Page 64 of Holding Onto Love

“Well,” she said, thinking of Bitter and Nan and inflating the price as high as she dared, “these will cost three guineas.”

Reginald waved his hand in the same way Jasper would have done. However, Georgiana leveled a shrewder glance at her.

“That is steep. Considerably more than my riding boots.”

Vanessa nodded. And took another leap. “The craftsmen are injured British soldiers.”

“I see.” The suspicion fell from Georgiana’s face. “A fair price.”

“In advance.”

It was Reginald’s turn to look leery, but Georgiana said, “Yes, of course.”

A server brought their tea and a plate of cakes. The cakes sat on a small square of brown baker’s paper. Reginald glanced at the plate and then said, “Could you bring us a piece of that paper?” He indicated a size by squaring his hands. “About so big?”

“Paper?” The server looked at him as though he were daft.

“Yes, the paper. And a length of string.” He smiled. “I have my own pen.”

The server scuttled off.

“How is…” Vanessa squeezed her hands into fists and asked, “Crispin?”

“He was near to giddy in July,” Reginald said. “His latest letter was more somber. He says we will win. Boney overplayed his hand in Russia. But we have not yet won. We’d hoped he might be back in London for the recent celebrations, but of course, it’s too soon for him to return.”

Vanessa looked quickly at Georgiana, trying to gauge how well she knew Crispin. Then she asked Reginald, as if off-handedly, “His health is good?”

Reginald bit the inside of his cheek, then said, “As far as anyone knows.” He added, “It was quite good a few months ago when he was home.”

Georgiana dipped her eyes to the table, as though recognizing they were having a veiled conversation they were not supposed to have. Then she asked, “You know Crispin very well then?”—the same question Vanessa had wanted to ask of her. Georgiana sounded hurt. Well, Jasper had been courting her and they had all kept Vanessa’s existence a secret. Vanessa felt a bit hurt as well. She stepped back—they were family, and she was not.

“Lieutenant Taverston was my husband’s commanding officer. Mr. Wardrip died during the retreat to Corunna. Lieutenant Taverston arranged for my passage back to London.”

She thought that was explanation enough. But something twisted across Georgiana’s face, and Vanessa realized she was not as naïve as she seemed.

Georgiana said, “Crispin introduced you to Jasper?” Vanessa heard the words “procured you for him” and her whole body tensed. Georgiana looked disbelieving, yet horrified.

“It was not like that. You can’t possibly think such a thing of Crispin.” Then she thought of how desperately Jasper needed his brothers’ respect, and suspected that extended to his sister-in-law too. “Or of Jasper. You may believe whatever you wish of me; it doesn’t matter.”

Reginald cleared his throat and said, thin voiced, “Jasper is well also.”

Georgiana had the good grace to look mortified for her suspicions.

“You see him often?” Vanessa murmured, wanting whatever Reginald might give her.

“Not since July. Just before Parliament closed. He has been devoting himself to politics, if you can believe it. I think, in a few weeks, he will retire to Chaumbers. Is there…is there anything you would like us to tell him?”

“No. No, nothing. Please don’t mention that you’ve seen me.”

“All right.” Reginald sighed. He sounded frustrated and perhaps sad. “Though I think it would do him good.”

The server appeared with a large square of baker’s paper, a piece of string, and a questioning look. “Is this what you wanted, sir?”

“Yes, thank you.” He dropped it on the floor by Georgiana’s feet. Then he pulled an implement and a tiny capped inkwell from inside his jacket and knelt beside her chair. Rather tenderly, he traced around her shoes, then wrapped the string about her calf and made two knots to indicate the circumference. He rolled up the paper before handing it to Vanessa. Then he opened his purse and took out a few coins to put in her hand. “Our direction is Crumbley House in Cambridge.”

Vanessa looked to Georgiana, who appeared to have recovered from her embarrassment. “Do you want roses also?”

“Do you mean I have a choice? Oh, how splendid! Do you think lilies?”