Four In Hand (Regencies 2)

Lizzie was right in her assessment that Max disapproved of their association but wrong in her idea of the cause. Only too well-acquainted with his brother’s character, their guardian entertained a grave concern that the frustrations involved in behaving with decorum in the face of Lizzie Twinning’s bounteous temptations would prove overwhelming long before Martin was brought to admit he was in love with the chit. His worst fears had seemed well on the way to being realized when he had, entirely unintentionally, surprised them on their way back to the ball

room. His sharp blue eyes had not missed the glow in Lizzie’s face. Consequently, the look he had directed at his brother, which. Lizzie had intercepted, had not been particularly encouraging. She had missed Martin’s carefree response.

Caroline, reasonably certain of Max’s thoughts on the matter, realized these might not be entirely clear to Lizzie. But how to explain Max’s doubts of his own brother to the still innocent Lizzie? Despite the fact that only a year separated her from Arabella, the disparity in their understandings, particularly with respect to the male of the species, was enormous. All three elder Twinnings had inherited both looks and dispositions from their father’s family, which in part explained his aversion to women. Thomas Twinning had witnessed firsthand the dance his sisters had led all the men of their acquaintance before finally settling in happily wedded bliss. The strain on his father and himself had been considerable. Consequently, the discovery that his daughters were entirely from the same mould had prompted him to immure mem in rural seclusion. Lizzie, however, had only inherited the Twinning looks, her gentle and often quite stubborn innocence deriving from the placid Eleanor. Viewing the troubled face of her youngest half-sister, Caroline decided the time had come to at least try to suggest to Lizzie’s mind that there was often more to life than the strictly obvious. Aside from anything else, this time, she had both Sarah and Arabella beside her to help explain.

“I rather think, my love,” commenced Caroline, “that it’s not that Max would disapprove of the connection. His concern is more for your good name.”

Lizzie’s puzzled frown gave no indication of lightening. “But why should my being with his brother endanger my good name?”

Sarah gave an unladylike snort of laughter. “Oh, Lizzie, love! You’re going to have to grow up, my dear. Our guardian’s concerned because he knows what his brother’s like and that, generally speaking, young ladies are not safe with him.”

The effect of this forthright speech on Lizzie was galvanizing. Her eyes blazed in defence of her absent love. “Martin’s not like that at all!”

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re going to have to open your eyes!” Arabella bought into the discussion, sitting up the better to do so. “He’s not only ‘like that,’ Martin Rotherbridge has made a career specializing in being ‘like that.’ He’s a rake. The same as Hugo and Darcy Hamilton, too. And, of course, the greatest rake of them all is our dear guardian, who has his eye firmly set on Caro here. Rakes and Twinnings go together, I’m afraid. We attract them and they—” she put her head on one side, considering her words “—well, they attract us. It’s no earthly good disputing the evidence.”

Seeing the perturbation in Lizzie’s face, Caroline sought to reassure her. “That doesn’t mean that the end result is not just the same as if they were more conservative. It’s just that, well, it very likely takes longer for such men to accept the…the desirability of marriage.” Her eyes flicked to Sarah who, head bent and eyes intent on her fingers, was plaiting more daisies. “Time will, I suspect, eventually bring them around. The danger is in the waiting.”

Lizzie was following her sister’s discourse with difficulty. “But Martin’s never…well, you know, triedto make love to me.”

“Do you mean to say he’s never kissed you?” asked Arabella in clear disbelief.

Lizzie blushed. “Yes. But I kissed him first.”

“Lizzie!” The startled exclamation was drawn from all three sisters who promptly thereafter fell about laughing. Arabella was the last to recover. “Oh, my dear, you’re more a Twinning than we’d thought!”

“Well, it was nice, I thought,” said Lizzie, fast losing her reticence in the face of her sisters’ teasing. “Anyway, what am I supposed to do? Avoid him? That wouldn’t be much fun. And I don’t think I could stop him kissing me, somehow. I rather like being kissed.”

“It’s not the kissing itself that’s the problem,” stated Sarah. “It’s what comes next. And that’s even more difficult to stop.”

“Very true,” confirmed Arabella, studying her slippered toes. “But if you want lessons in how to hold a rake at arm’s length you shouldn’t look to me. Nor to Sarah either. It’s only Caro who’s managed to hold her own so far.” Arabella’s eyes started to dance as they rested on her eldest sister’s calm face. “But, I suspect, that’s only because our dear guardian is playing a deep game.”

Caroline blushed slightly, then reluctantly smiled. “Unfortunately, I’m forced to agree with you.”

A silence fell as all four sisters pondered their rakes. Eventually, Caroline spoke. “Sarah, what are you planning?”

Sarah wriggled her shoulders against the sundial’s pedestal. “Well, it occurred to me that perhaps I should make some effort to bring things to a head. But if I did the obvious, and started wildly flirting with a whole bevy of gentlemen, then most likely I’d only land myself in the suds. For a start, Darcy would very likely not believe it and I’d probably end with a very odd reputation. I’m not good at it, like Bella.”

Arabella put her head on one side, the better to observe her sister. “I could give you lessons,” she offered.

“No,” said Caroline. “Sarah’s right. It wouldn’t wash.” She turned to Lizzie to say, “Another problem, my love, is that rakes know all the tricks, so bamming them is very much harder.”

“Too true,” echoed Arabella. She turned again to Sarah. “But if not that, what, then?”

A wry smile touched Sarah’s lips. “I rather thought the pose of the maiden forlorn might better suit me. Nothing too obvious, just a subtle withdrawing. I’d still go to all the parties and balls, but I’d just become quieter and ever so gradually, let my…what’s the word, Caro? My despair? My broken heart? Well, whatever it is, show through.”

Her sisters considered her plan and found nothing to criticise. Caroline summed up their verdict “In truth, my dear, there’s precious little else you could do.”

Sarah’s eyes turned to Arabella. “But what are you going to do about Lord Denbigh?”

Arabella’s attention had returned to her toes. She wrinkled her pert nose. “I really don’t know. I can’t make him jealous; as Caro said, he knows all those tricks. And the forlorn act would not do for me.”

Arabella had tried every means possible to tie down the elusive Hugo but that large gentleman seemed to view her attempts with sleepy humour, only bestirring himself to take advantage of any tactical error she made. At such times, as Arabella had found to her confusion and consternation, he could move with ruthless efficiency. She was now very careful not to leave any opening he could exploit to be private with her.

“Why not try… ?” Caroline broke off, suddenly assailed by a twinge of guilt at encouraging her sisters in their scheming. But, under the enquiring gaze of Sarah and Arabella, not to mention Lizzie, drinkingit all in, she mentally shrugged and continued. “As you cannot convince him of your real interest in any other gentleman, you’d be best not to try, I agree. But you could let him understand that, as he refused to offer marriage, and you, as a virtuous young lady, are prevented from accepting any other sort of offer, then, with the utmost reluctance and the deepest regret, you have been forced to turn aside and consider accepting the attentions of some other gentleman.”

Arabella stared at her sister. Then, her eyes started to dance. “Oh, Carol” she breathed. “What a perfectly marvellous plan!”

“Shouldn’t be too hard for you to manage,” said Sarah. “Who are the best of your court for the purpose? You don’t want to raise any overly high expectations on their parts but you’ve loads of experience in playing that game.”