Miss Verey’s Proposal

find that he was ahead of her at every turn!

‘Just so, your Grace. Excuse me, I must go and greet my brother.’ Before Lady Verey could reprove her she had slipped from the room.

When the time came to leave, it seemed that her feelings were not to be taken into account. Lady Verey and Simon took the carriage whilst Alex handed Jane up into his phaeton as though she had never expressed any disinclination for his company. Jane found herself so annoyed by this that she was uncharacteristically cross and silent. Her feelings were already rubbed raw by a self-consciousness in Alex’s presence and her mind was worrying over the events of the previous night. Had he…? No, surely it was impossible…The memory of the pile of neatly folded clothes came back to haunt her. No one would know, least of all herself…

‘I do believe that you are quite out of charity with me this morning, Miss Verey!’ Alex said cheerfully, observing her stony face. ‘You must allow that it is better for Lady Verey to have plenty of space. She needs a cushion for her arm, you see-’

‘I am perfectly aware that my mother requires not to be squashed!’ Jane snapped. ‘It is simply-’

‘That you did not wish to travel with me. I am aware. What can I have done to have given you so strong a dislike for me?’

Jane turned her face away and gazed unseeingly at the passing countryside. Her tormentor was not silenced.

‘Perhaps you are regretting the things you said last night,’ he said softly. ‘Such an avowal of affection…’

Jane turned to him, her hazel eyes huge and stricken. Oh, why could she not remember? ‘I made no such avowal!’ she said hotly. ‘How dare you, sir!’

‘Oh, but indeed you did!’ Alex took his eyes off the road to consider her flushed and furious face. ‘You said that you could not marry my brother because-’

‘I beg you,’ Jane said hastily, in a fierce tone that belied her words, ‘not to put me to the blush, your Grace! I swear you are no gentleman!’

He shot her a smile. ‘Gentleman enough to leave you to the tender mercies of the landlord’s daughter rather than acting as lady’s maid myself! Though the temptation-’

Relief and anger washed through Jane in equal measure. Why did he have to be so provoking? And how could this laughing man be the same austere Duke of Delahaye whom everyone described as cold and remote?

‘Your Grace!’ she began stormily. ‘Pray show a little decorum!’

‘Very well.’ Alex lowered his voice. ‘We shall talk about it another time.’

‘I have no ambition for it,’ Jane said, turning her shoulder. Her hands were shaking and she pressed them together to still them. It was with the most profound relief that she realised they were already driving through the outskirts of London and she did not speak again until they were in Portman Square.

‘I wondered if I might call on you tomorrow,’ Alex was saying, effortlessly casual, as he helped her down from the phaeton. ‘Would ten o’clock be convenient? It is early, I know, but then my business is urgent.’

‘I…yes, of course.’ Jane tried to think of an excuse and totally failed to do so. More than half of her wanted to see him, but the timid part of her was still urging her to withdraw before it was too late. ‘That would be quite convenient.’

‘Good.’ Alex smiled at her and the glimmer of humour in his dark eyes set her pulse awry. He kissed her hand. ‘Until tomorrow, then, Miss Verey.’

It was good to be home again. Whilst the servants fussed over Lady Verey and led her away to rest, Jane cornered Simon over a cup of chocolate in the drawing-room. She had thought that her brother looked strained and tired in the brief time she had seen him before their departure from the inn. Now she was shocked as the harsh morning light showed just how hollow-eyed he had become.

‘How did you fare whilst we were away, Simon?’ she asked lightly, only the expression in her eyes betraying her concern.

‘Very ill, Janey.’ Simon’s smile and his use of the childhood diminutive confirmed her worst fears.

‘Have you seen her?’

Simon turned away, making a pretence of scanning the Morning Post. ‘I collect that you mean Therese? No, I have not seen her. She would not see me!’ He turned back sharply and his face was full of so much misery that Jane could feel his unhappiness. ‘For the first three days they continued to deny that she lived there, then they said that she would not see me and finally she told me to take my foolish flowers and leave her alone!’

‘You sent her flowers?’

‘By the barrowful,’ Simon confirmed grimly, casting the paper aside. ‘She didn’t want them, nor the food I sent, nor any of the things I could offer…’ His mouth tightened. ‘So in the end I thought, what’s the point? She don’t want me but there must be hundreds who would! So I thought to throw myself into the party spirit-’

‘Oh, Simon!’

‘-and I’ve been entertaining myself ever since! Plenty of pretty girls out this season, and ladies of another sort for other sport-’ He caught himself up. ‘Sorry, Janey, feeling a bit rough…’

‘Go and sleep it off,’ his sister advised unsympathetically. ‘And you need a shave!’

‘No time!’ Simon said, with an attempt at a jaunty grin. ‘I’m engaged to take the divine Miss Shearsby driving!’

Jane sighed. She was hardly fooled by Simon’s assumed insouciance and knew it hid a deeper pain. It seemed that Therese de Beaurain simply did not wish to know and, Jane thought, there was no possible way to make her care for Simon if she did not.

‘What about you?’ her brother asked, pausing in the doorway. ‘Am I addressing the future Lady Jane Delahaye?’

Jane looked affronted. ‘No, Simon! I have told you that I will not marry Lord Philip! I have told everyone and no one is listening!’

‘Thought that was the point of your trip to the country,’ Simon said, tactlessly but with truth. ‘Mama seemed to think that it would bring matters to a head! She and Lady Eleanor were banking on it!’

‘Well, they will have to accept it! Philip is to marry Sophia-I have it all planned!’

Simon raised an eyebrow. ‘Then you may solve the problem by marrying Alex,’ he said easily. He eyed his sister’s sudden blush with frank interest. ‘Oh, dear, it seems I have struck a nerve there, Janey! Well, you have my blessing! I should like above all things to have Alex as a brother-in-law!’

‘Oh, go away!’ Jane hustled her brother out of the room, suddenly anxious to see the back of him. Simon knew her well enough to suspect the truth and she did not want him to realise just how much his suggestion had appealed to her. ‘Go and devastate poor, unsuspecting Miss Shearsby! Though why she would wish to be seen with so disreputable a character defeats me!’

Alex Delahaye was not at Lady Sefton’s ball that night. Sophia Marchment and Philip Delahaye danced with each other three times, to the delight of the gossips. Simon Verey behaved quite scandalously, flirting with any lady who glanced in his direction, and Jane Verey sat quietly in a corner, wondering what on earth the Duke was going to say to her the following morning.

Chapter Eleven

The following day was bright but cooler than previously and Jane was glad of the warmth of her red riding habit when she and the Duke of Delahaye rode out. She had been awake for hours, but in the event, Alex was early and he brought with him a horse from the livery stables.

‘We can take the phaeton if you prefer, Miss Verey, but I wondered if you would like to ride,’ he said. ‘You seemed to enjoy your country rides so much at Malladon that I took the liberty of bringing what I hope is a suitable mount for you!’

He had chosen a horse that was sufficiently spirited to keep Jane occupied through the busy streets and they did not speak much until they reached the quieter environs of the Park. It was still very early and there were few people about. Jane noticed that Alex had instructed the groom to ride a long way back, where there was no danger of them being overheard.