VI #3
“Of course, my dear. I mean to go up myself. ’Tis fatal to one of my delicate constitution to keep late hours. I cannot think how I became so engrossed in my fancywork, for usually, you know, I am fast asleep long before now.”
“I’m sorry if we kept you up, ma’am.”
“No such thing. Nell was here, so I might just as well have gone to bed had the thought occurred. Don’t bother your head, my child. I daresay I shall do well enough.”
Nell listened to this exchange with well-concealed amusement, knowing perfectly well that Lady Agnes kept whatever hours suited her.
That that often meant staying up reading or working her petit point until well past midnight was a well-kept secret, however.
But since her ladyship was quick to assert that she knew she could not sleep if she tried, even Nell forebore to tease her.
Lady Agnes’s delicate constitution, while serving as an excellent excuse whenever she wished to avoid any distasteful duty, rarely interfered with her pleasure.
Rory moved toward the door, but Nell spoke before she reached it. “I should like to have a word with you, dear, if you don’t mind. I shall come to your bedchamber directly.”
“Oh, I should like a comfortable coze above all wings, dear Aunt Nell. But as it happens, I have the headache. Only a trifling thing, I promise you, so you needn’t worry about me, but couldn’t we talk just as well tomorrow?”
Nell agreed, although she suspected her niece of laying the sugar on a bit thickly. The next day was Sunday, and they had no pressing plans. Surely there would be a time to have a serious talk.
By the time they had attended services at the Chapel Royal and had entertained no fewer than three afternoon callers, including Mr. Seton, it began to seem as though Sunday would follow the same pattern as Saturday.
Nell felt her temper rising, and did not know whether it was out of frustration at her seeming inability to corner her niece or simply because Lord Huntley had been so careless as to fail to number among their afternoon callers.
The man simply had to be brought to a stronger sense of his duty toward his intended wife!
Her opportunity to speak to Rory did not occur until the supper table had been cleared and Kit had announced his intention of meeting Harry Seton for a quiet game or two of piquet.
Once he had gone, Rory said something about speaking to Jeremy with regard to Ulysses’ supper, and moved toward the doorway, but before she could escape, if indeed that had been her intent, she was stopped in her tracks by her aunt’s voice, sharper than she had yet heard it.
“One moment, my dear.”
Rory turned, her expression one of innocent curiosity. “Yes, Aunt Nell?”
“Once you have dealt with the matter of Ulysses’ supper, I desire that you shall attend me in my sitting room.”
“Of course, ma’am. I had meant to see about—”
“As soon as you have seen to Ulysses, Rory. I shall be waiting.” Nell’s tone brooked no further delay.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rory fled, and Lady Agnes turned a look of distress upon her daughter. “Dear me, Nell, but you sound nearly cross. What can poor Rory have done in order to deserve a scolding?”
Nell’s features relaxed into a rueful smile.
“Did I sound as if I mean to scold her?” Lady Agnes nodded.
“Well, perhaps I do at that. Have you listened to her, Mama? She speaks only of her own pleasures and seems to have no regard at all for the fact that she is betrothed to Lord Huntley. And last night she behaved abominably.”
“I thought her a trifle high-spirited, perhaps,” her ladyship acknowledged feebly. “However, I daresay ’tis merely her youth makes her behave so.”
“Stuff,” Nell retorted. “Clarissa and Crossways have spoiled that child to death, and she has not learned to behave like a well-bred lady should behave. ’Twas not mere high spirits that caused her to flirt so outrageously with Harry Seton, and surely you cannot wish her to encourage a friendship with that rattle! ”
“Well, no, but truly, Nell, it is most unlike you to be so strict. Do you not think that if Huntley were to pay her a bit more attention, Rory might heed his claims more willingly?”
“Of course I do. You will get no argument on that head, ma’am. I intend to speak to him on that very subject before he is much older, too.” With that, Nell got up and went to deal with her niece, scarcely noting her mother’s astonished expression.
Rory entered the small sitting room off Nell’s bedchamber a few moments later looking wary. She greeted her aunt calmly enough, however, and asked what she had done to vex her.
“You haven’t vexed me precisely, dear,” Nell answered, striving to sound fair-minded at the very least. “’Tis merely that I think you do not realize how very easy it is in polite society for a young girl to step beyond the line of being pleasing.”
“I have gone beyond it?”
“Not yet, perhaps. Not really. Although I could not like your manner with Mr. Seton. You were much too forward, I fear, and might easily have caused him to believe you were encouraging his attentions.”
“But I was encouraging them. I like him.”
“That has nothing to do with anything, my dear. You are betrothed to Huntley, you know, and therefore must not encourage others to pay court to you.”
“Oh, Aunt Nell, I never thought you would be so fusty. What harm is there in a simple flirtation? I came to Brighton to find pleasure, and so far I have spent most of my time in the company of persons a good deal older than myself and have done nothing exciting at all. Mr. Seton is, at least, near to my own age, and I thought him perfectly charming.”
“No doubt,” said Nell dryly, “but I daresay his lordship would scarcely approve such a connection.”
“Well, he’s got nothing to say to it!”
“Nothing to say to it!”
“Of course not. He promised, after all, that I should have all the fun of a proper come-out, and I mean to do so. I doubt he will interfere, and I shall take it most unkindly if you do, for you are quite my favorite aunt and would be even if I had more aunts, and it is most unfair to expect me to comport myself as if I was already a prisoner of Huntley Green.”
Nell did what she could to bring her niece to an understanding of the difference between enjoying parties and balls, and behaving in a manner destined to bring shame upon them all, but it could not be said that she enjoyed any very great success in the matter.
By the time she dismissed the Lady Aurora to her bedchamber, Nell was exhausted and looked forward to the Castle Inn’s assembly, scheduled for the morrow, with nothing less than a feeling of acute trepidation.