Part 14 (1/2)
Almost insidiously the thought came to her that what she was looking for was in fact the feeling she had had when the Marquis kissed her.
It was because she knew she would never feel that rapture with Lord Arkley that she could not marry him.
It was because she had known that the other men who had begun to be pa.s.sionate in their protestations could never give her that Divine ecstasy she had felt with the Marquis that she had run away from them.
As if she was frightened of where her thoughts were leading her, she had buried her face in her pillow, but it had been an uneasy night's sleep.
Now, sitting in the garden at Lady Melchester's house awaiting her lemonade, and hearing the soft strains of music in the distance and the tinkle of the water as it cascaded down a small artificial waterfall, Torilla found herself thinking how conducive it all was to romance.
She was quite certain that somewhere in the garden Beryl was being kissed, if not by Lord Newall, then by one of her other numerous admirers.
She thought perhaps there was something wrong with her because she was content just to look at the beauty around her and would only feel frightened if her partner expressed himself in words of love.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the knowledge that a man had crossed the stream and was coming towards her.
”You have been very quick a ” she started to say, thinking her partner had returned with the drinks.
Then she gave a terrified start as she realised that the man advancing towards her was Sir Jocelyn Threnton.
”I thought I was not mistaken in recognising you in the ballroom, Miss Clifford,” he said with a smile on his lips.
He sat down beside Torilla on the seat, turning sideways so that he could look at her.
She looked away from him feeling acutely embarra.s.sed and at the same time outraged when she remembered his behaviour.
”You are certainly more elaborately gowned than when I last saw you,” he said and, as the colour rose in her cheeks, he laughed quietly.
”Please a leave me alone,” Torilla said finding her voice with some difficulty.
”That is something I have no intention of doing,” Sir Jocelyn replied. ”We were most unfortunately interrupted when we last met, but I have every intention of renewing our acquaintances.h.i.+p.”
”That, sir, is something I will not permit. Will you please leave me?”
Torilla spoke firmly and now she was not so afraid.
The shock of seeing Sir Jocelyn had made her for a moment too confused to think clearly, but now she told herself there was nothing he could do to hurt her.
There were a large number of people within earshot and her partner would be returning at any moment.
”I have a marked aversion to being pipped at the post,” Sir Jocelyn rambled on, ”although of course I had no idea when I came to your room at The Pelican Inn that you were under the protection of the Marquis of Havingham.”
Torilla turned to stare at him in astonishment.
”What a are you a saying?”
Sir Jocelyn smiled and there was something very unpleasant about it.
”Does Lady Beryl know that her dear cousin accompanied the Marquis unchaperoned on his journey South?”
”How dare you make such a suggestion!” Torilla said indignantly. ”The Marquis overheard the disgraceful way you were behaving towards me and, as a complete stranger, he came to my rescue. I had never met him before and had no idea who he was.”
”That is your story,” Sir Jocelyn said. ”I only hope that Lady Beryl believes it.”
”Lady Beryl does not a ” Torilla stopped suddenly.
She realised too late that what she was about to say was exactly what Sir Jocelyn had wanted to learn.
”So a you have not told your cousin,” he said after a moment's silence. ”Well, well, well a that is just as I suspected! I can only imagine that the information will be of some interest to her. I must ask her for the next dance.”
Torilla gave a little cry.
”No a please,” she said. ”Please don't a speak of a this to a Beryl.”
Even as she spoke she knew by the expression on Sir Jocelyn's face how much he was enjoying having her, so to speak, in his power.
She had seen him humiliated when the Marquis turned him out of her bedroom and she knew this was his revenge a to hurt Beryl.
She thought wildly if only she had told Beryl the truth as soon as she arrived at Fernleigh Hall everything would have been all right.
But it was because Sir Jocelyn's behaviour was irrevocably woven into the kiss that the Marquis had given her the succeeding evening that she could not bring herself to talk about it.
Now she felt as if the ground opened in front of her and there was a bottomless gulf yawning at her feet.
”I am prepared to bargain with you,” Sir Jocelyn now proposed.
”Bargain?” Torilla asked sharply.
”You are asking me to keep silent on a matter that I feel is of considerable interest to all the parties concerned, but my silence has a price.”
”I think that is called 'blackmail',” Torilla a.s.serted.
”Correct!” Sir Jocelyn agreed triumphantly. ”I intend to blackmail you, lovely Miss Clifford, because, as I have said, I don't like losing a race when I am actually at the winning post.”
”Your a behaviour was a despicable, as you a well know,” Torilla answered in a low voice.
”It was entirely your fault for being so alluring,” Sir Jocelyn replied lightly. ”And now a do you want to hear my terms?”
Torilla did not answer and after a moment he carried on, ”They are quite simple. Either you dine with me alone tomorrow evening or pay me the sum of five thousand pounds. The choice is yours!”
Torilla turned to look at him.
”D-dine with you a alone?” she faltered.
”There is a little place off Jermyn Street where they have private rooms. No one will see you there and we can renew our acquaintance, where it was unfortunately broken off.”
Torilla saw by the look in his eyes exactly what he intended and she made a little sound of sheer horror as she turned her face away from him again.
”On the other hand,” Sir Jocelyn said, ”my pride would be slightly mollified by the sum of five thousand pounds.”
”How could I a possibly find a a sum like that?” Torilla asked.