Page 23 of Tempting Harriet
For the desires of the flesh were more powerful to her than conscience at the moment. And more powerful thanpride. She knew what she was to him, and there was humiliation in the knowledge if she allowed herself to dwell onit. But she would not allow any such thing. He had spokenwith her and Mr. Selway for a few minutes the evening before at a ball. His manner had been formal and correct,even haughty. His eyes, when they had rested on her for amoment, had been expressionless. But she remembered hissaying that the four days before their last meeting had beenendless. Tomorrow—oh, tomorrow.
Harriet gave herself a mental shake and got to her feet, folding and picking up her letters as she did so. Susanwould be waiting for her and she would not deprive eitherof them of a single minute of the rest of the morning.
“Five o’clock in the afternoon,” the Duchess of Tenby yelled.
“Eh? What about it?” Lady Sophia Davenport asked, looking impatiently toward the windows of the salon inwhich they sat and the sunlight streaming through them.
The duchess set aside her embroidery with a sigh. It was quite impossible to try to concentrate on her stitches andconverse with her sister-in-law at the same time. “It is thecorrect time to drive in the park, Sophie,” she said. “Anyearlier and there will be no one there worth seeing. Don’tfret. Tenby will return in plenty of time to escort us there.”
“Dear Archibald,” Lady Sophia said loudly.
“Besides,” the duchess reminded her, “you are expecting the ladies from Bath for tea before then.”
“Eh?” Lady Sophia asked. But she comprehended the words before the duchess had to yell them once more.“From Bath? Ah, yes. Dear little Lady Wingham. Not oneof your sneering, pert misses, Sadie. A very proper-behaved little girl. Too bad Wingham failed to wake up onemorning. He was a mere boy.”
“You told me he was sixty,” the duchess yelled. “You show your age by calling him a boy, Sophie.”
Lady Sophia sighed. “A mere boy,” she said again, proving to her sister-in-law that she had not heard a word. “I don’t like that Forbes woman. She does not appreciate agood conversation. But what could I do? I had to invite hertoo.”
“Of course you did,” the duchess said, “since Lady Wingham is staying with her and you have an acquaintancewith her and Sir Clive. I do believe they must have arrived.I must admit it will be pleasant to have company.”
“Archibald will not forget?” Lady Sophia asked, anxiously as the duchess got to her feet.
“Of course he will not forget,” the duchess said firmly. “There is no more dutiful grandson—or nephew—thanTenby, Sophie.”
The butler entered the room at that moment to announce the arrival of Lady Wingham. She followed close behindhim, a dainty, remarkably pretty girl with her pale greenmuslin dress and a flower-trimmed straw bonnet on hergolden-blond hair. The duchess had distrusted her sister-in-law’s description of her as a girl. She had expected someone considerably older. Lady Wingham curtsied deeply andblushed. A very charming little girl, the duchess decided.
“Lady Wingham.” Lady Sophia’s voice boomed across the room. “I cannot get up, gel, unless you have half anhour to spare. Come and hug me.”
The duchess raised her eyebrows and looked at her sister-in-law in some surprise. But there she sat, arms outstretched, her face beaming, and the little creature tripped across the room on light feet, smiling as if she was feelingnothing but delight. She bent and allowed the old arms tocome about her and even kissed the withered cheek.
“Lady Sophia,” she said, lifting her head so that the old lady could see her face, “how lovely to see you. A littlepiece of home has come and found me here.”
She did not speak loudly, the duchess noticed in some surprise, and yet Sophie appeared to hear her every word.She reached up to tap one of the girl’s cheeks. She herselfhad known Sophie from girlhood on and had always had aclose friendship with her. Sophie had been a beauty and ahigh-spirited young woman. But the duchess knew thatvery few people could now remember what she had beenlike. Most people avoided her because of her deafness.
“Meet my sister-in-law, the duchess,” Lady Sophia boomed. “My dear little Lady Wingham, Sadie.”
Lady Wingham turned and curtsied deeply again. “Your grace,” she said. “I hope you do not mind that I have comealone. Lady Forbes sends her apologies, but she and SirClive had an obligation to attend Mrs. Smith’s garden partythis afternoon.”
“Eh?” Lady Sophia said.
Lady Wingham turned back with a smile and repeated what she had said without any sign of impatience.
“Come here, child,” Lady Sophia said gruffly, “and sit on this pouf at my feet. How is that young daughter of yours,eh?”
“Sophie!” the duchess said, rather shocked. “Do take a more comfortable chair, Lady Wingham, I beg you. I shallhave tea brought in without further delay.”
“If you will forgive me, your grace,” Lady Wingham said, “I will be happier sitting here. It is easier to conversewith her ladyship when I sit close and she can see my lips.”
Bless the child, the duchess thought, and noticed howSophie took her hand and patted and held it, just as if shereally were a child. And the girl turned her face upward, aface bright with affection, and told Sophie about her four-year-old daughter and their various excursions since coming to town. And then when Sophie asked, she told aboutthe balls and parties she had attended and about the neweststyles in dresses and gowns and bonnets. It was a treat, theduchess decided, feeling disloyal at the thought, to be ableto rest her own vocal cords for a while and allow someoneelse to entertain Sophie. The girl spoke in a soft voice yetwas forced to repeat almost nothing.
“There. You must come and see me again, my pet,” Lady Sophia said when half an hour had passed and tea had beendrunk and the cakes eaten. “Frequently. You do my heartgood.”
The duchess’s eyebrows rose again as the girl got to her feet and leaned over her sister-in-law to kiss her cheek oncemore. “It will be my pleasure,” she said.
But before she could turn to make her curtsy to the duchess and take her leave, the salon door opened abruptlyto admit the duchess’s grandson.
“Ah, so this is where my favorite ladies are hiding,” he said, and then stopped abruptly when he saw that they had avisitor. His eyes fixed themselves on Lady Wingham forseveral silent, ill-mannered moments, the duchess noticed.But then she was a very pretty child and Tenby had everhad an eye for beauty. The child’s eyes had grown enormous and her cheeks were flooded with color, the duchesssaw at a glance. How very ill-bred of her grandson so toembarrass her.
