~ Thirteen ~
CHARLES AND FITZ WERE PLAYING cards when the study door opened and Lady Marling called out jovially, “I present to you Miss Lettia Rochdale!”
Stupefied, both men stared.
Shyly, Letty stood for a long moment in a gown of pale green silk covered throughout with a darker shade of green embroidery. Its bodice was low, as was the style of the day, and her full breasts were neatly displayed above its heart-shape cut. Her hair had been arranged in a profusion of curls threaded with matching ribbon, and framed her piquant lovely face.
She twirled for a moment, and it was Fitz who found his voice first. “My dear Letty, you are ravishing!”
“By Jove, Letty…” Charles turned to his aunt. “Your taste in fashion is, as always, impeccable, Aunt Fanny.”
Letty was flushed with pleasure. Never had she worn such beautiful clothes. Never had anyone paid her the least heed, and now she seemed surrounded by affection. “Oh, do you like the way I look, really…or are you just being kind?”
“Nonsensical woman.” Charles snorted. “You are stunning!”
“Indeed,” Aunt Fanny said merrily. “Regardez! She will break hearts.”
“I have a very real desire to be here when Bel first sees Letty thusly,” Charles said softly.
“Do you?” inquired Fitz, puzzled.
Letty felt her cheeks burn, but said nothing to this because Fitz suddenly exclaimed, “Almost forgot…” He dove into his dark grey superfine and produced a black velvet case, which he gently placed into Letty’s hands. “Happy birthday, ole girl.”
Letty exclaimed with delight, and trembling, opened the first gift she had received in more than ten years. She felt a tear spill over as she touched a very fine pair of amethyst and pearl earrings within. Fingering them, she was unable to lift her face, so she cooed, as words failed her. Finally, her voice breaking, she thanked Fitz, and threw her arms around him to kiss his cheek.
Fitz appeared much moved by this and stepped back, mumbling something incoherent. Charles stepped forward at this moment and presented her with yet another black velvet box, repeating birthday wishes.
She opened the box and found a necklace made of the same amethyst and pearls, and she couldn’t hold back the sob of happiness as she told them in broken accents, “Charles…this is exquisite. You are both so dear to me, and I don’t know how to thank you.” She placed her hand on his arm, and tippy-toed, kissed his cheek.
“Nonsense, just geegaws, the verist trifles,” Charles said.
Genuinely overcome, Letty sobbed once more and ran from the room.
Fitz and Charles both stood rigid with shock at her sudden departure, and turned to Fanny for reassurance. “I say, Aunt Fanny, there was no impropriety in that, was there?” Charles asked.
She laughed. “La, nephew, of course not. You both did very well. Letty is merely overcome with happiness.”
“Is she?” Fitz asked. “Women are strange creatures, wonderful, you know, but very difficult to understand. I have never before seen a female blubbering because she was happy. Odd that. I mean, look at this. What would she do if she were sad? Cry, of course, so tell me, how is a fellow to know what to do, which is which, let alone what to do?”
Charles shook his head while Fanny merely laughed and waved it off. It was at this moment that Belfort was shown into the study.
He made his way to Fanny and planted a familiar kiss upon her expectant cheek and squeezed her hand. “How is the only woman in my life?”
“Darling Bel, you have a nice way with words.” She eyed him. “And you are as dashing as ever.”
The viscount went forward, and as he looked at Fitz and Charles, he immediately sensed something was towards. “Hullo, where is Letty?”
“First, tell us how went your meeting with Liz?” Charles demanded.
“Charles, as you thought, Liz seems quite willing to pick up where we left off—no hard feelings. That is something I don’t think will be necessary. Liz is no fool, and does not genuinely believe we three are here for pleasure. What is more important, however, is that Bourriene visited her while I was there.”
“Upon my word,” Fitz said. “Damn sticky business. Bourriene may look like a simpleton, but I have heard he is both cunning and ambitious.”
“Aye, that he is, and he did not look at me with favor. I suspect he views me as a rival for Liz’s attentions,” Bel answered.
“Indeed,” Lady Marling stuck in. “He follows her about at every turn, and would certainly see you as a rival for her attentions. Be careful, Bel.”
“Agreed, but as Fitz says, this fellow is cunning, and it was more than jealousy coming from him that I sensed. The fact is, he wouldn’t have been as wary as he seemed if Bonaparte wasn’t up to something.”
“I find your reasoning plausible,” Charles said thoughtfully. “We will have to be circumspect in our dealings while here.” He turned to his aunt. “Dearest Fanny, if you could put it about that we three are here for a bit of revelry, and don’t even mean to stay very long.”
“Of course, nephew, with great pleasure,” she answered.
“Now, where is my little madcap?” Bel asked, frowning.
“Crying,” Fitz said with a sigh.
“Crying?” Bel exclaimed, rounding on him. “What have you done?”
“No, no, Bel,” Fanny put in. “Not unhappy tears. She was overcome with…very real happiness.”
“We gave her a few trifles for her birthday, and it seemed to overset her,” Charles added.
“A few trifles! Her birthday?” Bel raised his voice and stood rigid. “So that is where you two went off to yesterday afternoon! Why didn’t you mention it to me? Didn’t you think I might like to purchase a gift for Letty? Or did you think me too mean-fisted?” Bel looked most incensed.
Intrigued by this, Fanny sat back and watched, an amused smile curving her lips, as her nephew protested, “What is all this heat about?”
“Here I am, Letty’s oldest, and might I add, dearest friend, empty-handed, while you two lord it up with presents! You have made me appear at disadvantage. That is what all the heat is about!” Bel shouted.
“Mad as Ajax!” Fitz commented to Fanny, who merely smiled.
“Quite your own fault,” Charles shouted back. “Since you say you are her oldest and dearest friend, which, in fact, you are, you should have thought of it. We left while Darcy was still with you, and couldn’t have said anything at the time.”
Bel stood glowering at them for a long moment before he turned on his heel, and with only a polite nod to Fanny, left the room.
Fitz leaned into her ladyship and said, “Hasn’t been quite himself as of late.”
Charles’ grey eyes narrowed, then met his aunt’s gaze before he softly said, “That little piece of drama was very interesting.”
“Just what I was thinking, just what I was thinking,” Lady Marling answered.
“What’s this?” Fitz demanded, suddenly aware that something over his understanding was being insinuated.
Charles ignored this and said, “Come on, Fitz, let us return to that gaming hell we visited last night and see if sober, we can recoup some of our losses.”
* * * * *
A quick luncheon, then Aunt Fanny had Letty neatly tucked in beside her in her coach. “We must return to gather those gowns Miss LaRue said she would have ready for you, and then we must stop at the milliners. I haven’t had such fun in an age.”
“Nor I, Aunt Fanny, ever,” Letty said on a sweet sigh.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and Lady Marling looked out her window, calling to her driver as to the cause.
“Sorry, m’lady.” Her driver had been with Lady Marling quite a number of years and had no complaints, though he had told her more than once he didn’t hold with French drivers and French traffic. “It is some flash cove doing his level best to break his neck…all the world is on the avenue trying to get a look.”
On the other side of the coach, Letty immediately stuck her head out of the window. She saw there a well-dressed man standing upon his head on the ledge of a brick wall. He was surrounded by a group of laughing gentlemen who appeared to be his cronies. Spectators were also crowding in to have a look.
All at once, he jumped to his feet, and Letty heard Aunt Fanny exclaim, “Good gracious, it’s that rogue, MacKinnon!” She eyed Letty, and with a twinge of annoyance said, “Letty love, do get your head back in the coach this instant!”
Before she did this, she noted that the ‘rogue’, as Aunt Fanny had called him, was walking towards their coach.
“Confound him!” Fanny almost spat. “Here he comes. I thought he was on his way back to London already. Letty love, I do not want you to notice this fellow.”
He was upon them, and Fanny said, “Dan, you odious scoundrel, how dare you hold up traffic in this hideous fashion? It would serve you right if you did break that neck of yours with such antics!”
Letty stared at the fellow, noting with interest that he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.
Colonel ‘Dan’ MacKinnon was known amongst the haute ton as a ‘swell’, a high-spirited, athletic, good-looking, ever-jesting, black-eyed devil! He was notorious for his elaborate practical jokes and his acrobatic feats. Bets were made on his agility, and those wise enough to bet on the chances of his accomplishing the stunt usually found themselves in the money.
Letty and MacKinnon stared into one another’s eyes, and Letty felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She noticed Fanny look from the gentlemen to her and frown darkly.
Fanny had taken Letty under her wings, and although she had always enjoyed this particular rogue, she felt a sudden need to protect her charge from him. He was a heartbreaker. That was the long and the short of it!
MacKinnon smiled scampishly as he tipped his hat and said, “Dearest Fanny. You cannot mean it. Think of all the tears the faithful would shed were I to break my neck.” He then opened the carriage door.
“Mack…what in blazes are you doing?” Fanny demanded in outraged accents.
“Really, my dear-heart, such language, and in front of such an angelic body,” Mack said, taking the seat facing the ladies. “What am I doing? Why—going with you, of course, wherever you are bound.”
“No, you cannot come with us. We have serious shopping to attend to,” her ladyship said in her sternest voice.
“Oh, I see, very well, I shall not intrude upon you and…” He looked directly at Letty.
Her ladyship sighed and made the introductions. Mack inclined his head and said, “Charmed, Miss Rochdale, more than I can express.”
Letty felt his eyes undress her, and her cheeks continued to burn as she mumbled something in return.
“Where shall I have my driver drop you?” Fanny demanded, and adding under her breath that she wished she could drop him in the Seine.
Of course, he heard this and laughed robustly, which Letty found charming. “Fanny love, you have never bared your teeth at me before!”
“I have never had reason…before,” she said, making her point.
The colonel smirked and made a show of sighing. “Very well then, at Claridge’s. I’m off to see poor Cripplegate.”
“My God, is he still in Paris as well?” Fanny was surprised. “You know, he shouldn’t be in your set. A rogue and a scamp you certainly are, but he is a lecherous profligate who lacks your manners and style.”
“Why, Fanny love…thank you,” he said, and smiled warmly at her. “However, he is pining just now. Can’t seem to get over Mary Ann Clarke dropping him for the Duke of York.”
A few moments later, Letty saw the relief on Fanny’s face when they dropped him off at the famous hotel, although he took her hand and said softly, “Don’t look daggers at me, my dear. You wish a boon from me, and I understand what that is. Because of you…” he looked at Letty, “I will have to forego what comes natural to me. You have always stood a friend to me, and I am not such a scoundrel that I would forget that.” He caught her warm smile and said, “Ah, now that’s better, my dear Fanny.”
He turned and gave Letty a slight bow. “Miss Rochdale, it has been a pleasure to meet you, though I must say adieu for now. I daresay we shall meet again, though, by then, you no doubt will be a bride and safe from my clutches once more.” He laughed, and was off as suddenly as he had appeared.
Letty eyed Lady Marling and said, “Do you know, ma’am, I am quite certain that fellow is not at all respectable.”
Lady Marling laughed and put a finger to Letty’s nose. “Your instincts are quite good, my dear. No, in spite of his noble birth and wealth, our merry colonel is not a respectable fellow…in affairs of the heart.”
Letty smiled. “He is fun, though, isn’t he?”
“Hmm, I suppose he is. Quite a charmer,” Lady Marling answered indulgently.
“Does he often stand on his head?”
“Just recently, when he was challenged to perform one of his acrobatic feats, he accepted, even though he was required to do so with his head in the punch bowl.”
Letty laughed. “Is that really true?”
“Oh yes, my dear. I should know, for I was there,” Fanny said with a wicked laugh.
“Aunt Fanny!” Letty said with a giggle, then sighed. “He is ever so handsome. I imagine many women throw themselves at him.”
“Hmm. He does have a reputation. Just recently, some poor, distracted Parisian maiden actually believed his flirtation was serious. I shall not mention her name. He behaved brutishly to her, for when she realized it was over, she sent him a letter requesting him to return her lock of hair. His response was to send his orderly with a large packet containing an assortment of locks—blonde, red, black…and a message asking her to pick out her own property.”
Letty gasped and then laughed. “Yes, quite brutal, but if you think about it a moment, a bit whimsical, too, considering the absurdity of the situation.”
Lady Marling regarded her charge with great interest. “You are a wise little puss, aren’t you?”
Letty looked down at her gloved fingers and said nothing.
“Well, yes, I am pleased you recognized the colonel for what he is, a charming rake, and therefore, you will stay clear of his roaming eyes.”
“Oh, I have no interest in any man save one.” The words were out before Letty was able to stop them.
“Indeed,” Lady Marling returned with a soft smile, but asked no questions.