Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

petit?

"she asked the tattered childwho now relinquished the reins to the chevalier. When the boy shook hishead, she slipped another coin into the grubby palm, discreetly thistime so that his watching elders would not again relieve him of hisearnings.

"I am most grateful for your assistance,

comtesse,

" D'Evron said slowlyas they picked their way across the cobbles. "I hope it will not benecessary to trouble you in this way again."

"On the contrary, chevalier, you will trouble me whenever you wish.There is much to be done and I will play my part most willingly."

"Your husband, milady . . . ?"

"Linton must know nothing of this," she said firmly. "I rely on yourdiscretion." Danielle was in no doubt that Justin would forbid furtherexcursions of the kind she had just made, and if he did so she would beforced to defy him. He had fulfilled his whispered promise on theirwedding day and made it easy for her to keep her vow of obedience, butin this instance he would demand it of her and the consequences fortheir relationship of open defiance were not to be contemplated.

D'Evron said nothing and kept his own unpleasant reflections tohimself. The earl was a noted swordsman and an even more noted shot,but the chevalier rather suspected that he might resort to a horsewhipon this occasion and no one would blame him.

It was almost six when they drew up outside Linton House. The youngcountess was now distinctly anxious. They were to dine at seven and goto the play afterward, a treat that Linton, knowing his wife's love ofthe theater, took care to provide regularly.

"We must contrive a little better next time," Danielle said as thechevalier handed her down from the curricle. "We will conduct ourbusiness before noon."

"D'accord, comtesse."

Heraised her hand to his lips and then watchedas she ran up the well-honed

steps to be received by an impassiveBedford. If the butler noticed anything untoward in his mistress'sappearance or in her impetuous haste as she disappeared up the curvingstaircase, it did not show on his face.

Danielle exploded into her bedchamber. "We must make haste, Molly. Helpme with these boots, if you please. No! Do not touch them with yourhands." Molly knelt and took the boots in a towel and pulled, wrinklingher nose at the rank odor.

"Help me with my gown, Molly, and then take the boots away. They willstink out the room." Danny turned impatiently and the girl, quiteaccustomed to her mistress's inelegant expressions, unbuttoned thevelvet driving dress with due speed.

"Merci"

Danielle said swiftly. "I can manage now.Make haste with the boots."

The Earl of Linton, mounting the staircase, narrowly missed beingreturned in an undignified manner to the foot as his wife's maid,clutching a pair of boots at arm's length, slipped against him. Molly'sapologies were so profuse, her speech so scattered that he forebore toquestion her and continued on his way with

a shrug. Danielle'sunconventional ways had communicated themselves to the maid and itseemed unjust to take the servant to task for something that was nother responsibility.

Petersham was waiting for him, carefully brushing invisible motes froma cream brocade evening coat. Abandoning his task, he helped my lordout of top boots and deep blue superfine coat, easing it reverentlyover the powerful shoulders. A muttered expletive came from next door,and Justin with a smile went through in shirt and stockinged feet tofind his wife struggling fiercely with her laces.

"Ah, milord, you are home," she said, showing him a face pink with herexertions. These so stupid

strings have made themselves into a knotand I cannot undo them."

"How very inconsiderate of them," Justin murmured soothingly, coming upbehind her. "But where is Molly?" He wrestled with the recalcitrantknot.

"Oh, she will return directly," Danielle said airily. "I asked her tobring me some tea. Ah, thank you."

She breathed a sigh of relief as thestays were finally released. Molly, unfortunately, chose that momentto reappear.

Justin's eyebrows shot up at the conspicuous absence of a tea tray.

"Molly, you have forgotten my tea," Danielle declared, shooting thegirl a look pregnant with warning. "But never mind, we have no time. Ishall take a glass of sherry instead. You will bring me one, sir?"

Justin bowed his acquiescence and went through to his own apartmentswhere decanters of sherry, Madeira, port and cognac were kept filled inhis parlor. He poured sherry for Danielle and returned to

herbedchamber. She was sitting at her dresser in a soft silk wrapper whileMolly dressed her hair.

"Ah, thank you, sir." She gave him a radiant smile that somehow didlittle to dispel his unease. His brat, Justin strongly suspected, waship deep in mischief. In the presence of Petersham and Molly he couldhardly probe, but he would have her under his eye all evening, soinvestigation could safely be postponed.

As it happened, he lost all interest in her activities of theafternoon. Her conversation over the dinner table was too swift andwitty to allow him the time for reflection, only for response; herpleasure in the play entranced him. One of his greatest joys these dayswas to provide her with the pleasures that she had missed during thoselong years in Languedoc and he sat through the farce, his gaze rivetedon the small face, alive with laughter beside him. She was amused byevery feeble sally, every vulgar piece of slapstick, her gloved handsclasped in her lap. During the tragedy her expression registered everyemotion as vividly as that of the actors—a child experiencing themagical world of fantasy for the first time.

Margaret Mainwairing sat in her box, also ignoring the stage, watchinginstead the man whose mistress

she had been for five years and she feltonly envy for them both, an envy untouched by malice.

"Justin," Danielle whispered in the interval, "who is the lady in thegown with the tobine stripes? She seems monstrously interested in us."

"Where?" He raised his glass and examined the inhabitants of theneighboring