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Ridgeway burst out laughing and his eyes suddenly gleamed with a newfound confidence as he stared at Harriet curiously. ‘How did one so young come to be so astute?’ he asked.
‘Well, I’ve hardly had the conventional sheltered upbringing,’ Harriet answered dismissively. ‘I’ve mixed with people from many different walks of life, which I believe has helped me to appreciate other points of view. I have always been interested in people and—well—travel is supposed to broaden the mind,’ she laughed. ‘Isn’t that why young men were sent on the Grand Tour?’
Ridgeway’s eyes crinkled appreciatively. ‘I missed that myself, as a matter of fact,’ he said. ‘So I suppose you must consider my mind to be on the narrow side, since London and the Lake District are the furthest reaches of my travels!’
Harriet flicked his hand with her fan. ‘You know perfectly well that is not what I meant and just for that I shall oblige you to stand up with me for the next dance. So, kindly do your duty, sir, and lead me to my place.’
Laughing together, they re-entered the room and joined the set that was presently forming, Ridgeway carefully ensuring that he positioned them as close as possible to Judith and her partner, young Cedric Lambert, and, as Lady Eugenie struck the first chord, Sandford arrived back just in time to see his betrothed swing into the steps of the dance which he had selected as his.
A hot anger filled his throat as he watched Harriet’s laughing interchanges with the other members of her set and, turning away, his fury was such that he was obliged to sit down to control his breathing. Unfortunately, he chose the seat next to Lady Butler’s.
‘Without a partner, my lord? Your little miss is quite the little honey-pot, I see.’ Her voice held its customary disapproval. ‘She is no doubt used to being the apple of all the men’s eyes.’
Sandford’s eyes glittered in distaste. ‘What makes you think that?’ he asked carefully.
‘Oh, I see how she tosses her head at them all—it is but a come-on—I was used to do it myself, of course, as a girl—I was much admired. She will have had plenty of practice with the military, I’ll be bound, and without such chaperonage as is considered de rigueur in our own society. Certain young women nowadays do seem to have the most perfidious disregard for convention, as I am sure you have found. However, I must admit to a certain surprise that you allowed your own betrothed to disappear into the garden with one of her recent conquests—and for so long!’
Sandford rose to his feet and bowed stiffly. ‘I cannot say that I have much experience of young women’s ways, ma’am,’ he ground out between clenched teeth. ‘And, since it appears we are about to go in for supper, I am sure you will excuse me if I now make a push to collect my own young lady before she bestows that singular honour on one of her many conquests!’
‘Your loyalty does you credit and is most touching, I’m sure,’ sniffed Lady Butler, also rising heavily to her feet. ‘I suppose I must see to my own repast, as usual.’
She waited expectantly for Sandford to offer his arm but he, still seething with indignation, ignored both her remark and her person and turned swiftly away from her just in time to see a smiling Ridgeway leading Harriet towards him.
‘Apologies, Sandford,’ said his cousin cheerfully. ‘I appear to have stolen your dance—Miss Cordell seems to have misread her card—not going to call me out, I trust?’
Sandford swallowed. He had been about to take Harriet to task, but had no quarrel with Charles. He doubted that Harriet had misread her dance-card, for she had made it perfectly clear that she did not care to dance with him. He gave Ridgeway a mock punch in the arm and said, with forced gaiety, ‘Pistols at dawn, I should think—I trust you’re as much out of practice as I am?’
Ridgeway returned the punch and laughed. ‘Quite right, coz. Guard her with your life—she’s a pearl beyond price!’ He smiled down at Harriet. ‘Thank you, dear lady—I think I know what to do now.’
Sandford frowned as he watched his cousin walk away. ‘What was that supposed to mean?’ he asked suspiciously.
‘Oh, nothing,’ countered Harriet quickly, not wishing to divulge Ridgeway’s confidences. ‘I’m truly sorry about the dance mix-up—shall we go in to supper? I see Lady Caroline beckoning us.’
The viscount led her to his mother’s table, where the countess and Lady Eugenie were exchanging reminiscences.
‘Harriet, my dear. Do join us.’ Lady Caroline patted the seat next to her. ‘Robert and Charles will fetch us our supper.’
She smiled at her son, who battled his way through the crowd to find Ridgeway already at the supper table collecting a plateful of sweetmeats and comfits.
Charles glanced at his cousin and grimaced. ‘Can’t stand these things meself,’ he said. ‘No substance to any of ‘em.’
Sandford laughed, nodding. ‘A good beef sandwich would suit me—and a tankard of decent ale.’ He looked around. ‘I suppose it’s Madeira or Portuguese for us, as
usual?’
Ridgeway pointed to the decanters. ‘Brandy too, I see. I wonder how Judith managed to slip that past her ladyship?’ Laughing, he made his way back through the throng to his table.
Sandford tossed back one large glass of brandy and indicated to the footman to pour him another. Thus fortified, he collected his glasses of lemonade and delivered them to the ladies who were still discussing the dances.
‘Not nearly so graceful as the minuets,’ Lady Caroline was saying, ‘but a good deal more lively. The young ones look so merry. We always had to be so serious, for the steps were quite intricate, you know.’
‘The country tunes are so cheerful, too,’ agreed Lady Eugenie. ‘Mrs Brewster brought me some new ones from London—and some German waltzes, too. I have been practising all week for this evening.’
Sandford’s eyes lit up at her words. ‘You play the waltz,
Aunt Eugenie?’ he asked, the germ of an idea stirring in his mind.
Lady Eugenie nodded, and then shook her head doubtfully. ‘Judith’s mother will never allow it,’ she said. ‘I understand it is still considered rather risqué.’
Sandford, now in a very mellow mood, laughed. ‘Not at a private party, surely?’ he asked. ‘And with such doughty chaperons present? I shall speak to Judith myself—come along, Charles, let us petition her together.’
Ridgeway glanced at his cousin curiously as they sought out their hostess. ‘What are you up to, Sandford?’ he asked. ‘Lady Butler won’t be at all amused, you know.’
Sandford stopped and whirled round to face him, his face flushed and his eyes bright. ‘Dammit, man!’ he said angrily. ‘This is Judith’s house, and she will decide. What’s more—if I want to waltz with my fiancée, I defy anyone to stop me!’
Charles put his hand on Sandford’s arm. ‘Steady on, dear boy,’ he said quietly. ‘Surely you cannot be foxed? Judith will not appreciate your making a scene, you know.’
Sandford hesitated. It was true that the strong spirit might have somewhat impaired his judgement, but it had been the exhilarating thought of whirling Harriet around the room that was responsible for the sudden rush of blood to his head. He took a deep breath and flashed a conspiratorial grin at his cousin.
‘Ne’er a bit, Charles’, he said. ‘Just thought to liven things up a touch. Wouldn’t you like to waltz with Judith?’
Ridgeway reddened and looked away. ‘Not sure I’d know how,’ he said diffidently. ‘Not been much of a one for dancing.’
‘This one is different. Your feet will soon tell you, once the music starts, I promise you. Come on, let’s ask the lady.’ They found their hostess collecting couples for the first after-supper dance and soon discovered that, after all, she needed little persuasion. Her party was an assured success and, as the guests consisted entirely of family and friends, she felt sure that it was highly unlikely anyone would take exception to this little divertissement.
‘Apart from your mother, of course,’ pointed out Sandford basely.
Judith pulled a face at him. ‘You need not remind me, dear brother,’ she said. ‘However, Mama will not make a fuss until everyone has left, so do let’s—it will be the perfect finish to our assembly!’
Since this had been his lordship’s intention, he merely grinned and nudged his cousin who, catching some of Judith’s excitement, had grasped her by the hand.
‘Will you do me the honour, Judith?’ he said breathlessly. ‘I can’t promise expertise, but I will do my best.’
Judith looked up at him in surprised delight and found herself blushing. ‘Thank you, Charles,’ she said almost shyly. ‘It will be my pleasure.’
As soon as the last chord of the eightsome reel had died away, Judith clapped her hands to gain everyone’s attention. She then announced that the very last dance of the evening was to be a waltz and that anyone who wished to try out this new dance was very welcome to take the floor. There was a gasp of excitement from the younger members of the local gentry, most of whom had undergone tortuous instruction from Monsieur Lavette, the local dancing master, but few of whom had ever expected to put their dubious skills into action quite so soon. There was a feverish rush of brothers seeking out the sisters who had been their usual partners when Monsieur had attended them for their weekly lessons and a hasty consultation with parents by those without convenient siblings.
The reels and sets that followed Judith’s announcement
were danced with an undercurrent of anticipation. Few of the older guests had actually seen the waltz performed but they were, for the most part, level-headed country folk who liked to make up their own minds about such things and who felt that there were enough chaperons amongst them to curb any excessive behaviour that their offspring might exhibit.
Sandford found that the sets he had secured with Harriet were rather unsatisfactory, insofar as conversation was concerned, and the ‘grand chaining’ that formed part of the movements meant that he was forever having to change partners. No wonder no one else had initialled them, he thought savagely, as he led yet another schoolgirl under the arches of raised arms.
Eventually he had his moment as they stood together once again waiting their turn to ‘strip the willow’ and, looking down at her bright and laughing face he said in a low voice, ‘You will waltz with me, Miss Cordell.’
‘Oh, no! I don’t think so, thank you, my lord,’ she said, flushing momentarily.
‘You misunderstand,’ he said shortly. ‘You will waltz with me!’
Startled, Harriet looked up at him in dismay, but was swung away down the set by her new partner before she could formulate a reply. She completed the rest of the movements in a stunned rage, causing at least one of her young admirers to wonder in what way he had offended her that she should look so crossly at him.
At last the floor was cleared and Lady Eugenie struck a new chord. The first notes of the stirring music were played and there were a few suppressed giggles as the floor remained empty while the local blades dug their friends in the ribs to spur them into action. Their movements were stilled as Sandford led his new betrothed into the middle of the floor.
Placing his right hand firmly on her waist, he pulled her towards him and clasped her hand in his. Holding her breath, she raised her free hand to his shoulder, trembling as she felt herself propelled backwards. Moving together as one, they swung across the floor in time to the compelling beat of the music and all eyes were upon them as Sandford neatly executed a reverse turn at the corner of the room. There came a ripple of applause and Dick Bevans, the squire’s youngest son, grabbed his sister by the hand and dragged her on to the floor, to the accompanying cheers of his friends, who quickly found their own partners and joined them.
As the floor became more crowded, Sandford skilfully guided Harriet around the less-practised pairs. So smooth were his steps and the pressure of his hands was so confidently in command of her body that she began to feel quite heady, as though she were skimming across a frozen lake. She had waltzed several times before, at the winter headquarters in Lisbon, but never with such an expert. She glanced up at his face, which was curiously expressionless, his eyes carefully anticipating unexpected manoeuvres from all sides. Like a general going into battle, she thought suddenly and choked back her laughter in a hiccough.
He looked down at her in concern and almost missed his step. The laughter brimmed into her eyes as her lips curved in a wide smile.
‘You don’t seem to be enjoying this much, my lord,’ she challenged him. ‘In fact, onlookers might suppose that you were undergoing some sort of penance.’
The viscount studied her animated face and sighed. ‘My apologies,’ he said wryly. ‘I suppose I was trying to impress you.’
He swept her round another untutored pair as he spoke and she marvelled once more at his ability. ‘Oh, but I am,’ she said. ‘Impressed, I mean. You’ve obviously done this before.’
Sandford laughed and his spirits began to rise. ‘A fair bit. It was all the rage in Vienna last year.’
He sidestepped nimbly to avoid a young couple in danger of imminent disaster and, in doing so, drew Harriet more closely to him. This is more like it, he thought with a surge of satisfaction.
‘More pleasant than our continual jousting, wouldn’t you say?’ He tightened his hold around her waist. ‘A much better way of ‘'getting to grips” with one’s enemy.’
Harriet looked up at him in consternation as he swung her around once more. ‘I do not consider you to be an enemy, my lord,’ she protested, ‘and I trust you do not think of me in that way.’
Sandford smiled down into her eyes. ‘Better if I don’t tell you how I do think of you, perhaps?’
Harriet, flustered, drew her eyes away from his and missed her step. Swiftly, he corrected his to hers and they were once more in time with the music.
Struggling to keep her eyes away from his outrageous gleam, Harriet attempted to devote her attention to her footwork. She refused to look up, but had the strangest sensation that the viscount was laughing at her. She caught sight of Charles Ridgeway quite competently shepherding Judith around the room and both were looking extremely pleased with themselves. All at once her reticence evaporated and, tossing her head back, she relaxed into the haven of Sandford’s embrace and abandoned herself to the compulsive rhythm of the dance.
Sandford’s cup was full. Holding her in his arms at last made him feel as though he had won a great victory. He wished that the music could go on forever, taking them both into a land where there would be no more bickering, no stand-offs, no contention, just pure unadulterated bliss. Oblivious to all else around them, together they swayed and moved as one, whirling and twirling in perfect harmony. Inevitably, the spell was broken as Lady Eugenie played her last triumphant chord and the roomful of laughing, breathless couples swung finally to a halt.
There was a burst of spontaneous applause from both dancers and audience alike and the younger ones crowded around Judith, begging for just one encore but, shaking her head, she smilingly pointed at the clock, for it was almost midnight and, as she reminded them, the following day was Sunday.
In the darkened carriage Sandford leaned back against the velvet squabs with his eyes closed, only half-listening to his mother’s approving comments regarding the success of the evening. He had to strain to catch Harriet’s soft replies to the countess’s questions, but found himself quite content just to hear the rippling sound of her voice. He was acutely conscious of the sensation of being at the threshold of some lofty precipice where a single false step would send him hurtling into an uncharted ravine. Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow I shall tread lightly and with great care.
Chapter Seven
‘There’s a letter for you, Miss Cordell,’ said Rose, as she helped her mistress remove her pelisse on her return from the morning service.
‘A letter?’ exclaimed Harriet, examining the sealed missive curiously. ‘Who can have written to me—I saw everyone I know at church this morning!’
‘Ned sent it up from the gate lodge, miss,’ ‘said Rose, hanging up the outdoor garments. Said it had been pushed under the door.’
Harriet unfolded the paper and read the contents with a frown. Dearest—meet me tomorrow in our own special place—C.
Puzzled, she turned the note over to check the direction and saw her name clearly written there.
‘Well, it can’t be meant for me—who do I know with that initial? Charles Ridgeway, to be sure, but I am certain it is not he—and young Lambert, last evening—oh! I see!’
Smiling broadly, she sat down and removed her bonnet. ‘It’s some sort of boyish prank, I suspect—a wager with one of his friends, I suppose—although I don’t quite see—still, it’s of no importance.’ And she tossed the note aside and allowed Rose to tidy her hair before going to the earl’s chamber to keep her promise of giving him a full account of the previous evening’s entertainment.
She found his lordship sitting in a large armchair by the window and clapped her hands in delight. ‘You are out of bed!’ she exclaimed, as she bent to kiss the top of his head.
He held out his hand and motioned her to a footstool at his feet.
‘So you’ve come to tell me of your great success.’ He smiled. ‘I fear you have been forestalled. Sandford has already been here singing your praises. I hear he had to fight his way through the mêlée to dance with you!’
Harriet blushed guiltily as she recalled the embarrassment she had caused the viscount over her mix-up with the dances, although it would appear from the earl’s words that she had been forgiven for her lapse.
‘Not quite, my lord,’ she said. ‘But it was all very great fun and Judith looked delightful. She came out of mourning especially—you do not mind?’ She looked at him anxiously, conscious of the knowledge that Philip had been his son.
The earl shook his head and sighed. ‘No, poor child. It is time. She has a life of her own to live.’ He patted her hand. ‘Now, what about this daring exhibition you gave with Sandford?’
Harriet beamed. ‘Oh, he must take all the credit for that, my lord. I was completely innocent and taken totally off guard, I assure you! But he does dance divinely, you know!’ At her vivid recollection of that episode her heart seemed to skip several beats.
‘Takes after his sire, of course,’ chortled the earl.
Quickly marshalling her thoughts, Harriet took hold of his hand and replied with an impish grin, ‘Then I insist on being privy to these remarkable skills! So you must make haste to get back on to both feet.
Beldale studied her animated face. ‘I doubt I shall be on my feet before you leave, child,’ he said, his voice gentle.
Harriet flinched and her vivid eyes clouded over.
‘I keep forgetting,’ she said tremulously. ‘When I am here with you I keep forgetting!’
She bent her head to brush away a tear and the earl laid his hand on her burnished locks and smiled a strange, quiet smile to himself.
‘Now, now, no tears today, if you please,’ he commanded briskly. ‘I demand to be amused. Tell me more of Judith’s party.’
Harriet dismissed her melancholia and set about entertaining Beldale in her usual appealing manner and soon they were both laughing at her anecdotes of the previous evening.
‘And the oddest thing,’ she finished, wiping her eyes. ‘One of the young daredevils has actually sent me a billet-doux but neglected to sign his name, so I fear I shall never know who my reluctant admirer is!’
‘Then he must take his chances with the rest of us,’ chaffed Lord William. ‘I have no doubt you will now be so inundated with invitations from our neighbours that I shall have to make an appointment.’
Harriet shook her head vigorously. ‘Not so, my lord,’ she responded, with great seriousness. ‘Your requirements would always take precedence. I have come to regard you as—almost—as a—father. Is that very presumptuous of me? I do miss him so.’
The earl was silent for a moment and Harriet was afraid that she had offended him with her impetuous remark until he took her hands in his and said, warmly, ‘Harriet, my dear child, you have paid me the greatest compliment. I am well aware of the deep bond that existed between your father and yourself. When you have been with me I have often found myself regretting that I did not spend as much time with my own daughters as I might have done—although I must confess that I do not recall them having quite as lively a nature …’
His eyes twinkled at the blush that appeared as he patted her cheek. ‘Do not be so eager to extinguish it completely, dear girl. I am already filled with envy that your grandfather is soon to be the fortunate recipient of your infectious chuckle.’
‘I pray that I find such favour with him,’ said Harriet fervently.
‘I cannot think that you will fail to do so,’ his lordship vociferated, ‘unless he is blind or deaf or the greatest curmudgeon ever and we know that he cannot be any of these, for he is presently braving the tribulations of long-distance travel to come to your rescue!’
Harriet nodded and rose to her feet, seeing Chegwin approaching with the earl’s medication. ‘That’s true,’ she said. ‘And my consolation is that the longer he takes the more time I can spend with you!’
‘Away with you, shameless hussy,’ laughed Beldale. Then a thought struck him. ‘Go and practise your beguiling charms on Sandford—I’ll warrant he is not so easily moved!’
