LORD OF MANY SECRETS

THIRTY THREE

"Ah!" said Elizabeth, "I beg to understand".

"I should be happy if I thought you did", he replied, "but I feel it to be extremely doubtful. You have a considerable fortune in your own right. More important than this is the fact that under your father's Will you are heiress to as much of your brother's property as is unentailed".

"Well?" said Elizabeth.

"That being so", said Clements, shutting his snuff box with a snap and restoring it to his pocket, "there is little likelihood of gaining my consent to your marriage with anyone whom I can at the moment call to mind".

"Except", said Miss Tellaro through her teeth, "yourself!"

"Except, of course, myself", he agreed suavely.

"And do you suppose, Lord Clements, that there is any great likelihood of my marrying you?" inquired Elizabeth in a sleek, deceptive voice.

He raised his brows. "Until I ask you to marry me, Miss Tellaro, not the least likelihood", he replied gently.

For fully a minute she could not trust herself to speak. She would have liked to have swept from the room, but the Earl was between her and the door, and she could place no dependence on him moving out of the way. "Have the goodness to leave me, sir. I have no more to say to you".

He strolled forward to he stood immediately in front of her. She suspected him of meaning to take her hands, whipped them both behind her, and took a swift step backward. A large cabinet prevented her from retreating further, and the Earl very coolly following, she found herself cornered. He took her chin in his hand, and made her hold up her head, and stood looking down at her with a faintly sardonic smile. "You are very pretty, Miss Tellaro. You are not unintelligent - except in your dealings with me, you are a termagant. Here is some advice for you, keep your sword sheathed". She stood rigid and silent, staring doggedly up into his face. "Oh yes, you hate me excessively, I know. But you are my ward, Miss Tellaro, and if you are wise you will accept that with a good grace". He let go her chin, have her cheek a careless pat. "There, that is better advice than you think. I am a more experienced duelist than you. I have brought you your snuff, and the recipe".

It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse both, but she bit back the words, aware that they would sound merely childish. "I am obliged to you", she said in an expressionless voice.

He moved to the door, and held it open. She walked past him into the hall. He nodded to the waiting footman, who at once brought him his hat and gloves. As he took them he said, "I beg you will make my excuses to Mrs Andromeda. Good night, Miss Tellaro".

"Good night!" said Elizabeth, and turning in her heel, went back into the front drawing room.

She entered with a somewhat hasty stride and shut the door behind her if not with a slam, at least with a decided snap. Her eyes were stormy, her cheeks looked hot. She flashed a look round the room, and the wrath died out of her face. Mrs Andromeda was not present, there was only Mr Tellaro, seated by the window, and glancing through a newspaper.

He got up at once, and laid the paper aside. "I am so late. Forgive me, cousin! I was detained longer than I had thought possible - hardly liked to call upon you at this hour, and indeed should have done no more than leave the book with your butler, only that he assured me that you had not retired".

"Oh, I am glad you came in!" Elizabeth said, holding out her hand to him. "It was kind of you to remember the book. Is this it? Thank you, cousin".

She picked it up from the table, and began to turn the leaves. Her cousin's hand laid compellingly over hers made her look up. He was regarding her intently. "What is it, Elizabeth?" he asked in his quiet way.

She gave a little, angry laugh. "Oh, it is nothing - it should be nothing. I am stupid, that is all".

"No, you are not stupid. Something has occurred to put you out".

She tried to draw her hand away, but he did not slacken his hold. "Tell me", he said.

She looked significantly down at his hand. "If you please, cousin".

"I beg your pardon". He stepped back with a slight now.

She put the book aside, and moved toward a three backed cushion of lacquered wood and cane, and sat down. "You need not. I know you only wish to be kind". She smiled up at him. "I am not offended with you, for all, I may look to be in one of my sad passions".

He followed her up the cushion, and at a sign from her seated himself beside her. "Is it Clements?" he asked directly.

"Oh, yes, it is, as usual, my noble guardian", she replied, with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Mrs Andromeda informed me that he was with you. What has he been doing or must I not ask?"

"I brought it upon myself", said Elizabeth, incurably honest. "But he behaves in such a way - oh, cousin, if my father had but known! Wet are in Lord Clements' hands. Nothing could be worse! I thought at first that he was amusing himself at my expense. Now I am afraid - I suspect him of a set purpose, and though it cannot succeed it can make this year uncomfortable for me".

"A set purpose", he repeated. "I may guess it, I suppose".

"I think so. It was you who put me a little on my guard".

He nodded, he was slightly frowning. "You are very wealthy", he said. "And he is expensive. I do not know what his fortune is. I imagined it had been considerable, but he is a gamester, and a friend of the Regent. He is in the front of fashion, his clothes are made by the first tailors. His stables are second to none. He belongs to I dare not say how many clubs - White's, Watier's, the Afared - or, as I have heard it called, the Half-Red, the Je ne sçais quoi, the Jockey Club, the Four Horses, the Bemiga - perhaps more".