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Maidie gave him a direct look. “But now you have intrigued me. What do you want to ask me?”
“Shall I risk it?”
A gleam of fun lit her features. Delagarde blinked, as some unnamed emotion flitted through his chest, like a flashing fire. The thought struck him all at once that in their short acquaintance, she had rarely smiled at him.
“It might make a test, do you not think? If I can keep my temper, I must be growing more tolerant of yours.”
He relieved her of the glass and took her hand, helping her to her feet. “That may be too much of a test. Besides, they are calling the second act. We must go back.” He handed the empty glass to the boy who was inviting the patrons to return to the auditorium, and gave Maidie his arm.
“But what do you want to know?” she asked him as they entered the little corridor.
“The truth about your escapade today,” he said, capitulating, as his desire to find out came back—more strongly, if anything.
“But I told you—”
“Don’t fob me off with this lecture. Had you an assignation?”
Maidie stopped dead in the corridor, removing her hand from his arm and turning to face him. “Had I awhat?”
The Viscount tried to read her face, but the dimly-lit corridor made it a pale shadow. “You are angry already.”
“No, I am not. I just don’t think I can have heard you correctly.”
“Come here!” He took her arm without force, and moved her near the door of his box where a glass-covered candle threw light on to one side of her countenance.
Maidie stared up at him, confused by his attitude, and acutely aware of his hand still grasping her arm above the elbow. He was behaving oddly, most unlike his usual way with her. Perhaps his absence this last week had mellowed him towards her, for she knew well how provoking he found her. If she had wondered at the reason for his holding aloof, she was too much relieved to care. Not surprising he had loomed a trifle too large in her mind, for she was not to know when he might take it into his head to surprise her with a show of attention. She had been glad, of course she had, to be spared the sort of strictures which had been her portion earlier tonight. But this new conduct was unprecedented. She had never before supposed him to be possessed of such charm as he had just displayed. Those affaires became even more readily believable.
“An assignation, Maidie,” he said, quite softly. “Don’t lie to me, if you please. Did you have an assignation?”
Blankly she took in what he meant. It seemed so incredible a question she could not think why he would ask it. Besides, as she asked in astonishment, “With whom?”
“How the devil should I know?” But the impatience was instantly suppressed. “Come, the truth! Did you go to meet some man?”
“Yes, I did go to meet a man.”
His grasp tightened. “I knew it!”
“But there was no assignation, Delagarde. I do not know anyone with whom to have one.”
“I don’t know who you may have met this last week,” he said, releasing her at last. “I am more concerned with whom you met secretly today.”
“I think you have run mad. I went, hoping very much to meet this man—not secretly at all, but in the presence of a number of others. Also, of course, to hear him talk about Herschel.”
“Herschel?”
“The astronomer. Surely even you must have heard of Herschel? He discovered a new planet.”
But Delagarde was gazing down at her in the liveliest astonishment, not unmixed with disbelief. “You are surely not expecting me to believe you are interested in astronomy?”
Maidie was so surprised she merely gazed at him.
“Why are you staring at me in such puzzlement?”
Her brows went up. “In what else but astronomy should I be interested, pray?”
With which, Maidie turned and re-entered the box, leaving Delagarde utterly mystified. He followed her into the box and shut the door just as the curtain rose on the second act. He had no more than a passing interest in what was going forward on the stage. He had seen Sheridan’s comedy often before, and there was nothing exceptional about this Mr Puff’s delivery to take his attention from Maidie’s disclosure.
He was at first inclined to dismiss it as an attempt to throw dust in his eyes. But he recalled how once or twice there had been instances of similar oddity. To do with the great-uncle. Had astronomy been the former Lord Shurland’s abiding interest? But that he should have passed it on to Maidie seemed altogether too odd—even for her. What young female would choose to spend her time raking the heavens? He would not believe it!
