Free The Belle Dames Club by Melinda Hammond Page A

cold, not a bit like my dear Toby.’ She giggled, then stopped as Clarissa laid a hand on her arm.
    ‘Hush, Sally. Someone’s coming.’
    There was a rustling of the bushes around the arbour, a scrunch of feet on the gravel path and a hoarse whisper.
    ‘Mrs Norwell – Julia!’
    ‘It’s Sir Howard,’ hissed Sarah. She put up her hand to stifle a giggle. ‘He must have seen me enter and mistaken my domino for hers!’
    ‘Julia, dearest. My little flower.’
    Lady Gaunt motioned to the others to be quiet and said, in a high, breathless voice, ‘Oh sir, pray do not come in! I am too shy to face you directly. Stay where you are and I will talk to you.’
    Sir Howard gave a gusty sigh.
    ‘Oh my little angel! You – you are alone?’
    ‘Of course, sir.’
    ‘Then let me come in and keep you company – I have waited very patiently, my dear, but—’
    ‘Oh no, no!’ gasped Lady Gaunt, still in that breathless voice. Clarissa and Sarah stood behind her, doubled up in silent laughter . ‘I am expecting my husband to join me here at any moment.’
    ‘Then tell me quickly where we can meet … my little dove.’
    Lady Gaunt gave a dramatic sigh and leaned closer to the hedge.
    ‘Oh, my dear, dear sir.’
    ‘Tell me where I may come to you.’ Sir Howard’s voice was quivering with excitement. ‘Anywhere, any time – I am yours!’
    ‘At home – tomorrow night, at ten o’clock. My husband and his family are going out. We shall be quite, quite alone.’
    Clarissa stared at Lady Gaunt, her laughter giving way to surprise. There was a pause, then Sir Howard spoke again, his thin voice even higher.
    ‘T-ten o’clock, at Norwell House?’
    ‘Yes. You cannot miss it – it is the first big house past the Knight’s Bridge toll-gate. Do not fail me, my dear one.’
    There was another shuddering sigh from the far side of the hedge.
    ‘My angel, my dove! I shall be there. At last, I shall be able to show you how much I adore—’
    ‘Yes, yes, but someone comes, sir. You must away, or we are undone!’
    ‘Until tomorrow night then … Julia.’
    ‘Until tomorrow … Howard.’
    The three ladies stood in silence until they heard Sir Howard’s heavy tread moving away. Lady Sarah was the first to break the silence.
    ‘Dorothea,’ she said in an awed voice, ‘what are you about, you wicked woman?’
    Lady Gaunt pressed her handkerchief to her lips in an effort to quell her own laughter.
    ‘Oh what a wonderful jest! I vow I could not have planned it better!’
    ‘Planned what?’ demanded Clarissa.
    ‘Why, Sir Howard is about to learn his lesson. He will come to Norwell House tomorrow night and we will give him a night he will never forget.’
    ‘We will?’
    ‘Yes, Sally, for I know you will both want to be with me in this! We will need Julia, too, of course. You heard Lady Norwell say they were off to the theatre tomorrow – Julia must persuade them to go without her. It will be perfect.’
    ‘Dorothea I cannot bear this another moment!’ cried Lady Sarah, trying to sound severe. ‘Just what are you planning?’
    ‘Join me at Norwell House at half an hour before ten tomorrow night and you will know everything,’ Lady Gaunt promised her. ‘Howard Besthorpe has made many a poor girl’s life a misery with his unwanted attentions. Perhaps after this he will be a little more careful in his assignations. Come, we must get back, and we must find Lady Norwell’s party and tell Julia of our little scheme. Sally, you must go back to Lady Wyckenham – it would not do for Besthorpe to see you and Julia together, and wearing the same colour – I do not rate his intelligencevery highly, but he might guess something is afoot.’
    They were soon back within the Grand Walk, where Clarissa and Lady Gaunt made their way around the promenade until they found Lady Norwell’s party enjoying supper in one of the boxes situated behind the orchestra. Lady Gaunt sailed up to the box and engaged Lady Norwell in