"Oh, must we, indeed? I cannot bear--' " Yes, you can, my love. "

Peter put her a little away from him, giving her an encouraging smile so full of love and warmth that Polly felt a huge lump in her throat.

This was very different from her imaginings, from the denunciation and horror that she was certain would greet her revelations.

"It is true," Peter said grimly, 'that Edmund Grant- ley took Hetty to the Rose and Crown at Famforth and imprisoned her there. There is no doubt his intention was to seduce her. He had taken her driving that afternoon and Hetty had become concerned at the distance they had gone from home. It was dusk when they pulled into the yard at Famforth, and Grantley's intentions soon became clear to her. " He glanced down at Hetty, who was still held close to his side, her eyes cast down, her face now as pale as it had been scarlet before.

"He kept her locked in one of the chambers for several hours whilst he drank below," Peter continued savagely.

"Several people heard Grantley boasting drunkenly of the ripe little bird he had waiting for him upstairs. All might have fallen out as he had planned had I not chosen to put up at Famforth that night."

"You!" It was the Dowager Countess whose stunned accents spoke the word and conveyed that she had already understood the rest of the story.

Peter sat up a little straighter and took Hetty's hand in his once more.

She was still very pale, but a light burned in her eyes. Watching her, Polly understood. Hetty was safe in the knowledge that Peter loved her above all things and that his love would never falter. He would not desert her to the condemnation of the world.

"It was too late to travel on to Kings mar ton that night, and Famforth was conveniently on my route," Peter confirmed, meeting his mother's eyes very directly.

"Hetty heard my arrival, heard me talking to the ostler, and recognised my voice." He looked at her and smiled.

"She smashed the window and shouted to me for help. Grantley was still downstairs and I.. persuaded him to take himself off. It was quite a mill."

There was grim amus.e.m.e.nt in Peter's voice.

"Then I went to find Hetty. She was desperately upset and frightened."

There was a pause whilst everyone filled in the missing bits for themselves.

Polly could imagine Hetty's overwhelming relief at her rescue, the breaking of the tension after such terror, Peter's fear for her and his feelings on finding her unharmed. An irresistible pa.s.sion could quite easily sweep one away. Moral frailty, perhaps, but entirely understandable. Looking up, she caught Henry March night's eyes upon her, accurately reading every thought and looking very interested.

Polly blushed and looked away.

"I think you all know already," Peter said gently, 'how much I love Hetty and how honoured I am that she will be my wife. None of that has changed and I would marry her tomorrow if I could! I wish with all my heart that I had never done anything that endangered her reputation but--' he shrugged '--such things happen and it is pointless to deny it. Poor Hetty has been through agonies of regret and remorse but I feel she has done nothing of which she should be ashamed. I can only repeat that I love her with all my heart. " "A good thing that you are to many so soon!" The Dowager Countess said trenchantly, conveniently forgetting that it had been her most ardent hope to see the marriage at St George's, Hanover Square, the following spring.

"But the scandal, Peter! Whatever can Mrs Mark ham have thought when Hetty did not return that night?"

"Mama was most distressed," Hetty confirmed, speaking for the first time and just managing to overcome her embarra.s.sment.

"Fortunately, my aunt and cousins were from home, so knew nothing of the scandal, and when Mama saw that it was Peter who had rescued me and that we were..." she blushed 'betrothed once more, her fears were put to rest. " The Dowager Countess snorted.

"A fine protector, indeed, who takes advantage--' Aware of where her words were leading her, she broke off again. Her eye fell on her younger son, defiantly looking back at her, and she softened slightly.

"Well, well!" She looked as though she were about to say "No harm done!" but quickly changed her mind.

"What I do not understand," Lucille said, a frown on her forehead, 'is how Tristan Dit ton came to know of this--or at least to know enough to make up so damaging and scurrilous a story. " Now it was Henry's turn to look a shade embarra.s.sed.

"I can see that there is nothing to be done but tell you the rest. Lady Sea grave--I was hoping to spare you this, for a little time at least--' He broke off and sighed heavily, seeing the look of blank incomprehension on all their faces.

"It was Lady Bolt who told Dit ton about the episode at the inn."

"Lady Bolt!" Several people spoke at once.

"It does not surprise me that she is spreading slanderous gossip," the Dowager Countess observed.

"But she was at Weller den with you when Peter was at Famforth!" Polly exclaimed and found that everyone was looking at her again. She turned bright red as Henry looked at her with quizzically raised brows.

"I mean... I understood that Lady Bolt... that you..."

Henry's smile mocked her.

"Just as you understood that I had arranged a tryst with Lady Bolt at Richmond? It was only business, I fear, contrary to all appearances!

It is true that Lady Bolt and I were briefly at Weller den's houseparty, though not together in any sense of the word," he added drily.

"In fact, Lady Bolt left only a day or two after Peter did.

Her intention, I believe, was to join the Duke of Gars ton at the New market races. I imagine her route took her through Famforth--I know it did, for she stayed at the Rose and Crown only the night after Peter was there.

The landlady there knows Lady Bolt and also knows of her connection with the Mark ham family. She was bursting to tell her ladyship this prime piece of gossip and no doubt she was rewarded for the information. " "And Mr Dit ton?" the Dowager Countess pressed.

Henry gave an ironic smile.

"This part might be amusing were it not that the behaviour of Dit ton and Lady Bolt was so damaging. You may know that the two of them are old..." he cleared his throat 'old friends. In recent times they have been in a different business together. Lady Bolt has lent Dit ton considerable sums of money, has become involved in several illegal gaming rackets with him and has even, I suspect, benefited from his and Chapman's criminal activities. The extent of her involvement is something on which she is currently being questioned. She was arrested this morning. " He turned back to Lucille.

"I am sorry if the news occasions you any pain. Lady Sea grave."

"I shall bear it with fort.i.tude," Lucille said, straight faced.

"But we digress. Did Lady Bolt pa.s.s on the gossip to Dit ton?"

Henry nodded.

"She did. She wrote to him immediately. She knew that he loved scandal and she was also sure that he might find the information useful at some point in the future. Of course, she was correct." He glanced briefly at Polly, who looked away.

"The piquant part, however, was that Lady Bolt did not approach the subject directly. She liked to hint and tease, and at no point did she tell Dit ton whom the gentleman was by name. He, knowing that Miss Mark ham had recently been courted by Grantley, made the obvious a.s.sumption. I know, because I have seen and destroyed the letter. Dit ton was carrying it last night."

"So you knew that as well!" Polly was so affronted she thought she might burst.

"You knew why I had agreed to the betrothal even though you pretended you did not!"

"I only knew about the letter after Dit ton was arrested," Henry said calmly, 'and I could not be certain that that was the means he used to compel you to marry him. There might have been something else! "

Polly was not to be pacified.

"I do not believe you! Of all the cruel tricks! Oh! You are despicable--' " Polly! " The Dowager Countess's shocked tones mingled with Lucille's more tempered reproof. Henry did not seem much put out.

Polly thought he was almost smiling and she felt she could have slapped him had she been closer.

"The tea has gone cold," Lucille observed prosaically in an attempt to calm the atmosphere.

"Nicholas, would you pull the bell for some more? Henry, will you stay?"

Henry March night got to his feet.