laughed: ‘Why, ma’am, am I to tell you that you are talking to the most hardened gamester of our times? Be warned, I implore you!’
‘Are you?’ inquired Horatia, regarding Lethbridge, who had risen at Lady Massey’s approach, and was watching her with an indefinable smile. ‘Then I should l-like very m-much to play with you, I assure you!’
‘You will need iron nerves, ma’am,’ Lady Massey said banteringly. ‘If he were not here I might tell you some shocking tales about him.’
At that moment Lord Winwood, who was strolling towards the doorway, caught sight of the group by the couch, and promptly bore down upon his sister. He executed a bow in Lady Massey’s direction, and bestowed a nod on Lethbridge. ‘You’re very obedient, ma’am. Servant, Lethbridge. I’ve been looking all over for you, Horry. Promised to present a fellow to you.’
Horatia got up. ‘Well, b-but –’
The Viscount took her hand to draw it through his arm, and as he did so pinched her fingers significantly. Understanding this brotherly nip to mean that he had something of importance to say to her, Horatia 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 into 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 snuff-box 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.’
Seven
Lady Massey, accepting Lethbridge’s snub with tolerable equanimity, had no
‘Are you?’ inquired Horatia, regarding Lethbridge, who had risen at Lady Massey’s approach, and was watching her with an indefinable smile. ‘Then I should l-like very m-much to play with you, I assure you!’
‘You will need iron nerves, ma’am,’ Lady Massey said banteringly. ‘If he were not here I might tell you some shocking tales about him.’
At that moment Lord Winwood, who was strolling towards the doorway, caught sight of the group by the couch, and promptly bore down upon his sister. He executed a bow in Lady Massey’s direction, and bestowed a nod on Lethbridge. ‘You’re very obedient, ma’am. Servant, Lethbridge. I’ve been looking all over for you, Horry. Promised to present a fellow to you.’
Horatia got up. ‘Well, b-but –’
The Viscount took her hand to draw it through his arm, and as he did so pinched her fingers significantly. Understanding this brotherly nip to mean that he had something of importance to say to her, Horatia 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 into 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 snuff-box 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.’
Seven
Lady Massey, accepting Lethbridge’s snub with tolerable equanimity, had no
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