Gamble With Hearts (18 page)

‘Oh, pray do not take any notice of me. I merely wished to tell you, Charles, that your uncle is on his way to gaol, and, as I judge, has betrayed himself so soundly that his conviction is assured.’

‘Thank you, sir. You relieve my mind. Is it really over then?’

‘Yes, my boy. I think we may say that it is.’

‘In that case, sir, I hope you do not object if I marry your fiancée as soon as may be,’ said the Viscount, with a grin.

‘You have my blessing,’ the Marquis assured them with a paternal air.

‘And when is your own wedding to be?’ demanded Charles of his benefactor, with a laugh.

Charlotte lifted her head which had been resting snugly in the hollow of Charles' shoulder. 'Are you going to be married, sir? I did not know.’

The Marquis looked almost embarrassed. ‘I hope so, my dear, I very much hope so,’ and as an afterthought, he added, ‘Would you be so kind as to inform your mama that I shall do myself the honour of calling on her tomorrow morning?’

Charlotte glanced in bewilderment from the Marquis' flushed face to Charles' sly one. Obviously there was some secret here in which she had no share, but she was far too tired and too happy to investigate further.

‘Charles, please take me home,’ she begged. He agreed with alacrity, and as the Marquis was kind enough to place his carriage at the disposal of the young people, they most reprehensibly made their way home together, quite un-chaperoned. By this time, however, the proper and unromantic Miss Wrexham was so demoralised that she not only permitted his lordship to hold her in his arms all the way to Hill Street, but also returned his kisses with an enthusiasm that would have shocked her mama and Aunt into palpitations if they had been able to see her.

When the carriage reached
Hill Street
, it was apparent, from the number of lights in the house, that the ladies had not yet retired. Charlotte firmly dismissed her suitor at the front door, feeling that the shock of seeing him had better be delayed until the good ladies had been prepared a little. He was loath to leave her to face the inevitable explanations alone, but she was adamant, and so he reluctantly left her and wandered off down the street, whistling loudly.

Charlotte was admitted to the house by the butler, who wore the expression of a man who can no longer be shocked. He showed not the slightest surprise in admitting to the house at midnight a young lady whom he had supposed to be fast asleep in her chamber. He merely informed her that she would find her mama in the drawing room in company with two young persons. With that, he withdrew to the nether regions and spent an agreeable half-hour in composing his letter of resignation from this ill-regulated house.

As Charlotte entered the drawing room she was greeted by her mama with a wail of distress. ‘Charlotte, Charlotte! Oh how glad I am to see you, my dear. I did so wish to leave you undisturbed to have a good sleep, but I am beside myself, for look who is here!’ With an unconsciously dramatic gesture Mrs Wrexham flung out her hand to indicate the occupants of the sofa; Mr Edridge and a tearful Miss Milverly.

‘Good heavens, Mama! What in the world—?’ demanded Charlotte, pardonably surprised.

‘I am sure I cannot make head nor tail of it my dear. Sebastian, tell
Charlotte
what you have told me while I see about some hot milk for you all, you poor children.’ With that, she bustled out, leaving the young people regarding each other rather warily.

‘Well, Sebastian, you had better tell me what is happening, I suppose,’

Mr Edridge looked most uncomfortable. ‘I scarcely know how to begin.’

‘Try at the beginning,’ recommended Charlotte seating herself.

‘Well, you must be aware that I have been very much in love with Amelia ever since I first saw her. She seemed so lovely, so—’

‘Yes, very well, Sebastian, but it is rather late so perhaps you could leave Amelia's perfections out of the story,’ said Miss Wrexham rather tartly.

He grinned at her.
 
‘Well, in any event, I asked the Marquis for permission to pay my addresses and he agreed. The only trouble was that for some reason Amelia seemed to have changed her mind, for she quite refused to hear my proposal.’

Amelia gave a resounding sniff at this point, and sent Mr Edridge a darkling look. A glance from Miss Wrexham quelled her, however, and she subsided once more into sobs. ‘Well, it seemed to me that there must be some reason why she should have changed her mind so suddenly, and then I remembered the way she looked when she danced with that Chatham fellow, so I—I—’

‘I do not wonder that you are ashamed to confess it!’ declared Miss Milverly unexpectedly. ‘For a more despicable dastardly thing I never heard of, and I shall have her turned off without character!’

‘Who?’ demanded Charlotte in bewilderment.

‘My maid, whom he bribed, yes bribed, to betray me!’

Charlotte could not but look disapprovingly at Mr Edridge. ‘That was not well done of you, Sebastian,’ she told him.

He looked a little uncomfortable, but asserted that it was just as well for Amelia that he had, for he had discovered that she planned to fly with
Chatham
that very night. ‘She is such a baby, you know, ma'am. She hasn't any idea what would have been the consequences of spending the night alone with a fellow like that. I had to rescue her!’

‘But I did not in the least want to be rescued!’ asserted Amelia in high dudgeon.

‘You soon would have,’ he told her bluntly. ‘Well, anyway, after I had discovered the plan it was easy. I just turned up at the appointment before Amelia. I persuaded Chatham to leave and when Amelia arrived I brought her here.

'Just how did you
persuade
this Chatham to leave, Sebastian? I would not have thought he would give up so easily.’

Ruefully, Mr Edridge held out his hand for
Charlotte
's inspection. The knuckles were cut and still bleeding a little. She gave a little exclamation of horror, but Sebastian assured her with some pride that Chatham's face looked very much worse.

‘He hardly put up a fight, you know. I don't know what you could see in such a paltry fellow, Amelia.’

Charlotte
was rather amused by the whole escapade, although she was careful to show Amelia a stern face. Like Edridge, she realised that Miss Milverly's willingness to do anything so improper stemmed from innocence rather than depravity, but she must be made to realise that she had been very foolish. There was another thing that puzzled Miss Wrexham about this remarkable affair.

‘Tell me, Sebastian, why did you not simply inform the Marquis of this flight? Surely it is his duty to protect his daughter.’

‘To tell you the truth, I was so hurt and angry that all I wanted was to take a poke at the fellow's bone box myself. Oh, I beg your pardon, I mean—’

‘Do not worry, Sebastian, I am growing quite accustomed to thieves’ cant and all manner of strange expressions. I understand your feelings and think you did quite right. But having rescued Amelia, why bring her here? Not that we are not happy to receive her, of course.’

‘She would not go home. Started screaming her head off when I suggested it, so I thought it best to bring her here. I know she has a fondness for you, ma'am, and for Mrs Wrexham. Besides, you are betrothed to her father, are you not?’

‘Well, to tell you the truth, I am afraid I am not!’

‘What? I do not understand. Whatever can you mean!’ cried Amelia, shocked out of her sobs.

Charlotte
did her very best to look regretful, but succeeded only in looking radiantly happy. ‘The truth is, Amelia, that your Papa does not really wish to marry me at all, nor I him. I am going to be married to Charles Carlington as soon as possible, and with your own father's blessing.’

Mr Edridge was not a slow-witted young man, but even he found this announcement a little incomprehensible.
Charlotte
was obliged to favour the young couple with a brief account of her adventures that night. Edridge, who had been distressed by the accusations against Carlington, was most relieved to find them unfounded; and Amelia, who had been finding Miss Wrexham most unsympathetic that evening, admitted to herself that she was not wholly displeased to be losing her prospective mama. Mrs Wrexham. who now entered with a pitcher of steaming milk. was very much more her ideal of what a mother should be.

Quickly Charlotte made her mother acquainted with the events of the evening. Mrs Wrexham could not but be overjoyed at her daughter's happiness; although she was horrified to learn of the danger she had passed through.

By now, the contents of the pitcher had been disposed of and, as both young ladies were extremely weary, Mrs Wrexham insisted that they should be sent off to bed. Mr Edridge was dispatched to Lord Ruthin's house with a short note in which Mrs Wrexham acquainted
 
him with his daughter's folly and begged him to restrain his anger until the morning when she hoped to speak to him.

Lady Northwood was naturally a little surprised when, upon entering the breakfast room, she encountered Miss Milverly partaking of chocolate and rolls. None of the ladies had yet had time to invent a plausible reason for Amelia's presence and so Charlotte was forced to tell her aunt the truth, although with a good deal of trepidation. Fortunately, Lady Northwood was more amused than shocked by Miss Milverly's escapade. No damsel whose father had a fortune of twenty thousand a year need fear any very violent disapprobation from that worldly lady.

Her disapproval was reserved for her own niece, who hastened to take advantage of her Aunt's forbearing mood by announcing her betrothal. Lady Northwood was naturally glad to hear that Carlington's name had been cleared, but he was no more eligible now than he had been previously, and Lady Northwood was loath to give up the prospect of the match with Ruthin. However, when it was explained to her that the Marquis had no real desire to marry Miss Wrexham in any event, she shrugged her shoulders and declared that she washed her hands of the whole business.

‘You must do as you please, Charlotte, for I see that you are just like your mother and have no notion .of how to pursue your advantages.’

‘Well, I am sure I only hope to be as happy as Mama was,’ replied Charlotte warmly. ‘I am sure no woman could ask for more.’

Lady Northwood raised a sceptical eyebrow, but forbore to comment.

Mrs Wrexham favoured her daughter with a warm smile. The slight barrier that had been raised between them during Charlotte's engagement to Ruthin had now quite dissolved and they were once more in perfect accord. Charlotte had not failed to give her mama the Marquis' message the previous night, which might have accounted for the bloom that had returned to her countenance. Mrs Wrexham had dressed herself with great care that morning in a dove-grey gown trimmed with black velvet ribbons and worn with the prettiest lace cap. She looked absurdly youthful, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and upon her lips a smile of pure happiness.

After breakfast the ladies retired to the pretty chamber where Lady Northwood received her morning callers, and there awaited their visitors with some impatience.

Mr Edridge was the first of these to arrive. He was accorded a motherly welcome by Mrs Wrexham but Miss Milverly barely acknowledged his entrance. She was of necessity wearing the same gown in which she had arrived the previous night, which made her feel at a disadvantage and therefore cross. She was used to appearing as fresh as the morning, and although attempts had been made to smooth out the creases, the dark stuff dress that had seemed suitable for the journey to Gretna was decidedly out of place in the morning room. Moreover she had slept ill, and had the unnerving prospect of an interview with her papa before her.

Mr Edridge too seemed ill at ease. He could no longer put off his departure for Oxford, and he had hoped to take with him Amelia's promise that they should be married as soon as he had completed his studies. Now it seemed unlikely that he would be able to see her alone at all, and even if he could do so, he no longer felt any confidence in her reply. Unexpectedly he was rescued by Miss Wrexham, who had a very fair idea of what was in her young friend's mind. With a conspiratorial smile at Sebastian she addressed her aunt. ‘Dear ma'am, I am sure that Amelia would be enchanted by your lovely conservatory. May I take her out there now?’

‘Oh, I suppose you want to talk secrets and get away from us old fidgets,’ replied Lady Northwood with a severity belied by the humour in her eyes.

Charlotte
rose and placed an affectionate kiss upon her Aunt's cheek. ‘I shall not reply to that remark, Aunt, for you know perfectly well that it is not so. Mr Edridge, will you not accompany us? I assure you it is well worth the visit!’

Sebastian got to his feet with alacrity and followed the two young ladies from the room. Once in the conservatory Charlotte very meanly ignored a whispered plea from Amelia to remain, slipping away to join the elder ladies with a satisfied smile upon her lovely face.

Miss Milverly, left alone with the young man whom she had treated so badly, seated herself rather quickly upon a rustic bench and pretended to be extremely interested in the various botanical specimens within view.