‘Your Grace!’ she began stormily. ‘Pray show a little decorum!’

‘Very well.’ Alex lowered his voice. ‘We shall talk about it another time.’

‘I have no ambition for it,’ Jane said, turning her shoulder. Her hands were shaking and she pressed them together to still them. It was with the most profound relief that she realised they were already driving through the outskirts of London and she did not speak again until they were in Portman Square.

‘I wondered if I might call on you tomorrow,’ Alex was saying, effortlessly casual, as he helped her down from the phaeton. ‘Would ten o’clock be convenient? It is early, I know, but then my business is urgent.’

‘I…yes, of course.’ Jane tried to think of an excuse and totally failed to do so. More than half of her wanted to see him, but the timid part of her was still urging her to withdraw before it was too late. ‘That would be quite convenient.’

‘Good.’ Alex smiled at her and the glimmer of humour in his dark eyes set her pulse awry. He kissed her hand. ‘Until tomorrow, then, Miss Verey.’

It was good to be home again. Whilst the servants fussed over Lady Verey and led her away to rest, Jane cornered Simon over a cup of chocolate in the drawing-room. She had thought that her brother looked strained and tired in the brief time she had seen him before their departure from the inn. Now she was shocked as the harsh morning light showed just how hollow-eyed he had become.

‘How did you fare whilst we were away, Simon?’ she asked lightly, only the expression in her eyes betraying her concern.

‘Very ill, Janey.’ Simon’s smile and his use of the childhood diminutive confirmed her worst fears.

‘Have you seen her?’

Simon turned away, making a pretence of scanning the Morning Post. ‘I collect that you mean Thérèse? No, I have not seen her. She would not see me!’ He turned back sharply and his face was full of so much misery that Jane could feel his unhappiness. ‘For the first three days they continued to deny that she lived there, then they said that she would not see me and finally she told me to take my foolish flowers and leave her alone!’

‘You sent her flowers?’

‘By the barrowful,’ Simon confirmed grimly, casting the paper aside. ‘She didn’t want them, nor the food I sent, nor any of the things I could offer…’ His mouth tightened. ‘So in the end I thought, what’s the point? She don’t want me but there must be hundreds who would! So I thought to throw myself into the party spirit-’

‘Oh, Simon!’

‘-and I’ve been entertaining myself ever since! Plenty of pretty girls out this season, and ladies of another sort for other sport-’ He caught himself up. ‘Sorry, Janey, feeling a bit rough…’

‘Go and sleep it off,’ his sister advised unsympathetically. ‘And you need a shave!’

‘No time!’ Simon said, with an attempt at a jaunty grin. ‘I’m engaged to take the divine Miss Shearsby driving!’

Jane sighed. She was hardly fooled by Simon’s assumed insouciance and knew it hid a deeper pain. It seemed that Thérèse de Beaurain simply did not wish to know and, Jane thought, there was no possible way to make her care for Simon if she did not.

‘What about you?’ her brother asked, pausing in the doorway. ‘Am I addressing the future Lady Jane Delahaye?’

Jane looked affronted. ‘No, Simon! I have told you that I will not marry Lord Philip! I have told everyone and no one is listening!’

‘Thought that was the point of your trip to the country,’ Simon said, tactlessly but with truth. ‘Mama seemed to think that it would bring matters to a head! She and Lady Eleanor were banking on it!’

‘Well, they will have to accept it! Philip is to marry Sophia-I have it all planned!’

Simon raised an eyebrow. ‘Then you may solve the problem by marrying Alex,’ he said easily. He eyed his sister’s sudden blush with frank interest. ‘Oh, dear, it seems I have struck a nerve there, Janey! Well, you have my blessing! I should like above all things to have Alex as a brother-in-law!’

‘Oh, go away!’ Jane hustled her brother out of the room, suddenly anxious to see the back of him. Simon knew her well enough to suspect the truth and she did not want him to realise just how much his suggestion had appealed to her. ‘Go and devastate poor, unsuspecting Miss Shearsby! Though why she would wish to be seen with so disreputable a character defeats me!’

Alex Delahaye was not at Lady Sefton’s ball that night. Sophia Marchment and Philip Delahaye danced with each other three times, to the delight of the gossips. Simon Verey behaved quite scandalously, flirting with any lady who glanced in his direction, and Jane Verey sat quietly in a corner, wondering what on earth the Duke was going to say to her the following morning.

Chapter Eleven

The following day was bright but cooler than previously and Jane was glad of the warmth of her red riding habit when she and the Duke of Delahaye rode out. She had been awake for hours, but in the event, Alex was early and he brought with him a horse from the livery stables.

‘We can take the phaeton if you prefer, Miss Verey, but I wondered if you would like to ride,’ he said. ‘You seemed to enjoy your country rides so much at Malladon that I took the liberty of bringing what I hope is a suitable mount for you!’

He had chosen a horse that was sufficiently spirited to keep Jane occupied through the busy streets and they did not speak much until they reached the quieter environs of the Park. It was still very early and there were few people about. Jane noticed that Alex had instructed the groom to ride a long way back, where there was no danger of them being overheard.

The cool, green expanse was very welcoming and Jane had to curb a sudden urge to gallop away.

‘Thank you for thinking of this, sir!’ she said spontaneously. ‘It was a delightful idea!’

Alex smiled. ‘I thought that you might enjoy it, Miss Verey. It is not quite the same as being in the country, but nevertheless…’

‘Nevertheless, it brings a sense of freedom that one seldom finds in Town,’ Jane allowed, her eyes sparkling. ‘It is very pleasant to escape sometimes!’

‘The country has, perhaps, fewer diversions?’

‘Just different ones, I think,’ Jane said, smiling a little.

‘Some might argue that Town is more exciting.’

‘That,’ Jane said serenely, ‘depends on one’s interests. If excitement is derived from creeping through the streets cloaked in black and carrying a pistol-’

Alex burst out laughing. ‘You will not let me forget that, will you, Miss Verey?’

Jane looked at him. Today he was in black again, but with a very different appearance from the disreputable and sinister figure of that strange night. His jacket was cut by a master and fitted without a wrinkle. His linen was a pristine white and his boots had a high polish.

Jane privately thought that he looked devastatingly handsome.

‘How is Simon?’ Alex was asking. ‘Did his suit prosper whilst we were away?’

Jane shook her head. ‘No, indeed, it goes very ill for him. Mademoiselle de Beaurain has told him to take his attentions elsewhere!’

‘I am sorry to hear that. I imagine it must have made him very unhappy.’

Jane looked resigned. ‘Oh, he pretends that he does not care and, indeed, to see him at Lady Sefton’s ball last night one would have believed it! However I think that he feels it very keenly…It is too bad! Everyone is in love with the wrong person!’

Alex cast her a sideways glance. ‘Everyone, Miss Verey?’

‘Oh, Simon with Thérèse and Philip with Sophia!’ Jane said, greatly daring. ‘Matters so seldom progress in the way one would wish!’

‘Very true. And what of yourself, Miss Verey?’

Jane, who had steeled herself to answer this question suddenly found it more difficult than she had imagined.

‘I?’

‘Who are you in love with?’

Jane blushed and hated herself for it. ‘I am in love with no one, sir. I told you when we-I told you that night at the inn…’

‘Of course,’ Alex said smoothly. ‘I remember! This touches on the matter I wished to discuss with you, Miss Verey. Would you care to dismount? I will ask Dick to walk the horses.’

Jane looked dubious. ‘I am not at all sure that we should. We have been away some time. Mama will be worrying-’

‘I will square matters with her later. I must crave your indulgence, Miss Verey. This is important.’ There was an imperative note in Alex’s voice. He had already dismounted, summoning the laggardly groom with a wave of the hand. As the man took the horse’s bridle, Alex helped Jane down.

‘Walk the horses for a while, would you, Dick? Thank you…’

He offered Jane his arm and they walked slowly along one of the winding paths. There was no sound but for the clop of the horses’ hooves, growing more distant as the groom led them away.

‘I no longer wish to promote the match between Philip and yourself, Miss Verey,’ Alex said abruptly. ‘You mentioned Philip’s affection for Miss Marchment and indeed, I have seen you promoting that romance most zealously! So…’ He shrugged. ‘I am not entirely heartless! I realise that you and my scapegrace brother are very amicable, but scarcely romantically inclined! Whereas Philip behaves as though Miss Marchment is the very pattern of perfection! So I will give the match my blessing!’

Jane felt as though her breath had been taken away. To have connived and schemed for just such an outcome and then to have it put so suddenly into her hands…It was scarcely to be believed.

‘Sophia is indeed the sweetest girl,’ Jane said warmly, ‘and if you are to allow them to wed then I must give you credit for greater sensibility than I had previously thought, your Grace! I am quite overwhelmed!’