April Lady

‘Lord, if ever I saw him in such prime and plummy order before!’ said the Viscount. ‘Now I shall have him going all over town, trying to find the Horse Guards!’ He picked up this own hat, and hesitated, looking at Cardross.

Cardross smiled. ‘You’re a damned fool, Dysart, and a damned nuisance besides – but too good a man to be wasting your talents cutting up cork-brained larks! Don’t tease yourself about your mother! I’ll make all right in that quarter.’

He held out his hand, and the Viscount took it, grinning ruefully. ‘I wish you might!’

‘I will.’

‘Devilish good of you. Got something else to say to you, and it ain’t easy. From what Nell told me, when she found herself in that fix – Well, the long and the short of it is she didn’t know till I told her that you were in love with her. Thought you’d married her as a matter of convenience, and had too much civility to let her see it.’ He gave a crack of laughter. ‘Convenience! Lord, what a silly little greenhead!’

‘Are you serious?’ Cardross demanded. ‘It isn’t possible!’

‘Ain’t it? You don’t know my mother, Cardross!’ said Dysart. ‘Good-night! Must go after Corny!’

He went down the steps, waved, and went striding off. Cardross stood looking after him for a moment, and was just about to go back into the house when a post-chaise swept round the angle of the square, and drew up below him. From this vehicle Mr Allandale jumped down, and turned to give his supporting hand to his betrothed.

‘But what a charming surprise!’ said Cardross blandly.

Fifteen

Mr Allandale, having paid off the postilion, took his love in one hand and Mr Thorne’s cloak-bag in the other, and trod up the steps to the front-door. Here he paused and looked Cardross squarely in the face. ‘I have brought her home, sir,’ he said.

‘I see you have,’ replied Cardross. ‘Most understandable, I am sure!’

Letty cast a scared, resentful look up at him, but said nothing.

‘An explanation is due to you,’ said Mr Allandale. ‘But first I must beg of you most earnestly that whatever wrath you may feel – and I do not deny that it is a just wrath! – you will visit upon my head alone!’

‘I fail entirely to see why I should visit my wrath on your head, but if you suppose me to be contemplating a violent revenge on Letty do let me hasten to reassure you!’

‘You see, love?’ said Mr Allandale tenderly.

‘I’m n-not afraid of Cardross!’ said Letty, in a small, resentful voice.

‘It would have been very much better for you, and all of us if you had been,’ said Cardross. ‘Come into the house, but leave your heroism outside!’ He led the way into the hall, and saw Farley standing in the middle of it with his mouth at half-cock. ‘Just so!’ he remarked.

‘I heard a carriage drive up, my lord!’ explained the butler, staring at Letty.

‘Yes, Lady Letty decided after all she would not spend the night in Bryanston Square,’ said Cardross ironically. ‘You may come into the book-room, both of you.’ He walked to the door and held it wide. Across the room Nell’s eyes met his, a startled question in them. ‘Giles, I thought I heard –’

‘You did, my love. Can you conceive of anything more delightful? Dear little Letty is once more in our midst!’

‘I hate you!’ said Letty passionately, and burst into tears.

‘Letty! Oh, Letty, thank God you’ve come back!’ cried Nell, hurrying forward.

‘I wish I hadn’t! I wish I were dead!’ sobbed Letty.

‘No, no, you mustn’t say that!’ Nell told her, putting an arm round her, and stretching out her other hand to Mr Allandale. ‘Mr Allandale, how glad I am that I wasn’t mistaken in you! I couldn’t think it possible that you would do such an improper thing as to elope with her!’

He kissed her hand punctiliously, and said: ‘I wish that I could find the words to express to your ladyship the sense of obligation I feel. But when I consider the circumstances, and what cause you have had (the whole truth not being known to you) to think me infamous, I am rendered tongue-tied.’

‘Not noticeably,’ said Cardross dryly.

Nell bit her lip, and drew Letty to the sofa. ‘Come, love, sit down beside me, and try to compose yourself!’ She saw how anxiously Mr Allandale was watching Letty, and smiled at him reassuringly. ‘She will be better directly: don’t pay any

heed to her!’

He looked grateful, but turned with a resolute air to Cardross. ‘Sir, I have a duty to discharge. I speak on behalf of Lady Letitia, and I shall be brief, merely imploring you to remember that she is young, and in the greatest distress, and has thrown herself upon your mercy. What I have to disclose to you cannot but shock you deeply. You do not yet know the worst, and it is my painful duty to inform you of it.’