Regency Buck (Alastair-Audley Tetralogy 3)

‘I am silenced. Do you find this mode of address generally acceptable amongst the heiresses of your acquaintance?’

‘Miss Taverner, I appeal to your sense of what is fair! Is this kind? Is this right?’

‘It was irresistible,’ she replied mischievously.

‘What is to be done? How shall I convince you?’

‘You cannot; you are completely exposed.’

‘I shall come about again, I warn you. My dependence is all on my brother. If he has the slightest regard for me he must assist me to convince you of my disinterestedness.’

‘Dear me, how is he to do that, I wonder?’

‘Why, very simply! He has only to sell you out of the three-per-cents and gamble away your whole fortune on ’Change. I may then offer you my hand and heart with a clear conscience.’

‘It sounds very disagreeable. I had rather keep my fortune, I thank you.’

‘Miss Taverner, you are guilty of the most shocking cruelty to one wounded in the service of his country!’

‘That is very bad, certainly. What shall I do to atone?’

‘You shall drive me out in Worth’s curricle,’ he said promptly.

‘I am quite willing, but Lord Worth might view the matter in a different light.’

‘Nonsense! His cattle must be honoured in being driven by you.’

‘I wish he may think so, but I believe we shall do well to obtain his permission.’

‘You shall be held blameless,’ he promised. ‘You can have no objection to my ordering the curricle to be sent round.’

She wavered. ‘To be sure, I have once driven it. I suppose if you order it there can be nothing against it. You cannot do wrong in your own home after all.’

He grinned. ‘We will hear my brother’s comments on that. His greys are in the stable: can you handle them?’

‘I can, but I have a notion I ought not. Are – are his chestnuts in the stable, too?’

‘Miss Taverner,’ said Captain Audley solemnly, ‘Julian is the best of good fellows, and the kindest of brothers, but he has the most punishing left imaginable! Frankly, I dare not!’

‘I do not know what you mean by a punishing left, but you are very right. We must not take his chestnuts. I daresay he will not mind his greys being exercised.’

‘He will know nothing of the matter, in any case. He has rid over to Longhampton. The word is, en avant!’

The greys, which were soon brought round to the house by a reluctant groom, had not been out for several days, and were consequently very fresh. Captain Audley looked them over, and said: ‘We had better take Johnson along with us. Miss Taverner, do you feel yourself equal to the task of driving them, or shall we send them away, and have out the gig?’

‘A gig! By no means! I have driven this team before, and know them to be beautifully mouthed. I will engage to drive you without mishap. We will take no groom.’

‘So be it!’ said the Captain recklessly. ‘I have one sound arm, after all.’

It was not needed, however. Miss Taverner’s skill soon showed itself, and the Captain, who, never having driven with her before, had been at first holding himself in readiness to seize the reins, presently relaxed, and paid Miss Taverner the compli ment of saying that she was as good a whip as Letty Lade. He directed the way, and since he gave the road to Longhampton a wide berth, it was a piece of the most perverse ill-luck that upon the way back to Worth they should come plump upon the Earl.

His lordship had stopped by the roadside to exchange a few words with one of his tenant-farmers, and was bestriding a raking bay mare. Judith was the first to catch sight of him, at a distance of a hundred yards, or more, and she gave a dismayed gasp, and exclaimed: ‘What is to be done? There is your brother!’

Captain Audley regarded her quizzically. ‘Oh, oh! I believe you would like to turn round and make off in the other direction!’

‘Nonsense!’ said Miss Taverner, sitting very erect. ‘Yours is the blame, after all.’

‘But I have only one arm. I depend on your protection.’