“In which case, you may remain with me,” said Angelica brightly.
“To do what, ma’am? I must earn my keep. I cannot batten upon you for the rest of my days.”
“Who said anything about the rest of your days? If nothing else, you may take it as a holiday from your horrid academy. If you insist upon it, I dare say I can find you more congenial employment.”
An eager look animated Miss Temple’s countenance. “Could you indeed? I am very well equipped to take up a post as governess.”
Angelica waved nonchalant hands. “I don’t doubt it, and I could certainly enquire among my friends.”
Raoul felt compelled to nip this in the bud. “Yes, well, let us at once dismiss this flight of fancy. You will do no such thing, Angie.”
“Why ever not, Raoul? It seems to me a perfect solution.”
“A woman of your experience, my dear cousin, ought to know better. Miss Temple cannot appear at this ghastly auction of yours one day and be touting among the same people for a post as governess the next. Especially since I am known to have bid on the wench and won.”
Angelica’s face fell. “Oh, dear, that is very true. I had not thought.” She threw an apologetic glance at the girl. “Your reputation will be quite ruined, my dear. As it is, I dare say there is a good deal of speculation, for no one knows who you are.”
“Nor how she gained entrance to the Latimer party,” added Raoul on a dry note, “since she was not seen in Maskery’s company.”
“Well, what a good thing that is. No one need know Felicity has any connection to the wretched creature.”
“It won’t fadge, Angelica, and you know it. You can’t take a nameless girl under your wing without the whole world wanting to know why and who she is. And thanks to your machinations, I am inextricably involved.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Felicity paid no heed as Mrs Summerhayes broke out in voluble protestations. The truth of his lordship’s words could not be denied. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Lord Maskery had thrown her into public display and then vanished himself, leaving the rabbit to its certain fate.
“He chose that party deliberately. He must have planned for whoever might bid upon me to be saddled with me.” Only half aware of speaking aloud and thus attracting the attention of the cousins, she frowned down at her restless fingers. “But it makes no sense. He cannot be in debt to all.” She looked up and met Lord Lynchmere’s eyes. “What if some other had won? If you had not topped their bids, sir, there were two gentlemen arguing over who had won me.”
“Finglesham and Abinger, as I recall.”
“Was it indeed?” Mrs Summerhayes tapped her fan on her knee. “They are both rather wild, but I should doubt of either being able to afford to play against a hardened gamester like Maskery.”
Puzzled, Felicity returned her gaze to Lord Lynchmere’s face. “How then could it serve him? He could not have known you would win.”
“Of course not. That proved sheer luck for Maskery, I imagine.”
“She’s right, Raoul. Have we misread his intentions? Is it possible he means mischief in some other fashion?”
His lordship’s expression gave him away. “You have already thought of this.” Felicity stiffened her spine. “Do not spare me, sir. I had rather know the worst.”
What did it matter after all? A resolve was already forming in her mind. The rabbit had every intention of finding its way back into the safety of the hat. An ignominious retreat, but at least she could lick her wounds in private. She could not remain, an embarrassment to all. With her meagre hoard of coins once more in her possession, she need not rely upon anyone else for the means to travel to Bath.
Lord Lynchmere’s lip curled in the wry look he had worn before. “I suspect your guardian had it in mind to extract whatever monies he could.”
“By what means, Raoul?”
He shrugged. “There are several possibilities. As long as Miss Temple, finding herself destitute, was obliged to beg help, some sort of compromising situation was likely to arise.”
Mrs Summerhayes snorted. “What you mean is, a lesser man might have taken advantage.”
“Quite so.” He did not look at his cousin, and Felicity felt burned by his forthright gaze. “I imagine Maskery’s plans were flexible. I should think my return to my house, alone, was noted. Had Miss Temple been with me, I dare say Maskery would have been standing on my doorstep this morning in righteous indignation, demanding reparation for his ward’s loss of reputation.”
“You mean he was instead obliged to fall back upon leaving her to you in compensation for the debt? But it’s monstrous!”
“Desperate men take desperate measures. A more honourable man might have disposed of himself rather than his ward, but Maskery is not of that persuasion.”
“Then I wonder at your playing cards with him at all,” snapped Felicity, goaded.
