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An air of gloom pervaded the little bedroom of a house in Upper Berkeley Street, and it had little to do with the failing light. There were three young ladies in the room; sisters, the eldest of whom was sitting upon the bed in her nightclothes, with her knees drawn up to her chin in a most unladylike manner. The younger girls stood at the bedside, deep in thought, until at length one of them gave a very audible sigh.
"Well, Christina,' she said, addressing the young lady on the bed, 'I see nothing for it, you will have to marry him and make the best of it.'
Miss Harpollet raised her head, her eyes a stormy grey.
"No, Lucy, I would die, rather! I care not how many beatings Papa gives me I'll not wed Sir Roland.'
"Does it hurt very much?' asked her sister anxiously.
"Only a little, if I move too quickly, but if Papa thinks that that will make me change my mind he is wrong--I am more determined than ever not to marry that horrible man!'
Miss Maria Harpollet, the youngest of the three, looked up inquiringly. 'But what can be done? You know Sir Roland is calling here tomorrow, and Papa expects you to see him.'
Lucy nodded.
"Papa is very set on the match, is he not? But perhaps if you were to tell Sir Roland you do not wish to marry him, he will not offer for you.'
"I wish that were the case, but unless he is very dull-witted, he must already know I do not care for him.' Christina shuddered. 'In fact, I am sure he knows it, but the colder I act towards him the more he seems to like it. I am sure he does not care what I think of him.'
"And he looks so sinister, too,' said Lucinda, grimacing: 'With that hooked nose and his heavybrows he looks every inch a villain.'
"Mama might speak for you,' offered Maria.
Lucy gave a scornful laugh.
"Do be sensible, Maria. You know Mama would not dare to stand out against Papa. Only think of all the fuss when Jonathon married Eliza Clapham instead of that rich old maid Papa had chosen for him.'
"Goodness, yes!' exclaimed Miss Harpollet, her own problems momentarily forgotten. 'Do you remember how we hid on the stairs when they had that terrible scene? Poor Mama was quite overcome when Papa told Jon never to show his face here again--as it is I am sure I do not know what would have become of our poor brother if he had not had that legacy from Grandmama.'
"As it is he is comfortably established in Yorkshire, while we are left to suffer Papa's ill-humour,' concluded Lucinda bitterly.
"Perhaps I should write to him and ask for his help,' mused Christina, then she shook her head. 'No, it would not work. By the time my letter reached York I would be betrothed-you know Papa's way, Lucy: he will tell me how selfish I am, and how useful Sir Roland could be to the family, for he is odiously rich--and Papa will keep on and on, wearing me down until there is nothing left to do but give in. No, it would be very different if Jon were here in person, but as it is I must think of something else.'
"Perhaps, since you are so against Sir Roland, Papa would let you marry another man.' suggested Maria hopefully.
"There is no one else! Besides, who would be willing to match the settlement he is willing to make? That is what all this is about, Maria, money. It is the reason we left Shropshire and came to this dreary house, so that Papa could arrange good marriages for us all. It makes me feel quite sick to watch poor Mama having to butter up all these proud town ladies for their favours. She should not have to do so, for she is as well-born as any of them, only they consider she has married beneath her.'
"Perhaps Mama thinks that once you marry Sir Roland, you will be able to introduce Maria and me to everyone.'
"Possibly, but-' Christina wrinkled her nose. 'I do not think Sir Roland is very good ton.'
"But he's a baronet, and fabulously wealthy,' put in Maria, adding doubtfully, 'Even if he is a widower.'
"Yes, that is so, and they say he must marry for an heir, but when I have been to parties, I have noticed that he is avoided by many of the matrons. When Mama managed to get us invited to that ball given by the Duchess of--oh, I cannot remember her name, but you will recall I told you about her-very haughty and cold towards us. Well, Sir Roland was not there, but his name was mentioned, and in the most disparaging way!'
"That doesn't sound very encouraging, does it? Perhaps if you were to explain about it, Papa would change his mind,' said Lucy hopefully.
"I have tried to tell him, I even told him about the time Sir Roland's carriage knocked down that poor little boy, but it made no difference. Papa is determined I should marry advantageously and I doubt if any argument can sway him.' She chuckled suddenly, a sparkle of mischief appearing briefly in her eyes: 'Poor Papa! How disappointed he must be with my unremarkable looks. No doubt he was hoping I would grow up into a beauty, like the Gunning sisters he is forever telling us about, who came to town and married two Dukes, or some such thing.'
"Well, I think you are very pretty!' declared Maria staunchly. 'And I wish that I had brown hair like yours.'
"We have this wretched red hair because we favour Papa, while Christina is very like Mama,' explained Lucinda, adding with a twinkle, 'except that unlike Mama, Christina is rarely dignified!'
"It is a pity that there is no Duke who wants to marry Kitty, for then she would not be obliged to marry Sir Roland Merebourne,' reasoned Maria.
"Well,' mused Lucy, giving the matter some thought, 'there cannot be that many Dukes who are eligible. There's always March, of course-he's heir to a dukedom, and Queensberry cannot survive much longer, he must be nearly eighty!'
"And what, miss, do you know about the Earl of March?' demanded Miss Harpollet awfully.
Lucy tossed her head: 'Only what Edgar and Gerard have told me.'
Christina shuddered. 'I thank Providence I am not pretty enough to attract the attentions of that party.'
Then, realizing Maria was listening intently, she swiftly changed the subject.
"I wish Edgar were not up at Oxford--he might be able to advise me.'
"Yes, or even Gerard! He is always full of ideas.'
"You mean it is Gerard who always thinks up ways to get into a scrape!' laughed Lucy. 'I am sure his ingenuity for pranks would not be much use to us in this case, would it Kitty?'
She had to repeat her question, for Miss Harpollet was lost in thought. 'I beg your pardon, what was that? Oh, yes, of course you are right. Gerard is as dependent upon Papa as we are. By the by, Lucy, has Mama given you your pin money?'
"Yes. Do you want me to repay the money I borrowed from you at the Pantheon Bazaar? I am sure you cannot need it, for you never spend a half of your allowance.'
"I am saving for something special,' returned Christina. 'Do, please, be an angel and let me have it now, love. If Papa is angry with me tomorrow he might well forbid me to see you.'
"Oh, very well,' grumbled Lucinda, sliding off the bed. 'Come along Maria, let us go to our room before Miss Luffcombe comes in search of us. I'll slip away later to bring your money. Kitty.'
Ten minutes later Miss Lucinda returned with a lighted taper and a small purse, and in a state of great excitement.
"Oh Kitty, what do you think? Papa says you are to be married within the month!'
Miss Harpollet, who had been lying on her side, one hand nestling her cheek, sat up quickly and cried out as the pain across her shoulders reminded her of her recent beating.
"I was on my way to you when I heard Papa talking to Mama in the hall,' continued Lucy, helping her sister into a more comfortable position. 'He says that Sir Roland is to obtain a special licence as soon as everything is settled tomorrow, and the wedding is to be as soon as may be.'
"If you overheard that from the landing, Lucy, you may be sure that the servants heard it too,' Christina responded gloomily. 'I have no doubt they are having a fine gossip at our expense.' She gazed thoughtfully at the bedcover, her countenance unusually solemn. 'Then it is settled. There is no alternative.'
Lucinda looked at her in surprise.
"Do you mean you will give in and do as Papa bids you?'
"I mean I will not argue any longer.'
"Well, I must say, I find that very poor-spirited,' declared Lucy, 'after Maria and I had agreed we should back you, too.'
Christina looked at her sister strangely.
"I believe I shall need your support even more after tomorrow.'
Lucy's good nature made it impossible for her to be cross for any length of time: she smiled now, and squeezed her sister's hand.
"Of course, dearest, you may rely on that! Oh, by the by, I have your money here.' she counted out the coins.
There you are. I wish you would tell why you are saving all your pin money. I'll wager you have enough to buy a ball gown by now.'
"Something like that.'
Lucy jumped up, saying: 'I must go-it is getting quite late. Shall I arrange your pillows for you before I go?'
"No, thank you, but there is a candle on the table. If you could light it from your own I should be grateful. I am not yet tired enough to sleep.'
This was soon done, and after kissing her sister lightly on the cheek, Lucinda crept away to her own bedchamber.
Miss Harpollet waited until the sound of footsteps had faded away, then she threw back the covers and slipped silently out of bed.
