Page 6 of Twice Shy
‘By which, you know, you probably placed yourself upon the pedestal to which he raises his eyes,’ Lady Godmanchester remarked sagely.
40‘Tell me how I might leap down from it immediately and I will be eternally grateful! It is horrible! What if his verses become known?’
‘I hardly think they will. Printing and binding is quite expensive, I believe.’ Lady Godmanchester’s eyes danced, as her friend’s widened in horror.
‘Published? No, please, tell me that is in jest!’
‘Oh, Elizabeth, of course. Unless he has a patron, of course.’ She giggled.
‘You are being cruel, Helen. Very cruel.’ Elizabeth pouted theatrically. ‘If you only knew …’
‘Go on then, tell me what he wrote.’
‘I threw it away.’
‘Shame. Can you not remember any of it?’
‘Remember? It still haunts me. It began with something like “Fairest of fair, yet beauteous dark, Alas, your absence in the Park, Leaves me despondent, sorry, disconsolate, and low.”’
‘Dark and, er, park, what fortuitous rhyming.’
‘I am sure,’ declared Elizabeth repressively, ‘that giggling is bad for the unborn child. Too much bouncing up and down might jangle its nerves.’
‘Really?’ Lady Godmanchester laid a hand on her barely rounded stomach. ‘And I thought it might make Baby a happy little soul.’ She smiled. ‘Seriously, having a poet dragging about after you, sighing, and singing your praises, is an encumbrance, but scarcely your own fault.’
‘But it makes one ridiculous, and … Oh Helen, the Awful Aurelia is as spiteful as ever. We met last night, very stiffly civil of course, but she made such a comment to another41lady as she turned away as must have been intended for my ears also, wondering why my aunt, launching Amelia into Society, would be prepared to “advertise past failures”. And those were her exact words.’
Helen Godmanchester’s normally open, pleasant expression clouded, and she frowned. ‘Oh no, you poor thing. She is the most hateful woman, but I assure you she has not been keeping her sharp tongue just for your return. She has a reputation for it, and often against those who are entirely without fault, not engaged in any female cattiness. I think she just assumes everyone is her rival, and being married does not mean, to her, not wanting to flirt outrageously and be admired by the gentlemen. She still expects adulation. I was sorry for her for a while.’
‘Sorry? For Aurelia?’
‘Yes. I mean after George was born, I truly realised how fulfilling life could be, and yet she has not shown any signs of wanting a child. Perhaps, I thought, if she was longing for a baby, and so far there have been none forthcoming … But I heard her say to Lady Carterton that she was actually relieved, since “breeding mars the figure”. What sort of woman is that?’
Elizabeth did not reply. She saw her friend’s point, but was herself unconscious of any maternal impulse.
Helen gave her a lopsided smile. ‘Ah, I see it in your eyes. You think me addled. But if you found the right man, Elizabeth …’
‘I would be amazed. Oh, do not look so tragic. I shall promise to be as fond a godmother as any could wish, if you have a little girl. I was of course immensely cast down last42time that you “only” had a son.’ She grinned, and patted her friend’s hand. ‘Come. I did not visit you to make you low spirited. Indeed, I had hoped you would cheer me, after an evening of misery and a frustrating morning. I have not even begun to tell you about the hack my uncle selected for me.’
Elizabeth proceeded to distract Lady Godmanchester with a description of the horse, and her efforts to make it move. She even managed to make herself smile, but knew that her acceptance of the beast was transient. She would be filled with disgust the very next time she saw it.
The sound of male voices and a baritone laugh made Lady Godmanchester look towards the door, and a few moments later her lord, and Sir Lucius Radstock, entered. Sir Lucius was still smiling at whatever sally his friend had made, and Elizabeth was quite surprised. She had thought his features formed for sobriety at their first encounter. Both ladies made to rise, but Lord Godmanchester shook his head.
‘No, no, please do not get up, ladies. We intrude, I know, but I wished to find out whether my lady felt better than when I departed this morning.’ His eyes were on his wife.
‘Much better, sir, I assure you, and before you ask, I took a little boiled chicken and fruit at luncheon. Such indisposition as I suffer is transitory and not, I must stress, a reason for you to worry.’
‘“Concern” sounds better, I think. Lucius will vouch I have not been biting my nails to the quick, or tearing my hair.’ He smiled, and turned to his friend, who nodded.
‘And Sir Lucius, I have not as yet presented you to my43dearest friend, Miss Ashling. Last night I was singularly remiss, but shall remedy it now.’
The introduction was made, with less formality than if it had been made in a public place, and Lady Godmanchester invited the gentlemen to remain and take tea, though with a twinkle in her eyes.
‘Er, thank you, my love, but we were going to adjourn to the study. We have been racking our brains for a name for Lucius’s new filly, and something Greek might prove suitable.’
‘What is her breeding, Sir Lucius?’ Her ladyship’s interest was polite.
‘Out of Debutante, by Run To A Standstill.’
