“It’s not that wretch of a captain, is it? The militia fellow?”
Delia almost spat out the wine. “Good heavens, no!”
“Thank the Lord for that! What your mother would say to such a union I dread to think.” A frown drew her brows together, and her tone became accusing. “Is it the truth? You went apart with the man.”
“To discover if he’d had any news of those men,” Delia said, glad to be able to deflect that ridiculous notion.
Lady Matterson eyed her over the rim of her glass as she drank. “What made you suppose they might be in Weymouth itself?”
Oh, help! Must her aunt be so observant? She would have to let slip a tithe of the truth. “I thought I caught a glimpse of one of them, that’s all. No doubt I was mistaken.”
“A glimpse? Where? Why did you not tell me?”
“On the beach, when I went with Scoley to buy fish. I didn’t want to worry you, Aunt.”
“Commendable, but mistaken, girl. Did you suppose I would shake in my shoes?”
Delia smiled. “I know you are a deal more robust than that, to use your own word. But I saw no reason to spoil your enjoyment of the season.”
Lady Matterson bridled. “And you think it’s not spoiled by you going about with a face like a thwarted moonling?”
Gurgling helplessly, Delia had to put her glass down. Her aunt’s face did not crack a smile. “Is colourful language another attribute of your generation, ma’am?”
“Don’t try to put me off, girl!”
Delia sighed. “You are altogether too fly, Aunt.”
“At my age I ought to be.”
“Not necessarily. One cannot say the same of some of your companions.”
Lady Matterson tapped the arm of the chaise longue. “You won’t deflect me into discussing the shortcomings of my cronies, child.”
“I know, ma’am. You are nothing if not tenacious.”
“And you are admirably close-mouthed, Delia, and if I was not devilish anxious about you, I would leave you be. But I am and I can’t.”
Touched, Delia rose and crossed to sink down beside her on the chaise longue, taking her aunt’s free hand. “It’s a poor return for your attentions, Aunt Gertrude, but the story is not my own. At least, not entirely. And…” Hesitant, she began playing with the fingers she held, looking at them rather than the too knowing eyes.
“And?”
It was gently said and Delia looked up, startled to see affection in her aunt’s softened features. An unprecedented rush of tenderness affected her not a little.
“I will tell you, but not yet, dear Aunt Gertrude. There is — there is danger for — for the person involved, you see, and I must protect him.”
Her aunt’s gaze did not stray from her face. She seemed to consider Delia for a moment before she spoke. “Tell me this, child. Are you in danger too?”
“Oh, no. He —theymean no harm to me. I am perfectly safe, Aunt.”
“But this he is not?”
Delia shook her head, struggling not to blurt everything out. But she could not betray Giff. “Far from it. I know — I have reason to know, more so today, that his danger is acute.”
Again her aunt hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave the subject. “Can I help in any way, Delia? I have influence in certain quarters.”
“Not for this, Aunt. There is nothing you could do. There is little I can do, if truth be told. But I can’t sit idle and not…” She faded out, aware she was saying too much. Any more and she would end by telling Aunt Gertrude the whole story.
“Have I met this he of yours?”