‘Fellow has a perfect right to be a rake,’ agreed Ferdy. ‘No harm in that. No right to leave the baby in the gutter. Badton.’
‘That’s what I was going to say,’ nodded Mr Ringwood. ‘Devilish badton!’
‘It’s a damned coil!’ Sherry said, frowning. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it of Monty! Dash it, there must be a mistake! Monty wouldn’t walk off like that if the wench had been one of his fancy pieces!’
‘Looked devilish sick,’ said Mr Ringwood dispassionately.
‘Sick as a horse,’ corroborated Ferdy. He added, after a moment’s reflection: ‘Would have myself. Dash it, middle of King Street! Everyone coming away from Almack’s! But I’ll tell you what, Gil: I wouldn’t have left Sherry with the baby. Not Sherry!’ Struck by a sudden thought, he looked at his cousin. ‘What are you going to do with the baby, Sherry?’
‘Damme, I’m not going to do anything with the baby!’ replied Sherry indignantly. ‘It ain’t my affair!’
Mr Ringwood coughed discreetly. ‘Dear old fellow – Lady Sherry! What doesshemean to do with it?’
‘That’s it,’ nodded Ferdy. ‘Seemed very taken with it.’
‘She’ll do what I tell her,’ answered Sherry shortly.
‘Well, what are you going to tell her?’ asked Mr Ringwood.
‘I shall think of something,’ said Sherry, with cold dignity.
Mr Ringwood began to think there was more in Mr Fakenham’s desire to disassociate himself from these proceedings that he had at first perceived. He said tentatively: ‘Dare say you’d like us to leave you, dear boy. Delicate situation: won’t want guests!’
‘Oh no, you don’t!’ retorted his lordship.
‘Just as you please, Sherry!’ said Mr Ringwood. ‘Only thought you might prefer to be alone with Lady Sherry!’
‘Well, I wouldn’t!’ said his lordship bluntly.
They had arrived by this time at his house. They were admitted by Bradgate, who informed them that my lady had taken the young person upstairs to her bedchamber. His mannerindicated that he accepted no responsibility for this, and washed his hands of whatever consequences might ensue. The Viscount told him to fetch the brandy to the drawing-room, and escorted his two friends up the one pair of stairs which led to this apartment. A fire burned in the grate, but the candles had not been lit. The Viscount thrust a taper into the fire and went round the room kindling the wicks, a heavy scowl marring his countenance. The canary hanging in the window-embrasure awoke, apparently in some confusion of mind, and began to sing its morning hymn. The Viscount, with a few bitter animadversions on birds in general, and misguided friends in particular, cast a cloth over the cage and the song ceased abruptly. The butler shortly appeared with a tray, and said in accents of extreme repulsion that he understood that the young person would be spending the night in the spare bedroom. He then withdrew, and the Viscount exclaimed: ‘Well, that’s a nice thing! If it isn’t just like Kitten! Now what am I to do? I’m dashed if I’ll have Monty’schère-amiein my spare bedroom!’
‘Baby, too,’ said Ferdy, shaking his head. ‘Bound to squall. They do. Very awkward, Sherry. Don’t know what youcando.’
‘Well, for God’s sake let us have a little brandy!’ said his lordship, striding over to the table and seizing the decanter.
It was some time before Hero came downstairs, but after about half an hour she put in an appearance, still wearing her silk and gauze ball-dress, but with her jewels discarded and her curls a little ruffled. She came quickly into the room, a look of great distress in her face, and went towards Sherry with her hands held out, and saying impetuously: ‘Oh, Sherry, it is so shocking! She has told me the whole, and I never thought anyone could be so wicked! It is all too true! That dear little baby is indeed Sir Montagu’s own child, but he will not give poor Ruth a penny for its maintenance, no, nor even see Ruth! Oh, Sherry, how can such things be?’
‘Yes, I know, Kitten. It’s devilish bad, but – but we have only the girl’s word for it, and I dare say, if we only knew –’
‘Might be a mistake,’ explained Ferdy, anxious to be helpful.
She turned her large eyes towards him. ‘Oh no, Ferdy, there can be none indeed! You see, she told me everything! She is not a wicked girl – I am sure she is not! She is quite simple, and she did not know what she was doing!’
‘They all say that,’ said Mr Ringwood gloomily.
‘How can you, Gil? I had not thoughtyouwould be so unjust!’ Hero cried. ‘She is nothing but a country maid, and I can tell that her father is a very good sort of a man – respectable, I mean, for no sooner did he discover the dreadful truth than he cast her out of his home, and will not have anything to say to her, which always seems to me shockingly cruel, though Cousin Jane says it is to be expected, because of the wages of sin, which comes in the Bible! Indeed, she is quite an innocent girl, for how could it be otherwise when she believed in Sir Montagu’s promise to marry her? Why, even I know better than that!’
Ferdy, who had been listening intently, said at this point: ‘Now, that’s a thing I wouldn’t do, Gil! One thing to seduce a girl – though, mind you, I think it’s a mistake myself! Only leads to trouble, and the lord knows there are plenty of ladybirds on the town! – quite another to tell her you mean to marry her. Dash it, too smoky by half!’
Disregarding this interruption, Hero hurried on: ‘Sherry, she is in such distress! I do not know how she has survived, and if it had not been for a good-natured woman who took pity on her, she must have died of starvation! But it seems that this woman is one of the fruit-women at the Opera House, and perhaps Ruth ought not to stay with her, for I recall that you told me, Sherry, that those women –’
‘Yes, well, never mind that!’ said Sherry hastily.
‘Oh no! I remember you said I must not mention it! But the thing is that she took Ruth in, for Ruth came to London to find Sir Montagu, never dreaming that he would refuse even to see her! But he is the most heartless – Sherry, indeed I am sorry to speak so of a friend of yours, but it is beyond anything! To seduce this poor, ignorant girl – for that is what he did –!’
‘Yes, but wait a moment, Kitten!’ protested Sherry. ‘Where? I mean, if she is a simple country maid, as you say she is, I don’t see –’
‘It was when he was staying in Hertfordshire last winter. I did not know of it, but I dare say you will, Sherry: Ruth says he has an uncle who lives near Hitchin. And it seems he had gone down to stay with him for Christmas, and that is how he met Ruth.’
