The Dangerous Lord Darrington(9)

Looking up, she met his amused glance and her face flamed. She hoped he could not read her thoughts!

A glance at Miles showed that he was not too happy with the  conversation and she said quickly, 'Grandmama, you are very wicked to  tease us so. We must not forget that when Dr Compton calls tomorrow he  may declare Mr Davies well enough to return to Highridge and we will be  obliged to say goodbye to our guests.'

'And very sorry I shall be to see them go,' declared Lady Arabella.  'The Priory has been far too quiet since Simon died. We have become  positively reclusive.'

'You know I would willingly move in, my lady,' offered Miles, 'if it would comfort you to have a man in residence.'

Lady Arabella stared at him for a long moment, her face quite  impassive. She said at last, 'Thank you, Mr Radworth, but no one can  replace my grandson.'

The silence hung uneasily about the room. Beth rose in a whisper of silk.

'Shall we go in to dinner?'



Beth did not enjoy her meal. Lady Arabella presided over the table with  her usual grace, but although the two gentlemen were perfectly polite  to each other, Beth was uncomfortably aware of a tension in the air.  Even Sophie cast uneasy glances at them. When she considered the matter  dispassionately she did not think that any blame could attach to Lord  Darrington, who was seated next to Lady Arabella and responded to her  questions and remarks with perfect ease and good humour. Miles, however,  was above being pleased. He found fault with every dish and, although  Lady Arabella did not appear to notice his ill humour, his barbed  remarks made even Sophie lapse into uncharacteristic silence. He was  also drinking heavily, calling for his glass to be refilled with such  regularity that Kepwith was obliged to fetch up another bottle.

The covers had been removed and the dishes of sweetmeats placed upon  the table when matters came to a head. Miles was reaching for a dish of  sugared almonds when his cuff caught the edge of his wineglass and sent  the contents spilling across the table. The earl quickly threw his  napkin on the pool of wine as Miles jumped up, cursing under his breath.                       
       
           



       

'No harm done,' said Beth, placing her cloth over the earl's. 'We have  contained it. Sophie, if you give me your napkin, too, I think that will  do the trick.'

'I beg your pardon, that was dashed clumsy of me,' muttered Miles,  standing back and watching proceedings. 'That last bottle was bad.'

'Very possibly,' said Beth in a tight voice.

A footman brought in more cloths to finish wiping the table.

'There, all is well again,' remarked Lady Arabella. 'Pray sit down again, Mr Radworth.'

'Aye, I will, but first I am going down to the cellars to find a decent  bottle!' He grabbed the butler's arm. 'Give me the key.'

'Sir!' The butler's exclamation was a mixture of outrage and alarm.

Sophie gasped. Beth put a hand on her shoulder, aware that the earl was watching them.

'There is no need for that, Miles.' She kept her voice calm. 'Kepwith shall bring another bottle if you wish for one.'

'Aye, I do wish it, but I'll have none of his choosing. It's my belief  he is fobbing you off with poor stuff and keeping the best for himself.'

'Nonsense,' said Beth sharply. 'I do not keep disloyal staff. Neither  do I allow my guests to venture into the servants' domain.'

Her hauteur had its effect. Miles glared at her, but she held his gaze  steadily and at last he resumed his seat, saying with a little laugh,  'You are quite right, m'dear. Plenty of time to discuss how the  household is run once we are married, eh? Very well, Kepwith, you may go  and find another bottle of claret, and be quick about it!'



Lady Arabella led the ladies away to the drawing room soon after, and  Beth was not surprised that the gentlemen did not tarry over their port.  Miles seemed to realise that he had gone too far and tried to approach  Beth and apologise, but she would have none of it, turning a shoulder to  him, only relenting when he announced he was leaving shortly after they  had drunk tea together and humbly begged her to accompany him to the  door.

'My dear, I can only apologise for my outburst,' he said, unclipping his watch and putting it safely in his waistcoat pocket.

She shrugged. 'The effects of inferior wine, I collect.'

'Not only that, Elizabeth. I fear I was jealous of seeing Darrington so at ease here.'

She blinked. 'You are jealous of the earl? You have no need, I assure you. I have no interest in him at all!'

'Ah, but what if he is interested in you?' said Miles. 'I observed how often he watched you this evening.'

'No, I am sure you are mistaken,' she cried, her colour heightened.

'I think not. I fear he may wish to fix his interest with you.'

She raised her brows. 'How can he, when I am already betrothed to you?'

'Betrothed, yes, but how I wish we were wed!' He pulled Beth into his  arms. 'I would have married you the moment you came out of mourning-'

'I know, but we must give Grandmama time to grow accustomed. You have  been very forbearing,' she said softly. 'Pray, Miles, be patient for a  little longer.'

'Why must we wait?' His arms tightened. 'You are no innocent  schoolgirl, Beth-can you not tell how much I long for you? You need have  no worry that I am making you false promises to get you into my bed.  The contract is signed, 'tis only the priest's blessing we are lacking-'

'Good heavens, Miles, would you have the shades of this old place rise  up against us?' she asked him jokingly. She placed her hands against his  chest and held him off when he would have kissed her. 'But, to be  serious, Miles, the church vows are very important to me. I would have  nothing spoil our wedding.'

She gazed at him steadily and was relieved when the hot, ardent look died from his eyes and he smiled at her.

'Very well, my love, you know I can deny you nothing.'

He pressed a last kiss upon her fingers and took his leave. Thoughtfully Beth made her way back to the drawing room.

'Has Mr Radworth gone now? I cannot say I am sorry,' declared Lady  Arabella. 'How oddly he behaved tonight. I do hope he is not sickening.'

'I am sure he is not, Grandmama. I think it is as he says, a poor wine.'

'More like the quantity,' put in Sophie bluntly. 'You did not feel any ill effects, did you, my lord?'

Beth frowned at her sister. She could not be happy about the way  Grandmama and Sophie had taken to Lord Darrington. It would be better  for everyone's peace of mind when he and his friend had gone.

Guy noticed the change as soon as Radworth had left the Priory. Lady  Arabella's outward demeanour did not alter, but he sensed she was a  little more at ease. Sophie, too, became more talkative. Only Beth  remained aloof, but Guy suspected that might be because she was  embarrassed at her fiancé's behaviour.                       
       
           



       

He was still pondering on the events of the evening when he made his way up to Davey's room after supper.

He found his friend propped up in bed and thumbing idly through one of  the newspapers that littered the bed. He tossed it aside as Guy came in  and greeted him with a cry of relief.

'Darrington, thank heaven you are come! I thought I should expire with boredom!'

Guy grinned at him. 'You are looking much better, old friend, and sound much more like your old self. How are you?'

'Everything still hurts like the very devil, but only if I move.' Davey  beckoned him forwards. 'Come and sit down here and tell me all that is  going on downstairs. Have you kissed any of the ladies yet?'

Guy laughed. 'Only your broken ribs prevent me from punching you for  that, Davey! Of course I haven't! Lady Arabella is a matriarch, born to  command, and her two granddaughters are both completely ineligible, one  being a schoolgirl, the other a widow.'

'A very beautiful widow, if Peters is to be believed.'

'True, but she is also about to be married.'

'And her future husband dined with you tonight?'

'Why on earth should you want me to tell you anything?' demanded Guy irritably. 'You know it all already.'

'Devil a bit! Peters has passed on the little he has gleaned. Most of  it was nonsense about the ghosts that walk during the night. Peters  tells me some of the servants even swear they have heard wailing and  crying in the gardens after dark! Tales set about by the housekeeper, I  suspect, to keep them in their own beds at night! I'm hoping you can  give me all the details about the family.' Davey put his head on one  side and narrowed his eyes. 'And by your frown I'd say something is  puzzling you.'

'Aye,' said Guy slowly. 'It is.'

He related the details of his evening and at the end of it Davey merely nodded.

'Seems simple enough to me. The widow is marrying a fool. Nothing unusual in that.'

'Not such a fool that he hasn't tied up the business all right and  tight,' retorted Guy. 'Over the port he made a point of telling me that  the contracts were all signed, and even if Mrs Forrester should cry off  now all the property would pass to him.'