'Well, let's leave it for the time being,' she said tactfully. 'But will you come up to the Hall tomorrow? Mother has arranged for the dressmaker to come, and I shall be having fittings for most of the day, but I do so want to talk with you. Can you? Do come!'
Of course Yasmin agreed. Whatever the hopelessness of her love for Sir Edward, she could not refuse an opportunity of seeing him. Maria's next words dashed that hope.
'Ned is still in town. There was some great to-do at the Admiralty a few days ago. I do not know the details, for it is being kept as quiet as possible for the moment, Ned said. But he is to remain in town for a few more days. Then, because Charlotte's father is going off to visit some of his old friends Charlotte is coming to stay with us for a while. Ned will escort her down.'
Yasmin did not dare to utter a word for fear her voice would betray her, but fortunately Maria was starting to take her leave and did not notice the silence. Yasmin went outside with her and was able to bid her farewell with tolerable composure, though her mind was in a turmoil.
Chapter 9
Yasmin spent a great deal of her time at the Hall during the next few days, keeping Maria company. She was longing for Sir Edward's return, yet at the same time dreading it, for it would also bring Charlotte to stay in this house and be constantly in his company, an intimacy Yasmin would have to witness. When they had arrived it was as she had dreaded. Sir Edward was polite as usual, but often deep in thought, and several times she caught his gaze fixed on Charlotte. Yasmin had intended telling him of the conversation she had overheard between Pedro and Richard, but she never saw Sir Edward alone, and from embarrassment did not care to seek him out or ask for an interview. Richard himself appeared on the day after Sir Edward returned, and frequently rode over to spend the day at the Hall. He was looking rather haggard, and when Yasmin commented on it to Maria she replied Richard had, as usual, been spending most of his time in the gambling dens of London. It fitted with what Yasmin had heard Pedro say.
One day Maria told her news had come of a naval victory over the French.
'Ned had a letter today,' she said excitedly. 'When I told you of that fuss at the Admiralty, it was apparently connected with this. Nelson had chased Villeneuve to the West Indies but missed him there, and thinking he was making for Spain sailed after him. Nelson sent a brig with the news to London, but this brig passed Villeneuve's fleet further north than it should have been, and realised it was heading for the Channel, possibly to aid the fleet blockaded at Brest. A messenger was landed at Plymouth, and he rode hard for London.' She paused and laughed. 'It was serious, but rather funny too. The man arrived late at night and Lord Barham's servants refused to disturb him, for he had retired to bed. The poor man is nearly eighty! He almost had an apoplexy when he heard the next day, they say! But he sent messages to Admiral Calder who intercepted Villeneuve off Cape Finisterre and drove him into port at Ferrol!'
'That is good news,' Yasmin agreed.
'That was what I thought, but Ned does not agree. He says we are in the same situation as before. Calder should have destroyed Villeneuve's fleet while he had the chance. Ned fears either the instructions were tampered with so Calder did not press his advantage as much as he could have done, or some messages were suppressed so not all the ships which could have joined Calder did so.'
Yasmin stared at her in dismay. 'The traitor again?' she asked slowly, and Maria nodded.
'We do not know the full details yet, and it is mostly speculation what happened, but it seems something has been amiss. Ned fears that if the French can break out of one of the harbours where they are penned they will have enough information to enable them to pick off the English fleets one by one and then the invasion will be easy.
They talked of what might happen if the French succeeded in their plans, but all such speculation was driven from Yasmin's mind by what happened within an hour of her being told this news.
They were seated in a small dining room eating a luncheon when Charlotte, who had earlier in the morning pleaded a headache and retired to bed, burst unceremoniously into the room.
'My dear, what in the world is wrong?' Lady Curtis asked, rising and going towards her.
Charlotte stood at the end of the table and flung out her arm, pointing at Yasmin.
'Thief!' was all she said.
* * * *
For a moment there was dead silence, for they were all utterly taken aback, then Lady Curtis moved forward firmly and took Charlotte by the arm, forcing her to sit in an empty chair.
'You are not yourself, child,' she scolded gently. 'You are unwell.'
'I am perfectly well, I assure you, Lady Curtis,' Charlotte replied in a cool voice. 'I have discovered that my pearls have been taken from my room.'
'That does not give you any right to fling accusations about,' Sir Edward said slowly, and Yasmin glanced at him in gratitude, but he was not looking at her. He was staring at Charlotte with an arrested look in his eyes.
'Tell us how you discovered this,' Lady Curtis said quietly, and Maria, who sat next to Yasmin, sought her hand under cover of the table and held it in a tight grip
.
'I was wearing them last night at dinner,' Charlotte said in a controlled voice. 'When I went to bed I already had this wretched headache. I told my maid to go, for I could not bear her fussing about me when I wished to be quiet. This morning I forgot about them and did not lock them into my jewel case, and my maid did not either, for I had the key with me. When I went to lie down earlier, I still forgot, but in a while when my head was better and I felt well enough to come down, I was tidying my hair and I realised they had disappeared from my dressing table.'
'But you must not accuse Yasmin,' Lady Curtis said gently, and silently Yasmin thanked her for the trust she showed.
'I have missed other things, though,' Charlotte said, darting a malicious glance at Yasmin. 'Ribbons, and small trinkets, that I have tried to convince myself I had mislaid or dropped somewhere. I will confess I was apprehensive of staying where a gypsy has the run of the house, but I tried to dismiss my suspicions.'
Yasmin winced at her words, and Maria squeezed her hand comfortingly.
'That is wicked and unjust!' she cried indignantly.
'You must be mistaken,' Richard said, smiling across the table at Yasmin.
'Indeed I hoped I was, for I did not wish to think you had all been taken in.' Charlotte looked round the table, but avoided Yasmin's eye. 'However, when I searched my room just now, I found this!'
Triumphantly she produced a kerchief, and Yasmin knew everyone immediately recognised it as hers, for she had often worn it to bind back her hair. They all turned to look at her, and she blushed painfully. She read accusation in their eyes.
'I lost that kerchief a few days ago in the grounds,' she whispered, and Charlotte laughed derisively.
'It is easy for you to say that. Where are my pearls? What have you done with them?'
'There is some mistake! Yasmin is no thief!' Maria declared.
'How can you know? She has worked on your sympathy, but I always knew there was something fishy about her. I have never trusted gypsies! They will all steal whatever they can, and she is no different just because she claims to have been born of a gentlewoman. A likely story! I do not know how you can all believe it! What gently bred girl would run off with a gypsy?'
'You could ask Lord Morris if his sister did that, if you disbelieve Yasmin,' Maria exclaimed. 'But that is not important, we must find your pearls and prove Yasmin does not deserve your wicked accusations!'
'Maria!' her mother said sharply, and Yasmin bowed her head, thinking Lady Curtis believed Charlotte.
Yasmin took a deep breath and raised her eyes to look straight at Lady Curtis. 'I promise you I have not been near Charlotte's bedroom, and have not stolen anything of hers, or anything at all,' she said quietly, with as much dignity as she could command. 'I thank you for your many kindnesses to me,' she continued, but could not finish, and then Maria spoke.
'We must search Charlotte's room, and the pearls will be discovered somewhere,' she declared.'If Yasmin has any opportunity to put them back,' Charlotte said caustically. 'She ought to be searched too.'
Yasmin trembled at the indignity of it.
'If that is what you require to make you believe me, then I am ready,' she said angrily, reacting to the hatred in the other girl's tone. 'Lady Curtis, you will wish to see the allegation is disproved?'
She stood up and moved towards the door. Lady Curtis crossed the room swiftly and placed her hand on Yasmin's arm.
'My dear child, I am sure there is no need for this. I believe you and I will not submit you to a search!'
She looked across at Charlotte, and the latter rejected the appeal in the look. She spoke evenly.
'Lady Curtis, while I hate to cause unpleasantness in your house, they are my pearls, and if I may repeat it, I do not trust gypsies! If Yasmin is willing to be searched then it is the only way to be certain. Otherwise my father will want to investigate the matter, and might also wish to know how her cousin was injured!'
'I wish it to be proved you are wrong,' Yasmin answered her quietly.
Lady Curtis hesitated for a moment, then shrugged unhappily.
'Come to my room, my dear. It is most unpleasant, but it will remove the doubt in Charlotte's mind.'
She was as kind as it was possible to be, but the ensuing degradation was distasteful to them both. Yasmin removed all her clothes, and Lady Curtis inspected them to ensure no pearls could be concealed in them. Yasmin was thankful they were alone, for she had been unable to prevent tears of shame from overwhelming her when they had left the dining room. Charlotte and Maria had moved to accompany them, and while Yasmin would have welcomed Maria's support, she was relieved to be spared Charlotte's presence when Lady Curtis had firmly waved both of them aside.
As Yasmin dressed, Lady Curtis apologised profusely for what had happened.
'You had to do it, to still any doubt,' Yasmin told her. 'If you do not mind, I would like to go home now.'
'Of course. Maria shall drive you in the gig. But if the pearls are really lost, I wonder what can have happened? Have they really been stolen?'
'I would prefer to walk, if you please,'Yasmin said, not wishing to join in speculation of what had become of Charlotte's pearls. 'Maria has a fitting with the dressmaker.'
Lady Curtis was not happy at the idea, but when Yasmin insisted she would prefer to be alone, she understood and agreed. They went back downstairs to where Charlotte and Maria waited in an angry silence to announce to Charlotte that Yasmin did not have the pearls.
'You must apologise to Yasmin for your suspicions,' she said sternly, but Charlotte would not.
'If she has not retained them, she must have passed them to an accomplice outside, or hidden them somewhere in the house,' she insisted.
'Do not make yourself more ridiculous! There was not time, even if she could be a thief!' Maria protested.
'Were you with her all morning?'
Maria had to admit she had not been, for she had been occupied with the dressmaker and Yasmin had been left alone in Maria's sitting room.
'We will search the rest of the house and make enquires to see if any strangers have been seen about the grounds. They may have been stolen, and naturally we must try to discover it. But you were exceedingly careless to leave them about,' Lady Curtis said at last, unable to bring Charlotte to make an apology to Yasmin.
* * * *
Eventually Yasmin escaped from their sympathy. Maria went with her to a side door, but had to leave her there, promising she would visit the cottage on the following day. When she had gone, Yasmin leaned against the cool wall, her hands pressed to her face, and for a brief moment she almost lost consciousness. Then she straightened her shoulders and raised her head proudly. She was innocent and would not permit the humiliation to be displayed, appearing as a sign of guilt.
Then, before she could move away from the house, she heard Sir Edward's voice coming from the room that looked out over this part of the garden. She glanced up to see the windows open. Yasmin had been half aware of the murmur of voices from the room before, but no words had been distinguishable. He must have moved to the windows, for now his words floated down clearly to Yasmin as she stood below them.
'I must go to London at once, Mother. There have been other minor thefts I did not tell you about, but now,' he paused, then went on hastily, 'now I think I know enough to finish the matter.'
'Is it wise?' asked Lady Curtis.
'I shall be glad to have done with it. There will be some unpleasantness, inevitably, but I think we can hush it up. I was convinced the Romany fellow had something to do with it, and I begin to see how. I shall leave at once, but I will return in time for Maria's dinner party on Thursday.'
Yasmin heard no more except an indistinct murmur, for he must have moved away again. She was aghast at what she had heard, and afterwards could not remember how she had stumbled back to the cottage. When she reached it she was sobbing uncontrollably and Leon, greatly perturbed, gentled her as if she had been a child or a puppy until she calmed down sufficiently to pour it all out into his astonished ears. Yasmin had never seen the usually calm Leon so furiously angry. When she had finished he sat silently for a few minutes, and then rose to his feet and paced up and down the kitchen, uttering threats and curses against Sir Edward and Charlotte and even Maria until, horrified, Yasmin begged him to stop. He swung round on her.
'You would defend them? After what they have done?'
'Maria is not against me! It was only Charlotte, and she has always hated me. Richard spoke up for me, and I do not think Lady Curtis had any notion of accusing me, for she was so kind!'
'Kind!' he almost spat out. 'To search you?'