The Regency (89 page)

*

’It's a wonderful wedding, Lucy. You must feel very proud,'
James said, on his fourth glass of Lucy's excellent champagne.
‘I only hope I get Fanny off as well when the time comes.'

‘
Minnie quite surprised me,' Lucy said. 'She was so dignified,
and she looked really quite pretty today.'

‘
I was trying to work out what relation Minnie and Sale are
to each other,' James began, 'and I got as far —'

‘
Oh don't,' Lucy said. 'I've already had a lesson in genealogy
from George Wyndham. If he tells me blood is thicker than
water once more, I shall scream. Brummell says he's the
dullest man in London, but I'm sure that's too great a
compliment.'

‘
Is that Robert Knaresborough over there, talking to
Roland? He's changed amazingly. I wouldn't have known
him.'

‘He's a husband and father now, and quite a local figure in
Mansfield,' Lucy said, glancing that way. She grinned at her brother. 'You wouldn't believe it, but he actually organised a
man-hunt, with dogs and beaters, to try to flush out some
Luddites from their local bit of Sherwood Forest. He sounded
quite bloodthirsty when he was telling me about it.’

Héloïse looked distressed. 'You mean they hunted men like animals?’

Lucy shrugged. 'These Luddites are animals, or worse. It's
open season on 'em.' Danby Wiske joined them at that
moment, and fortunately for Héloïse's peace of mind, thesubject was changed.

‘
All the young people keep asking me if there's to be dancing
later on,' he said. 'I suppose it wouldn't do any harm?'

‘Oh no! What's a wedding without dancing?' James put in.

‘
Save your efforts, Jamie — there's an orchestra coming at
three o'clock,' Lucy said. 'I suppose Sale will want to dance
with his bride before they leave for Isleworth.'

‘
I shall certainly want to dance with mine,' James said,
smiling down at Héloïse, while Wiske looked wistfully at Lucy
and wished he could say the same. ‘Ah, here's Fanny,' James
added, brightening, as his daughter made her way through
the crowds towards them. 'She looks wonderful, Lucy! You've
done so well with her.'

‘
I've done nothing — it's London bronze, that's all,' Lucy
said.

James didn't argue, only thought Fanny was certainly the
prettiest girl in the room, and now that she had gained a little
poise and sophistication, she was a match for anyone. She
was certainly too good to be thrown away on any Cousin
Jasper from Manchester: it must be an earl at least for Fanny
Morland!

‘
Hello, my darling,' he said as she reached him. 'Are you
having an agreeable time?'

‘
Yes, thank you, Papa,' Fanny said, 'only I came to ask if
it's true there's to be dancing later, Aunt Lucy? Several of the
men have asked me to stand up with them, and I don't know
what to say.’

Lucy thought privately that there would never be a time
when Fanny didn't know what to say, but she said only, 'Yes,
there will be dancing. It's all arranged.'

‘
Oh, good,' Fanny said, smiling prettily, and dimpling at
Major Wiske. 'It seems so long since I had any, I quite long
for it.'

‘
You're enjoying London, then?' James said, a little
wistfully.

Fanny looked at him under her eyelashes. It was fortunate
that he had raised the subject, for she had been wondering
how to do it. 'Oh yes, Papa, beyond anything! I love staying
here with Aunt Lucy, and London is so interesting. I wish I
might stay here for ever.'

‘You don't long for the peace and quiet of home, then?’

James said. 'It seems very quiet without you.'

‘
Of course, I miss you dreadfully, Papa,' Fanny said care
fully, 'but there is so much to do in London, and so many people to meet, that home is nothing to it. I can't imagine
how people in York fill their days!’

There was a little silence, and then James said bravely to
Lucy, 'I suppose there's no real reason why she must come
home with us, is there? If you are willing to have her stay a
little longer?’

Fanny held her breath, and looked appealingly at her aunt.
Lucy felt annoyed with James — not because it was any
trouble to have Fanny, but for putting the question to her in
front of Fanny, and making it difficult for her to refuse.

‘
I should have thought you'd want her back home,' she
said.

‘
I do,' James said, 'but a girl is only young once, and for
such a short time. I should like Fanny to have all the fun and
dancing she can. But if it's troublesome to you, Luce —'

‘
Oh it's no trouble,' Lucy said tersely, and Major Wiske
intervened.

‘
You know, you might be glad of a companion, with your
daughter and Miss Haworth gone away. The house will be
very quiet — and I shall be gone soon, too.’

Lucy shrugged. 'As I said, it's no trouble. If you want
Fanny to stay, she may, for the Little Season at least. I'll find
some way to send her home at Christmas.'

‘
Oh thank you, Aunt Lucy!' Fanny said as prettily as she
could. Her heart lifted at the thought of three more months in
London; and after that, who knew what might happen? She
might never have to go back to Yorkshire at all. 'What a
wonderful party this is!'

‘
I'm sure there are more people here already than were
invited,' Lucy said, gazing round at the company. 'Who's that
young man in uniform over there, for instance? I don't
remember receiving him.'

‘
I don't think you did,' Wiske said drily. 'He's a
messenger.'

‘
Looking for you?' Lucy asked, trying to sound casual.
‘I'll go and find out.’

Lucy watched him cross the floor, saw the messenger's
roving eyes light on him with evident relief, saw them put their
heads together in conversation. Fanny had excused herself, and James was saying something, but Lucy's attention was fixed on Danby's broad shoulders and bent head. At last he
turned and walked back towards her, smiling broadly.

‘
Wellington's in Madrid!' he said. 'Joseph hardly put up a
fight at all — took his men and retreated to Catalonia.'

‘
That's wonderful news!' James said enthusiastically. 'The
capital of Spain in our hands! Now things are really beginning
to move along.'

‘What will happen now?' Héloïse asked.

‘
Wellington's leaving Hill and a garrison in Madrid, and
pushing on up to Burgos. The remains of Marmont's army
were heading that way, trying to get back to France. Once we
hold Burgos, we can cut the French supply-line any time we
like.'

‘And leave the French to rot,' James said with satisfaction.

Wiske nodded. 'Soult down in Andalusia, Joseph in
Catalonia, and the Spanish irregulars picking away at them
all the time, wearing them down. Without reinforcements or
supplies, they won't last long.’

Lucy went bluntly to the point that concerned her. 'Does
this mean you will be going back?'

‘
I was going to have to go anyway,' Wiske said apologet
ically. ‘Leave's almost over.'

‘When?' she asked.

He met her eyes. 'I'm wanted at the Horseguards. That's
what the messenger came for. Will you forgive me?’

‘
Of course,' Lucy said, turning her eyes away.

‘
I'll come straight back,' he said. 'I don't want to miss the
dancing.’

Lucy kept her eyes averted. 'Duty must come first, of
course. Now, if you will excuse me, I ought to go and speak to
some of my other guests.’

*

After several energetic dances, Fanny had stepped out of the room for a moment into the quiet of a corridor to fan herself.
There was the slight sound of a movement behind her, and
before she could turn, someone had placed their hands over
her eyes. She gave a little shriek.

‘Who is it?' said a voice.

Her heart was pounding. She knew those hands and that
voice, but she controlled herself and said coolly, 'I have no
idea. Pray, sir, remove your hands. I am not to be amused
with such childish tricks.’

The hands were removed, and she was spun about to face
Hawker, who was laughing down at her. ‘So aloof, Miss
Morland? Not amused? Oh, I am mortified!'

‘
You don't look mortified at all,' Fanny said crossly,
annoyed with herself for being so disturbed by that white
smile under the black moustache.

‘
Oh, but I am! To be snubbed by the beautiful Miss Morland
— to be told one does not amuse — to be stigmatised as
a bore — these are blows indeed! And I had hoped, in my
impudence, that you had missed me!'

‘
Oh,' said Fanny, very loftily, 'have you been away? I had
not noticed.’

Hawker laughed aloud. 'Brava! You are much improved, I
may say, by your Season in Town! Yes, I had heard that the
delicious Miss Morland was the most accomplished flirt in
London, and now I see it was no more than the truth.’

Fanny felt her cheeks grow warm. 'Who says so? Who dares
to say such a thing of me?'

‘
Why, the legion of those you torment, of course. Your
victims, Miss Morland, are scattered to the four corners of the
country. I meet them wherever I go. More particularly, I have been in the camp at Brighton lately, where you were the toast
of the officers' mess. There was a certain Captain Daventry,
whose heart is irretrievably broke —'

‘
Daventry? Nonsense! He had no heart to break,' Fanny
said indignantly. 'Any more than you have, Lieutenant Hawker.'

‘
Wrong, Miss Morland! Wrong and wrong again. To begin with, I very definitely have a heart, and it's all too vulnerable where you are concerned. And second,' he went on quickly as
Fanny gasped, 'I am no longer Lieutenant Hawker. The militia
and I have parted company. It was an uneasy union from
the beginning,' he went on, but musingly, as though he were
speaking to himself, 'and condemned both partners to misery.
Divorce was inevitable — and particularly since her dowry
turned out to be not the tithe of what I expected. I thought I
had taken a wealthy bride —'