Chapter Twenty-three #2
The Viscount then had the happy thought of repairing to the Grand Pump Room, where he ran straight into his mother and Miss Milborne, who were the centre of a chattering group of persons.
Lady Sheringham immediately claimed his attention, and made him known to her new acquaintances.
One of the Misses Chalfont said that she felt herself to know his lordship already, and received a frosty look for her pains.
The Viscount then perceived that Sir Montagu Revesby made one of the group, and favoured him with the coldest of bows, deliberately turning his shoulder when Sir Montagu said smilingly: ‘I am delighted to see you again, my dear Sherry!’ The elder Miss Chalfont then attached his lordship firmly to her side, and asked him if he did not consider the weather clement enough for an expedition to Wells. He replied briefly: ‘No.’
‘Cruel!’ said Miss Chalfont, making play with a pair of fine eyes. ‘I have made up my mind I will go there, for I quite dote on cathedrals, do not you, my lord?’
‘Cathedrals?’ said the Viscount, varying his response. ‘Good God, no!’
‘I am sure I do not know how it will answer, this notion the girls have taken to go to Wells,’ interposed Lady Sheringham. ‘But if dearest Isabella should like the drive, I know you will be pleased to take her in your curricle, Anthony.’
‘Nothing, ma’am, would afford me greater pleasure,’ replied the Viscount, casting a darkling glance at Miss Milborne, ‘were it not that I shall be otherwise engaged.’
‘Oh! naughty!’ cried Miss Chalfont. ‘You do not know which day we mean to go!’
‘I shall be engaged for the whole of my stay in this cur – in this place,’ responded the Viscount.
The dowager, much scandalised by this disobliging speech, showed a tendency to argue the point, but Miss Milborne intervened, saying that she had no notion of going for such a long drive at this season of the year.
Through the ensuing babel of protests, Sir Montagu’s voice made itself heard, gallantly offering to drive Miss Milborne in his curricle, wherever she should like to go.
She thanked him civilly, but returned no positive answer.
Miss Chalfont’s questing eye alighted at this moment on a newcomer to the Pump Room, and since he was quite the most handsome young man who had yet come in her way, she withdrew her attention from Sherry, who lost no time in making his escape, Lord Wrotham, coming up to the party, fell alive into Miss Chalfont’s clutches, and was granted nothing more than an excellent view of the Incomparable’s profile for the following quarter of an hour.
When he at last found an opportunity to approach Miss Milborne, she behaved to him with chill civility, and affected not to hear his urgent request for some private speech with her.
He was about to press the matter when he caught sight of Hero, leading Lady Saltash to a chair, and attended by Mr Tarleton, and the Honourable Ferdy Fakenham and a third gentleman who was a stranger to George.
He got up quickly, said: ‘Pray excuse me!’ to Miss Milborne, and made his way across the room to warn Hero that Sherry was present.
Miss Milborne gazed after him with a wooden countenance, and a bosom swelling with indignation.
George had hardly reached Hero’s side when Sherry bore down upon them. His eyes were fixed on his wife’s face, and he would no doubt have ignored everyone else had he not been brought sharply to earth by Lady Saltash, who said compellingly: ‘Well, Anthony? How do you do?’
He was obliged to pause by her chair, to take her hand, and to answer her questions. After asking him how his mother did, she said in a significant tone: ‘You are acquainted, I believe, with Miss Wantage?’
Sherry stammered that he rather thought he was, and as one in a trance shook hands with Hero.
She did not meet his eyes, murmured a conventional greeting, and swiftly disengaged herself.
Turning to Lady Saltash, she said: ‘Are you quite comfortable there, dear ma’am? You will not mind my leaving you?’
‘No, no, child, be off with you!’ Lady Saltash replied.
‘I know very well you are agog to go! I only wish you may not come to grief one of these days! Mind you have a care to her, Mr Tarleton, and do not be letting her spring your horses in the middle of Bath, which I dare say she is quite capable of doing! Sit down beside me, Sheringham, and tell me all about the London gossip!’
‘I beg you will hold me excused, ma’am!’ Sherry said. ‘If Miss – Miss Wantage wishes to drive, I should be happy to take her in my curricle, for I have the greatest desire to renew my acquaintance with her!’
‘But Miss Wantage is promised to me,’ said Mr Tarleton gently.
He encountered a look that startled him. The Viscount, controlling himself with a visible effort, said: ‘I shall be much obliged to you, ma’am, if you will afford me the favour of a few minutes’ conversation with you, alone!’
Hero, terrified of a scene in public, conscious that her mother-in-law had perceived her, and was staring at her as though she could not credit her eyesight, said hurriedly: ‘Some other time, if you please! Indeed, I am engaged with Mr Tarleton this morning!’
She put her hand on Mr Tarleton’s arm as she spoke, nipping it compellingly.
He instantly sketched a bow to the Viscount, and led her out of the Pump Room.
He felt that she was trembling, and laid his hand over hers, saying: ‘Do not be alarmed! Who was that ferocious young man? I did not properly catch his name.’
‘Lord Sheringham,’ she replied in a shaking voice. ‘You will think it very odd of me, and I cannot explain it to you, but I have a particular desire not to be alone in his company!’
Mr Tarleton assured her she need have no fear of this.
Sherry’s slightly rakish air, coupled with Hero’s words, conjured up an abominable vision of attempted seduction, rapine, and violence.
He felt a burning desire to protect Hero, and, had Sherry attempted to pursue her, would undoubtedly have done his best to have knocked him down.
But Sherry was fully alive to the consequences of forcing an issue in public, and he did not pursue her.
Instead, he turned to Lady Saltash, and asked her to inform him when he might have the honour of calling upon her.
Lady Saltash, hugely tickled by the whole situation, said affably that he might call at any hour which suited him, only they were such gadabouts, she and Miss Wantage, that she could not promise that they would be at home.
The Viscount, no fool, bowed formally and registered a grim resolve to be even with her ladyship one day before he was much older.
He then retired to his mother’s side, and asked her if she was ready to go.
It had occurred to him that it might be as well to put her in possession of the facts of the case.
She received them much as might have been expected, exclaiming against Hero’s effrontery, and taking care to point out to her son that the designing hussy had lost no time in attaching another unfortunate victim to her apron-strings.
She professed herself to be more than willing to speak of her as Miss Wantage, adding that she had never thought of her as anything else.
Shortly after they had reached the Royal Crescent, Miss Milborne joined them, having been escorted to the door by Sir Montagu. Lady Sheringham greeted her with a sort of moan, begging her to say at once if she had seen ‘that shameless creature’ flaunting herself before their eyes in the Pump Room.
Miss Milborne replied: ‘Dear ma’am, she was hardly flaunting herself! I did indeed see her, and I own I was excessively shocked to think of you and Sherry being put into so awkward a situation! I wonder Hero should do such a thing! What everyone must think –!’
‘It’s no such thing!’ snapped Sherry. ‘She is known here as Miss Wantage, and in any event I care nothing for what a parcel of Bath nobodies may think! What makes me as mad as Bedlam is that George, and Gil, and Ferdy all knew she was here! Have known it from the outset!’
‘We guessed as much, did we not?’ said Miss Milborne coldly.
‘Lord Wrotham appears to be so assiduous in his attentions that I am sure I should not wonder at anything I heard. Dear Lady Sheringham, if you do not dislike it, I own I have a great fancy to see Wells. The scheme is that we should go in three carriages – a party of six, you know – to see the cathedral to-morrow, while this mild weather continues. Miss Chalfont assures me that we may do it easily in the daylight, and be back again in Bath in excellent time for dinner. Sir Montagu Revesby has been so obliging as to offer me a seat in his curricle; Mr Chalfont will be of the party, with a friend of his; and both his sisters, of course.’
‘If you take my advice, Bella,’ struck in the Viscount, ‘you will not go jauntering about the country with Revesby!’
‘Thank you, Sherry, you are very good, but since my Mama sees no objection to Sir Montagu, I do not know why you should.’
‘I am sure Sir Montagu is everything that is most unexceptionable,’ said the dowager. ‘Only if you are set on going, my love, I wish I might prevail upon Anthony to escort you, for I am sure you would be more comfortable with him.’
‘On the contrary, ma’am, I should not be at all comfortable with him, for of all things I most abominate a man in a fit of the sullens!’ said Miss Milborne acidly.
‘Take care!’ retorted the Viscount. ‘If you set up my back I’m dashed if I’ll gallant you to the Lower Rooms to-night!’
‘Good gracious! do you mean to do so?’ said Miss Milborne. ‘I assure you I had not the smallest expectation of your being willing to go to the ball!’
‘Well, I am willing, and what’s more I’ve paid for a subscription which gives me a couple of ladies’ tickets as well, so if you and my mother choose to go this evening, you may do so,’ said his lordship gracefully.