The Scarlet Gown Read online

‘Good gracious,’ exclaimed Francesca. ‘And did that stop you from doing such a foolhardy thing in future?’

  ‘Of course not. In fact, old Lord Adversane, Ralph’s father, was the first to encourage us to go back and try again, but this time under supervision. We climbed the rock many times after that without mishap.’ He shook his head, smiling at the memory. ‘Ralph and I were a couple of tearaways when we were boys and often found ourselves in the most outrageous scrapes!’

  ‘Oh?’ Lucy cast a laughing glance at Mrs Colne. ‘I am sure we should like to hear all about them.’

  Ralph shook his head and after warning Harry not to sully the ladies’ ears with such nonsense he went off, leaving Mr Colne to entertain them. They were soon joined by Sir Timothy, and shortly after Lucy moved away. A glance at the ormulu clock on the mantelpiece showed her that there was some time before she needed to slip away. She noted that Ralph had already disappeared and she went over to sit with his sisters, who were engaged in a lively discussion with Judith Cottingham on the benefits of education for women. When the clock’s delicate chimes signalled the half-hour she excused herself and slipped out of the drawing room.

  Lord Adversane’s study was situated at the far side of the entrance passage, just beyond the dining room. A few words with Ralph were all that was needed to make sure he did not contradict anything she had said to Adam and Judith Cottingham. There would be no need for her to stay more than a couple of minutes. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that it was not until she reached the study door that she heard voices from within. She recognised Harold Colne’s voice, which was raised enough for his words to carry out to her with disastrous clarity.

  ‘I cannot remain quiet any longer, Ralph. I thought at first I was mistaken but tonight, seeing her in that gown— What are you playing at, man? And what in heaven’s name possessed you to offer for a girl who is the living image of Helene?’

  Lucy jumped away from the door. There was no mistaking Mr Colne’s disapproval. If Harry, who was Ralph’s oldest friend, was uneasy about his motives, then something must surely be wrong. She retired to the Great Hall, thankful that it was for the moment deserted.

  What should she do? She could pretend she had not heard Harry’s remarks, but that would not allay her own fears, which had resurfaced, stronger than ever. She put her hands to her cheeks. Had she been deceiving herself simply because she wanted to live in luxury for a few weeks, ignoring her principles because of the largess that would be hers once she had completed her contract? It was a lowering thought and crowding in close behind it came another. If Ralph had hired her merely to play his hostess then surely there was no need for her to look like Helene. She wrapped her arms about herself. Unless he was still in love with his wife’s memory.

  She heard a rapid footstep, and Mr Colne appeared. He was looking troubled, but the frown vanished when he saw her.

  She said quickly, ‘May I have a word with you, sir, before you return to the drawing room?’ She rushed on, knowing if she hesitated she would lose confidence. ‘Has—has Lord Adversane told you why I am here—the real reason I am here?’

  He frowned for a moment, then came across the hall to her.

  ‘Yes,’ he said quietly. ‘Ralph has taken me into his confidence.’

  ‘Then you know we are not engaged. That I have been hired to play a role.’

  ‘I do.’

  She searched his face.

  ‘You know him so much better than I, Mr Colne. Tell me truthfully, do you think I should cry off now from the agreement? Adversane explained it to me, you see. He told me that he needed everyone to think he had chosen another wife, to stop them all from pestering him. I quite see that such a situation would be very uncomfortable, but is this really the solution?’

  She twisted her hands together while she waited anxiously for his answer.

  He said carefully, ‘What does your conscience tell you?’

  Lucy put her hands to her temples, saying distractedly, ‘I am no longer sure! I had convinced myself there was no impropriety, but now I am here... Do you think it is very wrong, Mr Colne?’

  His cheerful countenance was clouded, and he did not answer immediately.

  ‘Miss Halbrook, Ralph has not been himself since Helene’s death. He is haunted by the event. If this helps him to come to terms with it, then, no, it is not wrong.’

  ‘Thank you, I am relieved to hear you say so.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Yes, Mr Colne?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘It does not matter. Are you on your way to the drawing room? Shall I escort you?’

  ‘Thank you, but I came out to find Lord Adversane.’

  ‘Then I will take you to him.’ He escorted her towards the study but as they neared the door he stopped. ‘If you are in any doubt, Miss Halbrook, if you should wish to withdraw from this pretence at any time or if you need assistance, please remember that you can come to me.’

  ‘Why, thank you, Mr Colne, but if, as you say, this is helping Lord—Ralph, then I am happy to continue with it.’

  ‘If you are sure you want to continue. I would not like you to get hurt.’

  ‘I am quite sure, sir.’

  He gave her a searching look, as if to assure himself that she was sincere, then with a nod and a smile he knocked upon the study door and ushered her inside.

  * * *

  Ralph was waiting for her, his impassive countenance giving nothing away.

  ‘So,’ he said as the door closed upon them. ‘What have you been saying to my cousin that I need to know?’

  She looked at him blankly for a moment. Harry Colne’s last words were still echoing in her head. Did Harry expect her to lose her heart to her employer?

  This is merely a business arrangement. Nothing more. Concentrate, Lucy!

  ‘It seems so trivial now, but Mrs Cottingham asked where precisely we had first met. I did not think they would be convinced if I said we had met at the house of a mutual friend.’ She coloured a little. ‘Our social spheres are very different.’

  ‘So what did you tell her?’

  ‘That we had met at Somerset House. I remembered you said you had met my father there, and I went with him sometimes, so it is perfectly reasonable to suppose our paths might have crossed.’

  ‘An excellent answer.’ He came a little closer. ‘And did you tell them it was love at first sight?’

  ‘Of course not! I, um, I hinted that I had an interest in astronomy.’

  He laughed at that.

  ‘Now that is dangerous ground! Your knowledge of the stars is limited to the few constellations we saw the other night.’

  ‘I know, but I had to say something,’ she confessed. A sudden, mischievous smile tugged at her lips. ‘Thankfully Mr and Mrs Cottingham know even less, so I was quite safe.’

  ‘Let us hope so.’

  ‘It was not a lie,’ she told him. ‘I really did find the stars interesting, and Saturn was truly magnificent. I only wish we could have seen more of the planets.’

  He smiled. ‘Have you seen the orrery in the library? It is in the bay window at the far end, and easily missed if one is not looking for it. You should acquaint yourself with that, if you wish to see the way the planets orbit the sun.’

  ‘Thank you. Perhaps I will.’ For a moment she wondered if there was any point, since she would be leaving Adversane once the house party was over. She quickly brushed aside the depressing thought and said brightly, ‘After all, the stars will be the same wherever I am, won’t they?’

  There was an infinitesimal pause before he replied.

  ‘Quite.’ He glanced at the clock. ‘We had best be getting back to our guests. If there is nothing else?’

  ‘No, nothing.’

  ‘Then we shall say we met at Somerset Ho
use and after that I sought you out. Agreed?’

  ‘Agreed, my lord.’

  ‘Ralph.’

  ‘Ralph.’

  ‘Good.’ He took her arm and led her out of the room. ‘You had best remain vague about any other details.’

  ‘How am I to do that if I am asked a direct question?’

  ‘You need merely blush. You look adorable when you blush.’

  He uttered the words as they crossed the Great Hall, and in such an indifferent tone that it took a few moments for Lucy to realise what he had said. By that time they were entering the drawing room, and Lucy had no idea whether she looked adorable, but she knew she was certainly blushing.

  At dinner Lucy was placed between Mr Cottingham and Sir Timothy Finch. Ralph’s brother-in-law enjoyed his food and Adam seemed preoccupied, so Lucy was spared too much conversation. Instead, she took the opportunity to study the other guests. It was a lively and informal occasion, although Lucy noted that Judith Cottingham, who was sitting opposite, had reverted to her quiet demeanour and said very little. Looking further along the table, Lucy observed a little stiffness between Sir James Preston and his host, but it was clear that the man was eager to bring his daughter to Ralph’s attention. Lucy thought perhaps he might have been wiser not to include Charlotte so much in his conversation, since every time he did so, she responded with a giggle that only exposed her immaturity.

  * * *

  ‘So now you have had time to settle in, how do you like Adversane?’

  Sir Timothy’s question caught Lucy off guard.

  ‘Lord Adversane is very, um—’

  ‘I meant the house,’ he interrupted her, laughing. ‘I have no doubt you are pleased with its master, since you are going to marry him. But you live in town, I believe. You must find life here very different.’

  She flushed a little at her error, but his friendly manner put her at her ease and she managed to smile back at him.

  ‘I had many homes but all of them much closer to London, and you are correct—they were very different to Adversane,’ she returned. ‘My father was an artist, you see.’

  ‘Yes, Ralph told me. A case of opposites attracting each other, what? Ralph being more interested in mechanical objects than art,’ he added when he observed her blank look.

  ‘Now, Tim, do not be too hard on my brother,’ cried Margaret, overhearing. ‘Ralph is interested in many things, and has a real thirst for knowledge.’

  ‘He wants to explain all the mysteries of the world,’ put in Sir James from across the table. He gave a sad little shake of his head, indicating that he did not agree with this philosophy.

  ‘Adversane merely likes to know why things happen, rather than to accept them blindly,’ said Harry. ‘Surely that is a very reasonable view.’

  ‘Ah, but my lord will learn that not everything can be explained by man,’ replied Sir James.

  Lucy glanced towards the head of the table. Ralph was in conversation with Lady Preston but he looked up at Sir James’s final statement.

  ‘Did I hear my name?’

  ‘I was saying, my boy, that logic and reason cannot be applied to all life’s mysteries. Take Druids Rock, for instance.’

  ‘No mystery there,’ Ralph replied. ‘The latest papers on the subject are very convincing. Hutton puts forward a logical argument for the way that rocks are formed.’

  ‘But not how they come to be piled up. That is the work of a great deity.’

  Ralph shook his head. ‘I fear we must be content to disagree on that, Sir James.’

  ‘I can only hope, my boy, that age will teach you wisdom,’ said Sir James.

  ‘Why, I hope so, too, sir.’

  ‘And I hope Miss Halbrook will not be discouraged by all this talk of logic and cold reason,’ declared Lady Preston in repressive accents.

  Ralph’s eyes rested on Lucy and a faint smile played about the corners of his mouth.

  ‘Oh, I think Miss Halbrook understands me pretty well.’

  Lucy’s cheeks began to burn, and she was glad when Margaret turned the subject and everyone’s attention moved away from her. She was happy to let the conversation ebb and flow around her, quietly hoping to avoid drawing attention to herself. However, when the ladies retired she found Lady Preston at her side.

  ‘I am glad to see Adversane has put off his mourning, Miss Halbrook.’

  Lucy thought the matron sounded anything but glad, but she murmured a response. Lady Preston followed her to a sofa, sat down beside her and proceeded to quiz her. The interrogation was subtle, but no less thorough. Remembering Ralph’s instructions, Lucy kept her answers vague where they referred to her association with him, but she saw no need to prevaricate about her family. After all, it would take very little enquiry for anyone to discover that her father had died a poor man.

  ‘So this is a very advantageous match for you,’ concluded Lady Preston. ‘You are very fortunate that Adversane is happy to take you without a settlement of any kind.’

  Lucy was about to make an angry retort when she heard Caroline’s cheerful voice at her shoulder.

  ‘We think it is Ralph who is the fortunate one, ma’am, to have found a woman to make him happy. Lucy, my love, do come and try out the duet again with me....’

  Caroline carried her off to the piano, saying as they went, ‘Pray do not mind Lady Preston.’

  ‘I do not. It must be very hard for her to see someone in her daughter’s place.’

  ‘It is a place she wants Charlotte to fill,’ retorted Caroline. ‘However, the child is far too young.’

  ‘But she is very pretty, and she will be quite beautiful in a few years.’

  Caroline’s shrewd look, so like her brother’s, rested upon Lucy for a moment.

  ‘Ralph has been caught once by an empty-headed beauty. He will not let that happen again. This time I believe he has found real affection and I for one am very glad of it.’

  Lucy felt the warm blush of embarrassment on her cheeks and was thankful that Caro had turned her attention to the piano. She wanted to tell them that it was all a pretence, that Ralph cared not one jot for her. However, she was not free to do so, and if she was honest she did not wish the pretence to end, for when it did she would have to leave Adversane, its owner and his family and she was beginning to realise how hard that would be.

  The gentlemen joined them shortly after, Sir James leading the way. He was hardly inside the door when he addressed his wife in ringing accents.

  ‘I say, my dear, Adversane tells me the Players will be performing here on Midsummer’s Eve. Is that not good news? I am particularly fond of a good play.’

  Ralph glanced around the room, watching to see how the others took the news. Adam was looking particularly solemn and went to sit with his wife. Lady Preston’s lips thinned.

  ‘Life must go on, I suppose,’ she muttered.

  ‘Indeed it must, ma’am,’ agreed Harry in his cheerful way. ‘The Ingleston Players lost a great deal of income from last year’s cancellation.’

  Charlotte looked up.

  ‘Oh, are they are paid, then, for their trouble?’

  Margaret nodded.

  ‘Yes, they are local people who give up their time and Adversane rewards them handsomely for coming here. The tradition started in our grandfather’s day. The library is turned into a theatre for the first part of the evening and all our neighbours are invited to attend the play. Ralph lays on a good supper for everyone, including the Players, and then afterwards the Players go back to Ingleston to enjoy the Midsummer’s Eve celebrations and the rest of us dance in the white salon until the early hours.’

  ‘I know.’ Charlotte nodded, her blue eyes sparkling. ‘It is indeed the most wonderful evening. Last time I was allowed to watch the play, although I did not understand it all.�
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  ‘Thank heavens for that,’ murmured Caroline to Lucy, sitting beside her at the piano. ‘It was Vanbrugh’s The Provoked Wife. Not at all suitable for a child of fifteen!’

  ‘And this time you shall be allowed to dance as well, my sweet,’ announced Lady Preston, ‘It will be good practice for your come-out next year.’

  ‘Unless she snabbles a husband before that, eh, Adversane?’

  Ralph closed his lips firmly as Sir James dug an elbow into his ribs.

  Charlotte giggled.

  * * *

  Singing and music filled the remainder of the evening, until the arrival of the tea tray. Finding herself momentarily alone, Lucy moved to a quiet corner of the room, from where she could observe the rest of the guests.

  Mr Colne followed her.

  ‘Am I disturbing you, Miss Halbrook?’

  ‘By no means.’

  ‘You were looking very pensive,’ he said, pulling up a chair beside her. ‘I hope you are not worrying about what we said earlier.’

  ‘Not at all. I was thinking how sorry I shall be to leave all this.’

  Harry’s glance followed hers to where Ralph was standing with his brothers-in-law.

  He said quietly, ‘If it is any comfort to you, I think your presence here has done Ralph a great deal of good. He has been looking much happier of late.’

  ‘That is not my doing, Mr Colne. It is because he has company.’

  ‘Perhaps. It has been a difficult two years for him. When Helene died he blamed himself. He is not one to share his feelings. Rather, he shut himself away with his grief and his pain. It is good to see him going into society again.’

  ‘And this...’ she dropped her voice ‘...this charade—my pretending to be Ralph’s fiancée. Are you sure you do not think it is...deceitful?’

  The sombre look fled from Harry’s eyes and he laughed.

  ‘You have met his sisters and seen the way Sir James thrusts Charlotte into Ralph’s path at every turn. They are all determined to see him wed again. How much worse would it be if you were not here?’

  ‘And the fact that I look like Lady Adversane?’

  He regarded her for a long moment.