Джорджетт Хейер - Frederica

“Dull and respectable. But not, I fancy, your only admirer. My heart positively bled for poor Aldridge when I saw Darcy Moreton cut him out at that very tedious soiree last Wednesday.”

“Oh, fiddle!” she said. “I wish you won’t be so nonsensical! Next you will be calling Mr Moreton my flirt, and nothing, I can assure you, is farther from his thoughts, or mine!”

“Wait until the crow is hatched before you pull it with me!”

She smiled. “I will — but pray believe that I don’t flirt, and I am not on the catch for a husband!”

“Except one for Charis. Tell me! Are you enjoying your first London season?”

She answered impulsively: “Oh, beyond calculation! In fact, I enjoy it all so much that I fear I must resemble poor Papa more than I knew!”

He was able, by the exercise of strong self-control, to reply, with only the smallest quiver in his voice: “What a very alarming thought! Surely you wrong yourself!”

“Well, I hope I do,” she said seriously. “I don’t care much for cards, at all events. None of us do, except, perhaps, Jessamy, and he, you know, has such deep principles that I’ve no fears for him. I expect it is too soon to know what Felix may do, but I don’t think he will be a gamester.”

He laughed. “Good God, no! He will be far too busy inventing a steam-shuffler, or a mechanical-dealer, to take any interest in mere gaming! How does he go on? Where is he? Don’t tell me he has set forth on another steamboat expedition!”

“No — though I collect he is much interested in some project to build ocean-going steamboats! I think he learned about it on his trip to Ramsgate, but I fancy the inventor is an American, for which I am truly thankful! Even Felix couldn’t go all that way!”

“I wouldn’t risk a groat against the chance! Very likely he will sign on as cabin-boy in a sailing-vessel bound for America, and we shall next hear of him in New York!”

“For heaven’s sake, don’t put such a notion into his head!” she begged, between alarm and amusement. “It is precisely the sort of thing he might do! But at the moment he is upstairs, in one of the attics, which we gave him for his experiments!”

“Good God!” Alverstoke ejaculated. “We had as well sit on a keg of gunpowder! I’ll take my leave of you before he blows the house up!”

“No, no, he won’t do that!” she replied, gurgling with merriment. “He promised me he would remember this is not our own house!”

He regarded her with appreciation. “You’d have no objection to his blowing it up if it were your own house? Accept my compliments on the fortitude of your mind!”

“How can you be so absurd? Of course I should object to it! I meant only that at home he has a workshop, and may do as he pleases in it.”

“I see! Does he often blow it up?”

She smiled. “He never blows it up! He did set fire to it once, but that was when he was trying to make a new kind of match, which would light without a tinder-box, and there was very little damage done, except that he singed his eyebrows off.”

“You are a very good sister, Frederica!” he commented.

“Well, I do try to be,” she said, colouring faintly. “My aunt, and our old nurse, were too anxious — or so it seemed to me — and for ever flying into high fidgets over the things the boys did, which didn’t answer at all, because it made them fall into the sullens, and pay not the least heed to anything they said.”

“It is a pity that your aunt did not save her anxiety for her nieces! I shall take leave to tell you, Frederica, that I think her a very poor chaperon!”

“Yes, but one must be just to her! She never wished to come to London, and only consented to do so on the understanding that she shouldn’t be dragged to fashionable parties. Recollect that I am quite old enough to chaperon Charis! Indeed, I’ve done so ever since she came out!”

“That,” said his lordship roundly, “is a greater absurdity than any I have uttered!”

“It isn’t — but I won’t argue with you on that head! In any event, she is not to be blamed for having more important things to think about at this present. My Uncle Scrabster is very unwell and poor Aunt Amelia is quite distracted with worry, and depends wholly on my Aunt Seraphina.”

He said nothing, compressing his lips, as though only by doing so could he keep back a retort. Two deep clefts appeared between his brows, but they vanished as the door burst open, and Felix came eagerly into the room, exclaiming: “You are here, sir! I thought it was your phaeton I saw, when I looked out of the window! You might have told me, Frederica, when you knew I particularly wanted to see him! The shabbiest thing!”

“God help me!” said his lordship. “Not another foundry, Felix!”

“No, no! At least, not precisely! It’s the New Mint! It has gas-lighting, and steam-engines of vast power, but when I went there with Jessamy they said no one was allowed to visit it without a — a special recommendation. So would you very kindly give me one, Cousin Alverstoke? If you please!”

“But how can I?” said the Marquis. “I’m not acquainted with the Master, or even with the Controller.”

“Yes, but you weren’t acquainted with the manager of the foundry either, sir!” argued Felix.

“Ah, that was a different matter! They are very particular at the Mint, you know, and wouldn’t think a recommendation from me at all ‘special’.”

Felix’s countenance had dropped ludicrously, but at these words it brightened, and he gave a crow of mirth. “Yes, they would! You’re trying to roast me! Of course they would!”

“Oh, dear, what a dreadful boy you are!” said Frederica. “Stop teasing Cousin Alverstoke, I do beg of you!”

“I’m not teasing him!” replied Felix indignantly. “I only asked him to recommend me! I haven’t asked him to go with me himself, and I won’t, because if he don’t care for it I daresay Mr Trevor would like it!”

“So he would!” said his lordship, much struck. “It’s time he had a treat, too, poor fellow!”

“Of course, it would be best if you came!” said Felix tentatively.

“No, no, you mustn’t spoil me!” responded his lordship, with considerable aplomb. “I’ve had one treat already, remember!”

“Oh, well!” said Felix, accepting this. “He isn’t a Go, like you, but at least he has some sense!”

“Quite a lot of sense,” agreed his lordship gravely. “He carried Honours! I daresay we shall live to see him First Lord of the Treasury, so take care to keep in his good books!”

It was plain that Felix thought poorly of this ambition, but he said innocently: “Oh, yes! But he ain’t a prosy one, you know! I did think he might be, at first, but I’m pretty well-acquainted with him now, and I like him.”

He then took leave of the Marquis, who cocked an eyebrow at Frederica, and said: “And how, may I ask, did your engaging brother become pretty well-acquainted with Charles?”

She answered with a little reserve: “Oh, he has visited us now and then on our Sundays when we invite a few friends to supper — nothing formal, you understand: just a family party, for people who don’t care a straw for fashionable squeezes, but like to spend a cosy evening playing Jackstraws, or Bilbo-catch, or Speculation

5)

“Or dangling after Charis?”

“No, you are mistaken!” she said quickly. “Mr Trevor doesn’t do so!”

“I’m glad. She wouldn’t do for him at all.”

“If it comes to that, he wouldn’t do for her!”

“Very likely not. What, then, has induced him to relax his monkish rule?”

“Ask him, my lord — not me!”

“I’m not so tactless.”

“Do you object to his visiting us?”

“Not in the least. I am merely curious. Some strong inducement there must be! Charles has never lacked invitations: he is very well-liked, and comes of a good family: but until the Merrivilles came to London he has very rarely accepted any. It’s my belief he has fallen in love: he forgot to remind me that I was engaged to attend a very dull dinner-party the other day. Unprecedented, I assure you! But if not with Charis — ” He broke off, as a thought occurred to him. “Good God! Chloë?”

“I am not in his confidence, cousin. And if I were I wouldn’t betray it!”

He paid no heed to this. A smile hovered about his mouth; after a moment’s reflection, he said: “Life will be fraught with interest, if that’s indeed so. I must cultivate Chloë’s acquaintance!”

Whether the Marquis took any steps to become better acquainted with his young cousin, Frederica had no means of discovering; but he very soon redeemed his promise to demonstrate to the ton his interest in his supposed wards: thus confirming her gathering suspicion that the forgetfulness for which he was notorious was largely assumed. He called in Upper Wimpole Street to pick Charis up, and drove her round Hyde Park at the fashionable hour, several tunes reining in his grays to exchange greetings with his own friends, or to enable Charis to respond to the salutes of her many admirers. This she did very sweetly, and without a trace of coquetry. He had known many beauties, but never one as innocently unconcerned with her appearance as Charis. Nor did she seem to be at all aware of the signal honour he had conferred upon her, and the surprise and the conjectures which this gave rise to. She thanked him politely for inviting her to drive with him, but disclosed, upon enquiry, that she preferred Kensington Gardens to Hyde Park, because the flowers were so pretty, and there were several walks where one could almost fancy oneself to be in the country.