Althea (29 page)

“The gentleman is in the taproom, sirs, and the lady is
upstairs in the best back chamber, sir.” Almost before he could finish this
report the three had split apart: the silent gentleman made for the stairs with
a bound, while the other two made straightway for the taproom.

John Wallingham was awakened rudely by the din in the
hallway. It took him some seconds to remember where he was: in a country inn on
the Post Road, eloping with an heiress. It took him another minute to remember
which of the heiresses he had decided to elope with, and another second after
this to conclude that he had been pursued and that his plans were overthrown.
There really was no point to causing a scene, he thought wearily. He poured
himself some brandy, gulped it down quickly, and as he poured another became
aware of a singing in his ears and a throbbing in his head. He groaned and
dropped his head into his hands, and it was in this dignified posture that he
was discovered by Sir Tracy Calendar and Mr. Merrit Ervine.

Georgiana, while not so ill as she had let the landlady give
out to Wallingham, was feeling very uncomfortable, and this discomfort, when
added to her fears, her shock, and her absolute certainty that by her own folly
she had lost Edward Pendarly forever, contributed largely to her distraught
appearance. Aside from sending the landlady down to the taproom with the
information that she was deathly ill, there was nothing she could do but sit
and stare at the wall, unable to cry, awaiting some sign that would direct her
future for good or ruin.

It was some time after the landlady had bid her a sleepy
good night that Georgiana, out of the dreamy, gloom-filled contemplation she
had fallen into, heard a stirring below. She could in no way tell if it was one
voice or twenty that had caused the noise, and although she dared hope that it
was a deliverer, or even deliverers, she shrank against the wall, fearing that
it was Wallingham preparing to come up and see if she was really ill. On her
last visit the landlady had informed her that the gentleman downstairs was
a-drinking deep, and heaven only knew what the gentleman would be like to do
when he was concerned, as it was, and begging Miss’s pardon. These words came
back horribly to Georgiana now, and she began to dwell on them. There was
hardly time for her to ruminate too far, for the door was opened, and in the
darkness of the hallway Georgiana could just discern the face of her visitor.

“Edward!” she sobbed, and straightway fell into a faint.

o0o

When she came to herself again Georgiana was conscious of
being held against a shoulder, while one of her hands was chafed and a soft
murmuring of endearments was made into her hair. She opened one cautious eye
and was delighted to learn that the hand holding hers was Pendarly’s.

“Edward!” she repeated softly. The patting stopped and the
murmuring voice returned to its normal register.

“Are you quite recovered now?” he asked sternly.

“Oh, now you are come, yes, yes, I am all right. Oh, Edward,
I am so happy to see you!” She rubbed her cheek against the cloth of his coat.
“I was so very afraid. Oh, Edward, I have been so — so criminally silly, and
all because I wanted you to love me just a little.”

Mr. Pendarly had resolved to be stern with Georgiana before
relenting, but he was not proof against this artless speech, and he was able to
say, with a perfect belief that it was the truth, “I have
always
loved
you, Georgie. I thought you were — I thought you had a
tendre
for that
fortune-hunter downstairs.” Concern suddenly replaced forgiveness and wrath
infused his face and tone. “Did he hurt you? I swear by all that’s holy if he
laid one finger upon you I’ll —”

“No, no,” Georgiana said hastily. “He has done me no injury
— except to wrest me away from you. The landlady here has stood my friend, and
since we arrived, he has been downstairs drinking punch at the fire.”

Assured of Georgiana’s safety, Pendarly returned to the more
interesting matter of forgiveness, apology, and reconciliation. He felt it
behooved him to scold before he relented, however, and went about it at once,
the better to finish the scolding and get on with the reconciliation.

“If I seem too dull for you, I will gladly drop my
pretensions to your hand, rather than embarrass you with them,” he started out
coldly. “I have always been unswerving in my devotion to you —”

Georgiana had it in her mind upon the utterance of this
plumper to remind Edward of Althea Ervine, but some prudent instinct told her
that it would not be advisable to assault her betrothed with the inconvenient
truth at a time like this. “Oh yes, I know I was wrong,” she said instead. “But
oh, Edward, I don’t want anyone exciting or glamorous if he isn’t you. Won’t
you find it in your heart to forgive me? And maybe love me a little?” She looked
at him with so much pleading in her eyes that Pendarly would have had to have
been a much harder man to have resolved against her wishes. The proximity
between them made it convenient that he should lower his head and give her a
kiss of forgiveness. The next kiss was an assurance that he would probably be
able to love her very dearly for a long time to come. Their third kiss was a
celebration of this fact.

At last Pendarly drew a shaky breath. “Georgie darling, we
shall have to join Calendar and Ervine downstairs in a moment. Shall you
dislike it excessively if we insist that you drive back to London immediately?
We have given out, or rather Miss Ervine has given out, that you were to stay
at Bevan’s tonight, to help Lady Bevan with her costume. You can see the
necessity for it.”

Georgiana assured him that there was nothing she would like
better than to return to London as soon as possible. “And you say that Sir
Tracy and Althea’s brother are with you also? Oh, I hope that Sir Tracy has not
taken Althea to task for my disappearance! I have a notion he understood all of
what was going on and disliked our plans so excessively that he and Ally
quarreled.”

Pendarly stared at his betrothed. “Calendar and Alth — Miss
Ervine?”

“Why yes, of course. Since the day she found out that you
and I were betrothed,” Georgiana said airily, “they have been — I imagine that
if they are not promised, that at least he has an understanding with her. They
will be excellent for each other, too, if ever they are able to patch up their
differences. And poor Ally has been pining for him all this last week.” All
this was said in such a matter-of-fact way that Pendarly had the grace to look
a little abashed. Georgiana smiled lovingly at him. “You need not look so
aghast, Edward. I shall simply undertake not to become ill from now on. And
besides, I misdoubt that Sir Tracy will brook any interference with Althea in
the future. Shall we go down now?”

Taking his arm, Georgiana led the speechless Pendarly out of
the chamber.

o0o

The interview then occurring in the taproom was proving not
so much dangerous as amusing, at least to Tracy Calendar’s way of thinking.
Wallingham seemed to regard their arrival as the fitting crown to a hopeless
evening. He stood rather shakily on his feet and invited Calendar and Merrit
Ervine into the taproom for a draught of punch before they returned to London
with their prize. Young Ervine was not to be so easily dissuaded from his
adventure, however, and cheerfully offered to draw his cork for him, if only Wallingham
would have the goodness to raise his dabblers. Calendar looked pained at this
lack of finesse, and said sternly, “Ervine, for the last time, contrive to have
a little sense. Sit down.” It was to his credit that Merrit knew a voice of
authority and at once dropped onto a nearby bench.

“I take it this enterprise has not been so fruitful as you
had hoped,” Calendar said dryly to Wallingham.

“Deuced unpleasant, Calendar. The chit came up ill on me,
and now you come barging in — don’t know when I’m to have a little peace. Got
the devil of a head as well. You might as well take your ease — don’t see how
the chit is to travel in the state she’s in.”

Tracy raised an interested eyebrow. “Really? And what state
is that?”

Wallingham lifted his hand defensively. “Nothing of the
sort. I told you — she took ill in the carriage. Motion, I suppose, and
besides, it was damned bad sprung and drafty as well. All of the sudden the gal
was a puling wreck. I certainly couldn’t have driven on with her in that state,
could I? To tell the truth, I’m damned if I ain’t glad you’ve come. Somehow I
didn’t think that an elopement —”

“An abduction!” Merrit interjected hotly.

“ — didn’t think that an
elopement
went on in this
fashion,” Wallingham finished. “I suppose you’ve taken some care to invent some
story for her so that she can return to London with impunity?” Calendar nodded.
Wallingham sighed deeply. “Just as well. I shall have to return to London
myself and see what can be done there — chase another wealthy woman and hope that
she’s got a stronger stomach — hope I can turn up something before the
creditors get me. If not, I’m sunk.”

“I propose a slight alteration of your plans,” Calendar said
evenly.

“Oh, aye, I supposed you might have something to say to the
matter.” Wallingham beat his tankard against the table to summon the landlord.
“More punch here!” he snapped. “Oh, and give these gentlemen whatever it is
they desire.”

Merrit was about to repudiate this hospitality, but when
Calendar calmly spoke for a tankard of punch, he followed and requested ale.

“Well, what is your alteration, sir?” Wallingham asked, when
he had calmed himself with a taste of the punch.

“I believe that it would be — uh — impolitic for you to
return just now. It might distress Miss Laverham if she were to encounter you
about town, and I should dislike that distress to become the source of a
quarrel between you and me,” Tracy said reasonably. “I understand also that you
have certain debts that you are afraid you will be unable to meet. What I
suggest is that you take a vacation on the Continent for a while, thus avoiding
all these unfortunate consequences. I care not where you go there or what
ladies you seduce or elope with or abduct, but I feel certain that it would be
inadvisable for you to return to London at this time.” Tracy gave Wallingham a
look of great portent, which was not lost on the gentleman. Wallingham sighed
again, lengthily.

“Why did I not think of that? Just the thing for my health.
And who knows but what my luck might change — God knows but it could hardly be
worse. Then I will take my leave of you gentlemen here, or you may take your
leave of me, for I’ve a mind to stay a day here and recover my strength. This
has been a taxing day.” He slunk down into his chair and turned his feet toward
the fire. Merrit had hoped for more action than this adventure was supplying;
this sitting about discussing things in a rational manner over tankards of ale
was hardly to his taste. But Calendar seemed satisfied with the night’s work,
and Merrit had the disappointing notion that the night’s adventure would end in
their delivering Miss Laverham to Bevan’s house and themselves to their beds.
He sulked a little until another opportunity occurred to him.

“I shall have to leave directly,” he announced happily. “I
promised Ally I’d come back straight to tell her the outcome of things.” He
rather fancied the picture of himself riding
ventre à terre
to collapse
at his sister’s door and gasp out the happy word “Safe!”

“I think, if it is all the same to you, that I will play the
messenger tonight, Ervine.” Tracy quashed the younger man’s hopes. “You are,
after all, a latecomer to this drama, and really should have the courtesy to
let the principals act it out among themselves.”

Merrit opened his mouth to say that he wanted no part in the
drama at all if he could not play a good one, but his retort was cut off by the
arrival of Pendarly and Georgiana from upstairs. Again Wallingham rose to his
feet, this time keeping his right hand firmly on the back of his chair in hopes
of not tipping over entirely.

“Well, madam, I understand I am to wish you joy?” he said
precisely.

“You may, sir,” Georgiana said falteringly. Behind her
Pendarly was bristling furiously.

“Needn’t look daggers at me, boy,” Wallingham addressed him.
“I am quite undone, overthrown, and you have won the day. Have a little charity
for an older man.” He dropped back into his chair in a manner that demonstrated
to his audience that he was very much disguised.

“Don’t concern yourself with Wallingham, Pendarly,” Tracy
advised. “He is about to start out on a journey through the Continent to see
what change his luck may take there. I believe by next week?” he suggested.

“Just so,” Wallingham answered owlishly. “Sorry, Miss
Laverham, to greet you in this fashion, but I’ve eaten Hull cheese, and that’s
the truth of it. Hope you are recovered from your indisposition, ma’am.”

Georgiana managed something to the effect that she felt much
recovered, and then fell silent, clutching Pendarly’s sleeve nervously.

“Thought you weren’t one of those drooping little schoolgirl
things, but a man is entitled to a mistake, ain’t he?” Wallingham addressed the
bottom of his tankard. There was a long stretch of quiet in the taproom, broken
only by the whisper and crackle of the fire. Then Calendar drained the last of
his punch and rose.

“I suggest that we all start homeward now. Ervine, you and
Pendarly can escort Miss Laverham back to London. Miss Laverham, you are
expected at Bevan’s, and if necessary Lady Bevan can send your mother some
excuse saying you are indisposed to come home for a day or so, if you like. I
will do your duty,” he informed Merrit, “and inform your sisters and Lord Bevan
that all is well.”

Georgiana stood forward shyly and held out her hand. “Thank
you, sir. I haven’t the words to properly thank you for your help to me
tonight, but if you will promise one thing to me?” He nodded agreeably. “Don’t
be too hard on her, sir.”