‘Would you even fight me, your own brother?’
‘Are you going to scorn her?’
Arthur scowled at his empty glass. ‘I cannot accept her into the family. I cannot.’
‘Then that is your loss. Your branch of the family will be weakened for it.’ Jacob thought it was high time he went on the attack. He had taken one too many batterings today. ‘But I would look to your own conduct before you judge mine. Can you imagine how mortifying it is to Diana to see your mistress mentioned in the newspapers?’
Arthur looked away, taking solace in a bust of Aristotle that perched on the philosophy shelf. ‘That was unfortunate. I will instruct Ruby to be more circumspect.’
‘But you won’t give her up and live as a Christian husband should? Are you not aware of the hypocrisy of your position?’
‘I can look after my family and the lady under my protection.’
‘Show me in the Bible where such an arrangement is approved– I’m talking about the New Testament, not the Old.’
‘Don’t be such a child, Jacob. It is what we men do– men of our station.’
‘You don’t get to ignore the Ten Commandments just because you are rich.’
‘Who’s the hypocrite? I’m well aware that you once kept Lady Tolworth as your mistress.’ Arthur gave a sneering look around the comfortable library. ‘Or did she keep you?’
If Arthur was resorting to insults, then he was nettled. Had Jacob been feeling less bruised, he might’ve flung insultingremarks back, but weariness had knocked the fight out of him. What was the point in continuing this argument?
‘Thank you for calling on me, Arthur. Please assure those that care about my welfare that I survived the accident without major injury.’ He used the arm of the chair to lever himself up. ‘I will invite all the family to the wedding. I do hope you are able to come and celebrate my happiness.’ Reaching for the bell, he rang. Yarton stepped in before Arthur could reply with more insults. ‘The viscount is leaving now.’
‘This way, sir,’ said the butler firmly.
Arthur thumped his glass down on the side table. ‘This isn’t over, Jacob. I’ll make you see sense one way or another.’
‘Goodnight, Arthur. I send my love to Diana and the children. Do think about what I said.’ Jacob sat down again as Yarton whisked his brother away. He cradled his cup. It was going to take a lot more than camomile tea to calm him down after that merry little interlude.
Chapter Sixteen
Sloane Street to Long Acre
Dora felt more nervous on the return journey than she had on the way to the Austens. She kept her hand on the stock of the pistol in her reticule as she sat poised for trouble on the bench seat of the hackney cab, scanning the street for any sign of their enemies. The houses and public buildings that lined the way were joining in the Illuminations for the victory at Salamanca and to celebrate Wellington, several going so far as to spell out the names in lights. With hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people out to admire the spectacle, it was hard to see where danger might come from.
Alex, by contrast, was more at his ease, giving every indication that he was enjoying a warm summer’s night trotting through streets bedazzled with flickering candles and lanterns. ‘A novelist? Who would’ve thought the lady had it in her?’
‘Who, indeed,’ said Dora absentmindedly as her attention was on the passers-by.
‘Then again, from the picture in my edition of his plays, Shakespeare looks more like he could tell you the price of cornon the Exchange than be the man who wrote all those wonderful characters.’
‘He has a play about that too.The Merchant of Venice. “All that glisters is not gold.”’ Was that man under the tree looking too intently at them or was he just admiring her companion?
The jarvey sitting behind them flicked the whip over the flank of the mare in the traces, just a tickle to keep her steps lively with all the distractions dividing her attention. ‘Ho now,’ the cabdriver crooned. ‘Steady on, Sally.’
The horse frisked and side-stepped, not liking the explosions of the distant fireworks.
‘Meaning the opposite is true?’ asked Alex. ‘That plain packaging can hide the most precious of diamonds?’
‘That is the point of the casket game in the play. Distrust first impressions, as Miss Jane Austen would say.’
‘And isn’t that what we do too, dig down to find out the real story behind events?’ said Alex, sounding well pleased with his new life working with her and Jacob. Dora took it as a favourable sign that he was recovering his spirits after the death of her brother, who had been his lover and friend. After being ejected from the army in disgrace, he was regaining his sense of purpose. ‘Do you think I’d like her novel?’
‘I think you’d like it very much.’
The words had barely left her lips when someone threw a firecracker under the hooves of the horse.
