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“I wonder what the others in the House of Lords will think,” Anne said.
“I cannot imagine it will come as a surprise to most of them. But this is why I wanted your help.” He patted Anne’s hand, tucked into the crook of his elbow. “With the guise of a traditional life and a traditional wife, I am less of a threat to them. I think I could further my agenda if they think they are working with a middle-aged married man instead of remembering the Paris rumors.”
“But you don’t want them to completely forget,” Phin said, an easy grin on his face.
“Is that your purpose in our house, Sir Phineas?” Anne asked. “To remind any in danger of forgetting Hawthorne’s true nature?”
Hawthorne barked out a laugh. “I wish I had thought of that. But no. Phin is here because I have a deep and stubborn love for him and his affectations, and I fear wasting away in Mayfair without his entertainments.”
Phin sketched a bow. “I aim to please.”
They paused to congratulate a viscount on his engagement and Hawthorne gallantly kissed the prospective bride’s hand before they moved on.
“This is positive,” Anne said. “People are accepting you.”
“It behooves them to be polite here,” Hawthorne said, scanning the crowd. “I need to see them in different circumstances.”
“How is it with the gentlemen at White’s?”
He shrugged. “I wager. I read the papers. I talk with some of the young bucks, who seem rather admiring of my gall. The older set, the ones I need to face in parliament—they nod at me when theyenter but take care to sip their cognac in another room. I don’t care about their acceptance, really. Or their offers to buy a matched set of bays.” His eyes glittered. “I need them to know that they must listen to me when I have something to say in parliament.”
Anne pursed her lips. “We should host a dinner to invite some of these more influential politicians to Hawthorne House. You could talk to them in more detail than at a ball, or even at the clubs. There, you would have the picturesque setting of your devoted wife.”
“That will confound some of them and encourage others.” Hawthorne looked thoughtful. “I think dinner is an excellent conceit. I will draw up a list of names that we can review together.”
“Together?”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing this without you by my side. All of you, in fact.” He looked vulnerable for a moment, tension around his eyes. “If I don’t present a strong front now, I worry that I will be ridiculed, my ideas dismissed. They cannot remove me from the House of Lords, but they can disregard what I say. I need to show that I have strong allies. That the Duke of Hawthorne is a force to be reckoned with.”
Letty felt a burst of pride. “Hawthorne House will be ready when you need it to be,” she vowed. The work on the first floor had progressed quickly after she and Anne had agreed on the themes for the public rooms. An idea struck her. “You have said this house is part of the locus of power.”
“Yes. Generations of Hawthornes have ruled from there.”
“Then why not showcase it?”
“What do you mean?” Hawthorne looked confused. “We have dinners. Annie hosts a ball every season. Royalty has taken tea in those parlors.”
Excitement pulsed through her. “Royalty is one thing, but do you want to only show the nobility what you stand for? Why not show everyone? Some other houses have public days, where the house is opened once a week to anyone who wishes to purchase a voucher. Why not open yours? You could gain the support of the people.”
Anne stopped short. “Letty, that’s brilliant. That’s what is important, isn’t it? People will know us, and they will know they are not alone. The House of Lords is not the only venue that matters.”
“How will they know us?” Phin asked.
Hawthorne grinned. “It’s because of my art, isn’t it?” he asked Letty.
“Exactly. Your Greek vases and some of the more risqué marbles would give anyone the hint that you share the same inclination.”
“What if they think he likes to collect antiques, regardless of what is on them?” Phin frowned.
“If people choose not to see what’s in front of them, then it can provide total privacy in plain sight,” Letty said. “But for those who choose to look and to understand, it sends its own message. This house can be powerful in ways other than as the address of the Duke and Duchess of Hawthorne.”
“This is a wonderful idea,” Hawthorne said.
Anne looked thoughtful. “Instead of hosting a dinner with parliamentary men, should we instead plan a grand opening of the house? Guests could walk through the new statuary, the vase room, the gallery, and the other public rooms.”
“You could have a little light luncheon available in one of the parlors, and champagne offered at the door.”
“Through your art, they shall know you,” Letty said. “I can arrange the rooms to draw attention to what you wish to highlight. It shall astonish and delight.”
