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“Commended Lady Mary to your care? Why should she have done so?”
“My dear sir, nothing could have been more natural. When a young female relative is orphaned—”
“Relative? What nonsense is this, pray?”
“Surely you are aware that the Burloynes are connected to the Otterburns?” said Delagarde, in a voice of pained surprise which caused Lady Hester to choke off a smothered laugh. “Indeed, it was my mother who sent Miss Wormley—our cousin, you must know—to look after Lady Mary when she was left without a female protector at so tender an age.”
Adela’s eyes were popping, and it was evident to Delagarde all this was as new to her as it was to her husband.
“How comes it about I never heard a word of this?” Shurland demanded, casting an irritated glance at Maidie.
“Did you not? It was before your time, of course,” Delagarde said in an excusing tone. “But perhaps the late Lord Shurland did not have an opportunity to inform you of it.”
“Reginald Hope,” said the present Earl, in a voice which very imperfectly concealed his chagrin, “saw fit to inform me of nothing at all concerning my inheritance. If he had a thought to spare for anything other than his infernal hobby, I was not privileged to know of it.”
Maidie fired up. “How dare you sneer at Great-uncle Reginald?” At the back of her mind, as she came rapidly towards the group, she took in the startled glance of Lady Hester, and the odd expression which leapt into Delagarde’s features. But the spurt of anger would not be contained. “You are not half the man he was, Firmin. Great-uncle Reginald was the best of men, and the kindest of guardians, and as much a father to me as Worm was a mother. I will not have either of them abused. As for his preoccupation, it was a great deal more than a hobby, and of far greater worth than anything you might waste your thoughts upon.”
“Of importance to others of equal eccentricity, no doubt,” retorted Lord Shurland.
Delagarde saw Maidie’s eyes flash, and was not much surprised to find that the Earl backed down. He was rather amused than otherwise by the discovery the unshakable Lady Mary had a temper.
Shurland shifted a little, avoiding his cousin’s eye, and adopted a blustering tone. “Very well, very well. Enough said. In any event, this is no time to be arguing over what is past and cannot be mended. Go and pack your things, Maidie, for you are coming home with us.”
Maidie moved away from him, saying in a calmer tone, “I thank you, no, Firmin. If Lord Delagarde is indeed willing to sponsor me—”
“Certainly. Not only that. I am going to figure as her trustee.”
Shurland’s chest swelled alarmingly, and his cheeks reddened. “You will figure as nothing of the kind, sir! I am perfectly aware of all the circumstances of her fortune. You have no rights in the matter at all.”
“Neither have you,” Delagarde pointed out. “Lady Mary is of age and may do as she pleases, and I do not believe either myself or you, Shurland, have the means to prevent her. If she chooses to come and live with my aunt and myself, there is no barrier that I can see.”
“Except,” put in Adela bitterly, “that it makes us look like fools.”
“That cannot be helped.”
“Oh! I did not look for such usage from you, my lord! It is plain Mary has blinded you with some horrid tale against me.” She glared at Maidie, and seemed for the first time to notice her appearance, for she added in a waspish tone, “How you suppose you might catch a husband in a get-up like that, I am at a loss to understand. You look thirty if you look a day! If you have not sense enough to conceal that perfectly appalling hair—”
“Appalling?” echoed Delagarde, interrupting her without ceremony. “My dear ma’am, I cannot agree with you. Lady Mary’s hair is her most attractive attribute, and the gown is excessively becoming. Indeed, I was just expressing my admiration when you were announced.”
Maidie gasped at this blatant untruth, and noted Lady Hester was struggling against a fit of laughter.
“However that may be, my lord, you will at least admit it is hardly raiment suitable to a debutante.”
“Well, if you dislike it so much, Adela,” Maidie said before Delagarde could answer this, “you should be happy it is not you who will have to appear in society with me.”
“This is absurd!” Lord Shurland burst out. “I am far from accepting this taradiddle about your mother, Delagarde, but I take leave to inform you there will be but one construction to be put upon the matter, if you take it upon yourself to interfere in this way.”
Maidie felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere, as though a chill entered the room. Glancing at Lady Hester, she was startled to find the elder lady’s eyes sparkling with something other than humour. Her attention was drawn to Delagarde, who had stiffened, she thought. His narrowed eyes were turned upon the Earl, and there was a hint of ice in his voice.
“Indeed? Perhaps you would care to elaborate.”
Shurland glared at him, but blustered it through. “Poker up, if you will, sir! You know very well what I mean. I shall not demean myself by explaining it further.”
“Very prudent.”
The Earl coloured. “If we are to talk of prudence, let me advise you to inquire into the way things are left before you do what you may come to regret. You do not know her, Delagarde. I do!”
Maidie could make nothing of this. She saw the Viscount’s brows had snapped together, and he was now looking more puzzled than angry. Before she could request an explanation, Lady Hester moved forward again, her calm tones dispelling the discomfort in the air.
