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After that, they made good progress, but every time they passed a cheerful group exchanging greetings, spears of the purest envy pierced Will’s breast. Angie had been quite right — they knew nobody, and the sooner Lady Failsworthy worked her magic and finagled them into society the better. She had been ensconced at Grosvenor Square for ten days now, he had discovered, yet no one had called upon her and he could not find out that she had done anything except to interfere in the kitchen and fill her room with packages and boxes from the most expensive emporia in town.
They made two complete circuits of the park, and were following the flow of traffic towards Park Lane when a voice hailed them.
“Fletch! Hoy, Fletch, hold up there!”
A flamboyantly dressed young man on a showy hack, drew up alongside them. With a stab of annoyance, Will recognized his old school friend.
“Good day to you, Tibbs,” Will said. “How are you?”
“Oh, well enough, well enough. Nothing to complain about. But here you are in town already, and not a word to your old friend.” His eyes flicked often towards Rosie as he spoke.
“We only arrived yesterday,” Will said tersely.
“Of course!” Tibbs laughed good-humouredly. “But then, you have become so terribly grand, Hatts and I were afraid you would cut us altogether.” He laughed even more heartily. “But here is the famous curricle and matched greys, and I see that you have not exaggerated their perfections in the slightest. What an outfit, my friend! And already you have acquired the perfect accompaniment to your setup — a beautiful young lady. You always did do everything with style, Fletch.”
Will wrestled with his conscience. In any other circumstances, he would have been happy enough to introduce his old friends to Rosie, but Stepmother would not approve of such acquaintances, he was certain. He had hardly expected to see either of them here, mingling with the most distinguished and wealthiest of London’s inhabitants. But then, it was a public park, and anyone with a horse could parade themselves there, and he could hardly refuse to acknowledge them.
“Rosie, this is my friend from Harrow, Mr Robert Tibbitt. His father is a wine merchant. My sister Rosie, Tibbs.”
Rosie smiled up at him in her sweet way.
“My dear Miss Fletcher, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to make your acquaintance. I say, Fletch, you kept very quiet about such a treasure.”
“You knew I had a sister, Tibbs. Five sisters, in point of fact.”
“Yes, but— And how do you like London town, Miss Fletcher? Is it not the most wonderful place in the world? Everything that a man could wish for — or a woman, if it comes to that — is to be found within its confines. Is it not so, Fletch? Are you pleased with the shops, Miss Fletcher? But I dare say you have not had time to explore much yet, if you only arrived yesterday. Oxford Street, Piccadilly, Bond Street — that is where the best shops are.”
“How knowledgeable you are, Mr Tibbitt,” Rosie said, in her soft voice. “You know London well, I take it.”
“Lived here all my life, and like to die here, too. Not for me the great estate in the country, like Fletch here, and the house in Grosvenor Square. Going up in the world, he is. And so are you, I hear.”
“Oh… I cannot say. Mama wishes us to be gentry, and it will be very agreeable to attend balls here. I love to dance. Do you dance, Mr Tibbitt?”
“Oh, I hop about a bit, you know how it is.” He laughed and Rosie laughed too.
Growing impatient with this gentle interchange, Will said, “I must not keep my cattle standing any longer, Tibbs. You will excuse us, I am sure.”
Tibbs looked alarmed. “Oh, indeed, dear fellow. I should be mortified if such prime bits of blood were to take a chill on my account, quite mortified. Absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Fletcher.Mostdelighted. I may call upon you in Grosvenor Square, I take it?”
Will had already set the greys in motion, but Rosie turned to call back over her shoulder. “Of course, Mr Tibbitt. Most happy…”
“You should not encourage him,” Will said through clenched teeth, as soon as they had left Tibbs behind.
“But he is a friend of yours,” Rosie said, turning great, dewy eyes on him.
“Did you not hear me tell you that his father is a wine merchant? Tibbs is involved in the business himself. He is hardly a suitable person for you to consort with.”
“Consort with? I thought we were just having a pleasant conversation. I am very sorry, Will. I did not suppose that any friend of yours could be unsuitable.”
“It is one thing for me to talk to such people,” Will said, “but Stepmother would be swift to say thatyoushould have nothing to do with him. If you wish to move up in the world, Rosie, you must learn to distinguish between those who can assist your rise and those who would drag you down again, and Tibbs, although a very fine fellow in his way, is undoubtedly in the latter category.”
“I am very sorry, Will,” she said in a small voice. “I will be guided by you in future, but I have already told him that he may call if he wishes.”
“You are a good girl, Rosie,” Will said. “It is of no consequence this time. I shall write a note to Tibbs and tell him that all the Fletcher ladies will be too much occupied with dancing lessons and so forth to receive callers. He will understand.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
They drove out of the park and back to Grosvenor Square in silence. There was little traffic about, only one barouche in front and one horseman behind on a fine black horse, also leaving the park. The rider clattered past them as they pulled up outside the house, and the barouche drew up outside the house two doors away. Two ladies were stepping onto the pavement as an imposing Negro footman assisted them.
