Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Lady Blair, the Earl of Lankersheim’s mother, was a woman of some weight.
Both socially and literally. At five foot two and weighing perhaps two hundred and fifty pounds, her small frame was inclined to teeter beneath the extra poundage.
But here any impression of frailness ended, superseded by the lady’s voice, which was moderately pitched but coarse and loud.
Suzette had always gotten on well with the woman and found her visits with Lady Blair enjoyable. There was no reason to suspect this particular call would prove to be any different.
With William at her side, Suzette swept into the parlor and smiled cheerily at the lady. “Lady Blair,” she said, with a dainty curtsy. “How happy I am to see you again.”
“And I you. Please, will you not be seated?” Lady Blair gestured toward a chair, where Suzette obliged her by gracefully descending into it. “William, please fetch one of the servants. I think tea and crumpets are in order.”
“Of course.” William left at once to do her bidding.
Happily, Suzette gave her attention over completely to her future mother-in-law.
Clutching her stylish pink-and-white parasol, Suzette favored Lady Blair with a sweet smile.
“William tells me you have some last-minute details for the wedding party you wish to discuss with me. Some fear you wish me to allay.”
“That I do.”
Suzette’s smile widened, her pleasure apparent.
And with reason. In only a few days, she too would bear the title of Lady Blair.
“Then, pray tell me your concerns, and I will be more than delighted to allay your fears. Need I tell you the arrangements are all in order? All is as it should be. My trousseau is organized, and the bridesmaids’ dresses are finished, and oh, they are so beautiful.
The church is reserved for the occasion, and of course my parents have made my settlement ready to be available upon the day we say our vows.
” She perched forward on her chair. “But I understand there are a few details I must attend to with you.”
“Yes, dear, so there are.” Lady Blair pursed her full lips as she sat forward.
Although her face was red as though she were angry, this was hardly reason for concern since the lady’s face was often flushed.
“Countess Bishop has related to me,” drawled Lady Blair, “a most dreadful particular, I am afraid.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I fear it is regarding your dear grandmother, child.”
“Yes.” Suzette’s smile faded a little. “She will not be in attendance at the wedding, for she is en route to America. But it is not so dreadful after all. My parents and aunts and uncles will be at the wedding to ensure all goes well.”
“It is not her traveling to America I find objectionable,” said Lady Blair. “Rather, it is with whom she is traveling that is the point in question.”
“Whom? What do you mean?”
“What I mean, dear girl, is it has come to my attention that your grandmother is touring with a circus.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no. She is not accompanying a circus. No, indeed.” Suzette frowned. “From where did you glean such information?”
“From Countess Bishop herself.”
“Oh,” said Suzette, puzzled, but only momentarily.
She brightened. “Well, I am glad you have brought this to my notice so I might be able to impart to you the particulars concerning Iren—my grandmother. The facts are as follows: she has been engaged by Mr. William Cody of the Wild West Show. It is her honor to sing at the receptions that Mr. Cody presents after each engagement. In point of fact, it is quite a privilege, for she has now entertained such people as the Queen of England, the Duchess of Kent, and many, many others, including members of state and of course presidents.” Suzette’s eyes glowed with pride over Irena’s accomplishments.
“The Wild West Show, you say?”
“Yes, this is correct.” A slight frown pulled at her brow. Was it her imagination or did Lady Blair’s voice hold a note of censure?
“Now to the point,” said Lady Blair. “It is with a heavy heart, my dear girl, that I must inform you I can no longer countenance your marriage to my son.”
Suzette paused as the air gradually left her lungs. Surely Lady Blair was jesting. Suzette took a breath. “I beg your pardon?”
“A Wild West show. Why, it is no more than a carnival, do you not agree?”
“A carnival?” Was this all that was bothering Lady Blair?
“Oh, no,” said Suzette at once, “let me explain, for I think you misunderstand. While carnivals are, indeed, establishments of ill repute, this particular Wild West show is no carnival. It is of the best possible entertainment and has even been attended by the Queen herself, as well as princesses and other royalty.”
“But, dear, their majesties often attend carnivals, do they not?”
“I… I…” Suzette stopped as words deserted her. Perhaps this was more serious than she had first realized.
“Now I am aware,” Lady Blair continued, looking as satisfied as a cat with a mouse, “that we will need to compensate you for the breach in contract, but there is nothing else for it. It must be done. You must see this.”
“Breach in contract? But—”
“Perhaps I should meet with your parents so the proper arrangements can be made.”
“But the preparations for the wedding have all been made. The church is reserved. The guests are invited, the bridesmaids’ dresses are done, the reception is set, the breakfast…” Her voice faded away.
“It is to be regretted, it is true. But we shall recompense you.”
“Regretted? Recompense?”
“Yes, dear.”
Suzette swallowed with some difficulty. For many moments, she was quiet as one thought followed upon another. “Does William know you intend this?”
When Lady Blair didn’t answer at once, Suzette persisted. “Did he have knowledge of this when he brought me here?”
“Yes, child. He did.”
“But he did not say a word to me about it.”
“I asked him not to utter a single word about it to you, for, at the time, I believed it would be better if I were to speak to you about it personally.”
“Better for whom?” Suzette asked. “Better for me? I am not certain I agree with you about this.”
“I understand. You are upset. It is to be expected. But, then, we are not asking for your agreement, are we?”
For the first time since Lady Blair had delivered this fait accompli, Suzette raised her gaze to meet the countenance of her elder. What she saw there was startling.
Had Lady Blair’s eyes always held a glimmer of spite? Was the flush which was almost constantly upon her cheeks more than a sign of ill health? Had her demeanor always been so arrogant? The tilt of her chin so haughty that she appeared to be sniffing something distasteful?
Fleetingly, Irena’s words of caution drifted through Suzette’s mind: He is ruled by his mother.
It is said that love is blind. Perhaps the saying was true. But if this were so, then she had been blinded not only by William, but by his mother as well.
She said, “You are wrong, Lady Blair. My grandmother is an upstanding woman. I am proud she is touring with the Wild West Show, and I am delighted she is able to provide entertainment which is moral and honorable.”
“I see.” Lady Blair’s mouth tightened. “Do you seek to contradict me in this, then?”
“Yes. I fear I must.”
Lady Blair raised the angle of her chin until she was practically staring down her nose at Suzette. Only then did she say, “Do you know who I am?” Her double chins quivered as she spoke.
“Oh, yes.” Suzette rose to her feet. “Indeed, I do. I now know who you really are. And for the first time in my acquaintance with you, Lady Blair, I am displeased with what I find.”
Lady Blair’s true character at last found outlet, and she pounded her hands on the arms of her chair as though it were the personage of the one who stood before her. “Of all the impertinence! I will not be spoken to in this—”
“Pray do excuse me,” Suzette interrupted, “for I am certain you can have nothing more to say to me. And I, for my part, have nothing more to say to you.”
“Do be seated, girl. Though there might be cause for your anger, I am not so savage that I will not send for a servant to escort you back to your home.” Lady Blair’s anger found vent in a pretense of sweet sympathy.
“No, thank you. And do not bother with a servant, for I will seek out William. He will escort me.”
“Why, my dear girl, how unbecoming this is of you. Because you see, now the engagement is broken, the two of you must not be alone together. I would not think of it.”
“Still, I would like a word with William in private, thank you very much.”
With nothing more than an urgent need to escape Lady Blair’s presence, Suzette swept out of the room, finding William cowering on the opposite side of the door.
“Ah,” she said. How much of their conversation had he overheard? And why had he not been there to champion her? “There you are. I believe we have some matters to discuss. If you will accompany me to my home, let us put these affairs between us in order.”
That William shot an inquiring look toward his mother did not escape Suzette’s notice. However, she was not about to give mother and son a chance to conspire.
“Do come along,” Suzette said, taking hold of his arm, “for I have only recently become aware of a problem of some concern, and it is you I must divulge this to. I fear there is nothing else for it but for us to talk.”
William, realizing at last that he had no choice in the matter, faced up to his duty.