Stephen Ball, M.R, recovered the use of his ears. “He was implicated inthe death of that girl a few months back. Body was found in the river.She’d been badly used. Just up from the country, as fresh and innocent asa lamb. Nothing ever came of the enquiries, though. No real evidence.”
“Or carefully used money,” said Lucien angrily. “God but the man’s anasty specimen.”
“We’ll sort him out,” said Nicholas. “There’s no hurry.”
He wound up the soldier. With a whir the grenadier began to march, headturning first left then right. Everyone let out a cheer. Then, with a loudand ominous twang, the toy stopped dead.
Nicholas picked it up. “I hope that isn’t an omen,” he said.
Beth found that as soon as they returned to Belcraven House she wasexpected to drive in the park with the duchess. She had done this a fewtimes before her marriage. It was, apparently, essential to see and beseen again now she was the marchioness.
Only she and the duchess were in the carriage which rolled slowlythrough the fashionable throng, and this was generally the case. Thegentlemen rode, drove themselves in curricles and broughams, or strollednearby, quizzing the beauties. The Belcraven carriage was frequentlystopped for pleasant exchanges, and Beth recognized some of the peoplefrom the days before her wedding. She was warmly welcomed back to Town.She was beginning to feel just a little less of an outsider, and shecouldn’t help but realize that as the Marchioness of Arden she was now aperson of importance.
She wished she felt it. She knew she would be happier with the simple,chaotic lifestyle of the Delaneys.
“How on earth do you remember who is who, Duchess?”
The duchess waved a hand and bowed at a rotund gentleman. “Sometimesone pretends. That was Sefton, by the way. People of significance tend toimpress themselves on one’s mind. Do you know,” said the duchess, betweenmore inclinations of the head and slight waves of the hand, “I think youshould call meMamanas Lucien does.”
Beth found the conventional notion disturbing. She had never had amother, in any real sense. But then she realized she could think of theduchess as her mother with no trouble at all.
“I would be pleased to,Maman,”she said, and the two women shared a warm smile. Then shesaw Clarissa and her mother, accompanied by Lord Deveril. Clarissa wavedto Beth like a drowning person, but the duchess gave the carriage only herslightest acknowledgement in passing.
“Is that young lady a friend?” she asked mildly.
“She was a pupil at Miss Mallory’s. She called on me yesterday.”
“I see. I do not much care for her family or the company she keeps, butI will not try to restrict your acquaintance. I would advise you, however,to have nothing to do with Lord Deveril.”
“Willingly,Maman.Poor Clarissa, however, is going to have to marryhim.”
The duchess paused a moment. “That is unfortunate,” she said.
“Very. I wish I could do something to help her.” Beth hoped for someguidance or expression of support.
The duchess looked seriously at her.
“Such marriages are not uncommon,” she said with meaning. “Any familycan experience difficulties, but in the case of the Greystones, the evil,I believe, is gaming. Without that so many people would not be broughtlow.”
Beth discovered later that she had neatly been deflected fromClarissa’s problem to the larger problems of Society.
Beth was inexorably drawn back into the mad social whirl and wonderedwhen she would have the opportunity to visit the Delaneys again. Shesupposed Lucien went there, for the rigorous socializing seemed largely tobe a female occupation. If he didn’t, then perhaps he was spending all histime with the White Dove. Beth certainly saw little of him.
Two days after their visit to the Delaneys, Beth found herself alonewith her husband as he was about to escort her and the duchess to a rout.He placed a finger under her chin, the better to study her face. “You arefinding this hard, Beth,” he said kindly. “This society life does not suityou at all. Just a few more weeks, then I promise you need never come toLondon unless you choose.”
“And you, Lucien? Will you not come to Town again?”
He looked puzzled. “But I enjoy it, Beth.”
“I suppose you do,” she said.
She had thought perhaps this evening would be an opportunity to growcloser, but now she lost the urge to try. It would doubtless suit him verywell to have her in the country bearing children while he conducted hisdebauches in Town with the White Dove. If, she thought bitterly, they everprogressed to the stage where bearing children became a possibility.
He frowned and looked as if he would question her, but then the duchessjoined them and he changed the subject, relating an amusing anecdote. Bethcouldn’t help laughing. He could always make her laugh, but it neverlessened the bitterness inside.
Over the evening, the chill in her manner eroded his good humor, and hespent less time with her, tried less to amuse her. Beth felt the loss likean aching void but could not change her behavior. It was amazing, shethought, how two people could have such a thorough falling-out without aword spoken in anger.
When she rose from her bed the next morning determined to turn a newleaf and try to win him back, he was, as usual, already out.
