Debutante in the Regency Ballroom. Anne Herries

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СКАЧАТЬ I am much better and having a wonderful time,’ Susannah told her. ‘The Roberts twins were there this afternoon, Amelia, and the talk was all of a race. It was between Lord Coleridge and—who do you think his challenger was?’ Susannah clapped her hands as Amelia shook her head. ‘I am not surprised you cannot guess, for I should never have thought it. Lord Pendleton beat him, but they say it was a close-run thing.’

      ‘Yes, I imagine it must have been,’ Amelia said and laughed softly. ‘They are both Corinthians and known for their driving and other sports—did you not know that?’

      ‘Well, I had heard something. But a curricle race in town! I had not imagined Lord Pendleton would do something like that.’

      ‘It does not surprise me. When he was younger, I believe he indulged in the occasional prank. Max Coleridge, Pendleton, Northaven and one other—’ She stopped speaking abruptly.

      ‘The Marquis of Northaven? Lord Pendleton does not approve of him …’ Susannah looked puzzled. ‘I did not think they were friends.’

      ‘They were friends when they were first on the town, I recall; I was quite young then and did not know them well—but a friend of mine did and she told me …’ Amelia hesitated, then, ‘But Northaven has become more ruthless and the others have … grown up. In most respects, though it seems they are still mad enough to race through town.’ She arched her brows. ‘It is rather amusing, though perhaps unwise.’

      ‘Yes, a little dangerous, perhaps,’ Susannah replied. ‘I would not have suspected it of Lord Pendleton—but it must have been exciting. I wish I might have seen it. I should like to take part in a race, if it were possible, which it is not, of course.’

      ‘Yes,’ Amelia agreed. ‘I would like to have been there. Gentlemen have all the fun, do they not? It seems a little unfair, but there are compensations in being a lady—do you not agree?’

      Susannah realised that she was being teased and smiled shyly. ‘Yes, of course. I know I am foolish to long for adventures. I suspect I should not like them if they truly happened.’

      ‘Nor should I,’ Amelia agreed. ‘I think to be settled and happy with someone one cares for is perhaps the best of all …’

      Seeing her look so wistful, Susannah spoke without thinking. ‘I believe Sir Michael must be thoughtless to cause you so much distress, Amelia. I wish he would not visit you if he only means to quarrel with you—’ Realising what she had said, Susannah clapped her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, forgive me! How very forward and rude of me! I ought not to have said it, but …’

      ‘You were thinking it,’ Amelia supplied as Susannah stared at her wide-eyed and anxious. ‘Come and sit down, dearest. I am going to tell you something so that perhaps you will understand and cease to be anxious about me, for I know that you have been—have you not?’

      Susannah nodded and sat down in a chair near the window. ‘You do not have to tell me, Amelia. I really should not have passed an opinion …’

      ‘Why—because you are younger and a guest?’ Amelia shook her head. ‘The difference is not so very great and I think of you as a friend. I shall tell you, because I think you will treat my confidence with respect.’

      ‘I promise,’ Susannah vowed fervently and Amelia smiled.

      ‘I told you that I loved someone, but the match was denied me?’ Susannah nodded. ‘Well, it caused a rift between Michael and myself, a rift that has never quite healed—and there was my aunt’s fortune. I stayed with her for more than two years before she died. She loved me and I loved her and she left almost everything to me. My brother resented the fact that he did not receive a share. He has tried to … persuade me to give him a substantial share, but it does not stop there. He wishes to rule my life. It was for precisely this reason that my aunt made me independent. Michael cannot touch my money, nor can I give him what he asks for, because it is tied up in property and trust funds. I should not even if I could—but I cannot give away large amounts of capital. However, my income is many times larger than I require and I am able to give smaller sums now and then. I am in no danger from my brother, for I am strong enough to resist … his arguments. It is sometimes unpleasant, but there is nothing more to cause you concern.’

      ‘I see …’ Susannah looked at her. ‘Thank you for telling me, Amelia. I am honoured by your trust. I have known that your brother is unkind to you and I know how generous you are … have been to me …’

      ‘I give what I wish to give. Both my nephews have had small incomes from me, which I can easily afford, but I shall do nothing for my brother, because he does not deserve it. Unfortunately, he believes he is entitled to control my fortune and that will cause friction at times.’

      ‘I wish you had someone to protect you,’ Susannah said. ‘If you were married, you would have a husband to care for you and look after your fortune.’

      ‘Yes, I should, but I have good friends. I have not asked them for help, because as yet I do not need it—but they are there if I should need them.’

      ‘I am so glad,’ Susannah said. ‘Forgive me if I am impertinent to ask—but is there no one you like enough to marry?’

      ‘Perhaps there may be one day,’ Amelia told her and smiled. ‘I hope your mind is at rest now, my love?’

      ‘Yes, it is,’ Susannah said. She stood up and went to kiss Amelia’s cheek. ‘It was good of you to tell me, for I know it was not easy for you.’

      ‘No, it is never easy to speak of these things, but I wanted to set your mind at rest, Susannah—and now we shall forget it. Tell me, is there a gentleman you feel you like more than the others?’

      ‘There might be,’ Susannah confessed. ‘I was not sure that I liked him, but of late I have begun to change my mind.’

      ‘I think I might guess,’ Amelia said. ‘But I shall not guess for you have not yet made up your mind and I do not wish to influence you—and now we really must ring for tea. Your mother should be home at any moment—she went to fetch something I needed …’ She smiled as the door opened and Mrs Hampton entered, as if to order. ‘We were just about to have tea. Susannah has some interesting news …’ She got up to ring the bell for tea.

      ‘You look so lovely this evening,’ Harry Pendleton said, taking Susannah’s hand and lifting it to his lips to kiss it when they met at a soirée that evening.

      Susannah blushed faintly but did not remove her hand from his grasp immediately. She had tried to avoid him when they met for the first time after that disastrous affair at the Duchess of Morland’s ball. However, he had made a point of seeking her out and was so charming that she had overcome her feeling of awkwardness. Since then they had met everywhere. He had formed a habit of seeking her out, and Susannah could not doubt that he liked her. She had believed he must have a disgust of her for her foolish behaviour, but it was not so. No one seemed any the wiser about the incident with the marquis and she suspected that she had Lord Pendleton to thank for it. The Marquis of Northaven had not been present at any of the affairs she had attended with her mother and Amelia, and someone had told her that he was out of town. Susannah could feel nothing but relief. She would be quite happy if she never saw him again!

      The knowledge that she might well have lost more than her reputation if Lord Pendleton had not come to her rescue that night was sobering. However, Susannah was an incurable romantic and she still had her dreams of a white knight on a charger. His face was indistinct, and she had СКАЧАТЬ