by Lora Thomas
“I will watch over her as if she were my own,” Victoria replied.
“Splendid. Send me a post before you depart Eden so I will know when to expect my sister home.”
“About that,” Victoria said. “I simply do not feel it is safe to allow your sister to travel to Swindon from Eden unaccompanied.”
“She will be fine.”
“I insist she return here to London.”
“Now, Mrs. Paxsley, I am sympathetic to your worry, but there is no need.”
“Mr. Wilcox, the roads from Eden to Swindon are treacherous. Thieves line the shadowy lanes. Allow her to return to London.”
Branson forced another smile. In a honeyed tone, he said, “Alas, you will return to London before I will. By several weeks, in fact.”
“Then allow her to stay with me until you return to meet with your solicitor. That way, she can accompany Elena to her first season.”
Branson sighed in frustration. “Mrs. Paxsley—”
“Do not deny my request. My husband will warn you that I always get what I want.”
“Not this time.”
Victoria squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Catrina always thought Victoria was a formidable woman—broad in shoulders and with a resolute expression. She could tackle a storm and win. Her brown eyes held onto Branson with ferocity, causing him to shift uncomfortably.
With force, Victoria continued her argument. “I insist, Mr. Wilcox. It will be the autumn season. Not many eligible men will be in town, most having already chosen a bride or having traveled home for the winter months. If my daughter and your sister are to find prospective suitors, now is the time.”
Branson contained the growl that was settling in his chest. He had to remind himself that he needed to portray the polite decorum of society. “But I am in the process of arranging a marriage for Catrina.”
“Really?” Victoria questioned, her left brow rising, not believing the lie. “Who?”
“I have my selection for her husband narrowed down to—”
Victoria flicked her wrist, dismissing his words. “So no suitor yet. What would be the harm in allowing her a bit of merriment before she weds? Hmmm?”
Branson glowered at the overbearing older woman. She was not about to give in. He opened his mouth to refuse her again when Victoria’s husband, Douglas, appeared. Douglas was one man Branson would not challenge. He was tall, broad-chested, and physically fit. No doubt, his daily outings at Holland’s gym aided in his physique. His blond hair was long and shaggy. The dark suit he wore only made his brown eyes more threatening. Douglas glanced between the two of them, and Branson could tell that the intimidating man would side with his wife. Branson did not like being bullied, but he was also a coward when unarmed.
“Is something amiss?” Douglas asked.
Victoria kept her gaze locked onto Branson. She tilted her head ever so slightly in determination.
“No problem,” Branson replied. “We were just discussing allowing my sister to stay until I returned to London.”
“That is a splendid idea,” Douglas replied. “When will that be?”
“Mid-September.”
Douglas nodded. To his wife, he asked, “Do you think you can handle those two for nearly three months?”
“We have three daughters at home. Another one will make not a bit of difference.”
Catrina had not spoken one word during the exchange. She knew how Victoria was and knew Branson hated her type—strong, independent women. When Branson agreed to allow her to stay, Catrina had difficulty containing her excitement.
“Thank you, Brother,” Catrina finally said.
Branson turned to her. Catrina knew that look. He was furious. A self-righteous grin pulled her lips. Good.
“Behave,” Branson said, patting the top of her head as though she was a dog he was leaving in the kennel.
With that, Branson turned and entered his carriage.
“He is an odd man,” Victoria said, watching the coach leave.
A deep breath left Catrina. “He’s had a different life than most.”
“Psh,” Victoria said. “He is a prude. What he needs is a wife.”
“Or a good thrashing,” Douglas added. “Maybe I should have invited him to the gym.”
“Douglas!” Victoria said, her tone light and teasing.
“What? It was only a suggestion,” Douglas answered, giving his wife a playful wink.
“Cad,” Victoria said to her husband. She turned and held her hand out to Catrina. “Now, come.”
Catrina took the offering.
Victoria pulled her to the house. “We have much to do. Tomorrow will be a busy day. And in a week, we will be basking in the sun at Eden!”
“Victoria,” Douglas warned. “Young women—”
“Need sunshine and the outdoors, Douglas! It makes them strong. Look at me. I’m not some pasty-faced ninny who sat all day indoors. I enjoy speaking my mind. I enjoy the outdoors and walking—the vigor of it all. You love me for it. Now, let's quit all this jibber-jabbering. We have a holiday to prepare for!”
Catrina could not contain the smile on her face as she entered Elena’s home.
“What are you grinning about?” Elena asked, locking arms with her friend.
“Your mother can be very persuasive,” Catrina said.
“That she can.” Elena seemed uninterested in the conversation. Suddenly, she stopped, nearly pulling Catrina backward. In horror, Elena asked, “What has she done?”
Catrina’s smile widened. “She managed to convince my brother to allow me to return with you to London and partake in the first weeks of the fall season!”
Elena squealed with delight and clapped her hands. “That is fantastic! We will have such a grand time. Dancing and drinking and dancing some more. Why all the remaining eligible bachelors will be here. Wait!” Elena’s excited expression changed to a somber one. “Do you have any ballgowns?” Before Catrina could answer, Elena did. “It doesn’t matter. You can borrow some of mine or one of my sisters. My oldest sister, Beatrice, left her maidenish dresses here once she married. They may be a tad last season, but we can add a few minor touches, and they will do just splendidly.”
“Your sister only married last year,” Catrina said. “How can her dresses already be outdated?”
Elena laughed and pulled Catrina forward. “Oh, Catrina! You are naïve about London, aren’t you? Last season’s dresses are simply that—last season. But since you are like me and have not had a coming out, no one should notice that your dress style was last spring. Like I said, a few embellishments, and it will be the new rage.”
“Honestly, Elle, I am not that naïve. You know, for the past six years, my brother has forced me to attend schooling.”
An angered breath left Elena. “And that was unheard of. Seminary schools are only for the poorer families and only for a year—two at the most. I have never heard of someone going for six years.”
“I’m a slow learner?” Catrina said.
Elena and Catrina burst into laughter.
“Oh, Catrina. You are such a silly goose. And you are by far from being a slow learner. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would have to repeat Miss Eddy’s.”
The pair climbed the steps. As they neared the top, Catrina stopped.
“Why are you stopping?” Elena asked from the landing.
“My ankle is still tender.”
“What did you do to your ankle?”
Catrina closed her eyes and inwardly cringed. She knew what Elena’s reaction would be when Elena learned that Catrina had met Lord Huntsley. Mustering strength from deep inside, Catrina climbed the remaining four steps.
“Let us go to your chambers, and I shall tell you.”
Elena’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “Oh, this must be good.”
Once inside Elena’s room, Catrina sat down upon the bed.
Elena sat beside Catrina and said, “All right. Tell.”
“While trav
eling home, my carriage took damage. I decided to take a walk while waiting for repairs. I was strolling through a meadow when a man tried to run me down.”
Elena gasped, clasping her hands together. “Oh, dear. That’s dreadful,”
“It would have been except another man came to my rescue. His companion took off after the man, and my rescuer took me home.”
Elena brought her hands to her chest. “How romantic! That is unless your rescuer was a hideous ogre. Who was it? Your rescuer?”
“Thomas.”
“Thomas? Is that his first or last name?”
“First.”
“And what, pray tell, was his last name?”
“Summers,” Catrina cringed because she knew what Elena’s reaction would be. “The Viscount of Huntsley.”
The scream emitted by Elena could have broken glass. Catrina covered her ears.
“Not so loud,” Catrina scolded, uncovering her ears.
Elena’s hand covered her mouth, yet her eyes twinkled with thrill. “I’m sorry. But I cannot believe that you, of all people, got to meet the Lord Huntsley.”
“Yes. Lord Huntsley. The stepson of Richard Montgomery. The same family my brother constantly rants about.”
“Was he handsome? I mean up close. I have only seen him from afar and….oh!” Elena began fanning herself.
“Really, Elle? You act like you have never met a man before,” Catrina scoffed.
“Psh. I have met many men. I just have not had the opportunity to speak at length to any of them. They were here to call on Beatrice. And then I did speak to a few at her wedding. But you? You only met the ones who came to repair the horse barn at Miss Eddy’s. And I am here to tell you that you acted like a blubbering schoolgirl. I have never seen anyone so…so…so…unconfident around men.”
“I am not unconfident,” Catrina defended, straightening her posture.
“Did you babble?”
“I might have babbled a tad when I first started talking to those men—”
“Not with the repairmen—with Lord Huntsley? Did you babble when you spoke with him?”
Heat began climbing up Catrina’s chest to her neck.
“See,” Elena said as she observed her friend’s blush. “You did babble. But do not fret. By the end of summer, we will have spoken to so many men that it will come second nature.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“I know so. Beatrice said that Eden will be the place to visit during the summer. People from all over will come to bask in the sun and partake in the merriment to be had there.”
“Is it that much of a holiday destination?” Doubt was evident in Catrina’s voice. “I thought it was new.”
A bemused expression came to Elena. “I do say, you must get away from Swindon.”
“You know my brother only allowed me to go to Miss Eddy’s and nowhere else.”
“Then it was a good thing you managed to persuade him to come to Eden this summer. How did you do it?”
A wicked grin pulled Catrina’s full lips. “I told him I would ruin my reputation if he didn’t allow me to go.”
“No!” Elena exclaimed, her eyes widening at her friend’s defiance.
“I did. I told him if he did not allow me to go, I would seek out Lord Huntsley and spend the night with him.”
“But you don’t even know what that entails.”
Catrina proudly raised her chin. “Neither do you.”
Elena smiled unrepentantly. “You so need an older sister.”
Catrina’s mouth dropped. “You know?”
“I do,” Elena replied, as though admitting she had just made the most significant discovery known to man.
“Do tell.” Catrina moved closer to her friend.
“Tell what?” a voice said from the doorway.
Elena groaned and addressed her little sister. “Nothing, Constance.”
Constance looked similar to Elena with brown hair and eyes, but her youth showed. Her face was still cherub in appearance with plump cheeks and a rosy glow. Yet, she was tall for fourteen. Her breasts were developing and made Catrina jealous, for Constance’s bosom was already larger than hers.
“Mother said to tell you that dinner will be served momentarily,” Constance informed.
“Thank you,” Elena said.
Constance did not move from the door.
“Do you need something, Constance?” Elena snapped.
“No.”
“Then why are you still here?”
“Because I wanted to talk to Catrina, too.”
“Out!” Elena said, pointing to the door.
Constance’s eyes misted over at her sister’s stern command.
“It’s all right, Elena,” Catrina said. “We can discuss this issue tonight when we go to bed.”
“Good idea,” Elena answered. She leaned over to Catrina and whispered in her ear. “Less chance of being interrupted.” Then to her sister. Patting the bed beside her, she spoke. “Come on.”
Constance smiled and bounced into the room. She sat down on the bed, her eyes wide. “So, tell me what is new.”
“Nothing,” Catrina said, shaking her head.
“She met Lord Huntsley,” Elena said, grinning at Catrina.
Catrina closed her eyes.
“Truly?” Constance asked. “He is the catch of the town. Well, that is what all my friends tell me. Mother said he is a dastardly rake and is not someone whose company you should seek out. Sometimes Mother can be a bit harsh when it comes to men. So you must tell me everything, so I can come to my own judgment on the man.”
Catrina looked at Elena. “I hate you.”
Elena kept the grin on her face. “I know.”
Chapter Five
Thomas scowled as he viewed Eden coming into view from the carriage window. He honestly did not want to go to the fairly new seaside resort. A man named George Adkins was the founder of the town. George wanted a place to go other than Brighton to enjoy the medicinal benefits of the sea. Adkins claimed that Brighton was overcrowded and overpriced. Adkins had a dream of a seaside village where everyone could come and partake in the merriment—not just the wealthy. Yet seaside resorts require funds. Funds that the poverty-stricken cannot afford. So, only the wealthy came to partake in the enjoyment.
Like Brighton, Eden had several permanent residences, homes to rent, shops, a bakery, and a cobbler. However, unlike Brighton, Eden had a grand hotel built upon a dune near the sea. Close enough that guests did not have to travel too far to reach the ocean, yet far enough away that rising waters from storms would not cause damage. No expense had been spared by the hotel’s owner, a Mr. Charles Ingram. Thomas had heard the tales of the grand three-story hotel made of cypress with a central courtyard that only guests could enjoy. Of the delicious cuisines and wine. Of the fine linens and bathing rooms. Of the enormous ballroom.
Despite his desire to be elsewhere, Thomas could not help but marvel at the town. New buildings dotted the landscape, their wood not dulled from time and weather. The streets appeared freshly paved. On the far side of the city, piles of lumber were stacked near a new construction. People could be seen milling about the town. The pastel colors captured Thomas’s attention. Debutantes and their mothers. Wonderful.
“Welcome to Eden,” Artie said, motioning towards the town.
Thomas looked at his friend. Arthur Heath. Arthur came from money. His grandfather was the Duke of Rockwell. Arthur’s mother, Mary, was the duke’s fourth daughter. Arthur’s father, Harry, was an entrepreneur with ties in copper and tobacco. Arthur looked like his father with black hair and blue eyes. He was tall with a firm jaw and a slightly off-centered nose—thanks to Thomas. Arthur and Thomas were sparring when Thomas went to strike his friend. Arthur ducked and slipped, hitting the corner post. Needless to say, Arthur refused to fight with Thomas after that.
“More like hell on Earth,” Thomas mumbled.
“Hell on Earth? Why ever would you say that? It is Eden! It is new!�
�
“Did you not see the women?” Thomas mumbled.
A positively wicked grin came to Arthur. “I most certainly have.”
“Debs, Artie. The town is full of debutantes.”
“Debutantes?” Joshua questioned, leaning forward to see around Thomas. “You did not mention those.”
“Gentlemen,” Arthur said, slouching in the seat across from his friends, a knowing smile upon his face. “Those are only…distractions. The women who delight are not within the limits of Eden.”
“What are you babbling about, Artie?” Joshua asked.
“You see, Mr. Adkins said that Eden is paradise. And in the garden of paradise, there is no sin, only merriment and laughter. If you want unadulterated merriment, we must venture a few miles east to where the taverns are.”
“I am not following,” Joshua said.
“You are just a handsome face and no brains, aren’t you, Hawke,” Arthur said.
Joshua scowled. “Do you want me to break your nose worse than Huntsley?”
Arthur threw his head back and laughed. “I am only repeating what the ladies say.”
“About you. Not me.”
“Gentlemen,” Thomas interrupted before the two came to blows over their ribbing. “Taverns?”
“Oh, yes,” Arthur said. “Mr. Drysdale owns the land neighboring Eden. He likes his privacy, you see, and became angered…enraged if you will—that Adkins decided to disturb his peace. So in order to put a thorn in Adkins’s side, Drysdale decided to put in some adult entertainment. Nonfamily oriented. Needless to say, the men do not get along.”
“So if this Drysdale wanted seclusion, why did he not just move?” Thomas asked.
“He had thought about it. But when Adkins learned of this, he approached and offered to purchase Drysdale’s land. Drysdale refused, the men argued and came to blows.” Arthur began laughing. “Quite comical. Anyway, after Adkins’s offer and the men’s brawl, Drysdale decided to put a damper on Eden’s reputation. Only issue is that the taverns and brothels are a few miles from Eden. Drysdale wanted to put them directly beside Eden, but there was an issue.”
“What was the issue?” Joshua asked.
