‘Very bad business,’ said Mr Wychbold. ‘Nothing to be done, though.’
‘That,’ said Sophy severely, ‘is what people always say when they are too lazy, or perhaps too timorous, to make a push to be helpful! I have a great many faults, but I am not lazy, and I am not timorous – thoughthat, I know, is not a virtue, for I was born without any nerves at all, my father tells me, and almost no sensibility. I don’t know that I shall, for I have not yet made up my mind just what I should do, but Imayneed your assistance in breaking this foolish engagement.’ She perceived, in a quick glance at his face, that he was looking extremely scared, and added reassuringly: ‘Very likely not, but one never knows, and it is always well to be prepared. Now I must put you down, for I see Cecilia awaiting me, and she has promised to let me drive her round the Park once she is assured I shan’t overturn the phaeton.’
‘No fear of that!’ said Mr Wychbold, wondering what else this alarming young woman might overturn during her sojourn in Berkeley Square.
He shook hands, told her that if they would but allow females to belong to the Four-Horse Club he should certainly support her candidature, and sprang down from the phaeton, to exchange greetings with Cecilia, who, with Miss Adderbury andthe children, were waiting beside the Drive. Gertrude, Amabel, and Theodore naturally asserted their claims to be taken up beside their cousin in preference to their elder sister, but after these had been firmly dealt with Mr Wychbold helped Cecilia to mount into the carriage, bowed, and strolled off.
It had struck Sophy immediately that Cecilia was looking pale, while the little governess was plainly labouring under a considerable degree of suppressed agitation; so, since she believed in getting to the root of any matter without wasting time on circumlocution, she at once demanded bluntly: ‘Now, why are you looking as blue as a megrim, Cecy?’
Tina, who during Mr Wychbold’s occupation of the passenger’s seat, had nestled inconspicuously behind her mistress’s feet, now crawled out from beneath the drab rug, and jumped on to Cecilia’s knee. Cecilia clasped her mechanically, and stroked her, but said in a tense voice: ‘Eugenia!’
‘Oh, the deuce take that creature!’ exclaimed Sophy. ‘Now what has she done?’
‘She was walking here with Alfred,’ said Cecilia, ‘and she came upon us!’
‘Well,’ said Sophy reasonably, ‘I own I do not like her, and Alfred is certainly the horridest little beast in nature, but I see nothing in that to put you so much out of countenance! He cannot have tried to put his arm round your waist if his sister was present!’
‘Oh, Alfred –!’ said Cecilia contemptuously. ‘Not but what hewouldhave me take his arm, and then squeezed it in the most odious way, and ogled, and said all the sort of things that make one itch to slap his face. But I care nothing forhim!You see, Sophy, Augustus was with me!’
‘Well?’ said Sophy.
‘It is true that we had fallen a little way behind Addy, for how can one have any rational conversation with the children chattering all the time? But she wasnotout of sight, and we hadnotstolen down a lonely path – at least, it wasn’t one of the more frequented paths, but Addy was there all the time, so what couldit signify? – and to say that I was meeting Augustusclandestinelyis wickedly unjust! Anyone would suppose him to be some hateful adventurer, instead of someone I have known all my life, pretty well! Why shouldn’t he walk in the Park? and if he does so, and we meet, pray, why should I not talk to him?’
‘No reason at all. Did that repellent girl give you a scold?’
‘Not me so much as poor Addy. She is in despair, for Eugenia seems to have said she was betraying mama’s trust, and encouraging me in clandestine behaviour. She was quite odious to me, but she could not say anything very much, because Augustus was with me. She made him walk with her instead, and told Alfred to give me his arm, and I felt smirched, Sophy,smirched!’
‘Anyone would, who was obliged to take Alfred’s arm,’ agreed Sophy.
‘Not that! But Eugenia’s manner! As though she had found me out in something disgraceful! And that is not the worst! Charles is driving here, and not a moment before you came up he went past us with Eugenia seated beside him. He gave the coldest look! She has told him all about it, depend upon it, and now he will be furious with me, and very likely work upon Mama as well, and everything will be so dreadful!’
‘No, it won’t,’ said Sophy coolly. ‘In fact, I shouldn’t be at all surprised if this turned out to be a very good thing. I cannot explain all that to you now, but I do beg of you, Cecy, not to be so distressed! There is no need: I assure you there is none! Very likely Charles will not say a word to you about this.’
Cecilia turned incredulous eyes towards her. ‘Charles not say a word! You don’t know him! He was looking like a thunder-cloud!’
‘I daresay he was; he very often does, and you are such a goose that you instantly quake like a blancmange,’ replied Sophy. ‘Presently, I shall set you down, and you will join poor little Addy, and continue your walk. I shall go home, where I am pretty sure to find your brother, for we have driven right round the Park now, and seen no sign of him and I know he will go backto Berkeley Square, for I heard him mention to my uncle that somebody called Eckington would be calling there at five o’clock.’
‘Papa’s agent,’ said Cecilia listlessly. ‘And I don’t see, dearest Sophy, what it signifies, whether you find Charles at home or not, because he won’t speak of this to you: why should he?’
‘Oh, won’t he just?’ retorted Sophy. ‘Depend upon it, by this time he will have persuaded himself that everything has been my fault from start to finish! Besides, he is furious with me for having bought this turn-out without his help; yes, and for having hired a stable of my own, too! He must be longing for me to come back to the house so that he can quarrel with me without fear of interruption. Poor man! I think I should put you down at once, Cecy.’
‘How brave you are!’ Cecilia said wonderingly. ‘I do not know how you can bear it!’
‘What, your brother’s tantrums? I see nothing to be afraid of in them!’
Cecilia shuddered. ‘It is not being afraid precisely, but I dread people being angry, and thundering at me! I cannot help it, Sophy, and I know it is poor-spirited of me, but my knees shake so, and I feel quite sick!’
‘Well, they shan’t be made to shake today,’ said Sophy cheerfully. ‘I am going to spike Charles’s guns. Oh, see! There is Francis Wolvey! The very thing! He shall restore you to Addy for me.’
She drew up as she spoke, and Lord Francis, who had been chatting to two ladies in a landaulet, came up to the phaeton, exclaiming: ‘Sophy, that’s a capital turn-out! ’Servant, Miss Rivenhall! I wonder to see you trust yourself to such a madcap, I do indeed! She overturned me in a gig once. Agig!’
‘What an unhandsome thing to say!’ said Sophy indignantly. ‘As though I could have helped it on such a road. Frenada! Oh, dear, what a long time ago it seems, to be sure! I came up with Sir Horace, and stayed with Mrs – Mrs –’
‘Scovell,’ supplied Lord Francis. ‘She was the only lady livingat Headquarters that winter, and used to hold loo-parties. Do you remember?’
‘Of course I do! And more vividly still the fleas in that dreadful village! Francis, I must pick up John Potton, and be off: will you escort my cousin to meet her little brother and sisters? They are walking with their governess somewhere beside the Drive.’
Lord Francis, upon whom Cecilia’s beauty had made a great impression, when he had met her on the occasion of his calling in Berkeley Square, promptly said that nothing could give him more pleasure, and reached up his hands to help her down from the phaeton. He said that he hoped that they would not too speedily encounter the schoolroom-party, and Cecilia, not impervious to his easy, friendly address, and evident admiration, began to look more cheerful. Sophy, well-satisfied, saw them walk off together, and drove on to where her groom awaited her, by the Stanhope Gate. He reported that he had watched Mr Rivenhall pass through it not many minutes earlier, and added, with a dry chuckle, that he looked to be on his high ropes still. ‘Damned my impudence Miss Sophy, and fair jobbed at the grays’ mouths!’
