An Affair of Honor (31 page)

“I trust you will excuse us for a moment or two, Miss Lindale. I have something of a private nature to say to her ladyship.” She nodded without daring to speak, and watched as he practically dragged the reluctant Rory toward the nearby wood. Nell hoped he would not be too harsh, but the words that drifted back to her just before they entered the wood were scarcely encouraging. “You will be well served, young lady,” the major said, more sternly than he had spoken before, “if you find yourself across my knee!”

Rory’s dismayed protests faded into the distance, and though Nell strained her ears, she could hear nothing to indicate that the major had made good his threat. Nevertheless, when they returned at last, his fury had abated somewhat, and Rory walked with her head down, carrying a large white handkerchief clutched in her two slim hands. As Talcott swung her into her saddle again, Nell could see that she had been crying. There seemed to be nothing to say that might ease the situation, however, so she held her tongue and merely fell in beside them when Talcott had mounted his own horse. The two grooms, no doubt suffering agonies of curiosity, remained a discreet distance behind them.

It was clear that Rory had met her match at last, but the discovery did little to ease the pricking of Nell’s conscience. The major’s disapproval of their actions brought home to her more clearly than ever how rashly they had behaved. But even that mattered little, now that their plan had failed. For if it had succeeded, she realized that she would not have cared one whit whether it was proper or not. At the moment, all that mattered to her was that the future looked bleak indeed. Even the major would probably insist that Rory marry the earl. And even if he did not, surely Philip would not wish to marry a woman who had made so dreadful a mull of everything. He would no doubt retire to Huntley Green, thankful to have escaped a fate worse than … well, worse than anything else Nell could name at the moment. In any event, he would be furious with her, for it never occurred to her that he would not discover what they had attempted to do.

The whole story would come out the moment he returned from London. And the thought of his anger, no doubt greater even than the major’s had been, was a good deal more disturbing than she might have expected. Whenever the thought of his quick temper had chanced to cross her mind while the elopement was still in the planning stages, Nell had simply told herself that she would deal with it when the time came. But now, riding beside her niece and her niece’s angry would-be suitor, it seemed as if all she could think about was the fact that Philip would be angry with her, and that she did not wish him to be.

The ride back to Brighton was a dismal one at best, but they arrived at the tall house in Upper Rock Gardens at last to discover a large traveling coach drawn up at the flagway. Talcott, giving it a speculative look, swung down and handed his reins to a link boy, announcing flatly that he would come inside with them. Rory had not looked up or spoken during the entire ride, but at these words she glanced first at him and then at the coach, and her face went perfectly white.

“Papa and Mama are here!” She looked at Nell in dismay. “Whatever shall we do now?”

At that moment, the front door opened, and Pavingham put his head out, then seemed to jump back inside again, and a moment later, Kit hurried out followed by Lord Crossways.

“What the devil!” Kit exclaimed, hurrying up to them.

Major Talcott turned to help Rory down. “See to your sister if you please, Lindale. Then, perhaps we might go inside before we begin to discuss this matter.”

“Yes, by Jove, of course,” Kit stammered, looking him up and down. But he hurried to assist Nell, whispering as he did, “There’s the devil to pay and no pitch hot. They’re all here, and the brat left a note, so they’ve been stewing the past half hour over whether Crossways ought to set out after them or let them go. Whatever were you about to have let her go like this, Nell? Huntley is—”

“Huntley! He’s here?” Nell was certain her own face must have gone as white as Rory’s, and as Kit set her on her feet, her knees seemed to go weak. He steadied her, speaking lightly.

“He’s here, all right and tight, and I can tell you I’ve never seen the man so put out. I daresay he’s offended that the chit would prefer the cavalry over an earldom, but whatever it is, someone’s in for the devil’s own trimming when he gets his chance. And that’s a fact.”

K
IT’S WORDS SEEMED TO
echo in Nell’s brain as she went with him to meet Crossways on the stoop.

“A fine business this is,” declared his lordship, puffing out his cheeks in an expression of his vast displeasure. But his basilisk stare rested upon his daughter as he spoke, and Nell scarcely paid him any heed. Instead, numbly, she allowed Kit to take her upstairs to the drawing room.

As they reached the landing, Jeremy opened the double doors, and the sight that greeted Nell’s eye was such that a lesser woman might well have picked up her skirts and run. Upon seeing her come into the room, Lady Agnes looked up reproachfully from her favorite chair, vinaigrette in hand, a glass of hartshorn and water on the table beside her. She gave a watery gasp and dabbed at her tear-stained cheeks with the ubiquitous lacy handkerchief, causing Sir Henry Sinclair, at her side, after one reproving look at Nell, to lean over her ladyship’s chair and speak soothingly to her.

Clarissa, the train of her traveling dress caught up over one arm, gave the appearance of one who had been pacing anxiously back and forth before the fire crackling in the grate. But at Nell’s entrance, she snapped her head up, and the initial look of anxiety in her eyes changed at once to the light of battle.

“Eleanor Lindale, how dared you do such a thing as this! To encourage my darling girl to such atrocious behavior! That you could so flagrantly betray our trust in you! Surely, you must have known she would be utterly ruined by a Gretna Green marriage!”

Before she could reply, Nell was pushed aside as, with a gasp of dismay, Rory hurried past her to cast herself upon Clarissa’s broad bosom. “Mama,” she cried, hugging her, “pray don’t blame poor Aunt Nell. Indeed, I have been
such
a trial to her.” Realizing that Crossways had followed her into the room, she turned brimming eyes upward to include him in her plea. “I promise you, it is true, Papa. For truly and truly it was all my fault, and I could not begin to thank her for all her kindness to me. I simply cannot permit you or Mama to scold her.”

“Very affecting,” observed Huntley grimly from his vantage point a little to one side of the doorway, where he had been standing. Nell’s attention having been drawn immediately to the group by the fire, she had not seen him. But now the others were forgotten as she whirled to face him, seeing at once that he was every bit as angry as Kit had warned her he was. Even as the thought registered, his eyes seemed to narrow more. “You have a good deal to answer for, my girl, and I doubt that your champion, however well-spoken she may be, will avail you much protection from your just deserts.”

“Oh dear,” Nell said faintly. “I was afraid you might be a little annoyed.”

“A little—!” His astonishment at the understatement seemed to rob him momentarily of the powers of speech, but he recovered rapidly, speaking in a tone very like a controlled growl. “To say that I am a
little
annoyed is to put the matter very—”

“Eleanor Lindale, you are not attending to me,” Clarissa cut in angrily, “though, I declare, I cannot find the words with which I might adequately describe my overwrought feelings. You were responsible for her well-being and must be held entirely accountable for this dreadful business. For despite what dearest Aurora may say to the contrary, you seem actually to have encouraged this appalling elopement!”

“Clarissa, please,” Nell pleaded, “there has been no elopement, as you can see for yourself, and if I have behaved badly, I beg your pardon, but I only did what I thought was necessary in order to save poor Rory from entering into a marriage that was clearly doomed from the outset. I knew perfectly well that there was no time to lose, because you and Crossways were sure to come post haste the moment you discovered the news about Aunt Agatha, and just as sure to do your possible to push her into marriage straightaway.”

“Well, of course, she must be married at once,” Clarissa retorted. “Why, there are still dozens of persons in our family who might succumb at any moment, and my poor darling Rory will find herself in the same unhappy situation as you found yourself eight years ago. So that is precisely why we have come. The moment Huntley told us of Aunt’s illness, we knew what must be done.”

“
Huntley
told you!” She turned accusing eyes toward his lordship.

He nodded, his expression still grim. “I rode to Chatham on my way to London, then caught up with them today on the Brighton Road. Thus, we arrived together to be greeted by the news of the elopement. It seems your maid had occasion to enter Aurora’s room and discovered the note propped up on the dressing table. She took it directly to your mother, so I need hardly tell you what sort of scene greeted us upon our arrival.”

She could well imagine it and glanced ruefully at Lady Agnes, but upon Clarissa’s taking advantage of the brief pause to repeat in shrill tones that she had been most distressed to discover that her darling girl should have been aided and abetted upon such a disastrous course by one in whom a loving parent ought to have been able to place her trust, Nell picked up the cudgels again.

“To be sure, it might have proved disastrous,” she agreed hotly, “but Rory would have been a good deal happier in the end than she is likely to be now. How her
loving
parents could have been so lacking in good sense as to contract a marriage for her with someone like Huntley, I shall never understand. And as for all the nonsensical notions you have drummed into her head over the years, Clarissa, well I am thankful, at least, that I have been able—”

“Thank you, Miss Lindale,” Huntley interrupted harshly. “Your opinions must always be edifying, but you have said more than enough now and would be well advised to hold your tongue.” Nell rounded on him, glaring defiantly, but when he met her gaze and held it, she realized she was no match for him in his present mood and subsided, letting her gaze slip meekly to the carpet. Satisfied, Huntley turned his attention next to the major, who had halted in some bemusement upon the threshold. “Talcott, I believe Lord Crossways has certain matters he wishes to discuss with you.”

“That’s good,” the major replied, taking Huntley words as his cue to step purposefully toward the group near the fireplace, “because I certainly wish to discuss certain matters with his lordship.” Nell, looking up just then, was astonished to see her sister and brother-in-law greet him with warm smiles. She shot Huntley a look of inquiry, but he had shifted his attention to Jeremy, who had been hovering behind the major, peering curiously over his shoulder, until Talcott had stepped so abruptly away.

“You may bring a teatray to this room in twenty minutes’ time,” his lordship said brusquely. “If we have any need of your services before then, rest assured that someone will ring.” Flushing to his ears, Jeremy fled, and Kit, still standing near Nell, chuckled at his discomfiture, then confided to Huntley that he would just nip off while the nipping was good.

“If you think no one will miss me, that is.”

“They won’t.” Huntley turned to Nell. “And as for you, my girl, I doubt they’ll miss you either for a moment or two, so just you come along with me!”

Her protests falling on deaf ears, Nell found herself taken firmly by the arm and all but pushed out the door and across the landing to the morning room. Propelling her inside, Huntley then shut the door behind them with a snap. “Now, perhaps you will be good enough to explain this madness to me,” he declared. His tone was quiet, but his eyes flashed with anger, and Nell’s knees felt suddenly weak again.

There had been a time during all her earlier mental activity when she had actually managed to convince herself that it would be rather a simple matter to explain things to him once the elopement had been accomplished. But looking at him now, she was astonished that she could ever have thought such a ridiculous thing, and for the first time she realized she was truly thankful her plan had failed. To have had to face him with Talcott and Rory halfway to the Border would have been well nigh impossible. But then, she had never before realized he was capable of this sort of calm fury. She had expected him—to use Rory’s apt phrasing—to bellow. And she had never minded his bellowing. Loud words were like thunderstorms. One merely waited for them to blow themselves out. But this quiet anger was another matter entirely. She had suspected a time or two recently that he might not be always as persuadable as she had once thought him to be, but now she knew she could push him only so far as he allowed himself to be pushed. He would tolerate no more. Oddly, instead of frightening or upsetting her, the knowledge seemed to give her an added sense of security. It meant he would not merely capitulate in order to avoid a scene or two. More than that, it meant she could behave naturally with him, could say whatever she wished to say, and he would protect her against her worst self.

“Well? I am waiting.”

Nell licked suddenly dry lips, willing her heart to stop trying to jump out of her mouth. Protection and security notwithstanding, the next few moments were going to be uncomfortable ones. “I-I thought—”

“You damned well didn’t think!” he snapped. “You simply assumed that no one but Eleanor Lindale ever had two thoughts worth rubbing together, and so you acted impulsively and senselessly, lending yourself to a damned silly escapade that would—if it had been allowed to succeed—have ruined your niece and ended a very promising military career to boot. And don’t, I beg of you, try to tell me you did it in the name of love!”

“Well, no one else was doing anything!” Nell snapped back, glad to have aroused him to a more familiar anger. “You left for London to take care of some stupid business or other, and Mama kept saying how thoughtless Aunt Agatha was being to die at such a time, and Kit was wailing about his lot, and Rory was at her wits’ end, and I
tried
to tell you, but you wouldn’t have it that there even
was
a problem, so naturally I felt it was all left up to me. And I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but it was still the only solution I could think of that might answer the purpose, and I
did
think the major had agreed to it, and if he—”