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be either, come to that. But if we let this opportunity slip away,
there ll not be another.
Thankfully he required no further persuasion and promptly
escorted her on to the dance floor.
Chapter Seventeen
With no shortage of gentlemen requesting her as a partner,
Emily spent much of the following hour dancing. To a certain
extent this served her purpose admirably, for not only did it
provide the opportunity to behave with a semblance of nor-
mality, but it also denied Sarah the chance to hold her in
private conversation again, though she was frequently the re-
cipient of her friend s suspicious, greyeyed scrutiny. Far less
gratifying was that Sir Courtney Farrington, aside from ac-
knowledging her presence with a slight inclination of his
head, made not the least attempt to approach her on the few
occasions she did find herself seated by the wall.
Having managed to keep pace with an energetic exponent
of the lively country dance, Emily finally decided that a pro-
longed rest was most definitely required, and didn t hesitate
to slip outside to the terrace, where she put her chicken-skin
fan to immediate use. During the past week the weather had
turned increasingly sultry, without so much as a suspicion of
a breeze to take the edge off the rising temperatures and,
although the sun was too low in the sky now to punish the
earth with its scorching rays, the atmosphere remained heavy,
begging for the rain which would freshen the air.
 If you were hoping to find it much cooler out here, Miss
Anne Ashley 245
Stapleton, I fear you are doomed to disappointment, a smooth
voice drawled directly behind her.
Only for an instant did Emily pause in her fanning to check
the shudder of apprehension which threatened to ripple
through her. Now was not the moment to falter, to succumb
to a fit of nerves, she told herself, determined not to waste
what might well turn out to be her one and only opportunity
of achieving her objective.
 You are right, Sir Courtney. Taking heart from the fact
that her voice remained reassuringly steady, she turned at
last to face the gentleman whom she had never seen less than
impeccably turned out.
Even now, on this oppressive late June evening, when
more than one gentleman guest had had recourse to a hand-
kerchief in order to wipe beads of perspiration from a glowing
brow, Sir Courtney Farrington appeared remarkably cool and
composed, without so much as a golden hair on his head out
of place, nor the merest hint of a wilt about his impeccably
starched shirt points. It really was difficult to imagine that
beneath that ice-cool reserve lurked the fiery, ungovernable
temperament of a callous being quite capable of perpetrating
the most despicable acts. Was she adroit enough to induce him
to cast aside that ice-cool mantle and reveal his true nature?
she wondered, somehow managing to coax her lips into a
semblance of a smile.
 I can only be grateful that I m no longer in town, sir. The
heat there must be unbearable.
 Yes, Hawkridge must be regretting his decision not to ac-
company you. He paused to take out his snuffbox.  I believe
someone did mention that he isn t here tonight.
 Sadly not, Emily concurred, her mind working furiously.
He had come upon her quite unexpectedly, catching her
breathless and fanning herself. Could she possibly use this to
her advantage?
 Truth to tell, sir, I m beginning to wish that I wasn t
246 Lord Hawkridge s Secret
either, she added as a seed of an idea embedded itself firmly
in her brain.  I very much fear that I m about to succumb to
one of my annoying headaches. I m very prone to them, es-
pecially at this season of the year, she lied beautifully.
Instantly she was the recipient of a penetrating blue-eyed
gaze.  You do appear a little flushed, if I may say so, Miss
Stapleton. But that might merely be the result of your recent
exertions on the dance floor. Perhaps you will permit me to
fetch you a glass of cool punch?
 Please do not put yourself to the trouble, sir. It will not
serve the purpose. She hoped her sigh sounded convincing.
 I m afraid the only thing to be done is to go home to my bed.
 In that case, may I summon your carriage?
Although not best pleased at the time, as it effectively
denied her the chance to call upon the services of Jonas Finn
and Sebastian s head groom should the need arise, Emily
was now thankful that her grandfather had insisted on sending
Lord Hawkridge s carriage back to the house, for it enabled
her to say truthfully,  In order not to add to the clutter of
guests carriages in Sir Charles s stable-yard, my grandfather
instructed our coachman to collect us later, sir.
 In that case, ma am, permit me to put my own equipage
at your disposal.
She had been prepared for this and was ready with her
reply.  Do not think me ungrateful, but it wouldn t benefit me
in the least to avail myself of your kind offer. My grandfa-
ther s house is but a short distance away, and will take me no
more than half an hour on foot, if I cut through Kempton
Wood. She pointed with her fan so that he could be in no
doubt as to the precise direction she would be taking.  See,
Sir Charles s shrubbery backs on to the wood. I can slip
quietly away without anyone being the wiser and without
causing a stir. Which I would much prefer, for I m certain the
walk would do me good.
Only for a moment did Sir Courtney pause before making
Anne Ashley 247
use of the contents of his snuffbox.  If you are determined to
return home on foot, then you must permit me to escort you.
It is unthinkable that you should go alone.
Undeniably there had been a gleam of speculation in those
cold eyes, but it quite failed to disguise the hint of wariness
lurking there. If she appeared eager to accept his offer, might
it not make him more suspicious?
 You are most kind, sir, but there is no need to trouble
yourself. I ve walked the distance many times without suf-
fering ill fortune. She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
 This is not London. There are no footpads lurking to attack
the unwary. But if you wish to offer me assistance, you may
do so by informing our esteemed hostess of my departure,
who will in turn speak to my grandfather. I have no wish for
him to cut his evening short on my account.
For a moment it appeared as though he might argue further,
but then he merely shrugged.  If that is what you wish, Miss
Stapleton.
 It is indeed, sir. Emily made to go back inside, then
checked as she bethought herself of something else.  I would
be grateful if you would grant me a few minutes to slip quietly
upstairs before informing Lady Deverel. She s a dear lady, but
has a tendency to fuss. So I should prefer to make my escape [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]