belong to the right clubs. I believe you once had a desire to join Watiers? If you are still of the same mind, I should be happy to put you up for membership.’
Lucy glanced approvingly at her friend and squeezed his arm in gratitude. Robert, astonished and pleased, stammered his thanks.
‘It's most awfully good of you, sir,' he said.
‘ Yes, it is, isn't it?' Brummell agreed. 'And perhaps Lady Aylesbury might advise you on which young women to bestow your attentions.'
‘ Me? No, nonsense! My children are all too young for me to have that sort of interest,' Lucy said.
‘How are the children, ma'am?' Robert asked eagerly.
‘ They are very well. I have them in Town with me. Why don't you call some time and see them? They were very fond of you; and Roland in particular often asks after you.'
‘ Does he? Oh, I should like it above all things. I missed them dreadfully when I — went away. Thank you, Lady Aylesbury, thank you indeed!' They exchanged a few more words, and then he took his leave, walking away down the street with a lighter tread.
Lucy and Brummell watched him go, and then turned the other way.
‘ Well, that was a good deed on our part,' Brummell remarked. 'I wonder why we should both have been seized with the desire to be kind to that young man?'
‘ Oh, there's no harm to him really,' Lucy said. 'It was his ogre of a mother who ruined his life.'
‘ Hmm,' Brummell said, as if unconvinced. 'I wonder. It's true that the particular manner of her death made me feel quite sorry for him, but when I tell you that I almost offered to walk to the end of the street with him —'
‘Really?' Lucy said, startled.
‘ I managed to restrain myself,' Brummell nodded, 'but the impulse quite unnerved me. And if I put him up for Watiers after having made a point of refusing him, everyone will think I have run mad.'
‘ No-one will remember that; and if they do, they will only think you are being capricious, as usual.'
‘ I am never capricious,' Brummell corrected her sternly. 'I am interesting.’
Lucy grunted. 'But why did you refuse him, when my husband put him up?' she asked. 'I never did understand.’
Brummell looked at her affectionately. 'No, you never did. And you never would. That is one of the things I love about you, dear Lady Aylesbury, so please don't try. One cannot always predict the outcome of one's actions,' he added thoughtfully, as though to himself. 'Suffice it to say that if there is any peace to be found in making reparation, I am not one to spurn it.'
‘ I don't understand you,' Lucy frowned. 'What repara tion?’
He kissed her hand. 'Nothing in the world,' he said. 'Here are your horses again, and the good Parslow, so I will take my leave. You are looking happier than you did ten minutes ago. I believe you haven't thought about yourself for the past fifty yards at least.'
‘You're right,' she discovered.
‘ Of course I am. It is the beginning of your cure. Come and share my box at the theatre tomorrow. I will get together a little party of old friends — Mildmay and Alvanley and Wiske. Do you like Charlotte Bouverie? I might ask you to invite her, for Mildmay's sake, for he's most fearfully in love with her! And we'll have supper afterwards at the White Horse, and eat the last oysters of the year, with a great deal of champagne.'
‘Thank you — I'd like that.’
He smiled. 'You have the rest of today and tomorrow to consider what you will wear. I wish you to dazzle, Lady Aylesbury. Nothing less will do.’
He helped her into the curricle, and she waved her whip to him as she drove away.
‘ I wonder if there is time to have something new made up?' she said aloud.
‘My lady?' Parslow enquired.
‘ I think I'll drive to Grafton House, and see what new mus lins they have in. I'm bound to have to wait at this time of day, so you can take the horses home, and send Docwra for me; for if I find anything I like, I shall walk round to Madame Genoux's afterwards, and come home
Lucy glanced approvingly at her friend and squeezed his arm in gratitude. Robert, astonished and pleased, stammered his thanks.
‘It's most awfully good of you, sir,' he said.
‘ Yes, it is, isn't it?' Brummell agreed. 'And perhaps Lady Aylesbury might advise you on which young women to bestow your attentions.'
‘ Me? No, nonsense! My children are all too young for me to have that sort of interest,' Lucy said.
‘How are the children, ma'am?' Robert asked eagerly.
‘ They are very well. I have them in Town with me. Why don't you call some time and see them? They were very fond of you; and Roland in particular often asks after you.'
‘ Does he? Oh, I should like it above all things. I missed them dreadfully when I — went away. Thank you, Lady Aylesbury, thank you indeed!' They exchanged a few more words, and then he took his leave, walking away down the street with a lighter tread.
Lucy and Brummell watched him go, and then turned the other way.
‘ Well, that was a good deed on our part,' Brummell remarked. 'I wonder why we should both have been seized with the desire to be kind to that young man?'
‘ Oh, there's no harm to him really,' Lucy said. 'It was his ogre of a mother who ruined his life.'
‘ Hmm,' Brummell said, as if unconvinced. 'I wonder. It's true that the particular manner of her death made me feel quite sorry for him, but when I tell you that I almost offered to walk to the end of the street with him —'
‘Really?' Lucy said, startled.
‘ I managed to restrain myself,' Brummell nodded, 'but the impulse quite unnerved me. And if I put him up for Watiers after having made a point of refusing him, everyone will think I have run mad.'
‘ No-one will remember that; and if they do, they will only think you are being capricious, as usual.'
‘ I am never capricious,' Brummell corrected her sternly. 'I am interesting.’
Lucy grunted. 'But why did you refuse him, when my husband put him up?' she asked. 'I never did understand.’
Brummell looked at her affectionately. 'No, you never did. And you never would. That is one of the things I love about you, dear Lady Aylesbury, so please don't try. One cannot always predict the outcome of one's actions,' he added thoughtfully, as though to himself. 'Suffice it to say that if there is any peace to be found in making reparation, I am not one to spurn it.'
‘ I don't understand you,' Lucy frowned. 'What repara tion?’
He kissed her hand. 'Nothing in the world,' he said. 'Here are your horses again, and the good Parslow, so I will take my leave. You are looking happier than you did ten minutes ago. I believe you haven't thought about yourself for the past fifty yards at least.'
‘You're right,' she discovered.
‘ Of course I am. It is the beginning of your cure. Come and share my box at the theatre tomorrow. I will get together a little party of old friends — Mildmay and Alvanley and Wiske. Do you like Charlotte Bouverie? I might ask you to invite her, for Mildmay's sake, for he's most fearfully in love with her! And we'll have supper afterwards at the White Horse, and eat the last oysters of the year, with a great deal of champagne.'
‘Thank you — I'd like that.’
He smiled. 'You have the rest of today and tomorrow to consider what you will wear. I wish you to dazzle, Lady Aylesbury. Nothing less will do.’
He helped her into the curricle, and she waved her whip to him as she drove away.
‘ I wonder if there is time to have something new made up?' she said aloud.
‘My lady?' Parslow enquired.
‘ I think I'll drive to Grafton House, and see what new mus lins they have in. I'm bound to have to wait at this time of day, so you can take the horses home, and send Docwra for me; for if I find anything I like, I shall walk round to Madame Genoux's afterwards, and come home
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