Page 21 of Just a Little Daring

“I should be delighted to,” Evie said. “Though I didn’t know there was a monkey.”

“Oh, yes,” Aggie said, excited now. “Fred told me he saw it at another fair. Arabella did too. It was so adorable, doing little tricks and getting up to mischief. So she got the owner to bring it here.”

“Monkeys are not to be trusted,” Louis said darkly.

Viv laughed with surprise. “Do you have much experience with monkeys then, monsieur?”

“More than I wish for,” he replied, but offered no more on the subject.

“Would you like to see the monkey, Miss Anson?” Viv turned to see Mr Lane-Fox watching her with interest.

“I would, rather,” Viv admitted.

“Then we had better follow them.” Mr Lane-Fox escorted her with the others to where a small crowd of onlookers had gathered around a man with an ornate wooden barrel organ. As he turned the handle, music filled the room, though this spectacle was far less interesting than the monkey.

“Oh, the dear little thing. He looks like a tiny old man!” Evie laughed as the monkey reached out a hand to a hesitant young woman who offered him a peanut.

Agile fingers worked rapidly to peel away the tough outer shell before the monkey popped each nut into his mouth, chewing furiously. His bright, dark eyes scanned the crowd for any more likely donations.

The comte studied the creature suspiciously and made a noncommittal sound.

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy. He’s adorable,” Evie persisted.

Vivien laughed at the comte’s silent if expressive rejection of this comment, which turned to a gasp when a sharp elbow struck her hard in the ribs as someone pushed forward to the front for a better view.

“Madam!” she said, clutching at her side, but the woman spared her barely a glance. As she passed, Vivien sucked in a breath as she recognised who had assaulted her.

“You ought to have let me through,” Mrs Steyning snapped coldly, as her daughter Hyacinth smirked and deliberately jostled Viv again as she passed.

Viv gritted her teeth, furious but determined not to create a scene in front of Mr Lane-Fox, who had not seen the little contretemps play out. Her rigid posture must have given her away, however.

Mr Lane-Fox turned away from the conversation he’d been having with her brother to look at her. “Miss Anson, are you well? Has something happened?”

Viv shook her head. Mrs Steyning was the daughter of the Duke of Sefton, and aunt to the appalling Rivendell girls. Mrs Steyning hated both Vivien and Ash, and their mother. This was partly because she resented Mama’s beauty and popularity despite the scandal she had created in marrying their father, and partly because of Mama’s friendship with Matilda, the Marchioness of Montagu. Mrs Steyning had once hoped of snaring the marquess herself, and had been rather too vocal in her confident pronouncements of becoming the next marchioness. Montagu’s very public declaration of love and subsequent proposal to Matilda had humiliated Mrs Steyning and, over the following years, she had tried to take the shine from Matilda’s happiness, even attempting to seduce Montagu in the hope of becoming his mistress. Unsurprisingly, she had failed utterly. Mama had been vocal in her support of Matilda, and her unmasking of several of Mrs Steyning’s attempts to spread rumours and gossip had created an enmity which was decidedly vitriolic. The woman had not married well either, despite her rank, ending up with a mere baronet, an unpleasant fellow to boot. Viv knew her to be cruel and vindictive, and decided it was best to err on the side of caution for once.

“No, I’m quite well, thank you,” she said, striving for calm.

August’s obvious concern and his smile went a long way to easing her temper, and she took a deep breath, hoping to enjoy the rest of the fair.

The capuchin monkey was indeed very droll. The organ grinder had dressed him in little checked trousers and a blue tunic with a matching cap. When the man turned the handle, he danced to the music and then gave a bow, snatching off his cap to beg for peanuts which were being sold at an exorbitant price for five nuts. The crowd laughed and exclaimed, thoroughly entertained. Despite his obvious suspicion of the little beast, Louis César bought Evie a bag of monkey nuts, and Evie handed one to Vivien.

“Assuming the poor creature can get past the gorgon,” Evie whispered, gesturing to Mrs Steyning.

Vivien grinned. Her smile faded, however, as she turned back to discover Miss Hyacinth Steyning had captured Mr Lane-Fox’s attention. She was a beautiful girl, as her mother had once been, before selfishness and disappointment had wrought hard lines on her pretty features. A coquettish nature tempered the beauty, however, and Vivien did her best to squash an unappealing surge of jealousy as the young woman batted her eyelashes at Mr Lane-Fox and toyed with her hair. She focused instead on Agatha, who had bent down to get a better look at the monkey, who reached out to hold her hand. This delighted the child, who gazed up at the Comte with happiness shining in her eyes. Louis César smiled back at her, his expression warm and indulgent, and Vivien wondered if he knew Agatha regarded him as her father. She hoped so. Anything less would break the poor girl’s heart.

Though she tried not to, Vivien could not help catching a little of the conversation between Hyacinth and Mr Lane-Fox, especially when her name was mentioned.

“If you will excuse me, Miss Steyning. I accompanied Miss Anson today, and I should not wish to be thought a poor companion.”

“Oh, her,” Hyacinth said with a dismissive little sniff. “You really ought not. They do not receive her kind at the best affairs, you know. Scandalous family. It won’t reflect well on you.”

Vivien smothered a gasp, torn between outrage, humiliation, and not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. The desire to scratch the horrid creature’s eyes out was also tantalising, but would do her more harm than the temporary satisfaction it would give.

Though she no longer held his arm, Vivien was aware of the way Mr Lane-Fox stiffened beside her, aware too of the sudden, prickling atmosphere.

“Really? Well, Miss Steyning, I would not wish to attend any affair that did not count itself fortunate for Miss Anson’s presence, and as my own family is far more capable of creating scandal than hers, I shall enjoy her company as I have been doing. Good day to you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Vivien saw the anger in Miss Steyning’s expression, the sudden flare of colour to her porcelain cheeks.