‘Perhaps he was to blame for the parlous state of affairs-there is no doubt that it could have been avoided if he had left the navy sooner and taken charge of Wheelston-but I saw him soon after he returned and I believe he was very much shocked by what he found, so perhaps he had not realised...'
‘So everyone condemns him because he let his estate fall to pieces?' Charity asked, incredulous. ‘Surely he is not the only landowner to be guilty of such negligence-'
‘Oh, no, my dear, it is much worse than that.' Lady Beverley pulled her closer. ‘He went off in search of his mother's companion and they rowed terribly, so much so that he was charged with blasphemy.' Lady Beverley sighed again. ‘I suppose he lost his temper. Being a sailor I have no doubt that he was brought up to be familiar with all the most outrageous curses and oaths!'
‘And do you think they had really been engaged to be married?'
Lady Beverley spread her hands. ‘It was a rumour, never confirmed. But even if she jilted him, nothing can excuse him ripping up at her so brutally. However, he has been severely punished for it. The conviction for blasphemy barred him from holding any military appointment and he was stripped of his captaincy. He could not return to sea and he has been living at Wheelston ever since, doing his best to build the place up again.'
‘So that was what he meant.'
Lady Beverley looked puzzled. ‘I beg your pardon, my dear?'
‘I asked Mr Durden why he had not gone back to sea and he said he'd had no choice. Poor man.'
‘Yes, but if he had not lost his temper and said such vile things then he would not have found himself in that position. And he has shown no contrition, no remorse for his error. That is why Mrs Tremayne was giving you the hint, my dear, and she is right to urge caution. If the man cannot control his temper, it would be very unwise for you to become too friendly with him.'
‘I have not met Mr Durden often, but I had not thought him hot-headed,' said Charity slowly. ‘And blasphemy is such an-an archaic charge. What he said must have been very bad, otherwise I am sure Sir Mark would have sent him away to cool down-'
‘Oh, my dear, the case did not come up before my husband! If only it had, then the outcome might have been very different. No, Mr Durden was charged in Beringham. You see, the young woman was married to the magistrate by then and Mr Weston is the last man to forgive a blasphemer.'
Charity blinked at her. ‘She is m-married to Phineas Weston?'
‘Why, yes! Apparently, soon after she left Wheelston she inherited a small fortune from an aunt, which made her a very eligible match. I suppose poor Mr Durden was distraught that she hadn't married him, for that would have solved all his financial problems. No, no, it was Phineas Weston who charged him with blasphemy. That might have gained Mr Durden some sympathy in Allingford, had he not chosen to keep himself so aloof.' She laughed. ‘Such a pity that you should have chosen to style yourself as Mrs Weston, my dear. It is not at all a popular name around here, you know.'
The familiar chill crept over Charity. Her father was still wrecking lives, although now he was using the law as well as the Bible to justify himself. Her eyes strayed back to Ross. No wonder he rarely smiled, if he had been robbed of a promising career by a few ill-chosen words, uttered under severe provocation.
She tried to put the matter from her mind as she worked her way around the room, chatting to the rich patrons she already knew and charming the new ones that Hywel introduced to her. There was no opportunity to speak to Ross again, but she was very aware of him in the room. He spoke to very few people and spent most of his time standing at the side of the room. He was a man apart.
She blocked the thought. If she did not take care, she would be feeling sorry for the gentleman, and that would never do. Her father had frequently flown into a rage at the slightest provocation and she had suffered the consequences. She had no intention of allowing her sympathies to lead her into any kind of liaison with a penniless hothead.
* * *
Her smile never faltered, and she continued to chatter and laugh as if she had not a care in the world, yet Charity was exceedingly tired. She longed to send for Betty and to take her leave. However, there were still a number of people seeking her out and it was nearly an hour before she could go in search of Hywel Jenkin. She found him talking to a little group that included Ross Durden as well as Sir Mark and Lady Beverley. Charity hesitated, wondering if she should wait until Hywel was alone, but the hour was advanced and she was longing to go home.
Hywel smiled as she came up beside him.
‘Ah, and here is the leading light of our group of players!'
‘I wonder how you manage it, Mrs Weston,' declared Sir Mark. ‘To be performing night after night and then to stay up to all hours, entertaining us with your sparkling wit and conversation. It must be very fatiguing.'
‘One grows accustomed.' Charity included them all in her smile, her eyes sliding away from Ross Durden's dark, intense gaze.
However, it seemed he was determined to gain her attention, for he asked her quietly, ‘And when is your next performance, Mrs Weston?'
His deep voice was like warm velvet on her skin. Ideas and half-formed sentences chased around in her head. She had heeded the warnings to avoid Ross Durden, but now realised that she had spent the entire evening thinking of him, wanting to impress him by saying something witty and clever. Now when she had her chance, she could not even open her lips! She was relieved when Hywel answered.
‘The first week in April, sir. We are presenting The Clandestine Marriage.'
‘Ah, that is a particular favourite of mine!' exclaimed Lady Beverley. ‘And Mrs Weston is to play Fanny, am I correct? Of course I am, for who else could play the beautiful young heroine? But April? Why, that is weeks away. How are we to entertain ourselves until then?'
‘We must allow our players a little break before we begin rehearsals,' Hywel responded. ‘They need a holiday.'
Charity met his smiling gaze and chuckled.
‘We need our sleep, too, so I will bid you all adieu.'
Lady Beverley put out her hand.
‘Before you go, Mrs Weston, pray tell me you will come to my little soirée on Tuesday next? Just a few friends, you know, and you need do nothing but come and enjoy yourself.' She continued with an arch smile, ‘Now, I will not take a refusal, since Mr Jenkin has just told us you will not be playing.'
‘Then I shall do my best to attend, ma'am.'
Laughing, Charity took her leave and went off to find her maid. She half expected Ross to offer to escort her home and knew a moment's disappointment when he did not come after her.
All the better for you, my girl, she told herself crossly. That gentleman is taking up far too much of your thoughts!
* * *
The weather had remained cold, but now it took an icy turn and Charity was glad to stay indoors, although not for long. It took her no more than a couple days to catch up on her correspondence and to set the little house in order, and after that she began to miss her usual busy schedule. With the theatre closed and rehearsals for The Clandestine Marriage not yet started, Hywel and Will Stamp had gone off to enjoy a little hunting in the West Riding, and many of the other actors had taken the opportunity to visit family or friends. Charity would not have minded being alone in Allingford, had not a fall of snow on the icy roads made it too treacherous to hire the gig and go out exploring.
By Tuesday, the day of Lady Beverley's evening party, Charity was longing for company and an evening of pleasure and entertainment, but those thoughts were driven from her mind when Betty came in with her morning hot chocolate. One look at the maid's flushed cheeks and heavy eyes was enough to have Charity scrambling out of bed and ordering her to go and lie down immediately.
‘Aye, that I will, Miss Charity, just as soon as-'
‘As soon as nothing,' said Charity firmly, taking the cup from her hands. ‘You will go to bed this minute and I shall bring you a soothing tisane to help you sleep. No, do not argue with me, if you please. You will recover very much quicker if you do as I say.'
She shooed her maid away and put on her wrap. Thankfully Thomas, her manservant, had kept the fire burning in the kitchen, so it did not take her long to boil a little water to steep the mixture of elderflower, peppermint and yarrow that she had found in Betty's herb store.