Chapter Five

Constance stood at the railing, peering at a barge some distance away. It might be Lord Bramley's barge, she saw the outline of someone very like him, but her eyes would not cooperate in seeing any better than they usually did. It was just too far.

"Ah, spying out the other barges," the duchess said. "You will need this I think."

The duchess held a brass spy glass, the sort one might imagine Nelson using as he stood on the bow of HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

"Oh, no I was not…"

The duchess laughed. "Then you do not wish to try it out?"

Of course, Constance wished very much to try it out. She nodded and took the spy glass. Extending it to its full length, Constance applied it to her eye and gently rotated the cylinder until it was focused.

She took a breath. Yes, it was indeed Lord Bramley. There were two older people she must assume were the earl and the countess. But who were the two other ladies?

They were not sisters. He did not have any. Might they be cousins? They looked very different from one another to be sisters. They were different in every respect. One was very tall, the other much shorter, one was dressed rather somberly and the other wore an absolute parade of decorations. One was frowning and the other was laughing.

But Lord Bramley, what was he doing?

He stood at the gunwale. He looked in her direction. Surely he did not see her? If she could not see him well enough without a spyglass then he could not see her.

He waved.

Constance lowered the glass, feeling as if she'd been caught out at some sort of shameful behavior. She would not wish Lord Bramley to think she was spying him out! Even though she'd been spying him out.

"May I?" the duchess said, sounding very amused.

Constance handed the glass back to the duchess and the lady peered through it.

"Bramley," she said.

"Yes, I believe it is Lord Bramley," Constance said, attempting to sound as if it were no matter one way or the other. Trying to sound even more casual and unconcerned, she said, "I do not think I recognize the two younger ladies though."

Please let her be told it was Lord Bramley's cousins. If they were not cousins, what did it mean?

The lord had invited her to join his barge and she'd taken it as a very great compliment. But if they were not relations, what did it signify? Had he asked every lady he encountered if they wished to come aboard?

If that were the case, then perhaps she'd allowed her imagination to run wild. Perhaps she'd imagined a marked preference that was not actually there.

"I recognize one of them," the duchess said. "Lady Juniper Croydon, daughter of the Earl of Wellerston. She comes with a shocking amount of money. As for the other lady, I cannot be certain but will hazard a guess that she may be Miss Semper. I have heard the lady described as well-funded and seeming to wear all those funds on her person. Gracious, I quite adore her nerve in wearing that hat."

Constance did not answer, there was nothing to say. It was too much to take in. Lord Bramley had invited two ladies with significant dowries to accompany him on his barge.

And he had invited her too. Did he somehow know of her own money? She did not see how it could be so. But on the other hand, she did not believe much in coincidences. The lord had two moneyed ladies as guests on his barge and would have had a third if she'd been able to accept.

All of her insecurities came rushing back to her. How foolish she'd been, imagining that she might have grown prettier and glancing in all those looking glasses to see if it might be true.

She was no more attractive than she ever had been. It could very well be that it was only her means that werejudged attractive.

How Lord Bramley could have found out about the money, she could not say.

Another thought came upon her. If he knew, were there others that knew?

How could she ever be certain that a gentleman's regard was true?

She had seen the results were she to make a mistake in that direction. Lady Jane's own father had wed her mother for her funds. Then, he'd made himself pleasant until he'd got an heir. After that was accomplished, the lady rarely set eyes on her husband again. He lived mostly in London while Jane's mother was relegated to the countryside.

Jane had once whispered that it had left a bitterness in her mother's heart. Constance also suspected that was why Jane had wed Sir Anthony. She'd known him since they were both children and could trust him. As she'd said to Constance, the gentlemen she'd encountered during her season only made her more sure that she ought to run home to Sir Anthony. And so she had.

The sound of a sudden gunshot startled her.

"Ah hah!" the duchess said. "The race begins. Come now, Barstow, you really must win. Else, I'll be cajoling you out of a sulk over it."

"Will he really be that put out?" Constance asked, attempting to sound rational and make conversation.

"He will be very put out. Barstow has a very competitive nature. Fortunately, I can pull him out of the doldrums if I must. However, I am really hoping things go his way today."

"Yes, of course we all hope so," Constance said. Really, she did not much care if the Duke of Barstow was put out. She was far more taken up with her own situation.

She did not know what to think. Was Lord Bramley really some sort of cold-hearted fortune hunter?

If he was, then he was a very good actor. He had not seemed cold-hearted at all. Especially not at Lady Kendrick's rout. He'd told her where he would be and was sitting alone at a table and then had waved at her, just as he'd done now.

It spoke of partiality. And then, their conversation! They'd fallen into it so naturally. There had not been a hint of any machinations going on.

Was she being fooled, or was she not?

Perhaps there was another explanation as to why those two ladies were on his barge. Though, she could not think what it could be.

The logical part of her mind said turn away, walk away, and think of him no more. It was too dangerous.

The other part, the not so rational part, answered that doing so would be very hard indeed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mr. Wilburn had never been so glad to set foot on dry land in his life. What a day.

Though he'd attempted to grease the wheels between Lord Bramley and Miss Semper by way of champagne, it had not gone as planned.

Lord Bramley spent most of his time at the rail, staring at another barge in the distance. The earl made game attempts to drag him into conversation with the ladies, with not much success.

Miss Semper did not seem to perceive her limits regarding champagne, which perhaps Mr. Wilburn must take some responsibility for as he had kept filling her glass. Then, apparently, the seagoing life did not agree with her and she was subject to several unfortunate interludes of the sickness variety over the side of the barge.

That had led to her admiral's hat falling into the Thames, which he really did not consider a loss, but then the bargeman had fished it out. It had sat dripping on the table like a cold reminder of the events of the day.

While all that was going on, Lady Juniper never touched her champagne and simply frowned by way of conversation. She was not amused by any of it.

The capstone of the whole fiasco was the earl urging Miss Semper and Lady Juniper to allow him to accompany them to the prince's fête to celebrate the regatta.

Lady Juniper informed the earl that her parents had already made arrangements. She did so in no uncertain terms. The earl had seen he'd get nowhere with it and turned to set his sights on Miss Semper. After several demurs, she sadly produced her ticket from her reticule.

There was no marked star on it. She had not been invited.

Both Mr. Wilburn and the earl had left the barge rather shaken. The countess had only murmured something about it being the way of the world.

As if all of that had not been bad enough, Lord Bramley's valet had come down to the servants' hall with the news that the lord was glad to have "shaken off" those two ladies and looked forward to encountering Lady Constance at Carlton House.

It felt as if they were all sailing off the edge of the world and Mr. Wilburn did not know how to turn this ship round.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Matthew had insisted on riding his horse to Carlton House. He'd spent quite enough time with his mother and father for one day. In particular, he was weary of his father's scheming.

If there had been anything at all good coming from this day, it was that he'd been certain that Lady Constance had found him using a spyglass. He'd waved and she'd promptly put it down and never looked again. It was unnecessary modesty, he thought, but he found it rather charming.

The Duke of Barstow had taken the win and absolutely everybody understood how pleased he'd be. Lord Varnay had got in his way the year before and Matthew suspected the duke had considered himself robbed.

Those were the two positives. Unfortunately, the negatives had far outweighed them. His father had been ridiculous in his efforts to start a flame between himself and one of the ladies he'd brought onboard.

It was a hopeless effort. The only thing that would ever be between he and Lady Juniper or Miss Semper were sodden coals that refused to light.

Of course, he could not dislike Miss Semper. She was faintly absurd in her dress, but she was a cheerful enough creature. At least, cheerful enough when she was not heaving over the side of the barge.

He'd tried very hard not to laugh at the sight of her dripping concoction of a hat sitting on the table to dry out.

But then, he could not say all of it was her fault. What was Wilburn thinking of to press so much champagne upon the lady? And then his father pressuring her to come in their carriage to Carlton House, never thinking that Miss Semper's father was a country baron who was not likely to have ever come to the prince's notice. The poor lady had been embarrassed into admitting it.

Matthew had high hopes that his father would have taken it all in and given up the ghost.

The idea did give Matthew a little pause though. He really did not know precisely what sort of financial shape the estate was in. If he pursued his own inclinations, was he dooming his family in some way?

He put that niggling idea out of his mind. Certainly, there must be a way round the problem.

Matthew had just greeted the prince at the door and gone inside Carlton House. With any luck, Lady Constance would already be there.

He scanned the crowd. There was Barstow, looking very cheerful for Barstow. His duchess was by his side, admiring him.

They'd been such an unlikely pair, and the stories about their courtship were so outlandish as to be hardly countenanced. And yet, as he saw them now, side by side, the match seemed the most natural in the world. The reserved duke and the fun-loving lady were somehow greater than the sum of their parts.

Where was Lady Constance, though?

A gentleman moved out of his line of sight and revealed her. There she was.

Matthew stared. Why on earth was she standing with Lady Juniper?

He wished to approach Lady Constance, but he did not wish to approach Lady Juniper. He'd rather not encounter Lady Juniper for the rest of his lifetime.

He took a breath. He would not be put off.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Constance had dutifully watched the regatta and had been pleased for the duchess that her duke had won it handily.

The duchess herself had been wildly enthusiastic and had stood on the bow with her auburn hair and red cape blowing in the wind, shouting out encouragements to the duke. She really was rather glorious.

It should have all been most entertaining, but for what she had seen on Lord Bramley's barge. She knew very well what she ought to think about seeing that he had two particularly well-funded ladies aboard.

But she did keep reaching for reasons why it might not signify. Perhaps the ladies were related in some fashion. They were not, as she knew very well, his sisters. But that did not mean they were not cousins of some sort.

People had all sorts of relations hanging about and one was not to know every connection in the world.

Or perhaps both the ladies' sets of parents had asked the earl for the favor of chaperoning them. There could be any number of reasons why they could not do it themselves. There might not have been any more available barges to rent.

Her thoughts were a veritable mishmash of ideas.

Now, she had come to Carlton House. Her introduction to the prince had gone smoothly. He pronounced her charming and they'd moved on.

Constance suspected the prince had pronounced more young ladies charming than there were stars in the sky and would no more remember her than the rest of them.

People made such a fuss over being introduced to royalty, but she believed the fuss to be all on one side. Her curtsy to the queen had been just such a production—Constance was in, curtsied low, then out, and it was unlikely the queen would have any recollection of her.

Carlton House itself was rather remarkable in its bold statements. Red seemed a rather favored color. It was not to her taste, as she did not see how anybody could ever relax in such loud-colored rooms, but then she was not a prince so what did she know of it?

As she looked about her, she'd seen the Duchess of Barstow by the side of her duke as he received his congratulations for his win.

Then she saw her. One of the ladies who'd been on Lord Bramley's barge. Lady Juniper, the duchess had named her.

She stood with two people who most certainly were her parents.

"Mama," Constance said, "Are you acquainted with the Countess of Wellerston? I have an interest in being introduced to her daughter, Lady Juniper."

Her mother looked at her quizzically.

Constance hurriedly said, "I really feel the loss of having a female friend nearby. I miss Lady Jane, you see."

The countess had nodded. "I do see, I hadn't thought. Well, quite right, I think. You really ought to have some friends in Town. Let us approach, I've known Lucretia forever."

Though Constance claimed to be looking for a friend, what she was really looking for was information. She dearly hoped to hear of a cousin connection between Lady Juniper and Lord Bramley.

They were swiftly introduced and much to Constance's embarrassment her mother said, "My daughter is interested in making some friends while she is in Town."

The Countess of Wellerston seemed to take this as a fine idea. "I was only yesterday saying to Juniper, you must make an effort to make friends with other ladies. They will be your lifelong friends during the seasons and you may even write to them when you are at home."

"As we have done," Constance's mother said.

"Just so," the Countess of Wellerston said. "Now, I do not suppose these two young people can strike up any sort of confidential conversation with their mothers hovering over them. Juniper, why do you not take Lady Constance to the refreshment room, as you already know where it is."

The two mamas drifted off, leaving them alone together.

"That was rather ghastly," Lady Juniper said.

Constance giggled despite herself. "Rather," she said.

"I suppose we ought to do as we have been told," Lady Juniper said.

"I think we ought, lest they return with any more embarrassing words of wisdom."

This caused Lady Juniper to laugh and they set off down the long corridor toward the refreshment room.

As they made their way there, Constance said, "I happened to see you were on Lord Bramley's barge at the regatta."

Lady Juniper nodded.

If Constance had been hoping for a long explanation of how Lady Juniper had got there, it was painfully apparent that she was not to get one.

"Lord Bramley had invited me as well, but I was already committed elsewhere."

Lady Juniper turned to her. "Really?"

Constance nodded. Then, Lady Juniper said something she would not have predicted in a thousand years.

"We were not on the same barge today, but it seems we are in the same boat. Far too well-supplied with pounds and pence. I sometimes feel as if I am a cow brought to market."

Constance looked at her wide-eyed. Did the lady mean to say that she thought Constance must also be well-funded to have been invited?

If that were the case, was it somehow public information?

"You seem surprised, Lady Constance. I must admit, I have not been surprised. Nor was I surprised to find Miss Semper had been invited too. I cannot imagine anything more obvious."

"But I am not so well-supplied," Constance said.

Lady Juniper raised a brow. "Hm, then I suspect they at least think you are."

Constance did not answer. Lady Juniper had said "they." Did that mean Lord Bramley's whole family was engaged in some sort of hunt for a fortune?

It made her sick to think it.

They had come to the refreshment room and Constance gratefully accepted a glass of hock.

Lady Juniper seemed thoughtful. "Poor Miss Semper did not make out very well today, I am afraid. I was thinking of sending her a note to come for tea on the morrow. Should you wish to join us?"

"Yes, that is very kind," Constance said. She did not know what the meeting would be like, but she at least might come upon more information than she had at the moment.

"Two o'clock," Lady Juniper said. "If the weather holds, we can have it in the garden."

They had since made their way back to the reception room and attempted to ignore their mothers' approving glances.

Then she saw him. Lord Bramley. And he saw her.

He made his way over directly.

"The man of the hour," Lady Juniper murmured before he was within hearing.

"Lady Constance. Lady Juniper," he said, bowing.

They duly made their curtsies, though any friendliness Lady Juniper had possessed had fled at the sight of the lord.

"Lady Constance, I hope you enjoyed the regatta?"

"Oh yes, it was very entertaining."

"Yes. I saw that you were on the duchess' boat. She must have been very pleased with the day."

"Very pleased, yes."

"I imagine it was a more pleasant barge," Lady Juniper said flatly.

Constance had nothing to say to that, nor did Lord Bramley. Nor would anybody in the world. She could feel an almost visceral dislike of the lord coming from Lady Juniper.

"Lady Constance," Lady Juniper said, "I very much look forward to seeing you at my house on the morrow."

"At your house?" Lord Bramley said. Then he absolutely looked as if he were surprised that he'd said it out loud.

"Indeed, Lord Bramley. I have invited Lady Constance and will issue an invitation to Miss Semper, too. We ladies do like to compare notes, you see."

It did not seem as if Lord Bramley saw at all. In fact, his expression was almost…guilty?

"Ah, yes, of course," he mumbled. "Lady Constance, I hope I was not too forward in sending the daffodils?"

"What daffodils?" Constance asked.

Just then, the prince dinged his glass and the ceremony to honor the Duke of Barstow's regatta win commenced.

Whatever more Lord Bramley wished to say would not be said this day.

Though she very much wished to know about the daffodils. Or maybe she did not wish to know.

No, the truth was she did wish to know, but should not wish to know.