CHAPTER THIRTEEN #3
‘We are come now in supplication, Duchess,’ said Louisa, with a smile.
‘We encountered Miss Brailes’ brother, who decided that I deserved the “treat” of being entertained with his reading aloud, and offered to come to Edward Street tomorrow evening.
I was at a loss to do more than claim some vague commitment, but Mr Gilmorton stepped into the breach and said that we will be attending the Wednesday evening concert in the Upper Rooms, as your guests. ’
‘He did, did he?’
‘It was inspired, your grace,’ added Caroline, ‘and we really did need rescuing. An evening spent enduring my brother mangling Marmion would drive one to leap into the Avon in despair to avoid a second.’
‘You call that sisterly, young woman?’ challenged the Dowager.
‘I call it honest, your grace,’ answered Caroline, refusing to be overawed, which did her no harm in the old lady’s eyes.
‘And do you denigrate all members of your family?’
‘Oh no. Only my brother Frederick. We all of us have faults, but most of us are aware of them and at least attempt to contain them. If he sees his own then he tells himself it must be the mental equivalent of a trick of the light, and 215then ignores them.’ She sighed.
‘One choose one’s friends, but alas, not one’s relations.
Not that Frederick is a “black sheep” in the family.
He does not run up huge debts or behave wickedly. He does bleat, though.’
‘A bleating blight, Miss Brailes?’ suggested Mr Gilmorton.
‘Oh yes! How apt, sir.’ She beamed at him, and he caught the violet hint in the blue of her eyes, slightly veiled by long lashes.
‘So.’ The Duchess did not like conversation to leave her behind, and dragged it back to the central topic. ‘You want me to leave the warmth of my house to attend caterwauling.’
‘If you please, ma’am, and with Miss Newent also, if her mama will permit. Safety in numbers and your august presence ought to protect us even if Mr Brailes attends also and hopes to lecture upon the meaning of the lyrics, or the tuning of the instruments.’ Louisa’s lips twitched.
‘Very well, but you, Henry, will also attend, and can give up your own pleasures for the evening.’
‘Ma’am, I can think of no greater pleasure than escorting a party of charming ladies to a concert,’ he said with aplomb, and bowed.
‘Rogue,’ mumbled her grace.
As Louisa had hoped, neither Lady Brailes nor Mrs Newent raised any objections to their daughters being seen with the Dowager Duchess of Furness, although Lydia was patently terrified at the thought of making her curtsey to a lady she had seen from a distance in the Pump Room and had looked more imperious than royalty.
She 216presented herself in Edward Street dressed in a figured muslin selected by Mrs Newent to show off her maidenly modesty and with strict instructions to only speak to the Dowager if addressed directly.
She twisted the fringe of her shawl nervously in her fingers as she and Louisa awaited Hetty Goodworth, who appeared a few minutes late, apologising for her tardiness upon the grounds of being ‘all fingers and thumbs’ with the arrangement of her hair.
It had been agreed that Caroline Brailes would go to The Circus direct, Lady Brailes having taken lodging in Beaufort Square.
When the three ladies from Edward Street were shown into the Duchess’s saloon, they found that she had arrived before them, and was listening to that lady’s slightly daring story of an evening at Ranelagh in her heyday.
Mr Gilmorton was looking rather uncomfortable, but Caroline was not in the least shocked, and found it very entertaining.
Louisa introduced Miss Newent, whose naturally pale complexion became so white that afterwards the Duchess remarked to her grandson that she had thought the chit would faint clean away.
Seeing that she was most uncomfortable in his grandmother’s presence, Mr Gilmorton strove to set her at her ease and draw her from her shell, into which she had withdrawn.
Caroline was guiltily aware of a pang of jealousy.
She had not met Lydia Newent before, and she was just the sort of young woman who showed up her own figure and complexion as inferior.
No wonder Mr Gilmorton devoted himself to a girl who was ethereally pretty and whose demeanour nearly cried ‘protect me’ out loud.
That she had no more sense than 217a wet goose would not matter.
Gentlemen were drawn by looks, not intellect.
It was decided that since the evening was clement, the younger ladies, escorted by Mr Gilmorton, would walk the short way to the Upper Rooms, and that the Duchess would take a chair.
As one of the most noble residents of Bath that season, she was guaranteed to be offered the best seats, and to be greeted with a respectful hush of conversation, which she rather enjoyed.
Her party followed in her wake, ‘like cygnets behind a swan’, whispered Caroline to Louisa as they took their seats.
It was only at the interval that Louisa became aware of Lord Orlando, and of Mr Brailes, although they were not together, and Mr Brailes could not quite summon up the courage to make his bow before the august personage of a dowager duchess.
The former presented himself boldly before her, however, and made a very elegant bow, bringing entirely spurious greetings from his great-aunt Maria.
Since Mr Gilmorton was at that moment engaged in procuring a glass of ratafia for his grandmother, there was nobody to prevent the very adroit way in which Lord Orlando cleverly attached himself to the party.
Her grace could have dismissed him easily, but was interested to see how he ‘worked his charm’.
Miss Brailes and Mrs Goodworth he totally ignored, and initially also Miss Newent, focusing his attention upon Lady Dembleby, but however deftly he flattered, however gently he tried to slip past her defences, it was clear that she was unimpressed.
Her grace found this diverting, and, upon his return, Mr Gilmorton was relieved; Lord 218Orlando himself was piqued.
Lord Orlando’s first thought was that she was an excellent challenge, but a natural indolence made him change his mind about pursuing her.
However, she ought to pay for her cool rejection, and the answer lay in Miss Newent.
Lydia was a plum ripe for the picking, and wooing her would entail little exertion.
A few pertinent questions to other concertgoers had vouchsafed the information that Lady Dembleby was often to be found with Miss Newent, to whom she was very kindly lending her support and guidance.
What would be said of her guidance if the chit could be lured into indiscretion?
Yes, he would enjoy seeing her embarrassment, if not shame.
Mr Gilmorton’s relief that Lady Dembleby was not in need of protection was replaced by horror, and no small degree of disgust, as he saw Hurstwood turn his attention to the na?ve Miss Newent.
Being without guile herself, and dangerously trusting, she lapped up his carefully pitched flattery, which was neither so subtle that she could fail to see it, nor so overt as to frighten her.
He was handsome, he was suave and he was titled.
How could she be more fortunate? In the face of this, Mr Gilmorton felt initially powerless.
Since Lord Orlando Hurstwood was an accomplished flirt, and Mr Gilmorton simply set out to please, his efforts came to nothing.
Caroline Brailes, observing his attempts, saw a man vying with another for the girl’s affections, and a hefty dose of common sense quashed her inner dreams. Even a new spencer was not going to impress as Miss Newent impressed, even if the silly girl preferred the dubious charm of Lord Orlando. She sighed.