"That would be a nonsense. So, Polly, what is it all about?
Blackmail?"
His tone compelled her to look up and meet his eyes. She saw stark determination there, anger, puzzlement and an intentness to find out the truth. Her resolve weakened. But it would not be like confiding in Lucille--Henry would feel obliged to take some action, and to pour out Hetty"s disgrace to him would be so unfair to her future sister-in-law.
She could not break her silence and expose Hetty"s guilt.
"It is not my secret to tell," she said piteously.
"But Harry, it is not my actions that have given Mr Dit ton the means to exert his will..."
Henry frowned.
"Then--" " It is Hetty! " Polly said, and burst into tears.
"Miss Mark ham?" Henry seemed astounded.
"Polly, you must tell me. Trust me--" Polly gazed at him hopelessly.
Surely he could see how desperate she was to tell him, that she trusted him more than anyone in the world, and yet... Henry had forgiven her so much--the youthful immaturity that had stunted her first love for him, her foolish suspicions about his activities. But now he would believe that she did not trust him enough to confide in him, not understanding that a loyalty to her family kept her silent. Polly saw the look of withdrawal she dreaded come into Henry"s eyes, and in that second, she realised that the most important thing was not to preserve Hetty"s secret, but to entrust Henry with it. She started to speak, but another voice interrupted her before she had said more than two words.
"By all accounts, fishing in other men"s pools is your favoured occupation, March night!" Tristan Dit- ton sneered from the doorway.
"An affecting tableau, but not one to which you have any right! Do not approach my promised wife again!"
All expression had been wiped clean from Henry"s face. He turned to face the other man. For a moment it seemed that Dit ton flinched back, although Henry had made no move towards him.
"Take care that you do not make her a widow, Dit ton," he said softly, but with an edge to his words that made Polly shiver suddenly.
"It will be my most earnest endeavour to see her so."
"Mr Dit ton!" Barely had Henry brushed past Tristan Dit ton without another word before Lady Belling ham was standing behind him in the pa.s.sage and addressing him in tones of deepest displeasure.
"You do realise that this is the ladies" withdrawing-room, sir? I a.s.sure you, you are the last person a lady would wish to meet when she takes refuge in here! Kindly retire!"
Mr Dit ton flushed bright red and sidled off down the corridor.
"Routed!" her ladyship said with immense satisfaction. She closed the door behind her and turned her critical dark gaze on Polly.
"My dear, how very woebegone you look! Did you have the chance to speak to Lord Henry? I sent him along to you as soon as I was able, but I was afraid that that unpleasant Dit ton fellow would get in the way! What a vulgar piece of work that man is!"
Polly was not sure whether to laugh or cry. There was something so bracing about Lady Belling ham"s practical common sense that it made matters seem much less black.
"I was about to confide in Lord Henry when Mr Dit ton came in," she admitted.
"It took me a little time to pluck up the courage and by then Mr Dit ton had already found us. Oh, dear! Lord Henry will think that I do not trust him--" " Indeed, my dear, and it is of the utmost importance that he is made to understand! " Lady Belling ham said energetically.
"Lord Henry loves you so very much that I imagine you have occasioned him a great deal of pain through this false engagement! If you do not act quickly he may not forgive you!"
"I did try," Polly said dispiritedly, "but I did not have enough time--" "And no doubt he wasted some of it in berating you!" Lady Belling ham shook her head sadly.
"Gentlemen are so predictable, but I have high hopes of Lord Henry"s intelligence and perception. Surely he can see that you are being blackmailed?"
"Yes, but I did not have the chance to explain--" Polly broke off.
"How on earth did you know that, Lady B.?"
"Oh, my dear..." Lady Belling ham gestured widely "how could you possibly have agreed to marry that horrid little man otherwise? For a while I could not imagine what hold he had over you, then I realised that it could be nothing to do with you personally--" "You cannot know--" " No," Lady Belling ham said serenely, "I do not know the precise truth. All I know is that you are protecting someone else for the best of motives."
She took Polly"s hands.
"But I do urge you, my dear, to reconsider. You may find that what you have been told is very far from the truth..."
Polly stared.
"I wish I could believe you, ma"am," she said sadly, "but all the details fit the case. You do not think that I would have agreed to the betrothal otherwise? Oh, I do not know what to do--" The door opened and a young lady peered in a little dubiously. Lady Belling ham took Polly"s arm and steered her out into the corridor.
"Come, we must see if we can find Lord Henry for you. I cannot deny that I am consumed with curiosity to know the truth, but Lord Henry should be the first to hear! You must tell him, and at once. If necessary, I shall occupy that repellent Mr Dit ton by telling him exactly what I think of him.
That should distract his attention! In fact, I think I shall do that anyway!"
Lady Belling ham"s plan was destined to be dashed, however. Neither Lord Henry March night nor Tristan Dit ton could be found when they re-entered the ballroom.
Looking about, Polly thought that the company seemed to be thinning rapidly.
The officers of the 21st Light Dragoons seemed to be vanishing from before her eyes.
"Oh, this a.s.sembly is so tediously dull!" Miss Dit- ton yawned.
"Mama, let us retire! Where can Tristan have got to?" She looked about her, vexed.
"I.
hope he will not mind if we take the carriage! It is so thoughtless of him to disappear just as we require his escort! " As far as Polly was concerned, Dit ton could not be far enough away. She endured Miss Dit ton"s pretence at an affectionate farewell embrace, winced as she was addressed as "Sister", and retreated thankfully to Lucille"s side. She had already decided that she would seek a private audience with her sister-in-law as soon as they reached Dilling ham Court. She could carry the secret of Hetty"s disgrace no longer.
The journey home was almost as dreadful as the one to the a.s.sembly.
Lucille, Polly and Nicholas sat in silence whilst Polly ached to burst out with the truth. Other melancholy thoughts also occupied her mind.
A few moments more and she would have told Henry everything, but now he would think that she did not trust him enough to confide. And it had been true. doubt had kept her silent until it was too late.
Polly took no notice as the carriage lurched along the dark lanes from Wood bridge to Dilling ham. It was only when they came to an abrupt halt in the middle of nowhere that she looked up in surprise. Nicholas opened the window and stuck his head out. A cold mist was blowing in from the sea, wreathing around the trees, creeping into the carriage.
Polly shivered.
She was uncertain of their precise location as she had not been paying attention, but the night was cold and as desolate as only the empty Suffolk nights could be.
"John? What the devil"s going on?" Nicholas demanded.
"There"s a barricade across the road, my lord," the coachman responded.
"Army business, apparently, though here"s one can tell you what"s going on--" " What"s happening. Lieutenant? " Nicholas Sea- grave demanded of someone beyond Polly"s vision. " Why have we stopped? " There was a murmur of conversation and then the soldier stepped around the side of the carriage, his red coat vivid in the misty darkness. His broad smile dispelled some of the tension gathering inside, where Lucille and Polly were just starting to worry.