Читать книгу Beauty in Disguise - Mary Moore - Страница 14

Chapter Four

“But I cannot, Lady Dinsmore!” Kathryn exclaimed, horrified. “It would be most unseemly!”

“Mother, I absolutely refuse to consider it. Why, I should be mortified!”

“Charity, you will hold your tongue. This is between Miss Montgomery and me.”

The three ladies were in the sewing room, and Lady Dinsmore had become quite adamant. “Kate, last night’s dinner was a disaster. Sir John and the rector said only ten words between them, and Charity,” she said, giving the girl an evil glance, “did nothing but throw herself at Lord Dalton. He showed himself quite at ease with you during tea yesterday. I believe he will enjoy his meals more could he share them with someone who had London in common. Besides, it will solve the problem of uneven numbers, as well. I meant to mention the matter to you last week when I invited Mr. Wimpole to dinner during Lord Dalton’s stay, but I confess it quite slipped my mind.”

“I can assure you, my lady,” Kathryn argued in an agitated manner, “Lord Dalton will be much more shocked to find himself seated at the table with a companion than he would be to see uneven numbers!”

“Oh, Mama, it does not bear thinking on. You always say we must defer to Kate’s opinion regarding the activities of the ton. He will consider us...rustics!” The last was said with such horror that Kathryn could barely stop herself from laughing.

Lady Dinsmore had not expected such a to-do, and she began to be vexed. “Miss Montgomery, I am perfectly aware how to run my household despite your considerable knowledge of Society’s dictates.”

Kathryn had the grace to blush. “My lady, I certainly never meant...”

“Of course you did not, my dear. I know in London it might seem a little out of the ordinary, but we are not in London. And you know I quite consider you part of the family.”

“Lady Dinsmore, please, I should be most uncomfortable. You can use the country as an excuse for the odd count or the informality. Pray, do not ask me to socialize with your guests.”

The good lady sat rigid and quiet for a moment. “Well, I certainly never thought to hear you refuse a request for help, Kate. I was obviously quite mistaken in you.”

Kathryn knew she was being manipulated, just as she knew the entire house was being manipulated in order to make Charity shine. But she was torn between what she owed Lady Dinsmore and her mixed emotions about Lord Dalton.

And that was the crux of the matter. Kathryn knew if it were anyone else in the world, she would not have been so adamant in her refusals. She must not let him have so much power over her, especially after last night. It would be too easy to fall in love with him again. He had changed only for the better, so how could she not?

* * *

“Oh, Lord Dalton, I have ever so many friends I should like you to meet.” The child had not stopped talking since they sat down. Dinner the previous night had been interminable. The gentlemen said little, and Lady Dinsmore obviously had no control over her forward daughter. Miss Montgomery was not even in attendance.

He determined to find some excuse from dinner during most of his stay, but knew he could not do so after the dismal experience of last night. His hostess was astute enough to know why.

He was brought back to the present as Charity droned on. “Of course, they are not as fashionable as you and I are, but they enjoy my company.” Why did Lady Dinsmore not stop her daughter from touching his arm and shoulder each time she made a comment?

The doors to the dining room opened, and Dalton was never so happy to see anyone as he was to see Miss Montgomery shuffling into the dining room. Another entire dinner with the vain, loquacious daughter of the house would make him wish to impale himself with his fork! The companion quietly apologized for not joining them in the drawing room before dinner, and slowly lowered herself into the vacant chair diagonal to him.

When Dalton stood upon the entrance of Miss Montgomery, he knew they could not have such discourse as they had enjoyed yesterday in the stables, but he certainly hoped for a rational conversationalist unlike the singularly quiet males and the inane females he presently enjoyed. If Miss Montgomery failed him, he would make up his first excuse for tomorrow evening.

He noticed the dignified lady’s blush as he stood. Sir John remained occupied with his plate, completely ignoring a gentleman’s duty, while the rector’s attention was so focused on food, he apparently did not even hear her enter. Intuitively, though, he knew she was embarrassed at his gesture, not their lack of one.

She waved him to his seat with a quick hand. Interrupted from his turbot, Sir John responded with surprise to Miss Montgomery’s presence. “Ah, joining us for dinner, are you? Excellent, excellent.”

Did she not normally dine with the family? He gave Lady Dinsmore more credit than he had previously accorded her. She knew exactly what he felt last night, and she knew exactly how to remedy it. He should have guessed that Charity’s companion did not dine with the family despite being in attendance at tea. He wondered if the beauty beside him was not a little petulant because of it.

“I am sure Mama would have accepted your excuses were she aware that your schedule did not fit in with ours,” she said, the sarcasm dripping from her lips.

At such a small and intimate gathering, Dalton’s one solace was being allowed to converse with the entire group rather than confined in the normal way to only those on his immediate left and right. “Miss Charity,” he chided, trying to dampen her pretension yet preserve his manners, “I beg of you, do not make Miss Montgomery more uncomfortable than she no doubt already is. I daresay she was caught up with something of importance and there was no intent on her part to slight us.” He smiled most charmingly.

He received a smile of thanks from the plainly dressed woman, and he regretted that she did indeed wear her spectacles at night. When she smiled, he noticed her even white teeth and rather high cheekbones. But he had a feeling that her eyes spoke more thanks than her expression. And he knew an earnest desire to please her. It was quite odd! Who would have anticipated he would experience the mystery of two completely different women when he accepted this invitation?

Lady Dinsmore chimed in as she was wont to do after the spoiled belle put her dainty slipper in her mouth. He did not envy her parents having to fire off the girl beside him. Why, she was as volatile as Prinny himself!

“Charity, Miss Montgomery did mention she would be a few minutes late this evening.” Lady Dinsmore smiled at him. “Apparently, Jacob is planning a surprise for your lordship.”

“Perhaps we should ask Miss Montgomery to tell us of young Jacob’s surprise.” Kathryn raised her head from her plate but directed her comments to the entire assembly. “Indeed, my lord,” she answered in a quiet voice. “You can have little opinion of me if you think I should spoil his surprise in such a way.” She finally turned her face to him, but her eyes remained hidden. “Since this afternoon, Jacob has spoken of nothing but the hope of a visit to the nursery where he may show you the surprise himself.”

Dalton did not know why, but her answer pleased him immensely. An attention seeker would have taken full advantage of the opportunity he had thrust her way to dominate the conversation and bring complete notice upon her. But Miss Montgomery was made of sterner stuff, it seemed. She had no desire to spoil the delight of a child. Indeed, her answer pleased him beyond measure.

When the gentlemen decided they would forgo their brandy and cigars to join the ladies in the drawing room, he was looking forward to finding a chair as close to the engaging companion as he could. He did not make that observation lightly; after years on the Continent, he was an excellent judge of character, and he knew he had found a kindred spirit despite not being able to read her eyes.

He saw that Miss Charity seated herself on a love seat near the fire, and her look beckoned him to the spot beside her. He pretended not to notice.

He turned and saw Miss Montgomery standing in the farthest corner of the room. It would have put her quite beyond the pale had he joined her there. Dalton knew it was where she wished to be, and knowing he was being completely selfish, he said, “Miss Montgomery, perhaps you would like this chair a little closer to the fire. I see it remains quite empty.”

He saw her turn to him in complete surprise. It was not in the corner of the room, but it was not in the center, either. He thought they could agreeably converse without appearing secluded. She approached the chair, appearing somewhat wary of him.

“I promise I shall not eat you, Miss Montgomery,” he said, hoping to interject some levity.

“My lord, I did not mean to appear ungrateful!”

“You did not. There is something I particularly wished to ask you. I hope you will not think me forward.”

Seating herself, she replied, “I cannot imagine what might interest you that one of the others might answer just as easily.”

Was she in fear of retribution from her charge? He would not allow it. He would talk to whomever he pleased, and he would give the chit the set down she deserved if necessary.

“There are many things, I assure you.” He stood a little apart from her chair, making sure there were no codes of conduct broken for a drawing room discourse. “I wondered about your eyes.” She did not look at him, but pushed the spectacles against the bridge of her nose anxiously. “I do not mean to pry. I assumed it to be a condition involving light, but as you are wearing them this evening, I see that cannot be the reason. May I ask if it is something more serious?”

She stuttered for a moment; he had taken her quite off guard. “I...I... No, it has nothing to do with the intensity of light, my lord. My spectacles are for quite another purpose, not one I should like to go into at present. You may suffice it to say that they are the bane of my existence!” She did smile at that, so her refusal did not come with any malice or indication she was not pleased with him.

Indeed, he continued quite comfortably. “Then may I change subjects and ask you if the Dinsmores attend church on Sundays? I was pleasantly surprised to find the rector joining us for dinner, though he was not apt to speak overmuch.”

“The family does not attend church on any regular basis, I am afraid. But it is not far from here, and I can easily give you its direction.”

He smiled. “Does the good parson have more to say from his pulpit than he had at dinner?” He did not wish to appear to be belittling the gentleman so added, “Perhaps he was in a thoughtful state of mind tonight?”

“No, no, my lord, he is quite reserved at all times.” She kept her eyes forward, but he could see a small smile. She had not mistaken his first question. “If you wish for a good fire-and-brimstone sermon, I am afraid you are doomed to disappointment.”

He laughed. “I would prefer something a little more in the middle, but I will let God handle what He feels I need to hear.” Somehow the next question was one he knew he wanted the answer to, but he did not realize it until this moment. “Do you attend services, ma’am?”

She sighed. “I am sorry to disappoint you on this front, as well. I believe God has quite given up on me, my lord. I have not done so for many years.” It was as if she knew he would ask more, so she turned the subject. “I presume you have attended St. George’s in London? I never got the chance, rather, I did not get the opportunity to view the church from the inside.”

“It is quite beautiful, to be sure. But there are times when I feel like the ones preaching there are a little prideful of their pulpit and make themselves of more consequence than their message.”

He waited for some comment from her, but none came. It appeared she did not wish to discuss God, though she had alluded to a time when she did.

“I did not visit many places, but I believe Richmond Park was—”

Charity interrupted rudely. “My lord, shall I play the pianoforte for you? You may turn the pages for me, if you would be so kind.”

He’d had more than enough of this spoiled child and her impoliteness, especially as it was more often than not aimed at her companion. He bristled and said, “Miss Charity, I am presently—”

This time it was Miss Montgomery who interrupted him. “Charity, I am sure that will make Lord Dalton feel quite like he is in a fashionable drawing room in London.” She turned to him. “You must excuse me, my lord. I have a few things I promised to prepare for the children in the morning. I will say good-night.”

She rose and bowed her head to him, then walked to the middle of the room and curtsied while she spoke small words of “excuse me” and “sleep well.” She even asked Charity if there was anything else she could do for her that evening. Dalton watched her leave the room, certain now that she had not wished to upset her spoiled charge.

He found himself getting angry. All at once he realized that perhaps that was the lot of a companion. He had met many each Season, but he had thought no more about them once the introductions had been made. Miss Montgomery was a lady. She had a past of some sort among the ton; she had told him so herself. To be relegated to such a position must be most degrading.

Worse yet, the only reason he noticed her was because he appreciated her conversation and preferred her to any other person in this household. God pricked his heart. He should treat everyone equally no matter their position in life, yet he had excluded an entire middle class, neither servant nor member of the peerage. He would change that, beginning now.

His thoughts were interrupted again by the beauty clearing her throat.

“I would be delighted to turn the pages for you,” he replied, with gritted teeth. Even this chit must be treated equally, he supposed. Only she surprised him and stopped playing. “Oh, my lord, this is too boring. I wish to give you some exciting news.”

“Charity?” her mother said, dragging out her name in question.

“Mama, I have thought of the very thing! We must throw a ball while Lord Dalton is here!”

“A ball?” cried Lady Dinsmore and Lord Dalton at precisely the same time.

“Perhaps not a ball per se, but we could have a party where we may introduce his lordship to our neighbors. And we may have music and dance the night away.” She ended this by twirling around with eyes closed like a child.

“Lady Dinsmore, I protest. I would never put you to so much trouble on my behalf. I specifically told Sir John I would not wish any such attention.”

“Sir John and I did speak of having a small dinner party while you were here, and should the children wish to roll back the rugs for a few dances, I should not object. We shall discuss it further when Sir John is free. And you cause us no trouble, whatsoever. Miss Montgomery has always been a big help to me in such areas. I quite look on her for all guidance when it comes to matters of Society.”

He was forced to allow the subject to drop, but he decided he would quit this room as soon as possible. He had feigned tiredness from a full day of riding, so excused himself when the tea tray arrived.

So here he was, alone in his room at the unseemly hour of ten o’clock. His Bible lay open on his lap. Lord, I only want to be free of this place. Perhaps You have brought me here for some purpose? Give me Your peace and grace to stay when impatience begs me to flee. And Lord, help me to focus on You and Your will as I face so many distractions.

He was distracted indeed. He could not stop thinking about the woman on the bridge last night. She caused so many emotions in his breast.

She was amazing! Her voice was rich and calming. Her bearing was regal; she was a lady, of that he was certain. He knew it was odd of him, considering it was he who asked her to come, but he was concerned about her visiting the bridge alone so late at night. What if he had taken her second visit as an invitation to something more? She was defenseless.

He was very attracted to her, and he was happy that he could in no way attribute that to her physical appearance. He used to tell himself often that even had Lady Kathryn not been so beautiful, he would still have been drawn to her. But because she was so beautiful, he really never knew that for certain.

But this fairy could be hideous—which would explain the hood—and he would still be attracted to her. She made him laugh. That had become very important to him. Even the most beautiful woman’s features would one day fade. He needed so much more in common with someone.

Only look at his preference for Miss Montgomery. When unencumbered by her charge, she was delightful. And even when the chit was near, he believed Miss Montgomery sensed his feelings easily and shared them, if only with a simple smile.

He had not chased after the woman last night. He did not want to snatch midnight meetings with her. He wanted to find her, get to know her. Sight unseen, she was too special to let go.

* * *

As Kathryn laid down her brush and donned her cotton night rail, she supposed she would just have to be herself—herself in a foolish wig, shoes and spectacles—and wait for the fortnight to end. She had no delusions, even after such short acquaintance; there would be no marriage between Lord Dalton and Charity. It was also clear he was already trying to invent ways to shorten his stay at the manor and decrease the amount of time he must politely spend with its inhabitants. Perhaps she would be lucky, and he would abort his stay and return to London. Yet a pang touched her heart at the thought.

Her life had changed so that his presence should be of absolutely no importance to her. And now, despite her sheer weariness of an hour ago, she was wide-awake, staring at the ceiling. She could not go downstairs for a book; she had only just left the drawing room complaining she could not keep her eyes open.

Suddenly she perked up, and the wheels in her mind began to turn. Could she go to the bridge? It was not yet ten o’clock; the family would be ensconced in the drawing room at least another hour with their guest. The locals never used the bridge after dark, no matter what the time. Indeed, witches, gnomes and trolls were her friends!

Even as she questioned herself, she rooted through her drab dresses to find her rumpled walking dress of the previous night. By the time she finished hooking the buttons on the serviceable gown, she was resolved to get some fresh air.

She cherished her nighttime freedom, though she had never gone two nights in a row, much less three. Once a week was all she dared risk. But her pistol had given her courage, and once she knew the freedom, even rarely, she could not give it up.

Kathryn was not a fool. She did not dismiss the fact that Lord Dalton might also take a late-night walk to the bridge. She would not put it past him to assume she was a local wench who would also be on the lookout for him. But she felt secure in the knowledge that she would be back long before he retired for the night. Even should he claim fatigue after the drawing room and not join Sir John privately for brandy and billiards, she had at least an hour.

The thought cheered her as none had that day. She would allow herself this one extra hour of complete freedom before she subjected herself to the next fortnight of frustration and the knowledge that had she not allowed Lord Salford to whisk her away, she might even belong to Lord Dalton today.

Kathryn slipped her dark cloak over her shoulders, pulled the hood loosely up over her head and left her room. She looked both ways and took the hallway to the servant’s staircase to the kitchen, where she could slip out unnoticed.

* * *

His Bible was doing him little good this night. He could not concentrate on the words for all of the noise in his head.

He could not sit still any longer; he had to get out of this room. He would walk to the bridge again. He knew it was far too early to expect his late-night visitor, if indeed she intended to visit at all. That was not his purpose in going. He only wanted some air.

So he took up his position at last night’s tree, listening to the gurgling water and taking in deep breaths of the country breezes. He could not resume his search for his fairy, but if there was any chance of seeing her or finding out her identity, he would take it.

Dalton’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a scream, cut off hastily, on the other side of the bridge. As he pushed away from the solid trunk and stepped quietly onto the ancient structure, the sight that met his eyes stopped his heart.