The Scarlet Gown Read online

  She gave herself up to the task of looking at the various designs and samples of fabrics. She soon discovered—as she had known all along, if only she had thought about it—that she did indeed have a degree of freedom in the choice of ribbons and trimmings to be added to each gown. By the end of the session her head was spinning with all the talk of closed robes, morning and day dresses, walking dresses and evening gowns, as well as the pelisses, cloaks and shawls required to go with them. Also—a last-minute addition that Lord Adversane had ordered in a note, delivered hotfoot to the dressmaker yesterday evening—a riding habit.

  * * *

  Although she knew she had no real choice, Lucy nodded and approved all the samples and sketches put before her. They were without exception elegant creations, not overly burdened with frills and ribbons, which suited her very well. As the dressmaker and her assistant began packing away the drifts of muslin, samples of fine wool, worsted and sarcenet, Lucy spotted a large square of red silk. She picked it up.

  ‘What is this?’

  Mrs Sutton looked around and gave a little tut of exasperation.

  ‘Heavens, miss, as if I should forget that!’ She pulled out the sheaf of loose papers again and selected a coloured drawing, which she handed to Lucy. ‘Lord Adversane was most insistent that you should have this gown.’

  Lucy gazed at the impossibly slender figure in the painting. She was swathed in red silk, the high waistline and low neck leaving little to the imagination.

  ‘It is shown exactly as his lordship directed,’ said Mrs Sutton, waiting anxiously for Lucy’s reaction. ‘Even to the diamond set of earrings, necklace and bracelet.’

  ‘Scarlet and diamonds.’ Lucy pictured herself in such a gown, the jewels sparkling in the candlelight, her skirts floating about her as she danced around the ballroom. ‘Very striking but...it is not suitable for an unmarried lady. What say you, Ariadne?’ She handed the picture to Mrs Dean, who stared at it in silence. ‘Ariadne?’

  The widow gave a little start.

  ‘Oh, I do not...’ She tailed off again, her troubled glance fixed upon the drawing.

  ‘It is far too grand for me to wear,’ Lucy continued. ‘If we were in London, perhaps, but here in the country, what use can I have for such a creation?’

  ‘Unless Adversane means to invite the neighbourhood,’ murmured Ariadne.

  Lucy frowned. ‘Why should he do that?’

  Ariadne made a visible effort to pull herself together, saying robustly, ‘I suppose he thought you must have it. Who knows what invitations you might receive? And everyone wears such colours these days. You will not always want to be wearing those pale muslins, now will you? And I recognise the diamonds. They are a family heirloom. As Ralph’s fiancée I have no doubt he will wish you to wear them.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Lucy dismissed her doubts, relieved by Mrs Dean’s approval of the scarlet gown. To appear in public so beautifully apparelled was every girl’s dream. And what did it matter that it was all a sham, a charade? It would be a wonderful memory for her to take away with her.

  * * *

  When the dressmaker had departed Ariadne carried Lucy off to the shrubbery, declaring that one needed to clear one’s head after being bombarded with so much detail.

  ‘I must confess,’ she added, as they strolled arm in arm along the gravelled paths, ‘when you went off so angrily I thought I should be sending Mrs Sutton away and ordering the carriage to take you back to London forthwith.’

  Lucy’s free hand fluttered.

  ‘It was foolish of me to allow such a little thing to make me angry. I assure you, I never had any intention of leaving over such a matter.’

  ‘Oh, no, my dear, I was not thinking of your intentions. I thought Ralph might order you to go. I thought he would call a halt to this whole business—not that that would be a bad thing.’ She muttered these last words almost to herself and when she found Lucy’s considering gaze upon her she coloured and said, as if in apology, ‘My cousin is not used to having his will crossed.’

  ‘I am well aware of that. Autocratic to the point of tyranny!’

  ‘But he is not a bad man, Lucy. It is just that... You should understand, my dear, that he was the only surviving male child, and much loved. Although he was brought up on strict principles he was allowed to go his own way from an early age. I suppose you might say he was too much indulged—’

  ‘I should,’ put in Lucy emphatically.

  ‘But he was not rebellious, you see, so his sainted parents never needed to curb him. They had him late in life, too, which I think made them a little more inclined to spoil him, and then, of course, they were carried off within weeks of each other by a vicious bout of influenza, and he inherited the title soon after he was one-and-twenty. From being a carefree young man he suddenly found himself with half a dozen estates and hundreds of people dependent upon him. And things were not so comfortable as they are now. The old lord had spent so much on improvements to Adversane that the finances were severely stretched when Ralph took over. He has had to struggle to rebuild the family fortunes. He needed a steady nerve and a firm hand on the reins to bring it back to prosperity. He demanded that everything should be done his way and it has worked. The fortune is restored.’

  ‘But he rules his household with a will of iron,’ objected Lucy.

  ‘All the Cottinghams are strong-willed, my dear, and as the heir and only son, Ralph’s will has never been opposed. Is it any wonder that he has grown used to his own way? That was why his marriage to Helene was so fortuitous. She was all compliance and perfectly suited to his temperament.’

  ‘Perfectly suited to make him even more despotic,’ declared Lucy. ‘The poor lady must have been wholly downtrodden.’

  Ariadne quickly disclaimed.

  ‘He never bullied her, I am quite certain of it. But then, Helene was so very sweet-natured, I doubt she ever gave him cause to be angry.’

  ‘Well,’ said Lucy, thinking of the small sum she had sewn into the hem of her travelling cloak, ‘Lord Adversane may be as autocratic and demanding as he wishes, but I shall not allow him to bully me, and so I shall tell him!’

  * * *

  However, Lucy had no opportunity to tell Lord Adversane anything that evening, for when she joined Mrs Dean in the drawing room before dinner she learned that their host had gone off to visit friends and would not be back for two days. The news left her feeling a little disconsolate and she gave a little huff of exasperation.

  ‘And how am I supposed to learn everything I need to know if he is not here?’

  ‘My dear, no one will expect you to know everything about Ralph,’ replied Mrs Dean, looking amused. ‘In fact, I doubt anyone could do that.’

  ‘I beg your pardon, Ariadne, it is just that... Well, I had worked myself up to challenge him about his high-handed ways and now I feel a little...cheated.’

  ‘You enjoy confronting him?’

  Her shocked expression made Lucy smile.

  ‘I like matters out in the open wherever possible.’

  She thought of her uncle’s unwanted attentions and felt a little guilty that she had not brought that out into the open, but it would have caused too much distress to her mother and her aunt. Lucy had every reason to be discreet in that case. Lord Adversane, however, was another matter entirely. She added a little pugnaciously, ‘If that means confronting your cousin, I will not shirk from it.’

  ‘Then perhaps it is as well Ralph is away, or we should see the sparks fly,’ retorted Mrs Dean, chuckling. ‘Never mind, my dear, there is plenty for us to do. You can help me with the arrangements for the forthcoming house party. The guests have already been invited, of course—Ralph has seen to that—but there are the rooms to be allocated, furniture to be arranged, menus to be planned.’

  ‘And just who is invited, Ariadne?
’

  ‘Well, there are Ralph’s two sisters and their husbands,’ said Mrs Dean, counting them off on her fingers. ‘Adam Cottingham—Ralph’s cousin and heir—and his wife, or course. And Sir James and Lady Preston.’

  ‘Do you mean the late Lady Adversane’s parents? But surely they will not wish to come to Adversane—’

  ‘Oh, yes, they will! They are even bringing their daughter Charlotte with them.’

  ‘But—do they know, about me?’

  ‘Oh, lord, yes. Ralph told them himself when he invited them to come and stay.’

  ‘And they still accepted his invitation?’

  ‘Yes. I doubt they hesitated for a moment.’ She patted Lucy’s arm. ‘I do not think I am speaking out of turn if I tell you that the Prestons virtually threw Helene at Adversane. They wanted her to marry well. Lady Preston would have preferred a higher title, perhaps, but the Cottinghams are an old family. Their line goes back to the Conqueror. And besides that, Ralph’s wealth made him a very acceptable parti.’

  Lucy frowned. ‘But surely they will not be comfortable staying here, knowing what happened two years ago.’

  ‘As to that, they must feel it, of course, as we all do, but life must go on. Ralph’s sisters are already pressing him to marry again, which is why he has installed you here. And I hear even Lord Preston has been hinting that young Charlotte could fill her sister’s shoes.’

  ‘But that is monstrous.’

  ‘It is hard-headed sense,’ replied Ariadne drily. ‘Preston will naturally want to maintain his connection with Adversane, if he can.’

  Byrne came in to tell them that dinner awaited them and no more was said that evening about the house guests, but Lucy thought she understood a little better now just why Adversane had hired her.

  * * *

  The following days were spent in preparations for the forthcoming house party. Ariadne took Lucy on a tour of the east wing, preparatory to allocating the guest rooms. There was also a trip to Ingleston to buy additional gloves and slippers to go with all her new clothes. It was like being caught up in a very pleasant whirlwind, thought Lucy. She loved being busy and happily threw herself into all the arrangements. She discussed menus with the housekeeper and accepted the gardener’s invitation to show her around the gardens and select the flowers she would require for the house. Lucy discovered that the staff was eager and willing to help, and once she had accustomed herself to the thought that she was regarded as the next Lady Adversane she found she could work very well with them all. It was impossible for Lucy not to enjoy herself, but at the back of her mind was the realisation that this would not last. At some point she would have to leave Adversane.

  She pondered the idea as she sat at her open bedroom window, where the night air was scented with summer flowers.

  ‘And when that day comes I shall go with many happy memories,’ she told herself, smiling up at the sliver of moon suspended in the clear sky. ‘Until then, I shall continue to enjoy every minute of my stay here!’

  * * *

  Lord Adversane returned the following afternoon. His arrival coincided with the first delivery from the dressmaker. He walked into the morning room to find Lucy and his cousin surrounded by a chaotic jumble of gowns and boxes and tissue paper.

  ‘Ralph, my dear, you are back!’ Ariadne smiled at him and waved a hand at the disorder. ‘Mrs Sutton and her assistants must have been sewing night and day to have so many things finished already.’

  ‘Evidently,’ he murmured. ‘I trust the gowns are to Miss Halbrook’s satisfaction?’

  Lucy had been feeling a little shy and not sure how to greet him after their last confrontation, but the challenging look in his eye roused her spirit.

  ‘They are indeed,’ she replied. ‘I have yet to try them on, but the styles and colours cannot be faulted. You have impeccable taste, my lord.’

  ‘Handsomely said, madam.’ He grinned at her, then cast a faintly bewildered glance about the room. ‘I am definitely de trop here, so I will go away and change out of all my dirt.’

  ‘Oh, dear, how remiss of me,’ cried Ariadne, ‘Have you been travelling all day, Cousin? Shall I ring for refreshments?’

  ‘No need,’ he said, going back to the door. ‘I shall ask Byrne to send something up to me. I shall see you at dinner.’

  ‘My lord!’ Lucy called him back. As he turned she held up two of the new creations, saying innocently, ‘I have these new evening gowns now, sir. The white drawn-thread muslin with a twisted pink sash, or the cream sprigged muslin. Which would you like me to wear tonight?’

  ‘I have not the least—’ He broke off, his eyes narrowing. ‘I see. You have not forgiven me for my high-handedness in dictating what should be made, is that it?’

  ‘He who pays the piper may call the tune, my lord.’

  He met her limpid gaze with a hard stare.

  ‘But one would hope, Miss Halbrook, that the piper knows how to play. I have provided your wardrobe, madam, I leave it to you to present yourself to best advantage.’

  He closed the door behind him with a decided snap.

  Ariadne gave a little tut of reproof. ‘Lucy, my dear, I really do not think you are wise to tease Ralph in that manner.’

  ‘No?’ A smile tugged at the corners of Lucy’s mouth. ‘I think it is high time someone teased your cousin. In my opinion he has had his own way for far too long!’

  * * *

  Lucy might well want to tease her host, but she was also eager to wear one of her new gowns, and the look of relief upon Mrs Dean’s countenance when she presented herself in the drawing room before dinner caused Lucy to chuckle.

  ‘You see I have behaved myself and chosen the cream muslin. The embroidery on the shawl Mrs Sutton sent with it exactly matches the pink sash.’ She gave a twirl. ‘Does it not look very well? And Ruthie found a matching ribbon for my hair, too. I hope his lordship will be pleased.’

  ‘He is.’

  The deep voice made her turn quickly to the door. Adversane had come in and was walking towards her. His dark evening coat contrasted with the white waistcoat and knee breeches, and his black hair gleamed like polished jet in the soft light of the summer evening. Lucy found herself thinking how attractive he was. That made her laugh inwardly, for no one could call Lord Adversane’s craggy face handsome. Strong, yes. Striking, even. Yet the impression persisted and she quickly sat down on the sofa next to Ariadne, conscious that she was blushing.

  Ralph raised his quizzing glass to look at her. He did not need it, and the gesture was more to cover his own confusion. He had entered the room in time to see her spin around, the skirts of her gown lifting away from a pair of extremely neat ankles and her honey-brown curls bouncing joyously about her head. Once again he had been surprised by the way she roused his desire.

  She was no beauty, certainly not a diamond as his wife had been, but he had never seriously expected to find anyone to equal Helene. Yet there was a vivacity about Lucy Halbrook, and he found himself wondering if that liveliness would translate itself to passion if he was to take her in his arms.

  Impossible. She was a lady, not a courtesan, and he had never dallied with gently bred ladies—not even Helene, although he had known from the start that he would marry her. Ruthlessly, he suppressed all improper thoughts and when he spoke his tone was at its most neutral.

  ‘My compliments, Miss Halbrook. You look very well tonight.’

  ‘Any tributes are due to Mrs Sutton and to my maid, sir, the one for providing the gown and the other for arranging my hair.’

  She answered calmly enough and the becoming flush on her cheeks was dying away. He was relieved. It formed no part of his plan to become entangled with his employee. He helped himself to wine from the decanter on the side table and addressed his cousin.

  ‘I have had a letter from
Caroline. She and Wetherell are coming on the nineteenth.’

  ‘Was there ever any doubt?’ Ariadne turned to Lucy to explain. ‘Lady Wetherell is Ralph’s sister and eight years older than he. She is very eager to meet you, Lucy, but I should warn you that Caroline can be a little forthright—’

  ‘She is damned interfering,’ he said brutally.

  ‘A family trait, perhaps,’ murmured Lucy.

  His eyes narrowed. The minx was teasing him again, but he acknowledged the justice of her remark with the flicker of a smile while Ariadne continued, unheeding.

  ‘You may recall, Lucy, I told you that Ralph’s sister Margaret is also coming. She is only four years older than Ralph but equally...’

  ‘Interfering?’

  Ralph laughed. ‘There you have it, Miss Halbrook. Perhaps now you see why I need a fiancée to protect me?’

  ‘Your sisters are concerned for the succession,’ put in Ariadne.

  ‘They need not be. I have an heir.’

  ‘Adam Cottingham? He is merely a cousin.’

  ‘He bears the family name. That is sufficient.’

  ‘But they would prefer to continue the direct line, Ralph—’

  His cousin’s persistence hit a nerve. He had heard all these arguments before.

  ‘Enough,’ he said impatiently. ‘I have married once for the sake of an heir. I do not intend to do so again. I shall never take another wife.’ He rose quickly before anyone could respond. ‘Shall we go in to dinner?’

  * * *

  Lucy accompanied Lord Adversane into the dining room, her fingers resting lightly on his sleeve. She could feel the tense muscles, strong as steel beneath the expensive Bath coating. He was angry, and she had some sympathy with him. His wife had been dead for but two years and he was being nagged to marry again. He must have loved her very much.

  In an effort to divert his mind she asked him about his trip. He told her that he had been in Leeds, discussing the prospect of a steam railway. She dragged from her memory whatever she had learned of steam power in order to ask questions that would not result in his dismissing her as a fool. She succeeded very well, and the conversation continued during dinner. Lucy included Ariadne where she could, but although Mrs Dean professed herself interested, she was content to allow the discussion to continue around her while she concentrated upon her meal.