A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting(18)

She smiled at her sister, but Cecily did not bestir herself to add any commentary. Difficult thing. Mr de Lacy was gazing adoringly at her, though, a melted pool of butter, and Kitty tried to take reassurance from that.

‘Yes, a wonderful – even miraculous – coincidence,’ Lord Radcliffe agreed, and though his tone remained polite, Kitty felt a stirring of unease.

‘I suppose I must be very lucky,’ she said. She turned to Lady Radcliffe, hoping to dismiss this line of questioning. ‘I hear the weather is to continue improving, ma’am. I hope we can look forward to a break in humidity, which must surely be a cause for your ghastly migraines.’

‘As do I, my dear,’ Lady Radcliffe said in fatalistic tones, ‘though I for one do not expect an improvement.’ She turned to her son. ‘Was Radcliffe Hall in good shape, when you left?’

‘Oh, very,’ he said promptly.

‘Mr de Lacy tells me that Radcliffe Hall is quite beautiful,’ Kitty said, smiling ingratiatingly at Radcliffe. ‘I should so love to hear more about it, my lord.’

‘I am afraid most of our company would find such a description very dull,’ Radcliffe said coolly. ‘You must tell us instead of your family seat – Netley, is it?’

Her smile tightened. ‘By all means, though I am afraid to call it a family seat is a little generous.’

‘Is it?’ he asked. ‘From what Archie told me, I imagined the lands to be quite extensive.’

It took a great deal of self-restraint on Kitty’s part to avoid sending an accusatory glance in Archie’s direction. Seeming to sense that he had made a misstep, Mr de Lacy hastened to interject.

‘No, no, James. Impressive, I did say, but I meant in beauty rather than scale.’ He seemed very pleased with this turn of phrase, beaming to himself and looking towards Kitty for approval. Kitty gave another smile, as it would not serve to appear cross. Still, was it too much to expect him not to actively hinder their endeavours with unhelpful exaggeration? And now it looked as though she was being purposefully misleading. It was most vexatious.

‘I’m sure I don’t know about that,’ she demurred. ‘We think so, at any rate.’

She tried again to include Cecily in the conversation by glancing to her for some commentary, but Cecily was staring vaguely off into the distance. Kitty supposed they were lucky that gormlessness was not considered a sin in women.

‘I’m sure,’ Radcliffe said smoothly. ‘In the West Country, yes?’

Something in his tone made her feel a sense of caution, but there was no way of not answering.

‘Dorsetshire,’ Kitty confirmed. ‘Just west of Dorchester.’

‘I’d love to see it,’ Archie enthused. His genuine enthusiasm softened her towards him a little.

‘Whenever you like,’ she promised, reckless. He beamed.

From there, Mr de Lacy and Lady Amelia – tiring of their brother’s interest in Miss Talbot – took over conversation. Kitty, in turn, was able to redirect her concentration back to ingratiating herself with the family, listening attentively and giving liberally of tinkling laughs and murmurs of interest at each appropriate point. By the time they took their leave, both Lady Amelia and Mr de Lacy were in quite high spirits, from the intoxicating combination of Kitty’s ego-stroking and their brother’s undivided attention – and Kitty felt that she had handled the day’s unexpected challenge favourably, in the end. From here, all she needed to do was to prove to Radcliffe how incandescently happy she made his brother. After all, if his mother had no objection, why should he?

They made their goodbyes, Mr de Lacy fervently promising to see her on the morrow, and she curtseyed to Radcliffe last. Then, for the second time that day, she caught that same expression in his eye – the one that cut her to the quick, and told her, clearly, that she did not belong here. She settled into the de Lacy carriage – which Lady Radcliffe had had ordered around as soon as she learnt they intended to walk home – feeling ill at ease. Why should he look at her so contemptuously, when she had the approval of the rest of his family? What on earth had she done, to provoke such a reaction? She was not at all certain – and she did not like it one bit.

By contrast, Radcliffe, leaving the family home for his own lodgings on St James’s Place several hours later, felt very certain of three facts. Firstly, that his younger brother and entire family were dangerously infatuated with Miss Talbot. Secondly, that Miss Talbot harboured no true romantic attachment to Archie whatsoever, beyond a fancy for his wealth. And thirdly, that it would be down to him to scotch the whole affair.





9


Kitty slammed the note down onto the breakfast table, causing her sister and aunt to jump.

‘The de Lacys have called off today’s walk,’ she said crossly in explanation. ‘Mr de Lacy is spending the afternoon with Radcliffe, while Lady Radcliffe and Lady Amelia have been invited to view the Elgin Marbles with Lady Montagu’s daughters.’

‘It is natural for Radcliffe to want to spend time with his brother, is it not?’ Cecily said airily. ‘And I should like to see the Elgin Marbles myself.’ She added this last wistfully. Husband-hunting had not, Cecily had been disappointed to find, left much time thus far for sightseeing.

‘Twice this week?’ Kitty snapped. ‘It isn’t natural, it’s intentional. Radcliffe is trying to end our acquaintance.’