir?’

‘No, she died three years ago,’ the Duke replied. ‘The place is empty now.’ He regarded his elder son sharply. ‘Have you a use for it?’

Nick shrugged, ‘Possibly, sir, if you have not. I shall need to be setting up my own establishment.’

‘You can have the east wing here to your entire use should you wish,’ the Duke remarked. ‘Why do you wish to move out of the house?’

‘Because, with respect, sir, I think we would deal better together if we are not in each other’s pocket. And my wife informed me last night that she prefers a smaller home. Something snug and cosy were the words she used, if I remember aright.’

‘Nicholas!’ The word was forced out of Katherine with more emphasis than decorum and she blushed. ‘Excuse me, your Grace. I meant no disrespect, I had no idea where Nick lived when I spoke.’

‘So, he had not told you.’ The Duke smiled thinly at their discomfiture. ‘You could not have guessed what you would find. And in any case, you would expect the marriage to have been ended long before the Dower House is fit for habitation, would you not?’

‘Yes, of co—’

‘No.’ It was Nick, cutting emphatically across her response. ‘No, that is by no means agreed.’