Simon stared. ‘Sophia? Hardly!’ He realised that he sounded less than gallant and flushed at the sardonic light in Lord Henry’s eyes. ‘Miss Marchment is a charming girl, but I know her like my own sister and besides…I prefer women a bit more-’

‘Voluptuous?’

‘Intelligent!’ Simon finished, on a note of rebuke. ‘Unfashionable it may be-boring it ain’t!’

‘Miss Verey is highly intelligent,’ Lord Henry murmured.

‘Jane?’ Simon paused. ‘Well, I suppose that she reads a lot-

‘Not just intelligent-clever. Clever enough to evade marrying Philip Delahaye, by my reckoning, and making him look churlish into the bargain!’

Simon sat down again. ‘You’ve lost me, Harry. What are you trying to tell me?’

‘You were still away when Delahaye went to Ambergate to pay court to your sister, weren’t you?’

‘Came back a few weeks later,’ Simon confirmed. ‘Mama said Philip Delahaye had cried off. Jane didn’t seem to mind and I was always a bit uncomfortable about the match, to tell the truth. I knew it was mooted-knew m’father had been keen and that the Duke was pushing for it to go ahead.’ He shifted in his chair. ‘Thought that was the end of the matter.’

Lord Henry shook his head slowly. ‘Better that you hear it from me, Simon, than through rumour and falsehood. There are a hundred-and-one stories circulating about Philip Delahaye’s visit to Ambergate because he arrived and left again so swiftly. Everyone knows that he intended to make Jane an offer and the speculation is all about what made him change his mind. The worst matter is that Philip himself appears to have encouraged the rumours by saying that he cried off because-’

‘Verey!’ Lord Henry had broken off as someone stumbled against Simon’s chair and hailed him at a volume more suited to a hundred yards than the three feet actually involved.

‘Cheriton,’ Simon said, with a cold inclination of the head for the painted dandy before him, ‘how do you do?’

‘Well, old fellow, very well! I’m for Almack’s-I hear that your lovely sister is to be there! I can barely wait to make her acquaintance!’ Lord Cheriton gave a crack of laughter. ‘You will have heard what a fool Philip Delahaye has made of himself by disparaging Miss Verey! The on dit is that Delahaye was so foxed when he arrived at Ambergate that he mistook some pox-faced serving wench for your sister! We had a fine laugh at his description of her! Pudding-faced, freakish, barely literate-’ Cheriton’s shoulders shook. ‘He said that he would rather starve than tie himself to her in marriage! Then Freddie Ponsonby met Miss Verey in Charles Street and said that she was divinely beautiful with a wit to match, don’t you know! Philip could not believe it and swears he’ll be at Almack’s to see for himself! We gave him a roasting he’ll never forget and all he could think of was that he must have confused her with some serving doxy! He was paying his addresses to a damned serving maid!’ Cheriton sauntered away, still chuckling.

The detail might have been confused but the gist of Cheriton’s words was all too clear. Simon was half out of his chair and Henry Marchnight laid a restraining hand on his arm. As was often the way, a hush had fallen over the room as everyone else, sensitive to the slightest scandal, strained to hear what was going on.

‘Simon, think a little!’

Simon sank back into his chair, his face flushed with sudden fury. ‘I suppose that this was what you were about to tell me, Harry? That Philip Delahaye has been bandying my sister’s name about Town-’

‘Well, not precisely…’ Lord Henry bit his lip. Cheriton’s tactless interruption had made it well-nigh impossible for him to explain to Simon that he suspected Jane of tricking Philip Delahaye. Henry had known Jane since childhood and had the greatest respect for her quick mind. As soon as he had heard Philip’s lurid description of his encounter with Miss Verey, Henry had immediately remembered the ugly stepmother of the pantomime held at Ambergate so long ago. After serious consideration, he had thought it only fair to warn Simon. His friend needed to know of Philip’s inexcusable slander, but also to be alerted to the fact that Jane might have deceived him. Matters seemed somewhat delicate. It only needed for Jane and Philip Delahaye to meet for the most almighty row to develop.

As Henry hesitated over his potential disclosure, another voice broke the silence.

‘May I have a moment of your time, gentlemen…?’

Neither Simon nor Lord Henry had noticed the arrival of the newcomer, yet when they looked up they both wondered how they could have missed the atmosphere of tension in the room. The slightly malicious eavesdropping of a few minutes before had given way to something approaching incredulity. Astonishment was mingled with awe. Then Simon caught the whisper:

‘It is the Duke of Delahaye-Alexander Delahaye…’

A faint smile touched Alex’s mouth as he took the third chair at the table. ‘I must apologise for interrupting your conversation, gentlemen, but my business is pressing.’

‘Simon, this is Alex Delahaye,’ Henry murmured, covertly assessing the interest they were arousing from their peers and smiling wryly. Any minute now, Cheriton would be offering to serve the wine in his attempts to overhear. ‘Alex, Simon Verey. Forgive my informality but I guessed that you would wish to cut straight to your business!’

The two men shook hands. ‘You were correct, Harry,’ Alex said drily. ‘A pleasure to meet you, Lord Verey. I have heard a great deal about your exploits on campaign. Just now, however, there are matters closer to home that demand our attention! Have you, perhaps, heard the rumours?’

‘Heard about them just this instant,’ Simon confirmed grimly. ‘A small misunderstanding over your brother’s courtship of m’sister!’

‘You are all generosity to describe it thus,’ Alex said ruefully. ‘I am most concerned to avoid any further cause for general speculation. The rumours are highly coloured and as inaccurate as these things usually are! My major preoccupation, however, is that Philip is to be at Almack’s tonight, where, I understand, he will undoubtedly meet Miss Verey again. I do not wish it to be turned into a public spectacle!’ He cast a quick look round the crowded room and drew his chair in closer. ‘Every ear in the place is strained to overhear us, I see!’

‘They’re taking bets,’ Henry said cheerfully. ‘Evens on a public row in Almack’s, two to one that Miss Verey will cut Lord Philip dead and twenty to one that Philip’s description was accurate after all-saving your presence, Simon!’

Both Simon and Alex Delahaye winced.

‘How did this happen in the first place?’ Simon demanded. ‘Pudding-faced, freakish, illiterate…Those were Cheriton’s words and, devil take it, there’s no smoke without fire! Your brother must have been damned disparaging, Delahaye!’

Alex gave him an enigmatic glance. ‘I confess that that is one aspect of the case that does interest me. Without a doubt, Philip has been more outspoken in his opinions than he should have been, although I am persuaded that the ton has far exaggerated his comments and turned the whole thing into a bear garden. But having met your sister, Lord Verey, I can see that the description could not be less appropriate!’

Simon grinned, not noticing that he had been deflected from his original question. ‘Well, for all that I’m her brother, I can see that Jane’s grown into a devilish attractive girl! The only effect of this is to make your brother look foolish, Delahaye!’

‘Absolutely,’ Alex Delahaye murmured. He drained his glass. ‘I hope that Philip will accept that he has only himself to blame. But in case he does not, I believe we should have a plan.’

Henry raised a brow. ‘You mean to stage a diversion, distract attention?’

‘Precisely. If we three go to Almack’s, make an entrance, draw attention to ourselves and spike Philip’s guns, I think that we may successfully defuse the situation. What do you say? It is almost eleven and they will be closing the doors on us if we are not careful!’

There was general acquiescence to the plan.

‘I did not think to see you turning your attention to domestic disputes, Alex!’ Lord Henry said pensively, as they got up to leave. Alex flashed him a smile of genuine amusement.

‘More difficult than diplomacy between nations, Harry, I assure you!’

‘I had no notion that the two of you were in the same line of business,’ Simon observed quietly to Henry as Alex paused for a word with an old friend on his way to the door.

‘Oh, Alex is way above my humble station,’ Henry said cheerfully, eyes twinkling, ‘but keep it to yourself, old fellow! He wouldn’t thank me for giving the game away!’

‘He is somewhat forceful,’ Simon said, with a grin. ‘I imagine it would be uncomfortable to be in opposition to him!’

Lord Henry held his tongue. He could have said that Miss Jane Verey was the only person he knew who had successfully opposed the Duke of Delahaye’s plans. Despite Alex’s self-proclaimed desire to prevent further gossip, Henry reckoned that he had a secondary motive. He was almost certain that Alex intended to get to the bottom the mystery of Jane’s apparent change of appearance and personality. Stifling a grin, he found himself possessed of a sudden, surprising enthusiasm to visit Almack’s again. He had a healthy regard for Jane Verey’s wit and charm, but if they were placing bets on who would prevail in this struggle, his money would have to be on Alex Delahaye every time.

Chapter Three

Jane was dreading her come out at Almack’s. Her encounter with the Duke of Delahaye had made her realise that she had been naïve in the extreme to imagine that she could avoid Lord Philip. In such a small circle of society, where one brother went the other must inevitably follow. She had already heard that, although Lord Philip was generally held to be a rake and a gambler, all but the highest sticklers opened their doors to him. Perhaps he might even be at Almack’s that very evening.