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"Are you certain?" Ronnie asked.
She had the same impression of his condition, a crotchety old fellow who did not want to be bothered with any social activity. No supervision of his property beyond a weekly talk with his steward. Lady Stapleford had seemed more than content with the situation when she'd described her husband a week or so ago. Ronnie wondered if she was being too cynical, if she thought that they did not much care for each other's company?
Once Mama had sufficiently reassured Cici, she asked about Ronnie's impression of Jasper Endicott.
"Were you attracted to him, Veronica? Did he please you? Now that Lord Appleby seems lost in the clutches of Anthea Turner, would you accept his attentions?"
"I was pleasantly surprised at my first impressions. I feared he might be a braggart. But he was polite and anything but a windbag. His stories are difficult to hear when one considers the number of dead and injured. I cannot repeat his tales."
"Nor can I," Cici said. "I am already afraid I am going to have bad dreams."
"Then run along to bed, dear, as I am going to do." Lady Montgomery walked toward her bedchamber, then turned and addressed her eldest daughter. "Veronica, I am pleased to hear you did not scorn the Lieutenant. I believe your limited approval is the most positive reaction to a gentleman you have ever uttered in my presence. Good night."
In spite of her serious mood, Ronnie had to gulp back a crack of laughter, but when her eyes met Cici's, they both clasped their hands over their mouths to prevent a spate of giggles. Quickly they entered their bedrooms and shut the doors.
Once in her nightgown, Ronnie crawled under her covers. She could not deny her attraction to Lieutenant Endicott, though he hardly struck her as a candidate for matrimony. She'd barely met him.
He would have a lifetime of social fetes at which he was sought after to tell his story of saving the Duke of Wellington. If that defined his life, and it might, how would a wife cope with years, perhaps decades of repetition? She wondered what Captain Drew would think of Endicott?
Chapter Eight
Captain Drew waited in Mr. Stacie's Rooms in Gloucester-Row, for his men to bring the cart full of several dozen chairs he had loaned to Mr Stacie for the evening's assembly, at which Princess Charlotte was expected. Drew was eager to assist with the arrangements, since Stacie was always happy to reciprocate when necessary for a gala at the Royal Arms. Later, Drew would send over an array of delicacies from Chef Andre's kitchen to tempt the palates of the town's leading residents and visitors.
Drew wished he felt more enthusiastic about the soirée. It was good for the town and most of his guests, but not a personal pleasure for him. He'd be watching from the service hall, and no doubt he'd see Miss Montgomery with that fellow, the one who had arrived yesterday with the younger sister's fiancé. He disliked listening to staff gossip, but Drew heard two kitchen maids speak about the handsome man who had driven Miss Montgomery off last night.
That morning, he'd asked her about the new arrival, and she had been complimentary, saying he had told them a little about the great battle he'd fought. Drew pondered why he felt so disappointed. Last week, when Miss Felicia had read him her letter from her fiancé, Drew had guessed that the fellow would be an upstart with an imaginary tale, but maybe not. Why did it matter to him if Miss Veronica Montgomery was impressed? He might wake up dreaming of her, but she was far above his ambition, no matter how she fired his desire. He had to think of her as just another of his friendly guests. To her, he was nothing more than a menial, a factotum.
As so often when he was organising for events, the bustle of preparations was punctuated by the musicians with their instruments, tuning, practicing phrases over, never playing from the same page, always a cacophony. First the horns blasted shrill notes and startled everyone, then drums made toes tap, strings sawed away, and above all the flutes sounded like flocks of birds had fluttered through the open windows.
Mr. Stacie came up beside Drew.
"Looks like we will have a crowd tonight."
"Yes, indeed. I stopped by to see the chairs delivered."
"Decent of you, Drew. I did manage to order enough candles last month, hoping the rumours of her Highness coming were true. I appreciate your supplementary chairs and also the contributions from that Frenchman of yours."
"Glad to do it. Your assembly hall is the largest one in town, considerably more suitable than the Royal Arms for dancing."
"Though yours is more splendid by far," Stacie said.
"Not worth arguing about, but yours has nothing inferior about it. Quite in style."
"Fair enough. Thank you, my friend."
******
"I do wish your father had arrived today instead of coming tomorrow," Lady Montgomery repeated for the third time since the hairdresser had left their apartment a quarter hour ago. "But it is kind of William to escort us."
Cici admired herself in the pier glass.
"I am excited to see what her Highness wears tonight."
"Should we proceed downstairs?" Ronnie asked. "We do not want to keep them waiting."
On the ground floor, she was not surprised to see William and Lieutenant Endicott wearing flashy Hussar's uniform. They were speaking to Captain Drew. But she had no opportunity to greet Drew before the Lieutenant linked one arm with hers and the other with her mother's, moving straight to the carriage outside. The very short ride to Mr. Stacie's Rooms was filled with Cici's excited chatter and Mama's expectations the ball would be quite inferior to any in London.
A line of coaches delivered formally dressed passengers to Mr. Stacie's Rooms, brightly lit and festive with music coming from inside, while folks gathered round to wait for the Princess and comment on those entering in their finest raiment. Ronnie was not surprised to see her mother's nose wrinkled in disgust.
