CHAPTER NINE #2
He was proved correct, but the hammer price was rather in excess of what Lord Godmanchester had expected, and certainly exceeded Sir Lucius’s winnings.
‘Are you mad, Lucius?’ he whispered, as Mr Ecclesfield patted him on the back and commended his choice.
‘No,’ Sir Lucius murmured, ‘not quite. If you want to 124pay straight away, I have enough, I think, above the roll of soft I collected from Damselfly’s win.’ He took the notes and slid them surreptitiously to his friend. ‘You have bought a nice mare.’ He grinned.
Lord Godmanchester arranged for the mare to be collected by one of his grooms. She was certainly a pretty ladies’ mount, with heavily dappled, steel-grey forequarters, and an intelligent eye.
He thought that Helen would love her looks, but, even in normal circumstances, be very nervous about riding her.
‘Are you very persuasive, Lucius, or am I easily gulled?’
‘Ah. If I said yes to the first I would be insufferably conceited, and if to the second, intolerably rude.’ He laughed, taking his friend’s arm. ‘Let me buy you luncheon at the club to console you.’
‘Console me? That means you do think I am easily gulled!’ Lord Godmanchester grinned.
‘I think I would do better to return to Brook Street and warn my lady wife about her horse, lest Miss Ashling call and we find ourselves in the basket. Join us, then if the questions become too difficult, I can let you answer them.’
‘Not so much a kind invitation then as wanting support?’
‘You might say that.’
‘What are friends for? Thank you, I accept.’
If Lady Godmanchester was astounded to be told that her husband had just ‘bought’ a horse for her, so that she could let Miss Ashling ride it, she contained it well.
The explanation intrigued her even more.
Sir Lucius Radstock was a man whom she found slightly difficult to interpret.
125He was not openly judgemental, and yet she always felt under scrutiny when he spoke to her.
His collaboration in, indeed instigation of, this subterfuge, made her think.
She had never heard her husband remark upon his friend being enamoured of any lady, nor even taking a particular interest in one.
This determination to provide Miss Ashling with a horse at his own expense was so strange a thing as made her wonder if he was actually attempting to fix his interest with her, yet if the horse remained ‘hers’ she failed to see how it would advance his suit.
The mare was duly described to her, so that she need not be in ignorance of its qualities if questioned.
‘Does she have a name, Sir Lucius?’
‘Ever the female mind’ – he smiled – ‘picking up the “vital” details. No, ma’am, naming her can be your task in this scheme.’
‘Well, if she is grey, would “Mist” work?’
‘She is rather dark and stormy for “Mist”, but it might be short for “Mistral”.’
‘Oh yes, that sounds as though it has been well thought through. I shall tell her that.’ She giggled.
‘One should not be deceitful, and yet this sounds rather fun. I do hope I can be suitably casual about it. Now remind me, my lord, you have purchased her for me recently, knowing I will adore her looks, but of course I may not currently ride her, and was about to have her sent to Thornby?’
‘Yes, my dear. That fits the bill exactly.’
After luncheon, the gentlemen departed and Lady Godmanchester changed her gown and prepared for callers.
126She had hoped that Elizabeth would be the first, but had instead to endure one from Lady Cumnor, whom she found irritating, since she recycled gossip with sufficient inaccuracy to make one wonder what the original story had been but not trust what had been repeated. It was most frustrating.
‘And Lady Rendlesham saw them both “disappear”, alone, onto the terrace.’ Lady Cumnor sounded suitably shocked.
‘Oh yes,’ lied Lady Godmanchester blithely.
‘Miss Ashling told me all about it. Mr Escott had written one of his poems, and she really did not want him spouting truly embarrassing verse in front of everyone. Poor girl, she was faced with the awful choice of public humiliation or having to act in a clandestine manner. When the verse is upon them, you know, poets have so little understanding of the proprieties.’
With this, Lady Cumnor had to be content, though she clearly found the answer disappointing.
She then regurgitated several crim. cons.
that Helen Godmanchester had known about for weeks.
It was as much as she could do not to stare hopefully at the ormolu clock on the mantelshelf.
She was, however, glad that Elizabeth did not arrive before Lady Cumnor excused herself.
It was just gone half past the hour when Elizabeth was announced. The look upon Helen Godmanchester’s face was one of joy mixed with relief.
‘Thank goodness it is you, my dearest Elizabeth. I need cheering. I have just endured half an hour with Lady Cumnor, and schooling my features into polite interest has worn me out.’
127‘Oh dear. Do you need a cordial?’
‘No, just good company. She was so keen that I should tell her that I am definitely breeding, just to confirm the tittle-tattle, but I was not going to give her that pleasure. Oh, do tell Lady Chalford that she can do so, privately of course. That will ruin the gossips’ race to get there first.’ She giggled. ‘Now tell me your news.’
Elizabeth took a sudden decision not to tell Lady Godmanchester about her driving lesson from Lord Easby, though later denied to herself it was because it did not sit easily with her conscience.
She was, however, keen to reveal the conversation that she had had with Lord Godmanchester in the park that morning.
‘It would be just the thing, Helen, if you are sure you do not mind?’
‘My dear, how could I do so. I am prevented from riding, as you understand, and poor Mist was going to be sent back to Thornby to eat her head off for the rest of the year. You would indeed be doing me a favour.’
‘Mist? Oh, what a nice name.’
‘Well, she is really Mistral, but I call her Mist. She is such a beautiful creature, but’ – she dropped her voice conspiratorially – ‘I fear my darling husband rather overestimated my abilities. I do find her rather mettlesome, and get nervous when she is on her toes.’
Lady Godmanchester did not think her friend would believe that the horse, as described by Sir Lucius and her husband, would tally with her friend’s memory of her riding skills. In truth, whilst the Slug’s conformation would not have pleased her, its lack of pace would not have concerned her.
128‘Lord Godmanchester did say you had become more adventurous,’ commented Elizabeth.
‘Yes,’ admitted her friend, ‘but I think he is just a bit disappointed, and tries to imagine me braver than I am, poor dear. You were always the bold rider, and I am sure she will suit you perfectly.’ She paused. ‘He said Sir Lucius was with him when he saw you.’
‘Oh yes,’ Elizabeth sighed, and not, thought Lady Godmanchester, in a lovelorn way. ‘I think the Slug offended his sensibilities, or perhaps it was just me. He is the most infuriatingly … infuriating … man.’
‘Why?’
‘He sees too much. I always get the feeling he is watching me and either laughing at me or condemning me and …’
‘And …?’
‘Oh, I do not know, Helen, but he gets everywhere.’
‘He is universally invited, of course.’ Lady Godmanchester frowned. ‘Why should he not be. He is terribly good ton.’
‘No,’ Elizabeth whispered, brows knit. ‘I did not mean socially. He gets into my thoughts.’
‘Oh.’ There was no other reply that Helen Godmanchester felt able to make to this admission. It might mean several things, and jumping to conclusions, however pleasant, might mar all.