Four In Hand (25 page)

Max groaned and Caroline watched as he put his head in his hand. “Sir Ralph has my heartfelt sympathy,” he said. He gestured to her. “Go on.”

“Well, then Mrs. Crowbridge tried to trap Sir Ralph by trying to put him in a compromising situation with Amanda. After that, they all decided something drastic needed to be done, to save both Sir Ralph and Amanda. At the afternoon concert, Sarah wheedled a declaration of sorts from Sir Ralph over Arabella and got him to promise to go along with their plan. He thought Arabella was about to go into a decline and had to be swept off her feet by an elopement.”

“My sympathy for Sir Ralph has just died,” said Max. “What a slow-top if he believed that twaddle!”

“So that’s what she was doing on the balcony with him,” said Darcy. “She was there for at least half an hour.”

Caroline nodded. “She said she had had to work on him. But Harriet Jenkins has known Sir Ralph from the cradle and had told her how best to go about it”

When no further comment came, Caroline resumed her story. “At the Penbrights’s ball last night, Lizzie had the job of making sure Sir Ralph had brought his carriage and would be waiting for Sarah when she came to take him to the rendezvous later.”

“And that’s why she went to talk to Keighly as soon as you got in the ballroom,” said Martin, putting his piece of the puzzle into place.

“All Arabella had to do was flirt outrageously as usual, so that everyone, but particularly Sir Ralph,would be convinced it was her in the rose-pink domino. At twelve-twenty, Arabella swapped dominos with Harriet Jenkins and Harriet went down to a gazebo by the carriage gate.”

“Oh, God!” groaned Hugo Denbigh. The horror in his voice brought all eyes to him. He had paled. “What was the colour? Of the second domino?”

Caroline stared at him. “Brown.”

“Oh, no! I should have guessed. But her
accent
.” Hugo dropped his head into his large hands.

For a moment, his companions looked on in total bewilderment. Then Caroline chuckled, her eyes dancing. “Oh. Did you meet Maria Pavlovska?”

“Yes, I did!” said Hugo, emerging from his depression. “Allow me to inform you, Miss Twinning, that your sister is a minx!”

“I know that,” said Caroline. “Though I must say, it’s rather trying of her.” In answer to Max’s look of patent enquiry, she explained. “Maria Pavlovska was a character Arabella acted in a play on board ship. A Polish countess of—er—” Caroline broke off, blushing.

“Dubious virtue,” supplied Hugo, hard pressed.

“Well, she was really very good at it,” said Caroline.

Looking at Hugo’s flushed countenance, none of the others doubted it.

“Where was I?” asked Caroline, trying to appear unconscious. “Oh, yes. Well, all that was left to do was to get Sir Ralph to the gazebo. Sarah apparently did that.”

Darcy nodded. “Yes. I saw her.”

Max waited for more. His friend’s silence brought a considering look to his eyes.

“So, you see, it’s all perfectly all right. It’s Harriet Jenkins who has gone with Sir Ralph. I gather he proposed before they left and Miss Jenkins’s family approved the match, and as they are headed straight back to Gloucestershire, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Oh, and Mr. Minchbury proposed last night and the Crowbridges accepted him, so all’s ended well after all and everyone’s happy.”

“Except for the four of us, who’ve all aged years in one evening,” retorted Max acerbically.

She had the grace to blush. “I came as soon as I found out.”

Hugo interrupted. “But they’ve forgotten one thing. It’s all over town that Arabella eloped with Keighly.”

“Oh, no. I don’t think that can be right,” said Caroline, shaking her head. “Anyone who was at the unmasking at the Penbrights’ ball would know Arabella was there until the end.” Seeing the questioning looks, she explained. “The unmasking was held at one o’clock. And someone suggested there should be a…a competition to see who was the best disguised. People weren’t allowed to unmask until someone correctly guessed who they were. Well, no one guessed who Maria Pavlovska was, so Arabella was the toast of the ball.”

Max sat back in his chair and grinned tiredly. “So anyone putting about the tale of my ward’s elopement will only have the story rebound on them. I’m almost inclined to forgive your sisters their transgression for that one fact.”

Caroline looked hopeful, but he did not elaborate.

Max stood and the others followed suit. Hugo, still shaking his head in disbelief, took himself off, and Darcy left immediately after. Martin retired for a much needed rest and Caroline found herself alone with her guardian.

Max crossed to where she sat and drew her to her feet and into his arms. His lips found hers in a reassuring kiss. Then, he held her, her head on his shoulder, and laughed wearily. “Sweetheart, if I thought your sisters would be on my hands for much longer, I’d have Whitney around here this morning to instruct him to break that guardianship clause.”

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Caroline, her hands engrossed in smoothing the folds of his cravat. “I did come as soon as I found out.”

“I know you did,” acknowledged Max. “And I’m very thankful you did, what’s more! Can you imagine how Hugo and I would have looked if we
had
succeeded in overtaking Keighly’s carriage and demanded he return the lady to us? God!” He shuddered. “It doesn’t bear thinking about.” He hugged her, then released her. “Now you should go home and rest. And I’m going to get some sleep.”

“One moment,” she said, staying within his slackened hold, her eyes still on his cravat. “Remember I said I’d tell you whether there were any gentlemen who we’d like to consider seriously, should they apply to you for permission to address us?”

Max nodded. “Yes. I remember.” Surely she was not going to mention Willoughby? What had gone on last night, after he had left? He suddenly felt cold.

But she was speaking again. “Well, if Lord Darcy should happen to ask, then you know about that, don’t you?”

Max nodded. “Yes. Darcy would make Sarah a fine husband. One who would keep her sufficiently occupied so she wouldn’t have time for scheming.” He grinned at Caroline’s blush. “And you’re right. I’m expecting him to ask at any time. So that’s Sarah dealt with.”

“And I’d rather thought Lord Denbigh for Arabella, though I didn’t know then about Maria Pavlovska.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t deal Hugo short. Maria Pavlovska might be a bit hard to bear but I’m sure he’ll come about. And, as I’m sure Aunt Augusta has told you, he’s perfectly acceptable as long as he can be brought to pop the question.”

“And,” said Caroline, keeping her eyes down, “I’m not perfectly sure, but…”

“You think Martin might ask for Lizzie,” supplied Max, conscious of his own tiredness. It was sapping his will. All sorts of fantasies were surfacing in his brain and the devil of it was they were all perfectly achievable. But he had already made other plans, better plans. “I foresee no problems there. Martin’s got more money than is good for him. I’m sure Lizzie will keep him on his toes, hauling her out of the scrapes her innocence will doubtless land her in. And I’d much rather it was him than me.” He tried to look into Caroline’s face but she kept her eyes—were they greyish-green or greenish-grey? He had never decided—firmly fixed on his cravat.

“I’m thrilled that you approve of my cravat, sweetheart, but is there anything more? I’m dead on my feet,” he acknowledged with a rueful grin, praying that she did not have anything more to tell him.

Caroline’s eyes flew to his, an expression he could not read in their depths. “Oh, of course you are! No. There’s nothing more.”

Max caught the odd wistfulness in her tone and correctly divined its cause. His grin widened. As he walked her to the door, he said, “Once I’m myself again, and have recovered from your sisters’ exploits, I’ll call on you—say at three this afternoon? I’ll take you for a drive. There are some matters I wish to discuss with you.” He guided her through the library door and into the hall. In answer to her questioning look, he added. “About your ball.”

“Oh. I’d virtually forgotten about it,” Caroline said as Max took her cloak from Hillshaw and placed it about her shoulders. They had organized to hold a ball in the Twinnings’ honour at Twyford House the following week.

“We’ll discuss it at three this afternoon,” said Max as he kissed her hand and led her down the steps to her carriage.

Sarah wrinkled her nose at the piece of cold toast lying on her plate. Pushing it away, she leaned back in her chair and surveyed her elder sister. With her copper curls framing her expressive face, Caroline sat at the other end of the small table in the breakfast-room, a vision of palest cerulean blue. A clearly distracted vision. A slight frown had settled in the greeny eyes, banishing the lively twinkle normally lurking there. She sighed, apparently unconsciously, as she stared at her piece of toast, as cold and untouched as Sarah’s, as if concealed in its surface were the answers to all unfathomable questions. Sarah was aware of a guilty twinge. Had Max cut up stiff and Caroline not told them?

They had all risen early, being robust creatures and never having got into the habit of lying abed, and had gathered in the breakfast parlour to examine their success of the night before. That it had been a complete and unqualified success could not have been divined from their faces; all of them had looked drawn and peaked. While Sarah knew the cause of her own unhappiness, and had subsequently learned of her younger sisters’ reasons for despondency, she had been and still was at a loss to explain Caroline’s similar mood. She had been in high feather at the ball.

Then Max had left early, an unusual occurrence which had made Sarah wonder if they had had a falling-out. But her last sight of them together, when he had taken leave of Caroline in the ballroom, had not supported such a fancy. They had looked…well, intimate. Happily so. Thoroughly immersed in each other. Which, thought the knowledgeable Sarah, was not especially like either of them. She sent a sharp glance to the other end of the table.

Caroline’s bloom had gradually faded and she had been as silent as the rest of them during the drive home. This morning, on the stairs, she had shared their quiet mood. And then, unfortunately, they had had to make things much worse. They had always agreed that Caroline would have to be told immediately after the event. That had always been their way, ever since they were small children. No matter the outcome, Caroline could be relied on to predict unerringly the potential ramifications and to protect her sisters from any unexpected repercussions. This morning, as they had recounted to her their plan and its execution, she had paled. When they had come to a faltering halt, she had, uncharacteristically, told them in a quiet voice to wait as they were while she communicated their deeds to their guardian forthwith. She had explained nothing. Rising from the table without so much as a sip of her coffee, she had immediately called for the carriage and departed for Delmere House.

She had returned an hour and a half later. They had not left the room; Caroline’s orders, spoken in that particular tone, were not to be dismissed lightly. In truth, each sunk in gloomy contemplation of her state, they had not noticed the passage of time. Caroline had re-entered the room, calmly resumed her seat and accepted the cup of coffee Arabella had hastily poured for her. She had fortified herself from this before explaining to them, in quite unequivocal terms, just how close they had come to creating a hellish tangle. It had never occurred to them that someone might see Harriet departing and, drawing the obvious conclusion, inform Max of the fact, especially in such a public manner. They had been aghast at the realization of how close to the edge of scandal they had come and were only too ready to behave as contritely as Caroline wished. However, all she had said was, “I don’t really think there’s much we should do. Thankfully, Arabella, your gadding about as Maria Pavlovska ensured that everyone knows you did not elope from the ball. I suppose we could go riding.” She had paused, then added, “But I really don’t feel like it this morning.”

They had not disputed this, merely shaken their heads to convey their agreement. After a moment of silence, Caroline had added, “I think Max would expect us to behave as if nothing had happened, other than there being some ridiculous tale about that Bella had eloped. You’ll have to admit, I suppose, that you swapped dominos with Harriet Jenkins, but that could have been done in all innocence. And remember to show due interest in the surprising tale that Harriet left the ball with Sir Ralph.” An unwelcome thought reared its head. “Will the Crowbridge girls have the sense to keep their mouths shut?”

They had hastened to assure her on this point. “Why, it was all for Amanda’s sake, after all,” Lizzie had pointed out.

Caroline had not been entirely convinced but had been distracted by Arabella. Surmising from Caroline’s use of her shortened name that the worst was over, she had asked, “Is Max very annoyed with us?”

Caroline had considered the question while they had all hung, unexpectedly nervous, on her answer. “I think he’s resigned, now that it’s all over and no real harm done, to turn a blind eye to your misdemeanours. However, if I were you, I would not be going out of my way to bring myself to his notice just at present”

Their relief had been quite real. Despite his reputation, their acquaintance with the Duke of Twyford had left his younger wards with the definite impression that he would not condone any breach of conduct and was perfectly capable of implementing sufficiently draconian measures in response to any transgression. In years past, they would have ignored the potential threat and relied on Caroline to make all right in the event of any trouble. But, given that the man in question was Max Rotherbridge, none was sure how successful Caroline would be in turning him up sweet. Reassured that their guardian was not intending to descend, in ire, upon them, Lizzie and Arabella, after hugging Caroline and avowing their deepest thanks for her endeavours on their behalf, had left the room. Sarah suspected they would both be found in some particular nook, puzzling out the uncomfortable feeling in their hearts.