will be again if you continue to shout,’ remarked Lady Gaunt. ‘You can see she is still a little pale, Barnabus.’
From the corner of her eye Clarissa watched Lord Alresford come in and close the door behind him.
Mr Norwell’s jaw tightened at Lady Gaunt’s words but he said as calmly as he could, ‘If you will excuse me for saying so, ma’am, that does not explain your presence here.’
‘We drove out to the tea rooms at Kensington today, and stopped to take pot luck with Julia on our way back. Of course, when we found she was so poorly we stayed to keep her company until your return. I think you will agree, Barnabus, that we have cheered her up considerably.’
Clarissa admired Lady Gaunt’s masterly approach. Barnabus did not look convinced, but could hardly say so.
‘And you have had no other visitors?’ asked Lady Norwell.
‘N-no.’ Julia shook her head. ‘I sent the servants away, because I did not want to be disturbed, so if anyone had come, they would have had to go away again. We have kept to this room all evening.’
Mrs Eastwood clapped her hands together.
‘Well, you will never guess what we found when we arrived – such a thing, I vow I am so pleased we did not stay for the farce for this was so much better! A naked man outside the house!’
‘N-naked?’ squeaked Julia.
‘Margaret, do not exaggerate.’ Lady Norwell admonished her daughter. ‘He was wearing a shirt.’
‘It was Sir Howard Besthorpe,’ added Margaret.
Barnabus stared at her.
‘You recognized him?’
‘Oh yes.’ Mrs Eastwood grimaced. ‘Horrid man. He was used to follow me everywhere when I was last in town, until I asked Edward to put an end to it.’
Smothering an oath, Barnabus turned to his wife.
‘Has be been pestering you, Julia? Why did you not tell me?’
Julia’s soft eyes filled with tears.
‘I did not wish to trouble you….’
He was at her side immediately, dropping to his knees beside her chair.
‘You never trouble me, my dear. There, there. Don’t cry. I have sent him to the right about now.’ He took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. ‘In future, my love, I want you to come to me with any little problem . Promise me.’
‘But I don’t understand,’ cried Lady Norwell. ‘Why should the man be parading around the house? Did you not hear or see anything?’
Lady Sarah waved towards the shuttered window.
‘We had no interest in the outside world tonight, ma’am.’
‘I thought I heard a dog barking,’ offered Clarissa.
‘If there was any noise outside I am sure we dismissed it as the servants.’ Lady Gaunt glanced across the table at Julia, deep in whispered conversation with her husband. She rose to her feet. ‘I think it is time we took our leave. I think our presence here now is definitely de trop. Please send for my carriage, Barnabus, and we will be away. Julia says you will not be at Lady Sarah’s little poetry evening, so I do not know when we shall meet again.’
Lord Alresford had so far remained silent, but now he moved forward.
‘It was very good of you to stay and keep Mrs Norwell company. So fortunate that she should be able to admit you, when all the servants had been dismissed for the evening.’
‘Oh, the – the footman was still in the hall at that time,’ said Julia.
The earl inclined his head at her, then turned towards Clarissa.
‘Where did you say you had been today?’
Clarissa froze, her mind a blank.
She heard Lady Gaunt replying casually, ‘The tea rooms at Kensington, Alresford. So you see, we were passing the door. But we must trespass upon you no longer. Come ladies.’
‘Such a deal of travelling you have done today, my lady. You must be exhausted,’ remarked Lord Alresford, in his smooth, unemotional way. ‘Allow me to be of assistance. I will escort Miss Wyckenham to Charlotte Street.’
Clarissa gasped.
‘No, no, my lord, we will not trouble you—’
‘No trouble at all,’ he
From the corner of her eye Clarissa watched Lord Alresford come in and close the door behind him.
Mr Norwell’s jaw tightened at Lady Gaunt’s words but he said as calmly as he could, ‘If you will excuse me for saying so, ma’am, that does not explain your presence here.’
‘We drove out to the tea rooms at Kensington today, and stopped to take pot luck with Julia on our way back. Of course, when we found she was so poorly we stayed to keep her company until your return. I think you will agree, Barnabus, that we have cheered her up considerably.’
Clarissa admired Lady Gaunt’s masterly approach. Barnabus did not look convinced, but could hardly say so.
‘And you have had no other visitors?’ asked Lady Norwell.
‘N-no.’ Julia shook her head. ‘I sent the servants away, because I did not want to be disturbed, so if anyone had come, they would have had to go away again. We have kept to this room all evening.’
Mrs Eastwood clapped her hands together.
‘Well, you will never guess what we found when we arrived – such a thing, I vow I am so pleased we did not stay for the farce for this was so much better! A naked man outside the house!’
‘N-naked?’ squeaked Julia.
‘Margaret, do not exaggerate.’ Lady Norwell admonished her daughter. ‘He was wearing a shirt.’
‘It was Sir Howard Besthorpe,’ added Margaret.
Barnabus stared at her.
‘You recognized him?’
‘Oh yes.’ Mrs Eastwood grimaced. ‘Horrid man. He was used to follow me everywhere when I was last in town, until I asked Edward to put an end to it.’
Smothering an oath, Barnabus turned to his wife.
‘Has be been pestering you, Julia? Why did you not tell me?’
Julia’s soft eyes filled with tears.
‘I did not wish to trouble you….’
He was at her side immediately, dropping to his knees beside her chair.
‘You never trouble me, my dear. There, there. Don’t cry. I have sent him to the right about now.’ He took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. ‘In future, my love, I want you to come to me with any little problem . Promise me.’
‘But I don’t understand,’ cried Lady Norwell. ‘Why should the man be parading around the house? Did you not hear or see anything?’
Lady Sarah waved towards the shuttered window.
‘We had no interest in the outside world tonight, ma’am.’
‘I thought I heard a dog barking,’ offered Clarissa.
‘If there was any noise outside I am sure we dismissed it as the servants.’ Lady Gaunt glanced across the table at Julia, deep in whispered conversation with her husband. She rose to her feet. ‘I think it is time we took our leave. I think our presence here now is definitely de trop. Please send for my carriage, Barnabus, and we will be away. Julia says you will not be at Lady Sarah’s little poetry evening, so I do not know when we shall meet again.’
Lord Alresford had so far remained silent, but now he moved forward.
‘It was very good of you to stay and keep Mrs Norwell company. So fortunate that she should be able to admit you, when all the servants had been dismissed for the evening.’
‘Oh, the – the footman was still in the hall at that time,’ said Julia.
The earl inclined his head at her, then turned towards Clarissa.
‘Where did you say you had been today?’
Clarissa froze, her mind a blank.
She heard Lady Gaunt replying casually, ‘The tea rooms at Kensington, Alresford. So you see, we were passing the door. But we must trespass upon you no longer. Come ladies.’
‘Such a deal of travelling you have done today, my lady. You must be exhausted,’ remarked Lord Alresford, in his smooth, unemotional way. ‘Allow me to be of assistance. I will escort Miss Wyckenham to Charlotte Street.’
Clarissa gasped.
‘No, no, my lord, we will not trouble you—’
‘No trouble at all,’ he
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