by Abigail Agar
Nash nodded, “Sounds right. They are well done and nice to look at. Seems a solid venture all the way around.”
The couples reached Gunther’s shortly after. They ordered their ices and sat at a table near the window. Gunther’s was busy. Whenever the weather was fine, business was brisk.
Two of Nash’s friends from school came in and ended up sitting with them. They told the tale of Nash’s escapades in school, causing Penelope, Dinah, and Jerome to laugh until tears ran down their faces. Nash wasn’t quite as amused. The group left the schoolboys behind, spilling onto the sidewalk in laughter when Jerome did an awful imitation of Nash stuck in a tree.
“I think it’s time to give Nash a break, shall we?” Nash said in a voice that could only be described as whiny.
That sent his three companions into laughter once again.
Penelope put her hand on Nash’s arm. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
Nash took her hand and curled it around his arm. “I’m glad you are having fun, even if it is at my expense.”
Penelope looked up into his face, “It’s not at your expense. I look at it as getting to know you better.”
Jerome snorted. “Yeah, and look what we know about you now.”
Another eruption of laughter ensued.
Nash, Penelope, Dinah, and Jerome were having a rare visit for tea when Nash asked if anyone had been to Vauxhall.
“Oh, no, I haven’t,” Penelope said. She looked excited by the prospect.
Dinah shook her head. “I haven’t had many opportunities to get out. My year of mourning just ended. I’m curious about it. What’s it like?”
Jerome answered her question. “There are gardens that I haven’t been to during daylight and walking paths. In the evening, there are boxes of seats where you can watch fireworks. Vendors come by and offer flatbread and chocolate. It’s very festive. On a mild night without rain, it’s crowded and festive.”
Nash continued, “There aren’t a lot of sconces. The darker it is, the better to see the fireworks display. It doesn’t last very long at all, but I think it’s worth it.
“It’s dark, and it’s busy. We would need to hold hands. I won’t allow you to get lost in the dark. Shall we go?”
Penelope nodded. Jerome looked at Dinah, and she also nodded.
The trip to Gunther’s was during the day, but the trip to Vauxhall was in the evening. Edward felt it necessary to join them, and they were happy to have him around.
They took Nash’s carriage to the edge of the gardens. The carriage was parked, and they were all handed down. It was a short but dark walk to the boxes. Once settled, Edward decided to take a short walk before the fireworks began. Couples and families were milling around, walking aimlessly. When the fireworks began, they would stop and look at the sky.
Out of the crowd, directly in front of them, Penelope saw Henry walking towards them. She placed her hand on Nash’s arm. He looked at her and saw she was staring straight ahead. He followed her gaze, and he groaned.
“Good evening, Penelope,” Henry said. “Are you out unescorted? I’ll have to tell my father about this.”
“No need, Henry,” Edward said. “I am her escort. What is it that you want?”
“I came out for a lovely evening, just like you. I don’t need to report my activities to you, and I certainly don’t have to explain what is none of your business.”
“Well, you’ve said your hellos. Good evening Henry,” Edward said and turned his back on Henry.
“But we’ve barely chatted. And you know I don’t like to be dismissed.”
Nash rose from his seat and came around to the front of the box where Henry stood. “Goodbye Henry,” he said as he took Henry by the elbow and walked him away from his group.
“Take the hint, Henry. We don’t want to talk with you. Leave,” Nash said through gritted teeth.
Henry gave a little laugh. It sounded like a girl’s giggle. He spoke loudly, “Oh, but I want to talk with you, Finch. If you stay with Penelope, you will be the reason she, Edward, and Cecilia are out on the street. That’s not an idle threat.”
“Oh, but I think it is,” Nash said. He stepped closer and got close to Henry’s face. Henry took a step back.
“Tell me, Henry. Why is it you want to see us broken up? You are first cousins, so I hope you don’t harbour inappropriate feelings towards her.”
Again, Henry spoke loudly. “Not at all, Finch. My feelings about Penelope have to do with her deformed face. I don’t want to look at her ugly face ever again. There’s nothing I want to see more than Penelope out of my life forever. She deserves to be washing dishes in the hot, busy kitchen of a Lord who throws a lot of dinner parties.
“And you? I haven’t forgotten that day you came over and accused me of killing your dog. I’ve waited a long time to get my revenge on you. And here I am. Breaking up a relationship you care about. The more difficult this breakup is, the more I will enjoy the experience. See, Finch? I have my reasons.”
Nash kept his cool. How, he did not know. “Go home, Henry. There’s nothing here for you. Vauxhall is for happy people who have friends. You don’t belong here. Go home.”
Nash turned and walked out of the darkness to the relative light of the sconces. He found his box and sat.
Edward turned to him, “What happened?”
Nash shook his head almost imperceptibly. “Nothing. He spouted nonsense; I told him to go home.”
Edward nodded. He leaned forward and in a low voice said, “Say, Nash, I meant to ask you earlier. Dinner at White’s tomorrow?”
“Love to.”
Nash turned to the seats behind him. “Should be anytime now. You never know exactly when they’ll start the show.”
Jerome smiled. “We are doing fine. It doesn’t really matter what time the show starts.
Nash grinned.
***
Vauxhall was perfect. There were so many people around; Henry could have talked loudly all night, making Nash and Penelope squirm.
So now, they knew why he wanted them split up, at least part of it. Good. Who else would court Penelope with the ugly scar running down her face? No one. She’d be living at the Somerset estate as a spinster before long and wouldn’t be a threat to anyone except the cat whose tail was too close to Penelope’s rocking chair.
And Nash. He thought he could come after him. He couldn’t. There was no proof about his dog, and Nash knew that. Once he and Penelope were broken up, there was nothing he could say about the Stantons. He wouldn’t be able to ruin his father’s reputation or put out stories about Henry.
He’d find another lady, get married, and go on with his life of investments and university friends. He wouldn’t bother with them.
***
Nash knocked on the roof signaling the driver to start the carriage. He turned to Penelope, “Well? How did you like it?”
She gave him her dazzling smile. “I loved it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Have you Dinah?”
Dinah turned in her seat. Penelope noticed she was holding Jerome’s hand. “It was fascinating. How do they do that? And all the different colours. It was beautiful.”
Jerome snickered. “So, you liked it?”
That brought a wave of laughter through the carriage.
The carriage dropped off Jerome, then Dinah, then went to the Stanton townhouse.
Penelope begged fatigue, so she and Nash said their goodnights, and he was gone.
Edward looked at her in the foyer as she approached the stairs.
“Is it the real thing between you and Nash?” he said.
She nodded. “Yes, it is. I daresay he would say the same thing if you asked him.”
Edward gave a small, tired smile. “Congrats, little sis. I think I like him as much as you.”
She smiled. “I think you’re right.”
***
Nash sent the missive to Avery at his townhouse. He didn’t want to go ov
er there and run into Henry, or worse, have to meet Avery with Henry there.
It had gone on long enough. Henry followed them then harassed them at every turn. It had to stop. Henry couldn’t be reasoned with, and this fell on Avery to fix.
Nash heard back. Avery would meet him at Nash’s townhouse Thursday evening at nine o’clock. Not ever wanting to miss a social occasion, he probably thought he could meet and go straight to the Bennett ball. Made sense. He’d do the same.
When Avery came, he instructed his carriage driver to hide across the street and down a few blocks. He didn’t want Henry alerted to his whereabouts any more than Nash did.
They met in the library, both dressed in their finery. Nash poured two whiskies. He asked Avery to sit and sat across from him, handing Avery his drink.
“Finch,” Avery said.
“Stanton,” Nash said raising his glass. They both drank.
“Well, this is your party. What can I do for you?” Avery said.
“It’s Henry. I have had several run-ins with him the past few weeks. They have been in public, and he has said things I don’t want to hear and you would not want your friends to hear.”
“Go on,” Avery said.
Nash took a long slow breath. “Last night, I, Penelope, Edward and two friends of ours went to Vauxhall. It was crowded, and yet he didn’t feel the need to lower his voice.
“He started by telling Penelope and me that he would break us up, that you would throw her, Edward, and Cecilia out on the street, and that Penelope would end up a chambermaid.
“I asked him to step aside to finish our conversation in a less travelled area. I asked him why he wanted to break us up.I told him to stop bothering us.”
Nash shrugged as Avery looked into his drink and didn’t move for a long time. “And you say he said those things in public?”
“Yes,” Nash answered.
“With no provocation from you?”
Nash scowled. “Of course not.”
“I’ll talk to the boy,” Avery said.
Nash slumped. “And what, may I ask, are you planning to say?”
Avery grimaced. “I’ll leave that between my son and me.”
Nash grimaced. “Fair enough. Except for the parts where he threatens Penelope and me. Tell me, Avery. Does he really believe he can throw Cecilia, Edward, and Penelope out on the street?”
Avery scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. I would make arrangements for her and her children to live a quiet life in the country.”
Nash raised his eyebrows, “You’re joking.”
Avery shook his head, “No, I’m serious. Dead serious. And yes, I can move them, but not on the street. There are no chamber pots in Penelope’s future.”
“What about Henry and his actions? Are you concerned about them? Are you concerned about the things he speaks of in public? Are you concerned he threatens Penelope and me in public?
Avery swallowed the remainder of his drink and put the empty glass on the table. “Look, Nash. I’ll speak to him, but I’m sure you have learned in life that people interpret things in different ways. What to you might sound like a threat may seem like something benign to someone else, even a bystander not familiar with the context of a conversation. Lots can be explained by putting a snippet of a conversation in context.”
Nash rose, followed by Avery. “Thank you for coming. I’m very happy we could have this talk. Things are much clearer to me.”
Avery stuck out his hand for Nash to shake. While they were shaking hands, Avery said, “I’m glad we had this conversation, also. I’m especially glad things are much clearer for you.”
Nash walked Avery out to the foyer. “See you at the ball?”
Avery turned to Nash, “You will.”
Their conversation was officially over.
***
“So help me, Henry … if you don’t get a handle on yourself and them, you are going to ruin it all,” said Avery when Henry strolled into his office.
Henry stopped short and looked at his father, “What?” His arms were near his hips, palms out.
Avery sat. “Nash was here complaining that you were talking at Vauxhall for the entire world to hear about me throwing my own family out on the street. Is that true? Did you threaten them to be homeless?”
Henry sat with an exaggerated thump. What was he supposed to say? He sputtered, “No, of course not. Why would I say such a thing, at Vauxhall no less?”
Avery leaned forward on his desk and gave Henry a deadly stare, “If one of my peers thought for one minute that I would throw my sister and her family on the street, do you have any idea the damage to my reputation that might cause?”
Henry squirmed in his chair and looked out the window. His voice squeaked. “Of course, I do. I would never be so stupid as to say such a thing. I’ve only been trying to break them up, as we agreed.”
Avery crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. “How are you attempting to break them up?”
Henry sat back, trying to appear as if he wasn’t scared to death inside. He and his father never talked about how to break them up. Just to break them up.
“I am with him whenever they are together, getting between them. They aren’t able to enjoy one minute of time alone without me coming to them and sitting there. It’s impossible for them to get to know one another more.
“He’ll get tired of looking at her ugly face and trying to court her. The women that try to get his attention in the ballroom will start looking very attractive to him soon.”
The answer Henry gave seemed to calm Avery down. Henry didn’t open his mouth again, afraid that Avery would jump all over him.
Avery put his elbows on the armrests of his chair to steeple his fingers. “I think it’s time to find a young man for Penelope so I can marry her off. I’ll make the arrangements, and she’ll have to live with them. That will put an end to my worries with Nash.
“I think you are right, Henry. Nash will move on and find an excellent partner from the field of girls who want to be his wife.”
***
Chapter 9
Curiously, Kitty and Isabel hadn’t had any luck finding the right gentleman. When Penelope asked Edward why he thought that might be the case, he said that besides beauty, most gentlemen wanted a woman with substance.
“That dandy that asked Kitty to dance?” he said out of the side of his mouth. “Don’t tell Mother I told you this, but he was bragging he would get a pretty girl, marry her, and keep her pregnant so he could continue with his mistress. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.”
“Really? That’s awful.”
“I’m glad he didn’t ask you to dance. I would have had to take him aside. I’ll tell you the story about Isobel’s dance partner later. Mother is staring at us.”
Edward took Penelope’s arm and saw Penelope had a smile as she walked to the group. She would never find out he made the whole thing up. It was a cardinal rule that what was said inside the club never left the club. Making up stories didn’t count.
He admitted he didn’t know either girl well, but they both gave the impression of being flighty. Men weren’t interested in trophy wives. Wives needed to reflect their husband’s place in society, have their own society peers on a high rung of the ladder, run a house or two, throw parties. And all gentlemen were under pressure to provide an heir. It wasn’t all fun and games. It was serious business.
He knew Penelope didn’t want to hear it, but at the risk of shocking her, Edward told her that either of those girls would be considered the perfect mistress, not the perfect wife.
“Oh,” she said. “I think I get it.” She turned to Edward, “You didn’t shock me, but I am a little surprised. They are beautiful and fun loving. Is that it?”
“Yes, Penelope. They are not to be taken seriously. I sincerely apologize for this subject. The majority of the gentlemen, including myself, have no interest in a mistress. That lifestyle would be more suited for someone like your cousin, Henry.”
> The conversation had two effects on Penelope. First, she was gratified that Edward would approach such a subject with her. Although it was unseemly to talk of such things with a lady, Penelope was pleased her brother felt comfortable enough with each other to have that type of conversation. Second, Penelope understood the reason some men would want a mistress. Not a good reason, mind you, but why someone was chosen as a wife, and someone was not. It was an illuminating moment, like looking out her parlour window and not seeing anything until she ran the palm of her hand across the glass. It was always there to see just under the surface.
