"I thought you were much struck by Lady Bolt," Polly said, suppressing a giggle.

"I remember that you admired her exceedingly and were most cast down when she favoured Gars ton over you! You do not sound so complimentary now!"

Peter shot his sister a darkling look.

"Dashed improper of you to say so, Poll, though you may be right!" He grinned suddenly.

"The truth is the woman's a dishonest dory! And anyway, I couldn't afford her!"

Polly, enchanted by this graphically unflattering description of Lady Bolt, nevertheless tried to get back to matters which were more important.

"But what do you intend to do about Hetty?" she asked demurely.

"This news of a betrothal may all be a hum, Peter, and you do still care about Hetty, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Peter said crossly.

"The silly chit is supposed to be marrying me, not Edmund Grantley! I tell you. Poll, it goes against the grain with me to sit here and do nothing, but what can I do? Can't rush to Kings mar ton and call the fellow out, can I?"

"At least you could go to Kings mar ton and find out what is going on,"

Polly suggested hopefully.

Her brother looked unconvinced.

"Suppose I'd better go and beard Nick in his lair before I decide what else to do," he said glumly.

"He's bound to cut up rough at me losing so heavily to Weller den.

Still, I'm not the only pigeon his lordship is intent on plucking! I heard that March night was due to arrive in a couple of days' time and you know what a gamester he is! Lady Bolt was aux anges to hear that he was joining them!"

"Lord Henry?" Polly was amazed and, she discovered, annoyed.

"But he has been here in Wood bridge these four days past! He has just been here now!"

"Well, he's expected at Weller den's place shortly," Peter a.s.serted incontrovertibly.

"Heard about it from Weller den himself! Like I said.

Lady Bolt is waiting for him in an agony of impatience! She don't let her bed go cold! " And with this final, scandalous sally he strolled off to Sea grave's book room, unaware of the variety of emotions, all of them unpleasant, which he had aroused in his sister's breast.

Peter stayed only a day at Dilling ham, much to his mother's dismay.

He had an uncomfortable interview with his elder brother, emerging silent and tightlipped from Sea grave's room after half an hour.

The next morning Peter left for Kings mar ton at first light.

"I do hope that matters will sort themselves out," Lucille sighed, sitting with her sister-in-law under a huge tented pavilion which had been erected on Dilling ham Court's green lawns.

"Perhaps I was wrong to encourage Hetty to accept Peter last year. She is very young, after all, and marriage is a very serious business. She has shown a sad unsteadiness of character these months past--' " So has Peter,"

Polly said frankly.

"This outrageous business of Lady Bolt, for example! He and Hetty deserve each other!"

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.