coming to-morrow afternoon," she told her husband. "'Twill be prodigiously agreeable, will it not?"
He assented, but with a lack of warmth that did not fail to strike her ears.
"And he will stay to dine with us!" she cried challengingly.
"Certainly, my love."
"Look pleased, Dicky, look pleased! Why don't you like Tracy? He is my own brother; you must like him!"
"Of course I like him, Lavinia. Pray, do not be foolish."
"Oh, I am not! Don't be cross, Dicky dear!"
"Well, if you like him, I'm surprised," broke in Andrew. "I can't bear him! Ay, flash your eyes at me, Lavvy; I don't mind."
Lavinia opened her mouth to retaliate, but Richard hastily interposed. Their bickering was more than he could bear, and he never understood how Lavinia could stoop to quarrel with the boisterous youth, who tried so palpably to rouse her.
He bore them both off to the house, feeling much like a nursemaid with two recalcitrant children.
CHAPTER V
HIS GRACE OF ANDOVER
LADY LAVINIA dressed herself with even more than her usual care next afternoon, and well-nigh drove her maid distracted by her flashes of temper and impatient, contradictory orders. So lengthy was the toilet that she was only just in her boudoir when his Grace of Andover was announced. She had no time to tell the footman that she would receive his Grace, for almost before the words were out of James' mouth, he stood bowing in the doorway, sure of his welcome.
He was curiously like his sister, this man, and at the same time curiously unlike. Hers were the high cheek-bones and pinched, aristocratic nostrils, but the mouth with its thin lips, and the heavy-lidded green eyes, were totally different. His Grace's brows slanted up at the corners, and his eyes, though piercing and bright, were constantly veiled by the black-lashed lids. He wore his own black hair, unpowdered, and that, together with the black and silver garments that he always affected, greatly enhanced the natural pallor of his countenance. Altogether it was a very striking figure that stood just before the closed white door and bowed to my lady.
Lavinia took an eager step towards him, swinging her pearl-grey brocades.
"Oh, Tracy!" she cooed, holding out both hands.
His Grace advanced into the room and bent low over them.
"I rejoice to find you within, Lavinia," he said, a faint tinge of sarcasm running through his smooth tones. "As you perceive, I rode over." He made a gesture towards his high boots with their wicked looking spurs. "No doubt Andrew forgot to give you my letter?"
"No," she said, slipping her hand in his arm. "He remembered in time, and–oh, Tracy, I was so vastly delighted to have it!"
"I am indeed honoured," he replied. "I am come on a sufficiently important matter."
"Oh!" She pulled her hand away disappointedly. "Money!"
"You are really wonderful, my dear. As you so crudely remark–money! Will you not be seated?"
She sank down on the couch dejectedly and watched him take a chair opposite her.
"Your most noble lord and master lent me a trifling sum the other day, but very trifling. I am, as usual, hard-pressed. And that young fool Andrew must needs fall into debt."
My lady opened wide her eyes in surprise.
"Do you tell me you need money from Richard to pay Andrew's debts?" she asked, frankly incredulous.
"I do not. Is it likely? The remark was purely by the way."
"Well, in any case, Andrew borrowed three thousand from poor Dick only yesterday. I know, because I heard him speak of it."
His Grace raised his black brows in patient exasperation.
"How unnecessary of Andrew! And how typical! So 'poor Dick' has been squeezed already?"
"Don't speak like that, Tracy!" she cried. "Dicky is good to me!" She met his piercing look unflinchingly.
"Now this becomes interesting," drawled the Duke. "Since when have you come to that conclusion? And why this sudden loyalty?"
"I have always been loyal to him, Tracy! You know I have! I worry him–and indeed he is very forbearing."
"But how
He assented, but with a lack of warmth that did not fail to strike her ears.
"And he will stay to dine with us!" she cried challengingly.
"Certainly, my love."
"Look pleased, Dicky, look pleased! Why don't you like Tracy? He is my own brother; you must like him!"
"Of course I like him, Lavinia. Pray, do not be foolish."
"Oh, I am not! Don't be cross, Dicky dear!"
"Well, if you like him, I'm surprised," broke in Andrew. "I can't bear him! Ay, flash your eyes at me, Lavvy; I don't mind."
Lavinia opened her mouth to retaliate, but Richard hastily interposed. Their bickering was more than he could bear, and he never understood how Lavinia could stoop to quarrel with the boisterous youth, who tried so palpably to rouse her.
He bore them both off to the house, feeling much like a nursemaid with two recalcitrant children.
CHAPTER V
HIS GRACE OF ANDOVER
LADY LAVINIA dressed herself with even more than her usual care next afternoon, and well-nigh drove her maid distracted by her flashes of temper and impatient, contradictory orders. So lengthy was the toilet that she was only just in her boudoir when his Grace of Andover was announced. She had no time to tell the footman that she would receive his Grace, for almost before the words were out of James' mouth, he stood bowing in the doorway, sure of his welcome.
He was curiously like his sister, this man, and at the same time curiously unlike. Hers were the high cheek-bones and pinched, aristocratic nostrils, but the mouth with its thin lips, and the heavy-lidded green eyes, were totally different. His Grace's brows slanted up at the corners, and his eyes, though piercing and bright, were constantly veiled by the black-lashed lids. He wore his own black hair, unpowdered, and that, together with the black and silver garments that he always affected, greatly enhanced the natural pallor of his countenance. Altogether it was a very striking figure that stood just before the closed white door and bowed to my lady.
Lavinia took an eager step towards him, swinging her pearl-grey brocades.
"Oh, Tracy!" she cooed, holding out both hands.
His Grace advanced into the room and bent low over them.
"I rejoice to find you within, Lavinia," he said, a faint tinge of sarcasm running through his smooth tones. "As you perceive, I rode over." He made a gesture towards his high boots with their wicked looking spurs. "No doubt Andrew forgot to give you my letter?"
"No," she said, slipping her hand in his arm. "He remembered in time, and–oh, Tracy, I was so vastly delighted to have it!"
"I am indeed honoured," he replied. "I am come on a sufficiently important matter."
"Oh!" She pulled her hand away disappointedly. "Money!"
"You are really wonderful, my dear. As you so crudely remark–money! Will you not be seated?"
She sank down on the couch dejectedly and watched him take a chair opposite her.
"Your most noble lord and master lent me a trifling sum the other day, but very trifling. I am, as usual, hard-pressed. And that young fool Andrew must needs fall into debt."
My lady opened wide her eyes in surprise.
"Do you tell me you need money from Richard to pay Andrew's debts?" she asked, frankly incredulous.
"I do not. Is it likely? The remark was purely by the way."
"Well, in any case, Andrew borrowed three thousand from poor Dick only yesterday. I know, because I heard him speak of it."
His Grace raised his black brows in patient exasperation.
"How unnecessary of Andrew! And how typical! So 'poor Dick' has been squeezed already?"
"Don't speak like that, Tracy!" she cried. "Dicky is good to me!" She met his piercing look unflinchingly.
"Now this becomes interesting," drawled the Duke. "Since when have you come to that conclusion? And why this sudden loyalty?"
"I have always been loyal to him, Tracy! You know I have! I worry him–and indeed he is very forbearing."
"But how
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