the other end of the corridor.
Quickly she blew out the candle and rushlight, and stood panting in the dark. She must not be found here, not at this hour and in her nightdress, yet she was trapped in Neville’s room, for she could not get back to her own without being seen.
She glanced at the high bed. If she was desperate, she could hide beneath it.
“Neville, is that you?” the earl demanded.
“Father, there is no need to wake the entire street,” Neville drawled with absolutely no indication that he had been angrily denouncing someone moments before.
“Do you think this is a tavern or a bawdy house that you can come and go as you please, disturbing everybody?”
“It was my understanding, Father, that I could continue to reside under your august roof.”
“Not if you are going to behave as if this were a common inn! It is a mercy Arabella did not hear you.”
“If she did not hear me, I fear the same cannot be said of your immoderate tones, Father.”
“How dare you talk to me like that? Get out! Get out of my house! Go to your bawds and whores and gamesters. They will not care how late you carouse. And they’re probably so drunk, you couldn’t wake them if you tried.”
“Am I to understand you are banishing me from this house?”
“Since you are not fit to live among decent people, yes!”
There was a moment’s pause, then Arabella heard Neville turn and start to return to his bedchamber. She held her breath.
“Where are you going?”“To collect my things. I trust you will allow me that.”
“I will have Jarvis bring your clothes to you. Or to your mistress.”
“He may bring them to Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre tomorrow. If I am not there, Richard Blythe will take charge of them.”
“That debased rogue!”
“Then he must be a fitting companion for me,” Neville replied. “Good-bye, Father.”
So calm, so cold! Even her father, usually so reserved, had expressed some tender sentiments toward her on his deathbed when he knew he would not see her again, yet Neville apparently felt nothing at being cast out of his father’s house.
Neville’s familiar tread sounded on the stairs, then the outer door opened and shut.
So he was gone, and she was glad of it. She would not have to dread his return or a repetition of tonight’s shameful episode.
Perhaps she would never see him again, and she told herself that was good. Never again would she be tempted to linger in his presence, trying to discover if some vestige of the Neville she remembered still existed. Never again would she feel this sinful desire to be in his arms or to feel his lips upon hers.
If she should happen to meet Neville Farringtonagain, she would remember tonight and be on her guard.
Indeed, she doubted she would ever be able to forget.
Chapter 5
L ate the next morning, Arabella stared in some surprise at the unknown lady sitting in the earl’s withdrawing room.
Arabella had gotten an early start cleaning and had gone to fetch a fresh bucket of water with which to wash the windows. Obviously, at some point during her brief absence, the stranger had arrived, and the earl had been summoned.
Seated by the hearth, the woman appeared to be of an age with the earl. However, the lady also seemed very desirous of giving the impression that she had ceased to age past nineteen years, to judge by her liberal use of paint and powder as well as her garments. The bodice of her dress was cut very low, the waist very pinched, the skirts very full. The overskirt of bright green and yellow striped satin was, in the fashion of the day, drawn back to reveala petticoat of golden silk. Her green broad-brimmed hat, which threatened to tumble off with every utterance, was trimmed with gold and yellow ribbons that fluttered down so far as to be an obvious nuisance, for she occasionally blew them out of the way as she spoke.
As for the woman herself, her face was thin and her nose long, rather like that of a hunting dog. Indeed, she
Quickly she blew out the candle and rushlight, and stood panting in the dark. She must not be found here, not at this hour and in her nightdress, yet she was trapped in Neville’s room, for she could not get back to her own without being seen.
She glanced at the high bed. If she was desperate, she could hide beneath it.
“Neville, is that you?” the earl demanded.
“Father, there is no need to wake the entire street,” Neville drawled with absolutely no indication that he had been angrily denouncing someone moments before.
“Do you think this is a tavern or a bawdy house that you can come and go as you please, disturbing everybody?”
“It was my understanding, Father, that I could continue to reside under your august roof.”
“Not if you are going to behave as if this were a common inn! It is a mercy Arabella did not hear you.”
“If she did not hear me, I fear the same cannot be said of your immoderate tones, Father.”
“How dare you talk to me like that? Get out! Get out of my house! Go to your bawds and whores and gamesters. They will not care how late you carouse. And they’re probably so drunk, you couldn’t wake them if you tried.”
“Am I to understand you are banishing me from this house?”
“Since you are not fit to live among decent people, yes!”
There was a moment’s pause, then Arabella heard Neville turn and start to return to his bedchamber. She held her breath.
“Where are you going?”“To collect my things. I trust you will allow me that.”
“I will have Jarvis bring your clothes to you. Or to your mistress.”
“He may bring them to Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre tomorrow. If I am not there, Richard Blythe will take charge of them.”
“That debased rogue!”
“Then he must be a fitting companion for me,” Neville replied. “Good-bye, Father.”
So calm, so cold! Even her father, usually so reserved, had expressed some tender sentiments toward her on his deathbed when he knew he would not see her again, yet Neville apparently felt nothing at being cast out of his father’s house.
Neville’s familiar tread sounded on the stairs, then the outer door opened and shut.
So he was gone, and she was glad of it. She would not have to dread his return or a repetition of tonight’s shameful episode.
Perhaps she would never see him again, and she told herself that was good. Never again would she be tempted to linger in his presence, trying to discover if some vestige of the Neville she remembered still existed. Never again would she feel this sinful desire to be in his arms or to feel his lips upon hers.
If she should happen to meet Neville Farringtonagain, she would remember tonight and be on her guard.
Indeed, she doubted she would ever be able to forget.
Chapter 5
L ate the next morning, Arabella stared in some surprise at the unknown lady sitting in the earl’s withdrawing room.
Arabella had gotten an early start cleaning and had gone to fetch a fresh bucket of water with which to wash the windows. Obviously, at some point during her brief absence, the stranger had arrived, and the earl had been summoned.
Seated by the hearth, the woman appeared to be of an age with the earl. However, the lady also seemed very desirous of giving the impression that she had ceased to age past nineteen years, to judge by her liberal use of paint and powder as well as her garments. The bodice of her dress was cut very low, the waist very pinched, the skirts very full. The overskirt of bright green and yellow striped satin was, in the fashion of the day, drawn back to reveala petticoat of golden silk. Her green broad-brimmed hat, which threatened to tumble off with every utterance, was trimmed with gold and yellow ribbons that fluttered down so far as to be an obvious nuisance, for she occasionally blew them out of the way as she spoke.
As for the woman herself, her face was thin and her nose long, rather like that of a hunting dog. Indeed, she
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