must be back by eight. If we eat early... But you are dining with the Earls this evening, are you not?”
“I’ll cancel that,” she said.
Eskott looked at her, dumbfounded. His little worries that she was beginning to take a more serious than usual interest in her new protégé were suddenly seen to be out of date. She was infatuated with him. The beaming smile that she could not hold in, the willingness to change her plans for him, the very air around the pair spoke of love.
What the haughty beauty could see in the jackanapes was past imagining. A well-shaped head and a well-cut jacket—these were his advantages. She was no young, inexperienced girl either, but a lady who had been on the town long enough to know better. But she looked like a young girl today. A young, radiant girl, very much in love.
“Can’t you sit down and join us for a moment, Aldred?” Eskott invited, noticing from the corner of his eye Maddie’s annoyance. She wanted him to leave, to get her lover to herself.
“I am always happy to meet the opposition,” Henry said lightly, taking up a seat. “I expect there is a deal of disenchantment in your camp these days.”
“Because of the delay in bringing the Whigs into power, you mean?” Eskott asked, surprised, or giving a good simulation of it.
“Delay? He doesn’t mean to bring you into power at all.”
“Is that the nonsense they have been feeding you here at the Second Court of St. James? Wait till February, when the restrictions on his powers expire. He’ll have your set out so fast your heads will spin. I cannot imagine why any young man who wishes to get ahead would throw in his lot with the wrong party, especially when his relations have long been Whigs. Neville was very disappointed at your refusing his offer. He had big things in mind for you.”
Aldred looked interested, but with Madeline at his side he said the necessary things. “We’ll hold, Eskott,” he finished, after a little repetition of the Tory gospel.
Eskott laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Time will tell whether you have not made a grave error. I only know Brougham has had the windows at Ten Downing Street measured for blue drapes, and ordered a new mattress to the bed, for he says he will not lie down in a Tory manger.”
“He’s roasting you, Henry,” Madeline explained. “Pay no heed to Eskott. He only came to annoy me. He has already confessed as much. And you have annoyed me quite enough for one day, milord.”
“Very well then, I shall behave, but I think it an abominable stunt you are playing on your cousin, leading him astray in this manner. They must be hiding all the more secret documents from you, Henry. Of course the Tories are famous for hiding the truth.”
“Is this your notion of behaving?” Madeline inquired.
“My last outburst. I know when I am not wanted. Do you go to Sidmouth’s ball this evening, Maddie?”
“How late will you be working. Henry?” she asked, before giving him her answer.
“Till nine-thirty or ten.”
“Then you will be finished in time to take me. You may look to the doorway around ten-thirty to see us making our grand entrance, Eskott. You are attending, I take it?”
“Certainly I’ll be there.”
“You could go with Lady Margaret, if you don’t want to wait so late for me,” Henry mentioned.
“What, is Meggie in town?” Eskott asked.
“Yes, she returned with us after the holiday. I really cannot imagine why. She doesn’t go anywhere, but only stomps up and down halls and stairs, rattling the china and frowning at everyone.”
“I would like to say good day to her.”
“I think I hear her banging around now. Either that or we are being visited by an earthquake. I’ll call her.”
When she left the room, Henry said, “I must get busy if I am to be finished with this work for Fordwich. But before I go—Neville was disappointed with my refusal, was he?”
“Very much so. We all were, but you are comfortably ensconced in
“I’ll cancel that,” she said.
Eskott looked at her, dumbfounded. His little worries that she was beginning to take a more serious than usual interest in her new protégé were suddenly seen to be out of date. She was infatuated with him. The beaming smile that she could not hold in, the willingness to change her plans for him, the very air around the pair spoke of love.
What the haughty beauty could see in the jackanapes was past imagining. A well-shaped head and a well-cut jacket—these were his advantages. She was no young, inexperienced girl either, but a lady who had been on the town long enough to know better. But she looked like a young girl today. A young, radiant girl, very much in love.
“Can’t you sit down and join us for a moment, Aldred?” Eskott invited, noticing from the corner of his eye Maddie’s annoyance. She wanted him to leave, to get her lover to herself.
“I am always happy to meet the opposition,” Henry said lightly, taking up a seat. “I expect there is a deal of disenchantment in your camp these days.”
“Because of the delay in bringing the Whigs into power, you mean?” Eskott asked, surprised, or giving a good simulation of it.
“Delay? He doesn’t mean to bring you into power at all.”
“Is that the nonsense they have been feeding you here at the Second Court of St. James? Wait till February, when the restrictions on his powers expire. He’ll have your set out so fast your heads will spin. I cannot imagine why any young man who wishes to get ahead would throw in his lot with the wrong party, especially when his relations have long been Whigs. Neville was very disappointed at your refusing his offer. He had big things in mind for you.”
Aldred looked interested, but with Madeline at his side he said the necessary things. “We’ll hold, Eskott,” he finished, after a little repetition of the Tory gospel.
Eskott laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Time will tell whether you have not made a grave error. I only know Brougham has had the windows at Ten Downing Street measured for blue drapes, and ordered a new mattress to the bed, for he says he will not lie down in a Tory manger.”
“He’s roasting you, Henry,” Madeline explained. “Pay no heed to Eskott. He only came to annoy me. He has already confessed as much. And you have annoyed me quite enough for one day, milord.”
“Very well then, I shall behave, but I think it an abominable stunt you are playing on your cousin, leading him astray in this manner. They must be hiding all the more secret documents from you, Henry. Of course the Tories are famous for hiding the truth.”
“Is this your notion of behaving?” Madeline inquired.
“My last outburst. I know when I am not wanted. Do you go to Sidmouth’s ball this evening, Maddie?”
“How late will you be working. Henry?” she asked, before giving him her answer.
“Till nine-thirty or ten.”
“Then you will be finished in time to take me. You may look to the doorway around ten-thirty to see us making our grand entrance, Eskott. You are attending, I take it?”
“Certainly I’ll be there.”
“You could go with Lady Margaret, if you don’t want to wait so late for me,” Henry mentioned.
“What, is Meggie in town?” Eskott asked.
“Yes, she returned with us after the holiday. I really cannot imagine why. She doesn’t go anywhere, but only stomps up and down halls and stairs, rattling the china and frowning at everyone.”
“I would like to say good day to her.”
“I think I hear her banging around now. Either that or we are being visited by an earthquake. I’ll call her.”
When she left the room, Henry said, “I must get busy if I am to be finished with this work for Fordwich. But before I go—Neville was disappointed with my refusal, was he?”
“Very much so. We all were, but you are comfortably ensconced in
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