Lady Jane's Ribbons (23 page)

A footman was dispatched to Kensington but soon returned to report that the Lindleigh residence was shut up for the summer, its owners having definitely gone to spend several months on the Continent. The news made Jane more uneasy than ever, but she was persuaded by Blanche that Lady Agatha Derwent wasn’t accountable to anyone for her movements and that to make an
unwarranted
fuss would probably mean incurring that lady’s considerable wrath.

By seven o’clock in the evening, there had still not been any word from her, and Jane was very anxious indeed, but Blanche, who had stayed with her all day, insisted that her aunt had quite obviously known what she was doing and that therefore they must leave well enough alone. It was time to leave for the Feathers to inspect the new Swan, but Jane didn’t want to go. Blanche virtually bullied her into ordering the town carriage so that at
half-past
seven exactly they set off with their maids for the usual corner of Arlington Street and the line of waiting hackney coaches. It was Blanche’s first experience of such vehicles, but it wasn’t long before the initial
excitement
wore off and she declared it to be an extremely disagreeable business.

They arrived at the Feathers at almost exactly eight o’clock. The new Swan was being kept out of sight of the street in the stableyard, and Betsy hurried from the group of people clustered around it to greet the new arrivals as they alighted from the hackney, the maids withdrawing to a quiet corner. ‘Lady Jane, I’m so glad you’ve come.’ She hesitated then, dropping a hasty curtsy to Blanche, whom she didn’t know.

Jane introduced them. ‘Blanche, this is Betsy Wheddle. Betsy, this is Miss Blanche Lyndon.’

Betsy smiled. ‘Good evening, Miss Lyndon.’

‘Good evening, Betsy.’

At that moment, they heard another vehicle entering the yard from the street and turned to see a smart scarlet cabriolet. It was Lewis. Jane
stiffened
, while Blanche shifted a little uncomfortably, wondering how many sparks would fly from the inevitable confrontation.

Betsy, who knew how things were between Lord Ardenley and Lady Jane Derwent, wisely withdrew to the inner yard again, not wanting to intrude upon any argument.

Lewis handed the reins to the small boy who had appeared from nowhere to attend to the cabriolet, and then he alighted, pausing for a moment to remove his top hat and run his fingers through his golden hair. He looked very Bond Street in his perfectly cut dark brown coat and tightly-fitting beige breeches, and the diamond pin in his russet silk neckcloth caught the sunlight as he turned toward the two ladies.

Jane walked away immediately, cutting him as surely as he had cut her at the theater, but she didn’t do so from any calculated intention, she did so because she couldn’t bring herself to face him, the pain, hurt, and anger of the previous evening were still too fresh.

He watched her hurry away toward the stableyard and then turned to Blanche, who remained where she was. ‘Good evening, Blanche.’

‘Sir.’

The coolness of the greeting couldn’t be mistaken. ‘I’m in your bad books as well, it seems.’

‘You are, sir.’

‘May I inquire why?’

‘I think you know the answer to that, sir.’

He pursed his lips, a wry expression in his gray eyes. ‘If I must guess, then I suppose it must be Alicia’s appearance at South Audley Street last night.’

‘Correct.’

‘Blanche, you surely don’t think I did it intentionally, do you?’

‘Are you telling me that Alicia’s presence in your carriage was a complete accident?’

‘Hardly.’

‘Then there’s nothing else to be said, is there? You took Alicia to Jane’s house, and that was monstrous. I begin to think, sir, that when Alicia obtains her freedom and marries you, there will be some sort of poetic justice about the match, for you certainly deserve each other.’

He smiled a little. ‘I will allow that it’s your prerogative to believe what you wish, Blanche, even if you are wrong about the whole thing. Now then, if I offer you my arm to proceed into the stableyard, will you accept?’

She looked at him for a moment, but accepted the arm. ‘You’re a beast, Lewis Ardenley.’

‘Ah, but I’m a very charming one.’

‘I suppose even a toad has charm, sir, at least as far as other toads are concerned.’

They walked beneath the arch and saw everyone gathered around the new coach, which was a very eye-catching vehicle, its lacquerwork the brightest of blues and its wheels a particularly splendid yellow. It was
handsome
, but it lacked the fine silver harness and elegant lamps Henry’s new Iron Duke sported, and inside it had only very basic upholstery, looking nothing like the Nonpareil with its ivory timetables and velvet seats. The gold lettering on its side was bold and almost defiant, and the whole effect was very challenging, as if the coach couldn’t wait to come out of hiding to take on its unknowing rivals.

Jacob turned, having been primed by Betsy about Blanche’s presence. ‘Good evening, Lord Ardenley. Miss Lyndon.’

Blanche nodded. ‘Good evening, sir.’

Lewis glanced at the coach. ‘I hope she flies, Jacob.’

‘She does indeed, my lord. Arthur reckons that with your cattle she’ll take to the air itself.’

‘I’ve managed to get a sly look over the new Iron Duke, and I think we’ll be able to hold our own against it. That just leaves the Nonpareil.’

Jacob was still looking at the coach. ‘I’d give an arm and a leg to know what Chapman’s got hidden under that tarpaulin at the Black Horse, but I’m more and more afraid that you’ve been right all along, my lord – it’s a safety coach with brakes, and it’ll have the edge on every incline and corner between here and Brighton. Still, whatever miracle he’s got, it’s too late for us to do anything to the Swan, except perhaps put on some brakes.’

Lewis suddenly looked toward Jane, as if something of considerable urgency and importance had occurred to him. ‘Jacob, has Lady Jane said anything to you about trying to somehow find out about the Nonpareil?’

The landlord was a little taken aback. ‘Lady Jane? Well, she’s just mentioned that perhaps we’ll be able to find out before race day….’

‘Yes, and I think I know what she meant!’ The reply had darkened Lewis’s eyes and now he strode toward Jane and caught her arm, jerking her angrily around to face him. ‘A word with you, madam!’

She stared at him in astonishment, too startled to react with equal anger, and Blanche hurried over to her rescue, looking furiously at him. ‘How
dare
you use her in such a fashion!’ she cried.

‘I dare, Blanche, when I begin to suspect her of conduct leaving a great deal to be desired!’ He held Jane’s gaze. ‘Where is your aunt?’ he demanded.

‘My – my aunt?’

‘That is what I said. Well? Where is she?’

‘She said that she was going to stay with Lady Lindleigh, but—’

‘Lord and Lady Lindleigh are on the Continent.’

‘I realize that now, but I didn’t when she first told me! Lewis, what’s all this about? Have you seen her?’

‘Oh, stop this ridiculous play-acting, Jane, it doesn’t fool me in the
slightest
!’

‘Play-acting? Lewis, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Blanche was still looking furiously at him, and now the whole stableyard had fallen silent, with all eyes on them. Blanche put a protective hand on Jane’s trembling arm. ‘Lewis, you’d better have a sovereign reason for this,’ she breathed, ‘for if you do not, then so help me….’

‘I do have a most sovereign reason, Blanche.’ He held Jane’s gaze. ‘I didn’t think you’d carry things to this length, Jane. Indeed, I didn’t think you’d sink so low. Endanger your own life in the pursuance of victory at Brighton if you must, but don’t endanger the lives of others as well,
especially
not someone like Lady Agatha!’

Her eyes widened and the color drained from her face. ‘What do you mean?’ she whispered.

‘Must you persist with this charade of innocence? You decided that
finding
out about the new Nonpareil was of paramount importance, and you’ve involved your unfortunate aunt in order to do so.’

She still looked helplessly at him. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, truly I don’t.’

‘Oh, what a consummate actress you are – you really do look puzzled and innocent. You could almost convince me you don’t know that at this very moment your aunt is at the Black Horse trying to inveigle Chapman into telling her his closely guarded secrets. When my footman mentioned to me that at noon today, while he was meeting his brother from the Birmingham Flyer, he’d seen a lady looking uncommon like Lady Agatha Derwent dining
à deux
with an exceeding attentive Chapman, I didn’t give it a great deal of thought, but then when Jacob mentioned a moment ago about how
important
it was that we find out about the new Nonpareil, so that we’re as prepared as possible, it all suddenly fell into place. Your aunt has been persuaded to go there anonymously, probably posing as a rich widow – Chapman has a penchant for rich widows, he’s married three of them – and she’s bent upon finding out about the new coach so that if necessary we can have brakes fitted to the Swan in time for the race. Am I right, Jane?’

A surge of guilt swept through her, even though she was blameless. She remembered her aunt’s words the first evening she’d arrived from Beaconsfield.
Is it very important to find out before the race? I’ve come up with a rather capital plan myself. That would be telling. Wild horses wouldn’t drag it out of me, it’s going to be my little secret. I’m going to Lady Lindleigh’s for a while, I’m not sure how long, but I promise to be back in time for the race.
Jane closed her eyes, for she could even see her aunt’s rather
conspiratorial
smile. It was all so obvious now, with hindsight. But at the time….

Lewis saw the guilt on her face. ‘You can’t deny it, can you? You
did
work upon your aunt to do this, and you knew that it was wrong, so you’ve invented this tale about Lady Lindleigh.’

‘No! You’re wrong.’ She looked desperately at Blanche, but Blanche was too shaken at that moment to offer the required support.

Lewis was still looking at Jane. ‘I’m disappointed in you, for I never for one moment believed you’d behave so callously. I tell you here and now that if it was not for the fact that so many other people are involved in this madness with the Swan, I’d withdraw my assistance immediately and have nothing more to do with either you or your schemes. But my word has been given and I will stand by it. Right now, however, I intend going to the Black Horse to remove your aunt, and then I shall take her directly to South Audley Street. I suggest, madam, that you go there now and wait, so that you can belatedly show a little concern for her safety and welfare.’

She met his accusing gaze then, from somewhere finding the composure to reply calmly, even though she was devastated by his cold contempt and by the realization of the danger her aunt had placed herself in. ‘I will be at South Audley Street, sir,’ she replied.

He turned on his heel and strode away. A moment later they heard the cabriolet leaving at speed.

Blanche looked anxiously at Jane, who was so very still. ‘Are – are you all right?’

‘Yes.’ The single word was uttered so quietly that it was barely above a whisper.

Putting a gentle, apologetic hand on her arm, Blanche lowered her eyes a little guiltily. ‘I should have spoken up, Jane, but I was so shocked by what he said that I could only stand there. I’ll tell him the truth, Jane, I promise that I will.’

‘Don’t bother. Let him think what he wishes, I really couldn’t care less.’

Blanche said nothing more, for everything in Jane’s voice and demeanor said that the very opposite was true – she still cared very much indeed about Lewis Ardenley and what he thought of her.

Tears filled Jane’s eyes, but she blinked them furiously back. ‘I – I must go to South Audley Street,’ she said, her voice breaking a little. Then she gathered her skirts and ran through the archway to where the hackney coach still waited.

Blanche turned to look at the silent group by the new coach and then she too gathered her skirts, hurrying in Jane’s wake.

Jane needed time to compose herself when she and Ellen arrived home after leaving Blanche and her maid, but that was not to be, for as she entered the house Melville informed her that Charles had called and was waiting in the
blue saloon. Dismay spread through her, for the last thing she felt like was polite conversation, but there was nothing for it but to go to him. She went up still in her pelisse and bonnet, pausing at the door to take a long,
tremulous
breath to steady herself. Then she went in, forcing a rather too bright smile to her lips. ‘Charles, I do hope you haven’t been waiting too long.’

He was standing by the fireplace, a foot resting on the polished fender as he glanced through her copy of Lord Byron’s
The Corsair,
and he
immediately
put the volume down, coming to take her hand and raise it to his lips. ‘Hello, Jane. No, of course I haven’t, and if I had it would have been my own fault for insisting on waiting even when told that everyone was out.’ He looked into her eyes then and saw immediately that all was not well. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, cupping her hand in both his.

‘Nothing,’ she replied lightly, trying to draw her hand away.

He refused to let her go. ‘Don’t fib to me, Jane. You’ve been crying, haven’t you?’

‘No.’

‘Jane,’ he said, ‘I won’t be fobbed off, so you may as well tell me.’ He reached up to unfasten her bonnet and toss it on the table, then he tilted her pale face toward his, looking concernedly into her eyes. ‘Now then, what is it?’

‘If – if I tell you, you’ll be very shocked.’

He smiled. ‘I can’t imagine that you’ve done anything shocking.’

‘But I have.’ The tears filled her eyes again then, rolling hotly down her cheeks. ‘I’ve been s-so foolish, Charles, and now Aunt Derwent’s in danger because of me. I wish I’d n-never started it all, t-truly I do.’

‘Started what? Jane, I think you’d better explain properly.’ Gently taking her arm, he led her to a sofa, sitting her down and then joining her. He smiled a little. ‘What’s all this about, mm? How on earth can your aunt be in danger because of you?’

She drew a deep breath. ‘She’s become involved in all my plotting behind Henry’s back.’ her voice was steadier now.

‘Plotting?’

‘I was so angry with him after his absence from Blanche’s ball that I decided to teach him a lesson.’ She met his gaze. ‘I’ve been financing the Swan stagecoach, Charles, and it was my intention to enter it in the Midsummer Day race. Now I’m not so sure….’

He was staring at her. ‘You’ve been financing a
stagecoach
?’

‘Yes.’ She lowered her eyes. ‘I told you you’d be shocked.’

‘
Amazed
would be a more appropriate word. So, you decided to teach Henry a lesson, I can understand that, but I still don’t see how this involves your aunt in any danger.’

‘It was all my fault for embroiling her in the first place, but I had to think of someone when Henry kept questioning me.’

He looked more closely at her then. ‘You’re talking about that day in the billiard room, aren’t you?’

‘Yes. I wasn’t going to be away because of Aunt Derwent, but I couldn’t tell Henry the truth, he simply wouldn’t have understood, and anyway, I didn’t want him to find out about the Swan.’

‘Where were you going if not to Beaconsfield?’

She hesitated. ‘I – I would rather not say.’

He searched her face for a moment. ‘Very well, I won’t press you.’

‘Well, having said I was going to my aunt’s, I thought it best if I wrote to her and explained, in case Henry should become suspicious and make inquiries.’

‘He
was
suspicious. He thought you were meeting Lewis Ardenley.’

Hot color rushed into her cheeks at that. ‘It – it doesn’t really matter where I was, it only matters that I dragged Aunt Derwent into it. I told her all about my plans to trounce Henry in the Midsummer Day race and she thought it was all splendidly exciting.’ She gave a wry, ironic laugh. ‘Exciting? Well, I suppose it was in the beginning, but now it’s all gone sour and I wish I’d never embarked upon it.’

‘Don’t digress, Jane, you were telling me how you’d involved your aunt.’

‘It was because of my plotting that she came to London. She said she couldn’t bear to be left in the sticks in Beaconsfield. She wanted to be on the coach with me on the day, but I said—’

‘Let me get this straight, you’re actually going to be
on
the Swan during the race?’

‘That was my intention, yes.’

‘I trust you’ve changed your mind, because if not, I think you’ll be doing something very imprudent and hazardous indeed.’

She looked at him. ‘The way I feel at the moment, Charles, I don’t think the Swan will be entering the race at all, let alone with me on the box. Where was I?’

‘Your aunt wished to join you on the coach.’

‘Oh, yes, well as it now is, she’s going to be following with Blanche.’

‘
Blanche
is in on all this nonsense?’

‘Yes.’

‘Have I been walking around with my eyes and ears closed these past few weeks?’ he asked a little helplessly, sitting back on the sofa with an air of such bewilderment that she could almost have smiled, except that she was too miserable and upset to see humor in anything at the moment.

‘We’ve been very careful to keep it all secret, Charles, because we were determined to spring it all on Henry on the day of the race. But I won’t be going on with it now that my aunt has got herself into such an alarming fix.’ She rose agitatedly to her feet, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘Oh, where are they? I do hope she’s all right.’

‘Where is she?’

‘At the Black Horse.’

He stared at her. ‘
The
Black Horse?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘To find out about the new Nonpareil. Oh, I didn’t know that was where she was going. She told me she was staying at Lady Lindleigh’s.’

‘I know, she said so that afternoon in Hyde Park.’

‘So she did. Well, I believed her, and by the time I realized it was a fib, it was too late. Anyway, one of Lewis’s footmen saw her with Mr Chapman at the Black Horse and—’

‘Lewis?’ His face became still. ‘He’s in on this too, is he?’

‘Yes.’

‘I suppose you went to him about it.’

‘No, he found out and came to me.’

He got up then, returning to his place by the fireplace and picking up the book, flicking rather angrily through the pages.

‘The fellow has a way of staying in your life, doesn’t he? After all he did to you, I would have thought you would have grown a little wiser by now.’

‘It isn’t what you think, Charles, truly it isn’t. He’s been trying to dissuade me from riding on the coach during the race.’

‘But apart from that he’s been assisting you, I suppose.’ He looked rather accusingly at her.

‘He – he’s horsing the race. At least, he would have been if the race was still on as far as the Swan’s concerned.’

He gave a slightly incredulous laugh. ‘Is he, by God!’

‘Yes.’

‘And you’d still have me believe there’s nothing between you?’

‘It’s true, Charles. Oh, I admit that I still love him, but I didn’t seek his help, he forced himself into it all. He’s not doing it because he loves me, he’s doing it because he agrees with me about Henry.’

He studied her face for a moment. ‘Henry was right, wasn’t he? You
were
with Lewis Ardenley when you claimed you were with your aunt?’

She knew that her cheeks were flaming and had to turn away, looking again at the clock. ‘Oh,
where
are they? They should be here by now.’

‘Were you with Lewis?’ he demanded again.

‘Yes, but not in the way you think.’

‘Don’t treat me like a fool, Jane,’ he replied abruptly, closing the book with a snap and replacing it on the mantelpiece.

‘Please don’t be like this, Charles,’ she begged, her voice on the verge of breaking again, ‘for I have enough to contend with at the moment. Lewis is absolutely furious with me because my aunt is at the Black Horse. He won’t believe that I didn’t know anything about it and he said some very cruel things.’ She drew another steadying breath, forcing away the bitter memory of what had happened in the stableyard at the Feathers. ‘He’s gone to bring her back now, before Mr Chapman finds out who she really is. Oh, I do hope she hasn’t come to any harm. Why did she have to take such a risk? It wasn’t important enough for that. Nothing’s that important.’

The misery in her voice made his anger dissolve and he went to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. ‘Forgive me,’ he whispered, ‘but I can’t help my jealousy, even though I know that you’ll never love me enough to marry me. Please don’t worry any more. I’m sure Lady Agatha will be quite all right and that Lewis will bring her safely back. I’m sure too that she’ll put him right about you, for she knows that she tricked you.’

At that moment the saloon doors were suddenly opened and Lewis and her aunt came in. Jane turned in Charles’s arms, looking involuntarily into Lewis’s eyes. His glance flickered coldly over Charles and then away.

She drew sharply away then, almost running to hug her aunt and hold her tightly. ‘You’re safe! Oh, I’m so glad! I’ve been desperately afraid for you! You
are
all right, aren’t you?’

‘Perfectly. In fact, I really can’t understand what all the fuss is about. Mr Chapman was quite the gentleman, wining and dining me as elegantly as any fine lord.’ She sat down on the sofa, looking up at her niece’s anxious face. ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but if I’d told you the truth, you’d never have agreed to my going, would you?’

‘No.’ Jane didn’t glance at Lewis, who had placed himself behind the sofa, one hand resting lightly on its velvet smoothness.

‘I just couldn’t resist the temptation,’ her aunt went on. ‘I knew how much you all needed to know about the new Nonpareil, so that you could have brakes fitted to the Swan if necessary, so I concocted the tale about Lady Lindleigh and went to the Black Horse. I knew about Mr Chapman’s liking for wealthy widows, you see, Henry had told me all about him at luncheon the day I arrived, so I thought that I could pose as just such a lady and win his confidence. He latched on to me immediately, of that you may be sure. The fellow’s quite incorrigible, you know. He quite obviously saw me as a possible fourth Mrs Chapman! Anyway, it all went very well and I didn’t have any trouble at all persuading him to show me his new coach.’ She looked around at them all, evidently very pleased with herself. ‘Even if I say so myself, my thespian talents are quite considerable, and were it not for my wealth and situation, I’m sure I could have been the queen of Drury Lane. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, the new Nonpareil. I must say that it is an extremely ugly vehicle, quite unlike any stagecoach I’ve ever seen before.’

A spark of interest lingered in Jane. ‘Is it a safety coach?’

‘From what Lewis tells me, yes it is. It’s lower and much wider, and isn’t designed to carry anyone on top. All the outsiders are supposed to sit in an open compartment behind the driver’s box, with their luggage in a boot underneath them. It’s a very novel idea, I suppose, and much safer than perching on the top and hanging on for grim death, but it looks most
peculiar
. Its wheels are small, to lower the center of gravity, or so Mr Chapman says, and this will also give it more stability and speed when cornering. And it has brakes, which he tells me are worth the resultant strain on the wheels, because it is only for one day.’ She looked urgently at Lewis. ‘You were right,
sir, and I sincerely hope that we will be able to match his brakes with some of our own. Do we have time to fit them to the Swan before the race?’

He nodded. ‘I believe so. After all, there’s all tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and—’

Jane interrupted. ‘There’s no point in discussing it further,’ she said, ‘because I’ve decided to forget the whole thing. The Swan isn’t going to enter the race anymore. Everything has got out of hand, and I want nothing more to do with it.’

Aunt Derwent was appalled. ‘Jane, you can’t possibly mean it!’

‘I’m afraid that I do.’

‘But I won’t let you. My dear, after all we’ve done, you can’t simply bow out. Think of all the others, of Mr Wheddle and his daughter, of Mr Huggett and his son. Oh, Jane, you mustn’t let my naughty and
irresponsible
escapade sway you like this.’

‘It isn’t just that,’ she replied, finding the will at last to meet Lewis’s steady gaze. ‘It’s just that I realize how very foolish the whole business is and I wish to withdraw from it before it’s too late.’

Aunt Derwent looked a little crossly at Lewis. ‘Sir, this is all your fault, for you were most definitely out of line in speaking to Jane as you told me you did at the Feathers. It was very wrong of you and I think that you owe her an apology.’

He drew a deep breath and turned toward Jane. ‘Jane, I—’

‘Don’t bother to say anything, sir, for it would make no difference. Besides, when you spoke earlier, you left me in no doubt at all what you really think, so I rather think that any apology would be worthless.’

‘Nevertheless, I do apologize. I had no right to speak to you as I did. It was unforgivably hasty and harsh.’

‘Yes, sir, it was.’ She looked at Charles and her aunt. ‘If – if you will excuse me….’

Aunt Derwent put out a restraining hand. ‘Please, my dear, don’t stop the Swan from entering the race, not when there are others to think about.’

Jane hesitated, torn between a desire to forget everything she’d started and an acceptance that her aunt was right and she shouldn’t cast aside the feelings and efforts of everyone else. At last she nodded. ‘Very well, let it all proceed, if that’s what you really want.’

‘It is.’ There was an understanding gentleness in Aunt Derwent’s eyes as she watched her niece withdraw, for she understood only too well the anguish which was besetting her now.

Lewis hesitated only a moment and then went out after her, much to Charles’s anger. Aunt Derwent glanced at him. ‘There’s nothing you can do about it, Charles. There will always be something between them, whether it’s the passion of love or of anger.’