And then he began to think again.Ofcourseneither Hunter nor this man had seen him commit that folly.No one had.No hue and cry had gone up, despite the loudness of the shot, and Hunter himself was still very much alive, making lots of noise about being the true Earl of Sark.Damn him.
Ralph hoped his smile was not as sickly as it felt as Tabitha—Tabitha,of all people!—greeted him civilly and presented him to his grace.
Despite the pale skin and delicate appearance, the boy was not nearly as sickly as Ralph had expected.He had known in theory that he was two-and-twenty years old, but had pictured him as appearing younger, walking with a stick and a handkerchief held constantly to a pale, weak mouth.
There appeared to be little that was weak about this man.His eyes were intense and vital, and his movements were positively quick.Ralph pinned his hopes to the amiability of his expression, the friendliness of his hand-shake.If the duke was assessing him, he was, surely, giving him the benefit of the doubt at least.
Lady Hawthorn fluttered up to claim Ralph’s escort into dinner, proving that he was still counted as the earl here.He held onto that thought as he realized the duke was escorting Tabitha with whom he seemed much struck.
While Lily walked into dinner beside a very junior army officer of no obvious account.
Oh, damn the woman!Must she make everything so ridiculously difficult?But he was learning.He squashed the anger and realized, gradually, that he could use Tabitha’s encroachment— and the very useful if unexpected presence of Lord Hazlett and his chaplain.Ralph was, in fact, surrounded by allies, even if they didn’t all know it...
He began his serious campaign immediately after dinner, when the ladies had withdrawn and the more relaxed, masculine atmosphere circulated with the port and brandy.After some general conversation and a bit of witty banter thrown between Hawthorn and Lord Durward from opposite ends of the table, a few more private discussions sprang up, and Ralph found it easy to move seats to settle next to Lord Hazlett.
“A pleasure to see you here, my lord.Quite fortuitous, in fact.How do you find his grace, your nephew?”
Hazlett shook his head in silent gloom.
“Really?”Ralph said.“I thought he looked surprisingly well.”
“Oh, helookswell enough.But he has acquired an edge of stubbornness that was never there before.I’m afraid I have to tell you that he is now unwilling to budge on the matter of the marriage so close to your heart and mine.Which is a great pity, for now that I have met your cousin, Lady Lily, I am more convinced than ever that she would suit Isbourne to perfection.”
“I believe you are right,” Ralph said wisely, “especially since I had the pleasure of meeting his grace.But I believe I can discern the source of his grace’s sudden opposition to the match.The dowager.”
“I own I did not like to see him so much in her company but I cannot believe she would sabotage her stepdaughter’s chances—”
“You must believe it, for it is the truth.Whether from mischief or malice or mere selfish interest, she has clearly tried to oust Lily and dig her own claws into his grace who, I gather, has not been about much in the world.”
“Not at all,” Hazlett said ruefully, “which I am beginning to think was a mistake on my part.I was trying to keep him safe, but it means he is not quite up to snuff.”
“Certainly not against the wiles of a creature like the dowager.If she has not already seduced him, it is certainly her aim.Is he the sort of honourable man who would then feel obliged to marry her?”
Hazlett paled.“Oh yes.Most honourable.Most dutiful.I brought him up to be so.”
Ralph smiled sympathetically, for he was grasping the depths of the fool’s affection for his nephew, and saw that he would have to tread carefully, convince him of the terrible danger of not acting immediately.“One never expects such dutiful upbringing to work against one.Sadly...But I don’t believe we have yet lost, my lord.You have an excellent and important young man, and I have a well-born and obedient young lady.And you and I together have all the wisdom they lack.I believe we must be bold and act quickly to save them from their own folly.”
Hazlett shook his head.“I fear I have lost my influence over him.Just a few short weeks and—”
“Nonsense,” Ralph said briskly.“That will be Tabitha’s doing.She is rebellious and chaotic by nature.Also, insatiable and erratic.She will move onto her next conquest, whether or not she secures the dukedom first.I doubt he is of the necessary strict nature to keep her in line and so all your efforts to secure the dukedom will be for nought when you find—forgive me—a cuckoo in the nest.To say nothing of poor Isbourne’s personal misery.”
Hazlett’s eyes widened.“She is really as bad as that?One hears rumours, of course, but—”
“With cause,” Ralph interrupted brutally.“The late earl, my uncle, had a terrible time disciplining her.Since his death, no one can control her.I try to conceal what I can, of course, for she shames our whole family with her antics, but to you, sir, I must be honest.I can see at least two of her paramours without turning my head.Durward there, wild to a fault and still expecting his man to die from his last duel.And Carily, a positive rake who scandalized Brighton by his relationship with her only a couple of weeks ago.She is the harpy—I’m sorry, but I use the word advisedly—who threatens your unworldly nephew.”
Hazlett was suitably appalled, his lips a mere line in his white face, his bulging eyes hardening in the most gratifying way.
Ralph struck while the iron was hot.“We must act at once.I told you I would procure a special license, and I have.You have brought the chaplain.”
Hazlett drew a breath.“Yet our principal players are unwilling, which brings it all to naught.”
“Convince your chaplain,” Ralph said simply.“Believe me, there are ways to convince the bridegroom and in such straits as this, I am willing to use all of those ways.Our best opportunity will be during tomorrow evening when the ball will occupy everyone in one place.”
Hazlett reared back.“We cannot abuse the hospitality of our hosts!”
“Of course not,” Ralph replied, thinking fast.“We should obviously invite them and swear them to secrecy until the happy event is complete and they may announce it to the world.I have brought all the documents as we agreed.Believe me, Hazlett, we will save our beloved young people in spite of themselves.”
***
