Page 88 of An Ill-Made Match

Bryce gave a small cough, and then sat at his desk. He thought a moment and then wrote a couple of lines on a small rectangle of paper. Then he rang a bell. A page darted in from another small room. They had a whispered conversation and then the page made off with the paper.

“Can I offer you ladies anything while you wait?” he asked politely. Eden was impressed that he did not stammer or stare in Lenora’s presence. In truth, he wore a rather monkish air, so perhaps that was not to be wondered at. His office was scrupulously tidy and when they assured him they were not in need of anything, he returned serenely to his work.

It was some quarter of an hour later, that Oswald Vawdrey showed up at his offices, tall and dark and clad head to toe in unrelenting black. He paused on the threshold, bowed briefly at both ladies, had a quiet word with Bryce and then ushered them into his rather grand inner sanctum. His office was huge with a painted ceiling of the celestial heavens. Parnell padded around it sniffing at furniture until he found a spot under a table that he took a fancy to and curled up under it. In happier times, Eden would have been glad of the opportunity to peruse the extensive bookshelves and the large maps, but not today. “You will I hope, excuse my brevity,” he apologized urbanely. “But the King has only granted me a brief respite.” He gestured them toward chairs and seated himself behind his desk. “Did Bryce offer you some refreshment-?” he began, but Lenora cut him off.

“Why did you not give my cousin the letter I gave into your keeping for her?” she demanded.

Eden watched Oswald Vawdrey’s expression grow instantly guarded. “My dear young ladies…” he started lightly.

“You specifically promised you would deliver it to her!” Lenora persisted, slapping one dainty hand down on his polished desk-top.

Only by the faintest quirk of his very black eyebrows did Oswald Vawdrey betray any surprise at Lenora’s uncharacteristically animated behavior. There really was a very strong family likeness between the three brothers, thought Eden distractedly. Though Oswald was a lot less brawny than his two younger brothers, he had the same dark good looks and height. Of course, to her mind Roland was the better looking. Mason’s features were too harsh, and Oswald’s too smooth, whereas Roland’s were just right. “Your letter?” he mused, after an infinitesimal pause. “Ah yes, I seem to recall now. You did hand me a letter.” He looked regretful. “Alas, that morning at Hallam Hall was so chaotic, I fear…”

“You forgot!” choked Lenora. “How could you?”

Eden reached across to touch her cousin’s sleeve. “Lenora,” she said soothingly. “Calm yourself. This is not like you…”

“Calm myself?” Lenora wheeled around on her. “How can I be calm, Eden? Knowing what you must have thought? Knowing how you must have felt… my gods!”

Eden passed an arm around Lenora’s shoulders, and shot a look of bafflement at Oswald Vawdrey.

Lenora turned impulsively to her. “You thought I would blame you, did you not? You thought I would be upset?”

“Naturally, I was worried-”

“But that was so unnecessary!” burst out Lenora. “And it truly makes me angry to think of us being out of accord!” She turned back angrily to Oswald. “And all because of you!” she said accusingly.

He held up his hands appealingly. “If there has been any discord between the two of you, allow me to bear the blame-” he began.

“Discord?” echoed Lenora in disgust. “She is like a sister to me! Do you not understand? There is no-one whose opinion matters to me more!”

Oswald seemed to consider this a moment. He reached for a silver chain around his neck, extracted a key and then unlocked a small drawer in his desk. From this he withdrew a folded paper which he offered across the desk to Eden. She took it from him and unfolded it.

My dearest, Lenora had written.

Do not be out of reason cross with me. In truth, if I have offended, it is the fault of listening to your strictures rather too well. I am acting for once, without self-interest. Indeed, it is your interests which I have put first. I love you Eden, and want what is best for you. Too long you have played the poor relation at Hallam Hall. I want you to have nice things, steadfast social standing and to be mistress of your own home. Father would not have matched me to Sir Roland Vawdrey if he could not provide all this and more for a wife.

If it has not occurred to you already, then I must confess that I alone am the author of your disgrace. Please believe, it was not a decision that I took lightly. I know how much you value your reputation and virtue. Pray do not smart overmuch regarding your fall from grace. You will scarcely credit it, but in my experience, people do not warm overmuch to paragons of virtue.

In mitigation of my behavior, please believe my motives were not just in your interest. Sir Roland is sick for love of you. I am not the only one to have noticed it, so it is not merely a figment of my imagination as you thought. If you could only see the way his eyes follow you, the way you are his sole focus when you are in the room, then you would believe it too.

He is yours, and now I have delivered him. The rest is up to you.

Your ever-loving Lenora

Eden read the letter through twice, her mind reeling. She lowered the letter with trembling hands into her lap and stared unseeingly at the large window at the other end of the study.

“Please try to understand Eden,” begged Lenora with tears in her eyes. “I meant to act for the best. You were both being so sadly stubborn. I knew I had to do something rather drastic.”

“Drastic!” echoed Eden in a croaky voice. “My gods!”

“Yes,” Lenora concurred. “Nobody would ever believe I had it in me.”

“But how did Lord Vawdrey factor into this?” Eden asked, glancing over at Oswald who was watching them both with interest.

“Pardon?” Lenora looked momentarily disconcerted. “Oh, I simply asked him to pass along the letter…”

“No,” cut in Eden. “No, that won’t do Lenora, I’m afraid.”