“Good God, were there any?” he interrupted. “What did the fools say?”
“Gaywood told me that people suspected Gideon of having murdered you, but—”
He went off into a peal of laughter. “Oh, no! No, Harriet, did they indeed think that? Then I expect he will murder me! It is a great deal too bad!”
She looked at him wonderingly. “You see, Gilly, you left no word, and someone saw you going to Gideon’s chambers the night you disappeared. And Gaywood said he would say nothing, only that he had no notion where you were. Of course, no one who knows Gideon would believe such a story!”
“He is the best of good fellows! He should have betrayed me instantly. But what has this to do with the rest, Harriet?”
Her head sank; she studied the fringe at the end of her scarf. “It was Lady Boscastle, Gilly, who—who told us the rest.”
His brows knit for a puzzled moment. “Lady Boscastle? Oh, yes, I know! One of the matchmaking mamas! But what can she have told you? I have not set eyes on her since the lord knows when!”
“She has just arrived in Bath,” said Harriet, beginning to plait the fringe. “She—she passed through Hitchin on her way. You did not see her, but—but she saw you, Gilly. She came to pay a morning visit here, and she—she told Grandmama and me.”
She ventured to peep up at him, and was startled to see his eyes dancing. “The devil she did!” he said. “Did she tell you I had Belinda on my arm?”
“A—an excessively beautiful girl!” faltered Harriet, gazing at him in mingled hope and trepidation.
“Oh, the loveliest creature imaginable!” he said gaily. “With not two thoughts in her head to rub together! No, I wrong her! There are just two thoughts! One is of golden rings, and the other of purple silk dresses! Harriet, you goose!”
Colour flooded her cheeks; her eyes filled. “Oh, Gilly!” she uttered. “Oh, Gilly, I thought—Indeed, I beg your pardon!”
“No, it is all my fault. I wonder you don’t send me to the devil!” He saw that tears hung on her eyelashes, and put his arm around her, and kissed her. “Harry, don’t cry! I swear it isall a hum!”
Her head drooped on to his shoulder. “Yes, Gilly. I have been very stupid! Only I could not help thinking that perhaps you had met a lady whom you liked better than me.”
“I have not. I am sure I never could,” he replied. She blushed, and wiped the drops from her cheeks. He drew her towards the table, and set a chair for her, pulling up another for himself. “You always helped me out of scrapes, Harry!” he said. “I am in such a scrape now!”
She smiled tremulously at him. “Oh, no, how could you be? Tell me! What made you run away from London?”
“I was so tired with being Duke of Sale! Do you understand that, Harriet?”
She nodded. “Yes, for they worried you so. Gideon used to say that one day you would kick over the traces. Was that what it was?”
“Not quite. Matthew was in a scrape, and I thought I could rescue him from it and I was quite right: I did rescue him, and that was where Belinda came into my life. Harriet, I don’t know what the devil to do with Belinda! At least, I didn’t know until I thought of you, and then it seemed to me that the best plan would be to bring her to you. She is the most tiresome girl!”
There was quite a pretty colour in Harriet’s cheeks; she gave a gurgle of laughter, and said: “Is she, Gilly? But who is she, pray?”
“She is a foundling,” he replied. “Oh, I shall have to tell you the whole story! You will think I have run mad!”
But although Harriet was considerably astonished by the tale unfolded to her, she did not think he had run mad. She listened to him in breathless silence, her colour fluctuating as she heard of the dangers which had threatened him. But as the tale proceeded she began to perceive that his adventures had subtly altered him. She had never seen him look so well, or know him to be so gay; and there clung about him an air of assurance he had previously lacked: He chose to turn it all to a jest, and to laugh at himself for falling into such pitfalls, but it was plain to Harriet that this diffident young man to whom she was betrothed had a quite unexpected strength of character, and was very well able to take care of himself. She glowed, and although she could not help laughing at the absurdity of his position, she admired him too, and would have accepted a dozen foundlings at his hands without uttering a word of reproach.
“Oh, Gilly, what a scrape to be in!” she said, when he came to the end of his story. “It is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! What will Lord Lionel say, if he finds out?”
“He will clap me into Bedlam, I daresay. To tell you the truth, I care very little for what he may say if only I can be rid of Belinda! I must find this Mudgley-fellow! And of course that nonsensical girl has not the least notion where he lives! But the thing is, Harriet, I can’t continue at the Pelican with her, and I dare not be seen abroad with her—in this of all towns!—for fear of meeting someone I know!”
“No, indeed! Only think of my feelings!” she agreed, twinkling shyly at him.
“Yes, and then there is this milliner to whom she was apprenticed! Harry, I am quite ignorant about apprentices! Do you know what happens to them if they break their indentures?”
“No, but I am sure it is something dreadful. I believe they are quite bound for a number of years, almost like slaves!”
“Good God! what must I do to get her honourably released, I wonder?”
“Well, do you know, Gilly, I think perhaps I could do that,” she confided, blushing a little.
“No, could you indeed?” he said eagerly. “I am afraid she is a very disagreeable woman. Belinda finds nearly every woman so, I own, but from what she has said to me about Mrs. Puling I do think she is an unkind, tyrannical female. Belinda is frightened to death of her! Would she be satisfied if I offered to pay whatever is owing to her?”
“I daresay she might be, but I don’t think you should appear in the matter at all,” said Harriet firmly. “I have been considering, and I believe it may be something I can do for you quite easily. You know, Gilly, everyone knows that we are to be married in the spring, and all the dressmakers and the milliners want to make my gowns and trim my hats. Because it—it is a great thing to be marrying a Duke, and they think it will be the most fashionable wedding of the season. I cannot but feel that if I were to go to Mrs. Pilling’s establishment, and tell her that I wish her to make me several hats to go with my bride-clothes she would be very willing to forgive Belinda.”
He was much moved. “Harriet, you are the best-natured girl in the world! But from her direction I cannot think that she is at all a modish milliner! You will not like to buy hats from her.”
“I shall not mind, dear Gilly,” replied Harriet simply.
He kissed her hand. “But your mama! What would she have to say?”
“I—I shall not mind that either, if it is for you,” said Harriet. “And I think I shall drive there in Grandmama’s barouche, and take my footman as well as my maid. I expect Mrs. Pilling would like that. And then, you know, she will let it be widely known that she is to make several hats for me, and it will bring her a great deal of much more fashionable custom than perhaps she has ever had.”
He was not very conversant with feminine foibles, but he was dimly aware that his betrothed was making a considerable sacrifice for him. He thanked her warmly, adding after a moment’s thought: “And if you do not like them you may throw them away after all!”
She laughed at that. “Oh, no, how extravagant! I think Mama would certainly have something to say at such shocking waste of money!”
“Would she?” he said, dashed. A happy thought occurred to him. “It doesn’t signify! You may throw them away as soon as we are married, and buy some new ones. Should you like to go to Paris? They have very good bonnets there. If only we can contrive to go without my uncle’s foisting Belper on to us!”