memsahibs, and what about the Hulberts?”
“Who are the Hulberts?” asked Harry.
“Some terrible dragon of a woman who is an old friend of Mama’s,” said Rose. “What if I take a fancy to some gentleman shortly after this supposed engagement?”
“Then you terminate the engagement early,” said Harry cheerfully. “Your parents won’t mind so long as you have someone, anyone, to marry.”
Rose was beginning to find all this humiliating. Harry could at least have shown a little warmth instead of looking at her as if she were nothing more than another case.
“I’m sure I can think of something else,” she said stiffly. “Goodbye, Captain Cathcart.”
“No, stay,” he said quickly. “I have hurt your feelings by being so detached about it all.” He suddenly smiled at her, that smile of his which softened the harsh lines of his handsome face. “And it would serve your purpose, would it not?”
“May I say something, sir?” interposed Becket, who was standing behind Harry’s chair.
“By all means, Becket. Pray be seated.”
Becket sat down next to Daisy. “Lady Rose,” he said, “I gather you have led a particularly restricted life of late. Were you engaged to my master, you would have more freedom. Captain Cathcart works hard, but I am sure he would be prepared to attend social events with you. You would not be the target any more of men you did not like, nor would you be so closely guarded by your parents. I think it is a very good idea.”
“Oh, very well,” said Rose ungraciously. “When do you plan to approach my parents?”
“Late tomorrow morning.”
“I do not think for a moment you will have any success,” said Rose, “but thank you for trying. Daisy, are you ready?”
¦
“Well, I think it downright noble of him,” said Daisy on the road back. “You would be able to help him with his detecting like you once wanted to.”
“I have had enough of horrors and frights to last me a lifetime,” snapped Rose, huffily thinking that Captain Cathcart might have said something like how honoured he was, or that he would do anything in the world to help her.
To Rose’s relief, after stopping the hansom on the far corner of the square and walking the rest of the way on foot, they were able to slip in unnoticed.
She finally fell asleep that night torn between worrying thoughts that her parents might not accept the captain’s proposal and being uneasily afraid that they might.
¦
The following morning, the earl looked up from his newspaper as Brum, the butler, entered the morning-room and said Captain Cathcart had called.
“What does that man want now?” demanded the countess. “You didn’t send for him, did you?”
“No, but I’d better see him. Useful chap. Put him in the study, Brum.”
“Very good, my lord.”
The earl entered his study and blinked at the vision that was Captain Harry Cathcart. The captain was wearing an impeccably tailored morning suit. His thick black hair with only a trace of grey at the temples was brushed and pomaded until it shone.
“Ah, Cathcart,” said the earl. “What’s amiss?”
“I am glad to say that nothing is amiss,” said Harry pleasantly. “I have come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
The earl sank down into a battered leather armchair. “This is a shock. I must say I admire your cheek. Won’t do, you know. You’re a tradesman.”
“I am of good family, as you know,” said Harry, “and I can now afford to keep your daughter in style.”
“But you are one of society’s misfits!”
“As is your daughter. My lord, think calmly about my proposal. Can you envisage your daughter married to a conventional man? Lady Rose would quickly become bored and go looking for trouble.”
The earl took out a large handkerchief and mopped his brow. “This is so sudden,” he said like the heroine of a romance. “I don’t know what my wife’s going to say to all this.”
“Why don’t we ask her?”
“Follow me. But she’ll say the same thing.”
Harry followed the earl to the morning-room. Lady Polly was sitting reading her husband’s newspaper at a table strewn with the remains of a hearty breakfast.
“That’s mine!” said the earl, snatching the paper from her. “You know I don’t like anyone reading it until I’ve finished with it. You’ve crumpled it.” He turned to an attendant footman. “Take this away and iron it again.” Newspapers were always ironed so that nasty black ink should not sully aristocratic fingers.
“Captain Cathcart,” said Lady Polly. “Have you breakfasted?”
“Thank you, yes.”
“Coffee? Tea?”
“Coffee, if you please.”
Another liveried footman went to the sideboard to get Harry’s coffee. When it was placed in front of him, the earl said to the footman, “Take yourself off and stand outside the door and make sure no one comes in. Got private business.”
Lady Polly looked at her husband in amazement. When the servant had left, she asked, “What is going on? Not more skulduggery, I hope.”
“Worse than that,” said her husband. “Cathcart here wants to marry Rose.”
“Well, the simple answer is no,” said Lady Polly placidly. “You should have known better, Captain. A man in your position can hardly hope to be allowed to marry an heiress.”
“Then what will happen to Lady Rose?” asked Harry.
“We are sending her to India.”
“Is that such a good idea? What if there is another mutiny? What if she meets some adventurer who is only after her money?”
“Rose will be staying with a very good friend of mine who will look out for her,” said Lady Polly.
“A Mrs Hulbert, I believe?”
“Yes, how did you know that?” Lady Polly’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been seeing my daughter behind my back? Oh, dear God, do you
“Nothing like that. Servants will gossip, you know.”
“No, I wouldn’t know that, young man. Only very low people listen to servants’ gossip.”
“This Mrs Hulbert has daughters of her own, has she not?”
“Yes, two. Bertha and Caroline.”
“I assume they didn’t take at the season?”
“No, that’s why they’re going.”
“My lady, as I have heard,” said Harry, who had done his homework, “the Hulbert daughters are singularly plain and of a somewhat sharp-natured temperament. You are foisting onto Mrs Hulbert a beautiful girl. Lady Rose will have a horrible time. Mrs Hulbert will make no push to have Lady Rose settled until she has seen her own daughters safely engaged. She may even keep Lady Rose in the background. Do you dislike your own daughter so much that you must needs guard her night and day and possibly try to force her into an unsuitable marriage? Remember that she is now capable of working for a living, and as soon as she reaches her majority, she may simply leave home to get away from the pressure.
“I doubt if she will ever forgive you for putting her in asylum.”
“We didn’t know it was an asylum. She just thought it was a nerve place where she could be talked out of her odd ideas,” said the earl.
“You are in danger of forfeiting the love of your daughter,” pursued Harry.
“Don’t be vulgar,” said Lady Polly. Really, what was this odd man talking about? Daughters simply did as they were told. Everyone knew that. Did he expect her to behave like some common character in a cheap play?
“We’ll be here all day,” grumbled the earl. “Where’s that newspaper?”
