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The effect was blinding, and his brows rose. Perhaps it was not such a far-fetched notion someone would fall in love with her. Provided, that is, they had no opportunity to discover her character first.
“I must thank you, my lord, for having supported me,” Maidie was saying. “I do not understand why you should have done so, but I won’t tease myself about that.” She added in a confiding way, “I was afraid you meant to encourage Firmin and Adela to take me away.”
“I know you were. And I have no more idea than you why I did not do so. I have every expectation I will live to regret it.”
The better relations established between himself and Maidie were not the only thing that prompted Delagarde to offer his escort when she expressed a need to visit the lawyer who dealt with her affairs. He’d had time enough since Wednesday to wonder why he had allowed himself to be dragooned into submission over her ridiculous charade. It was not, he decided, the advent of the Shurlands. He had been more or less reconciled before that. He had spent that first day smouldering over the perfidious way Aunt Hes has spiked his guns, but had arrived home without any real expectation of discovering the whole episode to have been imagined, as he had told himself might well be the case.
His resentment had flared anew at sight of Maidie in that objectionable attire, but it had fled as he took in the enormity of her ginger hair and discovered the chink in her armour. Gone was the self-possessed young woman who had driven him against the ropes in the morning. He had begun to realise there was a good deal of bravado about Maidie’s manner. She was still the most infuriating wench he had ever encountered, and he did not doubt but that she would drive him demented. But he could no more have thrown her out of his house than he could similarly have treated Aunt Hes.
He had done what he might to avert the worst consequences of her descent upon him, but he was a little disturbed by Shurland’s remarks. It would be as well to discover just how matters were left. Maidie’s expressed wish to visit her lawyer was therefore opportune.
They set off in his phaeton on Friday morning, with Maidie (who had yesterday been on a further shopping spree with Lady Hester) arrayed in a new pelisse of warm brown and a matching bonnet adorned with russet satin rosettes. With her curls rioting under a wide brim, Delagarde acknowledged she made an appealing picture.
“You look very well,” he said, as he handed her up into the carriage. “Was it your choice?”
“No, it was Lady Hester’s.” Well! It was moderate praise, but at least he approved. “I have not yet learned enough to trust myself.”
“You will,” Delagarde said, climbing up into the phaeton, and disposing the heavy folds of his caped greatcoat loosely about him to free his arms before taking up the reins and his whip. He nodded at his groom, who let go of the horses’ heads and swung himself up behind as the carriage swept past.
“It is very kind of you to take me to see Bagpurze,” Maidie said, not to be outdone in civility.
“No, it isn’t.” Delagarde grinned as he glanced at her. “I have a very good reason for going with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Since I have been thrust into a position where I may well have to figure as your trustee, I had better know the true facts of your inheritance.”
“But I have told you. Do you suppose I have been lying to you?”
“You have scarcely told me anything at all, and you cannot expect me to have made head or tail of the rigmarole you did tell me. But at least I must get a straight story from a lawyer.”
“Do as you please,” Maidie said huffily. “I have nothing to hide.” She thought for a moment, and then added, “Besides, it is a good opportunity for us to come to terms.”
Delagarde threw her a frowning glance. “Terms?”
“Yes, of course. You need not think I would expect you to do all this for nothing. I am sure you will find the charge less troublesome when we have agreed how much I should pay you for serving me.”
For a stunned moment, Delagarde could say nothing at all. He held in his horses with automatic skill as he guided them through the turn into Piccadilly. Then he found his tongue, throwing another quick look at the calm figure at his side.
“You wish to pay me?”
Maidie frowned up at his profile. “What is the matter now? You need not be embarrassed to admit your pockets are to let. I should have thought you would be only too glad of the opportunity to obtain some easy money.”
A choking sound from his groom behind failed to penetrate the blanket of disbelief in which Delagarde was wrapped. Was she off her head? Unable to think of a suitable response, he took up the first thing that came into his mind.
“It is evident to me anything I received for serving you, as you call it, would be hardly earned. However, you have been misinformed. My pockets happen to be remarkably well-lined.”
“Then I suppose you must have been winning at the tables?”
“Oh, that is what you suppose, is it? And am I to suppose you don’t then disapprove of gaming?”
“Why should I? How else is a man to support himself in the character of a gentleman, unless he marries money? There are few enough females of decent fortune, like myself, to assist all such gentlemen.”
“The sooner you assist one, then, the better! And let me tell you I have not won my own fortune, and I am quite able to support myself in the character of a gentleman.” He added, as she opened her mouth to speak, “However, I have grave doubts of being able to maintain that reputation if you are to remain for very long in my house.”
“Because of the way I behave? Well, I may be a trifle unconventional, but I am perfectly respectable, Lord Delagarde, and I assure you I will not bring any disrepute upon your head.”
“It has nothing to do with your respectability. It is I who will lose my character completely when I am dragged to the gallows for murder!”
