Part 70 (1/2)

”You should have more care, slandering a man like that! Lucky for you March night's too idle to call you out!”

Polly did not wait for matters to get worse. She practically dragged Lady Laura along the edge of the ballroom towards the door. In the background the music continued to tinkle and a few couples were attempting the cotillion in desultory fas.h.i.+on.

Polly found that she was very upset and chided herself for her foolishness.

She could hardly blame others for dismissing Henry March night as lightweight when he himself encouraged precisely that impression. It puzzled her, for the man she knew was in no way superficial, and yet in general company he appeared to change character and become as shallow as any other pleasure-seeker in the ton. For a moment she remembered that lightning change in Henry's expression from acute intelligence to amiable blandness, then a stifled sob from Lady Laura recalled her to the person who had been most injured by Mr Dit ton's malicious remarks and the d.u.c.h.ess's clumsy attempts to smooth matters over.

”It isn't fair,” Lady Laura said pa.s.sionately, biting her lip to stop herself from crying.

”Everyone is so unkind about Henry when he is the sweetest person imaginable!

Oh, I could hardly bear to hear them! I nearly said something I regretted.

d.u.c.h.ess or no!”

She looked at Polly, half-mutinous and half- ashamed. Polly smiled at her encouragingly.

”Mr Dit ton is unpardonable,” she said quietly, 'and her Grace of Broxboume scarcely less so! ” She put out a hand on the other girl's arm.

”Please do not regard it. Lady Laura! I am sure you are right--you must know your brother better than any of us!”

”He is not at all as everyone imagines,” Lady Laura said earnestly, gratefully taking the gla.s.s of lemonade that Polly pa.s.sed her.

”People think him stupid, or frivolous, but they do not at all appreciate his qualities! Why, I know that he is currently involved in work which--' ” Laura? ” It was difficult to tell whether it was Polly or Laura who jumped more.

Laura had been engrossed in her attempts to exonerate her brother and Polly was fascinated by whatever it was she had been about to reveal.

When Lord Henry himself paused beside them they both looked up, flushed and disconcerted. He raised an eyebrow.

”Whatever can the two of you be plotting? Why, you look the picture of guilt!”

It was too much for Laura. Her eyes filled with tears again and with a murmured word of apology to Polly, she positively ran out of the refreshment room.

Henry watched her go with a heavy frown on his brow. He touched Polly's hand briefly.

”I had no idea that Laura was so upset. Lady Polly. I apologise for interrupting your conversation when she evidently wished to confide in you.”

His searching gaze rested on Polly's face for a moment.

”I had better make sure that she is all right. Our mother has not accompanied Laura tonight and I promised to keep an eye on her. Excuse me...”

Polly had no inclination to return to the ballroom. She watched Lord Henry's tall figure skirt the floor and cross urgently to Lady Laura's chaperon, saw the lady point and Lord Henry set off in that direction.

Polly sighed. It was unforgivable of Mr Dit ton to make such ill-bred remarks about Lord Henry March- night in front of his sister and hardly surprising that Laura had been deeply distressed. Nor did she doubt Laura's whole-hearted defence of her brother. For a moment Polly wondered what Laura had been about to say to her, and she remembered the incisive look in Lord Henry's eyes as he had listened to Mr Dit ton. There was no doubt that Lord Henry was an enigma, a.s.suming a superficial and indolent air when he chose, but using it to disguise something deeper. Surely she could not be the only one to have noticed? And yet, it seemed she was.

Mr Dit ton, his sister and Mr Bunion came into the refreshment room, laughing and chatting, and Polly went out into the ballroom to avoid them.

It was al most the last dance of the evening; the orchestra was tuning up again and Polly felt oddly flat. The Season was trailing away in rather insipid fas.h.i.+on now that the excitement of her false flirtation with Lord Henry had ended. She wished. ”Lady Polly, may I speak with you?”

She had not seen Lord Henry approaching her, for he had come along the edge of the dancing floor, where a line of pillars cast a dark shadow.