The Regency (26 page)

The footsteps crossed the room again, and the door clicked
softly closed. Fanny rolled over and opened her eyes, and
finding herself alone, sat up. The jug on her wash-stand was
steaming gently. Her eyes felt prickly, and her nose swollen,
and her hair was damp at the temples, and the thought of hot
water was tempting. She contemplated the offer which had
been made to her. A ride and a picnic meal were always
attractive, but especially so was the thought of not having to
go in to dinner, not having to speak to anyone, nor endure
their pitying looks.

Fanny swung her legs over the side of the bed and got to
her feet. Miss Rosedale was making everything easy for her,
and Fanny saw it, and resented it. She didn't want to like her;
but the fact remained that things already looked less black; and
when she examined her heart, she found that, inexplicably,
it was less sore than it had been a quarter of an hour ago.

 
Lucy was still at Morland Place when the news broke in
September about the secret expedition. It had been to
Copenhagen, where the Danes had a fleet of fifteen of the line
and thirty smaller vessels at anchor in a harbour protected by
the guns of the fortified city. Sir Arthur Wellesley had landed
with the troops he had embarked at Yarmouth, and was
joined by the detachment from Rugen under Lord Cathcart. Lord Gambier's fleet of seventeen of the line had closed in
from the seaward, and after offering the Danes the chance to
surrender, they had opened fire on the city with Congreve rockets from the bomb-vessels, while the army pounded it
with hot shells. After two days and three nights, the Danes had surrendered, and the Danish fleet had been confiscated
and was being sailed safely to England.

James had brought the news-sheet in from his club, and
read the details to Lucy, Edward and Héloïse in the drawing-
room.

‘
It was the most complete success! Our casualties were
less than two hundred! Listen to this: "There never was an
expedition of such magnitude so quickly got up, so secretly sent off, and which was conducted from the beginning to its
termination with greater ability or success".'

‘
Well, that's true, at all events,' Lucy said. ‘No-one had any
idea what they were up to beforehand. Try as I might, I
couldn't get anyone to break confidence.'

‘
But surely the Danes are neutral?' Edward said, frowning.
'How can we attack them and seize their ships like that?'

‘
Oh, the Opposition's up in arms about it, of course,' James
said, 'and even Sidmouth's spoken out against it. But from
what I gathered at the club, it seems that the Government
received intelligence months ago about a secret pact between Boney and the Csar, signed at the same time as Tilsit. Appar
ently they meant to force the neutrals, like Denmark, to join
Russia and France in a great expedition against us. There was
to be a massive Baltic fleet assembled, and Boney was all
ready to march into Copenhagen by land and confiscate the
Danish ships to use against us. So really, you know, what
could we do? It may seem high-handed, but Castlereagh
couldn't very well sit back and let Boney have 'em, could he?'

‘
I suppose if the Government was not blamed for doing it,
they would be blamed for not doing it,' Héloïse remarked,
‘but it does seem a little hard on the Danes.'

‘
They were given ample chance to surrender,' James
pointed out, 'and Boney would have given them just as bad a
time, or worse.'

‘
Well, so that's where Haworth has been,' Lucy observed.
‘Is there any mention of him in the paper, Jamie?'

‘
Only that he was in command of a detachment of ships.
There isn't much detail in this edition. You'll have to wait for
tomorrow's paper for that. He's not on the casualty list, at
any rate, so you may be easy. Nor Colonel Horatio, either.'

‘
I wonder if they know about it at Shawes?' Héloïse said.
‘Perhaps you should ride over, James, and see, for Roberta
told me poor little Marcus was very anxious about his papa. I
would go myself, but I am not feeling quite so well.’

James was up in an instant. 'What is it, love? Have you a
pain anywhere?'

‘
No,
mon âme,
don't worry,' she said, managing a smile. 'I
feel rather tired, that's all, and I have a little of the head
ache.'

‘
It's no wonder — you have been doing far too much. You
should go upstairs and rest,' James said, with a sternness
which inadequately masked his anxiety.

She smiled at him. 'Well, I will,' she said reasonably. 'But I
think you should go to Shawes all the same.'

‘
Yes, do, Jamie,' Lucy said briskly. 'I'll see that Héloïse
goes upstairs, and you can bring Danby back here to dine with us, and he can tell us what everyone has been saying
about it. He's very good for that,' she observed dispassionately.
He hasn't much of a brain, but he does have an excellent
memory.’

James grinned at her. 'You are so cruel to the poor man!
Wiske has been dangling after you ever since you were fifteen, looking like a lovesick spaniel. Isn't it about time you put him out of his misery, and married him?'

‘
Stuff!' Lucy said shortly. 'Don't talk such nonsense, Jamie.
Danby would have fourteen fits if I so much as hinted at
marriage. He's a confirmed bachelor, and he likes 'dangling
after me', as you call it, because it stops him having to make
up to other women. You know nothing about men,' she finished
with dignity, which made James roar with laughter. 'Oh do
stop making that dreadful noise, and go and ride over to
Shawes. Come on, Héloïse, let's put you to bed.’

When they reached the great bedchamber, they found
Marie, alerted by some mysterious sixth sense that good
servants seem to possess, already there, and looking anxious.

‘
Are you ill, madame?' she cried, hurrying to Héloïse's
other side. 'I was afraid of this. I begged and begged her to
rest, milady,' she said to Lucy, 'but she would not. She is not
strong, you know, though she pretends to be, and she has
such spirit that she will never own to feeling unwell.'

‘
Peace, Marie,' Héloïse said, trying gently to push her
away. 'I am not ill, and there is no need for all this fuss.'

‘
It isn't fuss to ask you to take proper care of yourself, and
the little one to be,' Marie said indignantly.

‘
Well, I am, I shall. Don't annoy me, dear friend. It is
nothing but a headache,' Héloïse said. Marie stepped back,
and Héloïse began to walk towards the bed, and was betrayed
by a stagger which brought both women to her side again.

‘
Dizzy?' Lucy said briskly. 'Yes, I'm not surprised. Just lie
down and close your eyes, and we'll do everything else. Marie,
help me lift her legs. That's right. No, Héloïse, don't try to
help. Just lie still.’

Héloïse was glad to obey, for Lucy was the very best person
to have around if one was feeling not quite well. Calmly and
efficiently, and without fussing or talking, she helped Marie
to unhook Héloïse's gown, unlaced her stays, removed her
shoes and stockings and propped her feet on two cushions.

‘
See how swollen your ankles are,' Lucy observed,
massaging them with a firm hand.

‘
Oh, that is heaven!' Héloïse murmured, closing her eyes.

‘
You are a good nurse, dear Lucy. You have such kind hands.'

‘
I've never heard them called that before,' Lucy said with a
small smile. 'Now, Marie, never mind those smelling salts:
your mistress isn't having a fit of the vapours. Run and fetch
some wine for her -- good wine. Ask Ottershaw for a pint of
the best claret. That will do her more good than all the vinai
grettes in the world. And find my maid and send her to me.’

Marie looked doubtful, but receiving a confirmatory nod
from her mistress, she went away to do as she was bid. When they were alone again, Lucy remarked, 'These elderly virgins
are all alike — and the more so when they're servants. They
grow hysterical at the slightest sign of illness, especially any
thing to do with pregnancy. I'm lucky with Docwra, really —
she may be unmarried, but she came from a large family, and
she had to nurse her mother through childbed a good few
times. How are you feeling now?'

‘
Better,' Héloïse said. The dizziness has gone, and the
headache isn't so bad as it was.'

‘
Well, just lie still and keep your feet up for a while, and
you'll be right as a trivet,' Lucy said briskly. 'I wanted to talk
to you privately, anyway. It's about Thomas.’

Héloïse opened her eyes in dismay. This was the moment
she had been dreading; but she controlled her features, and
tried not to betray her feelings. 'Yes, Cousin Lucy? What of
Thomas?’

Lucy continued absently to massage Héloïse's ankles. 'I was
thinking that perhaps it's time I took him back to live with
me. I want him to grow up to be a gentleman, and to be
proud of his father's name. He'll have a small fortune to
inherit, and there's no reason why he shouldn't enter one of
the professions later on, if he wants to.

‘
Are you displeased with the way I have looked after him?'
Héloïse asked hesitantly.

Lucy looked at her with raised eyebrows. 'Good God, no!
No-one could have given him better care than you, Cousin. Don't think I'm not grateful. What I mean is that it's time I
established him properly, and gave him his identity, instead
of leaving him here like a kind of waif with no name, to
scramble into life anyhow. He must have an education fitting
to his station, and meet and mix with the right people. That's
especially important, given the circumstances of his birth.’

Héloïse nodded, unable to speak.

‘
And besides, it would be nice for Roland to have another
boy to play with. They could do their lessons together, until
Thomas is old enough to go to school. Roberta says it helps
Bobbie to do his lessons with Marcus, so perhaps Thomas can
help Roland. After all,' she said as a thought struck her, 'they
are —' She broke off just in time. She had kept the secret so
determinedly that it hardly ever even occurred to her that
Thomas and Roland were brothers; it was the surprise of
remembering it that had almost betrayed her. 'They are
almost the same age,' she finished lamely. 'So I think when I
go back this time, I'll take him with me. What do you think?'