Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (top rated books of all time txt) 📗

she had perhaps gone too far. Shemurmured a meek "Yes, milord," and on being released beat a hastyretreat.

"Pon my soul, Justin, that's an engaging scapegrace! Not your usualstyle though. Where'd you acquire him?"

His Lordship examined his cravat minutely in the mirror above themantel, making an imperceptible adjustment to a fold before replyinglazily, "It was a vast error on my part, Julian, I must confess. Iyielded, would you believe, to a moment of pity and intervened in abrawl between that vagabond and

a mountain of a baker. It was the odds,you see," he added with a weary sigh. "They were really not entirelyfair and I felt an unaccountable urge to even them. It was an impulse Ihave since had cause to regret on many occasions."

"Gad, Justin!" Lord Julian's shoulders were shaking. "No one is goingto believe that, moved by such an energetic emotion as compassion, youof all people have saddled yourself with an impudent whelp."

"I do beg of you, Julian, that you will not feel the urge to try ourfriends' powers of belief. It is a tale I prefer kept secret." Archedeyebrows lifted, and Lord Julian, realizing that he had in some waybeen issued an order, made haste to ensure his cousin that his lipswere sealed.

"What do you intend doing with him, though? You'll hardly keep himbeside you. I'd lay a thousand guineas to see Petersham's reaction!"

The earl shuddered slightly. He could well imagine the reaction of thataugust personage to the incorrigible Danny.

"I shall send him to Danesbury," he replied with a bland disregard forthe truth. "The lad hasa way with horses, he'll do well enough in thestables, and John will knock him into shape."

Julian nodded his agreement. The head groom at Linton's Hampshireestates had been responsible for knocking more than stable-boys intoshape over the years. He himself had spent some uncomfortable momentsunder that rough tutelage.

Linton found his urchin in an unusually subdued frame of mind when heentered the large, sun-filled chamber some minutes later. He bent astern eye on the small figure curled up in a large chair by the window.

"Your hot water is here, milord, and I unpacked your toilet articles,but I-did not know what you wished to wear this evening," she murmuredplacatingly, dropping her eyes under that unrelenting gaze.

"Danielle, you should know by now that I do not expect you to play therole of servant when we are private, but if we are to brush throughthis ridiculous charade with any degree of success, you must maintainyour part in public. That ill-conceived performance you have just puton for my cousin's benefit was foolish beyond tolerance. Do you chooseto spend your life a social outcast immured in the depths of Cornwall?Because, make no mistake, my girl, that is exactly what will happen ifany part of this escapade of yours becomes common knowledge!"

"You made me cross and I ... I sometimes don't think very clearly whenI am cross." It didn't sound much of an explanation even to Danny'sears and her guardian was clearly unimpressed.

"If by that you mean my attempt to bring you to your senses in thestableyard then you are even more foolish than I thought. You werelooking at Julian with the doe eyes of a heartsick debutante—hardly anappropriate expression for a servant lad!"

"He is very handsome," Danielle muttered and the earl shot her astartled look, surprised by a curious stab of a most unusualemotion—not jealousy, surely? Of course, his cousin was much closer inage to this disreputable vagabond than he, who was undoubtedly viewedas an irritatingly dictatorial guardian. He shrugged slightly. In boththeir interests it was a role he must maintain to the hilt, at leastuntil he could hand the charge over to the Earl of March.

"He may be handsome, brat, but he is also a rake, as you will no doubtdiscover when you make your debut," he declared curtly, turning to hisportmanteau for a change of shirt and cravat.

"My plans, milord, do not include making my debut," Danielle saidsteadfastly, deciding that since Iinton was already but of temper nowwas as good a moment as any other to make her declaration.

"Now what the devil do you mean by that?" Linton went impatientlybehind the dressing screen. "Of course you will make your come-out,unless you intend to marry some clod of a country squire and buryyourself amongst the cows in Cornwall."

"My lord, I should tell you that the promise I made in Paris must bewithdrawn. I can no longer accept your protection."

If she had expected an explosion, she was disappointed. His lordshipmerely said, in a tone of polite interest, "Now why should that be,brat?"

"I have plans, milord, that I do not think you will approve. I am sureI can count on my grandfather's assistance, but I am afraid you willattempt to dissuade him."

This disengenuous statement brought a smile to the Earl of Linton'slips. "If they are anything like your usual plans, infant, I am sureyou are right. Am I to know what they are?"

"I may be foolish, milord, but I am not an imbecile," Danielle statedwith dignity. An involuntary shout of laughter came from behind thescreen.

"However," she went on, disregarding this unseemly reaction asutterly contemptible, "I will not leave you until we have met your LordChatham. I will help there in any way I can."

"Well, brat, I am obliged to you for informing me of these newdevelopments. However, I should inform you that you will not be leavingme at all before I hand you into the charge of your grandfather." Theearl reemerged, a new man in fresh linen and snowy lace, and reachedfor a soft silk coat of midnight blue, easing it over his shoulders,making minute adjustments to the ruffs at cuffs and throat beforeinserting a large diamond in the latter.

"I do not think, milord, that you will succeed in preventing