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She nodded. ‘It does seem rather frivolous to be discussing art and philosophy when the fate of Europe hangs in the balance.’
‘Just so.’ He glanced at her fingers, which were holding her closed fan. The right hand was folded over the left so he could not see any ring, but she had such poise and confidence that he guessed she was a married woman. He glanced about the room. ‘Which of these gentlemen is your husband?’
‘Oh, I am not married.’ She chuckled. ‘Actually, that applies to a number of the women here tonight, but in my case I am not in a union with anyone, either. Many here are opposed to the concept of marriage,’ she explained. ‘No church ceremony can bind a man and woman together, only love can do that. Love, and a commonality of intellectual interests, of course.’
Her eyes were fixed on his face and he had the impression she was trying to shock him.
‘And is that your conviction, too?’
He had the satisfaction of seeing that his blunt question had discomposed her, but then he was a little sorry when she looked away from him.
‘It is what I was brought up to believe.’
He said, ‘It would require a great deal of trust on the woman’s part, I think, to enter into such a union without the blessing of the church. She would not have the protection of the man’s name.’
‘She would not become his property, either. The current law is a scandalous state of affairs and has serious disadvantages for a woman.’
He inclined his head.
‘Very true, Miss Endacott.’
A female of decided opinions. Not his type at all.
‘Ah, Mary, so you have met my brother.’
He had not seen Harriett come up, but now she linked arms with Miss Endacott.
‘We introduced ourselves,’ he said shortly.
‘I would not have thought that necessary,’ said Harriett. ‘Did you not recognise the nose, Mary? All the Latymors have it, and any number of villagers, too, thanks to Papa. At home one could never walk through Chalfont Magna without encountering at least two of his by-blows. Oh, there is no need for you to look daggers at me, Randall, Mary knows all about our father’s dissolute ways. We are very old friends, you see. We were at Miss Burchell’s Academy together.’
He relaxed, just a little. So the forward Miss Endacott was one of Harriett’s free-thinking school friends.
‘That explains a great deal,’ he murmured.
Harriett’s eyes twinkled. ‘Has Mary outraged you with her radical ideas? Her parents were great admirers of Mrs Godwin—Mary Wollstonecraft—hence her name.’
Miss Endacott chuckled, a soft, warm sound that was very pleasing to the ear.
‘I certainly tried to be outrageous, Hattie, but your brother would not rise to the bait.’
‘Well, you know he is a soldier, and commands a company of rogues, so he is most likely unshockable.’
With two pairs of eyes fixed upon him, two laughing faces turned up to his, Randall felt ill at ease. He gave a little nod and left them. By God, he would prefer to face a charge by French cavalry than these teasing women! He passed Theo, who was at the centre of a group of clerics and rather surprisingly arguing for Catholic emancipation, and moved on to a group of young men who were discussing the Lake poets, but he was thankful when Mr Bentinck came up and carried him away.
‘You do not look to be enjoying yourself, my lord.’
‘I confess I have little in common with your guests,’ replied Randall carefully ‘I came to please my sister.’
‘Ah, yes. Mrs Graveney.’ His host nodded. ‘She may prefer not to be known as Lady Harriett these days but she is very proud of you, you know. She likes the fact that you followed your grandfather into the artillery rather than buying a commission. Well, sir, there are fellows over here whose conversation might be more to your taste.’
Bentinck took him across to a cluster of tradesmen who were eager for news of Bonaparte. Randall stayed for a while, discussing the latest situation and how it might affect their business, before moving on.
The good dinner his sister had provided at Somervil, plus the Bentincks’ excellent wines, were having an effect. Randall felt more relaxed, more able to participate in the conversations, but even as he did so, he found his eyes straying to Mary Endacott as she moved around the room. Her figure was very good and she had a natural grace. He liked the way the swing of her hips set the thin skirts of her muslin gown fluttering in the most alluring fashion as she walked. When she passed close to him he stepped away from the group he was with to talk to her.
‘You are not enamoured of any of the discussions, Miss Endacott?’
‘On the contrary, I find them all fascinating, but a heated debate on theology with Mr Graveney has left me sadly thirsty.’
‘Allow me.’ He accompanied her to the table at the side of the room, where an array of jugs and decanters were set out. He filled two wine glasses and held one out to her.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I am sure you are more used to raising a finger and having a servant wait upon you.’
‘Trying to put me to the blush, Miss Endacott? You will not succeed.’ He followed her to a vacant sofa and sat down beside her. ‘I am a soldier and accustomed to much rougher conditions than these.’
She laughed.
‘Of course you are. Hattie has told me all about Randall’s Rogues, the raff and scaff of the military gathered into one troop. Men it is impossible to place elsewhere. If you had not taken them most would have been hanged by now.’ She sipped at the wine. ‘I do not approve of war, but your efforts in this case are admirable; you have turned them into a formidable unit. From the despatches I read in the newspapers they acquitted themselves well in the Peninsula.’
‘They are all good artillerymen.’
‘Perhaps they have a good colonel.’
Randall shrugged.
‘I demand only two things, Miss Endacott, unquestioning obedience and loyalty.’
She shook her head at him.
‘Loyalty I can understand, but unquestioning obedience? I do not think I could give anyone that.’ She gave a little shrug and smiled at him. ‘Nevertheless, I have to congratulate you on your success, sir. To take such unpromising material and turn them into a crack artillery troop is no mean feat.’
‘A man’s background is nothing to me, as long as he can fight.’
‘But how does one control such men?’ she asked him.
‘Iron discipline. The lash and the rope. When a man joins the Rogues he knows it is his last chance.’
He saw the disapproval in her eyes.
‘That is a brutal way to go on, my lord.’
‘It is necessary. In war a man must know he can rely on his comrades.’
‘I would there were no wars and no need for armies.’
‘That is a dream of all reasonable beings, madam.’
He leaned back, watching the changing emotions flicker across her countenance.
She said a little wistfully, ‘My father was a great supporter of the revolution in France, and of Bonaparte, at first. Papa thought he would uphold democracy, until he proclaimed himself emperor and began to overrun Europe.’
‘Thus, until the world is at peace we shall always need soldiers, Miss Endacott.’
‘We shall indeed. But this is dismal talk, Lord Randall, surely there must be a more entertaining topic?’
‘Yes, you,’ he said, surprising himself, but it was worth it to see the becoming blush spread over her cheeks.
‘No, no, I am not entertaining at all.’
‘Will you not let me be the judge of that?’ She shook her head and looked as if she might leave him, so he said quickly, ‘Very well, what would you like to discuss? Let us agree that I shall allow you to choose the first topic for discussion. You must then allow me my choice.’
She leaned back against the arm of the sofa and regarded him, a faint smile playing at the edges of her mouth.
‘Very well. I would like to know what persuaded the great Earl Randall to attend the party tonight.’
‘That is simple: my sister asked me.’
‘Even though you clearly do not approve of us?’
‘Even so. I am only here for one week and did not wish to spend an evening apart from Harriett.’
‘Hattie always said you were the best of the Latymors.’ She observed his surprise and her smile grew. ‘You must remember I have been Hattie’s friend since our schooldays, Lord Randall. I am aware that your mother, the countess, was outraged when Harriett returned from school with her head full of independent ideas. Our intentions were very much the same, you see. We both wished to make our own way in the world and declared we would never marry. It must have been a relief when Hattie fell head over heels in love with Theophilus three years ago.’
‘It was. Graveney had a comfortable independence and my mother was too relieved to see her daughter respectably married to protest at her new son-in-law’s rather unconventional views.’
Randall was surprised that he should talk so freely. It was not his habit to discuss his family with anyone, but there was an elusive charm about this woman that put him at his ease.
‘Quite...’ she nodded ‘...and they have lived happily in Sussex ever since, unconcerned that Harriett’s family disapprove of the match.’
‘I do not disapprove,’ said Randall mildly. ‘For my part I have no objection to Graveney. He is a decade older than I am and we have little in common, but I like the fact that he has made no effort to ingratiate himself with the family and he is not afraid to speak his mind.’
‘You do not object to that?’ she asked, her brows raised.
‘No, I respect it. And I am content that the fellow can support Harriett and make her happy.’ He paused. ‘Now what have I said to make you smile?’
‘Hattie told me you were very different from the rest of the Latymors.’
‘Oh?’ He stiffened. ‘May I ask what she has said about our family?’
‘She did not imply any criticism,’ she replied quickly. ‘Merely that you are more tolerant than the others. I expect that comes from being a soldier and away so much. I believe your mama, Lady Randall, runs the house and estates at Chalfont Magna in your absence and looks after your younger brothers?’
‘Yes, they are twins and still at Eton.’
‘How old are they now, fourteen? I have no doubt they are very proud of you.’
‘I do not know, I hardly see them. I have been on campaign for most of their lives.’
‘That is very sad, they could learn so much from you. Have you no thoughts of leaving the army and going home, taking your place as head of the household?’
Home. Randall considered Chalfont Abbey. Had he ever felt at home there? His mother ran everything like clockwork and he had always been happy to let her do so. He felt a little spurt of irritation. How dare the woman question him in this way?
‘I have a job to do, Miss Endacott. Perhaps you do not understand that I have a duty to my men and my country.’
‘Of course I understand that, but perhaps, when this campaign is over, you might decide to stay at Chalfont. I am sure your mama would welcome your support.’
‘I doubt it. She has always managed very well without me.’
Even as he said it he was not sure it was true. This last short visit to Chalfont had shown him that she was growing older. She left more of the work to the stewards now.
‘What of the rest of your family? Harriett tells me your oldest sister is in Europe.’
‘Yes.’
‘You do not approve?’
He frowned. This young woman was too perceptive for comfort. He knew he could snub her, but he was enjoying talking to her, more so than anyone else he had met this evening. She spoke again, saying in a reflective voice, ‘From what Harriett has told me about Augusta I am sure she was eager to follow the ton to Paris.’
‘She was and her doting husband indulged her. My mother sent my youngest sister Sarah with them, knowing she would be thrown in the way of eligible young men and hoping she might be induced to accept one of them.’ He gave a little huff of amusement. ‘My mother thinks that at two-and-twenty Sarah is running out of time to find a husband.’
Again Miss Endacott gave that warm gurgle of laughter.
‘Yes, she is practically on the shelf!’
‘But her twin is unmarried—did you know there are two sets of twins in our family?’ he asked. ‘My mother has seven surviving children of which I am the eldest. Our father was very productive.’
His jaw tightened. The old earl had been well known for his insatiable appetite, not just for his wife but for any woman.
‘Yes, I did know Sarah had a twin brother, but when it comes to marriage it is very different for a man.’ Miss Endacott’s voice interrupted his bitter thoughts. ‘Gideon will be free to do very much as he pleases. How is he enjoying his new cavalry regiment, by the by?’
‘I have no idea, he does not correspond with me.’
‘If you will excuse my saying so, Lord Randall, you do not seem a very close family, but I believe that is the way amongst the nobility.’
‘And what do you know of the nobility, Miss Endacott?’
He spoke frostily and saw her visibly withdraw from him.
‘Now I have offended you,’ she said quietly. ‘I had best leave you—’
A moment ago he had been wishing her at Hades, but as she made to rise he put out a hand to stop her.
‘We had a bargain, Miss Endacott.’ The faint lift of an eyebrow told him she would dispute it and he tried for a softer note. ‘Please, ma’am, stay and talk to me.’
The distant look faded from her countenance and she sank back on the sofa, waiting expectantly for him to begin.
‘Do you make a long stay with the Bentincks, Miss Endcaott?’
‘Two weeks only. A pity because I would have liked to see more of Harriett.’
