LORD OF MANY SECRETS

THIRTY ONE

"I shall be honored sir", she said formally, and signaled to the groom to get down.

The Duke climbed up beside her, saying, "oh, that's nonsense - never stand in ceremony. Look, there goes my cousin Tufello. I daresay he envies me perched up here beside you. What do you say?"

Miss Tellaro laughed. "Nothing, sir, how can I? If I agree, I must be odious conceited, which I hope I am not; and if I demure you will think me to be asking for reassurance".

He seemed to be much struck by the frankness of this lady, laughed very heartily, and declared they should get along famously together.

He was not all difficult to talk to, and they had not driven more than halfway round the Park before Miss Tellaro discovered him to have been a firm friend of Lord and Admiral Nelson. She was in a glow at once, he was very ready to talk to her of the admiral, and in this way they drove twice around the Park, extremely well pleased with each other. When Miss Tellaro set him down, he parted from her with a vigorous handshake and a promise that he should bring himself to in Spear Street at no very distant date.

* * *

The Tellaros were both at Lakeview that evening with a party, to partake of ham-shavings and burnt wine in a box, and after, to see Mr Stevie performing feets on a slackrope, followed by the usual display of fireworks. It was not until the small hours that they were set down at their own door again, and they were both extremely sleepy, Patrick rather more so than his sister, since he had drank, in addition to burnt wine, any quantity of rack punch. He went straight off to bed, yawning prodigiously, but Miss Tellaro was not too tired to look over a little pile of notes awaiting her on the marble top table in the hall. They had most of them the appearance of invitations dull, she gathered them all up to take with her to her bed chamber.

While her maid was brushing her hair she ran through them. Midway through the pile she came upon Mr Kingsley's fist, and at once pushed the rest aside and broke the seal. It was a brief note informing her that the Earl of Clements would call at Spear Street the following morning.

Miss Tellaro, who considered that the commonest civility should have prompted his lordship to inquire when it would suit her to receive him, immediately made a plan to spend the whole morning at the Botanic Gardens in Hams City.

This plan was ruthlessly carried out, in spite of the protests of Mrs Andromeda, who had no extraordinary interest in gardens. A message for Lord Clements was left with the butler, intimation that Miss Tellaro was very sorry that she had not received his obligating note earlier, since she was engaged elsewhere that morning.

The message was never delivered. Miss Tellaro returned from the Botanic Gardens to find that the Earl had not called at all, but had sent round a footman with another note instead.

Miss Tellaro, thinking indignantly of a whole morning wasted amongst plants, broke the seal and spread open the letter. It was the unrelenting Mr Kingsley again, regretting that his lordship was unfortunately prevented from fulfilling his promise, but trusted to be able to visit Miss Tellaro within the course of the next few days.

Miss Tellaro tore the letter into shreds, and swept upstairs in a mood of considerable exasperation.

She dined at home with only Mrs Andromeda for company, but in the expectation of receiving her cousin later in the evening. He had promised to bring her a volume from his library which he believed she would like to read, and would call at Spear Street on his way home from Titanic's hotel where he was engaged to dine with a party of friends.

At ten o'clock, as the butler was bringing in the tea table, a knock was heard. Mrs Andromeda was just wondering who could be calling on them so late, and Miss Tellaro had gladly put away her embroidery frame, when not her cousin, but the Earl of Clements was announced.

"Oh, is it you, Gabriel?" said Mrs Andromeda. "Well, to be sure, this is very pleasant. You have just come in time to drink tea with us, for we are alone this evening, as you see, which has become a very strange thing with us, I can tell you".

Miss Tellaro, having bowed slightly to her guardian, picked up her embroidery again, and became busy with it.

Mrs Andromeda began to make tea. "I thought you were out of town, my dear Clements. This is quite a surprise".

"I have been at Esquilino", he replied, taking the cup and saucer she held out to him, and carrying it to Miss Tellaro. "I am fortunate to find you at home".

Miss Tellaro accepted the cup and saucer with a brief word of thanks, and setting it down on the sofa table at her elbow, continued to ply her needle.

"Yes, indeed you are", agreed Mrs Andromeda. "We have been about for ever this past week. You can have no notion! Balls, assemblies, card parties, and actually, Clements, an invitation to Lady Clark's! I tell Elizabeth nothing could be better, for all she may think it tedious! No cards, my love - nothing of that sort, but the company of the most select, and the conversation all wit and elegance. I am sure we have to thank that dear, delightful Emilia Crowford for it!"

"On the contrary, you have to thank me for it", said the Earl, sipping his tea.

"My dear Clements, is it really so? Well, and why should I not have guessed it? To think I should forget the terms your poor Mama was upon with Lady Clark! Of course I might have known it was all your doing. It is very prettily done of you. I am excessively pleased with you for thinking of it. It that why you are here? Did you come to tell us?"

"Not at all", said the Earl. "I came at the request of Miss Tellaro".