Tallie's Knight Part 12

Tallie's lips twitched.

"Thalia, Euphrosyne and AglflM were the three Graces--the daughters of Zeus and servants to the other deities," she explained severely.

"My mother thought it romantic to name me after one of them."

"Romantic! She must have been a hen-wit," he said frankly.

"I suppose she wanted more daughters to complete the set. You must thank your lucky stars you were born first."

Tallie giggled.

He smiled down at her, feeling more in charity with her.

"So, if you do not wish me to call you Thalia, what is my alternative--Lucy?" he said, pleased with himself for recalling her second name.

Tallie pulled another face and shook her head.

"No, I don't like Louise either." She hesitated.

"My friends from school and my cousin's children call me Tallie, so you

could call me that--if you wish it."

"Tallie... Tallie," he said thoughtfully, then nodded.

"Yes, it suits you. So, you shall call me Magnus and I call you

Tallie-agreed?"

"Agreed, my lor--Magnus." She found her hand enveloped in his and looked up at him, smiling shyly. He looked down into her shining amber eyes and his hand tightened its grip.

"Come then, Tallie, for we depart within the half-hour."

"Where to, my lor--Magnus?" she asked breathlessly.

He couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

"Paris!"

Chapter Seven.

What is that most uncommon smell, my lor--Magnus? " Tallie called fromthe window of the coach.They had come to a steep hill. The horses slowed to a walk, and, for the first time in several hours, Magnus was close enough for conversation.

Magnus frowned, inhaled and shook his head.

"I smell nothing untoward."

"Oh, you must," she said, sniffing the air vigorously.

"It is... it is... Oh, I cannot explain it, for I have smelled nothing like it before..." She sniffed again.

"It is a little... tart, but vastly refreshing."Magnus inhaled and shook his head again."I can smell nothing--the wretched sea drowns all other smells.""The sea?" Tallie exclaimed."It is the sea I can smell? Oh, how very exciting. I have never seen the sea and have always longed to do so."

She bounced up on the carriage seat and craned her neck as far as she could out of the window.

Magnus regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

She turned her head.

"Pray tell me, my lorI mean Magnus, in which direction is the sea?"

"You cannot see it yet," he said, 'but once we are over this hill you

should be able to catch a glimpse of it. "

Tallie's eyes avidly scanned the approaching horizon. Sure enough, within a few moments she saw a sparkling blue line stretching between

the dip of green hills.

"Ohhh," she breathed.

She fastened her gaze on the horizon for the next forty minutes,

catching tantalising glimpses of blue and silver, until the coach breached the final crest and the English Channel lay spread out before her in an endless gleaming expanse.

"Ohhhhh."

Amused by her naive enthralment, Magnus signalled the coach driver to stop. He himself dismounted and opened Tallie's door.

"Come," he said, holding out a hand.

"Alight for a moment or two and gaze your fill."

Eyes shining, she hastened to do his bidding, almost tumbling into the

road as she did so. She hurried up a small rise and stood there,drinking in the incredible sight."It is not the true sea, you understand. This is just the Channel."She turned to stare at him in amazement."Truly? But it is enormous. I cannot see to the other side at all."He shrugged.

"Nevertheless..."

She turned back and gazed in silence for several minutes, her hands clasped to her bosom.

"The English Channel..." she breathed reverently.

"It is so much bigger than the maps would have you believe... And justover there is Europe." She clapped her hands."Oh, I cannot wait! Come! Let us delay no further."She hurried back to the coach and scrambled back up the let-down steps, oblivious of the groom waiting to a.s.sist her.

Magnus sighed and made a mental note to find someone to teach his wife how a lady should step into and descend from a carriage.

The town of Dover was not particularly prepossessing, in Magnus's opinion, consisting, as it did, largely of cheap, unsavoury taverns and inns kept by retired rum-soaked sailors for the benefit and entertainment of other rum-soaked sailors. There were but two decent hostelries in which a gentleman could safely repose his bride--the Ship Inn and the King's Head. The Ship Inn being the more fashionable of the two, it was there that Magnus naturally made his way.

To his annoyance, however, the inn was full. The landlord explained.

It seemed there had been no wind, not even a breeze for days. The Channel lay smooth and gla.s.sy and the boats' sails limp, and so the inn--the whole town, in fact--was crowded with people waiting to leave for France. The landlord was extremely apologetic, but every single room was taken.

"Check again," said Lord d'Arenville, laying several shining coins on the counter. The landlord regretfully shook his head. Lord d'Arenville added several more to the pile.

Lord d'Arenville's name was not unknown. Nor was it The Ship's practice to turn away t.i.tled gentlemen. The landlord hesitated a moment, then leaned forward.

"All I can offer your lordship is accommodation to share, I'm afraid--for a small consideration, of course. There are several young gentlemen who would be pleased to accommodate your lordship for a reduction in their tariff, and your lady wife would, I am sure, be welcome to sleep with Mrs. Entwhistle, an elderly widow of the utmost respectability." His fingers crept towards the money.

"Share?" exclaimed Lord d'Arenville, outraged, sweeping up the coins.

His wife to share with some old woman--a cit, no doubt! The notion was preposterous. His countess did not share her bed with strange old women! She shared it with him--or she would as soon as he could manage it. He had waited quite long enough as it was.

The memory of her naked softness had stayed with him the whole day, and each sight of her, each movement, had caused him the sort of discomfort he had not had to endure since he was a green youth. It was a ridiculous situation for a man of his age and experience, and he was determined to remedy it immediately--all he needed was a bed and his bride.

The landlord spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness and shrugged. "Tis all I can offer you, my lord. Without the wind, the ships can't leave, and until they do we must all make the best of things."

"Well, then," said Lord d'Arenville coldly, 'be so good as to recommend some respectable private accommodation where my wife and I can stay. "

The landlord shook his head.

"Nothing left, I'm afraid, my lord. The ships have been stuck here for six days already, and the whole town is full up--as tight as a tick, if you'll forgive the expression." He paused, then added doubtfully, "You might find something in one of the taverns near the waterfront, but I'd not wish a lady there, myself."

"Quite!" said Lord d'Arenville crisply. He pondered the situation. It was far too late to retrace their steps and find some other town. His bride was waiting in the carriage, tired and no doubt hungry, though she had not complained. Repressing his frustration, he accepted the landlord's terms, hiding his chagrin behind an icy demeanour.

Mrs. Entwhistle was, as Magnus had feared, a cit. A wealthy widow, she currently owned several large woollen mills and manufactories--a fact of which she did not hesitate to inform them, much to his disgust. She spoke with an a.s.sumed air of refinment," which intensified when she found the exalted company in which she was to mix. She was also garrulous to the point of strangulation. Magnus was in her company no more than ten minutes before he had formed an understanding of why all three of her husbands had died young--seeking the peace and quiet of the grave. She was, however, intensely respectable, and only too delighted to share her chamber with a youthful countess, so Magnus was able to leave his bride to dine on a tray in the woman's chamber with no doubts about her safety.

He himself pa.s.sed a most frustrating night. It took him hours to get to sleep, images of his naked wife being the chief cause. Then, when he finally fell into a fitful sleep, the young blades with whom he shared the room stumbled in, foxed to the eyeb.a.l.l.s and talking at the tops of their voices. He bore it as long as he could, then sat up in bed.

"If you young gentlemen do not put yourselves to bed with the utmost speed--and silence--I will be forced to get out of this bed," he said, in a voice which froze the young men in their tracks.

"I do not believe you would enjoy the consequences."

After that, the only noise in the room was furtive breathing.

Magnus lay wide awake, wondering what malignant twist of fate had caused him to end up sharing a room with three drunken sots while his wife was curled up in bed with a vulgar old woman. He had never been so uncomfortable--nor so frustrated--in his life. Except for his wedding night.

Nothing had gone right for him since he'd offered for the girl, he thought sourly. Why had he ever been so foolish as to consider marriage? It was all Freddie's fault. One of the young blades started to snore. Magnus turned over in bed, attempting to block out the sound. A second set of snores joined the first, then a third, making a loud and inharmonious din. Magnus pulled the pillow over his head.

Lord d'Arenville was far from his best when he entered the inn's crowded public dining room to join his bride for breakfast. He had pa.s.sed a most indifferent night--again--and even the expedience of tossing the noisiest of his companions out of bed had failed to quell the vile nocturnal sounds.

Further, he'd had to shave and dress himself without his valet. Again.

He was forced to acknowledge he missed the man's skills--Magnus had detected a hair on his coat when it had been returned to him, his cravats were insufficiently starched and, worst of all, the inn's bootblack had left a thumb-print on his hessians!

"Good morning, my lord." Tallie greeted him with a sunny smile.

"Did you sleep better last night?"

Magnus gave her a baleful glance and sat down. He ordered kidneys, bacon and a tankard of ale. His wife applied herself vigorously to a plate of kippers.

"I gather you slept well. Again," he added, noting her bright- eyed demeanour and her clear, smooth skin.

She shook her head, glanced furtively around the room, then leaned forward and whispered, "No, not at all, for--you will not credit it--Mrs. Entwhistle snoresV Magnus let out a surprised snort of laughter.

"Oh, but it is perfectly true," Tallie whispered, and rolled her eyes.