‘Your marriage, my son, takes place when Miss Challoner has had time to buy her bride-clothes. I shall leave you to decide the rest. My ingenuity falls short of planning your wedding trip.’
‘You surprise me, sir. I shall take you into Italy, Mary. Will you come with me?’
‘Yes, sir, with all my heart,’ said Mary, smiling at him.
His hand went out to her across the table. The Duke said drily: ‘Delay your affecting demonstrations a moment longer, Vidal. I have to inform you that your late adversary was, when I left England, on the road to recovery.’
‘My late adversary?’ frowned his lordship. ‘Oh, Quarles! Was he, sir?’
‘You do not appear to feel any undue interest in his fate,’ remarked Avon.
The Marquis was looking at Mary. He said casually: ‘It makes no odds to me now, sir. He can live for all I care.’
‘How very magnanimous!’ said his grace with gentle satire. ‘Perhaps it may interest you to learn that the gentleman has been – er – induced to make a statement which obviates the need for your exile.’
Vidal turned his head, surveying his father with candid admiration. ‘I should like to know how you induced him to make such a statement, sir, I admit. But I did not leave England for fear of the runners.’
Avon smiled. ‘Did you not, my son?’
‘No, sir, and you know it. I left at your command.’
‘Very proper,’ said his grace, rising. ‘I have no doubt I shall be weak enough to command your return – when you get back from Italy.’ His eyes rested for an inst
ant on Miss Challoner. ‘I comfort myself with the reflection that your wife will possibly be able to curb your desire – I admit, a natural one for the most part – to exterminate your fellows.’
‘I shall try not to disappoint you, sir,’ said Miss Challoner demurely.
It was past noon when Gaston returned with his charges. Miss Challoner felt extremely nervous of meeting the Duchess of Avon, but that lady’s entrance put all her fears to flight. Her grace came into the parlour like a small whirlwind, and cast herself into her husband’s arms. ‘Monseigneur!’ she cried joyfully. ‘I am so very glad you have come! I thought I should not have to tell you anything about it, but it is all so difficult I cannot manage it in the least, and Rupert will not try because he only thinks of getting all that wine home. Monseigneur, he has bought dozens and dozens of bottles of wine. I could not stop him. He says first he will hire a coach, and now he says no, it must go by canal.’
‘It must undoubtedly go by canal,’ said his grace, betraying a faint interest. He removed his ruffle from his wife’s clutch. ‘May I ask, Léonie, why you must needs elope with Rupert in this distressing fashion?’
‘But do you not know, then?’ she demanded. ‘If you don’t know, why are you here, Monseigneur? You are teasing me! Where is Dominique? Gaston said that he was with you.’
‘He is,’ said his grace.
‘Then of course you know. Oh, Monseigneur, he says he will marry that girl, and I have a great fear she is like the sister whom I found detestable!’
The Duke took her hand and led her to Miss Challoner. ‘You shall judge for yourself,’ he said. ‘This is Miss Challoner.’
The Duchess looked sharply up at him, and then at Mary, who stood still and looked gravely back at her. Léonie drew a long breath. ‘Voyons, are you the sister of that other one?’ she demanded, not very lucidly.
‘Yes, ma’am,’ said Mary.
‘Vraiment? But it is not at all credible, I find. I do not want to be rude, but –’
‘In that case, my love, you had better refrain from making the comparisons that are on the lips of your very unguarded tongue,’ interposed his grace.
‘I was not going to say anything indiscreet,’ the Duchess assured him. ‘But I say one thing. If you do not like it, Monseigneur, I am sorry, but I am not going to permit that my son abducts this Mary Challoner and then does not marry her. I say he shall marry her at once, and Rupert shall fetch that Hammond person, who has the manners of a pig.’
‘These continued references to Mr Hammond – a gentleman quite unknown to me – I find most tedious,’ complained his grace. ‘If his manners are those of a pig, I beg that Rupert will refrain from fetching him.’
‘But you do not understand, Justin. He is a priest.’
‘So I have been led to infer. I believe it will not be necessary for us to disturb him.’
The Duchess took Miss Challoner’s hand, and held it. She faced her husband resolutely. ‘Monseigneur, you must listen to me. When I thought that this child was – was –’
‘Pray do not continue, my dear. I understand perfectly. If you will permit me to –’