LORD OF MANY SECRETS

FIFTY FIVE

Mr Tellaro's hands clenched involuntarily. "I am grateful to you for showing me your hand so plainly, sir", he said. "In my turn I would remind you that your jurisdiction over Miss Tellaro expires within a year. It did not need this conversation to convince me that you are nursing designs which are as unscrupulous as they are shameless. Understand, if you please, that I am not to be cowed into standing out of your way".

"As to that, Mr Tellaro, you will do as seems best to you", said the Earl. "But you will bear in mind, I trust, that when I find an obstacle in my way I am apt to remove it". This was said without heat, even blandly, and the Earl, not waiting to see how it was received, bowed slightly and walked away toward the parlor door.

* * *

Not very long after the episode of his frustrated duel Patrick went off to stay in Latina with the Mamalas, who traveled from Rome early in December with the intention of spending some weeks in the country. The invitation was cordially extended to Miss Tellaro as well, but she was obliged to decline it, having received just previously a very gratifying invitation to spend a week at Belview Castle with the Duke and Duchess of Frascati.

The Duchess, who had lately been on a visit to town, had made the acquiescence of Miss Tellaro at Almack's, Miss Tellaro having been presented to her by Mr Alexandra, a close friend of the Frascatis. The Duchess remembered Miss Tellaro's father, seemed to be pleased with the daughter, kept her talking for some time, and ended by sending her, a few weeks later, an invitation to join a house party at Belview.

Miss Tellaro journeyed north in a private chaise, and arrived to find herself one of a distinguished company. Chief amongst the guests was the Duke of York, who had arrived a day earlier. His visit being quite unexpected, some slight disturbance had been caused, for the Duke of Aprize had been allotted the rooms that were invariably kept for York, and had had to be dispossessed in a hurry. However, as it was quite an understood thing that York and Alexandra should both have their particular apartments both at Belview and at Hugo, his grace of Tivoli acquiesced in the alteration, and was only glad that so notable a whist-player should have joined the party.

Matthew, Duke of York, was the second son of the King, and had been living for the last few years in a sort of retirement consequent upon the a serious scandal. He had lately been reinstated as Commander-in-Chief, and at this present date, when Miss Tellaro had the honor to be presented to him, he seemed to be in excellent spirits, and not at all the sort of man who could be suspected of selling Army promotions through the machinations of his mistress. He was nearing fifty, a tall, stout man, with a florid complexion and a prominent nose. He had a ready laugh, a kindly, inquisitive blue eyes, and was easily amused. He was married to a Prussian Princess from whom he lived apart on very excellent terms. The Duchess resided at Oatlands, where she led an eccentric but blameless existence, surrounded by as many as forty pet dogs of every imaginable breed. The Duke was used to bringing down parties of his friends to spend the weekends at Oatlands. The Duchess had not the least objection, and without making any change in her manner of life, entertained her guests in a charming and unceremonious way that endeared her to everyone who knew her. No one was ever known to decline an invitation to Oatlands, though the first visit there must always astonish, and even dismay.

The park was kept for the accommodation of a collection of macaws, monkeys, ostriches, kangaroos; the stables were full of horses which were none of them obtainable for the use of the guests; the house swarmed with servants, whose business never seemed to be to wait on anyone; the hostess breakfasted at three in the morning, spent the night in wandering about the grounds, and was in the habit of retiring unexpectedly to a four-roomed grotto she had made for herself in the park. Dinner was always at eight; the Duke never rose from the table until eleven, and when he did rise it was to play whist for five euro points and twenty five euros on the rubber, until four in the morning.

The Duke, who never saw his wife except at Oatlands, had naturally not brought her with him to Belview. He was accompanied only by Colonel Albany, a smart man, for whom the Duchess had an inordinate dislike.

The other guests, beside the Duke and Duchess of Frascati, consisted at what seemed at first sight to Miss Tellaro an enormous number of ladies and gentlemen, most of whom were unknown to her. Lord and Lady Hudson, Mr Alexandra, and Lord Alvana were her only acquaintances amongst them. She felt a little shy, and was not as displeased as she might otherwise have been when hardly an hour after her own arrival a chaise drove up and deposited Lord Clements on the doorstep.

She was bearing her part in a conversation with a very haughty young lady, who seemed to eye her with great superciliousnes, when Clements entered the saloon with his hostess. She looked up, and seeing him was betrayed into a smile. He came at once towards her, his rather hard face softened, and having exchanged a word of greeting with her companion, sat down beside her sofa, and asked her how she was.

The haughty young lady, who was all flattering complaisance towards him, did what lay in her power to claim and keep his attention. Miss Tellaro could not but be amused: the lady was so very anxious to please, the gentleman so politely unresponsive. But Mr Patusho came up presently, and took the lady away with him to inspect Mr Alexandra's water color sketch of their hostess, and the Earl was left alone with his ward.