sketched a curtsy to Lady
Massey, and prepared to walk away with the Viscount, only pausing to say seriously: P-perhaps we shall try a throw against each other some day, my lord.' 'Perhaps,' Lethbridge bowed.
The Viscount led her firmly out of earshot. 'Good God,
Horry, what's all this?' he demanded, with pious intention but a complete absence of tact. 'Keep away from Lethbridge: he's dangerous. Damme, was there ever such a one for getting the wrong company?'
'I sh-shan't keep away from him,' declared Horatia. 'Lady M-Massey says he is a hardened g-gamester!'
'So he is,' said the ill-advised Viscount. 'And you're no pigeon for his plucking, Horatia, let me tell you.'
Horatia pulled her hand away, her eyes flashing. 'And l-let me tell you, P-Pel, that I'm a m-married lady now, and I w-won't be ordered about by you!'
'Married! Ay, so you are, and you've only to let Rule get wind of this and there'll be the devil to pay. The Massey too! 'Pon my soul, if ever I met another to equal you!'
'W-well, and what have you against Lady M-Massey?' said Horatia.
'What have I—? Oh Lord!' The Viscount tugged ruefully at his solitaire. 'I suppose you don't - no, exactly. Now don't plague me with a lot of silly questions, there's a good girl. Come and drink a glass of negus.'
Still standing by the couch, Lord Lethbridge watched the departure of the brother and sister, and turned his head to observe Lady Massey. 'Thank you, my dear Caroline,' he said sweetly. 'That was vastly kind of you. Did you know it?'
'Do you think me a fool?' she retorted. 'When that plum drops into your hand, remember then to thank me.'
'And the egregious Winwood, I fancy,' remarked his lordship, helping himself to a pinch of snuff. 'Do you want that plum to fall into my hand, dear lady?'
The look that passed between them was eloquent enough. 'We need not fence,' Lady Massey said crisply. 'You have your own ends to serve; maybe I can guess what they are. My ends I daresay you know.'
'I am quite sure that I do,' grinned Lethbridge. 'Do forgive me, my dear, but though I have a reasonable hope of achieving mine, I'm willing to lay you any odds you don't achieve yours. Now is not that outspoken? You did say we need not fence, did you not?'
She stiffened. 'What am I to understand by that, if you please?'
'Just this,' said Lethbridge, shutting his enamelled snuffbox with a snap. 'I don't need your assistance, my love. I play my cards to suit myself, neither to oblige you nor Crosby.'
'I imagine,' she said dryly, 'we all of us desire the same thing.'
'But my motive,' replied his lordship, 'is by far the purest.'
Chapter Seven
Lady Massey, accepting Lethbridge's snub with toler-able equanimity, had no difficulty in interpreting his last cryptic speech. Her momentary anger gave place immediately to a somewhat cynical amusement. She herself was hardly of the stuff that could plan the undoing of a bride for no more personal reason than a desire for revenge on the groom, but she was able to appreciate the artistry of such a scheme, while the cold-bloodedness of it, though rather shocking, could not but entertain her. There was something a little devilish in it, and it was the devil in Lethbridge that had always attracted her. Nevertheless, had Horatia been any other man's wife than Rule's she would have thought shame to lend herself even passively to so inhuman a piece of mischief. But Lady Massey, prepared before she set eyes on Horatia to resign herself to the inevitable, had changed her mind. She flattered herself that she knew Rule, and who knowing him could think for a moment that this ill-assorted union could end in anything but disaster? He had married for an heir, for a gracious chatelaine, certainly not for the alarums and excursions that must occur wherever Horatia went.
Something he had once said to her remained significantly in her memory. His wife must care for him - only for him. She had caught then a glimpse of steel, implacable as it was
Massey, and prepared to walk away with the Viscount, only pausing to say seriously: P-perhaps we shall try a throw against each other some day, my lord.' 'Perhaps,' Lethbridge bowed.
The Viscount led her firmly out of earshot. 'Good God,
Horry, what's all this?' he demanded, with pious intention but a complete absence of tact. 'Keep away from Lethbridge: he's dangerous. Damme, was there ever such a one for getting the wrong company?'
'I sh-shan't keep away from him,' declared Horatia. 'Lady M-Massey says he is a hardened g-gamester!'
'So he is,' said the ill-advised Viscount. 'And you're no pigeon for his plucking, Horatia, let me tell you.'
Horatia pulled her hand away, her eyes flashing. 'And l-let me tell you, P-Pel, that I'm a m-married lady now, and I w-won't be ordered about by you!'
'Married! Ay, so you are, and you've only to let Rule get wind of this and there'll be the devil to pay. The Massey too! 'Pon my soul, if ever I met another to equal you!'
'W-well, and what have you against Lady M-Massey?' said Horatia.
'What have I—? Oh Lord!' The Viscount tugged ruefully at his solitaire. 'I suppose you don't - no, exactly. Now don't plague me with a lot of silly questions, there's a good girl. Come and drink a glass of negus.'
Still standing by the couch, Lord Lethbridge watched the departure of the brother and sister, and turned his head to observe Lady Massey. 'Thank you, my dear Caroline,' he said sweetly. 'That was vastly kind of you. Did you know it?'
'Do you think me a fool?' she retorted. 'When that plum drops into your hand, remember then to thank me.'
'And the egregious Winwood, I fancy,' remarked his lordship, helping himself to a pinch of snuff. 'Do you want that plum to fall into my hand, dear lady?'
The look that passed between them was eloquent enough. 'We need not fence,' Lady Massey said crisply. 'You have your own ends to serve; maybe I can guess what they are. My ends I daresay you know.'
'I am quite sure that I do,' grinned Lethbridge. 'Do forgive me, my dear, but though I have a reasonable hope of achieving mine, I'm willing to lay you any odds you don't achieve yours. Now is not that outspoken? You did say we need not fence, did you not?'
She stiffened. 'What am I to understand by that, if you please?'
'Just this,' said Lethbridge, shutting his enamelled snuffbox with a snap. 'I don't need your assistance, my love. I play my cards to suit myself, neither to oblige you nor Crosby.'
'I imagine,' she said dryly, 'we all of us desire the same thing.'
'But my motive,' replied his lordship, 'is by far the purest.'
Chapter Seven
Lady Massey, accepting Lethbridge's snub with toler-able equanimity, had no difficulty in interpreting his last cryptic speech. Her momentary anger gave place immediately to a somewhat cynical amusement. She herself was hardly of the stuff that could plan the undoing of a bride for no more personal reason than a desire for revenge on the groom, but she was able to appreciate the artistry of such a scheme, while the cold-bloodedness of it, though rather shocking, could not but entertain her. There was something a little devilish in it, and it was the devil in Lethbridge that had always attracted her. Nevertheless, had Horatia been any other man's wife than Rule's she would have thought shame to lend herself even passively to so inhuman a piece of mischief. But Lady Massey, prepared before she set eyes on Horatia to resign herself to the inevitable, had changed her mind. She flattered herself that she knew Rule, and who knowing him could think for a moment that this ill-assorted union could end in anything but disaster? He had married for an heir, for a gracious chatelaine, certainly not for the alarums and excursions that must occur wherever Horatia went.
Something he had once said to her remained significantly in her memory. His wife must care for him - only for him. She had caught then a glimpse of steel, implacable as it was
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