The Best-Laid Plans

by Sarah M. Eden

  “She’s not upset, is she?” Ellie asked. “I feel like she didn’t particularly want to undertake this.”

  Artemis hooked an arm through Ellie’s. “She plays her cards close to the chest, as I once heard my brother-in-law say. I struggled to make sense of her when she first took on this, no doubt, exhausting role. Enduring me every day is no small feat.”

  Ellie could smile at that. Artemis had such a knack for lightening a situation.

  “I’ve come to know her better,” Artemis continued. “She is kindhearted and generous in addition to being, I suspect, an actual genius. She is not one to employ even a single unnecessary word, which can make her seem upset or arrogant, though she is neither.”

  “You are fond of Rose,” Ellie observed.

  “She is, in many ways, the person I wish I were.” Artemis led Ellie from the shop and directly past a woman who watched her departure with a bit too much interest. Voice lowered, Artemis said, “I did notice it that time.”

  “What do you suppose is behind this?” Ellie asked.

  “I haven’t the first idea.” Still, Artemis walked past the shops with head held high, giving Ellie the confidence to do the same.

  They’d not gone far when Daria and Gillian ran them to ground.

  “We were chatting during my mother’s at-home this afternoon,” Daria said without preamble, “and overheard the oddest comment. About Ellie.”

  Heavens.

  Artemis motioned all of them onward. “We’ll head for home. On the way, tell us what you heard.”

  They walked in a clump, though the pavement was not quite wide enough for four abreast. Still, the matter at hand required the effort.

  “Mrs. Carter said, ‘Ellie Napper always was a little unusual.’” Daria gave them all a significant look. “And she said it in a tone that indicated her memories of Ellie were meant to confirm something happening now, something that could be explained or at least supported by Ellie being ‘a little odd.’”

  “Mrs. Carter has always been a little odd,” Ellie muttered.

  Artemis nodded. “Odd and a touch vindictive. She used to say the unkindest things about my sister Daphne.”

  “And while that was not a particularly kind observation,” Daria continued, “it was not what sent us to find you.”

  Oh dear. “What else was said?” Ellie hated to even ask.

  “In response to Mrs. Carter, Miss Ramsey said that while she was surprised to hear reports of Ellie’s behavior, she supposed there was always a history of such things when one looked back.”

  That was a strange thing to say. “What ‘reports of my behavior’?”

  “Neither lady clarified,” Gillian said. “And we didn’t dare ask.”

  They’d not quite reached the Lancaster house when Newton came rushing down the pavement toward them. He looked a little distressed. Ellie didn’t know if she could endure more bad news, not without at least a moment to guard herself against it.

  “Oh, Ellie,” he said and not in a tone of being overjoyed. “I’ve just had a concerning conversation.”

  “An epidemic of late, it would seem.”

  He looked to the Huntresses, all of whom allowed their concern to show. Newton sighed. “I had hoped my mother was misinformed.”

  Horror seized her on the instant. “Your mother?”

  Artemis called for a temporary end of the discussion, insisting they focus their energy on reaching her house. “We need to get a grasp on this so we know what to do next.”

  No one objected. And no one spoke all the way there. Only when they were seated and tea obtained did the discussion resume.

  “What did your mother have to say?” Artemis asked.

  “She has heard from a friend of hers that there are whispers going about connected to my name,” Newton said.

  “We knew your feigned courtship might make people wonder a little,” Artemis said, “but absolutely nothing that has happened between you should cause enough speculation to be problematic.”

  Newton shook his head. “Not that sort of connection. The whispers say that Ellie is attempting to dupe me into an understanding. That she is manipulating me, or using her . . . wiles to ensnare me.”

  She could do nothing but stare agape in silence.

  “Her wiles?” Artemis injected a great deal of disbelief into her repetition of that odd bit. She looked to Ellie. “I don’t mean any offense, but you are quite possibly one of the sincerest people I know, despite the ruse you’ve been enacting.”

  “No offense taken,” Ellie said. “I am as shocked as you are.”

  “And likely only half as shocked as my mother,” Newton said. “But she could not entirely dismiss the whispers. She saw me with Ellie at the ball. I expressed to her my preference for Ellie’s company and my enjoyment of dancing with her. Nothing was said that would be seen as improper, but there was no doubt left that she and I have come to know each other. It adds kindling to this particularly odd fire.”

  Gillian had been rather quiet through the discussion, an aura of contemplation not at all uncommon for her. She spoke next. “I cannot think of anything that has happened with Ellie or Newton or the two of them together that would cause this. There must be something else behind it.”

  “What?” Artemis asked.

  “That is the question of the hour,” Daria said.

  “How can I address these rumors if I don’t know where they are originating?” Ellie asked. She was beginning to feel rather desperate. Few young ladies of her low standing could recover from something like this, even with the Lancasters behind her. She would return home in disgrace, and no amount of boldness would save her from the misery her family would inflict on her for that.

  Artemis looked to Newton. “Does Charlie not have an opinion on any of this? He generally has no qualms sharing his thoughts on anything and everything.”

  “Charlie left Bath yesterday,” Newton said. “He wanted to spend a little time with a couple of his brothers before resuming his studies.”

  “He’s gone?” Artemis apparently hadn’t heard as much.

  Newton nodded. Artemis stood and paced away.

  The room sat in almost complete silence. Nothing was decided upon, and nothing was solved. Then into the fruitless effort came a source of wisdom: Rose.

  She stepped into the room and calmly declared, “I have the entirety of it.”

  Artemis waved her inside, taking her seat again and motioning for Rose to sit amongst them. No one seemed the least surprised by her appearance there, except for Newton.

  Artemis must have realized his confusion, as she took up the explanation immediately. “Mr. Hughes, this is Rose, fashion expert, lady’s maid extraordinaire, and, apparently, the world’s most capable spy.”

  Rose dipped her head quickly. Newton returned the gesture with an equally respectful and properly executed bow. Once she was seated, he sat too. All eyes were on Rose. Ellie expected all their ears were as well.

  “The rumor is that Ellie is playing Mr. Hughes for a fool,” Rose said. “Rumors began circulating yesterday evening. A few questions to the right people, and I discovered where it all began.”

  How in heaven’s name had she discovered so much in such a short amount of time?

  Rose’s gaze settled on Ellie. “You clearly are not yet acquainted with the extensiveness of the servants’ gossip network.”

  The servants, for all the English upper class dismissed and belittled them, were the lifeblood of this country. Of course they knew what was happening around the city. They always knew.

  “Who started this rumor?” Artemis asked. No matter that she gave the impression of being flighty, she was actually quite brilliant and fully focused when she chose to be.

  “I was able to trace it back to one household.” Rose looked briefly at Ellie before returning her attention
to the gathering as a whole. But it was enough to tell Ellie what she needed to know.

  “My family’s household, by chance?” Ellie asked.

  Rose nodded.

  “Your parents are behind this rumor?” Despite his difficulties with his own family, Newton sounded quite horrified at the possibility.

  “If I had to guess,” Ellie said, “I would place the blame not on my parents but on my sister. She was severely displeased with me when she left here yesterday.”

  Rose stood once more, as did Newton. “It is my understanding the whispers began with your sister. I put a bug in the ear of a few lady’s maids that that is likely where it originated and was the result not of truth but of envy. Miss Napper is known to not have made any conquests whilst here, of either the romantic or the friendship variety. It will not be difficult for that information to spread. It will not undo all the damage, but it might at least cast a bit of doubt here and there.” Rose turned and stepped out.

  Ellie stood and began pacing. She didn’t know what to do. Yes, “a little bit of doubt” was not enough to undo what had been done. Vicious gossip circulated far faster than the truth.

  “This is a particularly difficult variety of rumor,” Gillian said. “Whispers of compromised reputations are often addressed through courtships and proposals. To be clear, I am not suggesting that remedy in this instance. But a courtship or understanding would only add a whisper of truth to the lies. People would assume Newton proposed because Ellie had been successful in her supposed schemes.”

  Artemis nodded firmly but offered no solution.

  Daria spoke next. “But doing absolutely nothing would likely only convince people of the lack of success Ellie was having, not the lack of trying.”

  Ellie pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples and rubbed, trying to prevent the headache she felt coming on. In the next moment, Newton was standing before her, looking at her with concern.

  “What if there is no solution?” she said. “What if Lillian has destroyed my reputation and I have no choice but to return home in disgrace?”

  Slowly, giving her the opportunity to voice any objections, Newton reached out and brushed his hand along her arm. The gentleness of his touch inspired an answering ache in her heart. She leaned against him.

  “This would add to the rumors, you realize,” Newton said.

  “No one here will spread any gossip.”

  He pulled her into a soft and gentle embrace. Ellie could breathe again, despite the worry in her chest. He’d offered no empty words of reassurance, and neither did he attempt to tell her how she ought to feel about the situation. He simply held her, letting her feel and think whatever she chose. It was a degree of confidence few people had ever expressed in her, and he had done so without words.

  Artemis faced them all with the bearing of a goddess. Not the tiniest bit of uncertainty showed, not the tiniest bit of hesitation. “We know where this began, and we know what it is. Now we are going to fix it.”

  Ellie remained in the circle of Newton’s arms as he asked quietly, “How?”

  “We are Artemis and Huntresses,” their fearless leader said. “There is nothing we cannot do.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ellie stood between Artemis and her brother in the front entryway of the very grand house where Newton and his family resided whilst in Bath. She had known he occupied a rung far above her own, but being surrounded by the reality of it was proving a bit intimidating.

  “Chin up, Miss Ellie,” Mr. Lancaster said. “The Hugheses are not unfeeling people, and Artemis is not compared to a badger for no reason.”

  “Shut up, Linus,” Artemis said, her tone both laughing and annoyed.

  The prim and pompous butler informed them that the family was at home to them. That, Ellie decided, was a good omen. Newton’s parents might just have easily refused to see them on account of Ellie’s presence.

  They were led into a formal drawing room, where Mr. and Mrs. Hughes sat perfectly coiffed and togged. Thank the heavens, Ellie’s education in manners and civility made greetings, curtsies, and civilities second nature.

  Mrs. Hughes proved the perfect hostess, pouring tea for the lot of them and making light conversation while they all settled in. Newton arrived just as the last cup was distributed. He received welcomes and his own tea and was soon situated among them. He chose, to Ellie’s delight, the seat nearest hers.

  “How are you?” he asked softly.

  “Artemis continually tells me that falling to bits is not permitted. So I have no choice but to carry on.”

  Newton smiled at her over his teacup. “She is a force, our Artemis.”

  “One I am pleased is being employed in my favor.”

  That force spoke loudly enough to bring all attention to her. “We have called upon you for a specific purpose, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes,” she said. “We know you are not unaware of the current rumors floating about that, in addition to Miss Ellie, involve your son.”

  Mrs. Hughes nodded. “We are most certainly aware.”

  Artemis looked to her brother before returning her attention to Newton’s parents. “We have a plan.”

  Mr. Hughes eyed Mr. Lancaster. “Are you privy to this plan?”

  “I am, and it is a good one.”

  That earned nods from both the elder Hugheses. Newton listened intently as well.

  Artemis set her teacup down and addressed them all. “We have given great thought to the particular difficulties of this situation. The usual remedies will likely only increase speculation, not to mention forced marriages are seldom happy ones.”

  “That is true,” Mr. Hughes acknowledged.

  “We have sorted a means of dispelling the rumors,” Artemis said. “The whispers are that Ellie is tricking Newton into spending time with her in order to eventually force an understanding between the two of them. So, we counter the speculation not by addressing the outcome of this supposed effort but by reframing the origins of their connection.”

  “I don’t understand,” Newton said.

  But Ellie did. “The rumor rests on the belief that I have forced you to keep company with me. If we can undermine that, the rest falls to bits.”

  “Brilliant,” Newton whispered.

  Artemis took charge again. “Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, if you are willing to help us put forth the alternate explanation, that Miss Ellie is a friend of your family, and stick to that explanation until the whispers die down, I do believe that will save both your son and my dear friend from the ramifications of this ridiculous whispered scandal.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Hughes exchanged glances but didn’t speak out loud. Ellie wasn’t familiar enough with them to know if what she was seeing was encouraging or not. One look at Newton gave her hope.

  “It is an excellent idea, Miss Lancaster,” Mrs. Hughes said. “And the sooner we begin, the better. Mr. Lancaster, I hope you and your wife, sister, and our mutual friend, Miss Ellie, will join our family at the Theatre Royal this evening.”

  “Excellent.” Artemis rose. “We will see you this evening.”

  If Mr. Lancaster was at all bothered that his younger sister had just answered on his behalf, he showed no indication of it. He had come to support her, not browbeat her, nor seize control of the effort she herself was spearheading. These siblings loved and cared for and respected each other. Ellie wished she could say the same of her sister.

  “I believe this will help,” Newton said. “We might escape these rumors after all.”

  Heavens, she hoped so. Because, if it didn’t work, she didn’t have the first idea what they were going to do.

  * * *

  “I hope all goes well this evening.” Rose slipped another pin into Ellie’s hair, then stepped back to look her over with a critical eye. “Artemis has a flair for strategy, which ought to give you a measure of confidence.”
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br />   “You have given me a measure of confidence. I likely haven’t thanked you enough.”

  Rose acknowledged Ellie’s gratefulness with a quick nod, then adjusted one of the sprigs of tiny flowers in Ellie’s hair. “Looking one’s best and feeling assured is a more effective shield than most realize. It will serve you well tonight.”

  Another variation on Artemis’s rules for being bold: dressing to feel confident was a form of wielding one’s shield.

  “I will look a mess day in and day out when I have to return to Shropshire.”

  A little softness entered Rose’s eyes. “I’ll teach you all I can before you go.”

  “Thank you.” Ellie stood and took a reassuring breath. “I could not have done anything I have this last week without you.”

  Rose motioned her out. “The surest way to lose a battle is to arrive late.”

  Ellie crossed paths with Artemis in the corridor.

  “I debated with Rose about the wisdom of putting you in that particular shade of green.” She gave her a quick look over. “Rose was absolutely correct. You look stunning.”

  “I do like Rose. She can be reticent, but as I’ve come to know her a little, I have come to realize she is remarkably kind, and she is, as she declared that first day, exceptionally good at what she does.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “How did you come to know her?” Ellie asked.

  They walked together down the corridor toward the stairs. “Her uncle is valet to . . . well, actually, to Charlie’s oldest brother.” Artemis hooked her arm through Ellie’s as they walked down the stairs. “I was in need of a lady’s maid who shared more of the vision I had for myself. And Wilson, her uncle, is rather famous, which seems like an odd thing for gentleman’s personal servant, but he is a legend. I asked, through Lady Lampton, if her husband’s valet might be bothered to offer a recommendation. He told me I could do no better than his niece Rose. He was absolutely correct. She has no equal.”

  Ellie ventured to say what she absolutely would not have dared to a month earlier. “For someone you swear you adamantly dislike, you are connected to Charlie Jonquil in seemingly countless ways.”