by Fanny Finch
“That is true, you have caught me in a corner.” Julia laughed. “Now, are you not a little curious as to who else I have invited?”
“As you are about to tell me, I see no reason to be curious. You will inform me as to who you have invited. Even if I did not wish to know.”
“But you do wish to know, do you not?”
Georgiana sighed. Julia really was a stubborn creature. “Yes, I do wish to know. Are you happy to hear it said aloud?”
“Oh, quite.” Julia smiled like quicksilver, fast and slippery and gone in an instant. “There are two young ladies besides you and myself that will be there.”
“I think you ought to be careful in classifying me as a young lady. I am six and twenty.”
“I say that you are still young. And I shall be quite stern with anyone who says otherwise.”
“Very well. There are two other ladies who will be joining us? Are they close with you?”
“Of a sort. One of them, Miss Perry, is from our country home. I have known her family off and on our entire lives. But I would not call us close, in a manner.
“I have invited her so that I might get to know her better. She is the only one of her family who is not married. She has three brothers, can you imagine! And a sister.”
“Quite a family,” Georgiana agreed.
Of course, having a lot of children was the norm. To be an only child as Julia was or to have only one sibling as Georgiana did was unusual.
Georgiana could hardly imagine what it would be like to have a large number of siblings. She had wanted a lot of children once upon a time.
Now it seemed that dream was going to be beyond her. It was not something she spoke about often. But she had dreamed…
“Do you remember when we were children?” Julia asked. “And we listed all the boys and girls we would have, and named them?”
Georgiana nodded. “I was determined that my first boy would be named Edward. I looked up to my brother so. I still do.”
“I remember searching through the history books and novels to find the most fanciful names. Do you remember, I wanted to name one son Tybalt? After Romeo and Juliet?”
“You always did have a rather active imagination.”
“I expect that I shall not have twelve boys as I originally envisioned,” Julia mused.
“I expect that I shall not have any,” Georgiana said. She couldn’t help it. Things just slipped out around Julia. They were so close that she could not help but tell the truth of how she was feeling.
Julia made a soothing noise and reached over to pat Georgiana’s hand. “You mustn’t give up hope, my dear. I know that you will get to grow old surrounded by children and grandchildren.”
“You are far more optimistic than I am.” Georgiana looked away so that she would not reveal all of her emotions.
Sometimes it felt as though that was all that she thought about, all that she and everyone else talked about. Her inability to get married.
When she was younger, the prospect of marriage was something fun. And once you were married, it simply became one of many things to talk about.
But when it was something she needed and couldn’t seem to get, all everybody could talk about was whether or not she would get married.
After a time, the reassurances almost hurt more than the insults. At least the people insulting her were being honest. She could never tell if the person offering her hope was being genuine or if they didn’t truly believe in it and were only saying it because they felt they had to.
And when it was someone like her brother or her dear friend offering up the hope… well, then Georgiana felt as though she was only letting the person down by continuing to remain single.
She knew, of course, that the ones she cared about didn’t see it that way. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t only failing herself. She was failing them. She wasn’t living up to their expectations for her. And that she was somehow being less than her best. That she was making a mess of things, somehow.
“Oh dear,” Julia said softly. “I’ve upset you. I’m terribly sorry, my dear. You know that I only wish for you to be happy.”
“Let us move on,” Georgiana said, forcing herself to look Julia in the eye once more. “Tell me more about this Miss Perry.”
“She is a dear girl from what I know of her,” Julia said. “I am rather hoping to get to know her better during this visit. She’s rather lively. I can imagine she’s had to be what with three brothers to compete with.
“And her family is good. Her father runs the rectory back in my home county and one of her brothers has gone into the navy. She’s one and twenty and a bit sillier than I think you’ll be used to. But she has a good heart. Rather playful.”
“One would hope,” Georgiana said, “that at the age of one and twenty, all the silliness will have gone out of a girl.”
“The silliness has yet to go out of me,” Julia replied. “At this point I expect I shall always have some.”
“You are also rather too saucy for your own good, my dear. And the other young lady?”
“Miss Everett. She’s a quick wit and a bit bossy. I got to know her here in Bath. She’s gone away, back to London for the season, but she will be back in time for the visit. I expect you might have run into her at some ball or other?”
“Again, my dear, you overestimate me. I haven’t even heard of the girl.”
“She’s nineteen and can be rather sharp in her manner. I think that she’s put a few people off with her wit if I am to be honest. But she’s really a good-natured person. I think that she simply doesn’t always understand how her words can be interpreted.”
“Can she take it as well as dish it out? People often are too harsh with others and then tear up the moment anyone suggests the slightest thing about them.”
Julia shook her head. “She’s got quite a tough skin. She’s had to have one. You see, her mother married a bit below her station but her aunt married quite well—a baron.
“Her aunt was rather kind and took the girl in to raise her alongside her cousins. But I’m afraid that she hasn’t always been well-treated by their acquaintances because of her parentage.”
“That is a pity,” Georgiana said.
She hadn’t seen such treatment up close until she and her brother had taken in Maria. Then she had gotten to see just how cruel people could be to someone simply because they were a little different than everyone else.
Georgiana could not help but wonder how long it would be before people started to say such cruel things about her.
“It sounds to me,” she said, “as though Miss Everett developed her quick wit in order to get back at those who attacked her.”
“That is rather my theory,” Julia replied. “My hope is that once she is among friends she will truly blossom.”
“And are those the only two that you have invited?”
“Of the ladies, yes. I have invited three gentlemen as well.”
“You are scheming, Julia Weston. Do not think that I don’t know how you work. Your every thought is known to me.”
“Rather ominous, except that I don’t mind if you know my every thought. Besides, I know all of yours.” Julia smiled cheekily.
“The first gentleman is a Mr. Tomlinson. He’s recently come into an inheritance after his uncle left him everything, having no children of his own.
“It’s quite lucky for him, as he is the third son and had no real prospects other than the clergy or perhaps as a lawyer.
“He’s visited Bath from time to time and I’ve become curious to get to know him better. He is of a most patient temper. I think that you will quite like him.”
Georgiana fixed her friend with a stern look. “By which you mean, you hope that I will quite like him and that he will quite like me. I know what you are thinking.”
“Honestly, my dear, I do not care if you like him or if you like the other gentleman I have arranged to bring here,” Julia replied. “One will do jus
t as well as the other.”
“And who is this second gentleman?”
“His name is Mr. Norwich, and he’ll be a count when his father dies and he inherits. He used to study under my father when Father was taking in boys for tutoring.
“We’ve been rather nice acquaintances during this whole time and I thought that he would round out the party well. He’s a cheerful man. The sort that’s never had to want for anything and so is rather lighthearted about life as a result.
“But not in an insufferable way, fortunately. He just lightens up a party, brings life into it. I think that you two will get on as well.”
“I am starting to suspect that you have set me up,” Georgiana said. “But you’re going to fail. You’ve had two lovely young ladies come and join us. They will be certain to draw the eye of the gentlemen far more than I will.”
“You might have given up on yourself,” Julia said, “but I have not. It is the job of a friend, I should think, to retain hope for you when you have lost it for yourself.”
“And I think that you are beating on a dead horse.”
“Well, we each are entitled to our opinions,” Julia replied. “Soon, we shall see which of us has the right of it.”
They would see, Georgiana thought, a bit grimly. She did not have much faith in her own prospects.
But, Julia had faith.
Perhaps that would suffice for now.
Chapter 4
Robert stood in the street, watching the carriages as they rolled by, taking in the people as they strolled.
England had not changed as much as he would have thought that it would in his time away. But he was sure that while the outside looked the same, the details were probably quite different.
He was planning on learning a great deal when he got to the Weston residence. There would be births, deaths, marriages, and scandals to get caught up on.
Miss Weston would, of course, be an excellent source for such things. She was always at the center of everyone’s attention. If Robert was remembering her correctly, she was the kind of person who drew energy from being around other people. People could sense it, and so she drew people towards her.
Of course, she might have changed in the time since Robert had last seen her.
He knew that he was only setting himself up for heartache, but he hoped that in all of his questions, he might be able to find out about Miss Reginald.
She and Miss Weston were the best of friends, after all. Miss Weston would be sure to tell him what was going on with Miss Reginald.
Of course, the answer would be that she was married to some rich, titled man and had been for some time. Perhaps she even had children.
He knew that she had wanted children. A few, if possible.
He told himself that if he ran into her, he would be cordial. That he would greet her as he would any other long-lost acquaintance.
But it would be hard. Once upon a time he had known her thoughts better than he had known his own. There was nothing of him that was unknown to her. He had bared his soul in letters to her, speaking of his hopes and dreams.
And she had done the same, telling him of her fears and concerns. Of her desires, both the silly girlhood ones and the more serious ones. They had talked about everything from what flowers they would like to plant in a garden to their favorite novels and the state of the Empire.
Now, of course, her husband would know all of those things.
How would it be, he wondered. Would Miss Reginald think that she still knew him? He could not presume to still know her, he must keep reminding himself of that.
It had been years. She had a right to change, just as he did. He would be insulted if she acted as though she still understood him completely. He must not insult her in the same manner.
Of course, this was all assuming that he actually ran into her on this trip. Miss Weston had not breathed so much as a word about Miss Reginald in her letters. He could be working himself into knots for no reason at all.
It would be best, he thought, if he asked Miss Weston about Miss Reginald as soon as possible and got the lay of the land.
That way, when he did eventually run into her, he would be prepared. He could at least put on a good face and pretend to be happy for her.
Was he bitter? Possibly. He could not pretend to be perfect. He was the sort of man who did not forget, although he tried to forgive.
He hoped that he would be able to forgive Miss Reginald.
Another one of the men who was invited was Mr. Edmund Norwich. Robert actually had served a bit with Edmund’s younger brother, Fitzwilliam, and through him had written to ask if he might impose upon the Norwich residence for his time in Bath.
Mr. Norwich had been more than happy to offer his home to Robert.
It has been some time since I got to make a new acquaintance, he wrote in his letter. And any friend of my brother’s is a friend of mine.
Robert rapped upon the appropriate door and waited to be shown in.
Mr. Norwich was an amiable-looking man. He was not handsome exactly but had the sort of jovial air about him that immediately endeared him to others. It gave him the kind of face that you just wanted to keep looking at.
“Captain Trentworth.” They shook hands. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My brother has mentioned you in letters with the highest of praise. And he is not an easy man to impress.”
“No, he is not, and I am glad to know that I have earned his respect.”
“I hear that you have come up in the world recently,” Mr. Norwich said, offering him a drink. “Are congratulations in order, then? Or condolences?”
Robert sighed. “A bit of both, I’m afraid. I had a rather… eccentric aunt. She died recently and it turns out that she was secretly this very popular novelist.
“I’ll hide the titles from you, for she wished to remain anonymous and I would like to keep her secret out of respect for that. But suffice to say they have made quite a bit of money.
“None of us knew this, of course. She had a small legacy left to her by her father and she lived off of that, as far as any of us were aware.
“But she died, about six months ago… and I knew that I was always her favorite, but it turns out she had left me everything. And there was quite a bit of everything.”
“I think I can say that a secretly rich family member leaving us money is what many a man hopes for,” Mr. Norwich pointed out with a small laugh.
Robert smiled. “True, true. And I’ve made quite a bit as a navy man.”
“That was why my brother joined,” Mr. Norwich said. “He’s the second son, of course. So I’ll be getting the title and the estate when our father has passed on. But he’s made quite a name for himself as well as some income while serving.”
“That’s why I went into it as well,” Robert agreed. “I’ve got a sizeable income coming from that as well.”
“We’ll have to talk about how to handle all of it,” Mr. Norwich counseled him. “See about getting you a proper family estate now that you’re a gentleman of leisure like the rest of us.”
Robert chuckled, trying to mask the pain that shot through him like a bullet.
When he had imagined being able to buy an estate, one that he could entail and pass down onto his children, and their children, and their children…
Well, that had been years ago. When he was talking about the future with Miss Reginald.
He hadn’t really allowed himself to think about it since then. Not when he was still out at sea and worrying about if he would even get back home alive.
And if he had no wife, then what was he doing worrying about an estate?
Oh, how they had talked about it. He wanted to buy something modest, something that Miss Reginald would enjoy. He had put great thought into her opinion and her wishes.
Now, of course, he would have to buy an estate. He was going to be changing his lifestyle. The ship and cannons that had filled his life were being replaced with hunting trips and balls. And pa
rt of that was having a home base.
It had not failed to strike him, the irony of the situation. He was now going to have nearly all of the things that had caused Lord Reginald, and therefore his daughter, to reject him all those years ago.
But he shoved that bitterness down for now. Mr. Norwich was only trying to be friendly and helpful. It was rather kind of him to offer to lend a hand.
As the son of a titled man, Mr. Norwich would be well versed in how to navigate getting an estate and handling it. How to be a member of higher society. How to handle one’s accounts and one’s income.
