A Masked Deception

Chapter 10

The first few days of the house party were filled with noisy gaiety. All the invited guests arrived that first day except Devin Northcott, who traveled to his parents' home two days later and finally joined the Brampton Court set on the following day.

The older ladies quickly established the blue salon as their domain. There they exchanged the latest on-dits from town, shared stories of their children and grandchildren, and did some shameless matchmaking.

"My dear Isabella," Lady Romley said on one such occasion, "don't you think that Susa

"She has ten thousand a year," the dowager mused. "Do you think he might form an attachment, Ha

"I distinctly observed him smile at her twice during di

"Ah, it would be so comfortable to have all my children well established," the dowager sighed, smugly aware that Lady Romley still had two daughters to be provided with husbands.

"Of course, he does seem uncommonly fond of the earl's sister-in-law," Lady Romley commented slyly.

"Charlotte? Just a silly chit! Charles has a better notion of what is due him, never fear, Ha

"Rumor had it a while ago that Devin Northcott was about to offer for her," said Lady Romley.

"Very unlikely," the dowager decided. "Devin must be immune to all the little misses of the Season after avoiding them for ten years or more past."

"She has no dowry?" quizzed the other.

"But little," the other replied. "I have considered suggesting to dear Richard that he might marry her to the vicar of St. Stephen's. It is Richard's living, you know, Ha

"Ah," Lady Romley commented, "the gel will be grateful for that. Fetching little thing!"

The younger ladies spent much of their time wandering around, trying to look pretty. They kept to their rooms most of the morning, sleeping and preparing to meet the day. In the afternoon they wandered in the gardens, took carriage rides to various parts of the estate to see the views from the hills or to have a picnic, or sat indoors to gossip-usually about one predominant topic.

"However do you tell the twins apart?" A

"But they are both so handsome," Susa

"I believe he hopes to return before winter sets in," Margaret replied.

"How romantic it would be to follow the drum as a soldier's wife," Susa

"It would be most disagreeble and uncomfortable you may be sure, Susa

"Is Mr. Northcott to come to di

"Never say so," A

"Staid?" asked Charlotte helpfully.

"There, you see?" A

"I did not say that," Charlotte pointed out.

The men spent most of their days out riding, or fishing, or playing billiards indoors. Their conversation was, significantly, about horses and hunting and the latest boxing mills they had witnessed, about cards and gambling and the latest bizarre bets that had been entered in the books at the clubs.

"I say," said Ted Kemp, "did you see Bill Bruiser give Hatchet Harry a leveler in the ring last week? Two minutes into the first round. Harry had pounded Bruiser like a punching bag in the stomach. Bruiser did not even bat an eyelid. Then one left hook and bam! Blood pouring from Harry's nose and Bruiser being carried from the ring shoulder high."

"A damned waste of time I called it," said Charles. "It took an hour to drive out to the mill and another half-hour to find a parking spot. The whole thing was over before a man had started to watch."

"Who is going to win the race to Brighton?" Rodney Langford asked.

"What race?" asked Sir Henry.

"Viscount Harley's son and old Sangster to race their curricles from London to Brighton Saturday next," Rodney explained.

"It will probably end with a couple of broken necks," Lord Romley commented.

"Sangster's favored on the odds, I hear," said Ke

Very little of their conversation concerned the ladies.

The evenings were a time that the whole party spent together. After di

Lady Romley noticed that A

The dowager Countess of Brampton noticed that Susa

"Charlotte, my love, do you wish to rescue a drowning man?" Charles had said. "Come and walk in the garden with me."

"What, does Susa

"Have you heard of the difference between night and day, brat?" he asked.

"You really are being most cruel to all the ladies, you know, Charles," she scolded gaily. "Here they all are, falling over themselves trying to ensnare you, and you will not even warn them that you are betrothed."

"Should I wear a sign?" he asked. "And can I help it, my love, if I was born with quite irresistible charm?"

"And with incredible immodesty," Charlotte commented to the stars.

They went to sit on the stone wall surrounding the fountain in the rose garden.

"Juana is really coming to England," Charles a

"Oh? When?" Charlotte clapped her hands.

"She was not sure of that. The war had disrupted life in Spain. It may be weeks or only days before she arrives in Portsmouth. She may even now be on the seas. She is to send me a message when she arrives. I can be there from here in four hours or less."

"Charles, do you not think it would be wise to tell your mama or his lordship that she is coming?"

"No, I do not," he answered. "It will be time enough for them to know when she is here. They ca

Charlotte could not help but feel that he was looking at the situation through a lover's eyes, but she kept her counsel.