The Regency (33 page)

Mary, who paid little attention to events outside her own
house, and none at all to the events outside England, nodded
dumbly. Celia was trying to edge nearer, her expression
grimly determined.

‘
The Regent always was a weak man, but the news that
Junot and his army had actually entered Spain and were
marching on Lisbon put him quite in despair. It was all
Strangford could do to persuade him not to lie down there
and then. But our fleet, thank God, arrived before Junot!
Once the Regent saw the warships, Strangford persuaded him to escape for Rio, with his family, his treasury, and his ships.
So when Junot gets there, he'll find the bird has flown! Ben
has gone with the Regent as Liaison Officer, with a squadron
of our ships as escort. Our old friend Haworth is Commodore
commanding. I expect your son is getting all the details from
Ned Morland this very minute.'

‘
Yes — really — how interesting,' Mary had been murmur
ing. Now she glanced across, and saw that not only was John
talking to Ned Morland, but that he was making a serious
attempt to bring the Morland party across to join the Ansteys.
At that moment John Anstey's attention was resolutely
claimed by old Sir Thomas Chubb, whom he could not
ignore; and as Mary turned away sharply to escape, Celia
took her chance and intruded herself between Mary and
freedom.

‘
Mary, my dear, how lovely to see you again! Ever since I
saw you were at the service, I have been promising myself a
good, long talk with you. What an age it is since we had a
comfortable chat! Were you about to leave? Do let me walk
with you, and we can be private, and have a coze, like we did
in the old days.'

‘
Yes — that is, no, I must wait for John. I will walk with
John, thank you, Celia,' Mary muttered in confusion.

Celia's eyes bloomed with malice. 'Oh yes, dear John! What
a comfort he must be to you, Mary dear! Such a fine, upright
young man, and so like his father!’

The words, overheard by a third party who knew nothing of the affair, would sound quite innocent; and Celia plainly
thought the presence of so many people within earshot would
allow her to torment Mary with impunity; but Mary, already overwrought, flared up at the covert cruelty.

‘How dare you say that? How dare you?'

‘
How dare I? Why, Mary dear, what can you mean? Why
shouldn't I say your son is like his father? That would be
thought a compliment by most people! And what a pity it is
that he's not here to see him now, when he must be making
you so happy!'

‘
You know very well he is dead! John's father is dead!'
Mary said wildly.

‘
That's just what I said. What a pity he won't see John
bring home a bride at last! Has the day been named? When
may we expect the happy announcement?’

Mary pulled herself together. 'I don't know what you're
talking about, Celia. Is this more of your vile plotting? If
so —’

Celia's eyes widened. 'Why, Mary dear, don't get so upset!
It's only what everyone has been saying ever since I got here.
And you only have to see them together to know the truth of
it! Your John is planning to marry the Morland ward, and a
very fine bride I'm sure she'll make him! You must be so fond
of her already! And of course, as I understand it, she's a sort
of distant relation, too — if anyone were able to be completely
sure of her ancestry.’

She looked pointedly towards the other group, where John
Skelwith was stationed at Mathilde's side, between her and
Edward Morland, the three of them chatting with every
appearance of intimacy. Mary turned back toward Celia, her
eyes burning with anger in her pale face. 'You poisonous
bitch!' she hissed, and her hand came up, hooked, ready in
her desperation to claw Celia's face — Celia who had done
her so much damage already, and who would do far more,
given any opportunity.

But John Anstey intervened. Freeing himself at that instant from Sir Thomas, he turned just in time to catch Mary by the
wrist, and say, 'No, no, you mustn't! Everyone will see. Celia,
what have you been doing?'

‘I? Nothing! Why should you think —?'

‘Because I know you, Cely. I know all about your mischief-
making, don't forget. Now go over there and talk to Lizzie,
and behave yourself. Don't argue with me! You've never yet
seen me angry, but I promise you, if you do, you'll regret it!’

Celia glared a moment, and then flounced away, nose in
the air. John Anstey's hand moved from Mary's wrist to her
upper arm, and he began steering her quickly and firmly
through the crowds. 'You'd better go home, Mary. I'll get a
quiet word to John and send him after you — I'll say you
weren't feeling well, or something like that. Go on, now. And
try not to mind what Celia says. She's a disappointed
woman.’

Mary was still too shaken to speak, but she cast him a look
of gratitude, and hurried away down the street. It was almost
half an hour before John joined her, running up the stairs two
at a time, and into her sitting-room, his face flushed with
some excitement, though his eyes sought her with concern.

‘
Mama, what is it? What happened? I looked around for
you, and you'd gone, and then Lord Anstey sent me word you
were ill.’

Mary regarded his face carefully. 'I felt — a little unwell. It
was nothing. I'm all right now, John.'

‘Are you sure? You look — well, strange.'

‘
I'm all right,' she said again. The crowd pressed too close,
that's all. You know I hate crowds.’

He looked at her shrewdly. 'Are you angry with me because
we got separated? I'm sorry, Mama. I wanted you to come
and speak to the Morlands for a particular reason. I wonder if
you can guess what it is?'

‘
I'm not interested in the Morlands! I've told you before!
May we have dinner, now that you've returned? You know it
disagrees with me to eat late.'

‘
But Mama, there is something particular I wish to say to
you,' John said holding out his hands and smiling. 'Won't you
come and sit here, by me?’

She withheld her hands from him. ‘I don't want to hear it,'
she said sharply. ‘Ring the bell, I must have my dinner.'

‘
No, Mama — this is something you must hear — and
something you'll like, I promise you! The reason I wanted you
to come and talk to the Morlands is that I wanted you to meet
Lady Morland's ward, Miss Nordubois. You know that I've
been seeing her quite often lately? Yes you do, for I've told
you so, though you pretended not to be listening! Well, I've
quite lost my heart to her! She is the dearest girl, and I'm
going to ask her to marry me. So naturally I wanted you to
meet her first. Of course, I'll ask her here formally — or
rather, you will — but for the very first meeting, I thought it
would be better —'

‘
Marry her?' Mary's face was white. 'No, John. I absolutely
forbid it.’

John cocked his head, uncertain how serious she was.
‘Mama? What is it? You cannot have heard any ill of her, for
apart from the fact that you see no-one, I'm certain she
hasn't an enemy in the world. She has the kindest nature —'

‘I won't hear any more! I forbid you to talk about her!'

‘
But I must! Mama, what is it? This is not like you. You cannot condemn the girl before you've met her. To be sure, she hasn't a portion, but that can't signify. I have more than
enough for us all, and I would sooner have a poor woman of good character and sweet temper for a wife, than the richest heiress in the world. Besides, I am in love with her, and you
wouldn't want me to marry a woman I didn't love, would
you?'

‘
Don't talk to me about love! You don't know what you're
saying! In any case, I forbid you to marry this girl, and I don't want to hear any more about it.’

Now John was growing angry, though he controlled himself
from long habit. 'No, Mama, that isn't good enough. I have
behaved exactly as I should in this matter. I've spoken to you
before declaring myself to Miss Nordubois, before even asking
her guardian for permission to address her. I am over twenty-
one, and I can marry anyone I please.'

‘
Oh, can you? And break your mother's heart, I suppose! I
mean nothing to you now!'

‘
Mama, stop it! You're being unreasonable. , You can't
simply forbid me to marry without telling me why.'

‘
I can do as I please,' she flared, and his temper broke. He
seized her hands to stop her turning away from him, and
glared down into her face.

‘
You shall tell me! You shall name your objections, or — or
go to the devil!’

Mary gasped. 'How dare you! How dare you speak to me
like that!’

He gripped her harder. 'Name them!'

‘
I won't have you associate yourself with the Morlands,'
Mary gasped. 'I won't have you hanging around Morland
Place. I told you often enough not to go there, but you ignored
me. You always ignore me, when it's a matter of your own
selfish pleasure.’

This was the grossest of calumnies, and John released her
hands and stood staring at her, still angry, but puzzled.
'There is something here,' he said slowly, scanning her face.
'Surely it cannot be that old business of you and James
Morland?' His mother said nothing, but her eyes were wary.
'But that would be too foolish. I've heard it said that you were
in love with him once when you were a girl — well, that all the
young women were. It can't simply be that. There's some
thing more here — something more to cause all this anger.
What is it, Mother. What makes you hate the Morlands so?'

‘
That's my business,' Mary snapped, but her anger was
now tempered by fear.

‘
Mine too. Oh yes! You have made it mine. Do you hate
James Morland? Is that it? But why should you? What has he
ever done to make you hate him?' She began to turn away,
and he caught her back, his fingers digging into the soft flesh
of her arms. 'You shall tell me.’

‘Let me go,' she hissed.

‘
You shall tell me, or I shall find out elsewhere. I'll ask
questions — do you want me to find out from someone else?
I'll ask at the club. I'll bet Sir Arthur Fussell knows some
thing.' She glared at him mutely. 'Or how about Mrs Masters?
I know you and she were old friends. I'll ask her.'