Chapter Seven
Tia faced a dilemma. She had informed Mama that Lady Merriman had agreed to come to dinner, along with her two children.
Tia wanted to tell her mother that she did not want Lord Merriman at their dinner table, but that would involve explaining the conversation she had overheard.
If she did so, Mama might rescind the dinner invitation, as well as keep her from even seeing Lady Dilly.
Her mother always harped upon how special their family’s status was in Polite Society.
If she heard how boorish Lord Merriman had been, refusing to host Tia at tea, she might believe something was lacking with Lady Dilly and her mother. Tia could not chance that.
She decided not to reveal the conversation between the siblings and simply would avoid speaking to Lord Merriman tonight, other than issuing a polite greeting when he arrived.
She longed to discuss this, though, with Lia and decided to go see her twin after she practiced her pianoforte this morning.
It was time to begin working on a new piece because it had occurred to her that she might not only be called upon to play in her home but other places where she was a guest, as well.
If she only had three numbers in her repertoire, it would become apparent to others, especially the spiteful young ladies whom Lady Dilly had mentioned.
She applied herself now and began perfecting the finger patterns in a work by Beethoven. When she had devoted an hour to her practice, Tia went to the nursery to spend a couple of minutes with William. Eden was there with her son, and she asked her sister-in-law how she was feeling.
“Much better these days,” Eden replied. “Val worries too much about me. Yes, I was a bit tired in the beginning. Giving birth is not easy to do. But I am more like myself in the past week or so. I was a bit tired coming from Kent to town, but thank goodness we live closer than Cumberland and can reach London in such a short time.”
Eden had been the governess to Verina and Justina in Cumberland, far in England’s northwest. After Tia had traveled that great distance last year to visit her cousins, she readily agreed with Eden.
Perhaps when the time came for her to wed, she would ask the gentlemen who courted her where their country estates might lie.
She was not overly fond of journeys that lasted for days and days.
She stifled a giggle, thinking what she required in a husband might be far different from what others might be looking for.
“I am going to call on Lia now,” she told Eden.
“I know how the two of you must miss one another. You shared not only a womb but a bedchamber and a strong friendship all these years. Please give her my best.”
“Mama said that we are to have dinner with Lia and Rupert tomorrow night. You will be able to see her then. It will be Lia’s first time to entertain in town. I know she is looking forward to it.”
Tia kissed the top of William’s head and asked Parsons if a footman might be freed up to escort her to Lady Cressley’s residence.
“I will not require the carriage,” she informed the butler, thinking it silly that people in town would wait a quarter-hour for horses to be harnessed to a carriage, only to drive them two blocks to their destination.
Tia was a country girl at heart and used to walking long distances, something she enjoyed.
The footman escorted her to her twin’s new London residence, and she hoped that Lia would be amenable to walking in Hyde Park since it was such a lovely day.
Now that her sister was a matron, she no longer required an escort to places.
It was just one of the odd rules of the ton, and Tia was glad Lia could now serve as her sister’s chaperone, even though they were the same age.
She was admitted and taken to Lia’s sitting room, where her sister was working on a beautiful piece of embroidery. Lia was skilled in all kinds of needlework, while Tia did not have the patience to sit with a needle and thread for more than a few minutes.
“Tia!” her sister cried, her welcoming smile drawing Tia in.
She embraced her twin and then asked, “If you are feeling up to it, might we walk in the park now?”
“I am hale and hardy this morning. That is, after I was ill in my chamber pot when I awoke this morning. I long for the day that will end.”
“Oh, I was supposed to give you a message from Eden. She thought of it after we’d had tea, and you mentioned being queasy. You should keep a slice of bread at your beside and eat a few bites of it before you rise in the morning. She said it helped settle her belly when she was carrying William.”
Lia chuckled. “I am ready to try anything.” She patted her belly. “As much as I have always longed for a child, he or she is certainly making me work hard in carrying them.”
“Do you feel the babe within you yet?” she asked, knowing nothing about how a woman became with child, much less what one felt like growing inside a person.
“No. I met with the local midwife just before we came to town. She called it quickening and said that I should feel the babe stir at around five months or so. That will be sometime in July.”
“Will you and Rupert stay for the entire Season?”
Lia took Tia’s hand. “That depends upon you. If there is a wedding, naturally, we will want to attend.”
Laughing, she shook her head. “You know my philosophy has been to come to the Season and simply enjoy all the various events. Perhaps I will consider taking a husband next year. For now, I intend to have as much fun as I can.”
Her sister pursed her lips in thought, and Tia cut off what she knew Lia would say next.
“You think I will fall in love. Well, I am determined not to do so. At least not this Season. I know you are blissfully happy with Rupert, and I am thrilled to see your happiness. I know myself, however. I will wed when the time is right for me. That means do not wait about town for me. When you and Rupert are tired of the social swirl, retreat to Crestbrook. And remember, I can always come and visit you.”
Lia grinned mischievously. “Even if the carriage ride is obscenely long?”
“Well, there is that,” she said, laughing. She squeezed Lia’s fingers. “But I would walk to the ends of the earth to spend time with you.”
“Let me claim my bonnet, and we shall go have a nice stroll and chat in the park.”
Ten minutes later, they were at the entrance to Hyde Park and strolled arm-in-arm through its beauty.
“It is quite inconvenient for you not to be in bed next to me. I have something to talk over with you,” Tia confided.
“Go on,” her sister encouraged.
“I met a wonderful girl at Madame Laurent’s shop during a fitting, and I believe we are destined to be good friends. I cannot wait for you to meet Lady Dilly.”
“Dilly? Why, it seems she goes by a nickname as you do.”
“She is Delilah—but prefers Dilly. Her mother is just like ours and wants her to be known as Delilah, however. But that is not what I want to talk over with you.”
“I am intrigued.”
“Mama and I were to have tea with Lady Dilly and her mother. Mama’s gown caught on something as she climbed from the carriage, ripping a large hole in her it.
She refused to go in, but she encouraged me to do so because she knows how fond I already am of Lady Dilly.
Unfortunately, I overheard a conversation which upset me a great deal. ”
Her twin indicated a bench nearby, and they sat upon it.
“What happened?”
“Lady Dilly had told me how wonderful her older brother is. She seems to worship him. When I was admitted by their butler, however, I heard him tell her that he did not want to play host at tea to her guest, calling me a silly girl—when he had yet to even meet me! He claimed to be too tired and refused his hosting duties. Lia, he spoke to her in such a clipped, harsh tone. It made me feel sorry for her. And then, he came downstairs, where I was in the foyer.”
“Oh, dear. I know you all too well, Tia. You confronted him, didn’t you?”
“Well, I had to defend my friend, didn’t I? I called him out on his rude behavior and then told him I had no interest in making his acquaintance. That if we came across one another at events, I would choose to ignore him and not waste any time with him.”
“Oh, this is not going to go well,” Lia fretted. “Especially if you wish to remain friends with Lady Dilly. You cannot ask her to choose you over a beloved brother.”
“Even worse, Mama told me to pass along an invitation to Lady Merriman. I asked the countess to come to dinner this evening. She is to bring her two children with her.”
“We have always known not every gentlemen of the ton behaves in a gentlemanly manner,” her sister reminded her. “Mama has warned us of this. Val and Con, too. I say be politely distant to this brother whenever you encounter him during the Season. It is not as if he will be a suitor to you.”
“True,” she said, mulling over Lia’s advice.
“From what I gather, he is not wed, but it seems men wed later than women do. I will see how Val reacts to him tonight. Of course, with Val being a duke, I am certain Lord Merriman will be on his best, most charming behavior at dinner. It is just so disappointing to have made my first friend and dislike her brother so much.”
“Perhaps you caught him when he was having a bad day,” Lia suggested.
“That might be true, but he could have at least apologized to me when we spoke. Or gallantly changed his mind and come to tea. Instead, he merely seemed a bit embarrassed that I had overheard how dismissively he treated his sister.” She sighed.
“Let us talk of other things now. I do not wish to spend another minute discussing Lord Merriman’s deficiencies. Are you ready for the opening ball?”
Lia smiled. “Rupert and I have yet to dance with one another. I am most eager to partner with my handsome husband.”