The Dangerous Lord Darrington(28)

'That is enough,' barked Guy, a muscle working in his jaw. 'Tell me what you are doing here.'

Beth retreated to a chair by the window. Guy seemed to have forgotten  her existence. His attention was fixed on Clarice, who was now casting  coquettish glances at him from beneath her lashes.

'I saw you at the Shotts' party and followed your carriage. I am glad  it was not too far, because I had no fare for a cab and had to follow  you on foot all the way.'

'I thought you were in France.'

'Out of the way, do you mean?' Her lips smiled, but Beth could discern  no warmth in her expression. 'I was there until very recently. I married  Cordonnier soon after I arrived in France. But he was a wastrel and  gambled away all our money before blowing his brains out. That was not  such a bad thing, for I had many admirers-comtes, vicomtes,  marquises … but now it is not a good time to be the mistress of a  nobleman. So … I came back to England.'

'To my door.'

Clarice shrugged. 'That was not my original intention, but times have changed. It seems my … friends … no longer acknowledge me.'

Guy's lip curled. 'Can you blame them?'

'Perhaps not. I need money, Darrington. I have not a penny to my name.'

'That is not my concern.'

'That is why I have been going to Sir Henry's house. I know he looks  favourably upon the French and I am always sure of a meal there. But  although they have not yet thrown me out of the house, it is obvious I  am not welcome there.'

'Neither are you welcome here,' was the earl's frank response.

'I cannot even pay for my lodgings.'                       
       
           



       

'Do not try to play your games with me, Clarice.'

She said tartly, 'If you will not help me, I shall be obliged to offer myself to the nearest abbess!'

'Then do so.' His callous response made Beth start forwards and Guy  looked up, as if suddenly aware of her presence in the room. He said  bluntly, 'Do not waste your sympathy on her, madam. I assure you she is  very resourceful.'

'You cannot throw her out on to the street!'

'I-will-not have her staying in my house.'

His tone was implacable, his words made all the more chilling since at  that moment the squally wind hurled a clatter of raindrops against the  window. Beth walked over to stand beside him. She said quietly, 'Please,  my lord. It is past midnight. No woman should be obliged to walk  unprotected at this hour.'

He put his hand up and cupped her cheek, his hard, angry look  softening. 'Very well. I shall send for my carriage to take her back to  her lodgings.'

'My, my,' murmured Clarice, watching this interchange. 'Who is this angel of mercy?'

'My name is Elizabeth Forrester,' Beth replied. 'And despite how it  looks, I am not the earl's mistress. He-he is helping me with a … family  problem.'

'You need tell her nothing!' The earl crossed to pull the bell and the  alacrity with which its summons was answered suggested to Beth that  Burley had been standing just outside the door. 'Send for my chariot to  come back. As quickly as possible.'

'And could I have a little food while we are waiting?' asked Clarice, wilting elegantly on the sofa.

Guy nodded and the butler withdrew, to return moments later with a tray of bread and cold meats.

For Beth the evening had taken on a dreamlike quality. The events of  the past few weeks had been so exhausting, so extraordinary, that she  found herself wondering if any of it was real. And now, with the  night-watch outside the window calling the hour, she was sitting in this  elegant room, watching the woman who claimed to be the earl's fiancée  picking daintily at a supper. Clarice was completely at her ease,  ignoring Beth and addressing her remarks to Guy, who answered briefly or  not at all. At last she pushed aside her plate and sat back with a  satisfied sigh.

'Your excellent housekeeper has not lost her touch, Darrington,' she  said, dabbing at her lips with the napkin. 'I remember she could always  be relied upon to provide a delicious meal, no matter what time of the  night we might demand it.'

Beth fixed her attention on her hands clasped tightly in her lap. There  could be no mistaking the woman's look and purring tones, although she  was relieved to note that Guy did not react at all. He merely said  politely, 'I am glad it pleased you.' He walked to the window and opened  one of the shutters an inch. 'Now if you have eaten enough, my carriage  awaits you.'

Beth watched those darkened lashes flutter.

'Even if you take me back to my lodgings I have not a penny. What will become of me when my landlady demands her rent?'

'I neither know nor care.'

'My lord!'

Beth was moved to protest, distressed by his harsh tone. Clarice merely  fixed him with a limpid gaze. The earl looked from one to the other,  his mouth set in a thin line. At length he said, 'Very well, wait here.'

As he left the room Clarice transferred her attention to Beth.

'Well, well-you seem to have some influence with Darrington, Mrs Forrester. Has he been hiding you at Wylderbeck?'

'He has not been hiding me anywhere,' retorted Beth coldly. 'I have my own property in … ' she hesitated ' … north Yorkshire.'

'Yes, near Fentonby, I believe.' Clarice's smile mocked her. 'I asked  Lady Shott about you.' She sighed. 'He has gone to open his safe, I  suppose. I wonder how much he will give me?'

'I have no idea,' returned Beth shortly. 'I only pray you will use it wisely.'

She moved away, determined not to ask questions although so many were  racing through her head. The engagement had been broken ten years  ago-was that when the earl was accused of being a traitor? Was that the  reason they had parted?

Clarice said softly, 'He was besotted with me, you know. I hear that after I left him he vowed never to trust a woman again.'

Beth turned, putting back her shoulders as she answered coldly, 'I know nothing about that.'

'But you would like to be the woman who saves him, would you not?'  purred Clarice. 'Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You think you can make  him love you. Well, be careful, Mrs Forrester, or he will abandon you  just as he did me!'                       
       
           



       

Hasty footsteps sounded in the hall and Beth was spared an answer. Lord Darrington came in, a roll of banknotes in one hand.

'Here.' He gave them to Clarice. 'You will get no more from me, madam.'

She ran a thumb across the edge of the roll. 'It is not much, when you  think what we were to each other.' When he did not reply she fluttered  her eyelashes at him again. 'You will not turn me out, Darrington? I can  hear the rain pouring down outside and it is so very late.'

'All the more reason to make haste, then.' He opened the door and barked an order to a waiting footman.

Clarice pouted. 'You were not wont to be so cruel.'

'I was not wont to be so wise.'

Silence fell. Beth watched Clarice, observed her foot tapping angrily  beneath the grubby hem of her gown. The tapping slowed as a speculative  light entered the woman's eyes.

'You owe me more than this, Darrington. I was to be your bride!'

'As a matter of fact, madam, I owe you much less. I advise you to go  now, before my patience runs out.' Burley came in to announce that his  lordship's carriage was at the door. Guy said, 'Well, madam?'

'Very well.' Clarice stood up, shaking out her skirts. 'I shall leave  you here with your … ' Her eyes roamed over Beth, whose cheeks flamed at  the insinuation.

Guy stepped forwards, shielding her from that knowing gaze. 'Get out,  Clarice, before I change my mind and call the constable to remove you.'

Clarice's head came up and she shot him a look of pure venom. 'You will regret this, Darrington.'

'The only thing I regret, madam, is falling into your clutches in the first place!'

Beth heard the woman's sharp intake of breath, a swish of silk and  hasty steps across the floor, then the door closed and there was  silence.

Beth sank down on to a chair.

'I would you had not been here,' muttered Guy, walking to the sideboard and pouring wine into two glasses.

She recalled the blatant invitation in the woman's eyes. 'Would … would you have dealt with her differently?'

'Aye. I would have left her lying in the street!'

She did not know whether she should be most shocked or relieved by his  reply. When he held out the wine to her, she shook her head.

'Thank you, but no.' She watched him empty his glass in one go. 'Would you like to … to tell me about her?'

'Clarice? No. I would rather we forgot all about her.' He shook his  head at her. 'Pray, do not argue with me, madam. The woman is not worth a  moment's thought. Go to bed, Mrs Forrester, and save your energies for  the morning!'



Beth tried to follow the earl's advice and put Clarice Cordonnier out  of her mind. It was not difficult, for she had enough problems of her  own to occupy her. She rose early, eager to see Mr Spalding. Knowing it  might be a long day, she had a good breakfast, helping herself to slices  of ham and cold beef, followed by honey and hot, spiced bread, washed  down with fragrant coffee. She had almost completed her meal when Lord  Darrington came in, apologising for his tardiness.