Not precisely, he said laconically.
How so, not precisely? Either you are or you are not, and I have it on good authority it wants but the announcement in The Gazette. You will be the worst kind of rakeshame if you renege on it and deserve to be cut dead.
For your information, maam, I have not yet made a formal offer and may be rejected.
Oh, so you mean to make yourself so disagreeable to Miss Mellish that she will have no hesitation but to end the affair. Very clever. She turned to Bella. You would be making a fatal mistake if you were to take him on those terms, my dear
I have not said I will have any of them, Bella said in an anguished voice. I cannot think that all this quarrelling and argument can result in happiness for any of us. Grandfather, please, tell everyone you have been hoaxing them.
I shall tell them no such thing. He turned to the footman who had brought in the second remove and signalled him to serve it. Now let us finish our meal in peace.
The Comtesse opened her mouth to speak again but changed her mind and began eating her fish course with studied concentration. Bella knew she would have more to say as soon as the meal was over and she dreaded it.
She looked up and saw Edward smiling at her. She was not sure whether he was laughing at her or sympathising with her. Did he really mean to turn his back on Miss Mellish and make her an offer for the sake of the inheritance? What would it be like, being married to him under those conditions, knowing she was second best? It would hardly be propitious for a happy marriage. And would he be faithful to her? How long before he neglected her and sought the arms of Charlotte?
The interminable meal dragged on, as course after course was placed before them, picked at and taken away. The ladies remained silent, but Louis became increasingly foxed on his lordships wine and even Edward seemed to have lost some of his haughtiness by the time they reached the fruit course. They seemed to have forgotten, or were ignoring, the reason they were there and spoke of every subject under the sun except the one uppermost in their thoughts. It was like a cat and mouse game. Bella was counting the minutes to her escape when Jolliffe came to tell his lordship that Captain Huntley had arrived.
Then he may go hungry, his lordship said. We have nearly finished. Put him in the drawing room to wait for us there.
My lord, he is Jolliffe paused. He is somewhat dishevelled. I believe he has met with an accident.
Bella gasped and even Elizabeth looked startled. Edward put down his cutlery and rose. Is he hurt? Where is he?
Robert himself appeared in the doorway behind Jolliffe. His beautiful cloth coat was torn and muddied, his cravat askew and he had lost his hat. What was worse, he had a bad cut over one eye which was encrusted with dried blood and a great purple bruise below it. He bowed to Elizabeth at the same time as he managed a quirky smile for Bella, who would have rushed forward to help him if the look he gave her had not halted her in her tracks. It warned her to be silent and not invite her grandfathers close questioning. A thousand apologies, ladies. I will take my leave until I am more presentable. Excuse me, my lord. To Edward he said, Help me to my room, Teddy. Need a bath. He limped out of the room on the arm of his brother.
Well! Elizabeth exclaimed. Been brawling like a prize-fighter and dares to show his face in the dining room. What is the world coming to? No manners any more, no respect. Is it any wonder the lower classes defy their betters when they have no good example to live by.
I am sure Robert has not been brawling, Bella said, wondering just what had happened. No doubt he will enlighten us when he is feeling more the thing.
Then let us retire to the drawing room, you and I, the Comtesse went on. We shall have a comfortable coze, while his lordship and Louis talk business. And with that she took Bellas arm in a very firm grip, curtsied to the Earl without relaxing it and almost dragged the girl to the drawing room.
Now, she said when they were seated and the teatray had been brought in, tell me what has brought on this curious humour in my uncle. Have you noticed him behaving strangely lately? Not quite himself, eh?
He has been perfectly at ease with himself, except for his gout. It troubles him a great deal but he will not take the doctors advice and refrain from drinking. He says gout has nothing to do with the claret and burgundy he consumes, but is caused by the wet weather we have been having. And he may be right. It has been the wettest spring anyone can remember and many of the fields are inundated, which does not make the labourers plight any easier. Farmers like James are in sad straits themselves and cannot pay their men who have to apply to the parish
Are you being purposely obtuse, Isabella? I care not a fig for the farmers, so long as they pay their rents on time. I am talking about this insane notion to marry you off for a legacy. I do believe old Hanson has put the old man up to it.
Mr George Hanson was the Earls legal man. Why should he do that?
To try and disinherit Louis. He has never looked on my son with any favour. He sees him as a Frenchman and therefore to be viewed with suspicion, which is very hard on my poor boy who has spent almost his entire life in England and renounced his lands in France.
Renounced them? Bella queried, dragging her mind from what was happening upstairs to pay attention. I thought they had been taken from him by the Revolutionaries.
They were, but there are moves afoot to restore them. They will be ruined and worthless by now, of course, and I do not wish to go back. She shuddered. And if we are not careful the contagion will spread and we shall have revolution here, on our doorstep.
Oh, no, surely not?
I saw evidence on our journey herericks burned, barns pulled down and posters pinned to empty shops. Bread or blood, they say. It is how it started in France. We need steadfast people like Louis at the helm to prevent it. That is why it is so important his legacy should not be put up to auction.
Bella would not have described Louis as steadfast, but she let that go. She smiled crookedly. Is the notion of your son being married to me so distasteful, my lady?
Oh, you are a pleasant enough chit but, tell me, what have you to recommend you to a man of the world like Louis? Tucked away in the country, the companion of an old man who has forgotten what it is like to be in Society, how can you possibly know how to go on? Louis needs someone from the ton, someone with presence, not a timid little mouse. The court is full of beautiful women and Colette has the ear of the Regent, who will advise us.
It was not only the Regents ear Elizabeths daughter had, Bella thought irreverently. By all accounts she had been possessed of other parts of his anatomy on occasion. And Louis must be a poor apology for a man to allow his mother and sister to choose his bride for him. I would not dream of coming between Louis and his aspirations at court, she said.
Good. Then we are agreed. You will refute this strange idea of the Earls and not choose any of them. I can promise you, on Louiss behalf, that you will not be let starve.
Bella supposed she was meant to be grateful for that, but before she could find a suitable reply his lordship and Louis had come into the room and she was obliged to busy herself, pouring tea for them. It was only when no one spoke that she realised both men looked furious. Louis was decidedly pink about the ears and the Earls face was almost purple. Bella was afraid he was going to have a fit of apoplexy.