Marrying Captain Jack

‘You know that Marianne did not wish to travel immediately after the birth,’ Mrs Horne said. ‘But it is no more than six months since we were there and Jo visited with us a matter of five weeks ago.’

‘It seems longer,’ Lucy said and bent to kiss her mama’s cheek. She was happy living with her mama and Aunt Bertha, and she had made many friends, with whom she visited most weeks, but she was never happier than with her sisters. ‘It is so good of Marianne to think of it, Mama.’

Mrs Horne nodded. ‘I asked for her advice, because I had thought of Bath, but Marianne insists it must be London, my love.’

‘Yes…’ Lucy nodded. She had been to Bath once or twice with her mama and her Aunt Bertha, but she had not attended the public dances, only private affairs given by their friends. Although she was used to mixing in company, she was not officially out. Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about the coming Season, for she knew that it was usually seen as a chance for girls to find a husband. ‘It will be so much better if Marianne is with us.’

Lucy went over to the window, standing with her back to her mama, gazing out at the garden, which was very pretty at this time of year, the herbaceous borders just coming into flower.

‘We must start to collect your wardrobe,’ Mrs Horne said. ‘Though perhaps it would be best to wait until we are at your sister’s. Marianne is so good with that sort of thing and she will know what the young girls are wearing this Season.’

Lucy hardly heard her mother’s words. She liked pretty clothes, but often clung to things that she favoured long after her mama thought they should be discarded. She still had the blue velvet pelisse that Jo had made for her before they left the Vicarage where they had all grown up; it was one of her favourite things and she refused to part with it, even though she had more stylish ones in her armoire.

She was thinking about someone…a gentleman she had met at Marianne’s wedding, which seemed such a long time ago now, but was just over three years. So much had happened since then. Marianne had married her marquis, and Jo was married to Hal Beverley. Yet the memory of Captain Harcourt’s smile and his teasing had remained with her, almost as bright as it was at the first. Of course he was Lord Harcourt really, but he had left the army some months after Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo and only then adopted the title that had become his on his father’s death.

Lucy pushed her fine, silky hair back from her face. It was the colour of moonlight, more silver-blonde than yellow, and set her apart from most other young ladies she met. Her complexion was soft cream and rose, her eyes were the colour of an azure sky, but could turn darker when she was distressed or angry. Lucy was not often angry, which gave others a false impression of her nature. She seemed a dreamy, gentle girl, mild mannered and perhaps a little insipid at first sight. In truth, she was far from that, for she had a temper when roused and she was a brave girl, but she took after her father. Papa Horne had always been a mild-mannered man, thoughtful, quiet, peace loving—but Lucy had once seen him thrash the sweep who had dared to set a fire under the climbing boy sent to clean the Vicarage chimneys.

He had not known she was there, and when he discovered that she had witnessed the thrashing, he had looked ashamed and begged her to forgive him for subjecting her to such a disgraceful scene.

‘I lost my temper, Lucy,’ he had told her. ‘I should not have done it. I should have reasoned with the man, restrained him if need be—but what I did was unforgivable.’

‘No, Papa,’ Lucy told him with a smile. ‘I think that what you did was justified. He was a cruel man and needed to be taught a lesson. You were provoked by his cruelty and I think that God would understand your loss of temper.’

Papa had smiled, shaken his head and kissed her. Lucy thought that her papa was the most perfect man ever to have lived and it had caused her terrible grief when he had died and they had had to leave the Vicarage. However, that was in the past now, and she had the future to look forward to—and she would be foolish to let her childish daydreams stop her enjoying her Season in town!

She turned back to her mother with a smile. ‘I think I should like a yellow silk dress, Mama. I have seen some very pretty material that would make a lovely ballgown.’

‘You will need a great many dresses, Lucy,’ Mrs Horne said. ‘And, thanks to your aunt and sisters, you will be able to have the wardrobe you deserve.’

Jack came in from the street, tossing his gloves into a bowl on the hallstand, his hat following it. He did not notice that it slid to the floor, or see the expression of his footman as he picked it up and brushed it with his fingers. He was frowning as he picked up two letters from the silver salver, taking them with him as he went into his library.

One was from Lady Staunton, Jack’s only sister Amelia. He had no other relatives to speak of other than his sister and her family, and he was fond of her, but at the moment Amelia’s problems were not his immediate concern. He had looked for Sir Frederick Collingwood, but the man was not to be found in town, and he had learned this morning that he had possibly gone off to Newmarket. Jack was considering whether to post after him, and settle this thing at once, or give himself a breathing space. He opened the first of his letters, reading the brief lines his sister had penned. It had been sent from her home in Hampshire and told him that she had returned to England alone a month ago, because her son David had been suffering badly from the climate.

Her letter said nothing of her unhappiness, though the tone told him that nothing had changed. The only reason Staunton had allowed her to leave India and return to England without him was that he feared he might lose his heir.

Jack cursed as he tossed the letter down. If he had his way, Amelia would leave Staunton for good, but he knew that there were too many difficulties. The man was a brute, damn him! If there were any justice, Amelia would be able to divorce him and retain her son and her place in society, but the laws were all heavily weighted on Staunton’s side.

There was nothing he could do while Amelia refused to take his advice, though he knew that she was desperately unhappy. He opened the second letter, which had come from Drew Marlbeck, inviting him to attend the christening of his daughter Andrea.

A smile touched Jack’s face, for Drew was one of the few men he valued and he knew how proud he was of his little girl. As one of the richest men in England and the holder of a proud title, Drew could have been forgiven if he had been disappointed that his firstborn was a girl, but not a bit of it. He adored her and left no one in doubt of it—or his love for his beautiful wife.

Jack smiled, because he retained good memories of their wedding, and of the few times he had stayed with them since. He had not visited as often as he would have liked, because until recently he had been caught up with the business of the State and could not spare the time for personal pleasure—and then the horror and grief of David Middleton’s senseless death had taken over, making Jack feel that life was cruel and empty and hardly worth living.

He had thrown off his mood of despair in the search for justice. If Collingwood was truly a cheat and a murderer, Jack would not rest until he was in prison where he belonged. However, there was nothing he could do until Collingwood decided to show his face in town. He smiled as he made up his mind to go down to Marlbeck for the christening. He must think of a suitable gift for Andrea, but he would also take presents for Marianne and Drew, because he had money enough and no one to spend it on—apart from Amelia and one or two others.

Lucy watched as her niece Andrea was christened in the lovely old church where her father had once been the parson. Her sister Marianne was glowing with happiness. Andrea was ten months old, a beautiful little girl with honey-coloured hair and blue eyes. Lucy already adored her and was thrilled to have been asked to be one of her godmothers.

‘Isn’t she good?’ Jo whispered as they left the church after the ceremony. Married to Harry Beverley, Lucy’s second eldest sister was increasing herself and clearly happy to be Andrea’s other godmother. ‘She has hardly cried all through the service.’

‘Yes, she is adorable,’ Lucy said, smiling as she and her sister followed the other guests from the church to the waiting carriages, which would take them back to the house. ‘Marianne looks so happy, doesn’t she?’ She nodded to one of the other ladies, feeling a little uncertain.

The Marlbecks’ large house was brimming with ladies and gentlemen, all of whom seemed very fashionable and sophisticated to Lucy. She was a little overcome at meeting so many new people all at once. Drew Marlbeck’s friends seemed to be mostly wealthy men and women of the world, educated, polished and a little awesome to a young girl. They had all been kind to Lucy, especially some of the gentlemen, who paid her pretty compliments, but she could not help feeling slightly unsure in their company. It made her wonder about her Season in London, because she was afraid that she might feel overwhelmed by some of the very fashionable ladies she was sure to meet there.

Once the guests had returned to Marlbeck and the reception was underway, Lucy took the first opportunity to escape. Marianne’s house was beautiful, but Lucy loved being outside, especially on such a pleasant afternoon. It was warm, but not overpoweringly hot as she wandered across the lawn to what was the beginning of a large park. Here, there were wonderful old trees with sweeping branches that offered a perch. Lucy had discovered that she could climb up into an ancient oak tree quite easily and watch what was going on around her without being seen. It was a favourite place, and she gathered her white muslin gown up so as not to catch it on protruding branches, climbing into the canopy of leaves and settling down on a thick branch.

From her vantage spot she could see the back of the house. One or two ladies had come out to stroll on the terrace, their delicate lace parasols raised to protect their fair skins from the sun. Lucy was for ever being scolded for going without a hat, as she had today, for, as Mama had often told her, freckles were not admired.

Lucy had a faint sprinkling of them across her nose. Mama had prepared her own lotions, and even bought some Denmark Lotion from the apothecary, but nothing had worked. It seemed that she was doomed to have them as soon as the summer came.

Lost in her dreams, Lucy was not aware of the dog until it barked fiercely. She looked down, dismayed as she saw the huge black hound at the foot of the tree. It was growling, its front paws against the trunk, as if it were considering climbing up after her.

‘Go away!’ Lucy said. ‘Do not growl like that, you horrid thing! I do not know how you came here, but you do not belong in this place. Go away!’

The dog barked louder than ever. It had heavy jaws and looked as if it were some kind of hunting hound, trained to attack. Lucy felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach, because she knew that she dared not climb down while the dog continued to stand guard at the base of the tree. A similar animal had once bitten her as a child, and, though generally not afraid of dogs, she was frightened of this particular beast.

‘Lucy…where are you?’ Jo had come out on to the terrace at the back of the house and was clearly looking for her. Lucy hesitated to call her, because if the dog was wild it might attack her sister. ‘Lucy, Mama wants you.’

Jo returned to the house, obviously thinking that Lucy was not in the gardens. Lucy moved gingerly, wondering if she could get down, but immediately the dog started barking its head off once more.

‘Oh, do go away, you horrid creature! I want to get down.’

‘Come down if you wish, Brutus will not hurt you,’ a voice said from somewhere behind her. Lucy glanced over her shoulder and saw a gentleman riding a horse in her direction. As she watched, he halted a few yards from her tree. ‘Here, boy! Down, I say. Come here!’

The dog immediately obeyed. It sat at its master’s command, and though it turned its head to watch her as she climbed out of the tree, it neither barked nor sprang at her—though she was sure that it would have done had the man commanded it to do so.

‘I was alarmed,’ she said, settling her skirts about her and realising that he must have had a clear view of her legs as she climbed down. Indeed, she suspected that he might even have caught a glimpse of the lace garters that held up her white silk stockings. ‘He is a fierce-looking creature.’

‘I fear his looks do not pity him,’ the man said, a smile on his lips, for he had been treated to a view not often granted by properly brought-up young ladies, as he was certain she actually was despite being in the tree. ‘But I promise you he has the softest mouth. He is trained to retrieve game when it has been shot, and it is unlike him to behave so ungallantly towards a lady. I dare say he thought you were up to no good up there.’ He glanced up at the broad branch on which she had been perched. ‘You must admit, it is rather an unlikely place to find a young lady of breeding.’

‘Yes…’ Lucy’s cheeks were on fire. She was well aware that her behaviour was not what it ought to be. ‘Mama would scold me if she knew. I have been asked not to climb trees in future, though I often did so as a child. I am too old for such larks now.’

‘Indeed?’ He gave her an indulgent look, clearly thinking her still a child. ‘How old are you—sixteen?’

‘I was eighteen two weeks ago,’ Lucy said and hardly dared to look at him. He would think her a hoyden, and in truth she was. ‘Mama is to take me to London in a few weeks for my first Season.’

‘You surprise me. I had thought you younger. You will need to curb your inclinations for tree climbing once you are introduced into London society, young lady, otherwise you will incur the censure of its hostesses, and that would be a shame. It would be a pity if you did not meet with the success you deserve.’ He turned to look at the dog. ‘Brutus, follow!’

He gave his reins a flick and rode off, following the drive round to the stable block, which was away to the right. The dog trotted behind obediently and Lucy drew a breath of relief as she fled back across the lawns to the safety of the house.

She was certain she knew who the gentleman was, though she had not seen him since Marianne’s wedding. Her pulses raced, because she had not expected that Lord Harcourt would come to the christening. He was, of course, one of Drew’s best friends, but she had not met him here before and had not thought him in the habit of visiting.

Oh, why did it have to be he who found her in the tree? Lucy bit her lip in vexation, because she knew that he had thought the incident amusing. And, indeed, she did feel very foolish. She wished that she had not been caught in such an undignified situation. He must think her a foolish little girl—and in truth she had behaved like one! Lucy’s cheeks were warm as she went into the house, running upstairs to her own room. She must make sure that her gown was not dirty or torn before she rejoined the company! But she feared that the damage was already done.

Lucy did not see Lord Harcourt again until she came down for dinner that evening. He had changed into formal dress and looked impressive in his black coat and breeches, his shirt a pristine white rivalled only by the snowiness of his cravat, which had been tied in an intricate design. Since she knew he had arrived alone, she wondered if he had tied it himself, but of course his valet might have come on with his baggage in a coach.

She felt nervous as he looked in her direction, but gave no indication that they had met earlier. He was standing with Drew and Marianne at that moment, clearly at home with them, laughing at something Marianne had said to him. She hesitated, afraid to join the little group, though she longed to know if she was right about his identity.

‘Ah, there you are, my dearest,’ Mrs Horne said, smiling at her. ‘Have you met Lord Harcourt yet? He arrived too late for the service, but Marianne said he has been very generous. He gave her some beautiful pearls to keep for Andrea’s sixteenth birthday and also a piece of silver for herself. Was that not kind of him?’