LORD OF MANY SECRETS

FIFTY NINE

He shook his head. "No, Miss Tellaro. That I will not do. I cannot imagine what possessed me to countenance the betrothal at all".

She was a little startled, and turned in her chair to look at him more fully. "Why should you not? What is this change of face?"

He returned her gaze in a considering way, but after a slight pause, he merely said, "he is too young".

She felt that he had not told her the real reason. She was annoyed, but tried not to show it. "Perhaps he is too young, I do not deny that I thought so at first. But now I feel that marriage would be the very thing for him. Miss Mamala does not like Rome, and I believe she would wish to reside the most of the year in Tellaro. And it would be best for Parte, after all. He gets into dangerous scrapes in town. Only the other day... " she stopped, looked a little confused, and said after a moment, "Well, that is nothing. It is over now, and I should not have spoken. But I have been in some alarm about him".

"You refer, I collect, to the duel which did not take place", said the Earl.

She raised her eyes quickly. "You knew of that?"

"My dear Miss Tellaro, when challenges are offered at the c**k-Pit it is not wonderful that there should be no secrecy attached to the subsequent meeting".

"The c**k-Pit! That I had not heard! If you knew how much I detest c*****g, and all that it leads to! I have had to see as many as a hundred c***s walking on my father's estate, and to know that both he and Parte - but this is beside the point. I begin to understand now how it all came about. If it had not been for the intervention of one who has proved himself very much our friend, Parte might not be alive today".

The Earl turned a singularly penetrating gaze upon her. "Pray go on, Miss Tellaro. Who was this well disposed person?"

"My cousin, Mr Bartholomew Tellaro", she replied.

He lifted his quizzical glass. "Your cousin. Are you sure that it was he who intervened?"

"Why, yes", age said, rather surprised. "He was to some extent in Parte's confidence. Parte taxed him with it afterwards, and he could not deny it. It is only one more instance of his consideration, his regard for us".

The Earl kept his glass up. "This gentleman is a good deal in your confidence, I gather".

"I know of no reason why he should not be", said Elizabeth, a little stiffly. "I believe him to be very worthy of our confidence. He is not only our cousin, but most truly our friend".

He lowered his glass. "He is fortunate to have so easily secured your good opinion", he said. "Does he advise an early marriage for Patrick, I wonder?"

"He has not told me so", said Elizabeth.

"No doubt he will", said his lordship. "You may tell him, when he does, that I have not the least intention of permitting Patrick to marry yet, not for awhile".

He got up, but she detained him. "I don't know why you should take this tone, Lord Clements, nor why, having promised your consent to Parte's marriage next year, you should suddenly change your mind".

"Oh", said the Earl with a sardonic smile, "you may take it that I have too nice a sense of my duty to allow my ward to entangle himself in matrimony so young".

"That is not the true answer", she said. "For some reason it does not suit you to see Parte married. I should wish to know what that reason is".

"At the moment", said the Earl, "I fear I cannot call it to mind".

He left her considerably put out. She had been in a fair way to acknowledge herself to have been mistaken in him, and now, just as she had warmed towards him, he made her angry again. She looked after him resentfully, until her consciousness was recalled by Mr Patusho, who came up to ask her if she would join a lottery table in the next room.

She went at once, and did not set eyes on the Earl again until she went with the rest of the ladies to bed. He was in the hall with several of the other men of the party then, and he gave her her candle. As she took it from him, with downcast eyes and a very sober countenance, he clasped her wrist in a light hold, and said quietly, "do you dislike me as much as ever? It is a pity. Try not to let your prejudice lead you into mistrusting me. You have no need". He paused. "Look at me!"

She raised her eyes. He smiled faintly. "Obedient girl! If you had as much confidence in my integrity as you have in your cousin's it would be no bad thing".

"I do not mistrust you", she answered in a low voice. "We shall be remarked. Please let me go, Lord Clements!"

He released her. "One of a guardian's privileges is to be seen talking to his ward without occasioning remark", he said. "I can assure you he has not many".

She set her hand on the stairs rail, preparing to follow Lady Jeremy. She looked a little arch. "Is your position as my guardian so painful, sir?"

"It is a damnable position", he said deliberately, and turned away, leaving her staring.

* * *

Not all together to Miss Tellaro's surprise, Patrick's stay in Latina was prolonged beyond the original week to a fortnight, and again to three weeks. She was informed four times through the medium of the post to expect him, only to receive a hasty scrawl next day postponing his return a little longer, and remarked humorously to her cousin that the sight of the post man's scarlet coat and cockaded hat in Spear Street was beginning to mean nothing but another put-off. "But it cannot go on forever", she said with a twinkle. "Sir Maxwell must grow tired at last of franking Parte's letters to me, and then we may expect to see him in town again".