she finished, a little desperately, 'it is best that I leave you to consider matters."

"No," Henry said firmly, "I do not think so." He was leaning on Sea grave's beautiful inlaid walnut desk and was still frowning.

"There is a mystery here which I feel must be unravelled. Laura gave you the letter and asked that you give it to me in a few hours' time, to give them a good head start. You say that you wish them well and indeed it must be so, for in here--' he flicked the letter as it lay on the desk '--she also says that you advised her most kindly to follow her heart." The look he gave her was sardonic. "I cannot believe you to have indulged in such double-dealing, Lady Polly, that you advise my sister to elope and then immediately give her away! Pray, sit down and explain the matter to me!"

Polly glanced across at the door. It seemed so much easier just to run away, except for the conviction that Henry would probably run after her and bring her back, and cause a scandal in the process. The deepening smile on his face suggested that he had guessed her thoughts--all of them.

She sat down on one of the elegant gilt sofas and tried to marshal her thoughts.

"It is true that Lady Laura confided in me her feelings for Mr Far rant,"

she admitted, 'and also that I was aware of the objections of her family to the match. You and I have discussed as much! I do not know what part your sister has a.s.signed to me in all this, but I freely admit that my advice to her was that she should do what she thought was right. She has more determination than I ever did at her age--she knew what she wanted and now she has taken it, and I wish her all the luck in the world in her choice! " "Then why did you pa.s.s me her letter so swiftly?" Henry asked.

"You must know that I could stop them if I chose." He had come round the desk and taken the chair opposite Polly's, watching her all the while.

Polly was intensely conscious of his intent gaze resting thoughtfully on her face.

She prayed that it was too dark for him to read her expression. This was the most difficult part.

"I did not wish to deceive you," she said candidly. "Whilst I wish your sister success and happiness, it was more important to me that you should know of her actions and choose for yourself. If you decide to go after them I shall be very sorry, but I will still feel that I did the right thing in entrusting the letter to you now rather than later."

There was a little silence. Polly's face was growing hot under that unrelenting scrutiny.

"A little late in the day to be speaking of trust between us," Henry said drily.

"You must forgive me. Lady Polly, if I find it difficult to accept that you are finally trusting me with information in the belief that I will do the right thing. There have been other occasions, arguably more important, when you did not show any such confidence in me!"

Polly clasped her hands together tightly.

"If you are speaking of my engagement to Mr Dit ton then I can only concede that you are right, my lord. However, if we must indulge in recriminations, allow me to say that you are hardly blameless yourself Henry smiled slightly.

"Your point. Lady Polly! But it is a little different. I would have done anything I could to save you from Dit ton."

"Almost anything," Polly said sweetly.

"Let us not rake over the past, my lord, for we shall only quarrel! It seems that you cannot forgive me my lack of trust and I resent that you did not fully confide in me!

Un trusted and untrustworthy both! But will you go after your sister? " Henry shook his head slowly.

"No, I will not. I never opposed the match, although I cannot deny that it will cause a great deal of trouble. But..." he sighed 'it is not my choice to spoil Laura's happiness! " Polly let out a long, unsteady breath.

"Oh, thank you!"

"And," Henry added, with the ghost of a smile, 'as long as neither of us admits that we knew of the elopement only fifteen minutes after it occurred, we may avoid any censure! " For a moment they were drawn into a tenuous alliance. Polly felt hope and despair stir in equal measure. Was this how it was always to be, forever wanting more, hoping for more, when Henry had made it clear that he could not forgive her lack of faith in him and she had just demonstrated that she still blamed him for telling her only half a story?

It seemed heartbreaking.

"I must go," she said, a little uncertainly.

"Mama will be wondering, and I have had no supper..."

Henry stirred a little in his chair.

"I shall bid you farewell then, Lady Polly. I am returning to London tomorrow. Perhaps you will be in Town for the Little Season?"

"Perhaps," Polly echoed dully. She felt her spirits sink like a stone.

There would be the Little Season and then the following Season and the year after, forever in Lord Henry's company, forever set apart from him, summers in Bright on, or Bath, or Dilling ham, becoming the spinster aunt, wearing the willow forever. She swallowed hard.

"Good night, my lord," she said.

Chapter Eighteen.

qtqtsq.

i here was a curious air of quiet about Dilling ham Court the following day. Both Lucille and the Dowager Countess stayed in bed resting, but Polly found herself full of a restless energy that compelled her out of doors.

After breakfast, she took her watercolours down to the lake and sat in the summerhouse trying to paint, but somehow she could not transfer the pretty pastoral scene onto her paper and tore up her efforts in a fit of temper. It seemed that she would not find solace for her broken heart through her painting.

The lake was very calm under the blue sky of early autumn, but the air was warm and the sky was heavy with gathering rain. The light was interesting and Polly was frustrated that she could not convey it onto paper. She put down her brush and leant her elbows on the railing, watching the distant clouds roll towards her. With a sigh, she pushed her paints to one side. A quiet walk was almost always enjoyable, although she would have to be careful that she did not get caught in the rain.

She took the path that skirted the lake, walking slowly down towards the River De ben. The breeze whispered softly in the gra.s.s and stirred the leaves on the trees. It seemed almost unnaturally quiet. The river was running quickly, little eddies pushing at the muddy bank and lapping at the soles of Polly's shoes. She could see the roof of the fishing-house a little further downstream, and wandered towards it.

The skies opened almost as suddenly as they had done that day at Shingle Street, and the rain began in a steady downpour. By the time Polly reached the fishing- house, she was drenched and hurried towards the shelter it provided. The door swung open with one touch of her hand and, as before, she stepped into the dim interior.

Unlike the last time, the pool was empty. The mermen and mermaids watched her with blank eyes. There was total silence. Polly paused. A completely insane idea took hold of her. She had gone sea bathing with the Dowager Countess at Bright on the previous summer and had enjoyed the fresh sensation of the cool water. Of course, the pool was not like the sea, but it would be most refreshing and she was already soaked through.

Without further thought, she stripped off her dress and, wearing only her chemise, eased herself into the plunge pool. The chill of the water made her gasp, but once she had become accustomed to it, it was immensely invigorating. Closing her eyes, she floated on her back, listening to the drumming of the rain on the wooden roof above her head and enjoying the curious sensation of being immersed in water whilst it poured down outside.

She could feel her hair floating free of its pins and almost laughed aloud.

How delightful to feel so free from inhibition, to indulge herself, relish the sensation. She was almost happy.

She opened her eyes, gasped, swallowed what felt like a gallon of water and almost choked. Through streaming eyes she could quite clearly make out the laughing face of Lord Henry March night as he stood beside the pool looking down at her. As she struggled to regain her breath, he crouched down by the pool's edge and caught one of her arms, holding her above water.

"Dear me. Lady Polly," Lord Henry said mildly, 'just when I thought it impossible that you could surprise me, I find myself being utterly astounded!

" To Polly's relief. Lord Henry behaved with perfect chivalry. He made no comment about her state of undress but found her a huge, soft blanket to wrap about her and cover her modesty. Then he almost undid all his good work.

"You will find me an adequate lady's maid, I am sure," he said with a grin.

"I have had some practice at such things!"

The colour flooded Polly's cheeks and she pulled the blanket closer.

"I am in no doubt as to that!" she said tartly.

Henry was still grinning unrepentantly as his gaze took in her tousled hair and pink face.