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“Oh, I have no doubt you have done your best to blacken me,” returned the other in a tone of deep reproach. “You will not be satisfied until you have made me an object of censure in the eyes of society.”
“Dear me,” came from Lady Hester. “In what way, my dear ma’am?”
“Everyone will think I was too mean and selfish to bring her out. It is quite untrue. I have done everything in my power to do the best for her, in despite of her every attempt to make an enemy of me. Only see how she repays me! Sneaking behind our backs in this unkind way.”
“Adela, leave this to me,” said her lord, and turned again to Maidie. “I shall refrain from discussing the evils of your conduct in this company, Maidie, but I desire you will at once stop behaving in a fashion which even you must recognise to be reprehensible in the extreme. If, as I am informed, you have indeed taken up residence in this house—”
“Pray do not speak to me as if I were a schoolgirl, Firmin. You have no authority over me.”
“On the contrary. As Head of the Family, I must consider myself responsible for you.” He swung, without warning, upon Maidie’s unfortunate duenna. “Moreover, if any further proof was needed, Miss Wormley, of your total unfittedness to have the care of Lady Mary—”
“I will not have you turn on Worm!” Maidie flew to the shrinking duenna’s defence. “You may say what you wish to me, Firmin, but you may not berate my dearest Worm.”
“Oh, Maidie, pray—” Miss Wormley clutched at her bosom in an ineffectual way. “You must not! It is perfectly true that—Oh, dear!”
“Do not be alarmed, Worm. You are not to blame.” Maidie crossed the room as she spoke, and perched by Miss Wormley’s chair, putting a protective arm about her. “Poor Worm implored me not to come, and she was even more shocked at my conduct than Lord Delagarde himself.”
“Oh, Lord Delagarde!” Adela pounced on this, throwing out a hand towards the Viscount. “What can I say? How can I sufficiently apologise?”
“I see no reason for apology.” Delagarde eyed her with a hint of hostility. “You can scarcely be held accountable for Lady Mary’s actions.”
“It is excessively tolerant in you, sir, but it will not do. I know, none better, how little Mary has been taught of the conventions governing the conduct of young females of her class, and I cannot but feel myself put to the blush by the way she has behaved.”
“It does you credit, my dear Lady Shurland,” put in Aunt Hes, bringing Delagarde’s frowning gaze to bear on her mischievous features.
He noted the tell-tale twinkle in her eye, and raised questioning brows. What was she about now? She could not seriously be taking the part of a female whom he was himself rapidly taking in dislike?
“Few ladies would be so unselfish,” went on his great-aunt in a kind voice, “as to offer to sponsor a female so lost to all sense of what is fitting. I would not blame you if you chose to give up the notion of bringing Maidie out.”
So that was it. Delagarde was shaken by an inward laugh. Still, from what he had seen of Adela Shurland, Aunt Hes was wasting her time. It would not work.
“Whatever my feelings might be, I conceive it to be my duty,” said Adela virtuously, and not much to Delagarde’s surprise. “I must hope to prevail upon her to conduct herself with more circumspection.” She added on a waspish note, “Of course, it is no surprise to me Miss Wormley was unable to prevent you from behaving in this inconsiderate way, Mary.”
“She has no control over the girl whatsoever,” said her spouse. “From what I have been privileged to see, I should not think she ever has had. But perhaps she will care to explain why, if she did not approve of Lady Mary’s antics, she did not see fit to inform me of what was in the wind.”
“Oh, I could not!” broke from the duenna. “I mean, it would not be—”
“Of course you could not. Really, Firmin, how can you be so stupid? As though Worm would do anything so shabby as to betray me to you.”
“Naturally not,” said Adela. “It is too much to expect she might remember who is her employer.” She then turned on her husband. “I told you to send her packing. I warned you how it would be. But no, you never listen to me. I might as well have spared my breath.”
“Adela, be silent!” Shurland reddened, turning to his hosts with an air of apology. “My wife is in great distress. I trust you will make allowances.”
“For my part,” said Lady Hester, turning to cast a conspiratorial wink at Maidie before addressing the Earl, “I am willing to make every allowance. Indeed, Shurland, I do most strongly advise you to leave the child with me. It is clear she is in pressing need of guidance, and a woman of my years, who has been about the world, is far less prone to be distressed. I do sincerely sympathise with Lady Shurland, and shall be happy to take this irksome charge off her hands.”
Maidie listened to this speech with mixed feelings. She had known Lady Hester rather less than a day, but it did not need that quick little wink to tell her what her new friend was about. But Lady Hester did not know Adela. Maidie did. She was determined, and there was no hope of her voluntarily giving up the notion. There! She was arguing already, Firmin in agreement. Not that she cared what either of them thought. There was only one thing that could induce her to leave. She had not thought she cared for his opinion either, but if Delagarde chose to encourage the Shurlands to take her away—!
She looked across at him and found him watching her. Their eyes met. Maidie, unaccountably breathless all at once, could tell nothing from his expression. Indeed, she forgot even to try to read it, making instead the interesting discovery that his eyes were as dark as his hair. She was vaguely surprised she had not noticed it before. It occurred to her to wonder why in the world he was still unwed. She could only conclude that those females whose interest had been aroused—not a few, she was persuaded—had discovered too quickly how disobliging and cross was his nature.
Then, as though to give her the lie, Delagarde abruptly smiled at her. Maidie blinked, stared at him in foolish disbelief, and was annoyed to feel herself flushing. He must have seen it, for his smile grew, and he lifted an expressive eyebrow in mute question. To Maidie’s intense relief, he then turned away, stepping into the continuing discussion.
“Nothing could be further from my mind,” Adela was saying, “than to allow Mary to burden you, dear ma’am. Come, Shurland,” she said, turning purposefully to her husband. “Mary has trespassed enough. Make her come home with us, and let us have an end to this nonsense.”
“Trespass? Dear me, no,” said Lady Hester. “She is here by my invitation.”
“That may be,” said Shurland heavily, “but I am certain Delagarde cannot wish for such a charge.”
“On the contrary,” said Delagarde, energetically entering the lists. “You must know my mother commended Lady Mary to my care many years ago, and I have been remiss in not honouring the promise.”
