‘Why, that-’ Simon stopped dead.

‘Exactly,’ his sister said drily.

‘Then I should persuade her of my good intentions-’

‘Intentions? Then you wish to marry her?’

Simon thrust a hand through his fair hair. ‘Devil take it, Jane, I don’t know! All I know is that I need to find her! I-’ He broke off, realising that he was about to say that he loved her. It seemed so extraordinary. He had seen the girl twice, for such a brief time. He did not even know her name, and yet…

‘I suppose you think me run quite mad,’ he finished glumly.

Jane looked a little rueful. Privately she thought that her own feelings for Alex made her ill-equipped to judge anyone else. ‘Not really, Simon. I can only respect your feelings. So I shall go and ask Celestine if she can help us. Wait here for me!’

Presently Jane, Sophia and Lady Verey all came out of the modiste’s talking nineteen to the dozen. As they strolled slowly up the pavement in the sunshine, Jane caught her brother’s eye and fell back a little. She took his arm as Lady Verey and Sophia walked on ahead.

‘Well?’ Simon could scarcely contain himself.

‘I spoke to Celestine,’ Jane said softly. ‘There is a girl-her name is Thérèse.’ She felt his arm jerk under her hand, as though she had shocked him. ‘Try to look as though we are talking of something inconsequential,’ she added humorously, ‘unless you wish to acquaint Mama of your plans at this early stage! I hope we are speaking of the same person,’ she added. ‘Slender and very fair?’

Simon nodded speechlessly.

‘Celestine says that she did piece work for her. Bits and pieces of sewing,’ Jane added, seeing that her brother was looking puzzled. ‘It is cheaper for the modiste to employ people only when she needs them. She says that Thérèse was a very good seamstress but that she had to dismiss her because of a complaint from the Duchess of Merrion. Apparently Thérèse borrowed the Duchess’s gown for a masquerade and the Duchess threatened to take all her custom elsewhere…’

They walked on a little in silence.

‘Thérèse…’ Simon said slowly, ‘…is she French?’

‘Yes, an émigrée, Celestine said. She knows little more about her,’ Jane warned. ‘She said that Thérèse kept very much to herself and told no one of her circumstances.’

‘But did she have an address for her? Surely she must…’

Jane gave him an old-fashioned look. ‘You think that she would be anxious to part with such information? She was already deeply suspicious of me and your peering into cupboards and around doors hardly helped! For all that I told her that Thérèse had been recommended to me and I wished her to do some work for me, I believe she thought me a procuress!’

‘Jane!’

Jane delved into her reticule. ‘This is the address she gave me. Do not be surprised if she has already sent to warn her-’

Simon grabbed the paper and held it triumphantly high. ‘Thank you, Jane!’ He kissed her cheek and dashed off down the street.

Lady Verey and Sophia turned to look at Jane in astonishment.

‘Simon has forgotten the hat he wanted,’ Jane said foolishly, grasping at the first excuse that came into her head. ‘He has the details written on the piece of paper. He will join us later for luncheon.’ And he may bring you your new daughter-in-law, she added silently, looking at her mother’s unsuspecting face and wondering a little apprehensively what on earth would happen if he did.

Chapter Seven

In the event, Simon did not reappear for the whole day. Jane was left torn by speculation and worry. She would have warned her brother to be prepared for disappointment, but she knew that he would not have heeded her words. Simon had been alight with excitement and anticipation, and nothing she could say would have touched him. Of more serious concern to Jane was Simon’s assertion that he had seen Thérèse at Vauxhall the previous night. If she had been the girl with Alex’s assailant, Simon could be getting himself into more trouble than he bargained for. Jane’s mind fretted away at the problem and she was so quiet that Lady Verey asked if she was feeling unwell.

In the afternoon Jane accompanied her mother on a series of visits to friends and on their return prepared for the musical soirée they were all promised for in the evening. As her maid helped her into the new white and gold dress, Jane caught herself wondering whether Alex would be at the soirée. What did it matter if he was-no doubt Lady Dennery would be hanging on his arm! Whilst Cassie brushed her hair the regulation hundred strokes, Jane viewed her despondent face in the mirror. Every so often she would forget that the Duke of Delahaye intended her to be his brother’s wife, and when she remembered, the depression of spirits was greater than she had ever experienced before.

Simon was waiting with Lady Verey and Sophia when Jane joined them in the hall. He looked flushed and not particularly happy. Jane’s heart sank further. That must mean that his trip had not met with success and worse, he appeared to have been drowning his sorrows as a result. The smell of alcohol hung about him and Lady Verey pointedly opened the carriage window and gave her a son a look of deep disapproval.

As they all entered Mrs Wingate’s drawing-room, Jane caught her brother’s arm. He almost over-balanced.

‘Simon! What happened to you this afternoon?’ Jane demanded. ‘Are you foxed?’

‘Devil a bit,’ her brother muttered. He slipped into the seat next to hers. ‘One or two li’l drinks at White’s…met Harry Marchnight-’

Jane’s lips tightened. ‘I would have hoped Harry would keep you out of trouble!’ she whispered crossly, trying to hold a clandestine conversation and make it look as though she was not doing so. ‘What happened? Did you not find Thérèse?’

‘I went to the address,’ Simon muttered. ‘It was dreadful, Jane-such a poor and dirty street, and-’ He broke off. ‘This is hardly the time…At any rate, she was not there. An old crone opened the door and denied that she knew anyone called Thérèse, but I did not believe her.’ He drove his hands into his pockets and scowled. ‘I know she lives there!’

‘How do you know?’ Jane asked, wondering whether her brother was just blindly refusing to admit defeat.

‘Because as I was about to go, someone from within called out in French and the crone shut the door in my face,’ Simon said with dogged logic. ‘So you see it must be an émigré household.’ He stumbled a little over the word émigré. ‘I will go back-again and again if I must, until she agrees to see me! It’s just so damned-dashed-frustrating, Jane!’

‘Which was where the drink came in, I suppose! Do try to sober up!’ Jane said, still cross, waving away a servant who was trying to press some wine on them. ‘Really, Simon! I thought that you had more self-control! Reeking of drink is hardly the way to a young lady’s heart!’

Simon looked crushed. ‘I know! I just felt so miserable…’

Jane glanced round, but no one appeared to be attending to them. The musicians were tuning up in a corner and the Duke of Delahaye was just ushering the striking Lady Dennery into a seat in the front row of the audience. Jane thought sourly that her ladyship was set upon making a show. Her blonde hair was dressed high with diamonds and her plunging blue gown left little to the imagination. She was trailed by a crowd of admirers and gossiping cronies, all intent on drawing as much attention to themselves as possible. Jane shrank in her seat and reflected bitterly that she need hardly have wasted her time thinking about Alex. He evidently had more on his mind than an ingenuous schoolroom miss!

Mrs Wingate came forward to announce the start of the recital and the chatterers were obliged to hush. The music was very good and once or twice the pathos of the arias brought a lump to Jane’s throat and made the tears tickle behind her eyes. In contrast, Simon disgraced himself by falling asleep and had to be nudged by Jane when he snored in the quiet parts.

‘The Duke and Lady Dennery look very intimate, do they not,’ Sophia murmured in Jane’s ear as the interval was announced and the gossip and chit chat broke out again. ‘But, oh, Jane, did you ever see anything like that dress! I am sure she has damped it, and for a small musical soirée!’

‘Very bad ton!’ Lady Verey said, overhearing. ‘I am glad Lady Eleanor is not here tonight! I cannot believe that she would wish for such a connection for the Delahayes!’

Lord Philip was also missing that evening and Sophia was noticeably less cheerful as a result. Jane, with her downcast friend on one side and her morose brother on the other, began to feel trapped under her own small rain cloud. Worse, Lady Dennery was directly in view and, having despatched the Duke to fetch her some syllabub from the refreshment room, was engrossed in flirtation with another gentleman.

Jane got up, excused herself to the others, and made a beeline for the food. The thought that it was her only solace restored her spirits a little. It was better than resorting to drink, as Simon had done!

‘Good evening, Miss Verey. Are you enjoying the music?’

Jane had been hesitating between the ice cream and the fruit pudding when the Duke of Delahaye paused by her side. His query seemed no more than mere politeness-indeed, she could see his gaze straying over her head to where Lady Dennery sparkled as brightly as her diamonds. Jane castigated herself for spending even a moment thinking about him when it was clear that the Duke had barely given her one moment’s attention.

‘Good evening, your Grace,’ she said coldly. ‘The music is very pretty, is it not? Or perhaps you have not noticed?’

Alex’s gaze came back from Lady Dennery and focussed on Jane’s face with sudden intentness. He gave her a glimmer of a smile that set her heartbeat awry despite her intention to resist his charm.