Chapter 10

Ten

" T here he is," Alicia said, nodding to where Maximilian was making a scene with the master of ceremonies.

Lily watched in fascination. There was such arrogance in Maximilian's attitude – he was entirely self-entitled, a rake of the first order. He had pushed the man aside, and was now being led away by another man, whom Lily did not recognize – though why should she? She was a stranger here, and it was fascinating to watch the scenes going on around her, as she acquainted herself with Lancaster society.

"Isn't he awful?" Lily whispered, and Alicia nodded.

"I don't know what other women see in him. I think he's terrible," she said, shaking her head.

But Lily was fascinated, and taking up a position, hidden behind one of the columns supporting the gallery above, Lily watched her subject with interest. He was dressed in the most extraordinary manner – a continental fop, with an orange frock coat and an overly large ruff at the collar. His breeches were held up with what looked like clasps shaped like lions' heads, and the buckles on his shoes were diamante.

"I'm going to dance with Michael Tanner – he's the son of a friend of Father's. He's rather charming," Alicia said, as a tall young man with a mop of blonde hair approached them.

Lily smiled at him, nodding to Alicia, who hurried off arm in arm with the man, just as a waltz was beginning. Maximilian was deep in conversation with the man who had led him away, joined by a woman whom Lily assumed to be his wife.

I wonder what they're saying? He's probably berating him for bringing scandal on the dukedom, Lily thought to herself, smiling, as Maximilian now stormed off across the dance floor, barging into several couples, and being laughed at as he went.

There was something sad and even tragic about him, and Lily shook her head, astonished to think this man would one day inherit the title of Duke of Lancaster. The duke himself was standing at the far end of the ballroom, and Lily turned her gaze to him, wondering as to what it was that had passed between him and her father.

Wicked man…well, he'll regret it when he sees what I write about his son, Lily thought to herself.

She had not expected the matter to be so easy and had come to Lancaster with only a vague notion of what she might discover. But the heir to the dukedom reeked of scandal – she had only to scratch the surface to discover it. Everyone had an opinion on him, and it seemed there was a great deal more to discover about the rakish heir to one of the noblest titles in the land.

"Excuse me, might I have this dance?" a voice to her side said, and Lily looked up to find a smiling young man offering her his arm.

He was around the same age as her, with dark hair and blue eyes. She recognized him as the man with whom Maximilian had just had an altercation on the dance floor, and smiling, she nodded.

"I'd be delighted," she replied, taking his arm.

He led her to the dance floor, and as the speed of the waltz increased, they whirled and twirled in a frenzy of skirts and other couples.

"You dance well, Miss…" the man said, looking suddenly embarrassed at having not introduced himself properly.

"Porter. Lily Porter. I'm here with my friend, Alicia Saunders. Her father's a merchant and highly successful," Lily replied.

"Benjamin Atlee. I'm here for the season, staying with my cousin, Lord Martin. I must say, I wasn't expecting much society in the north. I'm from London, you see," he replied.

Lily smiled. She knew Benjamin Atlee by reputation, though not by sight. She had written about him once – an affair with a married woman twice his age. She was a widower, and had taken a string of lovers, including Benjamin, amongst them. But in truth, there were few aristocrats who did not have some sort of scandal attached to them, and compared to others, Benjamin was practically a saint.

"I am, too – though I don't mix much with society there. I like…peace and quiet. But it's nice to come to a ball occasionally. Tell me, what do you think of the people here?" Lily asked.

She knew Benjamin was bound to mention the rakish heir, and now he smiled, glancing towards the terrace, where Lily could see Maximilian leaning on the parapet.

"I can't say I think much of it, though I suppose it's concentrated in a place like this, isn't it? In London, one can't move for crowns and coronets. Up here, everyone's rather…at close quarters. I was pushed aside by the arrogant heir earlier on. A quite ridiculous character," Benjamin said, and Lily nodded.

"Absolutely," she said, as they continued to dance.

"My cousin doesn't think much of the family – the Duke of Lancaster, I mean. He says there're scandals, though no one quite knows what it's all about. The brother who died, the commoner for a godson, suddenly raised to the heights of a barony, and others, whisperings, too – I forget the details, now," he said, but Lily had heard enough.

Everyone she spoke to had an opinion on the family, and it was never favorable. But it was Maximilian who was the object of her intentions, and having gained all she could from Benjamin, she stepped back once the dance was concluded.

"I'll just use the powder room," Lily said, and Benjamin bowed to her.

"I hope we can dance again later," he replied, and Lily smiled.

Alicia was still with her beau, taking refreshments in an anteroom, and Lily lingered by the doors out onto the terrace, noticing Maximilian was no longer outside. It was raining now, the large drops bouncing on the terrace tiles, as a rumble of thunder echoed overhead. Dusk was falling, and the stewards were lighting candles around the ballroom. But in the shadows, Lily now noticed two figures, and slipping behind a column, she watched with interest the sight before her.

" The rake," she said to herself, realizing it was Maximilian with a woman, his arm slipped around her waist.

"I'd be delighted to show you the house, next week, perhaps – you should call on me," Maximilian was saying.

"Well… I'd have to ask my father," the woman replied.

"Did you need his permission to kiss me?" Maximilian asked.

"No, but…well, one needs a chaperone, and…I'm not sure. It doesn't seem quite right…will you visit me? You could speak to my father," the woman said.

"Or you could just kiss me again," Maximilian replied.

Lily was outraged. He was treating the poor woman – no more than a slip of a girl – with nothing but rakish contempt. It was as though he saw her as his property to do with as he chose.

"I'm not sure…we've not been seen, but…oh, we shouldn't. Please, it doesn't matter for you, but a woman…" the woman said, as Maximilian leaned forward to kiss her.

But as he did so, she pushed him away, and Maximilian gave an angry cry.

"It's only harmless fun. Fine, be that way," he said, and he marched off into the throng, leaving the woman in tears.

Lily could hardly believe what she was seeing, even as Maximilian's reputation preceded him. She had experienced something of it herself – his rakish behavior – but never had she expected him to behave quite so outlandishly. The woman was sobbing, and Lily hurried over to comfort her.

"Are you all right?" she asked, and the woman looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh… I feel such a fool. Did anyone see? You didn't see, did you?" she asked, as Lily put her arm around the woman to comfort her.

"I'm afraid I did. But don't worry. I won't say anything, I promise. What a terrible thing he just did to you. I've never seen such wicked behavior," Lily said, shaking her head.

She led the woman to a chair by the nearest column, lit now by candles burning in sconces on the wall, and introduced herself as Lily Porter.

"I wasn't spying on you. I just caught sight of what was happening. The way he spoke to you – it was as though he felt entitled to do as he wished with you. It's terrible," Lily said, as the woman – who introduced herself as Amelia – took out a fan.

"He was charming at first. He told me all about the rose garden at Burnley Abbey. I love roses – the sweet scent, but…" she said, her words trailing off.

"Even the most beautiful roses have thorns," Lily replied, and Amelia nodded.

She began to sob, and Lily put both her arms around her to comfort her. The creation of scandal was not the preserve of man – women could play their part, too, and frequently did. But in this case, the blame was clear – Amelia was the innocent party. She had done nothing to court the lascivious attentions of Maximilian, and his actions reminded Lily of her first encounter with him outside the inn. There, he had assumed it was his right to do as he pleased, and had his friend not interrupted them, Lily felt certain he would have behaved in just the same way with her as he did with Lily.

"That's very true. He certainly does. And yet…when I rebuffed him, he seemed indifferent. He cast me aside like I was…nothing," she said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Come and take the air outside. I think it's stopped raining," Lily said, and she led Amelia out onto the terrace.

It was wet underfoot, but the rain had stopped, and the last of the day's light was lingering on the horizon. The clouds had cleared, leaving a moonlit night, the scent of the garden hanging heavy on the damp air. There was no one else outside, and Lily led Amelia to the end of the terrace, where they could not be overheard. She was keen to learn more about Amelia's encounter with Maximilian – determined to make the young heir sorry for what he had done to this poor innocent creature.

"I feel such a fool. You must think I'm nothing but a silly child. But the way he spoke…he seemed so…genuine in his affections. Any gentleman would've respected my wishes. It was too much. I can't be seen kissing in public, his hands all over me. Oh, what if someone else had seen?" Amelia exclaimed, but Lily shook her head.

"No one saw – it's quite all right. And he won't say anything, either. He'll just move on to the next poor creature, and never give you a second thought. That's what these sorts of men are like. They cast one aside in favor of… well, themselves," Lily replied.

She felt sorry for Amelia. She was young and na?ve, but no fool. It was fortunate she had not given into Maximilian's advances – fortunate for herself. Lily always wrote the truth. She did not elaborate, nor speculate, and if she observed something, it would be included in her report. There were times she held things back or played their revelation to her advantage. But the truth was the truth, and Lily always told the truth – however unpalatable.

"That's what he's done. It's horrible. I don't know how he gets away with it. Does every woman think they might be the one? I knew of him, of course. I was flattered by his attentions – at first. But…his indifference, when I refused. He looked…cold, and distant. I was scared of him," Amelia said.

Lily patted Amelia's arm, wanting to reassure her, and for Amelia to trust her. She wanted to discover as much as she could about the encounter, even as she did not appear as though she was prying. It would take considerable skill to weave the story together into a scandal sheet – she would not allow Amelia to be identified, nor did she want Amelia to realize it was she who had written it.

"I'm not surprised. It's terrible. I can't imagine what I'd do in your place," she said, and Amelia shook her head.

"I just…oh, why can't men be decent? I know some are. But an incident like this…it hardly gives one faith in the opposite sex, does it?" she said.

Lily shook her head. She had seen enough of what mean were capable of to know Amelia was right. Women could create scandals, but it was more likely to be the seduction of a man leading them into it. Men were not to be trusted, and Lily herself had never done so. She was reserved when it came to romance, and always took the attentions of a man as a matter of ulterior motive. But Lily could act well enough to get the things she wanted, and she was not above filtration to achieve her ends.

"It doesn't no – quite the opposite, in fact. It's hard to know if you can ever trust a man to be a decent sort," Lily said.

"Well…I'm just glad I've someone to comfort me. But I should be going. I'll tell my father to take me home. I'll say I've got a megrim. He won't question it. I'm grateful to you, Lily, even though I know there's nothing you can do to help me. It's my mistake, and I'll have to live with it," Amelia said.

Lily smiled. There was a great deal she could do, even as Amelia would never know the truth.

"You'll find these sorts of men usually get their comeuppance," she said, as they made their way back inside.

The ball was coming to an end, and the guests were now dispersing, calling out their farewells to one another across the room. There was no sign of Maximilian, and Lily felt glad to have avoided him. She had thought about the possibility of creating her own scandal to write about. But that with Amelia was so much better than a contrived encounter. The thought of allowing the heir to the dukedom to take advantage of her made her feel quite ill, and whilst she felt sorry for Amelia, she was glad it was she, and not Lily herself, who had borne the brunt of his attentions.

"I hope I'll see you again – the season's just beginning," Amelia said, as they bid one another goodbye.

Lily nodded. She liked Amelia, and she was determined to do what she could to help her.

"Who was that?" Alicia asked, as she came up to Lily a moment later.

"Oh, just a new acquaintance. I think we'll get on rather well," she said, turning to Alicia, who smiled.

"Well…I've got all sorts of things to tell you. Michael Tanner's quite the catch," Alicia said, but Lily's thoughts were elsewhere, and she was looking forward to being alone with her quill and papers, the beginnings of the scandal sheet now forming in her mind…