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“Oh, indeed? And what precisely do you specify? I may remind you I have not yet agreed to do anything at all.”
“Then why am I here?”
“You are asking me? How the devil should I know?”
“Oh, tut, tut!” Lady Hester was laughing. “Do the two of you mean to be forever at loggerheads?” She turned apologetically to the duenna, who was looking distressed. “Miss Wormley, pray pay no attention. If you had been here this morning and heard them both, you would think nothing of this plain speaking between them.”
“But Maidie must not—it is quite shocking in her…” The Worm faded out as her charge’s inquiring grey gaze came around to her face. Compelled, she took up her complaint again. “It is not becoming, Maidie, when his lordship has been so magnanimous as to—”
“But he has not, Worm,” interrupted Maidie, moving to resume her seat in a chair next to her duenna’s. “It is Lady Hester who asked me to come. Lord Delagarde has not ceased to object—quite violently—and he has been far from magnanimous.”
“Oh, no doubt it is churlish of me to object to my house being invaded, my peace being disturbed, and my life turned upside-down merely to accommodate the whims of a pert female who has not even the courtesy to make the matter a request. She demands—or, no, it was required, was it not?—that I should arrange her debut. If anyone can give me a reason why I should be magnanimous after that, I shall be delighted to hear it.”
Silence succeeded this tirade. Delagarde, having discharged his spleen, looked from one to the other in growing bewilderment. Miss Wormley looked crushed. If Aunt Hes was not on the point of laughter, he did not know his own relative. As for Maidie herself—was that a hint of apology in her eyes? Before he could quite make up his mind, Maidie spoke, in a gruff little voice quite unlike her earlier manner.
“It is—it is quite true. I had not thought of it in just that way. I suppose I need not blame you for being so horrid.”
Delagarde was conscious of a peculiar sensation, as of a melting within him. Thrown quite out of his stride, he directed the oddest look upon her, and began, “Maidie, I—”
She cut him short, rising swiftly to her feet. “No, it is for me to speak now.” With difficulty, she overcame a rise of emotion she did not recognise. “I have been selfish. If you feel you cannot bear to accommodate me, even for a little time, I shall quite understand.”
Before Delagarde could gather his bemused wits at this wholly unlooked-for turn of events, the door opened to admit a footman. Fleetingly, Delagarde wondered at his butler’s absence, but his attention was caught by the man’s words, which had nothing, as he might have expected, to do with dinner.
“Lord and Lady Shurland,” announced the footman.
A sharp-featured brunette walked quickly into the room, followed more ponderously by a portly gentleman some years her senior. Both were in morning dress, and clearly in a state of some agitation. Lady Shurland cast one swift glance around, caught sight of Maidie, and flung out an accusing finger.
“So, it is true! Mary, how could you?”
Maidie looked briefly at Delagarde’s frowning countenance, and drew an unsteady breath as she turned to face the woman. She had anticipated this invasion. It was not to be supposed Adela and Firmin would acquiesce in her schemes. Only, must they arrive just at this moment? Nothing could have been more unfortunate. A prey to hideous indecision, she stepped forward. But before she could speak, Lady Hester intervened, rising and moving forward with hand held out.
“Good evening, Lady Shurland. We have not met, I think. My name is Lady Hester Otterburn.”
Delagarde watched the woman turn abruptly to his aunt, and shot a look at Maidie. He saw dismay in her face. Did she suppose he meant to send her packing? It was a heaven-sent opportunity to do so. There could be little doubt the Shurlands had come to claim her. He looked again to where Lady Shurland had perforce halted. So this was the female whose machinations Maidie sought to avoid. He had never admired angular women. Besides, she looked to be ill-tempered, darting killing looks at Maidie even as she exchanged greetings with Aunt Hes. His attention was drawn by the current and sixth Earl of Shurland, with whom he was slightly acquainted, and who was evidently labouring under suppressed emotion.
“You will forgive this intrusion, I trust,” he said, addressing himself to Delagarde. “We had been on an outing of pleasure for the day, and returned home to be met with the extraordinary intelligence, culled from my coachman, that Lady Mary had arrived in town and was even now staying in your house. You may imagine our consternation. We lost no time in setting forth to discover for ourselves if this were indeed the case.”
“And now you have discovered it,” said Delagarde, his tone so bland Maidie’s eyes flew to his face, “what do you propose to do about it?”
“Why, take her home, of course!” burst from Adela.
“Oh? But what if she does not choose to accompany you?”
“She will do as she is told,” Shurland announced curtly, and turned to his quarry. “This flight of yours, Maidie, was quite unnecessary. I do not know with what purpose you have thrust yourself upon Lord Delagarde, but—”
“I have done it so he may bring me out,” said Maidie, breaking in without ceremony.
“Mary!” gasped Lady Shurland in a horrified tone. “Do you tell me you have had the effrontery to—to—”
“Yes, I have. But you may be easy, Adela.” For she meant to add that Delagarde had refused to be imposed upon. She was given no opportunity to do so.
“Lord Delagarde, I am mortified!” burst from Adela. “She is dead to all sense of shame!”
“I believe she is,” Delagarde agreed mildly.
“After I have shown every willingness to bring her to town myself. How could you, Mary, treat me so shabbily? To leave your home while we were absent, without a word said! Then to throw yourself upon the mercy of a stranger, as though we had behaved ill towards you. I do not know how you can look me in the face!”
Maidie was looking her very boldly in the face. “Pray do not put on these airs for the benefit of Lady Hester and Lord Delagarde, Adela. I have already told them what your motive was in offering to bring me out.”
