Page 31 of The Wordsworth Key (Regency Secrets #3)

Chapter Seventeen

Road to Hardknott Pass

‘T he mother and father died in the snowstorm, leaving the children without anyone to look after them,’ said Luke Knotte, his squirrel-bright eyes glittering over his nut of a story.

‘It happened right here in this valley. It may look a beautiful spot, but it is treacherous. Death is never far away.’

His habitual scowl in place, Moss harrumphed. ‘You shouldn’t scare Miss Fitz-Pennington. Cumberland doesn’t have the monopoly on danger. There’s many a cutthroat down a London alley and the mortality rate is certainly higher in town.’

Particularly for magistrates who strayed to Billingsgate, thought Dora.

‘But here Nature is our enemy– as well as our friend,’ insisted Knotte. ‘Don’t you find that dichotomy fascinating?’

‘I’d say that’s a rather obvious conclusion, if not a platitude. Snowstorms are dangerous– what a discovery.’ The man from the Alien Office corrected the amble of his horse towards a tempting outcrop of grass.

Knotte looked upset to be called out as trite. ‘Surely it is novel that in our age we are able to find a terrible beauty in the story whereas before us writers would only have seen the pathos?’

Dora sighed. The men were from different literary traditions and would never agree.

They had been arguing over the poetry to be found in suffering for some miles now and she was sick of it.

Suffering wasn’t poetic– it was grinding and ugly.

You got out of it as soon as you could. ‘What happened to the children?’

The shepherd poet turned a startled gaze on her. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘The children left in the middle of winter with their parents frozen on the hillside. There has to be a conclusion to the tale.’

‘Oh, well, yes. Thank you for asking, Miss Fitz-Pennington: it does you credit that your feminine heart felt for the unfortunates. The people rallied round and raised money to support them. The eldest girl is employed in local households so they can afford to stay together. Miss Wordsworth is very involved in seeing that they manage.’

‘I’m pleased to hear it.’ Dora noticed that Lady Alice was waiting at the side of the road.

Langhorne had drawn alongside her to enquire if all was well, but she was waving away his attempts at gallantry.

To Dora’s expert eye, the lady looked very fine in her navy-blue riding habit, black frogging on the breast and cuffs, and lady’s top hat in grey with a black band.

Her green eyes met Dora’s, an expression of acute interest. Did that spell trouble?

‘Miss Fitz-Pennington, might I have a word?’ the lady enquired.

From the sudden stiffening of backbones, a little bolt of awareness ran through the gentlemen riding at the rear of the party.

‘I say,’ muttered Knotte. ‘Is an argument brewing between our fair companions?’ He was so socially inept: such things could be thought, not said.

‘I hope not,’ replied Dora evenly.

These were intelligent men. They all likely understood Jacob and Dora had more than a business relationship but were too polite to refer to it.

The rule was that unless you thrust it in someone’s face, society preferred to be like Nelson and turn a blind eye.

That awareness might not extend to the innocent Lady Alice and Knotte was right to be worried that an ugly scene might develop if her father objected. He just shouldn’t say it aloud.

Dora sighed inwardly. Did the gentlemen think she would be rude to the peer or his daughter? Probably. ‘Lady Alice? How may I help you?’

‘I would love to ride a while with you, if your companions will spare you,’ the lady said with a charming smile at Moss and Knotte.

‘It would be my pleasure,’ said Dora.

Taking their cue, the two men fell back, and Lady Alice took the place at her side. Dora held her tongue. The lady had asked for this conversation so she should choose the topic. Dora would not be so presumptuous as to be the first to address the daughter of a nobleman.

‘I was talking with Dr Sandys about you,’ Lady Alice began as they urged their horses up the next steep turn of the road.

‘Indeed.’ There: that was nice and non-committal.

‘He said you were in business together, investigating mysteries for clients who cannot find answers by other means.’

‘That is a fair summary of what we do, yes.’

‘And that you trained for the stage.’

‘It can be an honourable living, despite what you might have heard.’

‘Oh, but of course! I simply adore Mrs Siddons and Mrs Jordan. And look at Elizabeth Farren: she married the Earl of Derby! My mother visits her without any mention of her previous profession. I am not so shallow as to think all actresses are the same; some make reputations for themselves that set them above the indignities that their sisters suffer.’

That was fair enough. It was true that the Green Room door often led to a gentleman’s protection as his mistress– not that the actresses thought of that as an indignity. Many called it luck.

‘What I wanted to ask you,’ the lady took a quick look around to check no one was riding within earshot, ‘was how you managed it?’

That had not been the question she was expecting. ‘Managed what?’

‘Escaping what we are told we should do and yet still be invited into polite society?’

‘Ah. For all your generous words about actresses, I think you might not have understood my position, my lady. Were this London I doubt very much your father would allow me in your company.’

‘You seem respectable enough to me.’ Her eyelashes fluttered down as if she knew what she was going to say might raise a blush. ‘Forgive my bluntness, but you are not anyone’s mistress, are you?’

‘I am not. Were you attempting to put me out of countenance with your question?’

‘No! I didn’t think it could be the case. My father wouldn’t have let me come today if he thought so.’

Dora gave the girl a grin for her bravery. ‘Oh, well done, Lady Alice.’

‘Well done?’

‘I can’t bear it when society misses pretend to be so dim they do not see what is going on all around them when such liaisons are happening with lords, ladies, even princes…’

‘Especially princes,’ added Lady Alice.

‘Not to mention in the press, on stage, in the cartoons. Ignorance is not a convincing pose for anyone.’

Lady Alice returned the smile. ‘I believe we ladies are supposed to be like donkeys on the mill wheel, blinkered with the carrot just ahead.’

Dora reassessed her companion. Beauty was coupled with wit: a devastating combination. ‘Plodding ahead to your destination of marriage?’

‘And yet the wheel takes us nowhere. Wouldn’t it be better to step off?’

‘Perhaps, but you might want to ask if there are any carrots to be found that way. We all need the equivalent of carrots to live. So what carrots are you after?’

‘As I was telling Dr Sandys, my passion is for botany.’ A sparkle brightened her eyes as she hit on a favourite subject.

‘I would like nothing better than to travel to other countries and paint what I can collect. I’ve heard that the flora of Cape Town is exceptional– and the climate is very favourable to English people. I dream of going there.’

‘Indeed?’

‘My ideal husband is someone who would make it possible to travel, who would join in the adventure because he has a questing mind. Someone who also likes collecting.’ She cast a significant look at Jacob.

There was no point pretending ignorance after Dora had just extolled the virtues of plain speaking. ‘Collecting rare books is hardly the same as botany.’

‘But Cape Town is on the way to India– and there are many fascinating manuscripts to be found in the libraries of the rajahs. Illuminated ones. Sanskrit. Items from the Mughal Empire. I would imagine that would appeal to both the collector and artistic side in someone we both know.’

‘I imagine so. You have been giving the subject much thought.’

‘It needn’t get in the way of your business dealings– I would never begrudge him that. Once we return, we’d live mainly in town, and that would suit me. I like to imagine that my life might not be the humdrum one of marriage to some acceptable country squire and a clutch of tedious children.’

‘I see little danger of that.’ Lady Alice would have a country squire eating out of her hand and her offspring were unlikely to be boring.

‘And if he tired of investigating– something his brother considers a passing fad– I was thinking that the East India Company would rush to employ the brother of so influential a peer. If Dr Sandys wished, he could have a say in the governance of a nation. What an adventure life in India would be while we are young!’

‘That is where your understanding of the man is at fault,’ said Dora mildly. ‘He would no more wish to run a nation than run for parliament.’

‘Oh? I would have thought a seat in the Commons is a logical step for a man of his learning and experience. War hero, medical expert, brother to a peer who doubtless has several boroughs in his pocket. Dr Sandys won’t be content living in this backwater for the rest of his life, surely?

And if he does take his place in society again, he will need the right lady at his side, someone who will say “yes” to going to India, or to hosting a dinner party in Westminster.

Someone who allows him to realise his dreams and is approved by his family. ’

‘You are painting a very convincing picture, my lady,’ conceded Dora, ‘but why do so to me? Should you not be making your case to Dr Sandys?’

Lady Alice patted her horse’s neck. A thoroughbred mount, it was the colour of the bracken, a shade or two browner than her copper hair.

‘Oh, I am doing so, don’t mistake me. However, I have no interest in fighting unfairly with another lady for what I want.

If he is already promised, then I will withdraw from the field and pick another to pursue.

Neither of us have our hearts involved in our relationship– not yet. ’

‘That is fighting talk.’

‘Courtship is the only time when we women have any power in making decisions over our future. I plan not to waste it.’

Dora studied the enquiring face beside her, the perfection of the mole placed by nature to highlight the well-shaped lips, the pale skin and hint of freckles: Lady Alice was a mixture of delicacy and fire.

A little voice asked how Jacob could not resist falling for her.

‘I applaud your clear thinking, Lady Alice– and your decency in speaking to me. I can lay no claim to Dr Sandys.’ How could she?

She had repulsed every overture he had made so far to take them towards marriage.

‘Or perhaps I should put it another way. Jacob and I have known each other for four months and are bound by strong ties of affection and respect; I believe there is a kind of commitment between us, but we are not engaged. He would be breaking no promises to me if he chooses another.’

‘You mean that?’

‘If he decides he wants you rather than me, then the ties between us are not strong enough to bind, are they? I would be merely acknowledging a truth.’

‘Are you saying I am free to make my case to him?’

‘I am saying he is free to choose what will make him happiest.’

‘Then there is no petty rivalry between us?’

Dora smiled. ‘If there is rivalry, then it isn’t of the petty kind.’ She wasn’t going to give up Jacob that easily.

Lady Alice chuckled. ‘I like you, Miss Fitz-Pennington. Thank you for that answer. So, how shall we entertain ourselves today? Tell me: are you a decent horsewoman?’

‘Fair to middling.’

‘Then shall we show these gentlemen how it’s done? At this rate we won’t make it to the fort before late afternoon.’

‘Are you by any chance attempting to increase your attractions for the gentlemen by riding like a Valkyrie?’

‘I prefer that to sedate promenades with my parasol in the park displaying my figure to advantage as my mother would have me do.’

Dora looked up the road. At the top was a withered thorn.

‘First one to the tree wins?’

‘Wins what?’

‘I don’t know– everything? Nothing?’

The lady laughed. ‘You’re on. On the count of three!’

Dora didn’t wait. She was on a hired hack whereas Lady Alice was on her own mount: that was handicap enough.

‘Three!’ called Lady Alice from behind, but she was laughing as she urged her horse to follow. They galloped through the startled gentlemen, scattering viscounts and lords to the side of the road. ‘Make way!’

‘Ladies first!’ shouted Dora.

And away they went.

It didn’t matter in the end who reached the tree first– it was the pure joy of breaking out of the constraints. Lady Alice reached out and seized Dora’s hand as they slowed once past the tree. A thrill ran through Dora, and she felt that Alice likely shared it. It was like a kiss.

‘Excellently done,’ said Alice, recovering first from their moment. ‘Shall we ride on?’

Dora looked behind to see the gentlemen increasing their pace to catch up. ‘Oh, yes.’

‘Do you know the way?’

‘I saw a map.’

‘Then let us go ahead and blaze our own trail. We so rarely get the chance.’