Cotillion

‘Uncle Matthew gave her a handsome sum?’ exclaimed his mother, momentarily diverted. ‘You don’t mean it!’

‘Surprised me too,’ murmured Freddy. ‘Surprised me when he said she might come to town for a month, as well.’

‘A month! No, no, Freddy, indeed I cannot have her here! I would not for the world behave shabbily towards your betrothed, even though I cannot like this engagement, for I had hoped to see you make a much better match, and, indeed, I—not that that signifies now! And you are not to be thinking that I do not like Kitty, for I am sure she is an excellent girl, and I should be very glad to show her any kindness in my power! But I do not mean to entertain until the children are well again, and as for devoting myself to Kitty at such a moment, it is not to be thought of ! Later, perhaps! She must return to Arnside for the present: I am persuaded she will understand how it is!’

‘Won’t do at all,’ said Freddy firmly. ‘Promised her she should spend a month in town. Can’t break my word to her. Cruel thing to do. Set her heart on coming to London.’

‘Oh, dear, what is to be done, then?’ sighed her ladyship, abandoning all attempt to grapple with the problem. ‘Where is she all this while?’

‘Left her in the Blue Saloon. Said I’d break the news to you. Took a notion into her head you might not like it, and went into a quake. Wouldn’t come upstairs with me.’

‘Well, I am sure I am not astonished at that! Poor child, I suppose she was so anxious to escape from the odious old man she was prepared to do anything to accomplish it! She must remain here for tonight, of course, and then we must consider what is best to be done. I will come down to her in a moment, tell her. And what your father will say when you break this news to him, Freddy, I dare not consider!’

But in the event Freddy was spared the necessity of having to break the news to Lord Legerwood. While he was closeted with his mama, his lordship had walked into the Blue Saloon, to find it inhabited by a damsel in an old-fashioned bonnet and a drab pelisse, who turned an apprehensive and vaguely familiar face towards the opening door, and then rose to her feet, and dropped a shy curtsy. ‘How—how-do-you-do, sir?’ she said, with a valiant assumption of ease.

‘How-do-you-do?’ responded his lordship politely.

‘Perhaps,’ said Kitty, swallowing, ‘you don’t remember me, sir. I am Kitty Charing.’

‘Of course!’ he responded, coming forward, and shaking hands. ‘I thought I knew your face. But what a delightful surprise! Are you staying in London?’

‘Well—well—I do hope so!’ Kitty said, blushing vividly. ‘Only I am not expected, and perhaps it might not be quite convenient!’

Lord Legerwood’s calm gray eyes took note of the blush; a twinkle came into them. ‘Can it be that you have come to stay with us?’ he suggested.

She stood considerably in awe of him, for his cool, well-bred manners were quite unlike her guardian’s, and made him seem immeasurably superior. He had an air of decided fashion, too, and an occasionally satirical tongue. The twinkle, however, reassured her. She smiled confidingly up at him, and said: ‘Yes, that is it! Freddy said you would not object to it, only, for my part, I did think we should have asked you first!’

‘Freddy?’ he said interrogatively.

She became a little confused. ‘Yes, sir. You see—Freddy brought me! He—he has gone to tell Lady Legerwood!’

The sapient eye caused her blushes to rise again. ‘Indeed?’ said his lordship. ‘Has Freddy been visiting his great-uncle? Dear me! But what am I about, to be keeping you standing? Do, pray, sit down again, and tell me how all this comes about!’

She obeyed the first part of this command (for such she felt it to be), but said: ‘I think, perhaps, Freddy ought to tell you, sir. In fact, I am quite sure he should!’

He drew up another chair, and seated himself in it. ‘Really? I am persuaded I shall much prefer to be told it by you. I always find it so difficult to follow Freddy when he tries to explain anything to me.’

‘Yes, but it wouldn’t be the thing for me to tell you, sir!’ objected Kitty.

‘A delicate matter, I apprehend?’ She nodded. ‘In that case, I cannot too strongly recommend you not to entrust the task of explaining it to Freddy,’ he said.

She drew a resolute breath. ‘Well, I must say it does seem hard that everything should fall on poor Freddy,’ she agreed. ‘The—the truth is, sir, that he has been so obliging as to—to offer for me!’

His lordship sustained this with fortitude, but there was a slight pause before he said: ‘This is very sudden!’

‘I am afraid,’ said Miss Charing guiltily, ‘that it is a disagreeable surprise to you, sir!’

‘Not at all!’ he replied courteously. ‘I own to some slight feeling of surprise, but I assure you it is not disagreeable!’

Much cheered, Kitty said gratefully: ‘Thank you! I did not think of it at first, but while I have been waiting here I began to think that you might dislike it excessively, and to wonder if perhaps—’

‘If perhaps—?’ he prompted, as she broke off.

‘I—we—should not have done it! Only—well, sir, it was all Uncle Matthew’s fault! He has made an odious scheme to leave me his whole fortune if I will marry one of his great-nephews, and he sent for them to come to Arnside, so that he could tell them of it, and I might choose the one I liked the best.’ She added: ‘And however unbecoming it is in me to appear critical of one who is my benefactor, I must say that I think it was a most improper arrangement!’

‘Most improper,’ he agreed. ‘But am I to understand that Mr Penicuik’s great-nephews all obeyed this peculiar summons?’

‘Jack did not,’ she replied. ‘And he knew why my uncle had sent for him, which makes me excessively glad to think that he had too much delicacy of mind to come upon such an errand!’