Chapter Three #3
Fueled by outrage and determination, Aubrey removed his hat and entered the club inside the shingled-styled building that had begun a trend of other such buildings.
Since he hadn’t been there in a while, he fully expected to have to produce his membership card.
However, that proved unnecessary when an attendant greeted him by name.
“Welcome back, Mr. Nelson. It’s wonderful to see you again.”
Aubrey handed over his hat. “Thank you, Frederick. It’s great to be back in Newport.”
“May I offer you some refreshments?”
“I’d love a bourbon and water with a twist of lemon.”
“I’ll have that brought to you immediately. I believe you’ll find friends in the billiard room.”
“Thank you very much.”
Aubrey made his way through the space that had been designed by preeminent architect Stanford White to offer secluded areas for private conversation as well as open space for larger gatherings.
During the Season, the Casino hosted a wide variety of events, including daily tennis matches on the grass courts, and served as a social hub for the Bellevue Avenue set.
In the billiard room, Aubrey recognized several familiar faces, including Matthew “Mutt” Jarvis, who’d been in his class at Yale, earning the name Mutt after a stray dog on campus took a liking to him.
The dog had gazed at him with blatant adoration and followed him around until “Mutt” finally adopted the mutt.
Aubrey shook hands with his old friend.
“Look at what the cat dragged in.” Mutt had put on twenty pounds since their college days and had the red, ruddy face of a man who overindulged in spirits on the regular.
“Good to see you, Mutt.”
His brows furrowed. “I go by Matthew here.”
“Of course. My apologies. How’s the other mutt?”
Matthew’s expression immediately turned tender. “She passed a year ago, rest her soul. The old girl had to be close to twenty years old. Broke my heart to lose her.”
“I imagine so. I’m sorry for the loss.”
“Thank you. Heard you invited some lofty guests to join you for the Season.”
“That’s right, but the only thing lofty about them is their titles. They are just like you and me. You’ll like them.”
“Hopefully, they’re more like you than me.”
Aubrey laughed. “Are you keeping busy then?”
“Eh, as busy as one can be as the son of a local solicitor father who expects me to take over the business one day whether that’s what I want or not.
I hadn’t expected to spend my whole life in Newport, which is nowhere near as exciting in the off season as it is in the summer. It’s downright boring, in fact.”
“Ah, Matty,” one of the other men said, “don’t we keep you entertained?”
Matthew scowled at the man. “You’re not the kind of entertainment I’m looking for.” To Aubrey he added, “Any single sisters left in the Nelson stable?”
“Not a one. They’re all married and producing nieces and nephews at an alarming rate.”
“Pity. As I recall, the twins were quite the lookers.”
Aubrey wanted to smack the lusty look off his friend’s face but chose instead to redirect the conversation. “May I buy you a drink?”
Matthew handed his pool cue to another man and asked him to finish his game. “I never say no to a drink.”
Frederick came into the room with a tray bearing Aubrey’s drink.
“I’ll have the same,” Matthew said as they went into an adjoining room in search of a place to sit.
They found an unoccupied space and settled into the plush leather easy chairs.
Matthew stretched his legs out and helped himself to Aubrey’s drink, downing half of it before Aubrey could protest.
Frederick returned a minute later with the second drink, which he handed to Aubrey when he saw Matthew drinking the other one.
“Thank you, Frederick,” Aubrey said.
“My pleasure.”
When they were alone, Aubrey fixed his gaze on Matthew, wishing he had the right to express concern about Matthew’s obvious drinking problem, but people didn’t discuss such things in polite society, and the Newport Casino was most definitely polite society. “I need a favor.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I need to immediately hire some help to get Paradis Trouvé ready for the arrival of the duke and duchess.”
“So it’s true then that the staff quit at the end of last Season?”
“It’s true,” Aubrey said with a sigh, “and they didn’t go quietly.” He described the disaster he’d walked into earlier.
Matthew stared at him, agog. “They left the windows open? All winter?”
“That they did, and the mess is . . . well, it defies description. My father is ill, so my mother sent me to make sure the house is ready, and I find myself with a catastrophe on my hands and no chance of being ready for guests unless we can bring in some more help post haste. And let me add—anyone who comes to work at the house will answer only to me. My mother will no longer have any responsibility for the staff.”
Matthew’s brows lifted. “And you’ve informed your mother of this?”
“Hell no.”
His friend laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. “Good for you. I’ll put out the word that you’re in need of help. I’ll have them report to the servant entrance if they’re interested. Will that do?”
“That’d be excellent. Thank you.”
“I’m happy to help in exchange for hearing how your dear mother reacts to learning you’ve relieved her of her duties.”
“You, my friend, have got yourself a deal.”