Chapter Sixteen
“I fail to see why I have to come with you just because Helen cannot,” Edward said from beside Liberty as they walked toward the park.
“Apparently Father thinks you’re an excellent companion, and due to the stiffness in my leg, and inability to see without my glasses, I need someone to keep me from walking under a carriage,” Liberty said.
Edward snorted. “You only need them for close up things, and you have barely limped in months.”
Liberty loved her brother because he never allowed her to feel sorry for herself, even when she’d had reason to.
“If you are a good boy, I promise to purchase you whatever food you want when our errands are complete.
“Where is Helen?” Edward asked, his long strides keeping up with Liberty’s. He was already taller than she which was annoying.
“Visiting her brother.” What she was actually doing was following Liberty’s orders, to talk to Dudley, and tell him everything they’d seen and heard.
Dudley still visited Bidham regularly and chances were, he’d know something.
He may also get Sydney to talk about what he was delivering in London, and why.
“Edward, have you noticed anything odd about Bidham?”
Liberty had thought about discussing this with her parents, but chances were, they wouldn’t notice if something wasn’t right, anyway. She loved them, but they were a duke and duchess, and often oblivious to the goings on around them.
“Other than the usual, do you mean?” her brother said. “Like when Miss Jack does that skipping, hop step when she walks? Or Mr. Bernhard uses his rooster to guide him down the street, seeing as he’s blind?”
“Yes, yes, there are oddities there, I know that. I mean, anything other than the usual odd,” Liberty added.
“Now you mention it. Jason Todd told me his older brother was suddenly going to London a great deal, when he never went there because he said it was a stinky, filthy place. I found that odd.”
“I’m sure he had a reason,” was all Liberty said tucking that information away to think about later. “Now, while we are here, it is father’s birthday when we go back to Bidham for the fair. We need to select him a gift,” Liberty said.
“I hate selecting gifts,” Edward said.
“But you enjoy receiving them, so put your back into it.”
He muttered something she couldn’t understand.
“I wish we’d brought an umbrella,” Liberty said, looking skyward.
“If we went to the murder display that mother refuses to take me to, then we wouldn’t get wet.”
“What is this fixation with murder and ghoulish things you have, Edward?” Liberty said, looking around her for no other reason, than she felt she should constantly be on alert now when out walking in London.
First, there was having no wish to bump into Tobias again, and second, she needed to look at all drivers of carts, of which there were plenty.
“I am not fixated. I am intrigued. Please note the difference, Liberty,” Edward said in a pompous tone.
She elbowed him in the ribs, making him wheeze.
“You have the pointiest elbows,” he rasped. “Good lord.”
“What?”
“I’m sure that was Cecil Todd driving that cart,” Edward said, pointing. “And considering what his brother told me, I think it must be.”
“Really? Come along. Let’s see where he is going then.” Liberty grabbed her brother’s arm and started walking faster.
“Why?”
“I’m not sure, Edward, and this stays between us.”
He sighed. “Is this one of those brother-sister promises that if I break you will make me suffer for months?”
“Exactly that.”
They walked until the cart turned into the exact street Helen’s brother had turned into. Standing on the corner, she watched the same men walk out of the building, and then they were unloading barrels.
“What do you think is in those?” Edward asked.
She told him then of the things that she’d learned, and about Helen’s brother Sydney.
“Well, that’s all a bit odd.”
“Extremely,” Liberty agreed. “But there is little we can do about it. Come along, let us get that present.”
“And then we will visit the murder display.”
“That depends on how much you annoy me,” Liberty said.
“If that is the requirement, then I would not take you anywhere were our positions reversed,” Edward added.
They found a shop that had pipes, walking sticks, and other things their father liked. Selections made, they headed for the park, in the opposite direction from the murder display.
“I will get there, you know,” Edward said.
“Oh, I know,” Liberty said. “Take Helen with you. She has a delight in ghoulish things also.”
“Really? Capital, I’ll do that.”
“There is a chess competition on in the park. I thought you might like to see that,” Liberty said.
“I would, because after all, what is not to like about two people moving pieces around a board? Excessively exciting.”
“I’m not sure when you went from being my lovely little brother to this sarcastic version, Edward.”
“I think it started about a year ago. If I must endure you watching chess as it is your favorite hobby, then first you must feed me. Pies, I think,” he said, tugging her to the right.
“What do you suggest, sir?” Edward asked the vendor.
Liberty stood back and watched her little brother. He was good with people and would one day make an excellent duke. He had a way about him that relaxed those he met. Unlike her, who tended to make them bristle with very little effort on her part.
“Here is your pie,” he said holding it inches from her nose. “Put your glasses on, Liberty, and I will not tell mother.”
“Until you want me to do something for you, then you’ll use it against me.”
“You know me so well.”
She selected meat, and he fruit, and they ate them far too quickly, thus burning their throats, and humming their delight at every mouthful.
Entering the park, they then wandered in silence for a while, comfortable in each other’s company. Liberty had only achieved that with two people other than family in her life before.
Alice and Tobias. Once she’d been able to sit next to him for hours and neither had needed to speak. Yes, she was a child, but even back then she’d known he was her person. That someone special who wanted nothing more from you than companionship.
“Lady Liberty.”
She didn’t groan but it was a near thing as she saw the four women coming her way. Clearing Tobias from her thoughts, which he’d been in far too frequently recently, she nudged Edward.
“Brace yourself. These ladies are harmless, but can talk more than Great-Aunt Elizabeth.”
“Run then.”
“You may not be in society, but I am, and running would be cause for scandal, brother.”
Mrs. Masters, Miss Masters, Miss Louise Masters, and Miss Elsbeth Masters all looked like peas in a pod with their wide faces and blonde locks. Each dressed in varying shades of pastel.
They all curtseyed prettily to Edward.
“Well, I will be over there, sister. I see someone waving to me,” he then said, smiling.
The women tittered and Liberty only just resisted rolling her eyes. Her brother would be a charmer when he entered society. Of course, there was no one over there waving at him, she knew as he hurried away.
“Lady Liberty, will we see you at Vauxhall Gardens this week? There is to be a fireworks extravaganza,” Mrs. Masters said.
Liberty was never sure how to take these four ladies. Sometimes they were nice, others snippy, and they always talked over the top of each other. Having a conversation with them was like being buffeted in a howling wind. You left exhausted, unsure what had just happened.
“I had hoped to attend, yes,” she said.
“Excellent.” Mrs. Masters leaned in as if she was going to confide in Liberty. “We have hopes of an announcement that night,” she added. Her eyes then went to her eldest daughter, who blushed.
“Well,” Liberty said. “That’s exciting. I shall look forward to hearing more. I must go, as my brother is now waving for me to join him.”
“Of course, of course. There is also another burgeoning romance for my second eldest daughter. A certain viscount, you understand,” Mrs. Masters said. She then placed a finger on her lips. “But enough on that matter.”
Viscount? Surely not Tobias, but then why did she care? How many other viscounts were there in London this season?
“Wonderful. Good day to you ladies,” Liberty said, dropping into a curtsey.
She then walked away in the direction that Edward had taken.
Squinting, she saw a group of people and guessed it was the chess event taking place.
Her brother would likely be there, because it may bore him, but compared to chatting with the Masters women, would prove far more entertaining.
She reached the men ringing the tables and found Edward in conversation with someone. Liberty didn’t know the man. Large bristly moustache, and he wore eyeglasses, which she envied him.
“And here she is. Lady Liberty, this is Mr. Hasslebach. He is the one hosting this event. Unbeaten at chess, he is something of a master. I told him you are the best player I knew, and I thought you may wish to join the competition.”
“Ah, no, thank you,” she said shooting her brother daggers.
“Of course, you are a woman, so chances are you’ll lose,” Edward added.
Mr. Hasslebach looked shocked at his words.
“I have no wish to play now, Edward,” Liberty gritted out.
He made a clucking sound under his breath that had her back stiffening. Really, was there anyone who could annoy you more than a sibling you loved with every fiber of your being?
“Well, it is highly irregular for a woman to want to challenge, as we have never before allowed—”
“I’ll do it,” Liberty said before she could stop herself.
“I thought you might,” Edward said, looking smug. “I knew that highly irregular and women comment would do it,” he added, leaning in to whisper the words into her ear.
“You are a sneaky rodent,” she whispered back.
“It’s extremely lucky you love me then,” he said, wriggling his nose.
“Come along, Lady Liberty,” Mr. Hasslebach said, looking uncomfortable.
“She is a duke’s daughter, sir, if that makes the pain of her competing in your chess competition easier to bear,” Edward said in a hard tone.
“It’s all right, brother.” Liberty patted his arm. “I’m used to men believing women are a distant second to them.”
“They’re not,” he said. “Beat them, sister.”
She leaned in to kiss his cheek.
They took her name and then she stood in line behind a man who smiled at her, which settled her nerves slightly.
“I’m not sure I should do this, Edward. Mother will not be pleased.”
“She is not here, and don’t tell me you constantly don’t do things she has no wish for you to.”
“Someone could see and report back to her.”
“We will say it’s your look alike. Now you need to do this for your fellow womankind, I will find an excellent vantage point where I can glare at people if they question your right to be here.”
“And I suppose it will be close to where that vendor is selling bags of roasted chestnuts?”
“Very likely.”
She stood there watching the four tables set up.
All occupied by men. She would definitely need her glasses for this one.
Opening her reticule, she put them on and felt the tightness in her temples ease.
If there were indeed hell to pay when her mother found out, which she surely would, she may as well get told off for wearing her glasses, too.
Ten minutes later Liberty was seated across from a bear of a man who smirked at her. She smiled back sweetly, and then focused on everything she’d learned in all those chess books her father had in his office. The ones she’d pored over for hours, and then sat at his chess board and put into action.
“I will go easy on you, madam.”
She simpered, well, thought she did, as it wasn’t something she’d ever mastered. “You are too kind.”
Liberty then set about beating him soundly.