The Masked Heart (Sweet Deception Regency #2) (8 page)

Although Fleur was lovely to look at, there were other things that Blaine noted that did not please her half so well. The girl had a tendency to pout and appeared slightly self-centered but she suspected that much of this was merely a lack of maturity. She assumed her sister would grow out of this stage but she admitted to some worry on this head. She had always cosseted Fleur, feeling guilty that she was not around as much as she ought to be. The young girl needed a strong hand and Blaine suspected that Puff, who adored her charge, was not firm enough.

"You're not even listening," Fleur cried.

"I'm sorry, dear," Blaine said, turning her full attention on her sister. "It was only that I was so surprised at the request. I am gone so much that sometimes I forget that you are no longer a child."

"I'm quite grown up and I think it's time that I enter society." Fleur peered beneath her lashes to see what effect her words had on her sister and seeing the stiffness of Blaine's face, she immediately launched into speech. "I'm tired of being stuck here at Weathers. Puff is such an old fusspot, she never lets me do anything."

"It is Puff's job to protect you and see to your welfare. And from the sounds of things, I cannot imagine that she has had such an easy time of it." Blaine's voice was soft, but the hard edge warned the girl that she had gone too far in criticizing her governess.

"Puff is wonderful," Fleur said in apology. "But I'm so bored here. I am not allowed to go out in society. All I do is ride around the countryside and go into the village to shop. It's just so unfair! I want to go to balls and the theatre. I want to meet other girls my own age and flirt with gentlemen who can talk of something other than their crops. But here I am, kept prisoner in the country, while you're having all the fun in London!"

If Blaine hadn't been so stunned by her sister's accusation, she would have laughed. She stared across at the petulant girl, wondering why it had never occurred to her to expect such a scene. Fleur had been told that Blaine had gone to London as companion to her father's cousin. The fictitious Lavinia Birdwell was said to be old, crotchety and infirm. Blaine had not realized that her sister would assume she was out in society, going to dances and mingling with titled gentlemen. In horror she wondered how long Fleur had been nursing resentment of her older sister's way of life.

If only she knew, Blaine thought, choking back a sound that was more nearly a sob than a sign of amusement. She was so nonplussed by Fleur's words that she did not know what to say. Finally she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "We have not enough money to sponsor you for the season."

"That's all I ever hear," Fleur said stamping her foot before she flounced down on the window seat. "If you had made the slightest push to get married, we would have."

Blaine winced at the girl's words, closing her eyes to combat the pain that suddenly assailed her. As if Fleur realized she had gone much too far, she ran across the room and threw herself into her sister's arms.

"Oh, Blaine, forgive me for being such a beast." There were real tears in the pansy eyes and this time they overflowed, rolling unheeded down the white cheeks of the contrite girl. "I did not mean to hurt you, Blaine. Please forgive me."

Blaine hugged her, knowing that the girl had not intended to be cruel. Calmly analyzing the situation, she could understand the girl's discontent. Her words came from not knowing the true situation of their lives and Blaine had only herself to blame for such a misunderstanding.

"Come. Come, Fleur. Your tears will only make your eyes red and then I shall feel twice as guilty at the ruination of your beauty." A damp chuckle followed this sally and Blaine gave the girl a final hug as she pushed her away. "Sit up and dry your eyes while I think."

While Fleur dabbed at her eyes with a scrap of cambric, Blaine examined the girl, trying to view her criticisms objectively. She had to admit her sister did have some justice on her side. Blaine had given strict instructions to Frau Puffentraub which would ensure the safety of the girl. She had wanted to protect the girl from disillusion by isolating her from society.

After several years of the London scene, Blaine had seen the heartbreak and pain that could result when a young girl was unprepared for the lies and seductions of more experienced men. She had hoped to spare Fleur by keeping her isolated until she was older. As she observed the girl, Blaine realized it was this very isolation that had stunted the growth of sophistication her sister would need to fight off unwanted male advances.

Fleur was eighteen now and should be going about in society. Perhaps it was time that Blaine loosened her restrictions before, in her discontent, the girl rebelled completely.

"Are there no young men in the neighborhood?" Blaine asked.

"Well, yes." Fleur dropped her eyes to her lap and pleated the muslin of her skirt. "But Puff says I cannot accept any invitations since I am not out yet."

"Puff was merely following my instructions, my dear. Until now I did not feel you were old enough." She raised a hand as Fleur started to interrupt. "However I can see that I may have been wrong. Depending on the kind of invitation, perhaps you might be able to accept as long as Puff is included as your chaperone."

"But, Blaine, the trouble is that we never receive any invitations!" Fleur cried.

As tears threatened again, Blaine patted the girl briskly. "Come, Fleur. Don't turn into a watering pot. Tell me what all this nonsense is about."

"It is not nonsense," she answered, her lip jutting out as anger replaced her tears. "When Aunt Haydie first arrived, she refused all invitations since we were in mourning and she had little need to socialize. After she died, in order to keep up the fiction that I still had a proper guardian, we turned everyone away, saying her health was too precarious for visitors. And now the entire county is convinced that there is some dreadful secret that we are trying to hide by our seclusion."

"What kind of secret?" Blaine asked in concern.

"For four years, no one has seen Aunt Haydie. And now it appears that the wildest rumors have been circulating." Fleur raised her eyes to her sister and Blaine could see the girl was clearly agitated. "So you see, no one will ever invite me anywhere since everyone thinks that Aunt Haydie has gone out of her head and is locked away to keep the secret safe."

"Great Heavenly Day!" Blaine was stunned by the shock of her sister's words. Knowing the country people as well as she did it amazed her that she had never considered this bizarre possibility.

Their ability to pull off the Great Deception had been possible by the very fact that no one in the neighborhood was acquainted with Aunt Haydie. Although she had impersonated her aunt for the benefit of the family solicitor, it had never occurred to her to continue the fiction for the benefit of the neighborhood. She could understand that the very invisibility of Lady Yates had contributed to wild conjectures about the family.

No wonder Fleur was on the edge of rebellion. Isolated from the Wiltshire society by her sister's orders and ugly rumor, she had some right to her feelings of ill usage. The headache that had been building increased and Blaine raised her hands to her throbbing temples.

"Let me think about all of this, Fleur, and we'll talk tomorrow. It's late and very difficult for me to think. I do not wish to be unfair to you. Between us, sweetheart, we should be able to find a way out of this coil."

Although Fleur's face immediately brightened, Blaine was far from certain that she would find a solution to their problem. She retired to her room and tossed and turned much of the night but by morning she was little closer to a solution. Dressing quickly, she arrived at the doorway of the breakfast room just as Val skipped down the stairs.

"Oh Blaine!" The boy hesitated uncertain how to greet her, then as she opened her arms, he ran across the marble floor to throw his arms around her waist. "I'm glad you're home at last," he said, extricating himself from her embrace.

"So am I, brat," Blaine said, ruffling his hair as she passed into the breakfast room. "And I'm starving."

Mrs. Ames, who doubled as cook and housekeeper, had been waiting for Blaine's arrival and fussed over her as she eyed the service of a freckle-faced maid. "It's glad I am that you've finally come home. With the looks of you, I can see we'll have to fatten you up before we send you back to that heathen city."

"I am only permitted to gorge myself this morning, in honor of my return," Blaine mumbled around a mouth full of steak and kidney pie. "I'll burst all the seams in my gowns and then I'll have Tate ranting and raving."

"You can spend the day in the saddle," Val offered, "and then you can eat all you want."

"He's got the right of it, miss. Just look how much he's grown. All of eleven he is and ever so bright." The housekeeper grinned fondly at the boy as she left the room.

Val, embarrassed to be the focus of his sister's attention, reddened to the tips of his ears and busied himself with his mug of hot chocolate.

"Soon you'll be ready for the hunt, Val. How's Fatima?" Blaine smiled at the elegant name, ludicrous now that the pony had gained so much weight.

"Smashing! I've taught her some new tricks. Would you like to see her after breakfast?" he asked shyly.

"Of course I would and then perhaps you'll accompany me in a ride."

"Good show!" The boy jumped to his feet, eager to be off to the stables. At the door, he skidded to a stop and turned back to his sister. "Thanks ever so much for the books. I found them on my nightstand and I only had time for a quick glance. The one about Stonehenge looks to be a proper smasher."

"I thought you might like that one. We all had such a grand time last year when we visited the place." Blaine waved her hand as she picked up her cup of tea. "Run along now and leave me in peace. I'll be along shortly to see the miracle pony."

However Blaine only had a few minutes before her quiet was interrupted by a sharp wail from the region of the hallway. Before she could rise to investigate, the door was pulled open and Fleur, her face set in a mournful mien, stumbled into the room.

"Oh, la, Blaine," she wailed. "My life is ruined."

Blaine rolled her eyes as her sister sighed melodramatically and threw herself into a chair, staring glumly down at the crumpled note in her hand.

"Perhaps you'd care to share the contents of the missive," Blaine suggested, taking a bracing sip of her tea.

"It's from our near neighbor. His brother has come from London for a visit and he wanted to call this afternoon."

"Are you acquainted with this person?"

"His name is Robbie and I've known him for just ages." Fleur announced breezily, hurrying into speech before Blaine could inquire further. "He owns Fairhaven which is quite near the village. I have seen him frequently but he has never been to call. Oh how I wish Aunt Haydie were here!" she wailed.

Suddenly the girl sat up and stared across the table at Blaine. At the look of calculation in her sister's eyes, Blaine narrowed hers, as the realization of Fleur's idea dawned on her. She held up her hand in refusal.

"Don't even consider it, my girl."

"Oh, Blaine, it would be the perfect solution. You will be playing the part of Aunt Haydie for the solicitor anyway, so why couldn't you do it for your sister."

"Really, Fleur. That is like comparing apples and pears. The only reason I ever agreed to masquerade as Lady Yates was for the sheer necessity of keeping the yearly allowance. You know how I hate the deception."

"My whole life will be ruined," Fleur cried, tears welling up in her violet eyes. "Here is my one chance to stop the talk in the neighborhood and you won't make the slightest push to help me."

Blaine was still feeling guilty over her talk with Fleur the night before. She hated to see her sister ostracized from the country society because they thought there was something irregular about the family. Perhaps if Aunt Haydie made one appearance, it would give Fleur the entree she needed.

"What time did the gentlemen wish to call?" Blaine asked, defeated by the pitiful expression in the violet eyes across from her.

"Oh, Blaine! You are the very best of sisters!" Fleur squealed as she launched herself out of her chair and danced around the room hugging herself. "I shall send them a note telling them to come after lunch."

Not waiting for a change of heart, the girl dashed from the room. Blaine sighed heavily, suspecting she would live to regret this decision. Although she rode with Val and tried to show the proper enthusiasm for the display of Fatima's talents, her mind continually returned to the problem of Aunt Haydie's appearance. So far the house servants had kept the secret of Lady Yates death in order to protect Fleur and Val. But would a further deception help or merely add to their difficulties?

"How's Cousin Lavinia?" Val asked as they paused in the woods to rest the horses.

"Poorly," Blaine answered automatically.

"You say that every time I ask," the boy said, a furrow ruffling the smooth surface of his forehead. "You know, Blaine, you should try to convince her to come here with you on your holiday. I'm sure that the fresh air would do wonders for the old girl's constitution."

Blaine tried not to smile at the gravity of her brother's remarks. "I am sure it would, Val. The problem is that she is really not well enough to travel such a great distance."

"Oh," the boy said wistfully. "I just thought if she could come for a visit you would be able to stay longer. It is such a treat having you at home. Fleur is much too nice to go tramping around the woods. All she does is moan and groan that she will get dirty."

It saddened Blaine to realize what a muddle she had made of things. Val was clearly lonely and she ached that she was forced to neglect him so much.

"Have you any companions to go round about with?" she asked.

"Not so many any more." He shrugged philosophically, in a gesture far too old for his tender years. At Blaine's questioning look, he continued. "I used to play with some of the tenants' children. Now that I've been able to take over some of the estate affairs, it has become different. It is very difficult to come around inspecting and that sort of thing if the tenants treat me like a baby."