Page 75 of Henrietta

‘As, indeed, would I,’ Arthur said evenly, pulling at his gloves.

The reprimand in his voice had Hetty prickling. ‘If you recollect, we had a few other things to discuss that evening.’

‘I am not sure that is a sufficient excuse.’

Trixie, ever the survivor, took this opportunity to slip towards the stairs.

‘It has all been resolved satisfactorily,’ Hetty said.

‘I should have been told,’ Arthur stated. ‘It is my duty – my rules she flouted – and had I known about it I should have—’

‘Done something terribly foolish such as banning her from leaving the house,’ Hetty supplied. ‘Yes, and we would certainly have been in the basket, then.’

The use of such cant would have made him smile only days earlier, but now he frowned. ‘As I understand, you have entirely flouted my instruction to cut the Marquis’s acquaintance – Dawson informs me he is still quite at home here! I would ask you to consider more the example you are setting for Trixie – most likely your eschewing of my protection is what is encouraging her to do the same.’

‘Nicolet is not a fortune hunter, Arthur!’ Hetty threw up her hands. ‘For goodness’ sake – his affairs are in perfect order!’

Her emphasis was not lost upon Arthur, who flushed angrily. They had never spoken to each other in such a way before. He did not know if he wanted to shake her or – or –

He stalked past her before he could finish the thought.

CHAPTER XXIII.

IT did not take the rest of the household long to notice that Hetty and Arthur had quarrelled. In the carriage on the way to Lady Cavendish’s assembly, they would not look at each another, and when circumstances did force them to speak, they did so with such freezing propriety that Trixie, looking from one to the other, demanded to know what on earth was the matter. Neither one would, however, answer, and Trixie – tiring of pressing them unsuccessfully – allowed herself to be distracted by the spectacle of their arrival. Lady Cavendish had, for that evening only, transformed the entirety of her ground- and first-floor rooms into a garden from a fairy tale: palms and ferns were arranged at each corner of each room, hanging-baskets were suspended from the ceiling, and – most impressive of all – garlands wound through trellises set against the walls, so each room felt entirely encompassed in greenery.

Everyone was most impressed, save for Timothy – ‘I’ve had enough of dashed flowers!’ – while Lady Allerton’s unease at attending another ball so unique was plain, and only grew when they partook of a most elegant supper in which dessert included several dozen pineapples. This, at four and five guineas a piece, was a truly extraordinary display of abundance that few other hostesses could hope to match.

‘Though I should have served it with different removes,’ Lady Allerton reasoned later that evening. ‘Truly, all the pineapples in the world cannot account for such an excess of syllabub.’ She heaved a sigh and told Arthur: ‘We must think of a theme for our ball.’

‘An ordinary ball will serve very well,’ Arthur said briefly.

‘Perhaps our theme might be fire,’ Lady Allerton mused, disregarding this. ‘We could have performances from fire-masters, and fireworks, and – illuminations upon the front of the building!’

‘One might as well have the theme be danger,’ Arthur commented. ‘No, Mother: I do not particularly wish to be responsible for burning people alive.’

Lady Allerton deflated.

‘I think illuminations would be very fine,’ Hetty put in contrarily.

‘Thank you, Hetty.’ Lady Allerton glared at Arthur. ‘You know, my dear, Lord Allerton might be on Mrs Corcott’s guest list, but Thimbleby is not!’

She turned a shoulder upon him to strike up a conversation with Mrs Corcott, and Hetty – who after a decade of seeking out Arthur’s company now could not bear to be alone with him – turned to make her own escape. Halfway across the ballroom, however, and her path was obstructed by Sir Marcus Kirkham, who had been lying in wait as a snake in the grass, and halted her not ten steps away and asking if Hetty would like to take some air with him. ‘It has been so very long since we have had a coze together,’ he said caressingly.

‘I do not recall our ever having a “coze” before, sir,’ Hetty said coolly.

Next, she sidestepped Lord Fenton, before finally finding refuge with Mr Hargan, who surprised Hetty with a prompt – if stammering – invitation to dance.

‘I was hoping that your offer of practice might still stand,’ he explained, blushing intensely.

‘Of course,’ Hetty said instantly. ‘May I ask what has prompted such a change?’

His disjointed reply gave Hetty no further enlightenment, but they took to the floor, nonetheless. Afterwards, Hetty – intent on busying herself in as much riotous enjoyment as she could possibly manage – spent an agreeable hour sipping champagne with the Morgans, laughing with the Marquis and dancing with every person who requested her hand. It was a great and effective act of revenge: Arthur, try as he might, could not seem to find the capacity to do the same, and those unfortunate enough to engage him in conversation found him sadly lacking in the charm for which he was usually well known.

Fortunately, for Arthur, too much else occurred that evening for his brusqueness to be much remembered. Most excitingly for the gossips, there was – halfway through the ball – the most deliciously improper scene when the Duke of Sussex, arriving at the ball after the supper had concluded, had only to clap eyes upon Mademoiselle de Nicolet to suffer a great and terrible loss of temper. He approached Mademoiselle Isabelle in high dudgeon, and in full view of the rest of the guests, they had engaged in a verbal altercation which caused him to immediately storm from the ballroom without so much as a thank you to his hostess.

‘It is safe to assume that their courtship is at an end,’ Prince Wilhelm observed to Trixie. ‘One only wishes he could have waited to do so in private. Do you care to dance?’

But Trixie did not accept his offer. Looking across the room, she saw that Mademoiselle de Nicolet, pink-faced and mortified, was being comforted in a low voice by the unmistakeable figure of Captain Edgewood. Trixie made an immediate beeline in their direction.