Chapter Twenty-Six
The next morning when Theo returned from her ride, she was immediately accosted with questions about the final preparations for her ball.
“My lady,” Mrs. Thorton said, “the florist said that the tulips he ordered from Holland haven’t arrived. He said he can fill in with daffodils, but he’s afraid that they won’t have enough color by themselves.”
“Does he have any suggestions?” This was the reason she had done everything months ago. So this would not happen.
“He said he has some very nice hyacinths. But—”
“I know. Alice is allergic to them.”
In the distance the doorbell rang, and Sarah strolled into the room. “I came to help.”
“The florist has not received the tulips I ordered. He has daffodils.”
Sarah nodded. “But you need more color. What about bluebells? You can have them under the daffodils in the arrangements.”
“That is an excellent idea. We could also add rhododendron flowers around the room.” She looked at the housekeeper. “Will that do?”
“I hope so, my lady.” She bustled out of the room.
Theo glanced at Sarah. “When is your come out ball? You mentioned it once, but that was all.”
An excited smile dawned on her face. “I am not going to have one. I love my mother dearly, but she cannot plan anything more complicated than a dinner. Instead, I am having a betrothal ball at Carlisle House.”
“Oh!” Theo hugged her friend. “When was this decided?”
“This morning after our ride. Lady Carlisle and Marrow had been speaking about it. This morning, he broke his fast with Mama and me and suggested that we just have a betrothal ball. Then he went down on one knee and proposed. His mother had even given him a betrothal ring to give to me.”
“I am so excited for you!”
“And I have more news!” Sarah took Theo’s hands. “Patricia and Lord Holland are betrothed.”
“Fabulous! Will they share the ball with you and Marrow?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. They are marrying almost immediately. He must be in Vienna soon. I believe one of the reasons Lady Carlisle was so happy about being able to plan a betrothal for us was that she cannot give her youngest daughter one.”
“My lady.” Their cook, Jacque, entered the parlor. “It is a catastrophe. The cake we ordered was dropped. It is ruined.”
“Who do we know that has a pastry chef? It is going to take more than one person to make everything we need. Instead of a cake we can have an assortment of smaller desserts.” She knew Dotty had one, and Louisa. “Lady Merton, our duchess, who else?”
“Lady Montagu. I will think of some more.” His countenance brightened. “Lady Kenilworth. Oui. That will work. I will explain and send everyone letters.”
Jacque left, and a footman ran into the room. “My lady, we don’t have enough champagne.”
That was not possible. She had been here when it arrived last week. “What happened to it?”
“Someone from Lord Montagu’s house came over and needed to borrow some. He took most of it.”
“Send however many men you need over there and get it back. Right now. Wait while I write a message to my sister.” Theo went to the small desk in the corner, dashed off a missive, sanded it, and sealed it.
She handed it to the footman. “Have this given to Lady Montagu.” She glanced at Sarah.
“I will guarantee you that Eleanor knew nothing about this. I am going to see how the rest of the arrangements are coming along. You may come if you wish.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Theo almost walked into Chandos, who was in the hall. “What are you doing here?”
He spread his hands with his palms out. “I came to see if you needed help.”
“The champagne is missing, the order of tulips has not arrived from Holland yet, and the cake was dropped. Our Jacque is writing to the pastry chefs in our family to arrange for desserts.”
“Who took the champagne?”
“Apparently someone from Montagu House. I’m going to strangle Montague.”
“Recover what you can. I have a good stock of champagne I’ll send over. I also have a pastry chef who has very little to do at the moment. Write down what you want, and I’ll make sure it’s here. I can also ask my gardener about tulips. Several years ago, my mother ordered hundreds of them.”
“We decided to use daffodils, bluebells, and rhododendrons, but I would love to have tulips as well.” She tugged the bellpull.
A footman entered immediately. “If Jones has not returned, please send the missive his grace will write. I also need a list of what Jacque wants done. His grace has a pastry chef as well.”
“If you’ll point me to a desk, I’ll write a missive to my butler telling him to arrange it all.”
“Yes, of course.” She opened the door to a parlor. “We have at least one writing desk in every room. Even if it is a very small one.”
“That’s efficient.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “It was my idea.”
He went over to the small desk and pulled out a piece of paper.
“My lady.” The head maid, Simms, entered the room.
“Do not tell me there is something wrong with the table linens.” How could so many things go wrong?
“No, my lady. I just wanted to know if you’d like to inspect them.”
“It is a little late now.”
“Yes, but they are finally all ironed.”
That did not make sense. “I thought we were sending them out.”
“We were, but everyone at the laundry we used came down with something. They all had spots and some of them died.”
That sounded serious. “Please tell me that the linens were not taken there after all.”
“No. A messenger came before we sent them.”
“That is one good piece of news. Where are they?”
“In the supper room.”
“I’ll be right down.”
Chandos stood and handed her the note as Jones, her personal footman, entered and bowed. She gave it to him. “This must be sent to Chandos House immediately.”
“I’ll see to it, my lady.”
“I must see to the linens.” Theo started out the door.
“We’re coming with you,” Sarah said.
Leo grunted something Theo couldn’t understand.
When they reached the room, the tablecloths and napkins were piled on one long table. The head maid and laundress stood by. Theo carefully inspected them. “Excellent work.”
“Thank you, my lady.” The laundress curtseyed.
“Now we just need the footmen to return so that we can set up the tables,” Simms said.
Theo was about to ask how all of them were gone, but of course they were. “I can help.”
“So can I,” Sarah said.
“I will as well,” Chandos added. He looked at the folded tables and chairs. “I never knew that’s how they were stored. Tell me where they go.”
Simms looked at Theo for permission. She nodded. Simms addressed them. “The important thing right now is to get them all unfolded. Some of them are heavy.”
By the time the first of the footmen returned, all the tables and most of the chairs had been unfolded.
“My lady, we were able to get a little more than half of the champagne back. Lady Eleanor, er, Lady Montagu rang a peel over his lordship’s head for forgetting your ball and taking the champagne. ”
“As well she should,” Chandos said. “Do you know if the champagne from my house has arrived?”
“Yes, your grace. Your footmen delivered it. Your stock made up for what we were lacking and more.”
Theo could not believe how helpful Chandos was being. “Thank you so very much. I will replace the amount you lent me.”
He shook his head. “Consider it a gift more useful than bouquets.”
“Well, thank you again.” She smiled at him. Even after unfolding most of the tables, and placing some of them, he still looked put together.
“It’s my pleasure.”
Theo glanced at Simms. “We will go and see about the flowers.
Do you have the men you need now?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Followed by Sarah and Chandos, Theo found Mrs. Thorton downstairs in a room near the kitchen with a man identified as the florist’s assistant. Among the daffodils, bluebells, and hydrangea flowers, were dozens of red, pink, and deep yellow tulips. “I’m glad everything arrived.”
“Yes, my lady,” the assistant said. “Do you want to be notified after the first arrangements are completed?”
Not really, but, if nothing else, this morning had taught her that she must. “Yes, please.” Chandos, Sarah, and Theo left the room and went up to the morning room where Thorton brought a tea tray. “I thought you might be hungry.”
“Thank you.” If she was, Chandos most certainly was. She poured each of them a cup and placed the tray of sandwiches near him. “You have saved the day again with your tulips. They are lovely.”
“I’m glad you like them.” Leo had only planned to stop by to see if Theo required anything. He’d not expected to be put to work. Still, he was happy that she had trusted him enough to take advantage of his presence and accept his offers of assistance. “And I am glad to have been able to help.”
Theo glanced at Miss Pettigrew with a raised brow, and she nodded. Then his beloved looked at him. “Sarah and Marrow are to be married. His mother is planning the betrothal ball.”
“Finally.” Leo had been expecting the announcement for a while now. “My best wishes to you, Miss Pettigrew. Marrow is a lucky man.”
She waved her hand. “Please call me Sarah. After all the work we did together, it is proper.”
“In that case, I am honored.”
“You must also be hungry.” Theo motioned to the plate of sandwiches. “Please eat.”
These were not the small sandwiches that normally accompany tea, but larger ones filled with various meats and cheeses. “Thank you.”
“When do you expect to wed?” Theo asked before she took a bite of a sandwich.
“That matter is currently being debated.” Miss Sarah took a sip of tea.
“Marrow wants it to be as soon as possible.” Leo could absolutely understand and appreciate that.
“My mother wants us to wait long enough to have a large wedding breakfast. His mother tends to agree with her. I would like to marry in two to three weeks.”
He swallowed. “How long does it take to plan a large wedding breakfast?”
She took a deep breath. “Mama said four to six weeks. Lady Carlisle says three to four weeks.”
Theo’s expression showed clearly what she thought of a wedding breakfast taking so long to plan. He knew that her sisters had married two weeks after their engagements. “I hate to say it, but I would trust Lady Carlisle over your mother.”
“I agree,” Sarah said. “I do not wish to hurt my mother’s feelings, but …”
“She is the one who could not manage to organize your come out ball.”
“Exactly. Not only that, but neither Marrow nor I want to wait that long to wed.”
Leo was happy to keep his mouth full and hear what Theo thought about all of this. Yet something about Sarah’s mother not being able to plan a ball, and Theo arranging her own ball, confused him. “Who is supposed to plan a come out ball?”
She lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug.
“I suppose it depends on one’s family. We plan our own.
It is a way of ensuring that we have what we want, and it gives us the valuable experience of being completely responsible for the results.
It is one thing to help plan a ball. It is another thing to do it oneself. ”
He could understand that. It was the same with most projects.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “Mama has very little experience planning large entertainments. As a consequence, I have no experience. Her ladyship has offered to teach me.”
Leo was starting to understand her dilemma. “Ergo, you would rather agree with your future mother-in-law.”
“Precisely.” Sarah nodded. “It would be of great benefit to me and make Marrow happier.”
Theo finished her tea. “If you want my opinion, I support your inclination to agree with Lady Carlisle with one stipulation. Have the wedding no later than three weeks. That really will give you enough time.”
“And make Marrow even happier.” If it was Leo getting married, he’d want it done as quickly as possible.
“I think you are correct.” Sarah’s brows drew together. “Mama will have to come around. Aside from that, I cannot see that she will be much help.” Sarah glanced at Theo and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Anything to help a friend.” Theo returned the smile. “I believe everything here is under control. I cannot think of anything else that could go wrong.”
“Before I leave”—Sarah looked at Leo then at Theo again—“who will have your supper dance?”
“Lord Milford. Chandos has my first set.”
Milford? Really? Leo must set his mind to finding a suitable lady for the man.
Theo and Sarah rose, prompting him to get to his feet. They all walked to the front door together. Sarah’s maid quickly joined her.
Once she and the maid left, Leo had the sudden urge to take Theo’s hands. “I will see you this evening. However, if you have need of anything else, please call upon me.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
He didn’t want to be thanked. He just wanted to make her happy. “Adieu.”
“Until later.”