Page 37 of Tempting Harriet
“I think that is a little unjust,” Harriet said. “I do believe she loves me, Amanda. I believe she sees me as a kind ofgranddaughter. I am sure she thinks I will enjoy a few daysin the country. And she needs me so badly.”
Lady Forbes made a sound that was almost a snort.
“It will be difficult to disappoint her,” Harriet said. “It must be so frustrating to live in a world of near silencewhen one has always reveled in sound and conversation.”
“And gossip,” Lady Forbes added caustically. “But you will disappoint her?”
“I must,” Harriet said. “If you will excuse me, Amanda, I shall go now to write to her and to refuse the earl’s invitation.”
“You are excused,” her friend said, waving a dismissive hand.
Harriet decided to write to Lady Sophia first. It was not an easy letter to write. She realized to her surprise, whenshe tried to choose words that would disappoint least, thatshe loved the old lady. Almost like a grandmother. It wasnot just that Lady Sophia was a reminder of Bath and moresecure times. It was more than that. It was hard to depriveher of company that would make those few days in thecountry more enjoyable for her.
And of course, Harriet thought, drawing the feather of the quill pen absently through her fingers, part of herwanted to go too. It would be both embarrassing andpainful to go, but for four days she could be in frequentcompany with him. The end was so near. She could graspfor herself just a little more. Perhaps by the time Tuesdayarrived the end would have come. Perhaps she would neverbe able to be with him again. Perhaps she had already madelove with him for the last time.
Even if the country visit did not result in a betrothal, she should end the affair, Harriet thought. Perhaps next monthshe would not be as fortunate as she had been this month. Itwas true that in four years of marriage she had conceivedonly once, but perhaps it was not her own fertility that wasthe ruling factor. And even once now would be disastrous.She felt the clawing of a cold fear. What would she do ifshe was got with child?
“My dear Lady Sophia,” she had written when Sir Clive’s butler interrupted both her letter writing and herthoughts with the announcement of the arrival of the Earland Countess of Beaconswood. The countess was laughingwhen they came into the morning room.
“Industrious Harriet,” she said brightly. “Do I look like a ship in full sail? Daniel unkindly insists that I do. He alsowarns that I must face front when entering a room or I willnot be able to pass through the doorway. We have come todisturb you and bear you and Susan off to the park. I willnot allow you to make excuses like a pile of letters thatneed writing. They can wait for this afternoon. The childrenare outside in the carriage with their nurse. I told Daniel hedid not have to deprive himself of a morning at White’s,but he has the notion that I am too close to my time to beallowed out of his sight. Don’t you, my love? I think hemust be right—”
“Julia,” he said quietly, “would you pause for a moment so that I may make my bow to Lady Wingham and so thatshe may say good morning, as I am sure she is burning todo?”
His countess laughed again. “It is a good thing ladies do not have to bow,” she said. “I have absolutely no waist tobend from, Harriet. And it is a good thing you are a friendand do not have to be curtsied to. Daniel would have tohaul me upright again. I have so much energy. I could notpossibly have stayed home this morning. Will you be readysoon? I always have energy when my time is near, don’t I,Daniel?”
“Most of it,” he said, “is worked off via the tongue, Lady Wingham. If you and your daughter would care to join usto take the air in the park, ma'am, you may leave us to getready. If you wait for Julia to stop talking, we may still allbe here at luncheon time.”
“And the children would be as cross as bears,” the countess said, “and their nurse threatening again to give in her notice. Do you think...”
Harriet left the earl to answer the question, whatever it was to be, and hurried upstairs to fetch Susan and to getready to go out. There was some urgency about writingboth the letter and the note of refusal, of course, but theymust wait. Perhaps by the time she had had some exerciseand some luncheon she would have found the words withwhich to explain to Lady Sophia why she could not accompany her into the country.
The Duke of Tenby had been given his orders to return home after luncheon in order to escort his grandmother tothe Earl of Barthorpe’s. She and the countess were to pay afew afternoon calls together. He would have proceededabout his afternoon’s business once his task was complete,but he felt obliged to return home once more to see if hisaunt had woken from an afternoon nap and if she neededanything.
“Dear Archibald,” she said, “you should not have returned home on my account. I know you young bucks have plenty of occupations for your days, like ogling the ladiesin the park. At least that is what young bucks did in myday.”
“We have as much red blood pumping through us now as men did then, Aunt Sophie,” he assured her with a grin.
“Who is my pet staying with?” she asked. “I have forgotten, Archibald. Someone who frequents Bath.”
“Lady Wingham?” he said. “She is at Sir Clive and Lady Forbes’s.”
“Eh? Forbes? Yes, that’s the one,” she said. “Take me there, Archibald, if you please.”
“Now?” He looked at her in some surprise.
“I daren’t wait a year or two,” she said. The duke smiled at the familiar rumbling laugh. “Or even a week or two or a day or two. At my age, Archibald, you act on the spur ofthe moment. It might be the only part of the moment left. Iwant to see my little girl.”
“She may well be from home, Aunt Sophie,” he said. “Ladies usually have plenty with which to occupy their afternoons too, you know.”
“In my day, it was going to the park to be ogled by the young bucks and to stick our noses in the air and acthaughty while we flirted,” she said.
“Times have not changed a great deal,” he said with a chuckle.
“Eh?” she said. “What are you waiting for, Archibald? Call out the carriage again and send my woman to fetch mybonnet and shawl, will you?”
The duke bowed and left the room. And admitted to himself as he sent a runner to call back the carriage, which had only just been returned to the carriage house, that he couldcheerfully kiss his aunt on both cheeks. He could think ofnothing he would prefer to do this afternoon than go wherehe could look at Harriet and perhaps talk with her. It was astrange admission and one that surprised him. He hadnever—ever—craved a meeting with a mistress except forone purpose. This meeting was to be at Forbes’s house incompany with his aunt. Anyway, Harriet was in the middleof her courses and he would be unable to bed her even if hecould get her alone. It did not seem to matter, he realized.The mere prospect of seeing her—if she was not out, as sheprobably would be—frankly excited him just as if he werestill a schoolboy.
Getting his aunt into the carriage occupied several minutes of the time of both the duke and a hefty footman, but finally she was comfortably seated with a blanket over herknees.
