Part 16 (1/2)
”You would have had eyes to see what was wrong and you would have done something to improve it.”
The Marquis looked at her and then he asked, ”You believe in me?”
”I believe in you, I trust you and I think you are not only magnificent, but very a very wonderful.”
There was a little break in her voice and her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the Marquis.
”Then I will try not to fail you, Torilla.”
It was in the nature of a vow.
As if they both knew their conversation had come to an end and there was nothing left to say, they moved towards the door.
The Marquis opened it for her and they went out.
Torilla felt as they walked away down the pa.s.sage that they had left their hearts behind in that quiet fragrant room.
CHAPTER SIX.
Beryl burst into the room where Torilla was writing a letter to her father.
”What do you think, Torilla?” she asked excitedly. ”Gallen fought a duel this morning at dawn!”
As she spoke, she walked across the room to the mirror so she did not see Torilla spring up from the desk, her face deathly pale, her lips moving although no sound came from them.
”You must admit it is really romantic,” Beryl went on, regarding her reflection, ”because of course, he fought over me!”
”He is a not hurt?”
Torilla managed to say the words but they were hardly audible.
”Charles tells me that Gallen received a slight scratch, but his opponent is at death's door.”
”Who a was it?”
Torilla could not help the question even though she knew the answer.
”A man called Sir Jocelyn Threnton,” Beryl replied, taking off her bonnet and smoothing down her hair. ”I believe I have met him, but I cannot remember what he looks like.”
”And the Marquis is a not really h-hurt?”
”He should not actually have received a scratch, so Charles says,” Beryl answered, ”but Sir Jocelyn fired before the referee had counted ten.”
She gave a little laugh.
”It is so like Gallen's luck for him to sense what would happen and, as Sir Jocelyn fired, he stepped to one side. Instead of killing him the bullet merely grazed his left arm.”
Beryl made a sound of delight as she went on, ”Charles says all the Clubs in St. James's are talking about it. Sir Jocelyn is completely discredited and, if he does recover, he will have to go abroad.”
Torilla clasped her hands together, but she did not speak.
”If he stays,” Beryl said with satisfaction, ”no one will speak to him and he will be ostracized.”
Torilla felt her legs could no longer support her and she sat down heavily on a chair.
How could she ever imagine a how could she have guessed that the Marquis would solve their problem in such a manner?
”You are quite a certain,” she said because she had to know, ”that the Marquis is really not a badly wounded?”
Beryl threw herself down on the sofa.
”How you do fuss, Torilla!” she said. ”Of course Gallen is all right. You must have realised by now that he is indestructible.”
She leaned back against the satin cus.h.i.+ons to add, ”I wonder what Sir Jocelyn said about me? Charles is certain he must have disparaged me in a most disgraceful manner for Gallen to call him out.”
She sighed.
”I suppose I shall never know, for Gallen will certainly not tell me.”
”Have you seen him?” Torilla asked.
”Who a Gallen?” Beryl asked. ”I imagine he is at his house and it would be most improper for me to call there without a chaperone!”
She was not speaking seriously, but she added, ”Not a word of this to Mama! You know how she worries over anything that concerns my reputation and it is not the 'done thing' to be duelled over.”
”I will not say anything,” Torilla murmured.
At the same time she felt like crying in her relief that the Marquis was not badly hurt.
Supposing Sir Jocelyn had succeeded in wounding him mortally? Suppose he had died?
She pushed the thoughts away from her mind.
The Marquis was all right and she must not show herself to be a coward, but she knew she was one where he was concerned.
”I think everything has happened to me now,” Beryl said. ”Men have threatened before to fight over me, but it has never actually happened. This will certainly be something to relate to my grandchildren, if I ever have any.”
She was speaking in her frivolous voice, which made Torilla wince.
She knew that if she was in Beryl's position at the moment she would have been desperate with anxiety.
Whether it was conventional or not, she would have been unable to prevent herself from grushng to the Marquis's side.
Beryl rose from the sofa.
”I only hope that this does not mean that Gallen will cry off taking us to the Opera tonight. It is to be a very smart occasion and we are to be in the Prince Regent's box.”