Lady Polly Part 2

Feeling a p.r.i.c.kle of envy at the casual way Lucille mentioned Lord Henry, Polly sought to defend herself.

"It is not that I am in love with him, precisely--' The door opened to admit Medlyn with the tea. Lucille poured neatly and pa.s.sed Polly a cup.

Once she had thanked him and the door had closed again, Lucille turned back to Polly.

"Come now, Polly, do you think you can cozen me? It may be that you originally suffered from a schoolroom infatuation for Lord Henry, but I am sure you have discovered that this has turned to something far more profound."

"You have not forgotten what I told you at Dilling ham in the autumn,"

Polly said sadly.

"I was being foolishly self-pitying! It was simply that your own wedding made me feel sorry for myself and I regretted the opportunity I threw away!

But that was all over a long time ago! It is of no consequence!"

Lucille studied her sister-in-law over the rim of her teacup.

"But I am concerned for your happiness, Polly! All these gentlemen you refuse are so very eligible and do not take their rejection lightly!

You know that you are getting a reputation for pride! And what are you to do if you do not marry?"

Polly shrugged, a gesture which her mother deplored.

"Oh, I shall devote myself to studying and good works! And if I miss the excitement of the Season in years to come, I shall set myself up as a chaperon for daughters of rich cits wis.h.i.+ng to marry well!"

Lucille sensibly chose to disregard most of this. "Do you think," she said carefully, 'that there is any likelihood of yourself and Lord Henry making a match of it? He has told me that he still holds you in the greatest esteem--' But Polly was shaking her head violently.

"Oh, no, Lucille, that is impossible! Why, I am sure he had nothing but contempt for my poor-spirit ness in refusing to elope with him five years ago and now I imagine he scarce thinks of me at all!"

She broke off, evading Lucille's eyes. Impossible to explain to her sister-in-law that the most potent reason that Lord Henry could no longer have any interest in her was because he had quite obviously formed a romantic attachment to Lucille herself. Polly wondered just how innocent Lucille could be. She had no doubt that the attachment was one-sided and entirely emotional rather than physical. But how could Lucille not have noticed that Lord Henry was forever in her company, seeking her views and advice, valuing her opinion? Why, even Sea grave himself had commented humorously what a lap dog Harry March night was becoming, forever following his wife about.

Polly searched rather desperately for a change of subject.

"Do you think that you shall be joining the Bettering Society, Lucille?"

"Probably not," her sister-in-law answered.

"Nicholas has suggested that we travel a little at the end of the Season, and since I am still awaiting my wedding trip, I thought to encourage him!

But--' she returned to the previous subject with an obstinacy for which she was well known '--we were speaking of you, Polly, not of myself! If you truly feel that any awkwardness with Lord Henry must be in the past now, why do the two of you spend all your time skulking behind trees or pillars in an effort to avoid each other?

It makes matters very difficult for the rest of us! Why, Nicholas was saying only the other day that he wished to ask Harry's advice on those greys he was thinking of buying, but he hesitated in case you accidently b.u.mped into him! Could you not speak to Lord Henry and put an end to this, Polly? " Polly stared in disbelief.

"Speak to him," she echoed faintly.

"Whatever can you mean, Lucille? Oh, I could not!"

Lucille's brows rose at this missish response. She knew that Lady Appollonia Grace Sea grave was a well-brought-up and entirely orthodox daughter of the n.o.bility, but had not thought her merely a pretty ninny hammer.

"Well, upon my word, I only meant that you should discuss matters with him--clear the air!" she repeated patiently.

"After all, you are both adults and cannot be forever behaving in this foolish manner! You yourself have said that it is all in the past! I apologise if I have offended your sensibility, but I should think that one slightly embarra.s.sing encounter must be a small price to pay to be comfortable together in the future! If you truly believe that there is no hope for the two of you and you do not wish to try to reengage his feelings, explain to Lord Henry that you have no wish to continue in this absurd way and that you should both regard the past as over! That way you may start afresh as friends!"

Polly sighed, reaching for the teapot. It was hopeless to try to explain to Lucille that gently bred ladies simply did not seek a gentleman out in order to engage him in a conversation of an intimate and personal nature.

Disagreements such as the one Polly had with Lord Henry were simply to be ignored or endured Lucille, who had earned a living as a schoolteacher before her marriage to the Earl, had no time for what she saw as the pointless prevarications of polite society, but Polly could no more approach Lord Henry than fly to the moon.

torn are great friends with Harry March night," Polly said lightly, trying not to let her envy show.

"I doubt I could achieve your familiarity with him!"

"No, but I am a married lady--' Lucille broke off at Polly's irrepressible burst of laughter, arching her eyebrows enquiringly.

"Why, whatever have I said?"

"Married ladies are precisely the type Lord Henry prefers, so I hear,"

Polly said drily.

"Oh, but--' For a moment Lucille looked confused, before regaining her poise.

"Oh, no, it is not in the least like that I am glad to have Harry's esteem, but that is all there is to it! Why, to suggest anything else would be pure folly!"

Polly smiled, unconvinced. It was true that not even the ton, with its penchant for intrigue, had suggested anything improper in the relations.h.i.+p between the two, but that did not mean that Lord Henry might not wish it so.

Lucille, totally absorbed in her husband, would be the last person to realise. Polly, thinking now of the consuming pa.s.sion between Lucille and Nick Sea grave, s.h.i.+fted slightly in her chair. They were always perfectly proper in their behaviour in company, but it only needed one look. Polly sometimes thought that if any man ever looked at her with that explicit mixture of warmth and sensual demand she would faint dead away. But perhaps Lucille was lucky. Perhaps she was the unlucky one, hidebound by a conventional upbringing in a house where pre serving the surface calm had always been all important.

The problem of Lord Henry March night twitched at the corner of her mind again. Lucille was right, of course. Polly did not delude herself that there was any chance of re-establis.h.i.+ng a rapport with Lord Henry, and under the circ.u.mstances, it was both foolish and pointless to be forever dwelling on the past. Perhaps she could at least try to put matters to rights. If she could find the right words to convey a genteel acceptance that they had both been young and foolish. It might suffice and put an end to awkwardness.

"I will try to speak to Lord Henry if I have an opportunity," Polly agreed hesitantly.

"I understand what you mean, Lucille. It is just so difficult..." She despised herself for her lack of spirit, even as her mind shrank from the thought of broaching such a personal subject with someone who was, to all intents and purposes, a stranger. Yet Lucille was also right that their social circle was relatively small: to try to avoid someone was always difficult. Friends always seemed to have other mutual friends or acquaintances and an invitation or chance meeting could prove awkward.

Lucille took a biscuit and poured a second cup of tea.

"I own it will be a relief to have the matter settled," she said with a candid smile.

"Then I may stop worrying about you and turn my attention to Peter and Hetty!

They are causing me great concern! " "It must have been a great blow for Hetty when Mrs Mark ham's ill health led to the postponment of the wedding," Polly commented, secretly glad that Lucille had turned the subject.

"But what do you mean, Lucille? How can Peter be giving you cause for concern?"

Lucille frowned. Polly's brother and her own foster sister had been intending to wed that spring, but the marriage had been delayed indefinitely since Hetty's mother had succ.u.mbed to the dropsy.

"You know how silly Hetty became at the start of the Season," Lucille said, a little crossly.

"Of course, she is very young and I think her head was turned by all the attention she received, but I thought that once she had returned to the country she might regain some of her natural sense!

But only today I have had a letter from her telling me that Lord Grantley is in Ess.e.x and paying her lavish attentions! And your brother is as bad, Polly, for instead of posting down to Kings- mar ton to see Hetty and untangle matters he persists in staying in Town, and last night at Lady Coombes's ball he was paying the most outrageous attentions to Maria Lever stoke. " "But I thought she was Lord Henry's flirt," Polly said, studiously picking an imaginary thread off Fan- chon's latest confection, and politely avoiding a description of Lady Lever stoke that might have been more appropriate but less discreet.