“God, Pol,” drawled Mr.Yates.“Had to escape for a moment.Effort of keepin’ a straight face is killin’ me, damned if it ain’t.”
“What’s up?”
“It’s Nicholas Bloody Delaney and his beautiful bride.Standin’ there actin’ the perfect husband.Not two days ago I met him with quite another filly at a certain place out near Aldershot!Looked queer as Dick’s hatband when I came in.Tipped him the wink, of course.I’ll not queer his pitch, but when Lady Christobel started tellin’ me he was settlin’ down and I ought to do the same … Well, I nearly said, ‘Give me the same piece of fancy, and the matter’s done!’”
“Lord, yes.You do mean Madame Therese Bellaire, don’t you?You mean you’ve been down to her little country place?I didn’t know it was on the go yet.Look here, Yatters, I wish you’d take me there.It’s going to be the place!”
“Certainly is, Pol.This was the grand openin’.The fabulous madame has finally arrived, you see.I only got down there because I’ve been goin’ to the town place pretty regularly.They kept saying what a great thing it was goin’ to be when she came, and they weren’t pullin’ whiskers.What a woman!Tell you what, I’ll take you to her house tomorrow.Country’s only by invitation, don’t you know.”
“Damned good of you, Yatters.But surely Delaney being there ain’t so bad.I’ve heard lots of fellows go to the town place for a pleasant evening.Without using the accommodations, you know.”
“True enough, Pol, but I tell you I don’t.”There was a cackle of laughter.“The ladybirds there, Pol!You’ve never seen the like.No little street totties.The tricks they know … But no, dear Cousin Nicholas wasn’t just drinkin’ the wine and listenin’ to the music, believe you me.He was Madame’s particular.Permanent fixture.Man of the House.They’re no new acquaintances.Regular Derby and Joan.If you think he’s makin’ fond of this one, you should see him with the other.”
Eleanor, frozen by this conversation, remembered to breathe.She really should go.Heaven knows what more she would hear if she stayed…
The need to learn it all, every bitter detail, overwhelmed reason.
“You mean the madame is his mistress?”Mr.Massey said.“That’s stronger meat than I’d care to handle, from what I’ve heard.”
“Wait till you meet her, Pol.One look from her big dark eyes and you’re up to anythin’.If you see what I mean.”
The two men sniggered, but then Mr.Yates’s voice grew thoughtful as he continued.“But I wouldn’t say she was his mistress, exactly.If you ask me, he’s the one anxious to please.He’s a goner for her, I’d say, and personally I don’t think that’s a healthy way to be.She’ll suck him dry and spit him out.”
“But lord, Yatters, what a way to go!”
More envious laughter, laced with concupiscent envy.
“Well, if anyone can handle it it’ll be Cousin Nicholas.Ladies just seem to melt at his feet.Wish I knew the trick.No matter how tame he has her, though, I bet his new wife would cut up rough if she heard of his adventures, so he owes me.I’ll just make sure he arranges something special from Madame.Tell you what, Pol, I’ll cut you in.We’ll get two pretty…”
At that point Eleanor did resolutely move back out of hearing.Her heart was pounding and her legs felt so weak she sank into a nearby chair.She did not feel outraged.She had no inclination to “cut up rough.”She felt as if she were marooned in an emotional dead spot.
How tiresome for Nicholas, she thought dully, to have to keep two women content.It must strain even his charm.No wonder he seemed worn.
Madame Therese Bellaire.The woman at Newhaven.A woman to tangle men in knots.And she apparently had Nicholas all tied up.Eleanor had come to terms with the woman being his mistress, but in the normal way.She had supposed he would set her up in a little house somewhere and visit her from time to time.
This siren, this object of adoration, was not what she expected at all.The woman kept a brothel!
Eleanor desperately did not want to envision Nicholas groveling for any woman’s favors, not even her own, and especially not such a one as that.And while he had supposedly been off on business he had been with her, fawning on her, slobbering over her, no doubt.
Now the anger came.He had lied to her.She remembered the words of the horrible Mr.Yates.“Ladies just seem to melt at his feet.”Well not this one.
Eleanor could not bear to face Cedric Delaney.She would rather not face anyone, but it was impossible to simply flee to lick her wounds.Instead she quickly went down to the concealment of the crowd.There she could hide her feelings under idle chatter.
But Nicholas noticed.
He came over with a glass of wine for her.“Did Cousin Cedric wear you out, my dear?”he said with a friendly smile.“He’s obsessed by the family history but very knowledgeable.He should probably be taken in small doses, though.”
Eleanor didn’t know how to react and took the easy option.“I am rather tired.Do you think we could go, Nicholas?”
“Of course.If you are as we expect, you must take care of yourself.”
As he made their farewells and called for their cloaks, Eleanor relished the thought of upbraiding him for his behavior.She wouldn’t, though.She had promised not to create that kind of fuss, and just because the situation had turned out to be worse than she had expected was no reason to break her word.
Oh, but she itched to say something, anything, to break the smooth surface of his composure.
In the carriage he took her hand.“That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
Eleanor blocked the urge to pull away.“Oh, no,” she said calmly.“They are disposed to be kind, I think.”
