Read Online April Lady by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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daughters as well as my sister in a scrambling way, encouraging them in every extravagant folly, and allowing them to set up their flirts when they should have been in the schoolroom!"
"Well, yes," admitted Nell. "I don't like to abuse her, for she is always very civil and goodnatured, but she does seem to be sadly shatterbrained! But I can't suppose that she encouraged Mr. Allandale, for she doesn't at all wish Letty to marry him, you know. She talked to me about it the other evening, at the Westburys' drum, and she seemed to feel just as she ought." She paused, considering this. "At least," she amended, "just as you think she ought, Cardross."
He was amused. "Indeed! But not as you think, I collect?"
"Well, not precisely," she temporized. "I must say, it has me quite in a puzzle to understand how it comes about that such a lively girl should fall in love with Mr. Allandale, for he is not at all sportive, and he doesn't seem to have more than common sense, besides having such very formal manners,—but—but there is nothing in his disposition to make him ineligible, is there? I mean, it isn't as if she wished to marry someone like Sir Jasper Lydney, or young Brixworth. And one wouldn't have felt the least surprise if she had, because they have both been dangling after her ever since she came out, and no one can deny that they have very engaging manners, in spite of being such shocking rakes! You would not have liked her to marry either of them!"
"I should not, but there is a vast gulf between Brixworth and Allandale, my love! As for eligibility, though there may be nothing in Allandale's disposition to dislike, there is nothing in his circumstances to recommend him. He has neither rank nor fortune."
"Letty doesn't care for rank, and she has fortune," Nell pointed out.
"Unequal marriages rarely prosper. Letty may imagine she doesn't care for rank: she doesn't know how it would be to marry a man out of her own order."
Nell wrinkled her brow over this. "But, Giles, I think she does know!" she objected. "For it is not as if she had been accustomed all her life to move only in circles of high fashion. Mrs. Thorne is perfectly respectable, but not at all exclusive, and you yourself told me that Letty's mama was not of the first rank."
"You are a persuasive advocate, Nell! But I must hold to my opinion—and to what I conceive to be my duty. I have said that I won't withhold my consent, if both are of the same mind when Allandale returns from Brazil, and that must suffice them. I shan't conceal from you that I hope Letty, by that time, will have transferred her affections to some more worthy object."
"You want her to make a good match, don't you?"
"Is that so wonderful?"
"Oh, no! Perhaps, if she doesn't see Mr. Allandale for some years, she will do so. Only—only—it would be so very melancholy!"
"My dear child, why?"
She tried haltingly to express the thought in her mind. "She loves him so much! And I cannot think that she would be happy if she married—only to oblige her family!"
His brows had drawn together. He said harshly: "As you did?"
She stared at him almost uncomprehendingly. "As—as I did?" she faltered.
A smile, not a very pleasant smile, curled his lips. "Had I not been possessed of a large fortune, you wouldn't have married me, would you, Nell?"
She was conscious of a pain at her heart, but she heard him without resentment. She thought of her debts, and of those mysterious Settlements, and could only be thankful that she had not disclosed to him Madame Lavalle's bill. Its existence weighed so heavily upon her conscience that she found herself unable to utter a word. A deep flush stained her cheeks, and her eyes, after a hurt moment, dropped from his.
"You must forgive me!" His voice had an ironical inflexion that made her wince. "My want of delicacy sinks me quite below reproach, doesn't it? I fancy it gave Allandale a disgust of me too."
She managed to say, in a stifled tone: "I didn't think—I
"Well, yes," admitted Nell. "I don't like to abuse her, for she is always very civil and goodnatured, but she does seem to be sadly shatterbrained! But I can't suppose that she encouraged Mr. Allandale, for she doesn't at all wish Letty to marry him, you know. She talked to me about it the other evening, at the Westburys' drum, and she seemed to feel just as she ought." She paused, considering this. "At least," she amended, "just as you think she ought, Cardross."
He was amused. "Indeed! But not as you think, I collect?"
"Well, not precisely," she temporized. "I must say, it has me quite in a puzzle to understand how it comes about that such a lively girl should fall in love with Mr. Allandale, for he is not at all sportive, and he doesn't seem to have more than common sense, besides having such very formal manners,—but—but there is nothing in his disposition to make him ineligible, is there? I mean, it isn't as if she wished to marry someone like Sir Jasper Lydney, or young Brixworth. And one wouldn't have felt the least surprise if she had, because they have both been dangling after her ever since she came out, and no one can deny that they have very engaging manners, in spite of being such shocking rakes! You would not have liked her to marry either of them!"
"I should not, but there is a vast gulf between Brixworth and Allandale, my love! As for eligibility, though there may be nothing in Allandale's disposition to dislike, there is nothing in his circumstances to recommend him. He has neither rank nor fortune."
"Letty doesn't care for rank, and she has fortune," Nell pointed out.
"Unequal marriages rarely prosper. Letty may imagine she doesn't care for rank: she doesn't know how it would be to marry a man out of her own order."
Nell wrinkled her brow over this. "But, Giles, I think she does know!" she objected. "For it is not as if she had been accustomed all her life to move only in circles of high fashion. Mrs. Thorne is perfectly respectable, but not at all exclusive, and you yourself told me that Letty's mama was not of the first rank."
"You are a persuasive advocate, Nell! But I must hold to my opinion—and to what I conceive to be my duty. I have said that I won't withhold my consent, if both are of the same mind when Allandale returns from Brazil, and that must suffice them. I shan't conceal from you that I hope Letty, by that time, will have transferred her affections to some more worthy object."
"You want her to make a good match, don't you?"
"Is that so wonderful?"
"Oh, no! Perhaps, if she doesn't see Mr. Allandale for some years, she will do so. Only—only—it would be so very melancholy!"
"My dear child, why?"
She tried haltingly to express the thought in her mind. "She loves him so much! And I cannot think that she would be happy if she married—only to oblige her family!"
His brows had drawn together. He said harshly: "As you did?"
She stared at him almost uncomprehendingly. "As—as I did?" she faltered.
A smile, not a very pleasant smile, curled his lips. "Had I not been possessed of a large fortune, you wouldn't have married me, would you, Nell?"
She was conscious of a pain at her heart, but she heard him without resentment. She thought of her debts, and of those mysterious Settlements, and could only be thankful that she had not disclosed to him Madame Lavalle's bill. Its existence weighed so heavily upon her conscience that she found herself unable to utter a word. A deep flush stained her cheeks, and her eyes, after a hurt moment, dropped from his.
"You must forgive me!" His voice had an ironical inflexion that made her wince. "My want of delicacy sinks me quite below reproach, doesn't it? I fancy it gave Allandale a disgust of me too."
She managed to say, in a stifled tone: "I didn't think—I
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