Page 17

Hart scooped his ice up and put a huge spoonful into his mouth, then pulled a face at the coldness as Gee nibbled carefully at hers.

‘I’ve no idea why you are so overtly hostile, Haryo,’ Hart said, shaking his head and scraping the dish. ‘She’s annoying, but not so bad, and she was a wonderful support for Mama.’

Harriet let her eyes widen. ‘A wonderful support? Are you run mad? Or is it just that men have a different idea about what constitutes a ‘wonderful support’?’ she said with a wave of a hand.

‘Well, I think she was,’ Hart protested around a spoonful of iced fruit.

‘In that she shared Papa’s bed behind Mama’s back?’ she whispered crudely. ‘How was that supporting her, pray?’

‘Oh, come now. They were always such a, well, a trio. They all just clung to each other, and Papa is so miserable since Mama’s passing. Lady Liz loved them both, and more to the point, they loved her. Papa needs someone to jolly him along. Lady Liz could do the job.’

Gee put her spoon down carefully and gave their brother a look. ‘You must remember, Hart, that Lady Liz utterly usurped Haryo’s position in the family when Mama died. Haryo should have been his hostess as his oldest, unmarried daughter. She should have run the households, but Lady Liz stepped in, pushed Haryo aside, and took over. It was horrid, Hart. Truly horrid.’

Harriet took a spoonful of her ice, her stomach turning at the memories of those dreadful days after they lost the duchess. They had been the worst of Harriet’s life, and Lady Liz inserting herself into the family to replace Mama and take her place as her father’s chatelaine as though she was his wife had been beyond the edge of enough. She didn’t think she would ever forgive that.

Hart nodded and pulled a face. ‘I suppose when you look at it like that, she hasn’t been the best. Do you think she’s trying to wheedle Papa into marrying her?’

Gee sighed, and Harriet held on to her temper at Hart’s obliviousness. ‘I strongly suspect you are right,’ she said with exaggerated patience, eyes wide. Truly, it must be wonderful to be a man, and the heir to a duchy, and not have to care about such things.

Hart sucked his spoon and nodded. ‘I suspect,’ he said, with some thoughtfulness and a worried look, ‘I suspect she would like to see you married. That would probably clear her route to the duchy.’

His sudden perception surprised Harriet. It was something that had occurred to her. ‘I think you are right, darling. Fortunately, I have no intention of marrying.’

All three were quiet for a moment, each contemplating the remains of their ices, poking at them with spoons.

‘It would be good for us all to go to Chiswick,’ Hart said. ‘I’ve barely seen both of you in an age, what with Cambridge and everything. Besides, if we all go, we can keep an eye on what she is up to.’

‘Shouldn’t you be at university now?’ Harriet said with a frown.

‘Hmmm, well, it’s almost finished for the summer.’ Hart scooped up the last of his ice.

‘Darling, it’s barely March. They will send you down permanently if you don’t make at least some effort.’

He grunted and nodded, then sucked his spoon in a most ungentlemanly fashion.

Gee sat up straighter, a wicked look in her eye as a playful smile touched her lips. ‘Perhaps we should invite Grandmama Spencer to Chiswick too.’

The three looked at each other with matching smiles.

‘Lady Liz would love that,’ Haryo said. ‘You know how much she and Grandmama adore each other.’

Hart made a spluttering sound.

The Devonshire siblings left the parlour together, stepping out into the chilly sunshine, each lady on Hart’s arm chatting and laughing as they did so. People watched as they went. Harriet was under no illusion, the interest was primarily to make comparisons with their mother. Even after all these years, they still did it, because where the Duchess of Devonshire had been stunningly beautiful, sylph like in her figure, and endlessly charming, gay, and outrageous, both she and her sister Gee were… less so.

‘Do you ever have the impression that they are just waiting for the day that we turn out like Mama?’ Harriet whispered across Hart to Gee. ‘That if they stare long enough, I’ll stop being plump and sharp tongued, and you’ll stop being quiet and shy?’

Gee giggled. ‘I think you may be right.’

‘At least you’ve done your bit and married and produced beautiful offspring, whereas they think I stand in serious danger of becoming a bluestocking or an ape leader,’ Harriet said, returning to their previous conversation about marriage.

‘The number of books you read, they’d be right,’ Hart grumbled, ‘though I take issue with your description of plump. Perhaps when you were younger, but you are perfectly lovely now,’ he said gallantly.

‘And sharp tongued?’

‘Well…’ Hart said with a grimace. ‘I’m afraid that is quite accurate.’

Harriet rolled her eyes but squeezed his arm. ‘Will you be home for dinner, Hart?’