登陆注册
5257900000024

第24章 Chapter X : Lady Blakeney's Rout(1)

There are several accounts extant, in the fashionable chronicles of the time, of the gorgeous reception given that autumn by Lady Blakeney in her magnificent riverside home.

Never had the spacious apartments of Blakeney Manor looked more resplendent than on this memorable occasion--memorable because of the events which brought the brilliant evening to a close.

The Prince of Wales had come over by water from Carlton House; the Royal Princesses came early, and all fashionable London was there, chattering and laughing, displaying elaborate gowns and priceless jewels dancing, flirting, listening to the strains of the string band, or strolling listlessly in the gardens, where the late roses and clumps of heliotrope threw soft fragrance on the balmy air.

But Marguerite was nervous and agitated. Strive how she might, she could not throw off that foreboding of something evil to come, which had assailed her from the first moment when she met Chauvelin face to face.

That unaccountable feeling of unreality was still upon her, that sense that she, and the woman Candeille, Percy and even His Royal Highness were, for the time being, the actors in a play written and stage-managed by Chauvelin. The ex-ambassador's humility, his offers of friendship, his quietude under Sir Percy's good-humoured banter, everything was a sham. Marguerite knew it; her womanly instinct, her passionate love, all cried out to her in warning: but there was that in her husband's nature which rendered her powerless in the face of such dangers, as, she felt sure, were now threatening him.

Just before her guests had begun to assemble, she had been alone with him for a few minutes. She had entered the room in which he sat, looking radiantly beautiful in a shimmering gown of white and silver, with diamonds in her golden hair and round her exquisite neck.

Moments like this, when she was alone with him, were the joy of her life.

Then and then only did she see him as he really was, with that wistful tenderness in his deep-set eyes, that occasional flash of passion from beneath the lazily-drooping lids. For a few minutes--seconds, mayhap--the spirit of the reckless adventurer was laid to rest, relegated into the furthermost background of this senses by the powerful emotions of the lover.

Then he would seize her in his arms, and hold her to him, with a strange longing to tear from out his heart all other thoughts, feelings and passions save those which made him a slave to her beauty and her smiles.

"Percy!" she whispered to him to-night when freeing herself from his embrace she looked up at him, and for this one heavenly second felt him all her own. "Percy, you will do nothing rash, nothing foolhardy to-night.

That man had planned all that took place yesterday. He hates you, and ..."

In a moment his face and attitude had changed, the heavy lids drooped over the eyes, the rigidity of the mouth relaxed, and that quaint, half-shy, half-inane smile played around the firm lips.

"Of course he does, m'dear," he said in his usual affected, drawly tones, "of course he does, but that is so demmed amusing. He does not really know what or how much he knows, or what I know. ... In fact ... er ... we none of us know anything ... just at present. ..."

He laughed lightly and carelessly, then deliberately readjusted the set of his lace tie.

"Percy!" she said reproachfully.

"Yes, m'dear."

"Lately when you brought Deroulede and Juliette Marny to England ... I endured agonies of anxiety ... and ..."

He sighed, a quick, short, wistful sigh, and said very gently:

"I know you did, m'dear, and that is where the trouble lies. I know that you are fretting, so I have to be so demmed quick about the business, so as not to keep you in suspense too long. ... And now I can't take Ffoulkes away from his young wife, and Tony and the others are so mighty slow."

"Percy!" she said once more with tender earnestness.

"I know, I know," he said with a slight frown of self-reproach. "La! but I don't deserve your solicitude. Heavens know what a brute I was for years, whilst I neglected you, and ignored the noble devotion which I, alas! do even now so little to deserve.

She would have said something more, but was interrupted by the entrance of Juliette Marny into the room.

"Some of your guests have arrived, Lady Blakeney," said the young girl, apologising for her seeming intrusion. "I thought you would wish to know."

Juliette looked very young and girlish in a simple white gown, without a single jewel on her arms or neck. Marguerite regarded her with unaffected approval.

"You look charming to-night, Mademoiselle, does she not, Sir Percy?"

同类推荐
  • 时病论

    时病论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修药师仪轨布坛法

    修药师仪轨布坛法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说五王经

    佛说五王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 不空罥索陀罗尼自在王咒经

    不空罥索陀罗尼自在王咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冬日有怀李贺长吉

    冬日有怀李贺长吉

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 记忆馆之天蝎座的告白

    记忆馆之天蝎座的告白

    绫音认识星野凉的时候,从未想过自己会跟他谈恋爱。星野凉是谁?学校最帅最有钱的大少爷,却也是被绫音毫不留情地划归为“人渣”、“败类”的花花公子。可是,当爱情的磁场将人们牵到一起,纯真如小白兔的绫音也抵挡不了甜美的诱惑,跌进猎人的陷阱。误会之后还是误会,阴谋之外还有阴谋。究竟谁才是守护公主的王子?谁才是不断伤害绫音的人?记忆瓶开启的那一刻,眼泪在雨中飞。绫音收获的是黑暗的真相,也是黑暗中最光明温暖的爱情!
  • 晏子春秋(精装典藏本)

    晏子春秋(精装典藏本)

    晏子,名婴,齐国夷维(今山东省高密县)人,生年不可考,卒于公元前500年。他出身世家,年轻时就从政。其父晏弱去世后,他继任齐卿,历仕灵、庄、景三朝,长达五十四年。晏子是我国历史上有名的“智者”,他在世的时候正值齐国不断走向衰落的年代,国君昏聩,权臣把持朝政,外有秦、楚之患,内有天怒人怨之忧。晏婴凭借着自己的聪明才智,尽力补天,力挽狂澜,使齐国在诸侯各国中赢得了应有的地位,他本人也成为齐国历史上与大政治家管仲并称的名相。
  • 冰川之父:施雅风传

    冰川之父:施雅风传

    《冰川之父:施雅风传》中“创”和“闯”是施雅风的妻子沈健对他的评价。她将她对他的了解和认识只用了这两个字加以概括。创!他创造性地在中国兴建了“冰川学”这门新学科,开辟了“冰川”这个新领域;闯!他不畏艰险勇闯高原山峰进行科学考察,也无所畏惧敢于挑战权威。
  • 葬仙

    葬仙

    春秋战国初年,九州诸侯为争夺中原霸主之位,相互征战吞并。一时间,中原大地刀枪铁骑林立,兵戈四起,战火绵延,生灵涂炭,民不聊生。天不正而妖孽生,九州东面大海有一系列群岛,名孽海,孽海妖孽聚集,天下妖物十之八九聚于此,并且时常出海祸害人间……一个大话连篇整日梦想发大财的小乞丐秋小恒,在一个偶然机会中,得到一本藏有扭转乾坤力量的《乾坤图》,自此,他卷入了神魔妖千年的恩怨情仇中,仙缘和侠影之间,他见证了妖道、魔道、鬼道、仙道的兴起和衰败……
  • 染血的戒指

    染血的戒指

    远山市经济开发区,锣鼓喧天,彩旗飘扬。专门为成功人士鼎力打造的黄金楼盘——大富豪假日花园奠基仪式,马上就耍开始。市、区领导,各路嘉宾面带笑容地走上主席台,在红地毯前站成一排。接着,主持人开始讲话,照例是一番场面话。就在这时,某银行远山经济开发区分行副行长鹿子民的手机响了,原来是一条短信。此刻,台下的摄像机、照相机正聚焦在台上。鹿子民只是随意地扫了一眼,可就是这一眼,立刻把他吓得魂飞魄散!短信内容是:“马上离开,到锦盛花园十号楼去看看。”锦盛花园!
  • 精灵梦叶罗丽之王默命运齿轮

    精灵梦叶罗丽之王默命运齿轮

    精灵梦,叶罗丽。新故事新开始。究竟是因为什么?命运齿轮的重新转动,命运的交错,谁将或使王默的命运齿轮发生改变。焰公主又是谁的手笔?是他?还是…?【女1王默哦!男主?】
  • 宫谋:权倾天下

    宫谋:权倾天下

    【完结】后宫,女人无烟的战场,后宫的争斗向来与权力争夺相结合在一起,后宫女人的战争一点都不比男人的争权夺利逊色,甚至更为残忍。她,是一个传奇,从一个卑贱的宫女到母仪天下的皇后,再到掌控大唐江山的幕后操纵者。她,自入宫开始,为了生存,不得不随时准备着一场场阴谋诡计,尔虞我诈......
  • THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE

    THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 婚君

    婚君

    齐光是一名昏君,女昏君。他从小就知道她是天之娇女,眼光高于顶,对于情爱从不在意,但是他也知道总有一天她一回头就能看见他。
  • 乔老板的甜甜妻

    乔老板的甜甜妻

    二十年前的一场意外,将她扯入他的生活。从此她成为他最厌恶的人。二十年后,她说:这是我做好的假结婚证,糊弄一下妈,只要不被妈发现,你的婚姻全部自由……他自欣然接受…