You’re a lucky dog to have such a prize. There’s quite a few fellows in London who would soon take her over if you gave them half a chance.’
Mr Barraclough’s teeth gleamed in a mocking smile. ‘Are you one of ’em, Jack? I don’t advise you to try. I’ve no intention of letting Louise go at the moment.’
‘Oh, Lord, Ned! I didn’t mean—! Y’needn’t worry about me. I couldn’t afford her! And I’m sure she’s devoted to you—’
‘Devoted?’ Mr Barraclough’s smile took on a cynical twist. ‘Louise’s devotion is in direct proportion to the value of the last trinket I happen to have given her. Particularly if it is diamonds. She’s very fond of diamonds. But you needn’t worry, Jack. It’s not devotion I look for when I’m with Louise. Nothing so abstract.’
With a picture in his mind of Louise Kerrall’s dark hair and languorous brown eyes, her creamy skin, red lips and generous curves, Jack said appreciatively, ‘I dare say not!’
‘So if you’re not planning to take my mistress away from me, Jack, we’ll forget her. Tell me instead why you are in town.’
Lord Trenton’s expression grew gloomy. ‘That’s business of a sort, too. I’ve been seeing the lawyers.’
‘Your father disinheriting you at long last?’
‘No, no! Just the opposite. I’ve finally given in and made an offer for Cynthia Paston.’
‘Have you, begad? Which one is that? The one with the teeth or the one with the nose?’
‘The one with the teeth and a dowry of thirty thousand pounds.’
‘And she accepted you?’
‘Oh, yes. I may not be much myself, but the title is quite a draw, y’know. The Pastons like the idea of having a future Countess in the family.’
Mr Barraclough looked at the expression on Lord Trenton’s face and burst out laughing. ‘You’re obviously the happiest of men! My congratulations!’
‘It’s all very well for you to laugh, Ned! Y’don’t know how lucky you are! No one’s putting any pressure on you to marry. No one’s reminding you day after day that you’re the only son and there’s the damned title to consider. I’m not like you, with two brothers both older than me!’
‘Only one now, Jack. My eldest brother was killed earlier this year. So was his wife. I thought you knew.’
‘I’d forgotten. Sorry, Ned!’
‘It’s all right. Antigua is a long way away. Why should you remember?’
‘All the same I ought to have. Carriage accident, wasn’t it…? Is your other brother still out there in the West Indies?’
‘Not at the moment. He and Julia are on their way here—they should arrive any day now.’
‘Staying long?’
‘Till next year’s Season. They have my two nieces with them, daughters of the brother who was killed. Lisette, the elder one, is to be brought out next Spring. She’s a lovely girl, I don’t doubt she’ll be a success. But I’m not looking forward to their arrival.’
‘Oh?’
‘I’m fond enough of my brother. And Lisette and Pip are delightful. But Julia, Henry’s wife…Believe me, Jack, she’s the best argument I’ve come across for a man to remain single!’
‘I say, old chap, that’s not very tactful!’
‘Why? What’s wrong?’
‘It’s downright unkind when you know I’ve just put my head in the noose!’
‘If you feel that badly about it, why did you?’
‘I’ve told you! Noblesse oblige and all that! Don’t look at me so—you’ve no idea what it’s like to have the family at your back all the time, rattling on about duty, preserving the line and all the rest. In the end I just gave in. It’s enough to drive a man to drink.’
‘Come and have one, then,’ said Mr Barraclough sympathetically. ‘The lawyers will wait.’
Lord Trenton met a few other cronies at White’s, and after a while seemed to be drowning his sorrows so effectively that Mr Barraclough felt able to leave him. He resumed his walk back to his house in North Audley Street. The afternoon breeze was agreeably cool, and as he walked along he considered how very fortunate he was. At thirty, he was still free, rich and comparatively young. He had a mistress who was everything a man could want, beautiful, passionate and very willing—and, unlike a wife, she had no other claims on him. He was free to come and go as he pleased, and, when he tired of her, she would find someone else without any effort on his part.
Yes, his life was particularly well arranged. Unlike poor Trenton he was under no pressure to settle down. He could, and would, remain unencumbered for as long as he wished.
The only shadow on the horizon was the impending arrival of his sister-in-law. He frowned. It was an unfortunate truth that he and Julia cordially disliked one another. When to her chagrin he had inherited his uncle’s fortune, she made no secret of the fact that she thought he should have stayed in the West Indies instead of choosing to travel the world as he had. His later decision to live in England was another source of displeasure. But he suspected that what really made her angry was the fact that, unlike his poor brother Henry, he took not the slightest notice of her.
This was as well, he thought as he crossed Berkeley Square and turned into Mount Street, for there really was no pleasing her. Far from neglecting his family responsibilities, he had allowed them to keep him out of England for a large part of last winter’s hunting, and most of the London season this spring. What had started as a simple visit to Antigua had developed into a series of crises. Overnight his elder brother’s two daughters had been made orphans, minors in the care of his brother Henry and himself. Making sure of their safety had been a major consideration, and he believed he had done more than his duty in that respect. It was now up to Henry and Julia to look after them.
Edward himself planned to make up for the last year’s sacrifices as soon as he could leave London. He might spend a few days in Brighton with Louise, but afterwards he had various invitations from his friends to spend the later months of the year with them on their country estates. If and when that palled, he would return to London to enjoy town life again. A very attractive prospect, and one that he deserved, whatever Julia said!
Heartened by this thought, he leapt up the steps to his house, nodded cheerfully to his footman as he handed over his hat and cane, went into the hall, and started towards the stairs. But before he got to the first step he was stopped by his butler.
‘Sir! Mr Barraclough!’ Harbin looked as disturbed as Edward had ever seen him.
‘What is it?’
‘You have visitors, sir.’ Harbin held out a salver on which was a card.
Edward read it. ‘Lady Penkridge…? What does she want?’
‘I don’t know, sir. She has two young people with her.’
Edward
