Miss Grantham stood as though turned to stone, colour flooding her cheeks as the sense of his words dawned upon her.
He did not fail to mark this flush, and said: “I am happy to see that you can blush, ma’am! I had not thought it possible!”
A pulse throbbed in Miss Grantham’s throat; her eyes narrowed to slits of light; she made a strong effort to control her voice, and managed to say: “And how, may I ask, did you know that I had married Mablethorpe?”
“I have this instant met him. He told me himself. It may interest you to know, ma’am, that a week ago I was told that you had been seen traveling northward with your maid beside you in the chaise, and my cousin riding as escort. The fool that I was I would not believe that you could have been base enough to persuade that boy into eloping with you! I assumed him to be accompanying you merely to your destination, to protect you upon the journey! But today I learned the truth. I should have known better than to expect honest dealing from a wench out of a gaming-house!”
If Miss Grantham had been red before, she was now as white as her lace. “You should be grateful to me for having enlarged your experience! But I would remind you, Mr Ravenscar, that I told you when I had you in my power that I should marry your cousin when I chose!”
“I have not forgotten! I remember something else which you said upon that occasion, and which will prove as true a prophecy! You promised to ruin him! You did so when you let him put his ring upon your finger!”
Miss Grantham thrust her left hand into the folds of her skirt. “You will be sorry that you ever dared to speak to me in these terms!” she said through her teeth. “There is nothing I will not do to punish you! I have never been so sorry that I was not born a man! I would kill you if I could! I disliked you at first setting eyes on you: I have learned to detest you!”
“And I thought I had learned to love you, ma’am!” he said. “You do not understand the meaning of that word, but when you have squandered Adrian’s fortune, as I make no doubt you will do soon enough, you may reflect that had you played your cards more cleverly you might have had my wealth to spend, and my name to call your own! You stare! Is it possible that you did not guess it, ma’am? So clever as you are you yet failed to snare a richer prize than Adrian! A much richer prize, Miss Grantham! Take that thought to bed with you, and may you dream of it often! For myself, I count myself fortunate to have escaped so narrowly from the toils of a harpy!”
Miss Grantham’s voice shook uncontrollably, and she was forced to grasp a chairback to steady herself. “Go!” she gasped. “Marry you? I would rather die in the worst agony you can conceive! Don’t dare—don’t dare to enter this house again! I wish I may never see you again as long as I live!”
“You cannot wish that more heartily than I do!” he retorted, and strode from the room.