Cotillion

‘Because it will be better for you not to know anything about it,’ explained Kitty.

Meg gave a moan of protest. ‘Oh, heavens, I have never had a Spasm in my life, but I shouldn’t be at all surprised if I have one now! You are going to do something dreadful!’

‘No, I am not, at least, some persons may say so, but Freddy will not, and I am sure you will not either. Only consider, Meg! How could I do anything dreadful, when Miss Plymstock goes with me? And I will faithfully promise to return here the very next day!’

Meg was a little reassured by this. She made several attempts, during the course of the day, to coax the secret out of Kitty, but Kitty would do nothing but shake her head, and giggle. This was exasperating, but it did not seem likely that she would have giggled had she been bent on some desperate action, so Meg gave it up at last, shrugging her shoulders, and saying: ‘Oh, very well, though I think it is very disagreeable of you, and I beg you will not blame me if you find yourself in a scrape!’

‘No, that I won’t!’ Kitty said, in the throes of composing a letter to Freddy.

This missive soon covered several sheets of Meg’s elegant, gilt-edged writing-paper, for it seemed a very natural thing to tell Freddy the whole story, not omitting any details which she felt sure he would enjoy, such as the clever arrangement she had made for the journey in the carriage Lady Dolphinton doubtless considered to be her own, and poor Dolph’s woebegone face when he said that he had come to sweep her off her feet.

She could not help feeling a trifle anxious, next day; and she would not have been altogether surprised had she received a visit from Lady Dolphinton. To have entrusted so important a share in the arrangements to Dolphinton did indeed seem a hazardous thing to have done, and made her fearful of the issue. However, when Miss Plymstock arrived in Berkeley Square, shortly after ten o’clock, and heard of these qualms, she said confidently that all would be well. ‘He don’t understand things quickly, Miss Charing, but once you fix a thing in his head, which I don’t doubt you did, he don’t forget it. The only thing is that he may be in a sad pucker, what with the excitement, and being scared his mother will find him out.’

She was right on both counts. Twenty minutes later, a travelling-carriage drew up outside the house, Lord Dolphinton alighted from it, and, after casting around him a glance suggestive of a hare hotly pursued by hounds, hurried up the steps to the front-door. He was soon ushered into the saloon where Kitty and Hannah were sitting, and barely waited until Skelton had withdrawn before gasping: ‘Did it! Got the carriage. Told a lot of lies. Remembered everything you said!’

‘That’s right,’ said Hannah, in a motherly voice. ‘You’ve done very well, Foster, just as I knew you would, and now you may be easy.’

‘No, I mayn’t,’ he said, wiping his pallid countenance with a crumpled handkerchief. ‘Afraid she’ll come after me!’

‘Well, she will do no such thing, my dear, because there’s no reason why she should.’

His lordship looked at her with terror in his eye. ‘Got Finglass with me!’ he uttered. ‘Spies on me! Didn’t dare say I wouldn’t have him. Thought she might suspect.’

‘And a very good thing too,’ said the redoubtable Miss Plymstock calmly. ‘I’d just as lief he was under my eye, for he can’t work any mischief if we keep him with us.’

‘Yes, and you may employ him afterwards to carry the news that you are married back to your Mama,’ interpolated Kitty encouragingly. ‘You must not be afraid of him, Dolph, for although he may spy on you, he cannot do anything, you know. He is obliged to obey your orders; and now that you have escaped from your Mama you do not care what tales he may carry to her.’

He looked doubtful, but Hannah told him that Kitty was quite right, and he seemed to accept this assurance, and to become less agitated. But just then Meg’s voice was heard, and Kitty was obliged to remind him hastily that Meg was not in the secret, which threw him back into disorder. Fortunately, Meg thought him at all times so very odd that she was unlikely, Kitty hoped, to notice any additional peculiarity in his bearing.

She enter

ed the room, shook hands with Miss Plymstock, and civilly invited her to partake of a little refreshment before setting out on the journey.

‘Like to start now!’ said Dolphinton, in a hoarse whisper, and plucking at Kitty’s sleeve.

‘My dear Dolph, there can be no need of such haste!’ said Meg. ‘I daresay it will not take you above two hours to reach Arnside.’

This made him look so anguished that Kitty made haste to say that she particularly desired to reach Arnside in good time. ‘Because Uncle Matthew shuts himself up in his book-room all the afternoon, and so I shall be able to enjoy a comfortable talk with Fish,’ she explained.

‘I shan’t have to see Uncle Matthew, shall I?’ said Dolphinton, a fresh terror raising its head.

‘No, no, you need not see him! I think, Miss Plymstock, that perhaps we had better go immediately.’

‘I’m agreeable,’ responded Hannah, picking up her basket.

Meg, eyeing the basket in a fascinated way, and wondering what could be in it, made no further attempt to detain the travellers. She accompanied them to the front-door, and stood on the top step to wave good-bye, calling after Dolphinton to be sure to bring Kitty back in good time the next day. This adjuration made him pause, just as he was about to climb into the carriage. He looked over his shoulder in a harassed manner, and was just about to say that he was not coming back to London when two small but resolute pairs of hands seized his coat and dragged him into the carriage. The door was shut on him, and his groom mounted on to the box beside the coachman. ‘Drive fast!’ said his lordship, putting his head out of the window. ‘Spring ’em!’

Eighteen

Mr Standen, arriving in Berkeley Square just after noon, allowed Skelton to help him out of his many-caped driving coat, laid his hat and gloves on a side-table, and paused under a large Venetian gilt mirror to adjust his cravat. ‘Ladies at home, Skelton?’ he enquired.

‘Her ladyship is partaking of luncheon in the breakfast-parlour, sir. Miss Charing went out of town this morning, and will not be back, I understand, until tomorrow.’

Freddy looked mildly surprised. ‘Did she, though? What made her do that?’

‘I couldn’t say, sir.’

‘Queer start!’ remarked Freddy. ‘No need to announce me.’