could it be just this easy to fit in? Could the women of the ton be exactly like those from the other parts of society; some difficult, some judgemental and others only searching for their way in life? Like Gwen was.
The pathway into the future suddenly did not look so impossible. Amethyst liked Christine Howard and now she understood Daniel’s younger sister better, too. How many friends did one truly need?
Reaching over, she took the girl’s hand in her own. ‘You will find all the things that you need to, Gwen, I promise, and if there is anything that Daniel and I could help you with you have only to ask.’
‘Could you teach me how to wield a knife?’ The query came back quickly.
‘Absolutely.’ There were no qualms at all in her answer.
* * *
Lucien Howard was at the lunch table when Amethyst came down, as was Daniel, her father and Julia McBeth. Today her husband wore all black, the darkness of his clothes making him look even more dangerous than he normally did.
‘I hear felicitations are in order, Lady Montcliffe. Pity I was not invited.’ Lucien’s voice held a good deal of humour within it.
Daniel’s didn’t. ‘Lucien has come to pick up his brother.’
‘I see. How does Andrew fare this morning?’
Lord Ross shrugged. ‘He should be down joining us any second. From his recounting of the tale he was the hero of the hour.’
The subject of their musings arrived just as he finished the sentence.
‘Who are you saying was the hero of the hour, Luce?’ Today a black bruise on Andrew’s chin had darkened and he used a crutch to walk.
‘You are, Drew.’
Daniel supplied that and his tone sounded grateful. ‘If you had not insisted on accompanying my sisters on their foolish journey from London, God knows what else could have happened.’
Charmingly the boy blushed and Amethyst looked away at her father who was in conversation with Julia. The widow brought out the best in Robert and she was glad to see his plate piled high. A new sort of contentment began to fill the empty corners of the past and she caught Daniel’s eyes upon her before looking away. The right one had swelled up even further in the night, making him look dissolute.
She wanted to kiss him again, she wanted him to hold her against his warmth and never let go. Her ridiculous heart was beating faster than it normally did just on that one small glance and when she lifted her fork she saw her hand shake.
‘You seem flustered this morning, my dear. Perhaps it is the lingering effects of yesterday’s adventure?’ Robert remarked.
‘Perhaps.’ When her father smiled in that particular way her heart sank. She had never been a good liar, that was the trouble. She had never been one of those people who could conceal everything behind an implacable mask.
Like her husband.
‘It seems we will be at Montcliffe longer than we had anticipated, but I must say that the area is growing on me. The rolling hills and the greenness and the peace of it all.’ Papa was effusive in his praise and Julia laughed.
‘Everybody says that after a few days’ residence. I could never understand why the Lady Wylde did not come here more often. If it were mine, I should never leave it.’
‘But you live here now, do you not?’ Papa sounded more than interested.
‘Only for another few weeks. I will be travelling north to stay with my sister after that.’
Again Amethyst saw a look on her father’s face that made her puzzled, but she could dwell on it no longer as the door opened and a well-dressed woman she had never seen before stood before Daniel, a look of utter disdain upon her beautiful face.
‘I have come to take your sisters home, Daniel,’ she said, her voice imperious and harsh. ‘I also presume that this woman’s presence here means that this foolish alliance of yours has already taken place much against my wishes.’ Her disdainful glance swept over Amethyst without the slightest degree of interest.
‘Indeed it has, Mother,’ the Earl replied frostily as he stood. ‘This is my wife, Lady Amethyst Montcliffe, and her father, Mr Robert Cameron. I think you know all of the rest.’
‘I do.’ Lady Montcliffe made no attempt at niceties whatsoever.
‘If you would wait in the library, I will come to you directly, Mother, for there are a few things I need to tell you. Gwendolyn and Caroline shall be readied to leave presently.’
But the newcomer was going nowhere. ‘Is that you, Andrew Howard? Was it you who put this nonsense into the girls’ heads and led them on to a merry goose trail that could have ended in such tragedy?’
The bravado on Andrew’s face wilted, though it seemed Lord Montcliffe had had enough of his mother’s poor manners as he took her by the arm and shepherded her from the room.
‘Daniel’s mother was always a difficult woman,’ Lucien offered into the silence. ‘And his father was little better. Daniel would come and stay with my family most holidays and, looking back, I cannot even remember one where he went home. Nigel came too, sometimes, but he was melancholic and nervous.’
‘When he died I didn’t feel surprised, really.’ Andrew spoke up now. ‘Mama used to say that he was not long for this world, remember?’
Lucien took up the tale now. ‘Well, Daniel looked after him as best he could, but sometimes even he lost his patience and that’s saying something. Nigel was in London when he got home from La Corunna. Daniel had a fever and a leg that looked like it might be septic and he’d lost so much weight from dysentery that the doctors thought he wouldn’t make it, yet Nigel only talked incessantly about his own problems. Daniel yelled at him to go away and come back when he was in a better mood, but Nigel was killed in a hunting accident two days later here at Montcliffe.’
‘And Daniel blamed himself?’
Her words fell into the silence and Lucien looked at her quizzically.
‘I think he did. He seldom spoke of his brother afterwards.’
Glancing around at Julia, Amethyst saw her worried blue eyes were swimming in tears.
* * *
Lucien walked into the library late in the afternoon as Daniel was tidying up the deeds from the minister and filing them into the family bible. A marriage of convenience this might be, but it would be recorded in posterity as real. Daniel was glad for that. After yesterday he understood his bride was not the trembling sort of girl that was so predominant in society. No, Amethyst Amelia knew how to wield a knife and ride a horse with the best of them.
Lucien looked more than concerned. ‘Could I speak to you, Daniel, in confidence?
The serious tone of his oldest friend alerted him to the fact that something was wrong. ‘Of course. Is Andrew—?’
He didn’t finish as Lucien broke in. ‘After the fracas at the Herringworth ball I took it upon myself to look further into the death of Mr Gerald Whitely and there are things I think you should know.’
Closing the cover of the family bible, Daniel sat down.
‘What things?’
‘He spent an inordinate amount of time at the Grey Street brothel and word has it that he...he liked to play rough.’
‘Damn.’
‘My thoughts exactly.’
‘Define rough.’
‘He gave several of the women there black eyes and split lips. Worse if anyone ever mentioned his...affliction.’
‘Affliction?’
‘He had had some sort of accident to the groin as a child.