Page 39 of The Secrets of Ashmore Castle

Giles was angry. ‘Who told you that?’

‘Keep your hat on! My man Speen got it out of old Crooks that you were looking for a wife with some urgency, and having a fair idea of how my father ran things, I assumed the rest. Your reaction tells me I’ve hit a nerve. How do you come to have Crooks as your valet, by the by? I wouldn’t have thought he was to your taste.’

‘I didn’t have a man when I came back from Thebes. He was there with nothing to do, and I haven’t got time to go looking for a replacement. He does his work well – but if he’s going to be gossiping about my private affairs to strangers—’

‘Oh, Speen can get anything out of anyone. It’s his one talent. Don’t fret, old dear. All Crooks said was that you wanted a wife. I told you, I guessed it was the rhino you were after – what else? You never were a great man for the ladies, were you?’ Giles still looked angry, and didn’t reply. Richard went on, ‘I think it’s an excellent idea. I might even try it myself.’

‘You don’t have a title to exchange for a fortune,’ Giles pointed out harshly.

‘Ah, but I have so much else to offer,’ Richard said lightly. ‘Looks, charm – and the entrée into society. I know everyone worth knowing – and, better than that, they like me! You would never take the trouble to please people and, of course, with the earldom to come, you didn’t need to. But things might be different now. You could do worse than have me at your shoulder, telling you how to go on.’ His grin widened,. ‘Better still, I can show you! I’ll find a wealthy industrialist who wants to move his daughter up a rung on the social ladder, and promise to get her in everywhere. She’ll fall so much in love with me, her pa won’t mind that I’m only an honourable.’

‘You’re serious about this?’ Giles asked, frowning.

‘Why not? Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be good to her once we’re married. I’m not a monster! She’ll be happy, I’ll be rich – and if some accident or disease should carry you off before you’ve managed to get an heir, I shall have the title too. Everyone wins.’

For an instant Giles’s mouth hung open with outrage, until he realised his brother was roasting him, and he laughed awkwardly. ‘Don’t do that!’

‘What? Tease you? I know I shouldn’t – it’s too easy,’ Richard said. ‘But I’m serious about helping you. People can’t help liking me, and some of that will rub off on you. And if there should happen to be two heiresses, well, you wouldn’t begrudge me the crumbs from under your table, would you? I promise to let you have first pick.’

‘You’re incorrigible!’ Giles exclaimed, still laughing.

‘Ah, but you love me all the same,’ said Richard, with assurance.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A butler opened the door of the house in Berkeley Street to Nina, and she was admitted into a large hall, with a marble floor, a huge chandelier and a grand staircase. At school, she had not thought much about Kitty being an heiress, but the size and splendour of the house and the butler brought it home to her. She felt suddenly very small, and very young. Still, the butler seemed to have expected her. He said, ‘This way, if you please,’ and conducted her upstairs.

She had expected to be taken straight to Kitty, but she was shown instead into a small, stiff parlour, and left to wait. She was shivering by the time Lady Bayfield arrived. Kitty’s stepmother was tall and thin, beautifully dressed, and wearing eight rows of pearls – Nina had time to count them while she was being coldly examined.

‘Attend, please, Miss Sanderton,’ Lady Bayfield said at last. ‘Before you go to your room, I want to make sure you understand the terms on which you are here.’ The tone was stern, the eye unfriendly. Nina’s stomach felt hollow. ‘You will be receiving,’ Lady Bayfield resumed, ‘a very great advantage from your stay here. You will go to all the parties, balls and other entertainments that Miss Bayfield attends. Few girls of your station in life will ever have such an opportunity. I hope that you are grateful.’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Nina said humbly.

‘And I hope you will always remember,’ Lady Bayfield went on, ‘that you are here for Catherine’s benefit. You are to be at her side and at her service. You will support her spirits, encourage her, reassure her. She is Miss Bayfield, and she must always come first. You, Miss Sanderton, are nothing and no-one. You will not put yourself forward, or try to usurp any part of her consequence. Do you understand me?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Nina said.

‘Very well. Ring the bell, and you will be taken to your room.’

Nina’s room was large, and a door led into an adjoining bathroom, which was nothing like the one at home. It was as big as a bedroom, and there was an old, faded Turkish carpet on the floor, and an enormous fireplace with two deep, comfortable armchairs in front of it. On the far side a further door led into Kitty’s bedroom. The girls were delighted with the arrangement, which meant they could come and go to each other’s room.

‘I’m so glad you’re here at last,’ Kitty cried. ‘I’ve been feeling so nervous.’

‘You mustn’t be. We’ll practise together before every occasion, just like we used to at Miss Thornton’s. I say, have you got lots and lots of gorgeous dresses?’

Kitty laughed and nodded. ‘Any amount! And Mama’s hired a real lady’s maid to dress us both and do our hair. She’s French, and called Marie. What do you think about that?’

For once, Nina had no words.

‘I’ve made a list of girls for you,’ said Aunt Caroline, with a notebook in one hand and a small gold pencil in the other. ‘Some big families start coming back after Easter, but the important balls and parties don’t start until May, except for the Wansborough House ball at the end of April. That’s always the first main event of the Season. It will be a dreadful crush but at least you won’t be noticed among the crowds, so you can look at the girls I’ve picked out for you without being seen to do so.’

‘It sounds horribly like a—’

‘If you say “cattle market” I shall slap you! Honestly, Giles, I’ve gone to a great deal of trouble – because, plainly, your mother can’t do anything while she’s in deep mourning – and I’m not going to have my efforts go to waste because you’re stupidly squeamish!’

‘Squeamish?’ he protested.

‘How on earth do you think girls find suitable husbands? Everybody understands the rules. Now, let’s have no more of your silliness.’ She put her little notebook on the table in front of her. ‘I’ve made a list of ten, but I think you had better concentrate on the first five to begin with, because I’m not sure …’ she gave him a doubtful look over the top of her glasses … ‘that you’ll be able to keep more than five in your head at once.’