Armand stopped in his tracks and shrugged helplessly as Kate led Merry toward the landau waiting on the South Carriage Drive.
Once inside the vehicle, Kate turned to the sobbing girl. “I thought you wished time away from this Frenchman. I will not be held responsible for you if you persist to make underhanded clandestine arrangements.”
Merry sniffed. “I wish you might have talked to Armand, Kate. He isn’t what he appears. He told me the French government confiscated his family’s chateau and all of their fortune.”
“I’m sure he isn’t what he seems,” Kate said acerbically. She leaned forward and took the distressed girl’s hand. “A poor French émigré and a fortune hunter more like. My goodness, what were you thinking? When Robert finds out…” She shook her head.
Merry’s eyes widened and she gave a mew of distress. “Oh no, you won’t tell him.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Merry. What did you expect? That I would keep this from Robert?”
Merry’s shoulders heaved and she studied her hands in her lap. “Forgive me. It was wrong of me.”
Kate shook her head. “Promise never to do this again,” she said sternly. “Or you must return home.”
“I promise,” Merry said in a small voice. She pulled her handkerchief from her petticoat pocket and blew her nose.
“You don’t need to deceive me, my dear,” Kate said in a kindlier tone. She well knew how it was to love someone blindly and without hope. “If it’s within my power, and the right thing to do, I will help you. But I can’t if you conceal things from me.”
Some hours later, Robert found them in the salon, dressed for dinner, Kate with a glass of sherry and Merry sipping lemonade. He smiled approvingly. “You both have a healthy flush. I see the trip to the park was beneficial.”
As he poured himself a whiskey from the decanter, Kate gave Merry a quick shake of her head. She had decided not to tell him just yet. It would be like putting a cat in the dovecote. And he would have Merry back in Bath before the week was out.
