Part 30 (1/2)
”Let there be an end to all this folly!” he cried
Lavinia raised herself on one elbow, astonished
”H-how dare you?” she gasped
”It has come to that!” he answered ”How dare I, your husband, try to control your actions in any way? I tell you, Lavinia, I have had enough of your antics, and I will not longer put up with them!”
”Youyou- What in heaven's name ails you, Richard?”
”This! I will not countenance that puppy's invasion of esture towards the wilted bouquet ”Neither will I perh him!”
”I? I? I make myself the talk of London? How dare you? Oh! how dare you?”
”I beg you will cease that foolishness There is no question ofall this past week?”
She cowered away from him
”dicky!”
”'Tis very well to cry 'dicky,' and to smile, but I have experienced that before
Sometimes I think you are utterly without heart!a selfish, vain, extravagant woman!”
The childish lips tre
Carstares' face softened
”I beg your pardon, my dear Mayhap that was unjust”
”And cruel! And cruel!”
”And cruel Forgive me”
She twined white, satiny arms about his neck
”You did not mean it?”
”No I le after you, however”
She flung away froht to speak like that I knew Harry long before I ever set eyes on you! ”
He winced
”You infer that he is h you try to make me hate you No! I love you best But I will not send Harry away!”
”Not if I order it?”
”Order it? Order it? No! No! A thousand times no!”
”I do order it!”
”And I refuse to listen to you!”
”By God, madam, you need a lesson!” he flamed ”I am minded to take you back to Wyncham this very day! And I promise you that, an you do not obey o!” He stast her pillohite and tre with fury
As soon as she was dressed, she flounced downstairs, bent on finishi+ng the quarrel But Carstares had gone out some time since, and was not expected to return until late For a moment Lavinia was furious, but the timely arrival of a box from her mantua-maker's chased away the frowns and wreathed her face in smiles
Richard did not return until it was ti the house he went straight to his cha himself into the hands of his valet He suber-nails, the sprinkling of his linen with rosewater and the stencilling of his brows He was arrayed in puce and gold, rings slipped on to his fingers, his legs coaxed into hose with marvellous clocks splashed on their sides, and a dia Then, powdered, painted and patched, he went slowly across to his wife's roo's contretereeted hioith a loose deshabille thrown over her shoulders The coiffeur had departed, and her hair, thickly powdered, was dressed high above her head over cushi+ons, twisted into curls over her ears and allowed to fall in more curls over her shoulders On top of the creation were poised ostrich feathers, scarlet and white, and round her throat gleareat necklet of diamonds The room was redolent of soloves strewed the floor; over the back of a chair hung a brilliant scarlet doown, a mass of white satin and brocade, with full ruffles over the hips and quantities of foae and from the short sleeves Beside it reposed her fan, her soft lace gloves, her erly sat down on the extree of a chair and watched the maid tint his wife's already perfect cheeks
”I shall break hearts to-night, shall I not?” she asked gaily, over her shoulder
”I do not doubt it,” he answered shortly
”And you, dicky?” She turned round to look at him ”Puce'tis not the colour I should have chosen, but 'tis well enough A neig, surely?”
”Ay”
Her eyes questioned his coldness, and she suddenly re So he was sulky? Very well! Monsieur should see!
Someone knocked at the door; the ory Markham, Moosso le Chevalier and Captain Lovelace are below, m'lady”
A little devil prompted Lavinia
”Oh, la-la! So ory and Captain Lovelace”
Louisa communicated this to the lackey and shut the door
Richard bit his lip angrily
”Are you sure I aely sarcastic
Lady Lavinia cast aside her deshabille and stood up