by Rose Gordon
The day before the house party the Banks family decided it was time to try out one of those bathhouses that were so popular.
“I have made arrangements for us to each have our own private bathing room at Swenson’s Bath House,” Papa said when they were all crammed into their traveling coach riding down to the bathhouse.
Walking into the bathhouse, Brooke spotted a young lady that was ghostly pale with bright orange-red hair sitting in the waiting room. Upon closer inspection, Brooke recognized it was Lady Olivia who was sitting down waiting for her turn.
“Hello, Miss Banks,” Lady Olivia chirped from where she was perched on a chair looking peaked, as usual. Her green eyes crinkled in the corners when she had spoken, and just as quickly, her fatter-than-sausage fingers flew to her face to smooth out the wrinkles her smile had created on the freckled skin that surrounded her eyes like a raccoon’s mask.
“Hello, Lady Olivia,” Brooke and Liberty responded in unison. Madison didn’t respond, she was following the attendant down the hall to where her bath was waiting for her.
“It’s nice to see you ladies here. I’m about to perish of boredom waiting for my bath. Will you come join me?” Lady Olivia asked with a pout that caused her face to bloat in a way that reminded Brooke of a toad.
“Of course,” Brooke murmured, sending Liberty and her mother pleading glances, which they ignored as they walked across the room and took a seat on the other side of the room.
Brooke sat down and looked around for any kind of distraction. She didn’t particularly like Lady Olivia, but thought it would seem impolite not to try to talk about something. “Are you planning to attend the house party tomorrow?” she finally asked.
“I should like to,” Lady Olivia admitted with a smile that displayed her yellow and horribly aligned teeth. “I have plans to see a certain houseguest.”
“Plans?” Brooke asked, bemused.
“Well, not plans exactly. But I am quite certain I can bag him if I can get him alone for a few minutes,” Lady Olivia said confidently.
“Bag him?” Brooke asked, even more confused now.
“Bag him, catch him, snare him, snag him, whatever you want to call it. See, I’m on the hunt for a husband. I am nearly twenty years old now. Far too old to still be single. Before much longer I will be firmly on the shelf and labeled a spinster.” Lady Olivia gave a little shudder. “I don’t want that to happen, so I’ve decided to take a husband. The lucky gentleman that I have selected is planning to attend the party.” Lady Olivia gave an anguished sigh. “The only pit in the plum now is I’m not feeling the thing, so I need this bath to take care of my ailment so I can go.”
Brooke just stared at Lady Olivia, her mouth opening and shutting like a fish. She wasn’t sure who she felt more sympathy toward: this gentleman, who was going to be chased by Lady Olivia, or Lady Olivia herself, who clearly was more cracked than she originally thought. The lucky man? More like the poor man, Brooke thought. And who was to say that at twenty a person was firmly on the shelf? If that were so, at almost three and twenty Brooke was an antique.
Brooke knew she couldn’t just sit there with her mouth agape. She tried to think of something polite to say, and came up with nothing.
Finally, curiosity got the better of Brooke. “Who is the lucky gentleman?” She tried not to let her voice falter on the word “lucky”.
“The Earl of Townson, of course,” Lady Olivia said as casually if she were stating the weather conditions.
Brooke was not prepared for that answer, and for the first time in her life she almost swooned. When she got past the dizzy feeling, her jaw opened and snapped shut again. There was no “of course” about it. Brooke had never even considered the possibility. Those two are the most ill-suited people she had ever met. How could Lady Olivia even think it would be a good match?
“I can tell by your pasty white face that you do not agree with my selection,” Lady Olivia said, breaking into Brooke’s thoughts. “However, the facts remain that I am an heiress, and quite frankly it’s no secret that he’s destitute. We both have something the other one needs. He’ll have my money and I’ll have a title.”
“But—but—” Brooke sputtered.
“It’s not so unusual. That’s why most of the ton is married to their spouses. Some need money, some need connections. It’s the way of things.” Lady Olivia seemed content that someone would marry her for her money alone.
It was none of Brooke’s concern if those two decided to marry, yet she had a sudden ache in her chest she couldn’t identify. Trying to gather her wits about her again, she asked weakly, “Don’t you want to marry for love?”
“No.” Lady Olivia said flatly. “I do not believe in marrying for love. Furthermore, I do not believe that I could ever love my husband, especially if he were the earl. That man is despicable. He’s not very handsome. That broken nose of his has put off many women; especially when they hear the rumors about how it got broken. Fistcuffs, and with the Duke of Gateway no less, how absurd!” she exclaimed, and gave a sniff of disgust to prove her disdain. “I’ll just have to make do. I suppose there are some sacrifices one must make in order to be a countess.”
Trying not to let on how unsettled she was by what Lady Olivia had departed, Brooke noticed her attendant coming and said quickly, “I believe my attendant is motioning for me. I hope to see you at the house party.”
Brooke walked slowly to her room. She was too distracted about all of the things Lady Olivia had said to keep pace with the attendant.
When she reached her room, she disrobed and stepped into the bath. The bath looked like a large hole in the floor that was covered in tiles and filled up with water. It was very unusual looking, but she was still very excited to try it out. This would be one experience she could tell all her friends back in New York. An experience they would never get to have, she had to make sure to enjoy every minute of it and remember all the details.
The water was warmer than regular bath water, but not too hot. It felt good on her skin. Brooke sat on one side of the tub and stretched her legs out. She rolled her ankles and relaxed her whole body; which was so easy to do in all this warm water.
She closed her eyes and let her mind travel. She thought about her time in London. All the balls and soirees she’d attended. All the gentlemen she'd met, and there had been many.
Then her mind went to one gentleman in particular: Andrew Black, Earl of Townson. He was different, but she couldn’t decide how or why. He wasn’t overly handsome or charming; but in her mind he was the most handsome of all the men she had met thus far. She thought about the way he smelled like he'd been outside working in a field or with horses all day. But it wasn’t a repulsive smell. It was purely masculine, and for reasons she didn’t understand, it made her all the more attracted to him.
Brooke thought about the visit to the museum. During the carriage ride, he’d so brazenly pressed his thigh up against hers. That wasn’t the first time he had done that, either. He’d also acted so bold the night he came and had dinner with her family. She’d felt the same searing sensation that night too. But unlike the day at the museum, he hadn’t kissed her the night at her house, even though she had desperately wanted him to. She had been so disappointed when he denied he had that kind of interest in her, she had tried so hard not to let it show. The day at the museum made up for it.
A frown took over her face when she remembered the conversation she had just had with Lady Olivia. How could anyone not find the earl handsome? Brooke had noticed Andrew’s nose wasn’t straight when they first met. Her first assumption was that maybe he had broken it in some sort of accident, not a fight. It was hard to picture him fighting against anyone. He always seemed calm and reserved. She wondered what could shake him enough to get into a fight. And why fight with the Duke of Gateway of all people? What was the reason for the fight in the first place? More importantly, why did anyone still care?
Leaving thoughts of Andrew’s past behind, she started
to think of his present situation. Was Andrew really that poor? They’d jested about it that day in the park, but she thought he was exaggerating a bit. Andrew did say someone would marry Lady Olivia for her money. Brooke’s frown deepened. Would Andrew marry Lady Olivia for her money?
Then, something that Lady Olivia said finally sank in, the earl was coming to the house party. She had been so upset by the rest of what Lady Olivia said, she hadn’t realized she would get see him tomorrow.
The rest of her bath was spent with a dreamy smile on her face.
***
Madison walked to the main waiting room and saw that Lady Olivia was still sitting there, probably still waiting to be taken to a room. She visited so often it was a wonder the bathhouse didn’t have a room set aside each day for her.
“Did your bath go well, Madison?” Lady Olivia asked in her typically annoying voice.
“Yes, it did.” Madison looked around she noticed that nobody else from her family was back yet.
“They had to wait a few minutes after you went back,” Lady Olivia said as if she had read her thoughts. “You may sit by me if you like.”
“All right,” Madison said, taking a seat close to Lady Olivia.
“What brings you here?”
“No reason really, we just wanted to come visit a bathhouse while we were here. You?” Madison asked to be friendly. She really didn’t care to hear a whole list of complaints, but it would seem rude not to try to make a small conversation with Lady Olivia.
“I have been having these dreadful headaches. It feels like my head is going to, umm…uh…” Lady Olivia stammered trying to think of the word she wanted while waving her hand wildly as if that would in some way help her think of the elusive word.
“Explode?” Madison supplied.
“Yes, explode. I feel as if my head is going to explode and that is the least of my complaints,” Lady Olivia dropped her voice, “the others are not meant to be said in mixed company.” Lady Olivia sent a pointed glance over to where Papa was walking down the hallway toward the waiting room.
“I do hope the bath helps you feel better,” Madison said truthfully. She knew people came here to help relieve their complaints, she wasn’t sure if it would help a headache or not, but maybe it would help Lady Olivia with her other complaints.
“Are you excited about the house party your uncle is throwing?” Lady Olivia asked after a few minutes, startling a daydreaming Madison.
“Yes, this party shall be the first house party I attend. I am quite excited. I’m also eager to meet some of my other relations.” Then belatedly she asked, “Will you be attending?”
“I hope so. It depends on how I feel after this bath.” Lady Olivia sighed. “I do long to go though. I hear that the Earl of Townson is also to be in attendance.”
“Is he?” Madison asked. She was certain the earl hadn’t mentioned it the day they went to the museum.
“Oh yes, I believe his going is a very good sign, too. Between us, I think he’s ready to take a wife, and I so desperately want to be there to catch him,” Lady Olivia gushed, not noticing the look of disbelief Madison was certain was printed on her face.
“You want to marry the earl?” Madison asked, schooling her face to look only casually interested.
“Of course, who doesn’t?” Lady Olivia said airily. “Besides, I think I might have the best chance. The earl is impoverished, and I have a large dowry.”
“You don’t mind that he would marry you for your dowry?” Madison asked, truly interested in the answer.
“I still get to be a countess, don’t I? Besides, that’s the way of things here in England. I know that you hail from the land where savages run wild—pardon me for being so blunt—people don’t always marry for money. But over here it’s the way of things. I’ve accepted it. I will find my happiness elsewhere and I expect he will, too.”
Madison suppressed a shudder. She knew her parents were dearly in love with they married, and still were. She also knew Brooke wasn’t likely to accept less than a love match when it was time to marry. How else could she have made it to nearly three and twenty without a proposal if that wasn’t the case? Was there a chance that Brooke would marry the earl? If they did marry, would it only be for Brooke’s money? Surely not, there wasn’t that much money in her dowry. Anyway, how could he know if she had a dowry or not? Papa hadn’t told anyone. If they were to marry, would it be like a business arrangement where he would go find his pleasure elsewhere, leaving Brooke alone? Madison didn’t want Brooke to be hurt, ever.
Madison’s brain was conjuring up many unpleasant questions and possibilities. She finally decided she would have to watch Brooke and the earl more carefully. She wasn’t entirely certain if the earl had intentions of marriage with Brooke; but it appeared that he was serious about courting her, which could lead to marriage. Not that that was bad, she liked the earl, she really did, but she loved her sister more and wanted her to be happy. Brooke would not be happy if she had a husband that neglected her, of that, she was certain.
“I didn’t mean to offend,” Lady Olivia said when Madison didn’t respond.
“Pardon?” Madison asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She’d been so lost in her scattered thoughts she’d forgotten Lady Olivia was waiting for a response.
“I didn’t mean to offend you by saying you were from the land of savages. I mean, you are, but maybe I shouldn’t have said so. Please do not hold it against me. You are one of my dearest friends and I would hate to lose you…” Lady Olivia’s voice started to trail off and a counterfeit expression of sadness came over her face.
“It’s of no concern,” Madison quickly assured her. Though, to be honest, she wondered how exactly she had become one of Lady Olivia’s dearest friends. Liberty was a lot closer to Lady Olivia—not that that said much. This was probably the most she and Lady Olivia had ever spoken. “I was just thinking of something else.”
“I see. You do that a lot.” Lady Olivia kept speaking without noticing how Madison bristled next to her. “You always seem to be staring at nothing. When I first met you, I thought it was so strange how you were always looking across the room at absolutely nothing. Most unnerving really. But I’ve gotten used to it.”
Madison didn’t know what to say. She knew she had this habit, but to have someone else mention it to her and in such a callous and mortifying way made her feel uncomfortable. She felt her face grow warm and willed herself not to say something that might embarrass her family. She was about to excuse herself to go sit next to Papa when she looked up to see that Lady Olivia was no longer sitting in her chair.
“It appears as if my bath has finally been made ready for me. I look forward to seeing you at the party,” Lady Olivia threw over her shoulder as she walked toward her attendant.
Chapter 11
Andrew was making preparations for tomorrow’s journey to the Watson house party with Addams when Gateway’s coach pulled up on the street in front of his house.
“Botheration,” Andrew muttered. Just what he didn’t need: another impromptu visit with Gateway.
“I could tell him you’re not receiving,” Addams suggested lamely.
“You and I both know he won’t believe that,” Andrew replied, shaking his head. “Just show him into my study when he finally descends that monstrosity he calls a carriage and decides to grace us with his unpleasant presence.”
No more than three minutes later, Gateway strode into Andrew’s study as if he owned Andrew’s townhouse and not his estate in Essex.
“What do you want?” Andrew barked, clearly surprising Gateway. It was uncharacteristic for Andrew to be short or raise his voice. Normally, he was calm and able to keep control of a situation because of it, but he was tired of dealing with Gateway and his tendency to just show up whenever he wanted to.
“Why so hostile?” Gateway asked with a stiff smile.
“Just say what you came to say, Gateway,” Andrew said as he sank into the chair behind h
is desk and stared at Gateway.
“I do believe at one time we were friends.” Gateway put one hand up to his chin, and rubbed it with one of his fingers as if he were lost in meditation. “I even remember us calling each other by our first names, Andrew.”
Andrew’s eyes narrowed. He too remembered those days, the days when they were “friends”. He even remembered calling Gateway by his first name even though most of the others called him Channing, his courtesy title at the time. But those were not good memories for Andrew; and the less remembered, the better. “All right, Benjamin. What brings you to call on this lovely day?” Andrew asked with feigned happiness.
Gateway smiled a true and rare smile. The only times Andrew had seen that smile was when Gateway was about to do something unpleasant, or on the rare occasions when he spoke of some woman he was close to. “I was just wondering about any progress you have made with Brooke?” Gateway finally said.
“You mean Miss Banks?” Andrew snapped. When he saw the look of interest on Gateway’s face, he realized his tone was misinterpreted. Andrew unclamped his jaw and softened his tone. “Things are going quite well. Her family seems to approve of me.”
“Good,” Gateway said, plopping down in one of Andrew’s wingback chairs. “I suspect you got yourself an invitation to her uncle’s house party.”
“Yes,” Andrew answered.
“Shall I bring the deed to the party?”
Andrew thought about that. Was it possible to bring about Brooke’s ruin at this house party? She had responded to his kisses and that was a step in the right direction. He might be able to persuade her to go off alone with him. The trick would be getting caught in a way that ruin her, but not completely mortify her at the same time. He had already determined he would have to be careful with the getting caught part. He wanted to hurt her the very least possible. He wanted her ruined and gone, but he didn’t want her to be mortified for the rest of her life.
