Quiet Meg Read Free Page B

“Sutcliffe would have
been considerably older than Meg Lawrence”
    “Mais oui. Though this is not always so much an obstacle, if there is love. But with Sutcliffe there is only the passion. He covets the girl. She would be his. This he would
say from the first moment he sees her. He is a connoisseur;
he will have the best. Only he can appreciate Meg. He will
not be one of many. He must possess! Charles-I knew a
man once, who sold all his family’s ancient vineyards for
one superior vintage. Such is Sutcliffe’s desire! Yet the Earl
of Sutcliffe was married.”
    Chas leaned back in his seat.
    “Surely Miss Meg did not..
    “Never! Not at all. This is not proper, Charles. Meg is
good. The family is good. The father most honorable, commended by the king! And the earl rages all the more. He
cannot wed her. But he must have her. He plans that she
should be abandoned at Vauxhall. So that he might steal her
away.”
    “Steal her? Grandmere, do you mean he kidnapped her?”
    “Oui, mon cher. But there is no disgrace to the girl. Because Sir Eustace, and the brother-they stop this crime,
this outrage! They find the coach, tout de suite! There is a
battle, a small battle, but still. And Sutcliffe, or one of his
men, fires a pistol. This frightens the horse of Sir Eustace. He falls, he is crushed, he will no longer ride his superb
horses. He loses the use of his legs forever. And Meg, who
is so protected, so loved by her family, she is recluse-she
is in retreat. She cares for her father, that is all.” She cautioned silence, a finger to her lips, as Chas moved to comment, “But there is more, Charles …

    “Miss Meg, she thinks to stop this madness in Lord Sutcliffe, who still sends the gifts and pays the spies. He must
know where she is, what she does, all the day, always. She
accepts an offer from the son of my friend Lady Kenney.
You recall Lady Kenney?” Chas nodded stiffly. “Lady Kenney’s boy, Douglas, has an estate far away, in Scotland.
Miss Meg, I think, does not love him. But she wishes to escape. And he is l’adorateur, adoring. They plan to wed.
Then this devil, this Earl of Sutcliffe, who has no soul, no
honor, no stop to his desires-he kills the boy.”
    “Sutcliffe murdered him?” Chas asked sternly. He sat
forward and frowned at his Grandmere, who was relaying
all this much too calmly. If she were not inventing, he
thought her guilty at least of considerable embellishment.
    “There was a duel, mon cher. The boy, the fiance
Douglas-he challenges for the honor of his Margaret. Yes,
it is said Sutcliffe murdered him. With swords. For there
could be no contest. He knew how it would be.”
    “Miss Margaret must have been … in shock”
    “Precisement, mon petit. Of this horror one cannot say
so much in words. The offers cease! In another age perhaps, a king might have stopped such as this-put an end to
this-banished Sutcliffe, perhaps. Or taken Margaret for
himself. But not now, this is not done, and with your patron,
this Prince Regent! Ah-he is too silly!”

    “He is not entirely silly, Grandmere. He has some admirable sensibilities. But he lacks direction”
    “And you, mon cher, you have too much direction-you
work all the days, when you need not work at all.”
    “I must, Grandmere. I cannot be merely the idle gentleman. I would not have you term me ‘silly.’”
    “Never. My Charles is not a silly man. But now, I must
finish-Miss Meg comes to town once more, for her sister’s wedding to Mr. Ferrell. She stands up for her sister.
And the brother-your friend, Mr. Bertram-has prepared
carefully, and has many men to guard the ceremony. An
army, yes? And still Sutcliffe dares to invite himself, and
look on Margaret” His grandmother reached to touch his
arm with her delicate fingers. “I have seen this look,
Charles. It is not the look of a man, but of the beast, who
knows only the need-not love. Miss Meg flees London;
no one has seen her for almost