Elizabeth Mansfield (4 page)

Alone in her room, Letty’s outer cheerfulness dropped away. Poor Clara had been closer to the truth than Letty had wanted to admit. The future was indeed bleak for the family and for herself. Not only had she doomed herself to spinsterhood, but she had condemned the family to a life of near poverty. She lay down on her bed and shut her eyes. Had she tossed away all their futures for a silly scruple?

She had met Roger Denham during the month of her come-out two years ago. From the moment she had been introduced to him at Almack’s, she had adored him. He had seemed to her a model of masculine perfection—a top-of-the-trees Corinthian, Ned would have called him. His dark curls, his sardonic smile, his easy manner with his friends, his polished address with young ladies, the stories of his sporting exploits that were repeated in all the drawing rooms with such admiration, even his reputation for immunity to the lures of ladies of quality—all these things combined to make him a hero in her eyes.

As a result of the worshipful adoration with which she viewed him, her one and only dance with him had been a complete disaster. He had stood up with her for an interminable country dance during which she’d been completely tongue-tied and had kept her eyes fastened to the floor. Naturally, he did not again seek her companionship, and on those few occasions when they met again, she was favored with nothing more than a small bow. A puzzled expression would cross his face, as if he were trying to remember who she was.

This lack of interest on his part did nothing to diminish Letty’s adoration. She would often daydream of attending a glittering ball, looking ravishing in green silk. He would see her and be irresistibly drawn to her. He would ask her to dance the evening’s first waltz. She would grant his request, and they would float around the ballroom, the most beautiful couple in the room. Ignoring the eyes on them, they would exchange the most witty banter, each verbal riposte laughingly returned. He would become completely enchanted, and she, of all the lovely, brilliant women in London, would win his heart!

But her month in the midst of the London social scene soon came to an end. Aunt Millicent could not be expected to finance indefinitely the high costs of the social whirl that a young lady in her first year in society must necessarily undergo. Letty’s time on the town had ended without a second chance to stand up with Lord Denham. She had returned to the quiet, withdrawn life in her mother’s household without any further expectation of seeing the great Earl of Arneau again, except at a distance at the opera or the theater. Nevertheless, her daydreams of him continued. Until that terrible night a few months later …

The memory of that night came flooding back to her. The night she had gone to Vauxhall Gardens. If only she’d obeyed her better instincts and stayed at home …

The weather had been fine, that autumn of 1805, and a group of Ned’s cronies had decided to visit the gardens. Several young ladies had been invited to join the expedition, and a Mrs. Lorimer, the mother of one of them, had been prevailed upon to accompany them as chaperone. When Ned invited Letty to make one of the party, she had been ecstatic. She’d never seen Vauxhall, but of course she’d
heard a great deal about its wondrous charm. The gardens were said to be spacious and picturesque, with delightful walks, magnificent hedges and greenery, and a wonderful assortment of pavilions, lodges, groves, grottoes, lawns, temples, cascades, porticoes, and rotundas. It was crowded with gay company who strolled its walks, ate cold collations at its lodges, listened to the merry sounds of the musical bands and singers, and in general cavorted through its twelve acres with happy abandon.

One could not be sure of the quality of the people one might meet at Vauxhall, for anyone who could afford the one-shilling admission fee was welcome to roam its walks at will. Mixing freely with the
ton
were merchants, foreigners, farmers, servants, ruffians, robbers, pimps, and prostitutes. The prospect was a bit frightening to a young girl of nineteen who had never gone on such an excursion before.

When Letty had applied to her mother for permission, half hoping that her mother would refuse to let her go, Lady Glendenning had acquiesced, feeling that the chaperonage of Mrs. Lorimer made the outing somewhat respectable. Besides, Ned had assured her that there was to be a masquerade that evening, so that, even if Letty were seen in such surroundings, she would not be recognized behind her mask.

By the time the evening had arrived, Letty had been quite eager for the excursion. She’d felt wildly adventurous as she covered herself with the green domino that Ned had provided for her. Ned himself had chosen to dress as a character from literature. He looked quite convincing as Prince Hamlet in his dark-colored doublet and full-sleeved shirt. He’d asked her to dress as the Lady Ophelia, but Letty was too shy to dress in costume and had decided that a simple domino would be exciting enough. She tied the shimmering, cloaklike garment at the neck, raised the hood over her well-brushed auburn hair, put on the matching mask, and gazed at herself in the mirror. She appeared strange to herself, taller and more sophisticated and mysterious. She smiled at herself in sheer pleasure. The smile remained on her face as her brother escorted her by coach to Westminster where they joined the band of laughing companions with whom they were to spend the evening. The whole group boarded a wherry to take them across the Thames to the garden entrance.

The entrance to Vauxhall was at the foot of a dark alley, which made their first glimpse of the gardens overwhelming. The prospect that greeted them seemed even more resplendent in contrast to the dim alley they had just passed through. The innumerable colored lamps, the music, the laughter, the gay crowds—it was all as she had dreamed. People romped by dressed in all manner of colorful costumes. There were a goodly number of King Arthurs and Guineveres, Robin Hoods and Maid Marians, Arabian Sheikhs and dancing girls from their harems, Roman legionnaires, and Romeos and their Juliets. There were animals of all sorts—several kittens, a few lions, and one rather lumpy-looking unicorn. Some of the costumes were as shocking as they were ingenious. One lady wore a gown made entirely of silk leaves. It reached only to her knees and exposed (for all the world to see) a pair of very shapely but very bare legs. One gentleman, who seemed to represent the sun, had gilded himself from top to toe, not only his shoes, trousers, and coat, but the skin of his face and hands as well.

Letty and her party proceeded down the Grand Walk to the Grove, the central quadrangle that held a large pavilion from which issued forth some lively music. A great number of indecorous dancers whirled about the Grove, and it was not long before Ned and his companions were tempted to join. Two by two they paired off to participate in the festivities. Even Mrs. Lorimer succumbed to the blandishments of a young buck and allowed herself to be led into the throng. Only Letty resisted the various requests for her participation. One young man, who had been at her side since they’d boarded the wherry and whose name she could not remember, pleaded with her to dance with him. She shook her head, telling him that she preferred to stand here on the sidelines and watch. The young man remained
dutifully at her side for several minutes but suddenly spied a friend across the quadrangle. Promising a quick return, he set out through the crowd and was soon lost from view.

Letty, realizing that she was quite alone and unprotected, experienced a complete change of mood. People who a moment ago had seemed happy and innocent suddenly appeared menacing and sinister. The eyes of strangers seemed to be watching her with mocking leers. A raucous burst of laughter from somewhere behind her made her jump. Her eyes searched the crowd of dancers for a glimpse of Ned, but she couldn’t locate him. What if he never found her in this sea of people? What could she do? How would she find her way home?

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she was wrenched around to face a tall, dark gentleman in a silver domino who was frowning down at her. “So here you are, my dear,” he said in a tone of icy contempt. “I had not thought to find you alone.”

“Sir, I think you m-mistake me—” Letty said timidly, trying to back away from him.

“Let us not play any more games,” the stranger said curtly, and, grasping her hand in an iron grip, he turned and pulled her behind him as he strode rapidly away from the Grove. She was dragged down a walk darkened by the interlacing trees that lined it. He walked so quickly that she had to run to keep up and had hardly breath enough to repeat her cry that he’d made a dreadful mistake. The walk was not as crowded with people as the wider, brighter thoroughfares had been, but occasionally a passerby appeared. Letty’s feeble cries for help were either ignored, or she was stared at with suspicion, amusement, or distaste.

At last they arrived at a little alcove, surrounded by Greek pillars, in which she glimpsed a table set for two and covered with cold meats, cheeses, cakes, and wine. Here she was unceremoniously thrust into a chair. The stranger loomed up before her and looked down at her threateningly. “I’ve told you, Madam, that I don’t relish these lovers’ games you so enjoy. These attempts to arouse my jealousy are worse than pointless—they degrade us. I’ve had no liking for such behavior in the past and see no prospect of changing my mind in the future. If you wish to continue under my protection—”

“
Sir
,” cried Letty in dismay, “please say no more! You’ve made a terrible mistake and—”

The gentleman’s expression of disgust could be discerned even through his mask. “Do you think to disarm me by this
newest
charade? I’ve no stomach for games, I tell you, even this nonsense you’re attempting now.”

Letty, breathless and frightened, could scarcely hold back her tears. “Sir, I b-beg you to l-listen to me—” she pleaded, her voice choked with fear.

“If I were in a better mood,” the gentleman said, the anger in his voice receding, “I might find this playacting of yours a bit amusing. I had no idea that you were so good at it.” With these words he took a seat opposite her, threw back the hood of his domino, and removed his mask, tossing it carelessly on the table. “There, now, let’s forego this wrangling and try to salvage what is left of the evening. Shall I pour you a glass of Madeira?”

Letty stared at her abductor speechlessly. She had recognized him as soon as he’d removed his mask. It was Roger Denham! She could scarcely believe her eyes. For months she had daydreamed of meeting him again, and here he was. And in surroundings that could have been delightfully private and romantic. But there was nothing romantic about being abducted by a man who was behaving like a veritable lunatic. As she stared at him in horror, she was filled only with the desire to run away from the place as fast as her legs could carry her.

With shaking knees, she rose from her chair and stood before him. “Sir, I cannot tell you my name or remove my mask—it would embarrass us both. But please believe that I am not the lady you think me. I beg you to excuse me and permit me to return to my friends—”

He looked up at her, a reluctantly admiring smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. “You’ve disguised your voice very well, my love, I’ll say that for your performance,” he remarked. “Come here. We’ll try something you
can’t
disguise.” And with that, he reached out, pulled her on his lap, put a strong arm about her shoulders, and before her cry of “My lord—!” had left her lips, his mouth was pressed to hers.

Letty couldn’t even struggle, so tight was the grip in which she was held. Powerless to move, she submitted to the most intimate embrace she had ever experienced. She felt her blood burning in her cheeks and pounding in her ears, while she shivered from head to toe. Lord Denham’s head came up sharply. “My God!” he gasped. “
You’re
not—! You’re trembling! What have I done? Who … who are you?” And he reached for her mask.

Shaken and breathless, Letty knew only that she must not let him learn her identity. “No, please!” she gasped and tried to fend off his hand.

At that moment there was a cry behind them. “So, my lord,” came the shrill voice of a woman standing like a fury at the entrance of the alcove, “
this
is what happens the moment my back is turned!”

Denham hastily set Letty on her feet and jumped up. He stared at the lady who stood before them with her arms akimbo and her mouth stretched into a caustic smile. “Kitty … ?” he asked in confusion.

At last Letty understood, for the lady wore a shiny green domino, the twin of her own, its hood covering a mass of auburn curls quite similar to her own hair in style and color. And the lady’s height and girth, too, were remarkably like hers. There, however, the resemblance ended. From what she could see of the lady’s face under the mask, which obscured her eyes and nose, Letty was not a bit flattered by Lord Denham’s mistake. The lady was years older than Letty and, in Letty’s opinion, not at all pretty. Her lips were too thin, and there were hard lines around her mouth.

Denham looked from one to the other in amazement. Turning to Letty, he said quietly and shamefacedly, “Madam, forgive me. I don’t know what to say to you. I
have
made a dreadful mistake—”

“Well, how long do you intend to ignore me?” the lady demanded. “Introduce me to that slut you’ve been fondling.”

Denham whirled around and grasped the lady by the shoulders. “Damn it, Kitty, take a damper! Can’t you see I mistook the girl for
you
?”

Letty, her breast heaving with a host of tumultuous and conflicting emotions, desired only to be gone from this place. Taking advantage of the momentary diversion of Lord Denham’s attention, she ran between the two closest pillars into the shrubbery behind them. She heard Lord Denham swear and start to follow. The lady tried to restrain him, but he told her curtly that he had to find the girl, to apologize, and to restore her to her friends. Letty did not wait to hear more. The lady had detained Lord Denham just long enough to permit her to escape. Silently she darted across the lawn in the direction of the Grove and did not stop running until she had come out on the brightly lit quadrangle.