Chapter 1 The surprise

London, midsummer of 1815. Nasty Bonaparte is defeated for sure and old mother Europe may sigh with relief at last. Warriors returned to their families, had tremendous celebrations and faced other quite new problems of the peaceful world of the young XIX century. This is not, my dear reader, a historical novel. At least it shouldn't be. I won't make you refresh important dates, persons and so on. Besides, there are enough people for this already. No, we are going to plunge into absolutely different story. Please, would you mind to read the next paragraph? So as I've already said it had been midsummer. In one of the most fashionable streets of the capital of British Empire was settled a house of Lord Vernon, a gentleman in late forties of a very proud and very often haughty character. Well, he was a descendent of a very old family and had enough money for him and his households not to need anything. Who knows, maybe his great pride is pardonable? As a respectable man he married a respectable woman, whose family though was not as ancient as his but had more money. Lady Vernon in her youth was a very beautiful woman. Only the time is a very malicious thing and it quickly started making her loose her pretty figure after childbirths and become just a very respectable lady. Alas, the art of medicine was very poor at that time, consequently only two of their several children survived through infancy and childhood: Lord Arthur Vernon junior and a daughter Rosamund. The son of Vernons was then in colonies, that's why we'll say very little about him and by the way the only thing he had ever succeeded in is doing nothing. Rosamund or just Rosie had yet fresh memory of the life in a boarding school for young ladies. But we'll talk about her in detail a bit later. That evening Lord Vernon was giving the dinner in honour of his daughter's birthday and her engagement to Sir William Fitzroy, a young, very handsome, kind, dreamy man and most of all the real match for the maiden of Vernons. The issue of their marriage was settled long ago, then when they couldn't even walk. Last hours were left before dinner. Cooks panted in the kitchen, other servants fussed all around the house and ladies were being dressed upstairs. Funny but somebody came to Lord Vernon in this too early hour. It was Colonel Matthews, a very good acquaintance of his. "How do you do, Sir?" The colonel greeted him "Devilishly well, my dear friend. This day is a great joyous event for our entire family." "Really? Is it?" Somehow Colonel Matthews pronounced these little questions with too dismal anxiety. He didn't look at his companion, his eyes were lowered to the carpet and both his hands linked to one another. "Shouldn't it be?" "Who knows..." "Is something wrong?" Colonel was silent for a little while. "You see... There are gossips in barracks..." "What gossips?" "Well..." he tightened his lips. It concerns your daughter..." "My daughter...? What has she to do with the barracks?" "Not with the barracks, with one man." "What?" "Yes and he is a pushy admirer of hers." "It can't be true!" "Believe me, I would like to think so too." A piece of paper was presented to Lord Vernon. It was his daughter's self-portrait, the one which by her words had been lost. "Who is this man?" "Dellis." "Dellis? This brutal? This fighting-cock? Despicable adventure-seeker? This rascal of humble origin?! How could he even approach her?" "And yet he did." "We are disgraced! It's hard to imagine! My daughter's name sounds in those filthy lodges!" "Stay calm, the trick is that it does not sound at all." "What? But you've just said there are gossips." "I did and I'll repeat it as many times as you ask. Remember, Dellis wouldn't be Dellis if everybody knew the name of his sweetheart. He himself lets this cat out of a bag. Everyone does know he has a mistress but everyone thinks it is some cheap slut." "Oh, a slut... She is a slut!" "I'd like to advise you to beware of this man. He is very clever and cunning. He went through wars and nobody could see such professionals in our army. Do you know how I got this? (Colonel pointed to the picture) My batman accidentally dropped Dellis's album of landscapes, which is always on his desk and which he offers to look through to everyone. The military men are not interested in such drawings, so don't worry about the scandal. Hmm, some people say he is going to leave the army... But I also came here to warn you, Sir Arthur. Tonight he is off and I think he would do something to prevent the wedding of your daughter." "Oh, loathsome seducer! I'll kill him!" "Do you really think that you are able to do this?" "We'll see tonight..."