A Sisterly Regard Page 12

  "I hope so," said Phaedra, doubtfully.

  * * * *

  She became very tired, that afternoon, of telling gentlemen of her sister's ill health. Prevarication did not set well with her, and she was distressed to have to elaborate upon Chloe's symptoms. Lord Everingham was particularly distressed. He bemoaned the fact he would not see her for at least a fortnight and confided to Phaedra that he did not know if he could survive the deprivation.

  Lord Wilderlake was among the callers that afternoon. He expressed dismay at Chloe's illness, and requested that Phaedra relay his greetings and concern. Phaedra imagined he showed more than a friendly interest. She wished Chloe had met him before Lord Everingham, for he seemed far more responsible and mature.

  Mr. Farwell arrived shortly after Wilderlake. Today he wore a purple satin waistcoat richly embroidered with flowers and small birds, a golden-tan coat with exaggerated shoulder pads and wide, pointed lapels. His inexpressibles were the palest lavender, and molded to his legs almost indecently. She caught herself admiring the long, well-defined muscles under the knit fabric and quickly looked away as her face grew hot. He expressed sorrow at Chloe's becoming ill in the middle of the Season. She thought she saw the hint of a smile in his eyes, and suspected he was aware of the deception.

  She had little chance to speak to anyone for more than a few moments that afternoon, so full was the parlor with Chloe's admirers. When they had finally all departed, with promises to send books or flowers to cheer up the invalid, she dropped into a chair.

  "I am exhausted. Do you realize I have managed to be charming for quite three hours. It was a chore, let me tell you. Oh, how I wish I could remain at home this evening, rather than attend Mrs. Stanfield's musicale."

  "I know, my dear. But your mother expressly wishes you to be seen in public for the next while, so everyone will believe your sister is truly ill."

  "If you could only know how I wish she was. No, I do not mean that. It is just that I hate having to lie."

  Cousin Louisa patted her hand in sympathy. "It is in a good cause. No one is being harmed by it."

  "You are right," Phaedra said. "But if I have to be on my best behavior all evening, I shall probably scream the moment we arrive home."

  " I pray you will wait until then, my dear. There are those who will be watching you very closely tonight, to see if you are behaving correctly. You are, unfortunately, going to suffer somewhat for your sister's sins."

  * * * *

  Phaedra managed to behave the perfect lady that evening, but only by a tremendous effort of will. Many times she had to bite her tongue when someone made a disparaging remark about her sister. Several ladies cut her dead.

  Even Mrs. Graham made a point of commenting on Chloe's absence. "My dear Miss Hazelbourne, I do hope your sister's, ah, excessive high spirits last evening were not a cause of her unexpected illness," the languid lady remarked.

  "What do you mean?" Phaedra asked, doing her best not to bristle. I do not like this woman. I believe she thrives on others' misfortunes.

  "I just wondered if perhaps she was being kept in her bed to recover from the strenuous exercise she had at the ball. Why, I distinctly saw her dance the waltz."

  "Yes, Mrs. Graham, she did. I also danced the waltz, but am not exhausted."

  "I did not see her waltz at Almack's last Wednesday, so I thought that perhaps she had some physical impairment that prevented it," the lady purred.

  Phaedra opened her mouth, but her angry response was halted by Cousin Louisa.

  "Why Mrs. Graham, I do believe I saw your daughter looking for you in the refreshment room. If you will excuse us, I wish to introduce Miss Phaedra to an old friend of mine."

  She pulled Phaedra away with an iron grip upon her wrist. "You must not let her cause you to say something indiscreet, my dear. She would repeat it all over Town. Come, I wish you to meet Colonel Peterson, who was a friend of my father's." She led the girl across the room to where an elderly gentleman with bushy white hair sat scowling upon the company.

  To her surprise, the scowling face of Colonel Peterson hid a jolly spirit. She took him in immediate liking and they sat talking until the music began again. After the last pianist had performed, she sought out her hostess and took her leave, pleading sleepiness.

  "I quite understand, Miss Hazelbourne," Mrs. Stanfield told her, shaking her hand. "I hear that the Duchess' ball did not end until three this morning, so you must be at the point of exhaustion. Please give my regards to your mother and tell your sister I hope she will recover quickly. Mrs. Arbuckle, so glad you could join us."

  In the carriage, Phaedra and Cousin Louisa both breathed sighs of relief. "Well, we made it through one evening without catastrophe," the older woman said. "Only thirteen more to go."

  Phaedra chuckled, albeit a bit wryly. "So we did. I thank you for preventing me from insulting Mrs. Graham. I vow, I wanted to slap her silly face. Why could she not just say right out that she had heard my sister had misbehaved?"

  "That is not the way of the ton, my dear. All must be polite and gently spoken. A frontal attack would be unmannerly. You will no doubt be faced with much worse than Mrs. Graham before the fortnight is out. I overheard Lady Detweiler telling someone that Lady Everingham had called Chloe fast."

  "How dare she!"

  "Lady Everingham dares anything. And she has taken your sister in intense dislike, it seems."

  "And I her. The old bat!"

  "My dear, you will be hard pushed to keep your temper in the next two weeks. The Duchess has heard that Lady Everingham has vowed to her bosom bows that she will destroy Chloe's reputation. Your mother was vastly overset and threatened to return to the country tomorrow. It was only by convincing her that to do so would be to give up all hopes of either of you making good marriages that the Duchess was able to calm her."

  "Poor Mama. So that is why she had the headache and did not come to dinner."

  "Yes, and your father is out of sorts because she is. But that may be all to the good, for I think that if he sees how Chloe's behavior truly distresses your mother, he will be less forgiving with her."

  "I hope so. She needs to learn a lesson." She bit her lip. "It is just so unfair! How can people be so unkind, when all my sister did was go against a few unwritten rules."

  "Unfair it may be, but those unwritten rules have their uses. Society's strictures on behavior are intended to ensure that no nobleman marries someone unsuitable to be his wife and that there is no question about the paternity of his heirs. Once an heir is produced, many gentlemen actually encourage their wives to take lovers, you know."

  "But those cannot be love matches!"

  "Of course they are not. You, I am sure, will never find yourself in such a situation, because I think that when you marry, it will be for love. But do you really expect your sister to require love in addition to a title and a fortune? She seems almost desperate to marry soon."

  "She is, for she found the delay in her come out difficult. She perceives that only married women have any sort of freedom of behavior." Phaedra could not refrain from giving vent to a heartfelt sigh. "I would prefer to believe otherwise, or at least hope so. Poor Chloe. To have her life ruined because she is impatient with convention and eager for all life has to offer. How can anyone really believe she has done anything immoral?"

  "By the time Lady Everingham is finished spreading her lies and innuendos, some will have no doubt she is both fast and loose, I am afraid. There are always those who are ready to believe the worst of anyone. Even those who do not entirely believe the rumors will wonder if there was not, perhaps, some basis for them. Unfortunately, the gentlemen who will avoid Chloe are not the ones with whom we should be concerned," Cousin Louisa continued. "It is those who will be drawn to her by the hint of scandal who worry me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "There are gentlemen who would take advantage of a young girl, who would use her badly and then cast her aside. They do not seek wives, but conquests. C
hloe will almost certainly become the target of some of these. She may already have come to their attention, in fact. She informed me today that she had engaged to drive with Mr. Dervigne on Monday, and asked me to send him her regrets."

  "But Mama forbade her."

  "Your mother forbade her to ride with him unchaperoned. I believe Chloe had convinced him to take her up in his landau, for the weather promises to be fair. Betty was to accompany her."

  "I'll wager Mama knew nothing of this."

  "Perhaps. Chloe may have intentionally misled both your mother and Mr. Dervigne. However, all is moot, for she will not be riding with him."

  Phaedra screwed up her face, as she would when biting into something unpleasant. "I do not like Mr. Dervigne. His manner is not pleasing--one could almost say oily."

  "Neither do I care for him. I suspect, though with little basis for my suspicions, that Mr. Dervigne's intentions toward your sister are less than honorable. I have heard whispers about his misconduct with a young woman last Season. Unfortunately, the blame for the situation was laid entirely at her door, so that she was forced to retire to the country, her reputation in tatters."

  "How terrible! We must not let that happen. How can we protect Chloe?"

  "Your mother and I are prepared to select very carefully all who approach her once she is allowed to go about again. She will be forbidden to go anywhere with Mr. Dervigne, in particular, even chaperoned. Unfortunately, it will take Chloe's cooperation."

  "I wish we had never come to London."

  The carriage pulled up in front of their house just then. Once inside and divested of their cloaks, Phaedra sagged.

  Cousin Louisa must have noticed, for she gave Phaedra a gentle nudge toward the stairs. "Do not let yourself lose sleep worrying. We will come through this, I am sure. Good night, my dear."

  "Good night, Cousin Louisa. Oh, how good my bed will feel tonight. I will sleep soundly, I am sure, for I am so tired." She mounted the stairs slowly, stopping at the top of the first flight to lean over the banister. "What will we do if Chloe will not heed us?"

  "Let your mother and father worry about that. You are not Chloe's keeper, you know. Go to bed."

  "No, but sometimes I think I am her conscience," Phaedra whispered to herself as she entered her bedroom. "And I wish I were not."

  Chapter Nine

  Chloe, locked in her bedchamber and deprived of her sister's company, spent the first two days of her incarceration alternately weeping and pacing the floor in rage. She had broken all the vases in the room the first day, throwing them one by one against the door that kept her confined.

  Mama, seeing the shards, merely said, "How unfortunate. Now you have nothing to hold your admirers' bouquets," in a bored voice and commanded Betty to bring a broom. She had not required the maid to clean up the mess, however, nor had she caused the vases to be replaced. Chloe therefore received none of the many bouquets which were sent to her. Mama described them in great detail, thus providing her with another source of anger and resentment.

  Papa attempted on several occasions to jolly her with teasing, promises of many parties to come, and affectionate pats and hugs. Believing her father an unwilling accomplice in her imprisonment, she was somewhat more responsive to him. She could not entirely forgive him, though. If he truly loved her, he would order Mama to release her from imprisonment.

  After two days of simmering resentment, Chloe's mood had calmed enough so she could accept that her mother truly did believe she was acting in her best interests. But Mama does not understand. She has forgotten, if ever she knew, how miserable it is to be an unmarried girl and have to watch one's every move. She thought of several ways to convince her parents to release her, but discarded each after admitting that Mama would not be fooled for an instant.

  By the fourth day, Chloe was desperate. Time was slipping away. Time she could have been using to fix some gentleman's interest. Time that postponed the day when she would have the freedom of being a married woman.

  She had not yet received an offer, a fact that worried her only a little. She was confident either Mr. Martin or Lord Everingham could be brought up to scratch whenever she desired. Perhaps even Lord Wilderlake, of lesser rank than Jeremy, but so much more handsome. He had shown interest at her ball. As she fretted about the time she was losing, Chloe finally had an idea.

  * * * *

  Phaedra daily did her best to ignore the snubs she encountered wherever she went. When asked about her sister's health, she painted a doleful picture of Chloe's illness. Having suffered the influenza the previous winter but one, she was able to describe such symptoms as Chloe was supposed to be undergoing. Lord Everingham offered to send his mother's personal physician. Lord Wilderlake sent books and music to cheer her up and always inquired closely about the progress of her illness.

  Mr. Farwell also frequently inquired about Chloe. His inquiries were more a matter of form than sincerity, she decided, not liking the hint of mockery she fancied she heard in his tone.

  Chloe's incarceration had been in force for five days when the Hazelbournes again attended Almack's, for their vouchers had not been rescinded as Lady Gifford had feared. Phaedra faced the evening with reluctance, fearing that Lady Everingham would be present. She and her chaperones wore their most ravishing gowns, as if armored for battle.

  Lady Mary and Mr. Farwell were sitting with the Duchess when they entered the hallowed halls. Mr. Farwell promptly rose and bowed, saying, "Ah, Miss Phaedra. I have been awaiting you. I wished to petition you for the first waltz." He took her dance card from her hand. "And a quadrille."

  "And I for the second," came a voice from behind her. Lord Wilderlake stood there.

  She smiled. "How nice you both are. I had not thought to waltz this evening, but..."

  "But nothing, Miss Phaedra. I have been looking forward to this evening since your ball," Wilderlake told her. "May I also request the first country dance?"

  "Of course." She smiled and handed him her dance card.

  Colonel Peterson joined them just then. "Came to see if you wished to give me a dance or two, young lady. Enjoyed your conversation the other night. Wanted to continue it," he said with a scowl.

  "Why yes, Colonel. I would enjoy it."

  Several other gentlemen came up just then. Before she knew it, her card was full and she had to refuse Lord Everingham a second set. She could not believe that she had become so popular and told herself it was because Chloe was not present. Had she been, the gentlemen would have all preferred her company. To her surprise, none of them asked about Chloe except Lord Wilderlake and Lord Everingham.

  Mr. Farwell claimed her for the first waltz. "You seem to be enjoying yourself," he said, as he spun her into the dance. "Could it be that you can relax, now that you do not need to wonder what outrageous act your sister will commit next?"

  "Of course not. I am enjoying myself because I have had every dance claimed and everyone is so kind. This past week..."

  "This past week has been hellish for you hasn't it Phaedra?" he asked when she said nothing more.

  "How silly you are, Mr. Farwell" she replied, airily. "It has been rather enjoyable. Of course, I have been worrying about my sister, but Mama has said that I must not let her illness inhibit my social life."

  "False coin, my dear. You have been snubbed and forced to turn a deaf ear to hints of scandal. I'll wager that your sister is no more ill than I am."

  She was silent through several more turns. When she looked up into his face, she saw none of the usual ennui, no scorn. Only sympathy. "It has been horrible" she admitted. "How did you know?"

  "I have eyes and ears. And I saw your sister's actions at the ball. But come, let us not dwell on it. You have many friends who will stand by you. Forget your sister and enjoy this evening for yourself. Be happy."

  "I would like that." She attempted to relax and enjoy the dance.

  Later Phaedra danced with Mr. Martin and with Lord Everingham, who several times when the patt
ern brought them together cleared his throat as if he was about to speak. Afterward he escorted her back to her mama's side. As he bowed over her hand, he said, "Miss Phaedra, I wonder if--" The rest of his words were lost as Lord Wainwright joined them.

  That young man was inclined to be heavy-footed, especially upon his partner's toes. When the set ended, Phaedra wanted nothing more than to sit a while and rest. Instead she waltzed with Lord Wilderlake next, finding him light on his feet but somehow less exciting to dance with than Mr. Farwell.

  As they circled, he informed her that he would be away from Town for a few days. " Please tell your sister t I hope she will be recovered by the time I return to Town. I will call on her then."

  "I shall. I, too, hope she will recover soon, but Mama thinks it will be at least another week before she is able to have company."

  To her great relief, the next set was promised to Colonel Peterson, who asked her if she would mind sitting it out so they could converse. The Colonel offered to fetch her some punch to drink while they chatted and she gratefully accepted his offer. While she awaited his return, she noticed Lord Everingham approaching her. His determined expression brought a certain character to his sheeplike countenance.

  Oh, no, I cannot listen to more of his concern for Chloe. But the young lord's path was blocked by Mr. Farwell, who grasped his arm and held him while he spoke. Judging by Everingham's glare, he did not care for what he was hearing. When he pulled away and attempted to move in her direction once again, Phaedra realized that Mr. Farwell was forcibly restraining the earl from approaching.

  She watched with some curiosity as Mr. Farwell forced Everingham into a chair and stood over him speaking with some emphasis. The Colonel returned just then, and Phaedra was constrained to give him her full attention, little as she wished to.

  Reggie knew Phaedra was watching his encounter with Everingham. A good thing she was seated far enough away that she would not hear them. He leaned close to the earl, keeping his voice low. "You young fool. You have already caused enough trouble for that family. You danced with Miss Phaedra once, and that is enough. I will not have her the object of your mother's vicious rumor mongering!"