A Porcelain Viscountess by Hazel Linwood

Chapter 4

“What did you just say?” Francis couldn’t believe his ears. He half thought he was imagining what his sister had said, all because of the punch.

“I need your help. To aid Lady Ridlington in leaving her –”

“Shh!” he said instantly, realizing that he had heard Diana perfectly correctly. He took Diana’s arm, leading her away from the hustle and bustle of the other guests. Out of the corner of his eye, he was aware of Lady Ridlington following the two of them. He only released Diana when they were at the far side of the room, separated from the other guests by a table filled with food. “You cannot say things like that in a place like this. What if someone overhears you?”

“Oh, tush, no one is interested. They’re all much more interested in their own business,” she waved a hand at him in dismissal and turned her focus to Lady Ridlington, looping her arm with hers. Francis could see Lady Ridlington’s expression all too clearly. She was blushing even more than before and hanging her head a little, the timidity was evident.

“Forgive me for this, but Lady Ridlington,” he turned his focus to her, trying to sort out the sudden whirring of his mind, “if you wish to leave your husband, that is a matter you must discuss with him. You should not be involving my sister.” He almost regretted the words as soon as they said them, for her gentle features looked shocked as she hung her head even further.

“Calm down, you fool,” Diana said quickly, prodding him in the arm. “I offered to help her. Lady Ridlington is far too kind to ever have the presumption to ask anyone to help her out of this situation, which is why I am asking you on her behalf, before she can stop me.”

“I’d still like to stop you,” Lady Ridlington said, looking up. “Perhaps this is not a good idea at all.”

“Can you honestly say you wish to go home to your husband tonight?” Diana’s words must have hit home for Francis watched as Lady Ridlington lifted a hand to her throat and began to rearrange the ribbon around her neck, upon which was a pendant.

Why is she fiddling so? He wondered, though he did not have long to ponder an answer before his sister was speaking again.

“Francis, I ask you for your help out of necessity,” Diana said pleadingly. “It is imperative we move Lady Ridlington away from her husband. I have already arranged with my husband to send our carriage for her tonight.”

“And Josiah has no objection to this?” Francis asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“None,” Diana said pointedly. Something about this didn’t sit right with Francis. He glanced around them and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, worried any minute they could be overheard. If Josiah was preparing to take the risk on this woman by helping her escape her husband, who was a Viscount, then things had to be wrong. Josiah didn’t get involved very easily; he was too clever for that.

“This makes little sense,” Francis lowered his hand. “Why do you need my help if you already have things arranged?” He could see Diana and Lady Ridlington exchange glances before he received an answer.

“We need somewhere for Lady Ridlington to hide,” Diana explained. “Her husband would no doubt search my house.”

Francis’ eyebrows shot up as he realized just what his sister was insinuating. After all, he was back in London, with a large estate on the edge of the city, mostly empty.

“You wish me to hide her?” he asked, his whisper was harried and mad as he stepped toward the two of them. To his amazement, Lady Ridlington backed away, as though going to hide behind her friend.

What was that for? He watched her closely, wondering why she had done such a thing.

“For a short while, yes please,” Diana nodded eagerly with her words. “Just until we can apply to a solicitor to obtain a separation for her.”

“No, I will not do it,” Francis’ response was instinctive.

“Why not?” Diana asked, her smile leaving her face in an instant.

“Because it is not my responsibility to get involved in the business of others. Neither should it be yours,” he said, gesturing to his sister.

“I cannot leave my friend to a life of misery and despair, no matter how easily you can make that decision,” Diana’s tartness hurt indeed. He stood perfectly still, looking between the two of them.

“That is not what I am doing. It is just not my place to get involved,” he said, before turning his eyes on Lady Ridlington. He didn’t need to search her face very hard to see the sadness there, it was plain to see in the way that she bit her lip. “My apologies, Lady Ridlington, but I know you no more than I do a person I pass in the street. I cannot take you away from your husband and hide you. The scandal would be shocking indeed.”

“I perfectly understand,” she said quickly, looking away from him. “If you would excuse me.” She retracted her arm from Diana’s, curtsied to them both and then hurried off, walking away and pushing between the people in the crowd. Where she went, he couldn’t see, for Diana had tapped him round the arm.

“Ow!” he said, pretending it had hurt more than it actually did, trying to draw some humor to the moment, but he could see on Diana’s face he had failed entirely. “Do not be angry at me, Diana. It would just not be proper.”

“And you think it proper to leave Lady Ridlington to that man, do you?”

“That man? I do not know the man! How can I make a judgement on him?” he asked, shaking his head.

“What’s going on?” Josiah’s voice disturbed the two of them. Francis turned his head to see Diana’s husband walking toward the two of them with two glasses of wine in his hand. He passed one glass into his wife’s hand before clocking the dismay on her face. “Something bad has happened.”

“My dear brother,” she said sarcastically, “has refused to offer his help to Lady Ridlington.”

“Well, I cannot say I am surprised,” Josiah looked over Diana’s shoulder at Francis.

“What does that mean?” Francis asked, finding his spine stiffen.

“I mean no slight by it,” Josiah was quick to assure him, coming to stand beside him. “You do not know the lady, therefore, why would you take the risk in helping her?”

“My sister asks too much,” Francis said quietly. “The Lady seems nice enough, but fleeing her husband? Think of the scandal and the gossip. What kind of gentleman would I be if I hid another man’s wife from him? Most of all, I cannot live with a married woman under my roof. That would also be a scandal.”

“Then your staff could use a fake name for her,” Diana said with sudden hope. “No one need know who she really is.”

“Stop trying to make me do it,” Francis said warningly, just as Diana huffed again.

“Very well, I will have to think of something else then,” she said, taking a step away.

“Where are you going?” Francis called after her.

“To find my friend, before her husband does,” Diana called back. As Francis turned his head to Josiah, he could see the glare.

“You rarely glare at me so. That suggests I have done something wrong, though for the life of me I cannot see an error in what I have just done,” he said quickly just as Josiah took his arm. “Ah, when did you get so strong?” He winced at the vice-like grip.

“Practicing fencing,” Josiah said offhandedly as he steered Francis out of the room. “That reminds me, we need another re-match now that you are back from the continent. I will win next time.”

“Judging by your increased strength, I think I will pass,” Francis grimaced just as his friend released him in the corridor outside the Argyll Rooms. “Why are we out here?”

“So that we may speak freely, without fear of being overheard,” Josiah explained, leaning on a wall nearby with folded arms.

“Don’t you judge me for this, Josiah,” Francis said, looking away from his friend.

“I’m not judging you. Were I you right now, I would have made the same decision.”

“Good.”

“But that is merely because you do not know what I know,” Josiah’s words prompted Francis to spin back around and stare at his friend.

“What do you know?” he asked.

“Diana met Lady Ridlington last year. The friendship was instant and since then they have become very dear to each other.” As Josiah began, Francis went to interrupt but his friend held up a finger, urging to let him finish. “In the last year, I cannot tell you how many times Lady Ridlington has turned up at our house, trying her best to hide her tears.”

“Her husband makes her cry?” Francis asked.

“He does worse than that,” Josiah said, glancing up and down the corridor to ensure it was empty before taking a step away from the wall to whisper even more quietly to Francis. “I have seen her wearing scarves and long shawls to hide bruises. I even saw her once fussing with a long sleeve of her dress to hide something on her arm. She thought I hadn’t seen, but I did. It was a long cut.”

Francis paused and cast his gaze downward. A man who beat a woman, in his mind, deserved hell itself. There was no forgivable reason for it – it was nothing but cruel, spawned by a man who desired control, that was all.

“He beats her,” he summarized, just as Josiah nodded.

“He does,” he agreed. “I once saw them at an event where he twisted Lady Ridlington’s arm behind her back. He thought they were alone, fortunately I had taken a turn about the garden and caught them. I dread to think what he would have done had I not stumbled across them, forcing him to stop. Quite frankly, Francis, if I could offer her a safe house for good, I would not be hesitating in doing so. Yet their worries are well founded. If I were to hide Lady Ridlington in my house beyond tonight, her husband would merely send a search party to my home and find her.”

Francis was breathing deeply as he looked back through the doorway into the assembly rooms they had just left. He was thinking of the short and delicate woman he had just danced with, the shynessand the blushing of her cheeks.

How could any man harm such a woman? It made no sense to him, and actually made him feel rather sick.

“I cannot tell you what to do, my friend,” Josiah said, moving to his side and also peering back into the rooms. “I would never presume to do so, regardless, but I can give you some advice. You can take a risk where I am not able to. To be frank, I would jump through hoops to see that woman safe. What will you do?”

Francis snapped his gaze back to his friend, but it was clear Josiah wasn’t expecting an answer, not yet at least. He clapped Francis on the shoulder before walking back into the assembly.

For some minutes, Francis stood alone, ruffling his hair and thinking hard on what he had been told. He hadn’t made up his mind yet, but he was wavering. The conviction with which he had turned down the request for sanctuary had dissipated completely.

“I have to see her,” he muttered to himself as he walked into the assembly, with his head darting back and forth as he searched for Lady Ridlington. When he found her, she was once again in the corner of the room, apparently having a disliking for being in the middle. She was alone though, staring down at a punch glass in her hands.

He crossed toward her, and when he reached her side, he appeared to make her jump so much that the punch nearly sloshed out of the rim of her glass for a second time that evening.

“Your Grace,” she spoke with surprise and hurried to curtsy.

“There is something I need to know,” he said softly, not bothering with the propriety when his mind was just on one thing. The beatings.

“What is that?” she asked, frowning and clearly not understand what he meant.

“Does he hurt you?” he asked the words plainly. He didn’t know whether he expected her to answer honestly, but her reaction told him everything.

Her lips parted and she tried to walk away, directly past him. He caught her free wrist as gently as he could, urging her to turn her head back to him. Her need to escape and not even answer the question was all the confirmation he needed.

Then his eyes rested on the dress she was wearing, with the high neckline and the long sleeves. All of it was far too much covering for this hot evening.

She is still hiding the bruises. He realized with disgust, then his eyes slipped to the ribbon around her throat. She pulled her hand away from his and rearranged that ribbon. In her attempt to reset it, she had actually revealed the secret she clearly didn’t want him to know. He could see a hint of a bruise for just a moment.

That sickening feeling was back, so strong that he was almost nauseous. He knew now how right Josiah was, her husband must have grabbed her around the throat.

“If you would excuse me, Your Grace,” she hurried to curtsy again, with her eyes turned away. “I…I should find my friend –”

“I’ll do it,” the words came surprisingly strongly from him. She paused and slowly turned back toward him with her green eyes wide.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, apparently doubting the proof of her own ears.

“I’ll do it,” he said again. “I’ll offer you a place to hide, and Lord, I pray this decision does not come back to harm us both.”