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Captain Drew watched the footmen hoist the trunks up the stairs, under the eagle eye of Lady Montgomery, a generously proportioned lady of indeterminate age. Once the men were out of sight, she bustled over, a furry tippet trailing from her shoulder.
"How can I be of service, Lady Montgomery?"
She sat down next to his desk.
"Now, Captain, I have more than one purpose for being here in Weymouth. I expect my husband to join us sometime this summer, but he is not expected for a few weeks." She halted and pointed at the large chunk of stone sitting on the edge of the desk. "What is that?"
Captain Drew turned the stone towards her.
"A fossil, an ammonite. You can see the spirals of some sort of sea snail. It created larger and larger chambers as it grew. Thousands of these petrified remains are found all along the Dorset coast, most just the size of a pebble. Some people come here especially to find them."
She shuddered.
"Not at all what I want to see in the sand."
"You won't find them on the beach, but where the cliffs crumble, some distance from here."
He turned the object again so that the spirals no longer faced her.
"As long as I don’t see them. Now, both of my goals for being here, other than delighting in the other assets of your beautiful town, involve my daughters, so I hope that I can count upon you to assist me."
"I shall do all in my power to give you the help you need. The Weymouth Arms is well equipped…"
She tapped her fingers on his desk.
"Oh yes, I’m sure of all that. First of all, I want you to advise Lord Appleby on nearby accommodations. I do not approve of having him stay in the same establishment as we do."
"Lord who?"
"Baron Appleby, of Lancashire. He is coming soon. He is courting Miss Montgomery, and I want to ensure that everything will have a romantic aura. You see," she said, leaning closer and lowering her voice to an intimate whisper, "He is eager, but she has, ah, some reluctance, some hesitation. I need to have them together as much as possible. With complete propriety of course."
"That goes without saying, milady." Captain Drew hadn’t any idea of how to fulfil such a request. "Do you have some suggestions?"
"A bower of roses in the twilight? A string quartet playing nearby?"
Perhaps she wanted him to produce a full moon on cue. Well, there was an almanac on his desk.
"There are assemblies frequently, and…"
"But can they become too rowdy? Do the local folks participate?"
He suppressed a sigh.
"Not to my knowledge. I am sure that the proceedings are conducted with the highest degree of decorum."
"I am glad to hear it. I do not know when Lord Appleby is arriving, but I should like to keep him nearby and provided with suitable activities. In company with Veronica. But his arrival should be a surprise to her."
She touched a finger to her lips in a shushing motion.
"I shall do my best," he said, nodding.
But… should he keep the secret if Miss Montgomery was to be hustled into a betrothal she detested? His head began to throb, filled with a jumble of conflicting thoughts.
Lady Montgomery did not notice his confused expression.
"I myself would arrange everything. But in what is a fine, if inconvenient situation, I must spend my time visiting the family of Miss Felicia’s betrothed. Perhaps you know of Baron Stapleford. I am looking forward to meeting the family at their summer residence near town. The son and heir, William, and my daughter were introduced at Almack’s a few months ago. They fell in love and plan to wed soon. At the moment, however, the young man has run off to Belgium, I believe, to see the battlefield where the French were routed."
