Chapter Nine #2
“He settled in America. Did you know him?” Lord Wiltshire asked, placing a comforting hand on his wife’s.
Frances couldn’t imagine the old woman’s pain at losing both her daughters, especially considering her remaining child was so far away.
Perhaps it was why she seemed so involved in her grandchildren’s lives.
“We met briefly. He was at Harrow with my brother, Francis. They left for the colonies together in ’76 and…”
“And neither returned,” Lady Wiltshire said gently. “I remember your brother. He was a lovely man.”
“He was.” Mama cleared her throat. “I trust your son continues to be?”
“Oh, he gives me more gray hairs than all my other progeny combined, but we couldn’t be prouder.”
“He’ll be as upset about the engagement as Elizabeth,” Grace shared.
Frances suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. “My deepest apologies,” she mumbled.
“Grace!” Lord Lark reproached.
“Oh, no, Frances! Or I mean, Miss Plimpton. May I call you Frances, as we are to be sisters?”
“Of course,” Frances agreed, looking to Lord Lark. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to give her permission to agree, or if she was making sure they would still become sisters.
“Elizabeth was upset because she came to London for the season specifically so she wouldn’t miss out on anything, but Nathaniel chose to get attached at the Williams Garden Party, which she did not attend.
Uncle Edmund was supposed to visit this spring, but his mother-in-law fell ill, so he’s also missing all the excitement,” Grace explained.
“I was upset as well, but I never get to be a part of these things, unless they happen at home, which isn’t very often. ”
“You must be excited for the engagement ball, then?” Frances asked Grace after Daisy nudged her to talk more.
“Oh, I can’t wait. Lizzie is taking us to get new dresses.”
“Certainly, children won’t be allowed at the ball!” Papa cut in like he didn’t appreciate them tonight either.
“Of course not,” Lord Lark assured him with a look that also silenced whatever Papa was going to say next. “But as the celebration will be here, I see no reason the children couldn’t dine with us before and watch the arrivals from the top of the stairs.”
Grace gasped, as if she hadn’t expected her brother to know she would do that.
“You’re not the first and won’t be the last to wait their turn on that balcony,” he assured her.
“Your mothers used to watch us dancing the night away long after they were supposed to be in bed.”
“I’ve always believed children should neither be seen, nor heard, until they are wanted,” Papa shared.
“Luckily, my children, and grandchildren, are always wanted,” Lady Wiltshire said with a frosty smile, making it clear those children were more welcome at any event than he was.
“Your mothers were sisters?” Daisy asked Rebecca to break the tension.
“Eleanor was in the middle, and Elizabeth my youngest,” Lady Wiltshire agreed, looking from the Suttons to their cousin.
“Aunt Eleanor was kind enough to take me in when my parents died, then Nathaniel refused to let anyone take me away after he suffered the same fate.”
“I couldn’t lose a sister on top of—” He cut himself off and cleared his throat. “Family stays together,” he said simply, but with emotion, endearing him to Frances even more.
“What about your father’s relations?” Papa directed his question to Rebecca.
From Daisy, it might have been an attempt to get to know the girl, but her father was trying to ascertain Rebecca’s position in society.
“He was an only child, orphaned before he even met my mother,” Rebecca answered. “But Grandmama and Grandpapa made sure he always felt at home.”
Rebecca gave Frances a warm smile, as if to say she would always be welcome there as well, regardless of the family she was born into, but her intended was seething.
While Rebecca either didn’t notice Mr. Plimpton’s tone, or pretended not to, Lord Lark was gripping his fork so tightly his knuckles were white.
He wasn’t outright cold during the meal, but he clearly disliked her father, and mostly remained a polite observer who only spoke when someone addressed him or insulted his family.
After the meal, Nathaniel followed his grandfather into the study, then let Mr. Plimpton in ahead of him. By etiquette, he should have gone first, but it seemed the polite thing to do for his future father-in-law, who cared far more about such trivialities than he did.
“Should I retire early?” Harrison paused in the doorway.
“Are you tired?” Nathaniel asked, confused.
“Not particularly,” Harry admitted. “Especially since James implied we might have to stop you from committing murder. Or is it patricide?”
“James exaggerates.” Nate sighed before the sound of Mr. Plimpton reproaching his grandfather reached them. “But there’s no harm in being ready, just in case.”
They exchanged a smile before going in and taking their seats. Whiskey was poured, the good kind, but Harry got a tenth of what the others did.
“I’m fifteen,” he reminded his grandfather.
“Yes, and I would like to make it to seventy-five.”
Harrison rolled his eyes, but accepted the tiny drink without further argument.
“Oh, that’s smooth,” Mr. Plimpton praised, downing his entire glass. “I don’t think I’ve had it before.”
“Compliments of my son.”
“Only have daughters myself,” Mr. Plimpton shared after his second glass, not to mention the wine and champagne at dinner. “I have five brothers, no sisters, but what can you do?”
“Sons are important, but I fear daughters don’t get half the praise they deserve.” His grandfather’s friendly smile was waiting for the same from Mr. Plimpton, but his eyes shot daggers.
“Let us just say, among gentlemen, that I’m glad I only have one left to get rid of. I don’t envy your task.” He pointed to Nathaniel, who had been dreading having to deal with suitors and dowries for the girls, but instantly regretted such feelings.
“I was rather heartbroken to watch my daughters leave and start new families. If it weren’t for the promise of grandchildren, I’m not sure I could have let them go.”
“That’s ridiculous. A daughter’s purpose is to marry well and ensure advantageous connections.”
“Unfortunately, much of their life is reliant on that tiny element, but I wouldn’t have loved my daughters any less if they had married the footmen. Perhaps it would have kept them closer, for which I would have been grateful.”
Nate, James, and Harry had made a solid effort at having their own conversation, but the more Mr. Plimpton spoke, like he expected all gentlemen to have the same disdainful view of the fairer sex, the more they listened in.
Nathaniel wasn’t aware that he was clenching his fists until James put a hand on his shoulder and handed him another drink.
“Easy there,” he coaxed.
“Perhaps, as someone who already has the title and connections, you weren’t as concerned.
But you can’t tell me you were as pleased with the daughter who married an earl as the one who married a commoner.
A miss can sometimes improve her station and become a lady, if one has the relations to secure a favorable alliance, but had she had a son, he would never have amounted to anything. ”
“A doctor. My son-in-law was a doctor.” Grandpapa kept his voice level, but Nathaniel and his brothers had all stood, showing Nate they would be no help in holding him back if he attempted to murder his father-in-law, though they would most likely help him bury the body.
“And Miss Turner has more grace and kindness than most ladies I’ve encountered of late.
Should she be courted by a duke, or even a prince, I would not immediately rejoice.
I would question whether he could possibly be good enough to deserve her. ”
“She must have quite the dowry then.” Mr. Plimpton laughed to himself, then took another sip of his drink. “My biggest worry was Frances, for obvious reasons, but she’s your problem now.”
“He’s foxed. Completely knackered and has no idea what he’s saying,” Harry murmured. He encouraged Nathaniel and James to sit down, but had Mr. Plimpton been a stranger in someone else’s house, there was absolutely nothing Harry could have said to stop them.
“Why don’t we join the women?” Nathaniel suggested shortly, then left the room without waiting for an answer.
Nathaniel took his seat on the settee, beside Grace, who leaned into him and rested her head on his chest, forcing him to calm down.
“I was telling Frances she should accompany us to the modiste. We can make it an outing instead of a chore,” she said.
“That sounds nice.” Nate sighed.
“And you can come riding in Hyde Park with us tomorrow? I’ve nearly convinced Grandmama to take me.”
“Oh, I don’t particularly enjoy riding,” Frances told them.
“At all, or just in Hyde Park?”
“Grace,” Nate warned, seeing how uncomfortable the statement had made Miss Plimpton.
“I only ask because I didn’t like riding in Hyde Park either. I still can’t keep up with Lizzie and Becca, but Grandmama goes slow enough that Hyde Park isn’t quite so scary. Almost as fun as riding in the country.”
“Riding in general,” Frances admitted. “Though your comments make me certain I never want to ride in Hyde Park.”
“We’ll be sure to take a carriage to the modiste then,” Rebecca suggested.
“That sounds…I’ll have to check my journal.”
Frances’ hesitation made Nathaniel look over and see her mother gesturing.
“Our Daisy caught the eye of a viscount, but now that Frances will be countess, who knows who will come calling,” Mrs. Plimpton explained her daughter’s forced reluctance to join their party.
“I’m sure Frances will enjoy shopping far more than fetching tea for my suitors,” Miss Daisy jumped in.