Angelina (8 page)

He took her hand to lightly brush his lips across her fingers. “I thought we agreed you would call me Rafe the last time we met. You’re looking well, little Angelina. Having James for a brother obviously suits you.”

“James is kindness itself.” The pressure of Rafe’s fingers stopped her from sliding her hand from his. She darted James a nervous glance. He was smiling, seemingly not at all bothered by the small impropriety. She gave him a loving smile. “In truth, James spoils me.”

“Beautiful women are meant to be spoiled.” With every show of reluctance, Rafe allowed her to slide her hand away. “What would men do without ladies to spoil?”

“I hope you do not expect me to seriously apply myself to that question?”

Rafe’s grin had a mischievous edge to it. “I’d be curious to hear your opinion of men.”

Sensing an ulterior motive she gazed at him with wary eyes. “Why?” 

“In all seriousness?” His mouth quirked. “Disregarding the fact that men are naturally superior, and therefore more assertive, any information a lady could impart with regards to his shortcomings would only serve to improve him.”

Did he think she was a fool? She ignored the glint of amusement in his eyes and regarded him. “If we are to disregard the fact of a man’s supposed superiority, why did you see fit to mention it, Rafe? A man cannot regard himself as superior and admit to needing improvement in the same breath. You are being illogical to goad me into debate, thus to amuse yourself at my expense.”

“You are wrong, Angel.” Rafe didn’t look at all put out by her charge. “I find your reasoning a refreshing change from the conversation of most women. It amuses me, yes, but it does not bore me. So, dear heart, pray tell. What can a man do do keep himself out of mischief?”  

“Now let me see,” she pondered, her voice as mocking as his had been. “Perhaps you could be employed dreaming up further taxes to impose on the American colonies. Surely England needs the revenue. The country is in so much debt parliament is beginning to disintegrate with Lord North at the helm.”

“No doubt the Rockingham Whigs will reorganise it once they are in power,” Rafe murmured.

“They must reorganise Ireland too. Men, women and children are being persecuted because of religious differences there. Your Whigs can feel at their most superior whilst they bury our starving Irish cousins, Rafe.”

Rafe’s smile was gently goading. “An emotional basis for the politics of parliament. Lady Alexandra was well-known for her outspokenness on such matters, and redoubtable as she was, you must not let her opinions dissuade you from forming your own.”

“I cannot be less than emotional when I see the effects of poverty all around me. Everywhere I go there are crippled beggars in the streets, and women forced to sell their bodies to feed their children.” The heat of her argument left no room for caution. “Children die in abject poverty and people starve to death on the street.”

“Enough, Angelina.” James’ took her elbow and gently turned her to face him.”Although your concerns are pertinent, it’s an unseemly topic for a young lady to pursue in company.”

Mortified by the put down, she stammered. “I beg your pardon if I have crossed the bounds of propriety, Lord Lynnbury.” She would have fled if James had not restrained her.

Rafe laid a hand on James’ arm. “You must not chastise Angelina for what was my fault. It was unforgivable of me to invoke such passion in her.”

“I know, and as soon as Angelina has left the room I intend to call you out for such disgraceful behaviour.”

Alarm speared through her. “You must not! Rafe is your friend. I would never forgive myself if you...” She gazed from one man to the other in uncertainty. Both had difficulty in hiding their smiles. “Oh, you!” she choked out. “I cannot turn a moment of censure into one of levity at a whim.”

In an instant James’ arm came round her. “All was spoken in jest, Angelina. Come, let me see you smile.” 

 A tentative smile edged across her mouth. “I doubt if I shall speak to either of you ever again.”

“Then you’re not going to say why you needed me so urgently?”

“Celine!” She pressed her hand against her mouth. “I had almost forgotten. We are having an argument over whether she should wear a cap with her new blue gown, or a hat trimmed with feathers and ribbons. You’ve been appointed adjudicator.”

He darted Rafe a look of long suffering. “Let it be the hat.”

She sensed an opportunity to get a little of her own back. “But you’ve not seen either,” she coaxed. “Please indulge us by coming to inspect them. Celine intends to wear the gown when we attend Lady Snelling’s assembly this afternoon. We understand she’s the most sought after hostess. Although you’ve declined her invitation, we are determined to go and make an impression.”

“There’s no need to be intimidated by Constance,” Rafe drawled. “She learned her superior manners in the theatre.”

“She was an actress! How exciting.” Angelina’s eyes flew open in shock.

“A good actress, and a woman of great wit and beauty. She married old Snelling when he was practically on his deathbed. He doted on her.”

“She married him for his money?”

“And the title. A common enough occurrence.” Rafe’s expression became bland. “In return, Constance produced an heir for the estate before her husband died. That son came of age recently. Lady Constance is selecting candidates for a wife for him at these assemblies.”

“She intends to choose a wife for her son?” Angelina gave a delicate shudder. “How dreadful. I refuse to be screened for such a purpose and shall cancel the visit.” 

“What a prissy miss you are,” Rafe said with a smile. “Did I detect a nuance of snobbery in your manner?”

“If you did your imagination must be severely strained.” She sighed. Was society full of irritating men such as Rafe. “It was revulsion. I’d prefer to have been invited because my hostess wished to spend time in my company, not because she views me as a likely daughter-in-law.”

“You are young and wealthy, Angelina.” He gave a weary smile. “You must expect to be regarded as prey by the enterprising mamas of this world.”

She felt a little nauseated at the thought. “Is this true, James? Am I to be regarded as a commodity?”

His smile reassured her. “That’s not exactly how I’d describe the marriage market, Angelina.”  

“Then why do you call it a market? I will never marry a man I have no regard for,” she said with determination, and stepped away from him. “If you have ideas to the contrary I beg you to change them now.”

“Forcing you into marriage against your will is the last thing I’d do. But how do you expect to meet suitable men if you do not accept social invitations?”

Her heart sank. Why did things have to change? It seemed like only yesterday she’d been a child, with all the freedom of a child. She hated London with its dirty streets and its beggars, and didn’t know how to handle worldly men like Rafe. Alexandra Pakenham had kept her ignorant of society ways, and now she was being forced into it without knowing how to cope.

“I’m scared of meeting men,” she admitted. “I’ll not know which are suitable and which are not.” Her voice rose. “I do not want to attend Lady Constance Snelling’s assembly and be looked over as though I was some mare she might buy for her son. And most of all...” Her eyes sparkled with imagined affront. “I do not wish to suffer the indignity of being told I’m not a suitable wife, if the woman decides she doesn’t like me.”

Rafe burst into laughter. “No fear of that, my vain little angel. Any enterprising mama will covet a prize such as you for her son. The young lordling will do exactly as his mama says, and will, no doubt, carry you off to the altar with as little delay as possible.”

  She met Rafe’s laughter with scornful toss of her head. “I am not vain.” “Enough of this,” James said. “If it worries you so much, I shall escort you and Celine to the assembly myself.”

“But, you’ll find such duty tedious in the extreme.”

“No doubt,” he said wryly. “But if the price of your peace of mind is the loss of mine, I’ll gladly pay it.”

“Put thus, you make me feel horribly indebted to you.” Standing on her toes she kissed her brother soundly on the cheek. “I would not suffer your reluctant patronage when you would rather dip your nose into your law books. Celine and I will manage without you. If either of us return married to this mama’s boy Rafe describes, you will only have yourself to blame.”

Strolling to the door she turned, bestowing on her brother a cherubic smile. “I shall tell Celine you said the cap, shall I?”

  “You will not.” James glanced at the grinning Rafe. “Tell Celine Rafe and I will inspect her by the by, and we shall all attend the assembly together. The carriage will be brought round, allowing Rafe the chance to show off his driving skills. The young lordling shall be inspected by us all and it will be us who shall decide whether or not he’s a good enough suitor for Lady Angelina Wrey.”

“You may inspect, James, and as always, I will listen to your counsel.” Her chin lifted slightly as she warned. “Ultimately, I will decide for myself.”  Giving him the warmest of smiles she hurried away to pass on the message to Celine.

“Angelina displays an unexpected independence of spirit,” Rafe drawled when the door was safely closed behind her.

“Yes,” he admitted with a slight frown. “I believe she has lacked both guidance and self-discipline in her up-bringing, yet I am loath to censure her too often. To be truthful, I’m not sure how to deal with her.”

 “I was in no way criticising her.” Rafe’s mouth crinkled into a grin. “Can you not see, she is a most stimulating child? Her naturalness presents a challenge. The wrong suitor would seek to conquer it, change her into something she’s not. She is vulnerable, James. You must guard her heart very carefully, for once it’s lost she’ll never give it to another.”

 There speaks a man just as vulnerable, James mused, rising to his feet. “We had better not keep the ladies waiting much longer. I am much in demand as a fashion expert of late. Let’s go and inspect Celine’s hat.”

The resignation in his voice brought a hoot of laughter from Rafe. “I was expecting to go to the horse sales this afternoon.”

“As I’ve no need for a new horse, and you cannot afford one, I see no point. Besides,” he gave Rafe a keen glance. “Although I have the utmost confidence in the good sense of our respective sisters, Angelina, as you have recently experienced, is unschooled in the ways of society. I cannot be sure of what she will say or do from one moment to the next. Do either of us really want to risk being related to Nicholas Snelling?”

It did not take Rafe long to ponder the question. “Celine has no fortune so there’s not much danger there. But you have a point. Despite getting a place at Cambridge, Nicholas is the biggest fool in all of London. He takes after his father in that respect.”

“And his mother in looks.”

“Yes,” Rafe said softly. “Nicholas is certainly handsome, but in an effeminate sort of way, don’t you think?”

“You have heard something?”

“Whispers.” Rafe shrugged. “An acquaintance of mine is a tutor at Cambridge.”

“Does Constance suspect?”

“I shouldn’t be at all surprised. She seems anxious to settle a match on her son, even though he has yet to finish his education. Perhaps she thinks marriage will make a man of him.”

“But you and I know better.” James frowned. “Thank you for the warning, my friend. I’m indebted to you.”

“Surely you were not seriously considering Nicholas Snelling.” Astonished, Rafe gazed at him. “Good God, James, I don’t believe it. You of all people should not encourage such a match. Even if Nicholas was worthy of her, Angelina is too intelligent to be wasted on a man like him. She has a thirst to learn and would shrivel up and die of boredom in such a union.”

James didn’t interrupt when Rafe’s words assumed a touch of tenderness. “Angelina is like a wild flower that grows in the fields. Her beauty stands alone, and she will blossom whilst her roots are firmly planted in the soil, but put her amongst the hot- house flowers...” Rafe suddenly shrugged. “But why am I telling you this, when it is you who is her guardian? Surely you can see how unique a creature she is.” 

   James gave a glimmer of a smile when Rafe’s voice trailed off on an ironic note. So that’s how the wind blows, he thought and wondered if Rafe realised how revealing his words had been.

“You’re only half-right, Rafe. Angelina would cause havoc amongst the hot-house flowers. I’m thankful Celine is here to guide her.”

“Are they suited to each other,” Rafe asked. At the moment he was looking after bachelor lodgings at Temple-gate. The rooms were no place for his sister.

   “They have become the firmest of friends,” James assured him. “In all honesty, it’s doubtful I could have managed without her help. Celine is so calm and sensible, and is proving invaluable as a mentor for Angelina. I hope you don’t intend to deprive us of her company just yet.”

“I have no such intention,” Rafe hesitated for a moment, then stated. “I’ve no wish to be in debt to you, James.”  

“If I recall correctly, you’re not.”

“Angelina mentioned a new blue gown for Celine.” 

James frowned as he held Rafe’s glance, hoping pride would not get in the way of his good sense. “What Angelina did not mention, is that I’ve ordered a new wardrobe be made for them both.” 

He sighed when Rafe’s shoulders stiffened. “I can understand your request that Celine should not receive a salary from Angelina’s estate. That would place her in an unacceptable position in my household.”

“Celine will never be a servant whilst I draw breath.”

“Nor I. She is my sister’s guest...my guest.” He placed his hand on Rafe’s tense forearm. “I’m going to be frank with you, and to hell with your pride. You, of all people are aware how cruel society can be. Celine would suffer insult in her shabby attire, and Angelina threatened to go abroad in the clothes Lady Alexandra provided if Celine did not accept. That would cause me no end of embarrassment.”

 “She threatened to wear servants’ garments?” Rafe spluttered. “Surely a young woman of vanity wouldn’t go to such lengths to get her own way.”