The Masqueraders

‘Oh no!’ Robin besought. ‘What amusement should I have left to solace me if I no longer saw the respectable Fanshawe caught in the toils of a set of adventurers? Does it not go against the grain, my dear sir?’

‘No, midget, it tickles my sense of the ridiculous. All that goes against the grain with me is to see Prue in a dangerous position, and to watch you courting Letty Grayson. What do you hope for there?’

‘The old gentleman assures me that I am also Tremaine of Barham,’ Robin answered lightly. ‘What do you make of that, O mountain?’

‘Very little,’ said Sir Anthony. ‘As for the filial respect you do not show to your father –’

‘Prue, did I not say it was all propriety? My very dear sir, I reserve all my respect for my so eminently respectable brother-in-law. The old gentleman is not in the least respectable. If you had had the doubtful pleasure of knowing him for as long as I have, you would realize that.’

‘I might, of course,’ Sir Anthony conceded. ‘But so far, the more I see of him the more I feel that he is a person to be treated with considerable respect, and ?

?? er – circumspection.’

Twenty-two

Tortuous Methods of my Lord Barham

Robin preserved the light manner, but he had begun to chafe at his petticoats. Faith, the old gentleman seemed to do nothing and there were rumours current now that Rensley, as soon as he was able to leave his room, meant to bring a case against his would-be cousin. Robin had small mind to go on playing the lady indefinitely. He believed the Black Domino remained in Letty’s memory, but he had little chance of seeing her as the days passed. She was out driving, or she was visiting, or even she was indisposed. When he did meet her she was abstracted, and volunteered no confidences. There were shadows under her eyes: her aunt said it was no wonder, since nowadays she was seldom in bed before midnight; Robin dared to hope a Black Domino had induced this wistfulness.

Prudence thought nothing at all of it; she was rather pre-occupied with her own affairs, and showed but slight interest even when Robin spoke of John’s new behaviour. Robin became aware of the frequent absences of his faithful henchman, and receiving only evasive replies to a sharp question or two, immediately suspected activity on the part of my Lord Barham. Prudence said placidly that it was very possible she thought they were like to know all soon enough.

She was right: in a short while my lord came to pay a morning visit in Arlington Street, and having rapturously kissed my Lady Lowestoft’s hands, requested the favour of some private talk with his son.

My lady opined mischief to be brewing, shook a playful finger, and went off most obligingly.

Robin turned one of the bracelets on his arm, and shot a quick look at his father. ‘Well, sir?’

My lord dusted his sleeve with a lace handkerchief. ‘I come, my Robin, at last. There is work on hand for you, my son.’

‘God be praised for that! Do I come out of these petticoats, sir?’

‘For a little, son, for a little only! Patience! I unfold a miracle.’

‘I’m all attention, sir. Let me hear it.’

My lord sat down by the window. There was a gleam in his eyes Robin knew full well, and the smile curling his lips was one of reflective pleasure. By the signs my lady was right, and there was mischief brewing indeed. ‘My son, I see the end of the road. It becomes plain at last. I arrange all with wonderful subtlety. You may say that I pull a string here, and a string there, and the puppets move.’

‘Lord, sir! Am I one of your puppets?’

‘But, of course, my Robin!’ said his lordship affectionately. ‘I set the stage for you to play the hero. You shall thank me.’

‘Shall I, sir? It’s a part I’m not in the habit of playing, that of hero.’

‘I assign to you a rôle the most romantic,’ announced my lord. ‘Certainly you shall thank me.’

‘Well, let me hear it, sir. You become interesting.’

‘I become dangerous, Robin – dangerous as only I can be. I am Nemesis, no less! And you – you are the instrument to my hand. You shall rescue a lady, and kill the villain.’

‘Out, sword!’ said Robin flippantly. ‘You hold me entranced, sir. Who is the lady?’

My lord looked surprised. ‘Who but the lady of your heart, my son? Do I arrange so clumsily?’

Robin stiffened. The flippancy left him, and he spoke crisply. ‘What’s this?’

‘I kiss my fingers to her!’ My lord made a gesture very French. ‘She is ravishing!’

‘Who?’