After ridding himself of his unwelcome visitor, Rushmore strolled round to Laura Place. The walk gave him time to think. A shrewd judge of men himself, he had seen Verreker for what he was…a handsome fly-by-night, living on the fringe of society, and always with an eye to the main chance.
Doubtless the fellow had a pack of creditors after him. That had been all too clear when the Earl had insisted upon a delay. With any luck he would be thrown into a debtors’ prison before he could carry his plans much further.
The Earl frowned. That would not do, he decided. He must not make a martyr of Matthew Verreker. Louise would feel obliged to stand by him out of loyalty, if for nothing else. Could she really be so naive as to take the fellow at face value? With a sigh, his lordship realised that she had done so. Perhaps he could expect little else from a seventeen-year-old.
As always, his thoughts strayed to Perdita. Would she have been so gullible? A smile curved his lips. Perdita was all woman…capricious and sometimes unreasonable in his eyes. Fondly he recalled how she had clung to him after he had killed the adder. It was a very feminine reaction, but in his heart he knew that behind that lovely face lay a strong reserve of common sense.
He was assured of it when she greeted him in the salon at Laura Place. Perdita looked at him intently.
‘Something has happened,’ she insisted. ‘Won’t you tell me what it was?’
‘Verreker has been to see me,’ he told her as he drew her towards the window-seat.
‘And what did you make of him?’
‘I thought him false in every respect, Perdita. All he could offer me by way of recommendation were high-flown sentiments.’
Perdita chuckled. ‘Those will carry no weight with you, I think.’
‘You think me impervious to the softer feelings. I assure you that I am not, my dear, but in this case I found it impossible to believe him. He claimed not to know that Louise had any expectations.’
‘That could be true,’ Perdita said slowly. ‘She does not flaunt her prospects…’
‘I think she had no need to do so. If I am not mistaken, this fellow knows her worth down to the last penny.’
‘But what can you do, my lord? You can’t force her to give him up.’
‘I hope I should not be so foolish as to consider it. I have asked Verreker to wait for a year. If Louise is still of the same mind after her London Season, then we’ll see.’
Perdita looked at him. ‘Remind me not to take up any cause against you, sir. Verreker durst not wait a year, if your suspicions are correct.’
‘Louise does not know that. It is my hope that she will see my views as sensible.’
‘She will…as long as you don’t fly into alt, my lord.’
‘Now, would I do that, Perdita? I am the most reasonable of men. If she will but listen to my arguments, all may yet be well. Don’t you agree?’
Perdita was tempted to argue the point. Did Rushmore truly believe himself to be the most reasonable of men? The notion made her want to laugh. Then a glance at his face told her that he was deeply worried. The interview with Matthew Verreker had confirmed his worst suspicions.
Now he was in a quandary. Outright condemnation of the man would persuade Louise to fly to his defence, but he could not pretend to give his blessing to the match. The situation needed careful handling.
‘My lord, it is not for me to give advice,’ she told him slowly.
‘But I have asked for it, my dear. I’d welcome your thoughts on how I should proceed. I have no wish to drive Louise away.’
‘Then speak to her of her father. Tell her how happy you are to fulfil his wishes in becoming her guardian and that you will never regard it as an unwelcome burden upon you.’
‘Do you think I should? I have avoided the subject of her father’s death, fearing that it would cause her pain.’
‘Perhaps it will, but it may also bring relief. My own feeling is that we need to speak of those we have lost. It keeps their memory alive and somehow it brings them closer to us.’
Rushmore took her hands in his. ‘You have wisdom beyond your years, Perdita.’ Something in his tone brought the hot colour rushing to her cheeks.
‘My lord, we should rejoin the others. This private conversation must give rise to comment and I would not have Louise believe that we are plotting against her.’
He released her hands at that and strolled over to Miss Langrishe, who was deep in conversation with the girls.
‘Your pardon, ma’am, but may I steal my ward away from you for a few moments? I have something to discuss with her in private.’
Louise paled and threw a hunted look at Thomas. This was the moment she had dreaded. Matthew must have been to see his lordship. Now she had to learn her fate.
‘Use the study, Adam.’ Miss Langrishe nodded encouragement to the shrinking girl. ‘Go along, my dear!’
Louise walked to the door with lagging footsteps, and Thomas watched her with a frown. He made as if to rise to his feet, but a look from Miss Langrishe stopped him.
‘Leave it, Thomas!’ she ordered. ‘You must not interfere. The Earl has every right to speak to his ward alone.’
A silence fell upon the assembled company. Only Crispin and Henry were unaware that momentous decisions were being made in the other room. Perdita and Amy fell prey to speculation, and Thomas wore a thunderous expression.
Miss Langrishe called him to her. ‘Don’t make a cake of yourself, my boy,’ she advised. ‘Rushmore will not eat Louise, nor threaten to beat her.’
‘He had best not do so,’ Thomas muttered darkly. ‘Else he’ll have me to deal with. She is afraid of him, you know.’
‘Then she is a very foolish girl, and you are not much better. You know the Earl…you have served with him…I thought that you admired him.’
‘I do, ma’am. He is the best of men, but Louise don’t know it, you see. Have you not noticed how she quakes whenever he appears?’
‘Thomas, you could change all that. In your company Louise seems perfectly at ease. I think she sees you as a friend. Why not speak to her about the Earl? She may trust your judgement.’
Thomas brightened. ‘Do you think I should?’
‘I am convinced of it, my dear boy. It is of great importance that Louise learns to have faith in her guardian.’
Thomas glanced towards the door. ‘What can be taking them so long?’ he asked impatiently. ‘I hope he ain’t laying down the law as if Louise is one of his captains.’
Miss Langrishe laughed. ‘I doubt if he’ll do that. Now, are we in agreement, Thomas? You will try to persuade Louise to feel more in charity with the Earl?’
‘It depends…I don’t know what he’s said to her. If she is in tears again he will have lost my good opinion of him.’
Fortunately his lordship was spared this dreadful fate. Louise looked perfectly composed when he led her back into the room and the sigh of relief from all her friends was almost audible.
Normal conversation was resumed at once, but the subject of the interview was carefully avoided.
It was not until the gentlemen had departed and the young ladies retired to their rooms that their curiosity was satisfied.
A tap at the door brought Louise to join her friends in their bedchamber.
‘Well, what happened?’ Amy could not contain her excitement. ‘Did Matthew go to see his lordship?’
‘Yes. I believe they spoke together for some time…’
‘And did Rushmore call him out? Is there to be a duel?’
‘Of course not, Amy… What a ghoul you are!’
‘No, I’m not, but I’ve never seen a duel. It always happens at dawn, you know. I thought if we could find out where it was to be held we might rise early and go to watch. We could have hidden behind a tree.’
‘Be quiet, you wretched little monster!’ Perdita glared at her sister. ‘You can’t wish to see a man get killed.’
‘That doesn’t always happen,’ Amy told her stoutly. ‘Sometimes they delope…that is, they fire into the ground or up in the air. I don’t see the point myself.’
‘Shut up!’ Perdita cried. ‘Don’t you see? You are upsetting Louise—’
‘No, she isn’t. There is to be no duel. His lordship was not too hard on Matthew about the way we met, nor of our assignations and the letters. He was more concerned as to Matthew’s background and his prospects.’
‘Well, that sounds reasonable enough,’ Perdita announced. ‘After all, he takes his promise to your father very seriously. Your papa would have done the same, I’m sure.’
‘The Earl reminded me of that. He spoke so kindly of my father. They were the best of friends and he feels the loss…’ For a moment her lip quivered. ‘Now he wants me to go on as my father would have wished.’
Perdita threw an arm about her shoulders. ‘You would agree to that, I’m sure. And in caring for you, your guardian must feel that he has not lost his friend completely.’
Louise smiled at her through misty eyes. ‘That is almost exactly what he said. I think I have misjudged him. He has a generous heart.’
‘So, are you to be allowed to go ahead with your betrothal?’ Amy was all impatience.
‘Not for the moment, though the Earl did not dismiss it out of hand. He pointed out that your own mama has kindly promised to sponsor me for the coming Season. All he asks is that I wait until I have made my come-out with you, Amy.’
‘And you don’t mind waiting?’ Amy was bewildered. ‘It will be almost a year.’
Louise managed a faint smile. ‘His lordship admitted that at seventeen a year can seem a lifetime, but he told me too that true devotion would stand up to the test.’
‘So you have agreed?’
‘Yes, I have.’
‘But what will Matthew say?’
‘I expect he will be disappointed, but I am to be allowed to see him and to explain. That is, if Miss Langrishe will allow me to receive him here. He is to call tomorrow… Certainly he cannot object to the Earl’s suggestion.’
Louise was mistaken. When Matthew Verreker was shown into the study at Laura Place, it took him less than a minute to learn that all his plans had been foiled. His soulful expression disappeared to be replaced by one of fury as he listened to her.
‘My darling, you can’t have agreed to this!’ he cried. ‘Oh, cruel…cruel! How are we to bear it?’
‘I believe it is what my father would have wished, my dearest. I am not yet out, you know…and, well…his lordship is convinced that true devotion will stand the test of time.’
‘He’s a liar!’ Verreker shouted. ‘He hopes that you will forget me…I know his thinking…he made it clear enough.’
Louise laid a placating hand upon his arm. ‘Will you not wait for me?’ she begged. ‘We have pledged our troth for a lifetime…is a year so long?’
It was only with the greatest difficulty that Verreker managed to control his rage. He looked in disgust at the innocent face of the girl beside him. What a vapid creature she was…swayed by the latest argument to reach her ears. Once he’d welcome the compliant nature…now it had turned against him. He assumed a mournful expression.
‘I told the Earl that I was unworthy of you,’ he muttered. ‘I should never have attempted to attract your interest, but this is a bitter pill to swallow. I see it all now. I was mistaken. You do not care for me with the passion which I have for you.’
Louise’s face was twisted in pain. ‘Don’t say that!’ she pleaded. ‘I have risked everything for you. I knew quite well that we were wrong in behaving as we did.’
‘Ah, is our love to be measured by convention? I had thought better of you.’
Gentle though she was, Louise was growing impatient. For the first time it occurred to her that her lover had a tendency to declaim as if he were acting in a third-rate play. She turned away and that slight movement sounded a warning.
Verreker pulled himself together quickly. At this stage in his affairs he could not afford to lose her. She was his last hope. Without her there would be no time or opportunity to restore his fortunes before the duns moved in. Tenderly he slipped an arm about her waist.
‘Forgive me, my dear one!’ he murmured. ‘You are my life, my only love. We have been so close these last few weeks. I have learned to look for you each day, to offer you my heart, and to bask in the warmth of your affection. Have we not been everything to each other? We have laughed and cried together, sharing our troubles like good friends. Is that not so?’
‘I won’t deny it, Matthew.’
‘Then listen to me, dearest. Rushmore is my enemy. I don’t know why, but he has other plans for you. For all we know he may intend to wed you himself.’ As Louise gasped he stopped her with a lifted hand. ‘Don’t discount it, I beg of you—’
‘But this is nonsense,’ she protested. ‘He was my father’s friend.’
‘So he claims, but what do you know of him? Did he come to see you as soon as he returned to England from the continent of Europe? Has he shown you any affection? No! It was not until you announce your intention to be wed that he arrived in Bath. I think you should beware of him. The Earl is not all he seems.’
‘I think you are misjudging him. I did so myself at first, but he has spoken so kindly of my father. All that concerns him now is that I shall be happy.’
She heard a snort of disbelief.
‘He has a curious way of showing it. Don’t you care that he has ruined all our plans?’
‘He has asked us to wait, that is all.’
‘That is all?’ Verreker’s face was ashen. ‘He has broken my heart. Tell me, are we to be allowed to meet during this waiting time?’
Louise was silent.
‘Just so!’ Verreker cried in triumph. ‘And letters are forbidden too?’
‘All he said was that we should not meet in secret. If you write to me I must show the letters to Miss Langrishe.’
‘Splendid! What pleasure she will derive from reading private correspondence! No, thank you! You had best make up your mind, Louise. We are to be parted for ever. Rushmore is a heartless brute!’
‘I don’t think so,’ Louise said quietly. ‘All he asks of me is to do as my father would have wished.’
Verreker cursed beneath his breath. Rushmore was a clever devil! He had seized upon the one argument which would sway this girl. He decided upon a final throw of the dice.
He took Louise’s hand in his. ‘He is right, of course,’ he told her with a winning smile. ‘And what would have been your father’s first consideration? That must have been your happiness, my dear. Will you send me away like this? I won’t believe that you have played me false. I believed your love to be as strong as mine. Did we not say that we were two halves of one whole?’
‘I haven’t played you false,’ she whispered. ‘But—’
‘But you lack the courage to trust me?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then listen to me carefully. Rushmore intends to part us, but there is a way to force his hand.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘We must elope, my love. Once we are wed he can do nothing. Even he cannot come between husband and wife.’
Louise snatched her hands away. She was deeply shocked. ‘You must be mad!’ she cried.
Verreker threw his arms about her. ‘Of course I’m mad…mad with love for you… Believe me, this is the only way if we are ever to make our dreams come true.’
‘I can’t do it…and I won’t!’ Her face was set.
Matthew Verreker knew when he was beaten, and now he too was shocked. Who would have suspected that this gentle girl had such a streak of stubbornness in her nature? Now disaster loomed before him. His creditors would not wait, and money he must have before the month was out.
The idea of abduction crossed his mind. One night alone with this stupid creature would still all objections to their marriage. She would be damaged goods, especially if he took care to let the circumstances be known to all her friends and acquaintance.
He was unaware that his expression had changed, but Louise glanced up at his face and was afraid.
‘I must go,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, Matthew, but I could never agree to such a plan. Will you not trust me to wait for you?’
‘You must do as you think best,’ he told her coldly. ‘I shall not contact you again. If you change your mind, a letter will find me.’ He looked at her bent head, and knew then that the letter would not come. He bowed and left her.
Pale with fury, he strode off into the town contemplating the ruin of all his hopes. His careful plans had come to naught, but she’d seemed such an easy target, and finding her alone in the park had been a heaven-sent opportunity. He’d seen at a glance that she was gentry. It had been so easy to offer her his sympathy, and later, when he had made enquiries as to her background, his love.
Fatherless and vulnerable, she’d fallen into his hands like a ripe plum until the arrival of the Earl of Rushmore. Slow-burning hatred for his enemy consumed him as he walked along. The Earl was a powerful man, but he would learn that he had met his match in Matthew Verreker. There were other ways of gaining possession of the funds he needed.
Abduction? It might be worth a try, but Louise no longer walked in the park alone. And Rushmore? Matthew did not underestimate his enemy. If he made Louise his wife, it was more than likely that she would soon become a widow. Rushmore had killed in battle. If he was given just cause, it was more than likely that he would kill again.
But there was another way. In the past he had always made contingency plans in case certain of his schemes fell through. This time he hadn’t thought it necessary, but an idea crossed his fertile mind and he began to chuckle.
The scheme was not his own. He had heard of it some years ago. It had been tried in this very place. True, it had not met with much success, but the intended victims had been an elderly couple. Now, in the case of a young girl…? As he considered all the possibilities he knew that it could not fail.
Unaware of the plans being made for her, Louise had sought the company of her friends. Amy was bursting to know the outcome of her interview with Matthew Verreker, but, cautioned by Perdita, she held her tongue until Louise should choose to speak of it.
‘I expect you want to know,’ Louise said at once. ‘I have explained to Matthew that we must wait.’
‘What did he say to that?’ Perdita asked. She suspected that she knew the answer to the question before her friend could reply.
‘He was disappointed,’ Louise told her in a low voice. ‘He thinks the Earl a monster…and…well… I’m afraid we quarrelled about it.’
‘He will come round,’ Amy assured her cheerfully. ‘When gentlemen are crossed they fly into the boughs, but they get over it and then forget what they have been quarrelling about.’
Louise gave her a sad little smile. ‘This was not quite the same as your differences with your cousins, Amy. Matthew says that he will not contact me again. If I change my mind, I am to write to him.’
‘Change your mind?’ About what? Perdita was seized with a feeling of dread. ‘Surely he does not expect you to go on meeting him in secret and hiding letters in the park?’
‘No, he doesn’t, but he is convinced that his lordship means to part us for ever.’
Amy took her hand. ‘Are you very unhappy about it?’ she asked. ‘Perhaps if we spoke to the Earl he might agree to you meeting Matthew in company.’
‘I said as much, but Matthew will not have it. It is not enough for him…’ She turned her head away and gazed through the window, fighting back her tears.
Perdita moved to sit beside her. ‘Is there something more?’ she asked. ‘I hate to see you so distressed. You say that Mr Verreker wishes you to change your mind? What has he suggested to you?’
Louise began to sob. ‘He…he wishes me to agree to an elopement,’ she gasped. ‘I can’t! I can’t!’
‘Of course you can’t!’ Perdita’s anger threatened to overwhelm her. ‘What kind of man is he even to suggest such a thing?’
‘He must be mad! Doesn’t he realise that the Earl would follow you? I believe that I shall offer to go with him, Louise. You will need a friend when he catches up with Mr Verreker.’ Amy’s eyes were gleaming with excitement.
‘Amy, if you can’t be sensible you may leave the room. Louise has no intention of eloping with Mr Verreker.’ Perdita turned to her friend. ‘How have you left things with him?’
‘It is as I told you. I must make the decision whether or not to see him again.’
‘Let him suffer for a while,’ Amy advised. ‘That is, if you truly wish to see him again.’
‘Do you, Louise?’ Perdita cast a searching glance at her friend’s face. ‘I think you cannot have suspected that he would stoop so low.’
‘I don’t know! I’m so confused. Matthew seemed different somehow. He’s always been so kind, but today I saw another side to his character.’
‘Well, now you have plenty of time to consider how you should go on.’ It was with a feeling of relief that Perdita heard a bustle in the hall which heralded the arrival of all three of her cousins, together with the Earl of Rushmore.
‘Girls, I beg you will not speak of this to his lordship,’ Louise begged anxiously. ‘It can only give him a poor opinion of Matthew.’
Amy and Perdita nodded. A horse-whipping would be the likely outcome and that would serve no purpose except to relieve the Earl’s feelings.
Rushmore was too circumspect to question Louise directly. Her dead father’s wishes would be uppermost in her mind, he knew. Now he felt he could trust her to follow his own advice.
Miss Langrishe beamed at him, and made no objection when he suggested that the young people might enjoy a stroll in the park. She had turned down his invitation that she join them.
‘Bless you, my dear boy, I can think of nothing more exhausting. Why do you think I live here in Laura Place, rather than in the Royal Crescent? I am all for convenience, you know, and here I need struggle only a few yards to the shops.’ She chuckled. ‘My feet do very well as long as I don’t punish them too much.’
‘Then you might prefer to drive in a barouche, ma’am?’
‘Not this morning, Adam, I thank you. I have much to do, and the Colonel intends to call upon me with tickets for a subscription ball. Now, off you go…the girls will enjoy the outing.’
Her charges needed no further encouragement. Both Amy and Louise knew that their return to the Academy could not be long delayed, and they intended to enjoy their freedom to the full.
They hurried ahead with Thomas and his brothers, leaving Perdita and the Earl to follow at a slower pace. Perdita gave her sister a suspicious look. It seemed almost as if Amy was at pains to throw her together with his lordship.
Then she dismissed the idea. Amy was merely giving her the opportunity to discuss Rushmore’s plans for Louise.
He did not leave her long in doubt.
‘Verreker has been to see Louise?’ he asked.
‘He came this morning, my lord.’
‘Oh, I wondered…’ He looked ahead to the party of young people strolling happily in the sunshine. ‘She does not seem to be overly distressed…I must hope that she made my wishes known to him.’
‘She did.’
‘And what was his reaction?’
Perdita considered her next words carefully. She had promised not to speak of Verreker’s plans for an elopement, but there could be no harm in mentioning his anger.
‘He was not best pleased,’ she admitted.
She heard a suppressed laugh. ‘Perdita, I shall regard those words as a masterpiece of understatement. Confess it now—he was furious?’
‘Well, yes, he was, but he could not sway Louise. You may not think it, but she was distressed. They had a serious quarrel, and he went off in a rage, saying that they must part unless she changed her mind.’
‘Really! This is good news indeed, except that you are keeping something back from me, I think. What was she to change her mind about?”
Perdita was silent.
‘Well?’
‘Sir, I cannot betray a confidence. Louise insisted that she must do as her father might have wished.’
‘I see. And it was enough to cause him to withdraw his suit? You surprise me! I had not thought that he would give her up so easily.’
Perdita felt that she was on dangerous ground. She tried to hurry ahead towards the others, but a large hand closed about her wrist and Rushmore drew her arm through his.
‘Don’t run away, my dear!’ he said. ‘I won’t ask you to break your word, but we are speaking of a dangerous man. He is at point non plus and he cannot afford to let Louise escape. As I see it, he has few choices open to him.’
Perdita averted her face. In seconds her shrewd companion would have the secret out of her, and that might lead to disaster.
Rushmore strolled on, apparently unaware of any tension.
‘Yes,’ he continued, ‘few choices. One, I fancy, might be to suggest an elopement.’
Perdita gasped and tried to withdraw her arm from his, but he would not release her.
‘Louise, I fancy, would not agree to that,’ he mused. He looked down at the lovely girl beside him, and then he smiled. ‘Don’t worry, my dear, I shall neither call him out nor horse-whip him. Perdita, has anyone ever told you that your face is the mirror of your thoughts?’
She coloured deeply and turned her head away.
‘No, I shall not make a martyr of this creature,’ he continued. ‘He is safe enough for the moment. Louise herself must see him for what he is, and she may not have long to wait.’
‘Sir, what can you mean?’
‘Verreker is facing ruin, I believe. I should not put it past him to have considered abduction—’
‘Oh, no!’ Perdita’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘He could not be so wicked.’
‘Needs must when the devil drives…’ Rushmore considered for some moments. ‘I have no wish to frighten her, but she must not be left alone.’
‘But if you set a guard on her she will think that you don’t trust her.’
‘She won’t suspect my guard.’ Rushmore chuckled.
‘But who?’
‘I was thinking of your sister, Amy. Shall we take her into our confidence?’
Perdita sighed with relief. ‘Sir, you could have thought of nothing better. Amy will guard Louise and consider it an adventure. Why, she was planning to attend the duel if you had challenged Verreker.’
‘She has much to learn,’ he said softly. ‘Verreker is not a gentleman. I could not have challenged him.’
There was something in his tone which caused Perdita to look up at him. She was startled. This was not the laughing, teasing man she knew. There was murder in his eyes. She shrank away from him.
Rushmore sensed it at once and when he spoke again it was in a rallying tone. ‘Your sister is a jewel.’ He laughed. ‘She was prepared to rise at dawn to attend us on some blasted heath or other? Where was she to hide?’
‘Behind a tree, I think. Her greatest worry was that you would delope, or miss each other in the fray.’
‘Good heavens! I see that I am unlikely to be lucky in my ally. Remind me not to offer her a pistol. We shall have bodies everywhere.’
‘Pray be serious, sir.’ Perdita returned to the matter in hand. ‘Matthew Verreker would be foolish in the extreme to attempt to abduct Louise. He must surely know that you would follow him?’
‘He won’t have forgotten that possibility. He may hope to ruin Louise before we catch him.’
Perdita blushed, but she did not pretend to misunderstand him.
‘Of course, it will avail him nothing.’
Again, she saw the bleak look in his eyes.
‘It won’t happen,’ she assured him earnestly. ‘Let us speak to Amy and to Aunt Trixie. Louise must not be left alone. Shall we tell Thomas and the boys?’
The suggestion brought a reluctant smile from Rushmore. ‘I think not. If Thomas were to learn the facts, Amy might get her duel after all. It could serve no purpose, except to cause a scandal in which Louise might be named, and rouse sympathy for Verreker if he should be wounded.’
‘I’d shoot him myself!’ Perdita said fiercely.
‘Yes, my love, I know you would, but there are other ways to bring him down. I have set matters in train…enquiries are being made here and in London. The man must have a past. This cannot be his first attempt to secure an easy living for himself.’
If Perdita was startled by the endearment she gave no sign of it. She walked along sedately with her companion.
‘And how do you find Bath?’ he asked with an easy grin. ‘Not quite as boring as you had at first imagined?’
‘Not in the least,’ Perdita shuddered. ‘This will teach me not to yearn for excitement. I have had enough to last a lifetime.’
‘Oh, I hope not, my dear.’ Rushmore twined her fingers in his own. ‘You have your life ahead of you. I hope…I mean, I am certain that you will find it interesting and fulfilling.’
Perdita allowed her hand to rest in his. ‘It’s difficult, isn’t it?’ she said frankly. ‘I mean, one does not know what lies ahead.’
‘But that is the beauty of it. Imagine if some seer told you! Would you wish to know? There would be no surprises.’
‘Most of my surprises have turned out to be unpleasant recently,’ she told him with a rueful smile.
‘Ah, yes, but you must not give up hope! All this will change—’ Rushmore caught himself in time. He must not speak of love just yet, or even attempt to attach Perdita to him. Let her grow to know him as a trusted friend. That must be enough for now.