The cane retrieved, Apollo rushed back to offer it again, his tongue lolling happily.
Gwendolyn looked at the momentarily speechless Falcon, and smiled. “Hedoeslove a game, doesn’t he?” she said.
CHAPTER TEN
Gideon stood very erect in the centre of the withdrawing room and waited out the storm. Sir Mark had cut him off each time he attempted to speak, and now stamped up and down, raging, and flinging his arms about. Elegant in shades of gold, Newby leaned against a credenza, a faint smile on his lips as he toyed with a lady’s jewelled high-heeled slipper. Gideon tried to concentrate on the intriguing slipper, which looked vaguely familiar, but his father’s strident tones could not be shut out.
“… a sad disappointment to a man when his son and heir is so insolent as to disregard his wishes! I warned you, and you cared not, but have in your sublime arrogance shamed me by agreeing to escort that baggage to the Glendenning Ball! Well—”
“Your pardon, sir. I escort the Lady Naomi Lutonville who, whatever else, is not a baggage!”
Gideon’s eyes were grey ice, and in his voice a note never before heard by Sir Mark, who stared, briefly taken aback.
“Hoity-toity,” murmured Newby.
“And I tellyou,sir,” thundered Sir Mark, his face purpling, “that Naomi Lutonvilleisa baggage! With the instincts of a baggage, and a traitorous ingrate for a father! And I’ll not have you seen with her! You hear me?”
It was probable that all the residents of Snow Hill could hear him this morning. It took every ounce of Gideon’s willpower to suppress his rising temper, but Sir Mark’s eyes had a hunted look, and the high colour of his drawn features attested to the state of his nerves. Therefore, he tightened his lips and evaded. “Pray tell me what it is you wish me to do, sir.”
Newby gave an amused snort. “You know blasted well what my father wishes you to do. Go elsewhere tonight. And go alone.”
Gideon eyed him coldly. “Very gentlemanly, ’pon my word.”
“You should have returned her damned flowers at once,” snarled Sir Mark.
“I attempted to do so.”
Newby said with a flourish of the shoe, “But the great lady, out of her passion for you—and in despite your shabby treatment of her—implored you to be her escort!” He gave his mocking laugh. “And so buzzes the bee!”
“Had my lady taken back her flowers,” replied Gideon, “all London would have said she was justified in rejecting a Rossiter. She knew that, and was sufficiently gracious to spare me humiliation, and hold to her given word.”
Sir Mark scowled. “You give the chit more credit than do I. Even so, ’twill not serve. You will send around a note before lunch, claiming that you are ill.”
“My regrets, sir. I cannot.”
“Hell and damnation! Do you dare defy me in mine own—”
“I have been warned not to escort her, sir.”
The steely words cut through Sir Mark’s rage, and he echoed, staring, “Warned,you say?”
“By whom?” asked Newby, with a bored look. “The Mandarin? I heard he is ill, so you’ve no immediate cause to fear being challenged by him, brother.”
“Especially since we are already engaged to meet.”
“You—what?” roared Sir Mark. “More notoriety? Why a’God’s name did he call you out?”
“I chanced to half-strangle him because of certain remarks he made.”
For once shaken from his affectation, Newby gasped, “Youattacked—Falcon? You must have been properly wits to let! Or foxed!”
Gideon shrugged. “I’ll own to having been a little provoked.”
A gleam had crept into Sir Mark’s eyes. “When you first came home, you said you’d not known of my troubles until you disembarked. Who told you? Falcon?”
“With neither tact nor diplomacy.”
“Vraiment.He lacks either attribute. Then, he was the one warned you not to escort Lady Naomi?”
