“Because I have a plan for the great Lord Ashworth and his ilk,” Mr. Shine said.
His tone sent a shiver down the spine of his breakfast companion. “I’m sure I do not understand—”
“Never mind what you understand,” Mr. Shine said darkly. “Nancy.”
*
The knocks onthe door seemed to come one after the other as Lily worked on a bit of sewing. First, there was the folded up ten-pound bank note. It was enclosed in fine paper bearing Lord Ashworth’s seal and accompanied by a polite and formal note congratulating her on her victory. She had stared long at his signature, as she thought how one wrote their own name must reveal something about their nature. His hand was direct and lacked any fancy flourishes, just as a man’s should be. That led to her contemplating his eyes. That led to her crumpling the note and throwing it toward the fire. That led to rescuing it from the fire, folding it up, and putting it in a book.
Next came a note from Cassandra. She would leave for the country on the morrow and wished to see her friend before she went.
Following, were a number of invitations. Lady Blakeley’s famed half-mask was among them, and Lily felt a wave of trepidation over it. She knew from Cassandra that the mask she would wear would come from Lady Blakeley herself, and be a comment upon her. The lady had been most kind to Cassandra last season and cast her as a fawn, Lily could only hope for the same sympathetic treatment.
There were also invitations to various routs and dinners—Ranier brought them in as they arrived, wearing a look of pride and approval.
To her surprise, there were invitations to both the Bergrams’ and the Hathaways’ balls. Lily was certain that was Cassandra’s doing—both of those balls would be a delightful first-rate crush. The Bergrams invited hundreds and the Hathaways always hosted a themed ball—she remembered reading somewhere that last year had been Russia.
“Well, my dear,” her aunt said, examining the pile of invitations, “it seems we will be very much out and about. Though, we have nothing this evening and you do have that ten pounds from Lord Ashworth. Perhaps we might go to Lady Carradine’s. You might get the feel for the club if we just pop in for an hour and place very small bets. There are those who bet too high for the likes of us, but there are always a few who don’t mind keeping things comfortable.”
“That sounds like a fine idea, Aunt,” Lily said. The thought of a gambling club filled her with a tingling sort of excitement.
“Though I wonder if we might see Lord Ashworth there,” Mrs. Hemming murmured.
Lily wondered the same thing, though she would not for the world say so. “I hardly think we should factor the lord’s whereabouts into wherewechoose to go,” Lily said.
“Yes, I suppose that is right. Goodness, if I was always thinking of who I do not wish to see I should never go anywhere. Well then, we’ll go if you like, dear.”
“I’d like it very much,” Lily said. “There will be other nights for balls and such. We surely should take advantage of an evening in which we are not engaged.”
“Yes, my thoughts too. Now, about balls. You won’t mind if I make my way to a card table almost as soon as we enter the house? I like to have some choice of partner and if one wanders in too late, one runs the risk of spending the evening attempting to keep Lady Saffey’s attention on her cards. She is a dear creature, but her memory…she’s as old as Methuselah, so you can imagine.”
Lily could not be certain of Lady Saffey’s memory, having not met the lady, but was sympathetic to her aunt’s wish to obtain a better partner for whist.
“Perhaps Lady Saffey will not make an appearance so very often,” Lily said hopefully.
“Oh, she will,” Mrs. Hemming said, nodding vigorously. “It’s her son, you see. He takes her everywhere. Mind, he does not have much choice. She lives with him and if he leaves her behind, she’s likely to slip out and go wandering. They say she once turned up at Brook’s in a nightdress, asking for a cup of brandy and berating the poor footman at the door for gambling away her dowry.”
Before Lily could inquire what had been the result of Lady Saffey’s nocturnal adventure to a gentleman’s club, Ranier came in and announced Lady Hampton.
“Ah, Cassandra, there you are,” Mrs. Hemming said. “I suppose you’ll want cakes or something sweet. I can see that you’ve grown fond of those sorts of things. Though, one might find that one had grown perhapstoofond of them.”
Lily blushed for her aunt and said to Ranier, “If we might have tea?”
Cassandra suppressed her laughter until the butler had closed the door behind him. “Dear Mrs. Hemming, my recent expansion is due to quite another cause. I am with child.”
Mrs. Hemming laid down her sewing. “Are you? That is exceedingly welcome news. I had grown afraid you were running to fat. I did hint at it, you know.”
“Yes, I do know,” Cassandra said, laughing.
Mrs. Hemming rose and said, “I will leave you two friends to talk on your own. Very nice to see you, Cassandra, and I am exceedingly relieved that you haven’t gone wild with fairy cakes.”
With that interesting pronouncement, Lily’s aunt bustled from the room.
“Oh, Cassandra…”
“Do notoh Cassandra,” her friend said. “You know I find your aunt the most delightful lady.”
“I must confess, I do too,” Lily said. “Though I sometimes wonder if everybody does.”
