Polly knew she sounded bad-tempered even before Lucille gave her a look of amused concern. Peter's intelligence that Lord Henry was taking up with Lady Bolt again should not have surprised her, but it had certainly made her very crabby. To have to console the Dowager Countess over Peter's abrupt arrival and departure had been almost too much to bear, when his advent had brought her such unwelcome news.

"Upon my word, you sound very severe!" Lucille said calmly.

"Quite as though you are suffering the gout! Perhaps your own affairs are not prospering either?"

"You are very acute, Lucille," Polly admitted with a half-smile, feeling some of her good humour start to return.

"The truth is that I seem to have been dispensing advice liberally these past few days, yet I can only seem to make a mull of my own business!" She sighed and got to the point.

"I.

understand from Peter that Lord Henry March night was taking his place at Weller den's houseparty--in more ways than one! " Lucille put her book down.

"Here's a tangle! You mean to imply that Lord Henry has taken up with Lady Bolt? Surely Peter is mistaken?"

Polly shrugged pettishly.

"Is it so surprising after that flagrant public display at Richmond?

Oh, Lord Henry denied it to me, but I did not believe him! What an extraordinary woman! Peter, Lord Henry and the Duke of Gars ton all in the s.p.a.ce of a few short weeks! Anyway--' she shrugged again '--I neither know nor care! I am done with Lord Henry! He is forever flitting hither and thither like some will o' wisp! It tries my patience!"

"He certainly seems very busy for a man who has no purpose in life,"

Lucille agreed, straight-faced, remembering certain secret information Nicholas had imparted to her about Lord Henry's activities.

"No purpose!" Polly's indignation was well established again now. Like many people who were seldom disagreeable, once she really lost her temper she had to give it full rein.

"He seems to have purpose enough in gambling and debauchery! And to take up with Lady Bolt, who has been bought and sold by half of London!

Well, I will not take her leavings!"

"Oh, dear," Lucille said, lips twitching into a smile, 'you are hopelessly in love with him still! " "In love! I have a mind to many the next man who asks me!"

Polly caught Lucille's eye and her anger simmered into reluctant amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Well, no doubt I am a fool to want a man to be other than he is..."

"Not at all!" Lucille stretched like a cat in the warmth of the sun.

"Rather, you would be a fool to settle for second best!

But I am still not entirely sure that Lord Henry has succ.u.mbed to Susanna's rather overblown charms! " She yawned.

"And let us hope Hetty does not feel as you do, or Peter may return home without her! She certainly has a great deal to forgive in his behaviour!"

Polly sighed. Despite the bright promise of the day, she felt strangely discontented.

"Love!" she said crossly.

'"Most loving mere folly," Lucille quoted lightly,

"Lord, why do I feel so tired all the time?" And she fell asleep where she sat.

The interview with Peter had obviously made Nicholas Sea grave as out of sorts as his brother. He was curt almost to the point of rudeness at lunchtime, announced that he had a number of visits to make about the estate and asked Polly, somewhat surprisingly, whether she would like to join him on the ride. As the day was fine and cooler than of late, Polly agreed with alacrity. They called at a couple of the tenant farms, had tea and cakes at each since Polly was too kind-hearted to refuse the offer, and finished with a gallop along the springy turf at the edge of the sea before turning for home.

The fresh air and exercise had quite restored Polly's spirits and it was unfortunate that as they entered the lime avenue that led up to Dilling ham Court, the cause of her ill-humour should appear before her eyes and undo all the good work of the afternoon.

Lord Henry March night, on an elegant bay, was just trotting down the drive and reined in hastily at the sight of them.

"Lord Sea grave! Lady Polly! This is good fortune indeed! I am just come from the house, where I was told you were out about the estate. I came to take my leave, for I shall be departing Suffolk on the morrow."

Coming so quickly after Peter's a.s.sertions, this could only confirm Polly's suspicion that Lord Henry was for the Weller den houseparty.

Her chestnut mare jibbed slightly as her hands tightened involuntarily on the reins.

"Is this a permanent departure, Lord Henry?" she enquired sweetly.

"You seem to be forever travelling hither and thither! Such a busy life!"

Out of the corner of her eyes she thought she saw a nicker of a grin cross her brother's face, but Lord Henry remained impa.s.sive.

"A temporary separation only, Lady Polly," he said, very courteously.

"As you know, I am as fond of Suffolk as anywhere on earth! I shall be back as soon as I am able."

Polly made a great show of examining her riding gloves.

"And where is your present destination?" she enquired, as though it was of no great moment.

"I have heard that Buckingham shire is proving very popular this summer!"

Lord Henry raised his eyebrows. He was looking so lazily amused that Polly felt herself go hot with annoyance. So he thought it a diversion to trifle with her feelings and then go after other game as the fancy took him!

"Good luck and G.o.dspeed then, Harry," Nick Sea- grave said, leaning over to shake his hand. Polly, watching this display of masculine complicity with irritation, nevertheless noticed the significant look which pa.s.sed between the two men. She frowned a little as Lord Henry turned his horse and cantered away. It was almost as though Sea grave knew something, and yet what was there to know? Lord Henry was, by his own admission, a man whose prime concern was to seek after pleasure, and if there were other, more mysterious, aspects to his character, what could Nick Sea grave know of those?

"I collect that you were wishing him good luck in his gambling," she said crossly.

"In all his ventures," Sea grave agreed smoothly.

Lady Laura March night was becoming a regular visitor to Dilling ham Court, where she and Polly would walk together in the gardens or set their easels up with some idyllic aspect before them, in the hope of capturing it in watercolours or charcoal. Laura made no further reference to her burgeoning relationship with Mr Far rant, and at the evening soirees and parties in Wood bridge, under the watchful eye of the d.u.c.h.ess, she appeared to be avoiding him. Polly was sad but not surprised that rank and consequence had won the day. In the face of the d.u.c.h.ess's powerful disapproval, it was difficult to see how the romance could have prospered.

She asked no questions but simply enjoyed Laura's company, which was certainly a welcome change from that of the Dit tons.

The Dit tons were relentlessly sociable, especially with those they sought to cultivate, and it was difficult to avoid all their invitations. Polly, having managed to excuse herself from a trip to the theatre in Wood bridge in their company, found that good manners forced her to accept the next pressing invitation, which was to make up a party to visit Myrmingham Abbey, a former Franciscan priory whose ruins were particularly romantic and picturesque.

The scenery was indeed very fine but the company a sad trial with Mr Dit ton uncertain whether to bestow his dubious compliments on Polly or Laura, and Miss Dit ton sulking at not being the centre of attention.

"Lady Polly is becoming quite tanned," Mrs Dit ton observed to the Dowager Countess, with a hint of malice, as they returned to the carriages at the end of the day.

"I should not encourage my Thalia to wander about in the sun without a parasol!"