Masqueraders (17 page)

‘Your words were not meant for my ears I make no doubt,’ said Rensley evilly.

Prudence bowed. ‘You apprehend the matter correctly, sir.’

There was a certain air of tense expectation in the room. Prudence felt that she was on her trial. God knew how it would end!

Mr Rensley might well let be now. He looked sullenly at Prudence, and thought that he heard a whisper in the group behind her. There had been too much whispering of late; very badly did Mr Rensley want to avenge himself on someone. He was not ill pleased to take Prudence for a scapegoat. This young ruffler gave himself insufferable airs: it was time he was taught a lesson. Mr Rensley spoke more offensively still. ‘I see, Mr Merriot, that you don’t care to repeat your words.’

There fell a sudden stillness. ‘I do not, Mr Rensley.’

‘On what grounds, Mr Merriot, I wonder?’

‘On the grounds, Mr Rensley, of good manners.’

Rensley flushed. ‘In which you think me lacking, eh?’

‘I have not told you so, sir.’

‘And you don’t think it?’

There was a slight pause. Prudence realised, dismayed, that the group behind her was awaiting curiously her challenge. To conciliate this angry, red-faced man, meant the loss of every man’s good opinion; in a word, it meant social ostracism. A challenge was offered, and it seemed it must be accepted. Pride could not be swallowed. She spoke deliberately. ‘That question, Mr Rensley, I prefer to leave unanswered.’

‘Afraid, eh?’

Egad, was she afraid? She thought she was too much her father’s daughter. A cold anger took her in its hold; she looked Rensley full between the eyes. ‘You become insulting, sir. I take leave to tell you, since you will have it, that your manners belong to the taproom.’

It was out, and did she regret it? She became aware of Mr Belfort at her elbow, and was conscious of the approval of him and of the others in the circle. No, come what might, the thing had to be, and she regretted nothing.

Mr Rensley flushed darker still. Sure, the man would have an apoplexy one of these days. ‘I shall send my friends to wait upon yours, Mr Merriot.’

‘Certainly, sir.’ She looked towards Mr Belfort, who nodded encouragingly. Mr Devereux smiled wearily, and stepped forward a pace. ‘Mr Belfort will act for me, and Mr Devereux,’ she said, and turned to resume her conversation with them.

Mr Rensley bowed stiffly and went out. Belfort clapped Prudence on the shoulder. ‘Well said, my boy!’ he declared. ‘I knew you’d never swallow that! Gad, it’s a good six months since I’ve acted for anyone. We’ll see some sport now!’

Prudence, her anger evaporating fast, could have found another name for it. ‘I don’t desire this to come to my sister’s ears, Charles,’ she said. ‘I needn’t warn you, I suppose.’

‘Oh, not a word, my dear Merriot, trust me!’ promised Mr Belfort. ‘He’ll name Markham and Jessup his seconds, I dare swear. You’ll choose swords, I take it? We’ll have the whole affair fixed up as snug and quiet as you please.’

Mr Molyneux spoke disapproval. ‘Rensley must have taken leave of his senses,’ he said in an undertone to Sir Raymond Orton. ‘A man of his years to challenge a boy to fight! It’s child murder!’

‘Oh, it won’t come to that, Molyneux,’ was Sir Raymond’s comfortable belief. ‘He’ll pink him easily enough, and Merriot will lie up for a week or so. Rensley knows better than to make it a killing matter. People are getting damned strict over these duels, you know.’

It was Prudence’s own belief as she walked back to Arlington Street: she had not much fear of death, but the thing as it stood was bad enough. It was true she had considerable knowledge of sword-play, but she knew very well that it was one thing to play with foils and quite another to fight in good earnest a man who was one’s declared enemy.

He was a strong man too, by the looks of him. Maybe she might have something of an advantage in the matter of quickness; sure, she had been taught a trick or two not many knew. The affair was not hopeless, she believed, but she admitted she had small relish for it.

One might tell Robin, of course. Ay, and be swept off to France, or see him throw off his disguise and take her place in the encounter. He was quite equal to it; he lacked her cautiousness. Against flight she resolutely set her face. One would leave a sullied name behind; the large gentleman—well, what of him? She considered the point, and found herself blushing. Oh, she must needs stand well with him? The more fool she!

There was the old gentleman, to be sure, but she could not see how he might be expected to help in this. He could whisk her off, doubtless, as Robin would, and then what lay before? She saw a dark road that way, and turned from it. There was little enough to hope for in staying here in England, when one came to think of it, but—Lord, what ailed her that she must still cling to this masquerade?

She reflected that she had steered her craft into a whirlpool; and discovered an ambition in herself to steer it out again, without assistance. To take Robin into her confidence was to overset all their plans: it was to become, in fact, a nuisance.

It was possible she might be unmasked in this encounter: that had to be considered. A wound, the apothecary—lord, what a pretty scandal! If the worst came to the worst, and her wits failed her, she believed Mr Belfort might be taken into her confidence. She had a feeling she could trust him. He could arrange matters so as to preserve her secret. She might appeal to his love of adventure. It was not what she liked, but if no better scheme presented itself it might serve. And one must not forget that there was always the possibility of vanquishing Mr Rensley.

She came home in mood somewhat silent, and Robin railed gaily at her for dreaming of her mountain.

CHAPTER XVI

Unaccountable Behaviour of Sir Anthony Fanshawe

Sir Anthony was partaking of a solitary breakfast when Mr Belfort was announced. He looked up genially from a red sirloin as the Honourable Charles came in, and offered him a share of the meal.

‘Breakfasted an hour since,’ said Mr Belfort briskly. ‘But I don’t mind taking some of that ale.’

Sir Anthony pushed it towards him. ‘You’re very energetic, Charles,’ he remarked. ‘Why this ungodly hour for a visit?’

‘Well, I’ve had business to attend to, y’see,’ said Mr Belfort, nodding mysteriously. ‘But that’s not what I’m come upon. It’s about that grey mare, Tony.’

‘My dear Charles, I really cannot talk horseflesh so early in the morning.’

‘Oh, come now!’ protested Mr Belfort. ‘It’s past nine, man! The fact of the matter is, Orton offers me a hundred guineas for her, but I told him she was more than half promised to you. But if you think she’s not up to your weight——’

‘I have a fancy for her,’ said Sir Anthony. ‘I’ll give you Orton’s price.’

‘Good God, man, no! If you want the mare she’s yours at the figure we named!’ cried Mr Belfort, horrified. ‘Burn it, I’m not a demned merchant, Anthony!’

They embarked straightway on a friendly wrangle. A compromise was reached at last, and Mr Belfort disappeared into his tankard. When he emerged a thought seemed to strike him. ‘I say, Tony, there is no doubt as to young Merriot’s courage, is there?’ he inquired.

‘None that I know of. Why do you ask?’ Sir Anthony was watching a fly hover over the sirloin.

‘Oh, no reason!’ Mr Belfort answered, mighty offhand.

Sir Anthony regarded him thoughtfully. ‘He gives you some cause for doubting his courage?’ he said, with just enough show of interest to demand an answer.

‘My dear fellow, not in the least! It was only that I thought—— But the thing’s a secret. Mum’s the word, y’know!’

‘Really?’ Sir Anthony returned to the contemplation of the fly. ‘Some weighty matter, I must suppose.’

‘Why, as to that, it’s kept close only for fear of Miss Merriot’s getting to hear of it. Never do at all!’

Sir Anthony’s fingers played with the riband that held his eyeglass. ‘Do you mean,’ he said slowly, ‘that someone has called Merriot out?’

‘As a matter of fact, Tony, that’s it,’ said Mr Belfort confidentially.

There was a short silence. ‘Who is the warlike challenger?’ Sir Anthony asked.

‘Rensley. Molyneux thinks it’s a scandal, and so ’tis if you consider it. However, he was all for a fight, so what was there to be done?’

‘Rensley! Dear me!’ Sir Anthony’s eyes showed nothing but a mild surprise. ‘And Merriot refused the challenge, did you say?’

‘No, no!’ Mr Belfort was shocked. ‘Nothing of the sort! Good God, man, no! Though I will say that for a moment I’d a notion he was going to rat. But I was quite wrong, Tony: he took up Rensley’s challenge mighty coolly.’

Sir Anthony rose, and walked to the mirror that hung above the fireplace and became busy with the rearrangement of his neck-cloth. ‘Then what, Charles, gave you the reason to doubt his mettle?’ he asked.

‘Oh, nothing in the world, I give you my word! Only that I’d an idea this morning that he didn’t relish the affair overmuch. I have the whole thing arranged: I’m acting for him, y’see, and saw Jessup at my rooms a couple of hours since. Between the two of us we had it all fixed as snug as you please for to-morrow, out at Grey’s Inn Fields, and I was off at once to let young Merriot know.’

‘And he didn’t seem to be so delighted with the arrangements as you’d expected?’

‘Well, he was precious quiet over it—but there’s nothing in the world against him, Tony. Lord, he’s like you, I dare swear, and takes no pleasure in aught until he’s breakfasted.’

‘Very possibly,’ agreed Sir Anthony, and came away from the mirror.

The Honourable Charles took his gay leave of him, and went off to inform Sir Raymond Orton that the grey mare was bespoken.

For some time after he had gone Sir Anthony remained standing in the middle of the room, staring with supreme vacancy at the opposite wall, and the portrait of his grandfather which hung there. Then he went across to his writing table, and sat down to it, and with great deliberation drew a sheet of paper towards him. He dipped a quill in the inkpot, and inscribed some half a dozen lines on it, signing his name at the end with a bold flourish. He read over what he had written and dusted the paper with sand. It was sealed up with a wafer, and a big blot of red wax, and placed in one of the drawers of the desk. Sir Anthony rose, called for his hat and his cane, and sallied forth into the street.

He went leisurely to White’s, and found there a sprinkling of people, early in the day though it was. He sat down with a journal by the empty fireplace. Various people came and went, amongst them Mr Merriot, with whom Sir Anthony exchanged a pleasant word or two. He said nothing about the prospective duel, but hoped Mr Merriot would dine with him on the following evening. Prudence accepted, placid enough to all outward appearances, but she bore a sinking heart in her breast. The night had brought no good counsel, and with the morning had come the Honourable Charles, who seemed to her of a sudden, a cheerful young brute. She had small hope of keeping her appointment with Sir Anthony, but it would not do to let the large gentleman suspect that. She showed a faint desire to escape from him, and went out presently with Mr Devereux, who desired her advice in the choosing of a flowered waistcoat.

Sir Anthony returned to his paper, and did not look up again until a laughing voice said: ‘Oh, he’s gone off to take a lesson from Galliano! Belfort held out for swords, and of course Rensley wanted pistols.’

The heavy eyes lifted. It was Sir Raymond Orton who had spoken. He made one of a small group standing at the other side of the fireplace. Mr Molyneux was there, and Mr Troubridge, and young Lord Kestrel.

Mr Troubridge took snuff. ‘It is not one’s business,’ he remarked, ‘but one wonders that Rensley could find no one nearer his own age.’

My lord looked perplexed. ‘What’s that? Merriot said something about Rensley’s manners, you know.’

‘You are perfectly right, Troubridge,’ said Mr Molyneux, preserving his air of disapproval. ‘Rensley’s sore—small blame to him—over all this pother of the claim, and he was out to pick a quarrel with someone by way of venting his spleen. Well, I’m glad young Merriot stood for the small sword: Rensley’s killed his man with the pistols.’

Sir Anthony put away his journal, and went to join the group. ‘He would not appear to have too great a faith in his skill with the small sword,’ he remarked.

Orton looked scornful. ‘He’s skilled enough to account for young Merriot, I should have supposed. Only Devereux spread it about that Merriot was deadly with the weapon, and has some Italian tricks up his sleeve. So off goes our friend for an hour’s practice with Galliano.’

‘It smacks to me of some qualms,’ said Lord Kestrel, with a look of distaste. ‘Now Merriot’s gone off to look at waistcoats, as cool as you please.’

‘Rensley will be in a devilish rage when he finds the secret’s out, and the whole world knows he went off to get Galliano to show him a cunning pass or two!’ grinned Orton. He nodded to Sir Anthony. ‘Farraday went to wait upon him, and his man let it out. He deserves to be well roasted for playing such a shabby trick.’

‘Well’—Sir Anthony smiled pleasantly on the group—‘I’m bound for Galliano’s myself to arrange for some practice. I may stumble upon the gentleman. Give me your company, Molyneux.’

‘What, are you purposing to fight a duel?’ said Troubridge, laughing.