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“Oh Mr. Tunley!” She cut him off. “I can be as patient as I have to be. But I’m here on important business.” And she proceeded to confide in him the events of her evening at Vauxhall while his expression grew ever more astonished.
“So now I must urgently warn Mrs. Crossing that she’s about to be revealed. Her husband looks a cruel and unsympathetic man, and when he sees the sketch that Master Cosmo intends to deliver to him shortly, and which I have drawn, he will beat her, if not worse. She’ll never be able to run away with the man she truly loves.”
Ralph patted her down onto a red velvet upholstered chair and knelt at her side. “Hush, my love, you are overset. We must think on the problem calmly so that we can discover a solution.”
Lissa was an independent soul. She’d had to be, since her parents were so involved with one another to the exclusion of their children, so it was a novelty to have anyone take a real concern in her affairs. Ralph’s tender ministrations inspired in her a fierce determination to make something of what she felt could be realized between them.
If they only had the means.
Finally he rose and began to pace, stopping on the edge of the Persian carpet to lean against the desk. Reaching for the sketch Lissa had shown him of Lord Debenham in company with Lord Smythe and another gentleman in the supper room at Vauxhall, he held it up to the light. “Indeed, that’s my employer to a tee.” He nodded slowly, his expression admiring. “Look at that cruel mouth. Not only is it physically and anatomically correct, but you’ve managed to imbue him with his signature arrogant, cynical air. As for those other gentlemen, I’ve seen them make clandestine visits to the office. Always thought they were too smoky by half. You truly are a gifted artist, Miss Hazlett.”
“Well, my gift is about cause great and unintended harm! Please, Ralph, you do agree the matter is serious? But before I go on, may I say that I think we are familiar enough with one another, surely, for you to call me Larissa...though I prefer Lissa.”
“And you shall call me Ralph.” His gentle smile became a grin. “My, but we have come a long way since our auspicious introduction...Lissa, and I am determined that we shall travel far together, but for that, I shall need luck and ingenuity.” He became brisk. “Enough of daydreaming. You have an immediate problem, though I believe I have a bigger one in Lord Debenham.”
“Yes, Ralph, but I came here for help regarding Mrs. Crossing. I fear it will go very badly for her. Her husband is not a nice man.”
“But, short of murder, he is entitled to discipline his wife as he sees fit, and if he is confronted with evidence that she has been behaving in what you suggest was an unwifely manner, then the law—and indeed, public opinion—will side with him.”
“You surely don’t think that justifies—”
Ralph held up his hand to cut off her protest. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m stating facts. And unless you have managed to steal the sketch from Master Cosmo, I don’t see that we can do anything except forewarn your lady in potential distress.”
Lissa felt very downcast. Miserably, she said, “Master Cosmo has informed Mr. Crossing that he will hand over the sketch this afternoon.”
“Do you know where Mr. Crossing lives?”
Lissa shook her head. “All I know is that they’ll both be at Lady Smythe’s ball on Thursday, only then it’ll be too late.” She sighed. “Master Cosmo was angling for an invitation. Originally he’d proposed handing over the sketch then.” She twisted her hands and shifted in her seat. “And I’ve gone a bit beyond myself in promising things I can’t deliver. The only reason Miss Maria, who is Cosmo’s sister, has agreed to keep my coming here secret is because I promised her that I would somehow get her an invitation, if not to Lady Smythe’s ball, then to others where she might meet prospective suitors who are more in line with her lofty ambitions.”
“You mean suitors more elevated than lowly clerks or men of business to much greater personages.”
“Oh Ralph, how can you say that?” Lissa leapt up and gripped Ralph’s hand, squeezing it and fearing she’d mortally offended him—until he burst out laughing at the same time as he wrapped his arms about her. “No, don’t pull away. It’s very nice and we are for now quite undisturbed, though I daresay it’s not proper at all that you’re here unchaperoned.”
“Indeed it is not and I shouldn’t be anywhere but looking after two very trying little girls. But Ralph, I have done a terrible disservice to Mrs. Crossing. What am I to do?”
He was thoughtful as he stroked her hair, still holding her against his chest. “The best plan, as you say, is to secure invitations to Lady Smythe’s ball for you, Master Cosmo and Miss Maria. You can use that enticement to Master Cosmo to hold off handing over the sketch and also to win over Miss Maria, so that she’ll happily be complicit in enabling you to see me whenever the urge presents itself. At least for the next few days. I’ve no doubt your Master Cosmo would be unable to resist rubbing shoulders with those whose hallowed ranks he wishes to join. Tell Master Cosmo to send a note round to Mr. Crossing to say he’ll hand over the sketch at Lady Smythe’s ball. Then as soon as you arrive at the ball, you must try and find Mrs. Crossing to warn her. It doesn’t help her much, but forewarned is forearmed. If she fears for her safety so much and is planning to elope with her lover, as you suggest, she might get a message to him, asking for his help.” He shrugged. “Not that I know the first thing about the circumstances, though I hate the idea of any woman suffering violence at the hands of someone who has the advantage of strength and brutality. However, she is guilty. There’s no justifying infidelity.”
Lissa thought of her own parents, and of the new babe Lady Partington was soon to deliver. Perhaps it would be a son, her father’s longed-for heir. Meanwhile Lissa’s new sibling would be another Hazlett bastard. Both her parents were guilty of infidelity and she was the product.
“Oh, Lissa, my dearest heart, I never meant to hurt you with my thoughtless reference.” Ralph, realizing his faux pas, squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head.
“I know you didn’t and I don’t blame you for it.” Lissa sighed as she raised her face to his. “It’s true that my life has been blighted through the infidelity of my parents. But I’m not going to think of that. All I know is that I need to live with my conscience, which means I can’t be the reason harm comes to Mrs. Crossing, regardless of her crime.” She hadn’t realized her fists were clenched until Ralph gently uncurled them. Frustrated, she added on a sigh, “But listen to me run on. How am I to secure these invitations to Lady Smythe’s ball? Everything you say is wonderful, but these are not the circles in which I mix. Nor do I believe Araminta is in a position to ask Lady Smythe.” Not with her sister having caused such a recent scandal, she thought.
“But they are the circles in which my brother mixes.” Ralph shrugged at her surprise as he put her away from him, still holding her hands. “He would organize it without a problem, my sweet. I just need to ask him.”
“Your brother? Could he?”
“Yes, Teddy, the eldest of my five older brothers, will probably be in attendance in any case. He could, and he would, secure an invitation if I requested it of him. Now, tell me again the names of this extensive guest list we must submit to Lady Smythe. I cannot possibly be expected to remember the proper name of Miss Mary or whoever she is when my senses are so entirely filled with the vision of loveliness before me.”
In a dreamlike state, Lissa returned to the Lamont household, where a very cross Miss Maria met her at the doorway to the nursery.
“You’ve been gone an age and Nellie and Harriet have been positive demons. I can’t bear to spend another moment alone with them.”
Lissa did not bother to remark that she regularly felt the same way but she was able to quickly ameliorate Miss Maria’s ill temper when she told her about the invitation to Lady Smythe’s ball that would be forthcoming.
Chapter Twelve
Araminta had no wish to attend Lady Smythe’s ball. For the first time in her life she wanted only to bury her head beneath her feather down pillow and block out the world.
