Chapter Sixteen #3
“Well now, view it this way—they seem like excellent playmates for Bertie and Teddy,” Violet said laughing.
“How long will they be here?” Poppy asked.
“We will stay a fortnight, I believe,” Violet said.
“You must not blame my dear husband too very much. He was quite cut up over Lord Burkhart and Mr. Lelander. He had very high hopes in that direction and he really does not understand what happened. I imagine this was his effort to fix it, you know how fond he is of Pots and Pans.”
“Of course he does not understand what happened. Nobody understands what happened.”
“It was very unfortunate,” Violet said. “But I am looking at it as there are times where a thing does not conclude in a way one thought it would. Life can be mysterious.”
“I don’t like all this mystery,” Pansy said. It really was true. She felt she would be much better off if Lord Burkhart had just said something to her. Perhaps, “By the by, did I mention there is a lady in Yorkshire that I have been courting?”
It would have been devastating, to be sure, but this not knowing, not understanding, was far more tortuous.
Henrietta knocked and came into the room. “Lady Smythesdon,” she said with a bob.
“No need to stand on ceremony with me, Henrietta, Fleur never did.”
At the mention of Fleur, Henrietta snorted. “She’s got a lot of opinions, that one.”
“What are they saying below stairs, Hen,” Pansy asked. “About the Wilderman brothers?”
“Well, I shouldn’t say, I don’t like to repeat gossip,” Henrietta said.
This was, of course, said for Violet’s benefit. Henrietta was in general very free with relating the doings below stairs.
“Oh do say,” Violet said. “You will not offend me. I am well aware that my husband has brought two interesting individuals to the house. I was in the carriage with them for hours, do not forget. I cannot tell you how many times they just laughed and laughed. About what, I am not entirely clear on.”
“It is said,” Henrietta said in a low tone, lest she be overheard, “that those two gentlemen are suffering from the in-betweens.”
“In-betweens?” Pansy asked.
“They’re not boys, and yet they’re not men.”
That was exactly what they were. In between. Pansy and Poppy had been in such a state themselves a few years ago.
“Ah yes, I remember Henry going through that stage,” Violet said.
“One minute, he was puffing out his chest and lowering the tone of his voice to sound manly. The next minute, he was rolling in the mud with one of his friends. It was all very awkward, as we were meant to take him seriously, but Rose and I never could. He used to get very put out with us.”
“Two weeks of this in-between nonsense,” Poppy said softly.
“Marigold said she would take them off our hands for billiards or sailing if they were awful,” Pansy said. “I’m going to send her a note. She promised and now she’ll have to come through.”
“I expect Bertie and Teddy will play their own part in amusing the gentlemen,” Violet said. “I heard those two boys talking on the stairs and Bertie said they were capital fellows. They planned to show them where they ring the cowbell and all the marbles they left on the step.”
“Fingers crossed Teddy and Bertie find themselves great friends with the Wilderman brothers.”
“I’ll leave you in Henrietta’s capable hands to dress,” Violet said.
“I’ll be in to assist you in a trice, Lady Smythesdon.”
“Don’t bother,” Violet said as she flitted out of the room. “Smythesdon is well-acquainted with my ties and buttons."
Pansy thought that was very interesting to know.
Every so often, one of her married sisters would offhandedly make a remark that gave her a glimpse into married life.
She had not known that a husband would be so acquainted with how a lady’s dress was put together that he would be able to act the lady’s maid in a pinch.
Hours later, they’d gone down to the drawing room.
As they waited for the third gong, they were regaled with the Wilderman brothers’ trip up to the nursery.
Teddy and Bertie had shown them the bell, which they found smashing, and they’d gone so far as to count all the marbles that had been left on the step.
It was two-hundred and sixty-four, in case anybody was wondering.
Though absolutely nobody was wondering. The counting had been necessary, apparently, so that they would know how many to purchase themselves.
Mr. Hellwig was to go flying when he stepped on them!
Very naturally, they laughed and laughed in anticipation of it.
Finally, blessedly, the third gong had rung and they’d gone into dinner. This was the first opportunity for the viscount to be introduced to the Wilderman brothers and he seemed amused by them.
Pansy was glad somebody was amused by them. The last word she would use to describe her thoughts on the Wildermans was amused.
She never wished for a fortnight to pass by so quickly. She heartily wished for the Wildermans to be back in Oxford, setting their marble trap for Mr. Hellwig so they could laugh and laugh on their own time.