Sally James (12 page)

'Sir Frederick Hill!' Lord Fordington exclaimed, glancing quickly at Isabella. 'I personally do not like him, but I have never heard any breath of scandal to do with cards or dice,' he continued slowly.

'Sir Frederick? The dice loaded?' Lady Fordington exclaimed in astonishment. 'You must be wrong, Ninian. He is an upright man, he would not stoop to such trickery.'

'Then it's little you know about him!' her son retorted. 'He's a sly, scheming wretch!'

'That may be, but I would advise you to take care of what you accuse him. He could ruin you if he wished,' Lord Fordington warned Ninian.

'He has, all but!' He took a couple of paces towards his brother. 'Justin, please, lend me the money to buy back the rings. I'll pay you back as soon as my next allowance is due – and with interest!'

'I'm no usurer,' Lord Fordington commented. 'I am more concerned to break you of this disastrous tendency before you come into control of your fortune!'

'If I had a bigger allowance I could play until I won some back,' Ninian muttered, turning angrily away.

'That is what inveterate gamblers always think, and they are invariably wrong!' Lord Fordington told him, beginning to lose patience. 'Your allowance is as large as can be managed without broaching your capital. In addition you have the rent of Bembridge Place, and virtually no living expenses! How do you imagine you will do when I no longer have any control over you? Within a couple of years, if you continue in his manner, you will have nothing left.'

'You have never helped him! You have always been jealous!' Lady Fordington intervened shrilly. 'I have never been able to understand why your father left you his guardian, and not, as would have been more natural, me, his mother.'

'You would have encouraged him, Ma'am, in his foolishness,' Lord Fordington replied coldly. 'I will see Hill myself and ensure he keeps the rings until you can afford to redeem them, Ninian, but that must be done out of your allowance, no other way. And now I hope you will beg pardon of Miss Clinton for this deplorable display.'

Turning to Isabella he made a swift apology, and then left the room. Ninian, shamefaced, begged her pardon and followed him, leaving his mother to complain to the embarrassed Isabella about Lord Fordington's parsimony and lack of understanding of her darling son. After a while Isabella persuaded her to return to the plans for the ball, and apart from the occasional complaining reference to her harsh, unfeeling stepson she applied herself to this, remarking bitterly that she supposed she ought not now to invite Sir Frederick to the ball. Isabella, shocked at Ninian's accusations, was undecided whether to believe them, but realised guiltily that if it relieved her of Sir Frederick's attentions she would enjoy the coming ball much more.

Ninian did not appear at dinner and although Lady Fordington did not refer directly to his latest misdemeanour her conversation consisted of barbed comments which all implied Lord Fordington had treated his half-brother abominably ever since Ninian was born. A cricket ball driven high over some trees into the garden where the infant was being taken for an airing by a nursemaid was regarded as an attempt at murder, Isabella gathered, and various unmentionable crimes were darkly hinted at. Lord Fordington, although patently annoyed, behaved with unruffled calm, ignoring her shafts until, abandoning hints, Lady Fordington demanded to know whether he intended to save Ninian from a debtor's gaol by retrieving the jewels. He replied with an unequivocal negative.

'He is in no danger of a prison cell, Ma'am, if he ceases his folly now,' he said, exasperated. 'I will see Hill and ask him to hold the rings, promising Ninian can redeem them, but that is as far as I will go. Ninian must learn sense, and I am sure even you would prefer he did so now rather than after he has dissipated his inheritance!'

'Is Sir Frederick at Brighthelmstone? Will you drive there tonight?' Lady Fordington persisted.

'Ninian tells me he plans to return tomorrow, late, so I will go when it will be worth my while.'

* * * *

Isabella was thankful to leave. She resolved she would give Mrs Westerson a strong hint so that she would discourage Ninian's attentions to Lydia, and marvelled at Lord Fordington's patience with both Ninian and his stepmother.

'Ninian has been spoiled,' Lord Fordington remarked ruefully as they set off towards Woodings. 'If my father had lived until Ninian was of age he would have ensured he behaved sensibly. The boy is headstrong but not vicious. Sometimes I long for next year and plan to wash my hands of Ninian completely, but I have the horrid suspicion I shall not, and will always be coming to his rescue!'

'One cannot suddenly abandon a responsibility one has been accustomed to,' Isabella agreed. 'I doubt if I will cease to worry over Georgiana when she is married! It is frustrating when there is nothing to be done, too!'

'At least my stepmother will go to live in Ninian's house then, or her own. She has never forgiven my existence, and it must have been a great blow to her when I survived the French wars. I hope she does not attempt to make life too uncomfortable when I marry, for she will regard my wife as a wicked supplanter.'

'When you marry?' Isabella repeated as calmly as she could. 'You realise, my lord, that everyone regards you as a confirmed bachelor?' she added lightly.

He laughed. 'I was, and would have remained so, content to think Ninian would one day step into my place, but for the unexpected good fortune of discovering a girl I could not live without. The question is, do I offer for her while my stepmother and Ninian live with me? Would they be a bar to my success?'

'They might be rather trying for a young girl to live with, especially if Lady Fordington resented her,' Isabella stammered. 'But if she loved you she would not care,' she managed to add, wondering why her heart was pounding so violently at this hint his thoughts were on matrimony, and Georgiana's suspicions likely to prove correct. 'And as you said, it is only for a year,' she went on, feeling uncomfortable at the lengthening silence.

Lord Fordington was regarding her with amusement, but since Isabella was fully occupied with retying the strings of her rather charming straw bonnet and in addition had her head turned away from him he could not see her expression.

'Yes, a young girl could find it an impossible situation,' he said easily. 'But to return to my wretched brother's concerns pray tell me, in confidence, does young Miss Westerson suspect my graceless brother of any serious intentions?'

'I – rather think she does, or at least
hopes
he means more than mere flirting. She is very young and has met few young men, you see, and he is very attractive,' Isabella tried to excuse Lydia.

'I do see!' he replied, a grim note in his voice. 'What can we do? Ninian is not fit to settle down yet even if he had thought of it. Could you give her a hint?'

'I have already tried to,' Isabella confessed, 'but she regards me as her mother's generation and seems to assume I could never have experienced the pangs of young love. Not that I have, of course, but I am old enough to understand love is not the only consideration when marriage is concerned!'

He was laughing gently and she blushed.

'Have you been incarcerated at Woodings all your youth?' he queried. 'I cannot believe William is the only man to have discovered you!'

She glanced at him and took a deep breath.

'My lord, what William told you the other day, when – when you saw us in the woods, was untrue! I would not have you think ill of him, and it is very likely my fault for not having given him a more severe set down earlier. He has a romantic notion of rescuing me from genteel poverty and will not accept I am perfectly content as I am.'

'Are you?' he demanded bluntly.

Isabella stole another glance at him.

'I am most grateful to Fanny and Sir Roderick for giving me a home,' she replied firmly.

'I never suspected you of holding the good William in affection, but he is surely not the only discerning man in these parts?'

'Who would take a dowerless governess, not in the first blush of youth?' she demanded hotly. 'Only a foolish boy or someone in need of a cheap housekeeper!'

Lord Fordington gave a shout of laughter.

'You underrate yourself, my dear,' he commented. 'I doubt if you would be a
cheap
housekeeper!'

'What do you mean?' Isabella demanded indignantly, but he laughed again and refused to explain his remarks.

'I will tell you one day. In the meantime I will do my best to prevent Ninian from rousing unjustified hopes in that poor girl, and I beg you will persist, despite the handicaps you give yourself, in warning her.'

'I fear only some other young man could distract her attention,' Isabella said slowly. 'Alternatively, although it would be painful for her, if Ninian were to transfer his attentions to someone else she would see how to value them.'

'I will endeavour to provide him with another charmer,' Lord Fordington said lightly, then spoke of other topics for the remainder of the drive to Woodings.

* * * *

During the following day Isabella grew still more concerned, for Lydia came to spend the day with Georgiana, and it was clear from the conversation Isabella heard that Lydia's hopes were growing. Ninian had ridden over to the Rectory on the previous day after the argument with his brother, and Lydia indignantly related to Georgiana all the grievances he had revealed to her. By dinner time, when Georgiana had repeated them to Isabella, the latter was thoroughly tired of hearing about that unsatisfactory young man. She was also concerned about the fact Lord Fordington was being unflatteringly portrayed in the role of a dragon. From his remarks when he had brought her home she thought it could not be long before he made his declaration to Georgiana. Apart from its being a decided triumph to have attached such a prize to herself, even before her come-out, the fortunate Georgiana would be safe and happy with such a husband. Yet if she took an unreasonable dislike to him because of Lydia's prejudices, culled from Ninian, she was fully capable of refusing the match.

That must be prevented at all costs, Isabella told herself, but apart from pointing out Lydia knew only one side of the story she felt too tired to worry about it that evening and escaped to her room soon after dinner.

She could not sleep, however. As she tossed and turned she heard the rest of the household retiring, and at last all was still. Isabella was debating whether to make her way to the kitchens to find herself one of the tisanes Lady Sharman used when she could not sleep, when she heard a cautious whistle, repeated twice, directly under her open window.

She rose from her bed and looked out between the shutters.

'Psst! Miss Isabella!' a voice from below whispered, and she looked down to see Ned, the stable lad, crouched down in the shadow of some bushes.

'What is it?' she whispered.

'Please help me, Miss. I don't rightly know who else to ask, and he said he didn't want no one. But he's badly hurt!'

'Who? Where?' Isabella demanded.

'The young Mr Bembridge,' Ned answered. 'Oh, Miss, please hurry! He's bleeding bad, and I can't stop it!'

'Mr Bembridge? Where is he?'

'In the stable loft, where I sleep. He came-'

'Yes, that can keep. I'll come as fast as I can. Get me some clean water from the well.'

Isabella seized a wrap and ran quickly down the stairs, collecting some old sheets from the linen room and salves from the still room on her way towards the kitchens. She struggled to draw the huge bolts, which gave way protestingly at last, and was thankful to see Ned, holding a bucket in one hand and a lantern in the other, disappearing through the gateway leading to the stableyard. She hurried after him and scrambled up the steep ladder leading to the little room where Ned slept. A candle lit it and on the straw pallet Ninian, deathly white, lay stretched. A dark cloak was cast to one side and Ned had obviously tried to get Ninian's coat off, for his wounded left arm, the shirt-sleeve soaked in blood, was exposed. His eyes were closed but as Isabella, with an exclamation of dismay, sank to her knees beside him and began to inspect the wound he opened them briefly and turned his head slightly.

'Justin! They'll think- In my pocket! I was right, I'll swear.'

'Shall I fetch help, Miss?' Ned asked fearfully, hovering beside her.

'Not yet, the most important thing is to stop this bleeding. Help me. Have you a knife for me to cut his sleeve?'

Ned fetched one from a box in the far corner of the room, and as Isabella set to work Ninian spoke again.

'I – didn't mean to kill him!' he whispered, and lost consciousness.

Chapter Seven

As soon as she had cut away the sleeves of his shirt and swabbed some of the blood from his arm and shoulder Isabella realised Ninian had been shot. The bullet had grazed a rib, leaving a long but shallow gash, and then ploughed a deeper furrow through the inside flesh of the upper arm.

She was thankful to see it had not lodged in him, nor broken a bone.

With Ned following her cool instructions, Isabella carefully washed the wounds and packed wads of clean linen to staunch the blood flowing from Ninian's arm. Then she bandaged it tightly and with Ned's help raised Ninian so that his coat and shirt could be stripped off and his other wound dealt with, finally wrapping a bandage round his body to keep the dressing in place.

'Fetch me some brandy. I left the kitchen door open and you'll find some in the dining-parlour. And bring some more candles please – any you can find, they'll be in the dining-parlour and the kitchen.'

Ned ran to do her bidding and Isabella tried to make Ninian comfortable, pushing Ned's rough pillow under his head and covering him with all the clothing and blankets she could find, for he was beginning to shiver. When Ned returned she sent him off again to kindle the kitchen fire and heat some bricks in the oven, as well as boiling a kettle of water. When he returned with these she wrapped the bricks in blankets and placed them round Ninian.