Page 47 of Lady Audacious
‘Mama keeps reminding me about my season, but really, Reuben, I am not nearly as enthusiastic about it as she and Sarah appear to be. And it will save you a fortune if I don’t have to go through with it.’
Reuben smiled and tweaked his sister’s chin. ‘Ah, so you are thinking of the family coffers. How very considerate.’
Beth giggled. ‘Not at all, but I keep hearing how shockingly expensive seasons are and given the number of dress fittings I have already been through I can readily believe it.’
‘Fair enough. Go to your friend for a week and see what happens. If Aldridge asks for my permission to propose, one assumes you would like me to give it.’
Beth’s pretty eyes glowed. ‘Yes please.’
‘Well then, that’s settled. Off you go. You’d best attend to your packing.’
‘But Mama…’
‘I will deal with our mother. Your duty is to enjoy yourself as much as possible.’
Beth grinned. ‘You can be sure that I shall follow your advice. Oh, by the way,’ she added, turning in the doorway on the point of leaving his library. ‘A word to the wise. You were seen driving Miss Aspen through the village this morning. Everyone is talking about it. Mama and Sarah were closeted together for an age this morning and you can be sure that they were not talking about me for all of that time.’
Reuben nodded and suppressed a sigh. Sarah would be furious, despite the fact that it was none of her damned business. He cursed his stupidity in permitting her to gain a foothold within his family without realising her true purpose. He worried about how vindictive she might be and how thoroughly she would poison his mother’s mind against Miss Aspen. Perhaps displaying her quite so publicly had been a miscalculation, but then again, his mother was hardly likely to accuse him of compromising the girl and pressing him to marry her. Reuben was faintly surprised by the depth of his disappointment in that respect.
Reuben let out a long breath, rang for his secretary and reluctantly turned his mind to the correspondence that he had ignored that morning.
Sarah paced the length of her chamber, turned sharply on her heel and paced back again, muttering imprecations beneath her breath. Her blood felt as if it was boiling in her veins and her head felt fit to burst. She had never known such utter and complete fury in her entire life, and that was saying a great deal, since Sarah had a short temper and was ordinarily quick to take offence.
‘What else did Doris have to say?’ she asked through gritted teeth.
‘Only that Lord Amberley pulled up in front of Fox’s Reach in his curricle, bold as you please, and took Miss Aspen up in it. They drove through the village and everyone’s talking about it.’
Sarah didn’t doubt it, aware of the humiliation and affront eating away at her like acid. The fact that Reuben had never once driven her anywhere alone and now appeared to be avoiding their regular rides together fuelled her justifiable anger. What the devil did he hope to achieve by showing the dowdy girl off in such a brazen manner? It wasn’t just she who would suffer if he insisted upon lowering his standards so publicly. His sisters’ chances of making good marriages would be detrimentally affected if he cavorted with someone of such lowly stature, yet he didn’t seem to have given their welfare a passing thought.
What was it about the woman that so captivated him anyway, other than her obvious easy virtue? If he hankered after a little amusement, there were plenty of local women of a similar standing who were far prettier and much more discreet. Sarah assuaged her wounded pride by telling herself he was working his way into the girl’s good graces so that she would be more likely to sell Fox’s Reach to him when she ran out of the necessary funds to restore it. But she knew in her heart that wasn’t the case. Reuben had no special desire to purchase the property and wouldn’t go to such extreme lengths to acquire it even if he had.
‘He must want her for a mistress, or I would be persuaded to think so but for the fact that he already has one,’ Sarah muttered. ‘Anyway, he wouldn’t parade her in public in such an obvious manner and risk embarrassing his mother—not unless he has taken temporary leave of his senses.’
‘Well, men tend to do things that are out of character when they are in the throes of a new infatuation.’
Sarah scowled at her maid. ‘Where did they go?’
‘That I couldn’t say, but Doris will keep her ears open and let us know what she hears.’
‘I have to put a stop to this,’ Sarah said forcefully, stamping her foot to emphasise her determination, fighting against the swelling of the red mist that would disable rational thought. It always did, and she knew from experience that she would act injudiciously when in its grips. ‘Someone has to prevent the silly boy from denigrating the family name.’
‘Let it run its course, lamb. If you try to warn Lord Amberley off by reminding him of his duty and responsibilities, he will not thank you and you will likely drive him straight into her arms. Best let him ruin her, then she will have to leave the district when he tires of her. It shouldn’t take long. I’m told there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about her, other than her apparent innocence. Men look upon innocence as a challenge.’
‘True, but even so…’ Sarah folded her arms beneath her breasts and absently tapped the toes of one slippered foot on the wooden floor. ‘I have never seen him so infatuated before that he would drive about with a female to whom he is not related. He never even takes me up alone,’ she added, peeved and humiliated by the need to remind herself yet again of that humbling fact. ‘I shall not speak to him about it, but there is nothing to prevent me from paying a visit to the strumpet and reminding her of a few facts of life. Given that she’s a schoolteacher, we will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she doesn’t realise that gadding about alone with a single gentleman will earn her a bad reputation.’
‘Don’t!’ Nelly held up a warning hand. ‘If they are intimate she will tell him, and that will work against you. You would be better advised to wait for him to overcome his infatuation and then be here to console him when it has run its course.’
‘A fat lot of good being here, looking decorative and befriending his sisters has done me so far.’ Sarah tossed her head and scowled at her maid. ‘It seems he prefers his ladies to dig their own gardens with their bare hands. I wonder what else she does for him that he finds so hard to resist?’
‘Don’t torture yourself with such speculations, pet. Men enjoy their dalliances, but Lord Amberley knows what is expected of him and will eventually do his duty. You need to rise above it all, much as you would have to if you were married and you were aware of him paying visits to his mistress. Dignity will win the day. There is no other way. No man likes to be nagged, especiallybeforehe is married.’
Sarah knew her maid was right, but she was losing the battle with the red mist and was too angry to listen to the voice of reason. ‘Very likely, but there’s something about the infuriatingly independent Miss Aspen that concerns me. I wish I knew what it was. Anyway, someone needs to make her understand that she is in danger of reducing the noble Amberley name to a laughing stock.’
Nelly sighed and shook her head. ‘There’s no arguing with you when you’ve made up your mind. I ought to know that much about your character after all these years of service. I know you will not listen, but for what it’s worth I would strongly advise caution. Don’t undo all your good work by taking risks now.’
Sarah scowled, disliking the reminder of the passage of time. ‘Anything worth having is worth fighting for, and I haven’t put as much effort into attracting Reuben’s interest only to be outwitted by a school teacher.’ Sarah wrinkled her nose. ‘Lay out my green muslin, Nelly. I will walk over to Fox’s Reach straightaway.’
Half an hour later, turned out to perfection, Sarah cautiously negotiated the overgrown paths that led to the neighbouring property, cursing when her flimsy muslin skirts caught several times on thistles and were badly snagged. She arrived at the border to Fox’s Reach breathless and if possible in even worse humour than when she had left the house. She should not have worn such a delicate gown, but had wanted to look her best to emphasise the gulf between their respective stations in life. All she had managed thus far was to ruin the muslin.
