Mesalliance (12 page)

‘How very
diplomatic!’ marvelled Richard. ‘Really, you know, it’s almost
enough to make one wonder if he doesn’t
want
to marry
her.’

‘Don’t see why
he shouldn’t,’ remarked Sir Roland. ‘Always thought her quite a
taking little thing, myself.’

‘You,’ said his
wife witheringly, ‘are not Rockliffe. The idea’s preposterous.’

‘Is it?’ mused
Richard. ‘Then why didn’t he tell you that it was Diana who lured
him into the book-room in order to try and force his hand? I don’t
suppose it was Adeline who was supposed to witness what ensued –
though Diana was naturally reticent on that point. But she did
admit laying hands on her cousin … which is why I followed
Rockliffe back there.’ He smiled reminiscently. ‘It seemed a pity,
you see, that Di should have gone to so much trouble for nothing.
But it’s small wonder she is still overwrought. It must be galling
to know that she’s been instrumental in making Adeline a
duchess.’

Lady Miriam
stared at him with slowly gathering wrath and it was a long time
before she said unsteadily, ‘Do you know … have you the remotest
idea what you’ve done?’

‘Yes. Since
Diana’s fences are past mending, I’ve used her folly to its best
advantage. And, if you were less of a fool, Miriam, you’d see it
for yourself.’

A tide of
apoplectic colour rose to her cheeks and, seeing it, Sir Roland
tried to make a strategic exit. ‘If you don’t need me, I think I’ll
just go and --’

‘Sit down and
be quiet!’ snapped his wife. And then, to Richard, ‘It’s you who
are the fool. Adeline can’t possible marry Rockliffe and you know
it.’

‘Ah. You’re
thinking of our dear sister, Joanna.’

‘Well, of
course I’m thinking of Joanna! I, for one, haven’t concealed the
truth all these years only to have it come out now.’

‘There’s no
reason why it should,’ sighed Richard. ‘You were not, I imagine,
planning on telling Rockliffe that – far from being decently dead,
as everyone believes – his future mama-in-law might at any time
walk into his house with her paramour?’

‘Naturally not.
But --’

‘I’m glad to
hear it. Because, for all we know, she may actually
be
dead
by now. And if she’s not – what matter? It’s not very likely that,
after a silence of nearly twenty-four years, Joanna is going to
reappear now.’ He stopped, raising enquiring brows at his
brother-in-law. ‘Yes, Roland? You have something to say?’

‘No,’ muttered
the baronet unhappily. ‘Nothing.’

‘Good. Then I’m
sure you’ll both agree that it’s quite unnecessary to tell
Rockliffe anything.’

‘I’ve no
intention of doing so,’ said her ladyship. ‘Do you think I want
Joanna’s disgrace casting its shadow over all of us? But I
do
intend telling Adeline the truth at last.’

‘And what good
will that do?’

‘Isn’t it
obvious? She won’t want it made public any more than we do – so
she’ll refuse Rockliffe.’

‘But he need
never know.’ Richard was fast losing patience. ‘Look. Tom
Kendrick’s dead and, outside the three of us, no one else knows –
so how can Rockliffe find out? Moreover, why should he even
try?’

‘Because he’ll
want to know about Adeline’s background,’ came the brittle reply,
‘and he’s capable of raking through the ashes till he knows
everything. The only safe way now is to tell Adeline. I should have
done it years ago.’

‘So you
should,’ nodded Sir Roland, unexpectedly. ‘Always said she had a
right to know. Rockliffe too, if he marries her.’

‘Wonderful,’
drawled Richard with sudden, deadly sarcasm. ‘Absolutely wonderful.
Why do we not also set a notice in the newspaper?’

‘There’s no
need to be facetious,’ said his sister coldly.

‘Isn’t there?
Let us suppose for a moment that you
do
tell Adeline. What
guarantee do we have of her discretion? How do we know she won’t
tell Rockliffe the whole story – or start digging things up for
herself in an effort to trace her mother? Why should she feel,’ he
finished venomously, ‘that, if she can’t marry Rockliffe, she has
anything further to lose?’

Lady Miriam
opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again as if struck by
doubt. Richard saw it and pressed his advantage.

‘As for
Rockliffe himself, the likelihood is that he’ll marry her first and
ask questions later – if, indeed, he asks them at all. And if he
learns the truth once Adeline is his wife, he’ll be as eager to
keep the secret as we are.’

‘I suppose,’
came the grudging response, ‘that may be true.’

‘We progress at
last. It is also true that Rockliffe knows enough about our dear
Diana to effectively ruin her.’

Some of her
ladyship’s colour left her. She said, ‘I hadn’t thought of
that.’

‘Obviously not.
But, once again, Adeline is our safeguard. Rockliffe won’t gossip
about his wife’s cousin.’ He paused, his smile once more bland as
milk. ‘You really have very little choice but to keep your mouth
shut and make the best of it, you know.’

She fought with
herself and then said sourly, ‘You may be right. The most important
thing is that Diana should have her chance.’

Richard laughed
derisively.

‘If Diana had
an ounce of intelligence, we would not be having this
conversation,’ he observed. ‘However. It is agreed that we
encourage Rockliffe’s suit and say nothing about our unfortunate
sister?’

‘I suppose so.
If we must.’

‘I don’t like
it,’ said Sir Roland gloomily. ‘Adeline ought to know. It’s not
right to keep it from her. Not right to keep it from Rockliffe,
either.’

There was a
brief space while his wife and brother-in-law stared at him. Then,
her temper finally getting the better of her, Lady Miriam said, ‘Oh
– get back to your sheep and your tenants! I don’t know why I asked
you to join us in the first place – for you’ve no more social sense
than a fly. And if Diana hadn’t inherited your brain, it’s she
who’d be Duchess of Rockliffe instead of Joanna’s aggravating child
– who, for all any of us know to the contrary, may even be a
bastard!’

*

Whilst his fate
was under discussion above stairs, Rockliffe entered the breakfast
parlour to find it inhabited only by Harry and Mistress Pickering.
His brows rose and, scanning the empty places, he said languidly,
‘Dear me! Last night’s ball must have been a greater success than I
realised.’

Lizzie’s grin
was unexpectedly spectacular.

‘It was. I
never thought an evening in this house could be half so amusing. To
begin with there was Diana, all powdered and patched and bobbing in
and out of the ballroom like a bird with twigs in its beak – and
getting sulkier with every trip; and then Cecily disappeared and
came rushing back looking as though she was going to burst.’ Lizzie
paused, apparently savouring the memory. ‘She told Diana first, of
course.’

‘Of course,’
agreed Rockliffe, placidly helping himself to coffee. ‘And
then?’

‘Well, for one
glorious moment, I thought Di was either going to box Cecily’s ears
or lie on the floor and have a fit. But she didn’t.’

Harry looked up
from his plate. ‘You sound disappointed.’

‘I was – but
not for long. She dragged poor Thea on to the terrace where she
thought no one could see and boxed
her
ears instead. Then
she turned round, stormed right through the middle of a gavotte and
didn’t come back.’

‘While Cecily,’
suggested Rockliffe, ‘continued spreading the good news?’

‘With gusto.’
Lizzie rose to help herself to more scrambled eggs from the
sideboard. Then, standing plate in hand, she looked him in the eye
and said bluntly, ‘I know better than believe most of what Cecy
Garfield says. But if it’s true that you’re going to marry Adeline,
I’d like to wish you both happy.’

‘Bravo!’
applauded Harry. ‘Well said indeed.’

Rockliffe
smiled at her.

‘Thank you.
That, considering the fate of your dress, is generous of you.’

‘Oh – that.’
Lizzie sat down again in the manner of one who feels there is no
more to be said.

The Duke and
Lord Harry exchanged an amused glance. Then the door opened and
Adeline came in looking decidedly underslept.

‘Good morning,’
she said. ‘Or, then again, is it?’

‘Only time will
tell.’ His Grace came unhurriedly to his feet and pulled out the
chair next to his own. ‘May I serve you with something?’

‘Just coffee,
if you please.’ She took her seat with slightly heightened colour.
‘Lizzie … I don’t know how to begin to apologise. You’ve heard, of
course?’

‘Yes. Don’t
worry about it. I don’t suppose it was your fault, anyway.’

‘Perhaps not.
But it – I’m afraid your gown is entirely beyond repair. And I’m
concerned about how you’ll explain it to your mother.’

‘Oh – that’s
easy.’ Lizzie reached for another slice of bread-and-butter. ‘I’ll
tell her the truth.’

‘Which is?’
asked Rockliffe gently.

‘Not what
Cecily thinks, obviously,’ she replied. ‘Myself, I rather suspect
Diana. I always said she was capable of anything.’

‘This young
lady,’ remarked Harry to no one in particular, ‘is plainly destined
to go far.’

‘I thought as
much,’ said Lizzie, with satisfaction. And then, to Adeline, ‘How
is
Diana this morning?’

‘Still in
hysterics, I believe.’

‘And the rest
of our illustrious party?’ asked Harry.

‘Well, I can’t
speak for them all … but Lady Elinor is Comforting The Afflicted,
Althea is in hiding and Andrew is still doubtless nursing his head.
As for my aunt …’ Adeline turned a perfectly expressionless gaze on
the Duke. ‘Rumour has it that she’s in enclave with Uncle Richard
and Sir Roland.’

‘Ah. Then,
since you and I have not been invited, perhaps we should form our
own.’

It was no
surprise but this did not prevent her nerves vibrating like plucked
wires. She said, ‘There really isn’t any need.’

‘On the
contrary. There is every need,’ responded Rockliffe calmly. And
then, ‘Harry?’

‘I’m going –
I’m going!’ His lordship rose, grinning. ‘Never let it be said that
I don’t know when I’m not wanted.’

‘Thank you. And
could you also oblige me by … seeing that we’re not disturbed?’

‘I might manage
that.’

‘I’ll help.’
Having demolished the last of her egg, Lizzie also quitted her
chair and looked meaningfully at Adeline. ‘If you want my advice,
you’ll think of The Trojan and not quibble,’ she said. And walked
to the door, bearing Harry with her.

For a moment
after they had gone, there was silence. Then Rockliffe leaned back,
folded his arms and said, ‘Well?’

Adeline eyed
him with what she personally considered to be justifiable
irritation.

‘Aside from the
fact that this is probably the most ridiculous situation anyone was
ever in, what do you expect me to say?’

His mouth
curled in a singularly charming smile.

‘I expect you
to say “
Yes, Tracy. I’ll marry you
”.’

That, she felt
was distinctly underhand. Her stomach was in knots. She said, ‘Why?
You can’t possibly want to marry me. And you’re supposed to be the
clever one - so you must be able to find a way out of this.’

‘You’re
forgetting Cecily Garfield,’ he reproved. ‘My reputation will be in
tatters and my name in the dust. Society will turn a cold shoulder
and doors will be slammed in my face. I look to you to spare me all
that.’

‘Fiddlesticks!
If Lord Harry is any indication, the people who know you won’t
believe a word Cecily says – and your rank and wealth are such that
the Polite World will get over its shock fast enough.’

‘I know.’

Not
unnaturally, it was several seconds before she felt able to reply
to this and, during them, she realised something she should have
known all along.

‘You’re
enjoying this,’ she said slowly. ‘God alone knows why – but you are
actually
enjoying
it.’

‘Well, yes,’ he
admitted, mock-ruefully. ‘I’m afraid I am. But you must not judge
me too harshly, you know. I get so little pleasure.’

She suffered a
sudden wave of temper, oddly mixed with an impulse to laugh and,
unable to trust herself, rose from her chair to put herself on the
far side of the table. Only then did she turn and say carefully,
‘All right. Play your little game with the rest of them, if you
will – but stop playing it with me.’

Rockliffe
looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and much of the mischief
left his eyes.

‘You want the
truth?’

‘If it isn’t
too much to ask – yes.’

‘Very well.’
Rising to face her, he laid his fingers against the rim of the
table and, when he spoke, there was no levity in his voice. ‘In
plain terms, then … I am thirty-six years old, head of my family
and possessed of a seventeen-year-old sister. I am therefore under
some pressure to enter into the bonds of holy matrimony. My
difficulty has been that, among all the young ladies of birth,
breeding and beauty, I cannot find one who wouldn’t bore me to
death in a week – and that, as you know, is the one thing I can’t
tolerate. You, on the other hand, don’t bore me at all; moreover …
if you will pardon the indelicacy … I find myself experiencing an
increasing desire to take you to bed.’ He paused to enjoy the
expression on her face, which was less shocked than incredulous.
Then he finished simply, ‘In short, my dear, I think we might deal
very well together … and am inclined to hope that you may think so
too.’

Discovering
that her knees were malfunctioning, Adeline slid weakly into
Harry’s vacated chair. The battle that had raged in her head and
heart through the long hours of the night re-surfaced with a
vengeance. It was hard when the man who had intrigued and dazzled
you at the age of sixteen and whose image had remained,
untarnished, in all the years since, offered you marriage. It was
even harder when he did it out of a mixture of devilment, clinical
logic and, quite unbelievably, lust. And when you added the fact
that you wanted to say yes more than you had wanted anything in a
very long time, it became downright impossible. So she sat and
looked at her hands and finally acknowledged a truth that could no
longer be avoided. ‘
This is dangerous. I could easily – so very
easily – love you
.’