Sweet Hoyden (3 page)

'Outrageous behavior I leave to you," he replied, apparently unmoved.
"Good night, my dear. Sleep well."

As the door closed behind him, Pandora screamed his name, and when that
failed to gain a response from him, she picked up her hairbrush and threw it at
the door with all her might before sinking onto the daybed and bursting into
tears.

TWO

The morning was almost half over when Lady St. James arrived at Asheville
House and asked to see Lady Asheville. She was slightly taken aback by the
amount of activity going on, and when she inquired of her friend, was informed
that her ladyship was still abed.

'Then, pray tell her I wish to see her on a matter of the utmost
import."

Some minutes later Lady St. James was ushered up to the countess's boudoir,
where she found her friend prostrate on her daybed, still wearing her
nightclothes.

'I came as soon as I heard you had left the Reptons' early last night. I
have never known it of you before."

The countess had a slice of cucumber on each eye while she reclined on her
daybed, with several other slices in a dish by her side. When Lady St. James
arrived, Pandora sat up and removed the cucumber slices quickly, to reveal two
pinkish and swollen eyes.

'Pandora, my dear, what is amiss with you? You look as melancholy as a
gib cat. What ails you, my dearest? A chill? A fever? Has a doctor been summoned to attend you?"

'I do not need a doctor," Pandora answered wearily "I am not in
the least ill, I assure you."

'You look…" A smile slowly spread across Lady St. James's face.
"Do not tell me; let me guess. You are increasing. Oh, my dear…"

'No, I am not!" Pandora answered in outraged tones. "If you insist
upon knowing, I am suffering from a broken heart."

As Pandora swung her legs over the edge of the daybed, Lady St. James caught
sight of
Nan
busily packing her mistress's
clothes into trunks. "What is going on here?"

'You may well ask."

'I do ask. Moreover, if you do not tell me in the next few seconds, I shall
be obliged to plead for an explanation." .

For once, Pandora was in no mood for her friend's funning "This is the
most dreadful thing that has ever happened to me, Rosa. Last night
Asheville
caught me flirting with Sir
Aldan
Buckley…

Rosamond St. James looked intrigued. "And…

Pandora drew a deep sigh. "He has banished me from
London
for the remainder of the Season."

Lady St. James was evidently perplexed. "Banished you?"

'That is correct," Pandora replied, fighting back her tears. "I am
to go to Brocklesby Hall to repent my wicked ways. There will be many long,
lonely, dreary days in which for me to do so."

Lady St. James gasped. "I cannot believe this of
Asheville
. He is too full of good sense to be
so… medieval. Yes, that is exactly what he is. I cannot credit him with such
foolishness."

'He'd find fault with a fat goose. Believe it,
Rosa
,"
she went on bitterly, "he finds much to fault in me. I had no notion I
possessed so many imperfections."

Her voice began to break, and her friend went on quickly, "I spoke with
him briefly last night, and he appeared in high feather, never more so. I had
never seen him so amiable."

'That was before he saw me in the garden with Sir Aldan." Pandora wrung
her hands in anguish. "How can I bear this,
Rosa
?
I have invitations to endless engagements. Balls, routs, breakfasts, masquerades,
not to mention the fete planned at
Windsor
to celebrate the King's recovery to health. I'd as lief die as miss that."

'
Asheville
could not be so heartless…"

'Mr. Lawrence is painting my portrait," Pandora went on, as if her
friend had not spoken. "Imagine it, for centuries to come
my unfinished portrait will hang in the hall. They will call me the Unfinished Countess."

'That, I am persuaded, is the least of it."

'Mr. Lawrence wished it to be shown at the
Royal
Academy
.
Now another portrait will enjoy the fame."

'Oh, I see," the viscountess said, smiling slightly.

'No, you do not see," argued Pandora. "If I go to the country,
everyone will forget my existence in a sennight."

'That is impossible, my dear. You couldn't be forgotten in a year. If it is
any consolation to you, I vow I shall write to you regularly to keep you
abreast of all the on dits."

'That is no consolation at all. It is all so humiliating, and if you tell
even one soul of this, I declare I shall never forgive you!"

'I shall not breathe a word of it, you may be sure. If anyone asks me why
you have left town, I shall become as close as oak. I just wish there was something
I could do to help you, but I confess I cannot think of anything. This must be
such a blow to you, my dear. I have never known anyone to enjoy so heartily the
diversions of
London
as do you. This is an utter tragedy."

'Be sure that
Asheville
knows it as well as you. He could not devise a more fiendish punishment. It
would have been better by far if he'd taken his riding crop to me."

'Like Fosdyke did to poor Amelia? Oh, I doubt if
you'd like that, Pandora. It is said poor Amelia still bears the scars."

'Well, I may as well be dead as be at Brocklesby Hall."

'Pandora, when did
Asheville
make this… er… judgment upon you?" Lady St. James asked thoughtfully.

'Last night when we returned." Pandora sniffed
loudly, for she could scarcely bear to think about it. "He had become a
mite conciliatory, but I was so angry I could hardly think straight."

'As I surmised. My dear, why do you not seek  him out now? His
thoughts might have mellowed somewhat since last night, I fancy."

'I had considered that, too, Rosa, but when I inquired as to his
whereabouts on rising this morning, I learned that he had gone to
Newmarket
and would not
return until the morrow." Her voice broke slightly. "So, you see, all
is lost, and I am obliged to leave here as soon as we are packed."

'There will be other Seasons in
London
,
my dear," her friend commiserated.

'This is my first. It was meant to be a triumph, to establish me in the
forefront of the ton. A match such as ours was so well devised,
this Season should have been the very best. Why is he so unreasonable,
Rosa
?"

'If you wish me to find a reason for the way gentlemen behave, I am very
much afraid that is something that has puzzled others far more learned than
I."

'Oh, I can scarce bear to contemplate what life is going to be like at
Brocklesby. Everyone will have a famous time in town, and I shall have only my
sewing to enjoy. The humiliation…"

'You know, Pandora, it appears to me that Lord Asheville is suffering an
acute attack of jealousy, and as soon as it abates, he will come to fetch you
back."

Pandora looked astonished. "Jealous!
Asheville
!" She laughed harshly. " 'Tis only his pride that aches him, nothing
else."

'Well, of course, he is your husband, and you should know him better than
I."

'That is my great misfortune. However charming he appears to others, in
reality he is a loathsome toad. I must have had windmills in my head to have
accepted his offer. He seemed so amiable then," she added wistfully before
her anger took control of her once more. "Why could I not see him for the
fortune seeker he really is? How crack-brained I must be. No wonder he wishes
to be rid of me."

Lady St. James listened to her friend's diatribe in silence, trying hard to
control her amusement, for she did realize how devastating laughter would be
for Pandora in her present state of mind.

Just as the viscountess was trying to think of something soothing to say,
Nan
appeared in the doorway. "You must dress with no
further delay, my lady. The carriage will be here very soon."

'Oh, I beg of you, do not remind me." Pandora turned to Lady St. James,
who was gathering her muff in preparation to go. "Do not abandon me. Stay
with me while I dress. Divert me, Rosa. I need desperately to be diverted or I
shall surely lose my reason. What are the latest on dits?"

Rosamond St. James followed Pandora into the bedchamber. "I believe
there is little you have not already heard, except what I came to impart this
morning."

'It will not be long before I am the subject of every on dit in this
town."

'I pray you, listen, Pandora. You must recall my telling you of my poor dear
cousin, the comtesse."

'Indeed I do," Pandora murmured as she was helped into her shift.
"Has she decided to leave
France
at last?"

'After so many months of my begging her to come to
London
, she has at last consented to do so.
She acknowledges that the situation in
France
is not, after all, going to
improve. Indeed, it is daily growing worse."

'So I have heard."

'Unfortunately she is obliged to remain a few more days to settle her
affairs, but she should be here within the sennight. I shall not rest easy
until she is safe with us in

'How fortunate she is," Pandora commented as
Nan
fastened her heavy traveling gown. "When she arrives, I shall be in
Suffolk
. The comtesse
will be free to enjoy all the diversions of
London
."

'She is not to be envied," Lady St. James replied in shocked tones.
"She is leaving everything behind her."

Pandora sighed. "I beg your pardon, dear
Rosa
.
I scarce know what I am saying this morning. I declare, this business has
unhinged my mind."

'That is quite understandable."

'I have to cry off so many engagements, I cannot imagine how to begin."
She sat down at the dressing table as
Nan
began to dress her hair in the cascade of ringlets that had become her
trademark. "I thought I knew
Asheville
well. Truly I did. He is a stranger to me, I must own now, and not a
very-pleasant one, either."

'Ah, do any of us know our menfolk?" the viscountess asked sagely.

'You deal well with St. James, don't you,
Rosa
?"

'So far, but we have been wed for such a short time. I am beginning to
wonder if there might be aspects of his character I am yet unaware of."

For the first time Pandora laughed naturally. "I think not, dearest,
for St. James could not be more unlike my husband."

Rosamond St. James sighed. "You are, of course, correct." Pandora
gave a little cry of vexation, and Lady St. James urged, "Do not get into
a taking over this."

'I cannot help myself. I have it in mind that Fanny Courdon, who set her cap
at him, will again be able to insinuate herself into his affections once I am
safely in exile in Suffolk."

'A great many ladies set their cap at
Asheville
,
but he married you. In any event Fanny Courdon is leg-shackled herself, so it
is most unlike she will want to become close to
Asheville
."

'Marriage will not stop her," Pandora scoffed. "Courdon is a
buffle-head for whom she has no regard. Fanny set her cap at
Asheville
from the outset, and she still
flirts with him whenever they are in company. I have oft observed her,
Rosa
."

'Well, you flirt with Buck Buckley and a score of others. I have seen you
with my own eyes."

'Do not remind me of my indiscretion. It is the cause of all my ills. I
declare that if Asheville forgives me today and I can go to Georgiana Devonshire's
rout, then I will never so much as smile at another gentleman."

Her friend smiled wryly. "It is as well
Asheville
is not here to grant you his
forgiveness, Pandora, my dear, for I am persuaded you would not keep to that
vow longer than it took you to reach Devonshire House on the night of the
rout."

Pandora sighed yet again. "I fear it is true. Tis my
wanton nature.
Asheville
has apprised me correctly."

'If that is so, we are all afflicted with the same fault, I fear."

'Mayhap St. James is more indulgent of your faults. If
Asheville
had wanted a demure little chit, he
should have wed Helena Bencombe. That whey-faced creature wouldn't know how to
flirt, even though she was lost for love of him."

'Fudge. She is perfectly amiable."

Once again Pandora sighed. "Indeed she is. I am past praying for,
Rosa
." She sat forward and peered at herself in the
looking glass, causing
Nan
to complain.
"If it were not for this red hair, I'd as lief disguise myself as a French
emigree and stay to teach that husband of mind a profound lesson."

'Do sit still, ma'am,"
Nan
begged as
she struggled to dress the restless countess's hair.

'What a splendid idea," Rosamond replied, clapping her hands together.
"That is exactly what you should do."

Just at that moment several footmen in scarlet and-gold livery arrived to
remove Pandora's trunks and bandboxes.

'The wagon has arrived"—she sighed—"which means that the carriage
will not be far behind it. What was that you said about a splendid idea.
Rosa
?"