Vintage Love (47 page)

Lucinda went on to say that the many uprisings had frightened off travelers from England and other countries. Half the laborers in Paris were unemployed. There was far less court spending, and one result of this was the recent bankruptcy of the queen’s personal dressmaker, Rose Bertin. A few weeks earlier a freak hailstorm had swept the Paris region and wreaked much damage. Grain was in short supply and the price of bread had soared, causing women and children to stand in endlessly long lines before bake shops.

Despite all this gloomy news, Lucinda claimed that she and her husband were happy. The duke would not think of leaving his estate, so they would remain in France and weather the darkening clouds. The most exciting tidbit for Enid was the brief mention that Armand Beaufaire was planning a trip to England.

Enid’s pleasant holiday took a different turn soon afterward with the arrival of Gustav Brideau one fine morning. The young Frenchman rode up on a black mare while she was standing by the rosebushes talking to the gardener. Wearing a light blue summer dress and a large bonnet to shield her face from the sun, she looked very much the country lady.

At first she could not believe her eyes. However, when Gustav turned his mount over to a stableboy and came striding toward her, she no longer had any doubts. In a white shirt open at the neck, a blue vest, and navy blue breeches, with his dark hair wind-tousled and his hazel eyes full of merriment, he emanated charm and romance.

“You!” she exclaimed as they met on the lawn.

“Yes, it is indeed I! I hired a horse in the village and found my way here.” He was bursting with vitality.

“If I had known you were planning a visit, I would have arranged for a carriage to meet you,” she said, flustered.

He laughed. “No need. I enjoyed the ride. I wanted to see you in your native surroundings.” He looked about approvingly. “It is lovely here. Magnificent. And you are truly deserving of it.”

“Will you be able to stay a few days?”

His eyes twinkled. “If I’m invited.”

“Of course you are. I’ll speak to my mother and father. They will place a room at your disposal.”

“London is very dull without you,” he remarked.

“What about all your theater friends?” she asked as she took his arm and led him toward the house.

“Most of them are also in the country. The summer season in London is very quiet. But when you return, there is one actor I want you to meet. John Philip Kemble.”

“Susie Smith’s leading man!”

He smiled. “Only on stage. He lives a solitary life away from his work. But I think he’s interesting, and I believe you would feel the same.”

“I shall look forward to the meeting,” she said.

“And will you begin fencing lessons when you return?”

“As soon as you like. I’m excited about doing it. Now, let me introduce you to my parents.”

Lord and Lady Henson were pleased to meet Enid’s good-looking friend, who had an easy knack of fitting in with people. Before long they felt completely relaxed with Gustav, as if they had always known him. Lord Alfred spoke with him about hunting, showed him his prized gun collection, and promised to see him ride to hounds one day soon. Lady Caroline was equally captivated by the high-spirited Gustav.

For Enid, Gustav’s visit held a mixed blessing. She enjoyed his company but feared her husband would hear of his arrival in Surrey and spitefully make the most of it.

She did her best to maintain a polite barrier between herself and the young man. They worked at her French lessons, went riding through the countryside, and often spent hours talking. Enid was impressed with his agile mind.

One warm, starlit night they strolled out to the summerhouse before retiring. Dinner had been exceptionally good, and her father had fallen into a nostalgic mood, recalling his younger days in London, to everyone’s delight.

When Enid and Gustav reached the summerhouse, he surprised her by sweeping her into his arms and kissing her ardently.

She pulled back from him in alarm. “You take liberties!” she protested.

“Didn’t you want me to kiss you?” he asked. “Surely this is the right setting.”

“I wish for us to remain friends.”

“And I would like to see us
better
friends,” he declared, ready to embrace her again.

“No,” she said gently. “You must not spoil things, Gustav. I’m very fond of you, and perhaps I
would
enjoy your embraces, but it would be the end for us. I am a married woman; you must remember that.”

A look of scorn crossed his face. “Your husband is a libertine who does not appreciate you!”

“But he is also intensely jealous of me and insists that I avoid any hint of scandal.”

“He provides quite enough of that with his lads!”

“Maybe so, but I do my best to make our marriage seem like a normal one so that our position in society is preserved.”

“Position be damned! I’m fond of you, and you need a man!”

Enid recognized the pulsing forces within her that had been brought to the surface by his embrace. Wryly, she said, “I wish I could deny that, but I truly can’t!”

“Leave your husband and come live with me,” Gustav implored her. “I could make you happy.”

“You could, and thank you, but I do not feel the match is right.”

“There is someone else?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“You don’t know him. He doesn’t live in London, nor even in this country.”

Gustav groaned in dismay. “How can I be expected to compete with some unknown man?”

“You cannot,” she said, lightly tapping his hand with her fan. “We will continue to be close friends, better friends than we would be if we allowed our passions full rein. And you will make me an expert in fencing as you have in French!”

“That’s not my ambition where you are concerned. I had other hopes.”

“For the time being, you must be content with these things,” she told him.

“All right, if you insist. But I refuse to give up hope.”

After this conversation with Gustav, she felt less tension between them. He remained at her father’s estate for a few more days and then returned to London. When she was certain that the vicomte had left for Paris, she packed her belongings, kissed her parents goodbye, and rejoined her husband.

Lord Andrew was cool in his greeting of her. Shortly after she was reinstalled in the London town house, Enid learned of his excesses in gambling. Whispers came to her of his huge losses in many of the gaming houses, as well as in the homes of the socially elite. She also discovered that Andrew’s almost constant companion at the gaming houses was the Duke of Bridge-water, a half-mad nobleman, who talked of nothing but canals, had destroyed all the gardens around his home, and would not allow any woman servant in his employ.

Enid went to Gustav’s studio for her first fencing lesson. She found that Susie Smith had abandoned her acting career and had moved in with Gustav. Some claimed this had happened because of a falling-out between Susie and Kemble, who had wanted her to assume more minor parts in his company so that he could advance the talents of another actress to play opposite him.

Whatever the reason, it was a fact that Susie had become Gustav’s mistress. She seemed to be quite happy with the gallant Frenchman.

As soon as Enid became proficient enough, she and Susie began to fence together. One afternoon, after they had indulged in an especially lively match, Susie threw down her mask and said, “You have a natural ability at this. I declare you are already my superior!”

“But you have been fencing so much longer,” Enid protested.

“No matter. You have caught on very fast, and you are taller and stronger than I.”

Gustav was of the same opinion, and when Enid came for her fencing lesson the next afternoon, he told her, “I want you to take part in a little game.”

She stared at him. “What sort of game?”

“A practical joke I wish to play on someone. Susie suggested it to me.”

Enid smiled. “Your Susie is too often given to mischief. Just what is this joke?”

“Remember my speaking of the actor Kemble?”

“Yes. You promised I would meet him.”

“I still want you to. I think you’d like him, and he couldn’t help but be enchanted by you. Now, let me explain. Kemble thinks most seriously of himself. It is his one fault. He has been acclaimed the finest actor in all of England, and perhaps he is. He also considers himself the best swordsman in London, and in that he is surely wrong.”

“So?”

“I propose to set up a match pitting Kemble against an unknown young man of great fencing skill. I am positive that Kemble will be defeated.”

“What part am I supposed to play in this?”

He laughed. “You, my dear Enid, will be the young man!”

“You’re mad!”

“Not at all. I swear you can defeat him in a fencing match.”

“I very much doubt it—and in any case, I’m not a young man!”

“We can manage that,” he went on quickly. “Your figure is relatively slender. With the proper clothing, a wire mask, and your hair tied securely under a bandana, who would guess?”

“It’s preposterous!” she exclaimed.

“At least let Susie fix you up in the disguise. If you are not satisfied, there will be no need to go ahead with it.”

She hesitated. “Suppose I can make myself look like a young man and deceive Kemble. What is the point to my defeating him at fencing?”

“To take him down a trifle,” Gustav said. “He is a good fellow, but he has grown too full of himself. This little trick would be just the thing for him.”

“And if he surpasses me with the blade and inflicts a serious wound on me, what then?”

“I will tell him you are a novice.” Gustav rubbed his hands together, enjoying himself hugely at the prospect. “He is not a vicious type who would be liable to lose his temper.”

“It is I who would have to risk that!”

“I swear it is worth doing,” he urged. “And I shall be on the sidelines to call the match to a halt if it goes against you.”

“I fear I sense the purpose behind all this,” Enid remarked wryly. “Susie is still suffering from his treatment of her and wishes to see him humiliated.”

“That’s part of it,” Gustav allowed. “You wouldn’t rob her of this chance to even a score, would you? It is only fair that you ladies stand by each other!”

“Let me think about it,” Enid said.

A week later Enid found herself disguised as a young man, masked, and with sword in hand, facing a tall, courtly man who studied her with a patronizing air. In the background stood Susie Smith and Gustav. The match had been artfully arranged by them, and Enid, against her better judgment, was a willing party to the conspiracy.

“Begin, gentlemen!” Gustav commanded, stopwatch in hand.

“En garde!” John Philip Kemble declared dramatically.

Enid took what she hoped was a manly stance, and the struggle between them began. She soon realized why she need not fear the distinguished actor. He was much larger-boned than she, of course, and not nearly so agile. His style of fencing was as deliberate and heavy as his style of acting. He was good enough, but simply not as quick-footed or as quick-thinking as she.

Their swords clashed, and although his thrusts were skillful, Enid always wound up besting him. After several minutes she saw that the struggle of combat was taking its toll on him. As he darted back and forth, trying to get in closer to her or to force her sword from her hand, he began to breathe heavily, and perspiration lined his cheeks. Enid remained cool and alert.

Kemble grew more frantic in his efforts as he became wearier. Enid parried her weapon with his and continued to outfence him. Then, at last, he let himself get into a position that allowed her to give his blade a vicious twist and tear it from his hand.

“Enough!” Gustav cried. “I declare the mystery youth the winner!”

Kemble mopped his brow with a white silk handkerchief. “I’m not sorry the match is at an end,” he sighed. “I bow in defeat to a better man.”

Gustav laughed. “Not exactly!”

Kemble frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You lost to a woman!” Susie exulted as she came forward.

Kemble’s face turned ashen. “You’re jesting!”

Gustav crossed over to Enid and removed the mask and the bandana covering her hair. Enid found herself blushing prettily as her blonde curls tumbled down her back.

The actor stared at her in shock. “I cannot believe it!”

“You had better,” Susie told him dryly.

Awed, Kemble moved closer to Enid. “You truly
are
a woman!” he exclaimed.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “Please forgive my deception.”

Kemble turned to the other two. “I know who must have conceived this dubious jest. Suppose I had seriously harmed this lady?”

Gustav laughed. “I would have stopped you. Take it in good stride, friend Kemble, and meet Lady Enid Blair!”

The actor bowed. “My great honor, madam. You are expert at fencing.”

“Never so expert as you are on the stage,” Enid replied charmingly. “I have much admired your Hamlet, and wished to meet you to tell you so.” A little fib, nothing more.

Her ready compliment overcame his bad humor. At once he looked less sullen, and he even managed to smile at her. “You are something of an actress yourself. I vow I would not have taken you for anything but an agile lad.”

Susie put an arm around Enid. “We’ll go into the other room, and in a few minutes you’ll see what a fine lady she is.”

Gustav told the actor, “You refresh yourself, John. And then we’ll join the ladies for a hearty luncheon with plenty of excellent red wine!”

As Susie was helping Enid into her regular clothes in the bedchamber, she cried, “He’s taken with you! Not that I’m surprised! So is Gustav! But Kemble doesn’t show interest so easily in a lady.”

Enid laughed. “I don’t want him to become too obsessed with me. I have, as you know, a jealous husband.”

“So you do,” Susie agreed. “But what do you think of our Kemble?”

Enid sat before the mirror hanging above Susie’s dressing table. She smiled at her reflection as she began to arrange her hair. “I think he is a nice, rather somber man. Perhaps a little too concerned with his own importance.”