Florence’s Stupendous Spinster’s Society

by Charlotte Stone

  She replied quickly. “Oh, perhaps others are capable of seeing you in a way you cannot.”

  He shook his head. “No. I am who I am.”

  “And who is that?” she asked, her expression sincere. “Who are you?”

  Who was he? Who asked people such a question? Florence did, the answer came. She was a puzzle without a blueprint, unsure of what he was putting together until he reached the end, and though he felt his very nerves being wrecked when he was around her, he’d decided to persevere.

  “I don’t know who I am,” he decided to say. “Why don’t you tell me what you see? Let us see if your theory is correct. Describe what you see, and I’ll tell you if I see the same.” He held his gaze steadfast to hers, allowing her to see him, feeling as though he were opening his soul to her.

  And she met him head-on, unblinking before turning away.

  She shook her head fervently and started back the way they’d come, leaving the library as if to escape him. “No, I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?” He followed her closely, wanting to know what she feared. What did she see in him? Was it the same thing his parents had?

  She looked around and started back the way they’d come, not looking in his direction.

  When they turned a corner, he grabbed her and spun her into a dark room where the displays hung under low lamps. It was hard to make out the steps in front of them, much less what people were doing.

  He crowded her into an empty wall. “Why not?” He could barely make her out anymore in the darkness, but her rushed breathing could not be missed.

  And then she moved so suddenly that some light managed to highlight her face. He touched her cheek and only held back from claiming her mouth when he recalled his oath to Aaron. Not now, but soon.

  Very soon.

  “Where is everyone?” Her words caught him off guard.

  “Mary saw a cat and thought to give it chase.”

  Florence gasped and started for where the family had been standing nearly an hour ago. “Where? Where did they go? Oh, Elipha is undoubtedly terribly upset that I’ve left her alone this long with the girls.”

  Rollo followed her out of the dark gallery and pointed in a direction. Whatever moment they’d shared was gone. “They went this way.”

  “Take me to them,” she demanded.

  He grabbed her arm and started in the direction he’d seen them go. After a short walk, it was easy to follow the sound of voices being raised.

  “That child scared Ora.” A tall older woman was swinging her cane in the direction of the girls. At least Rollo was not being assaulted by women at the moment. All eyes were focused on the two girls who were crouched by a settle, trying to coo the white ball of fur from its dark hiding place.

  The offended woman glared at the crowd. Diamonds glittered from her ears, wrists, and throat, and flickered light around the room with each way she turned. “Where are these girls’ parents?”

  “They belong to me.” Aaron, who’d been standing next to the girls, stepped before the woman and bowed. “My apologies, my lady. Aaron Walsh, Earl of Jeanshire.” His words were kind, but his expression was hard. “I assure you they meant no harm.”

  The woman was taken back for a moment and then said, “Well, I am Lady Greyly. You should learn to control your girls, my lord.” Greyly was a countess. “Surely, you’ve someone who can control them.”

  Elipha stepped forward only for Aaron to shoot his hand out. The motion cut off her words, and Aaron’s already hardened gaze turned bitter cold. The countess, undoubtedly used to getting her way, hadn’t realized whom she was speaking to. “You will mind your tone with me, Lady Greyly, for none of this would have happened had you left your cat at home as most people do. It seems the only one who needs control is you.”

  Julius moved to grab one of Aaron’s shoulders as William took the other. Jane moved to stand in front of Lorena.

  There was a gasp from everyone.

  Lady Greyly paled as she stared up at Aaron, just beginning to realize she’d met her match.

  Rollo knew it was time to move forward, but before he could, Florence beat him to it.

  “The girls just lost their father and their mother a few years ago,” Florence told the woman. “I’m pretty sure your darling Ora was the first to put a smile on their faces after a very trying year.”

  At hearing the admiration for Ora, Lady Greyly’s color returned and her chin lifted. “Well, Ora does have that effect on most people.”

  “He is the most beautiful cat I’ve ever seen,” Florence said.

  “Me, too,” Mary cut in as she stood, holding the large ball of fur in her arms. She had the most innocent expression on her face. Her brown eyes seemed wider. He thought of a puppy as he gazed at her, as though hurting her made you the worst sort of villain. It was the innocence in her expression, raw naivety, as though she truly didn’t understand what she’d done wrong.

  Lily, who was only older by a year, went to stand by her sister, her expression just as serene as she took the cat from Mary and offered it to Lady Greyly as a ruler would offer a peace treaty.

  The woman, who obviously wore her jewel-encrusted cane for show as opposed to any sort of need, leaned over and plucked Ora from Lily’s arms. “Thank you, child.”

  Lily and Mary fell into ladylike curtseys before turning to Elipha.

  When Greyly spun away, Rollo made his way over to the group.

  Mary frowned. “I miss Bell.”

  “Bell?” Julius asked.

  “Bell was a cat the girls once had.” Elipha turned to Florence. “Whatever happened to Bell?”

  Florence smiled. “Bell went down for a very long sleep a year ago.” The cat, just like the girls’ parents, was dead.

  Aaron frowned. “Well, if they want a cat, they can have one.”

  The girls gasped. Mary’s expression was laden with hope. “Really?”

  Aaron seemed slightly uncomfortable before saying, “Well, of course. It’s just a cat and they eat mice. There’s no reason to not have one.” The statement was true. Most homes did have a cat or two about. Rollo even knew of a few lords who had numerous cats on their property in the hopes of doing exactly what Aaron suggested: getting rid of mice.

  Lily and Mary smiled with happiness and their smiles infected the rest of the group.

  There was more talk about the cats, the girls deciding that they needed one each and what color they wished their cats to be. Aaron swore he would find them exactly what they wished for.

  Rollo enjoyed watching the way Florence seemed to encourage the conversation between Aaron and his wards. Ora the cat had broken the ice that separated them, though from Rollo’s own experience, he knew that a cat would never be enough to rid the girls of their sadness. He was more than five times their age and still hadn’t come to accept the way things were.

  Lorena suggested dinner at her house, inviting Elipha, and Rollo was ready when Florence’s eyes came to rest on him before she turned away. He’d offered her nothing but friendship, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a heavy attraction between them. He counted the days until he could act on them. For now, he was simply glad to find he’d be seeing her again and soon.

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  CHAPTER TWENTY

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  Florence sat quietly in the carriage and glanced over at Elipha in the moving shadows. Her lady hadn’t said a word since their departure from Aaron’s home after handing the children off to another maid, and Florence had been too distracted by her own thoughts in the beginning.

  Rollo had almost kissed her, and she’d almost let him. He’d teased her mercilessly in the museum and though her responsibilities had come to her mind, she’d soon found herself like the children in the Brothers’ Grimm tale, being led away to the tune of a boy on a pipe, but instead of a pipe, Rollo used his
eyes and heart-stuttering smiles, and words she knew she would take to her grave.

  He may not see himself the way she saw him, with summer flowers and love. He’d said her vision of him was romantic, but how could he not see that there was a romanticism in his very being? He was beautiful, cunning, and had been more open with her than she’d thought him capable.

  Perhaps they were becoming friends after all.

  But now that Elipha was dressed for the dinner at Lorena’s home and they were finally alone, worry started to eat at her about her position.

  Was Elipha upset with her for leaving her alone with the girls? She’d seemed fine when she’d found the group together. She’d never forget the look on her face when Aaron had taken the girls’ defense against the dazzling Lady Greyly. Was that whom she was thinking about? Aaron?

  It would explain her silence. Though Florence had thought him made of stone, it seemed Aaron was not immune to the powers of Lily and Mary and in demonstrating he would take their side in public, he’d surely won points in their eyes.

  Florence dared ask, “Are you all right, my lady?”

  “Hm?” Elipha turned from the window and looked at her before turning away. “Oh, what? Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

  A short lull fell over them before Florence spoke again. “You’re not upset, are you?”

  “For what?” She seemed distracted, as though she wished to remain in her thoughts.

  “I left you alone with the girls.”

  Elipha’s lips tilted up slightly. “No, that was fine.” She looked at her. “I almost forgot about Bell. I should have known a pet would make them feel better.”

  “You’re thinking about the girls then?” Florence asked, surprised.

  Elipha nodded. “And other things.” The words hung in the air. Were they in invitation for Florence to ask another question?

  She decided to. “What other things?”

  “A man.” She smiled. “You’ll think me quite silly for thinking about him.”

  Florence stared at her and took a guess. “Julius?” She recalled Elipha being upset by how he’d left the house in Scotland so quickly.

  Elipha shook her head. “No, it doesn’t matter. Nothing will come of me thinking about him, but let me think about it, would you?” She turned back to the window.

  Florence leaned back in her seat and decided to leave Elipha to her thoughts. She understood that want, wishing to keep things close to the heart. It reminded her of the drawing and what Rollo had convinced her of before she’d left the museum. She had to find out who did that drawing before anyone else did, especially Rollo. She didn’t want to imagine what he’d think of her if he knew she’d drawn him without permission.

  When they arrived, Florence did her duties to see Elipha inside and then departed from her side as she went into the drawing room, taking in Lorena’s house as she moved. It was beautiful and heavily decorated with some pieces that Florence made note to inspect when she had the time.

  Only Emmett had been there with his wife. The other men had yet to arrive and Florence breathed easily. When Lorena had invited Elipha to dinner, she’d looked at Rollo and known in her heart that somewhere in the evening they would be alone. She was terribly excited, terribly because she could feel her insensible feelings for him coming to life one more. Though she was enjoying their “friendship,” she knew better than to hope that it would lead to anything of substance. Though he’d flirted and perhaps even tried to kiss her, he’d still made it clear in Scotland that they would not share a bed.

  She fought to define it, needing to give it some sort of title whatever the relationship they shared, because surely it was too sensual to simply be a friendship and too tame to call themselves lovers.

  The other lady’s maid was dressed in the same blue uniform she’d worn that morning that enhanced her eyes. She offered Florence a smile as well. “It was nice how you stepped in to protect the girls. Didn’t think you had it in you.”

  Florence smiled at the compliment. “Well, they’re children. It didn’t seem fair.”

  Jane nodded in understanding. “So, it takes threats to the innocents for you to speak up in front of your lady.”

  Florence grunted but then thought about what Jane had said. The last time she’d stood up to Elipha had been on Lily and Mary’s behalf. Before that, it had been in defense of the little boy that Elipha had given birth to.

  “I like black,” Florence told her plainly. “It’s sensible.”

  Jane wrinkled her nose but said nothing before introducing her to the other lady’s maids. One girl, Sophia’s lady’s maid, Kitty, stood out from the rest. Her uniform was nowhere near sensible. The material seemed to be silk and though it was cut in a servant’s style, it still drew attention instead of turning it away. She was a pretty work of art. She turned back to Jane and watched her warm expression flatten as a shadow came to stand next to them.

  Florence jumped, ready to think it was Rollo, but after another moment, she saw it to be the butler. Or at least, she thought him to be the butler, but he was so young that she was sure he was nothing more than a footman. He looked to be in his thirties and though he was tall, as was a necessity for the position, nothing else but his uniform seemed to fit the description of a butler. He was handsome with dark hair and blue eyes and he smiled warmly at Florence.

  “Hello, I’m Zed.”

  Florence blinked. “Zed?” Surely, he’d misspoken.

  “Mrs. Crew, this is Zedock Sudworth, Lady Lorena’s butler,” Jane corrected.

  Florence smiled at him and narrowed her eyes. “You remind me of someone, Mr. Sudworth. Do you have a sister?”

  The smile fled quickly. “No, I’m an only child. My family is gone.”

  She flinched as a pain settled in her chest. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  Jane frowned. “I didn’t know your family died.”

  He looked at her. “You never asked.” He left right on the heel of his last word and made it to the door just as the men arrived.

  Florence’s thoughts on Zed fled at the sight of Rollo. He was smiling with the others as though a joke had been said before they’d come in and their names were immediately called by their friends and spouses in the sitting room.

  They all headed in that direction, and Rollo’s eyes caught hers for a second before he vanished.

  She looked down as a collection of shudders left her cold, reminding her that she couldn’t go where he went. Suddenly, she recalled all the long talks about Rollo she’d given herself on the way from Scotland. There was truly no point in their continued friendship. It would only lead to unfulfillment on her behalf. She felt too greatly for him and getting to know him was only making those feelings worse.

  “Come on,” Jane called as she and the other lady’s maid followed her out of the foyer and down the hall. “We take dinner when they take dinner.” They passed the kitchen and entered into a dining hall that was not as lavish as a stateroom but still warmer than many of the servant dining rooms she’d seen. The molding throughout the house was carried into the room that had been painted a soft white. The decor had not been created by any great master, but the pieces were all beautiful and serene.

  She sat at the table and found herself easily dragged into a conversation with Kitty but try as she might, her mind kept returning to Rollo.

  The food was far pleasanter than what she was used to, the main course of the chicken and greens was divine. Jane told her that portions of the meal were from the dining room where Lorena’s guests ate. Conversation swiftly moved on the oddity that was the Spinsters’ Society, and Florence was given details about the many stories she’d read in the papers. Some were so shocking that she readily understood why they’d not been put in the papers. Some details would have ruined a reputation or two.

  “Though I’ve enjoyed these stories, why are you telling me this?” Florence didn’t hesitate to ask. “Don’t you fear that I’ll tell the papers?”

  Jane shrugged. “Lady L
orena is the Countess of Ashwick now, so there’s nothing to ruin anymore. She’s free to do whatever pleases her husband, and Ashwick usually allows her to do as she pleases so long as it doesn’t end with her death.”

  Florence imagined that such freedom would be dangerous in the hands of the Spinsters.

  “They’re starting their hunt for the writer tomorrow,” Kitty said. “Is Lady Elipha joining them?”

  Florence desperately hoped not. She also knew that she needed to start looking for the writer herself, though what she would do when she found the writer, she wasn’t sure.

  It was yet another thing she should have spoken with Elipha about. If her lady was gracious and would, in fact, go along with the other women to find out who was responsible for the Babble article, then Florence wanted to accompany them as well and hopefully find a way to get the information she needed before the others did.

  She excused herself from the table to go visit the convenience. She was startled when a hand grabbed her own and pulled her into an empty hallway. She looked up and found Rollo gazing down at her with a soft smile, the feel of it tender as it seemed to touch her heart and spread through the rest of her body. He seemed more than glad to see her, as though they’d not seen one another earlier that day. Her own smile came quickly and without reserve.

  He frowned slightly and tucked a long finger into his cravat and gave it a pull. “It took long enough for me to find a reason to leave. I thought I’d never get away.” His irritation was not because of her but because he’d wanted to be with her. Florence tried to remind herself of what thoughts had come to her earlier that day, but her emotions seemed to cloud them. She all but forgot she planned to end their friendship. That he wanted to be with her now, more than he wanted to be with his friends and the women, meant so much to her.

  Too much, her mind cautioned.

  He smelled like spices, those of his body’s own making and his cologne mixed with whatever he’d had for his meal.