“Yes, indeed, my lady, so very well until just a moment ago. No, that’s not really true, since you’re here and that’s an unexpected pleasure.” A nervous tic had formed in the past few minutes in the corner of his right eye.
“Is the earl here, George?”
She followed his gaze up the long circular staircase and cocked her head to one side in question. He tugged on his cravat. “Er, yes, my lady, his lordship is indeed here, it’s just that he—” George faltered and died.
“Yes, George?”
“That is to say, my lady, ah, his lordship is not alone, my lady.”
“Well, no matter,” Kate said kindly, patting him on his arm. “I’m certain his friends won’t mind a visit from his wife, do you think?”
“It’s not exactly his friends,” George said in desperation.
“Oh, not his friends? How very curious. I wasn’t aware his lordship admitted his enemies into his house. Come now, George, who is with his lordship?”
He realized that the countess of March wasn’t the same young lady he’d known but a month before. This countess wasn’t about to be put off. This countess was clearly in charge. He said, “Lady Sarah is with him. She arrived not fifteen minutes ago, demanding to see his lordship. Surely you see it’s not his lordship’s fault that she’s here. Why, he would never admit a lady to this house, except you, naturally, but you’re not a lady— well, you are, of course, but you’re his wife, and surely that’s more important.”
“Yes, far more important.” She smiled at him, and he started at the decided militant look in those eyes of hers. Then she gave the most sublime shrug. “Is that all? I dare say the lady who is not his wife is just this moment on the point of leaving.”
Definitely the quiet, rather biddable young lady was long gone. No tears, just this calm indifference, this somewhat amused hauteur. It was astounding. He quite appreciated it. Perhaps, just perhaps, life would change for the better around here. It certainly couldn’t get any worse, what with his lordship moping about, silent and withdrawn, drinking too much brandy, just sitting in the library, staring into the flames in the fireplace.
He got hold of himself. “Do allow me to inform his lordship that you’re here, my lady.” He had this sudden horrible vision of a scene that would make his own hair absolutely gray.
“Oh, no, George, that’s not the way to handle this. Do trust me. I believe I shall surprise his lordship. He’s in the salon upstairs?” He darted a look upstairs, gave her an anguished look, then just stood there like a dumb stick, at least that’s how he characterized his own behavior to himself later over a glass of the earl’s best brandy.
Kate turned and walked to the stairs, as bouncy as a child fetching a treat. She heard George say in a decidedly pettish voice, “Get about your business, my lads! Don’t stand there gawking. Oh, yes, I must find some money for the coachman. No, no, I already paid them. Thank God for something, even a too-small something.”
She walked purposefully up the stairs. Poor George’s distress at Lady Sarah’s tête-à-tête with the earl had, strangely enough, given her confidence. Trepidation is for fools, fainthearts, and butlers, she decided, not for countesses, at least not for this countess.
Had she lost him?
No, she wouldn’t consider that, no, indeed not. The door to the salon stood partially ajar, and Lady Sarah’s repulsive voice reached Kate’s ears before she actually saw the lady.
“Oh, Julien, let her stay in the country. She will be much more in place there. I always thought her awkwardly uncomfortable in society. She was always so pale and uncertain of herself, and our friends didn’t know what to do with her. They were polite only because of you.”
She waited, but Julien didn’t say anything. Well, there was nothing for it. She marched in, head high. “How very kind of you, Lady Sarah, to have my welfare so much at heart. Do you really believe that everyone dislikes me? Is it because I’m such a bore? I don’t believe I’m particularly pale now.” She spoke in the sweetest voice imaginable. She hoped it was as repulsive to Lady Sarah as her voice was to Kate. Actually she wanted to kill the lady, since her arms were around her husband’s shoulders.
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