Page 9 of A Lady's Guide to Scandal

‘It is most unlike Mama to forget such a thing,’ Lady Radcliffe heard him say urgently. ‘You must excuse us – terribly unfortunate thing to have happened – awfully rude of us to invite you for so short a visit.’

‘It is quite all right,’ Miss Talbot said warmly. ‘Will we see you in Hyde Park upon the morrow?’

Not if Lady Radcliffe had anything to say in the matter.

‘Yes, yes of course,’ Archie promised, recklessly.

‘Archie!’ Lady Radcliffe’s voice rang out commandingly onto the street and Archie darted back inside with a final apology to his beloved. At Lady Radcliffe’s sharp gesture, Pattson shut the door firmly behind the Talbot sisters.

‘Of course she got rid of you,’ Aunt Dorothy said, exasperation thick in her voice. ‘It is a miracle you were even let in the door. What on earth can you have expected? Really, Kitty, I cannot for the life of me understand why you are so surprised!’

In the wake of their disastrous visit to Lady Radcliffe’s house, Kitty had felt it necessary to confess to their aunt exactly what they had been doing on their daily walks – having previously kept quiet for fear of her aunt’s disapproval. As predicted, Aunt Dorothy had unabashedly dubbed her a fool.

‘I’m not surprised,’ Kitty said crossly, ‘I’m frustrated – if Cecily hadn’t let slip that awful thing about us not having any money—’

‘Even if she hadn’t, Lady Radcliffe would have sniffed you out a second later,’ Aunt Dorothy said tartly. ‘I know her sort – they spend most of their time worrying about fortune-hunters. Mark my words, my dear, you will not be seeing that boy again.’

Contrary to Aunt Dorothy’s predictions, the next day they did indeed see the de Lacys in Hyde Park, Archie looking a little sheepish but pleased to see Kitty nonetheless. As soon as they were in earshot, Lady Amelia burst out gleefully with ‘Mama thinks you’re after our fortune! Are you?’

‘Amelia!’ Mr de Lacy said, scandalised. ‘What a thing to say!’ He gave Kitty an earnest, apologetic look. ‘Terribly sorry, of course we know you aren’t – it’s just that Mama – she is used to thinking—’ He stammered around the issue for a few more moments before finishing feebly, ‘She’s very protective of us.’

This gave Kitty a pretty accurate idea of the kind of accusations that had been levelled at them, after their departure from the Radcliffe house. Kitty repressed a groan of frustration. She was so tired of all these men being utterly hamstrung by other women. It was time for an offensive strike.

‘I quite understand,’ she said to Archie. ‘It is of course natural that she should want to protect you. It is clear to me that she sees you still as a boy.’

‘But I am not a boy any longer,’ he said, his jaw setting stubbornly.

‘No,’ she agreed. ‘Of course you are not.’

They began to walk.

‘I hope – I hope it was not Cecily’s words about our financial situation that gave your mother pause,’ she said quietly.

Archie stammered meaninglessly in response.

‘My papa always taught us,’ Kitty said, staring off into the distance as if deep in a memory, ‘that it was our characters, who we are on the inside, that matters … But I know not all people feel the same way. If it will upset your mother, perhaps it is better that we are not friends.’

This was utter fiction of course, but the bluff played out well.

‘Oh, do not say that, Miss Talbot,’ Mr de Lacy implored, aghast. ‘We mustn’t let Mama ruin our friendship – she’s terribly old-fashioned, you know, but I myself quite agree with your father. In fact,’ he drew himself up to his full height to prepare for a romantic declaration, ‘in fact, I-I should not care if you were a pauper or a prince!’

Misgendering aside, Kitty was quite pleased with this statement. It suited very well for Mr de Lacy to consider himself a romantic hero, and Lady Radcliffe the dragon guarding the castle.

‘Mr de Lacy, it is such a reassurance to hear you say so,’ she praised.

Kitty stopped on the path, forcing him to halt with her.

‘I hope you do not consider me too forward,’ she said, pushing as much warmth into her voice as she could. ‘But I am beginning to think you a most treasured friend.’

‘Miss Talbot, as do I,’ Archie breathed. ‘I am quite determined that we should still see each other. I shall speak to my mother today; I am sure I can make her see sense.’

Very well played, indeed, Kitty congratulated herself. Just so. When they parted an hour later, Kitty felt rather pleased with how the day had gone. But no sooner had they returned to Wimpole Street than Cecily spoke up, apropos of nothing.

‘Do you care for Mr de Lacy?’ she asked, as Kitty tugged the ribbons of her bonnet loose.

‘Why do you ask?’ Kitty said, frowning. The knot at the base of her chin was quite troublesome.

‘I heard what he said – that it would not matter if you were a prince or a pauper. But that isn’t true for you, is it?’