Lady Knightley's Secret. Anne Ashley

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      ‘There is absolutely no reason to introduce Sir Richard to me, Brin,’ she interrupted when he turned, about to do just that. ‘I knew him quite well when I was a child.’

      Looking a trifle pale, but maintaining quite beautifully that self-assured air, she rose to her feet and even managed a semblance of a smile at the three rather startled expressions bent in her direction. ‘It has been several years since you last set eyes on me, sir, so I’m not in the least offended by your all-too-evident bewilderment.’ She held out her hand, which thankfully no longer trembled. ‘Elizabeth…Elizabeth Beresford.’

      He didn’t utter ‘Good Gad!’ but the expletive hung in the air, none the less, drawing forth a gurgle of wicked amusement from the irrepressible Viscountess.

      ‘I’m not in the least surprised, either, that you appear dumbfounded, sir, especially if you haven’t seen her for some time. When I met up with Elizabeth again last year I could hardly believe that it was my old school friend sitting in that famous Bond Street modiste’s.’

      ‘Indeed, you are vastly altered, Miss Beresford,’ he agreed in that attractive deep voice that she remembered so well, ‘but I ought to have recognised you.’ His dark eyes rested for a moment on the charmingly arranged rich red-brown hair before returning to the delicately featured face turned so enchantingly up to his. ‘Unlike your sister, you always did bear a marked resemblance to your father. With your unusual colouring you are unmistakably a Beresford.’

      ‘I cannot express strongly enough how relieved I am to hear you say so, sir,’ she responded with feeling, before turning and bestowing such a dazzling smile upon the Viscount that Sir Richard experienced a most unexpected and rather unwholesome spasm of jealousy gnaw at his insides.

      ‘Your darling wife, Brin, has recently remarked that we might well be mistaken for brother and sister. You must be aware that she has never been known to put a guard on that unruly tongue of hers. Before you know it, rumours will begin to spread and we shall find ourselves on the receiving end of some rather strange looks!’

      He laughed heartily at this before offering her his arm and escorting her across the hall and into the dining-room. Verity, following with Sir Richard, experienced a deal of wicked satisfaction when she noticed that her husband’s very personable friend seemed incapable of preventing his gaze from wandering in Miss Beresford’s direction.

      Elizabeth became increasingly aware of this fact too as the evening wore on but, unlike Verity, found nothing satisfying in those all-too-frequent dark-eyed glances. Never in her wildest imaginings had she considered the possibility that the Dartwoods’ other guest would turn out to be none other than the man she had secretly, and quite foolishly, loved since she was a girl.

      Calling upon that all-important inner reserve of self-control, she managed to conceal this all-too-painful truth. However, trying to behave towards him as she might have done any other acquaintance of long standing, with a kind of polite, friendly interest, inevitably took its toll. So, when Verity announced her intention of retiring early, Elizabeth wasn’t slow in making her own excuses to leave the gentlemen to their own devices.

      Managing, still, to retain that serene look that suggested she hadn’t a care in the world, Elizabeth accompanied her friend up the staircase. She accepted with alacrity the Viscountess’s invitation to come to her suite of rooms later so that they could enjoy a comfortable coze before finally retiring for the night, but the instant she entered the sanctuary of her own bedchamber her expression changed dramatically.

      ‘Ha! I knew it. In a right fix you are, and no mistake!’

      Elizabeth flashed her maid a glance of impatience. ‘I might have guessed that you’d have got wind of his arrival. And don’t stand there gloating! Come help me off with this gown!’

      Completely undaunted by the brusque tone, Agatha helped her young mistress get ready for bed. ‘What are you intending to do, miss? You mark my words, he’ll find out.’

      Elizabeth pulled a brush through her silky russet-coloured hair with impatient strokes as she stared at her maid through the dressing-table mirror. ‘How can he possibly do that? Only you and I know. And if you ever reveal my secret, Aggie, I’ll never forgive you!’

      ‘Wild horses could never drag it from me, miss. You know that. But he’s no fool. You might let something slip.’ Her expression betrayed her concern. ‘It might be best if you make some excuse to leave,’ she suggested, but Elizabeth shook her head.

      ‘I cannot deny that that solution is very tempting, but it won’t answer. It would look most odd if I suddenly upped and left.’ She gazed sightlessly at her own reflection in the mirror, her mind deep in thought. ‘No, that course of action would certainly give rise to conjecture. And besides, I’m quite adept at keeping a guard on my tongue, and concealing my feelings. I’ve had years of practice, after all.’

      She saw sadness replace the concern in her maid’s dark eyes and gave her arm an affectionate squeeze before rising from the stool to collect her robe. ‘I must confess, though, that I’m more than a little annoyed with the Viscountess. I think for friendship’s sake she might have taken the trouble to forewarn me that this friend of her husband’s was none other than Richard. But—’ she shrugged ‘—annoyed though I am, I couldn’t with a clear conscience desert her now.’ A worried frown suddenly marred the perfect symmetry of her own brow. ‘Have you by any chance caught sight of her ladyship since we arrived, Aggie?’

      ‘I have that, miss. Spied her crossing the hall when you all went into the dining-room earlier.’

      ‘In your expert opinion, when do you consider the baby will be born?’

      ‘Any day now, I shouldn’t wonder.’

      ‘Just what I’ve been thinking!’ The frown of disquiet grew more pronounced. ‘The Lord only knows what kind of practitioner has been in attendance upon her ladyship. Some antiquated old fossil who hasn’t picked up a medical volume in years, I shouldn’t wonder. I can perfectly understand why Tom works himself into such a passion over the old-fashioned notions of many of his colleagues. It’s a thousand pities he isn’t here now!’

      She moved across to the door, but turned back to enquire, ‘I don’t suppose you happen to know precisely where her ladyship’s bedchamber is situated, by any chance?’

      ‘Turn left at the end of the passageway and it’s the second door on the right.’

      Elizabeth, marvelling at her maid’s quite remarkable ability for acquainting herself with the layout of strange houses within a relatively short space of time, went along to her ladyship’s apartments and discovered the Viscountess sitting up in bed, supported by a mound of frothy lace-edged pillows. She received a warm smile and was invited to sit on the edge of the huge four-poster bed, but she remained standing, her eyes betraying her very understandable resentment at her friend’s rather heartless disregard for her feelings.

      Verity was not slow in perceiving the look. ‘What is it, Elizabeth? What’s wrong?’

      ‘Why didn’t you inform me that you had invited Richard here, too?’

      The enquiry was uttered lightly enough, but Verity couldn’t mistake the note of censure in the soft voice and was frankly puzzled by it. ‘I didn’t realise until a few days ago that he would be coming. Brin met up with him in London the other week and invited him to stay. Why, you don’t object to his being here, surely? You seem to get along quite well.’

      Elizabeth СКАЧАТЬ