One Snowy Night (23 page)

‘No. I don’t
forget. But if you think I’m going to let you anywhere near a man like that you’re
mistaken,’ he said.

‘It isn’t up
to you to tell me what to do,’ she returned.

He glared at
her. Then said, apparently reasonably, ‘You’re right. It isn’t.’ His
reasonableness suddenly vanished. ‘But I’m going to do it anyway.’

Rebecca gave a
sigh. It was no use arguing with him. He could be extremely stubborn when he
chose – as stubborn as she was. Besides, she had to admit, if only to herself,
that she was actually relieved. She did not relish the idea of seeing any more
of Dunn than she had to.

‘Very well.’

His eyebrows
lifted in surprise. Then he said, with a disarming smile, ‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’
She was surprised.

‘For letting
me have my own way.’

She smiled,
too. ‘As long as you don’t have it too often, I can’t see that it will do you
any harm!’ she teased him.

He laughed.

‘Then for once
we are in agreement. And luckily so, for there is no saying who would win
otherwise! But now that we have sorted that out, let me offer you some
refreshments. You’re right, I should have done so straight away. You must be
cold and tired.’

‘Thank you,
but I can’t stay. I have already been longer than I intended to be, and I don’t
want Louisa to worry. I only went out to buy her a fan,’ she explained. ‘I
should have been back by now. I dread to think what has happened to my
carriage.’

‘Don’t worry.
I sent Odgers to find it.’

‘But
—’

‘Dunn is being
safely held in the kitchen by a couple of Odgers’s colleagues - men who,
incidentally, will not let Odgers forget that he lost his charge,’ said Joshua
with a wry smile.

‘It wasn’t his
fault,’  said Rebecca.

‘Yes, it was.
He was employed to look after you and he failed. But if you want to make his
life easier in future, don’t go jumping out of any more carriages!’

‘I’ll try not
to,’ she returned with a lift at the corner of her mouth. Then she became more
serious. ‘You will let me know, Joshua? What you find out?’

‘Of course.
You’re going to the ball tonight?’

‘Yes. Louisa
and I will both be there.’

‘Meet me in
the library at
twelve o’clock
. The ball should be in full swing by then and no one will
notice if we absent ourselves for a while. Then I can tell you what I have
discovered.’

‘What do you
think? Now?’

Joshua ran his
hand through his thick hair. ‘I think Dunn will be able to tell us very little.
He was probably paid to paint a Luddite slogan on the wall of the mill, but I
will be surprised if he can tell us who paid him. He was most probably
approached in a tavern and offered money to do it, no questions asked.’

Rebecca
nodded. It seemed only too likely.

‘But I’ll have
him followed - when I let him go,’ said Joshua.

‘You’re not
going to hand him over to the authorities, then?’ asked Rebecca in surprise.

‘No. If we
press charges against him for attacking you then you will be dragged into it,
and that isn’t something I want to see. And if we charge him with defacing
property, again you are the witness, and again you would be dragged in - and
again, that isn’t something I’m going to allow. Besides, he may be more use to
us if we turn him loose. There’s just a chance that whoever has been paying him
may decide to use him again.’

‘So that if we
have him watched, we can see where he goes and what he does?’ asked Rebecca.

Joshua nodded.
‘Exactly.’

‘It makes
sense.’

A carriage
rattled to a halt outside. Glancing out of the window Rebecca saw that it was
hers.

‘Until this
evening, then,’ she said, taking her leave of Joshua.

‘Until this
evening. Once I join you at the ball I will tell you everything I learn.’

‘Oh! There you are! I was
just beginning to worry,’ said Louisa, as Rebecca returned to the house.

‘I’m sorry I
was so long,’ said Rebecca.

‘Never mind,
my dear. You are here now.’

Rebecca smiled
at the look of suppressed anticipation on Louisa’s face. Too sweet to ask if
Rebecca had managed to find her a fan in case she should seem demanding, Louisa
was clearly wondering if Rebecca’s shopping trip had been a success.

Rebecca opened
her reticule and took out a small package, which she gave to Louisa.

Louisa took it
and opened it to reveal the lace and ivory fan. Her face lit up. ‘Oh! Rebecca!
It’s beautiful! So delicate! And so stylish!’ She opened the fan with a flick
of her wrist and delightedly wafted it to and fro.

‘It will look
lovely against your gown,’ said Rebecca. ‘The lace is so delicate the orange
shade will shine through.’

‘Yes, it will.
Oh, thank you, my dear. It’s perfect. Truly perfect.’ Louisa fluttered her fan
once more, until the chiming of the clock called her back to the present. ‘But
I must not keep you. You will be wanting to go up and dress. Susan has filled
the hip bath for you, and laid out your gown. I, too, must get changed.’

Louisa hurried
upstairs.

More slowly,
Rebecca followed. She was glad to be able to retire to her room after her exciting
afternoon.

The bedroom
was welcoming. The heavy damask drapes had been drawn across the windows. A
warming fire was burning in the grate, and the candles were shedding pools of
light into every corner of the room.

Rebecca
glanced towards the mantelpiece where an ormolu clock stood. She wanted to see
if she had enough time to read a little more of her book in the bath, before
she had to get dressed.

Yes, she had.

She took her
book into the small dressing-room that led off from her bedroom, where Susan had
filled her hip bath, and undressing she slipped into the rose-scented water.
She breathed a sigh of relief. It had been an eventful few hours, and she was
looking forward to some peace and quiet before she dressed to go out again.

She sank back
into the water and luxuriated in the soothing warmth. Then, feeling pleasantly
relaxed, she dried her hands on the towel she had draped over the edge of the
bath and picked up
The Italian
, which she had left within reach. She
indulged in a portion of the entertaining novel before washing herself and then
stepping out of the hip bath, where she dried herself in front of the fire.
Then she began to dress.

She had bought
some lovely underclothes in the fashionable shops in
Manchester
and, with Susan’s help, she proceeded
to put them on: a cotton chemise and new-fangled drawers; silk stockings,
fashionably embroidered at the ankles and held up by lace garters; and a light
pair of stays.

Susan fastened
her stays to a comfortable tightness, then it was time to put on her gown.

‘How is Miss
Louisa getting on?’ asked Rebecca.

‘She’s
finished dressing,’ said Susan, who had gone to help Betsy with Louisa whilst
Rebecca took her bath. ‘She looks lovely,’ said the young girl.

Rebecca was
glad. She herself might be unlucky in love, but she hoped with all her heart
that the same would not be true for her cousin.

She turned her
attention to her new ball gown, which Susan was lifting off the bed. It was
truly exquisite. Madame Dupont had excelled herself.

At that moment
Betsy entered the room.

‘Miss Louisa’s
compliments, and do you need any more help?’ asked Betsy.

‘No, thank
you, Betsy,’ said Rebecca.

Betsy eyed her
dubiously. ‘I don’t know about these short sleeves,’ she said, with the freedom
of an old retainer. ‘Pretty they may be, and fashionable as well, but a good
pair of long sleeves would have been more sensible in the winter time, Miss
Rebecca.’

‘Perhaps,’
remarked Rebecca. ‘But long sleeves are too hot for dancing in.’

‘You just make
sure you take your shawl,’ said Betsy. ‘It won’t do to go catching a cold. You’ll
miss all the coming parties and dinners, and you wouldn’t want that.’

Rebecca’s
mouth quirked, but she dutifully promised to wear her shawl, and Betsy was
mollified.

‘There,’ said
Susan, standing back once the dress was fastened.

The gown was
truly lovely. The gold silk glimmered in the candlelight and the short sleeves,
trimmed with a row of the most delicate gold tassels, were exquisite. The high
waist lent Rebecca height, and the demi-train added an air of elegance and
style.

‘I hope I can
remember how the
friseur
said to do your hair,’ said Susan somewhat
nervously.

‘I’m sure you
will,’ said Rebecca as Betsy departed.

She sat in
front of her dressing-table and Susan proceeded to arrange her hair. Monsieur
Toulouse had cut and shaped it, so that the maid had no difficulty in styling
it.

Once it was
done Rebecca examined the high chignon critically to make sure it was tidy. She
fluffed the ringlets round her face, then thanking Susan she stood up.

‘Your gloves,
Miss Rebecca,’ said Susan, handing Rebecca her long white evening gloves. ‘And
don’t forget your shawl.’

Rebecca took
up the beautiful spider-silk shawl and draped it elegantly over her shoulders.
There would be time enough later, when she had reached Mrs Renwick’s house and
had warmed right through, to let it slip elegantly and fashionably down into
the crook of her arms.

And then
Rebecca was ready. Going downstairs she found Louisa already waiting for her.
Louisa’s eyes were sparkling, and in her new gown she looked lovely. Edward
would be a fool if he did not want to marry her, Rebecca thought.

The clock
chimed the hour. ‘I believe we should be going,’ said Rebecca.

‘Yes,’ agreed
Louisa.

They went out
to the carriage.

As they did so
Rebecca felt a shiver of presentiment; as though something momentous was going
to happen that very evening.

Then,
dismissing the presentiment as nothing more than foolishness, she turned her
attention to the evening to come.

As soon as Rebecca entered
Mrs Renwick’s house she looked round for Joshua. She was eager to see him and
discover what he had learnt from Dunn. She could see no sign of him in the
hall, however, and moved on to the impromptu ballroom, but here she fared no
better. After scanning the brilliantly-dressed people for any sign of him, she
realized he had not yet arrived.

‘Oh, my, doesn’t
it look lovely,’ said Louisa.

The ballroom
did indeed look lovely. It was brightly decorated with such greenery as could
be found so early in the year, all displayed in delightful porcelain vases.
Together with the highly-polished mirrors, the glittering chandeliers, and the
silk-and-satin clad guests, it was a splendid sight.

The most
important people in
Manchester
were all gathered together, Rebecca noted with interest, turning her
attention to the other guests. Mill owners, politicians, and a smattering of
titled and other fashionable young men, together with their wives and sisters.
There were also a number of eligible young ladies, fluttering around in their
white muslin gowns.

Louisa’s
attention was soon claimed by Edward, and Rebecca was quickly accosted
likewise.

‘Miss Foster.’

Rebecca’s
relief vanished as she turned to see Mr Willingham. Ah, well, she would have to
greet him politely.

‘May I say you
are looking truly exquisite this evening?’ he went on, bowing over her hand.

She was made
slightly uneasy by the way his eyes ran over her as he straightened up. There
was something cold about him, and she had the feeling that he was looking at
her in the way he would look at a beautiful painting or a fine piece of china -
as though he was calculating her worth. However, she was a guest at the ball,
and he was a respected gentleman, and so she ignored her distaste and thanked
him politely for his compliment.

‘And may I also
say you are looking remarkably composed.’

Rebecca’s
eyebrows raised in surprise.

‘It cannot be
easy to be so calm after what happened this afternoon,’ he said.

Her eyebrows raised
still further.

‘News travels
fast,’ he explained. ‘Particularly among the mill owners. My mill is in
Stockport, but I still get to hear of things that might be likely to affect
business, and the unfortunate attack on you this afternoon is one of them.’

‘I hardly
think it is likely to affect your business,’ she remarked.

‘Forgive me,
but if the Luddites are active again, it will affect everyone’s business.’