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

"What the devil do you mean?" Justin stared in stupefaction.

Danielle cursed her unruly tongue. She had no intention of confrontingLinton with her knowledge of his infidelity. Her position washumiliating enough as it was, but some shreds of prideremained to her.

"I meant only that I find Society's double standards intolerable," shemuttered, turning away from him.

"If I were to be having an affair withD'Evron and conducting it discreetly, there would be no overt censure.I am not, but an innocent friendship is considered incomprehensible.Some sordid construction must be put upon it and I will not tolerateit."

"And I will not tolerate your continuing in this manner," Justin saidtautly. "You may find the rules hypocritical but, so help me, you willlearn to live by them. You will now tell me exactly what you have beendoing with D'Evron that has thrown Julian into such fits and has causedyou to behave with such disgraceful impropriety."

Danielle walked to the window, pulling aside the curtains to look outat the slumbering square. She would have to tell him now. Perhaps,unconsciously, she had hoped by her outrageous carelessness to forcethis confrontation. Her duplicity nagged at her constantly, like anaching tooth, and if Julian had been obliged to admit to Justin that heknew the truth, then she was in honor bound to release him also fromhis burden of secrecy.

"Very well. But you will be much displeased, I fear."

"Doubtless I shall," he responded equably, his tension receding as herecognized that the battle had been won with no more than a slightskirmish. "It would be difficult to be more so than I am already,however, so you can have little to lose by the truth."

"I have not told you before, you understand, simply because I wasafraid you would be out of reason cross and forbid me to continue. ThenI would be obliged to refuse you and matters might become

un

peudifficile.

" Her free hand waved expressively.

"Cut line, Danny," her husband advised.

He heard her out in incredulous silence. Danny was scrupulouslytruthful, leaving none of her adventures out of the recitation andexplaining Julian's unwilling part.

"You must not blame Jules," she said anxiously. "He had no choice butto keep my confidence."

"I have no intention of holding Julian responsible. He will standforever in my debt. The chevalier, however, is a different case."

"Not so very different," Danielle told him. "I have had no gun to myhead, Justin. I have done simply what I needed to do and D'Evron hashad no say in the matter. He has done his best to protect me fromannoyance but realized early on, I think, that I needed no suchprotection. I have my pistol with me at all times, you understand." Sheoffered this last with a kindly smile of reassurance that brought agleam of amusement to His Lordship's eye, an amusement not unmixed withadmiration. He had thought she had changed, the indomitable urchinbecome Society Lady—not so, it seemed. Was it this dichotomy that hadcaused the tension and withdrawal? She would not have enjoyed deceivinghim, of that Justin was convinced, and the strain of keeping heractivities a secret must have been immeasurable. No wonder she had beenavoiding his company like the plague, obviously petrified that shemight inadvertently give herself away. She was naturally indiscreet,after all. It must have been torment for her to have been forced torein in such an open, high-spirited nature. She had been quite correctin her assumption that had she asked his permission at the outset hewould have refused it out of hand. But Justin was wiser now, and hewanted back the blithe loving spirit of his wife.

"I shall ask only two things of you, Danny," he said after thisconsidering silence.

"Milord?" She looked at him in surprise. She had expected anger, hurtat her own deliberate deception, a flat injunction that she cease heractivities forthwith, but Linton showed no signs of annoyance andappeared strangely at ease.

"First, you stop your wanderings in and out of D'Evron's lodgingsunless you have my escort. No other will do, you understand? Not evenJulian."

Danielle nodded. "I did not truly intend to set the town about the ear."

"Fibber," he accused sternly. "You knew quite well what you were aboutso you need not play the naive baby with me. The damage is notirreparable and we shall come about nicely if you do exactly as you arebid."

Danielle subjected her satin slippers to a sedulous scrutiny andremained silent.

"Second." The earl resumed. "You will make no more of these excursionsunaccompanied. I do not care what escorts you choose and I willaccompany you myself when I may, but you will not again go alone. Is itunderstood, infant?"

"I think I may call upon Jules, Westmore, Tony, and Philip," she saidreflectively. "I am sure they would be more than willing. Yes, milord."She gave him a radiant smile. "I see no difficulty in complying withyour wishes."

"I am indeed a fortunate man," Linton murmured. "I should warn you,though, that I have not changed my mind about Mervanwey. Your peoplemust manage without you throughout the summer."

"It will be hard for the chevalier, but I daresay he will manage," sheresponded with an easy smile as

relief at the unburdening and hisreaction flooded her. This point she could concede and maybe, justmaybe, she could win her husband back from the arms of his mistress. Itoccurred to Danielle then, in the blinding illumination of truth, thatfor once in her life she had not fought. She had given up her husbandwith barely a whimper. In this most vital matter, she had bowed tosociety's rules and accepted the conventional charade in the disguiseof pride. Well, she would do so no longer. She would compete withMargaret Mainwairing and the mistress would find a worthy opponent inthe wife.

"Just what is going through that pretty but excessively devious littlehead now?" Justin demanded, watching the series of