5. Taking Tea with an Aunt

Meanwhile, at Fenwick House

"The footman has returned, my lady," the butler said from where he stood outside Violet's bedchamber door.

She looked up from the book she was reading. Although A Lady's Guide to Arranging Entertainments included a few nuggets of useful information, most of what she had read had been common sense. "Did he bring back an answer?" After breakfast was finished, she had requested a footman be dispatched to Whyte House asking if she might be allowed to join Katherine, Duchess of Pendleton, for tea.

"You are welcome in her parlor at half-past three o'clock. I have ordered the town coach be made ready for you, and I have sent word to your lady's maid to join you momentarily," Browning explained.

Violet's attention darted to the ormolu clock on the fireplace mantel. "Oh, dear," she said, dropping the book on the upholstered chair in which she had been seated. "It appears I have but a half-hour to dress before we must depart."

Browning disappeared at the same moment her lady's maid hurried into the room. "I've a gown ready," Dearing said, shutting the door behind her. "Along with the matching pelisse and bonnet."

Pleased her lady's maid had taken the initiative to prepare something for her to wear that afternoon—the young girl had only been in her employ the few weeks she had been in London—Violet turned to allow the servant to undo the buttons at her back. "Tell me, Dearing. Do you like being a lady's maid?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, my lady. Much better than being a housemaid, I should think," Dearing said. "It seems as if you've settled in here at Fenwick House. As if you've been here your entire life. Do you like it here?"

"Of course," she replied, pulling on the new gown. "But I can't help but think I should be the one to come up with the dinner menus." Ever since her mother had died, she had done them at Fenwick Park. "I've been meaning to speak with Mrs. Browning about it since it is my responsibility."

Dearing did up the buttons on the back of the dress. "I'm sure she would welcome your help, my lady. Lord Crawford doesn't seem to care what's served. She claims he eats whatever is put in front of him."

"That's because he does," Violet said with a giggle. She retrieved the bonnet and her reticule from the bed. "Come. Let's be off. I don't want my aunt waiting for me when I'm the one who invited myself."

"Very good, my lady. I left my shawl with Browning so you wouldn't have to wait for me."

"You'll be a right proper lady's maid in no time," Violet remarked as they made their way down the stairs.

The coach was already waiting at the curb. Violet stepped in with the assistance of the driver, and the trip to Whyte House was quick.

When she entered the townhouse in Grosvenor Square, Violet took a moment simply to stand and gaze at all the statuary and marbles that lined the hall.

"I'll escort you to Her Grace's parlor," the butler said. "A footman will see to it your lady's maid is delivered to the servants' hall."

Violet nodded her understanding. Having only been to Whyte House once before—Katherine had paid calls at Fenwick House several times since Violet's arrival in London—Violet didn't yet know her way around the townhouse.

The first floor parlor proved as elegant as the hall, its rose-colored fabrics and Aubusson carpeting accentuating rosewood furnishings. A marble fireplace might have provided some of the room's heat, but most of it was coming from the gas lights in the huge overhead chandelier illuminating the room. Violet was glad it wasn't yet summer.

"You've timed your arrival perfectly," Katherine said from where she was seated on a settee. Three other matrons had paid calls and were ensconced in upholstered chairs clustered about the fireplace. "Lady Violet Cummings, may I introduce you to Constance, Marchioness of Reading, Clarinda, Countess of Norwick, and Adele, Countess of Torrington?" She smiled with pride. "Violet is Fenwick's only daughter, come to London for the Season."

Violet dipped a curtsy. "It's very good to meet you all," she said, moving to join her aunt on the settee when Katherine patted the cushion next to her. Violet chided herself for thinking her time with Katherine would be private.

The women murmured their greetings while Katherine poured tea. "We're all quite curious as to why you wished to see me today," Katherine said, handing a cup of tea to her niece.

Knowing her face was reddening—she hadn't expected to be the center of attention—Violet dipped her head. "I received word from my father that he will be joining my brother and me here in London. Perhaps as soon as tomorrow," she said.

Katherine's eyes rounded. "I can hardly believe it. Fenwick hasn't been to Town for… what? Thirty years or more?"

"I don't recall ever meeting Lord Fenwick," Constance said, her brows furrowing before her eyes suddenly widened. "But I wasn't in London at the time."

"I danced with him at a ball the year of my come-out," Clarinda, said with a grin. "At least once. He was quite a handsome buck back then."

"Why, when I first met Lord Crawford, I thought I had been transported back in time. He is Fenwick's spitting image," Adele claimed. "Which will serve him well when he decides to choose a wife. Why, she'll eventually be a marchioness," she added, making eye contact with each of the ladies in attendance.

The other ladies tittered as Violet's cheeks seemed to burst into flame. These women had known her father when he was her age!

"We'll all have to be sure Lord Fenwick is added to the invitation lists for this Season's entertainments," Katherine said, "Which is no doubt why you wished to speak with me today rather than wait until tonight's soirée."

"Indeed, you have the right of it, Aunt Katherine."

The duchess seemed pleased. "He was left a widower…" She paused to turn her attention to the other ladies. "Why, Barbara died over two years ago."

"Influenza, was it not?" Clarinda put in.

Violet nodded. "Yes, my lady."

"But Fenwick is certainly out of mourning now, wouldn't you say, Violet?"

Despite once again being the center of attention, Violet realized she had to rise to the occasion and speak on behalf of her father or none of the countesses in the room would believe her capable of taking on the role of an aristocrat's wife. "He is, of course, but I don't believe he's ready to seek a new wife just yet," she said. He hadn't said anything to her about finding a new marchioness. "If that's what you were thinking."

Katherine seemed to straighten on the settee. "I hadn't been thinking that at all," she claimed, although her barely suppressed grin belied her words.

Titters sounded from the other ladies, and Violet relaxed. "Although I do want him to attend as many entertainments as he has invitations, I fear he may send his regrets more often than not."

"Oh?" Adele responded. "Why do you say that?"

Violet gave a one-shouldered shrug. "He's been away from London a very long time, my lady. There isn't much in the way of Society near our home in Shropshire, you see," she explained, "and although I have arranged dinner parties with the local land owners and helped him host a district ball or two… I expect he'll ease himself into the Season rather slowly."

Katherine huffed. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Stunned her great aunt would attempt to counter her father's wishes, Violet was unsure of how to respond. She was saved from doing so when Adele said, "We won't introduce him to every available widow right away."

"Not that there are that many here in Town right now," Clarinda chimed in.

"You would have been perfect for him if you hadn't married Norwick," Katherine commented.

Clarinda gasped softly. "I rather doubt Norwick would agree." Her second husband had courted and loved her far longer than her first husband had. They might have been identical twins, but the two couldn't have been more different in their philosophies. Clarinda was finding life with Daniel far more enjoyable.

"Perhaps we should keep him a secret until he can be introduced at a ball," Adele suggested. "A surprise, so to speak."

"Once he's made an appearance at White's, the entire ton will know he's in Town," Constance countered. "Everyone knows men are the best gossips."

"A mention in The Tattler, and all of London will know," Katherine chimed in.

Violet glanced at the clock, remembering the rule she wasn't to stay for longer than a half-hour. "Oh, dear. I did not mean to overstay my welcome," she said, moving to stand.

"The half-hour rule doesn't apply to you or my friends, Violet," Katherine countered, one of her hands covering her niece's. "Besides, we haven't yet had refills on our tea. Or more biscuits."

Settling back onto the settee, Violet said, "Thank you, Aunt."

Katherine held out the plate of biscuits to everyone. "It's a long time until dinner," she said when all but Violet deferred. The three helped themselves to the lemon confections.

"You do have the best cook when it comes to biscuits," Clarinda commented. "But I do wish I wasn't looking as if I was eating too many of them."

"I intend to take my cook with me when I go to the country house after the Season," Katherine replied, "So, no, you can't hire her away from here."

Adele tittered softly, and they all glanced at her with expressions of curiosity. "My son's wife, Anne, is always on the lookout for a new cook for Worthington House, especially since we took the cook with us when we moved to Torrington Park. Milton has decided we shall remain at Torrington Park for most of the year," the older matron explained.

"I feared you two wouldn't return for the Season," Clarinda remarked. "We hadn't seen you back in Town for some time."

Adele shrugged. "He misses life in London too much to give it up completely," she replied, referring to her second husband, Milton Grandby, Earl of Torrington. Godfather to over a dozen goddaughters and godsons, Grandby, as he was usually called by his friends and family, had apparently informed every other unmarried man to stay away from Adele when she was widowed. He squired her about Town and was her escort for every ball of the Season prior to proposing marriage in 1816. Although most in the ton seemed surprised, anyone who knew him personally knew he had finally come to terms with doing his duty as it related to the Torrington earldom.

Adele delivered twins, an heir and a daughter, the following year.

Clarinda beat her to it, bearing a set of twin girls followed a couple of years later by a set of twin boys. The girls were both married to the twin sons of Adam and Diana, Earl and Countess of Mayfield. Clarinda's boys weren't yet of an age to consider marriage.

"How long will you stay at Whyte Hall Park?" Violet asked.

Katherine made an odd sound in her throat. "Depends on Pendleton, I suppose," she replied, referring to her second husband, Thomas. There were those who claimed she married another duke so she could rid herself of the ‘dowager' label she had taken on when her oldest son's wife gave birth to a boy. At the time, she had been left newly widowed by the Duke of Whyte.

In reality, she had married the man to whom she had originally been betrothed before duty unexpectedly took him to the Continent. Circumstance required she marry someone else as quickly as possible, though.

Thomas had not only left her at the altar, but left her with child. She wouldn't have accepted Whyte's offer of marriage if she hadn't been with child.

"I never thought Thomas would prefer Bath to London, but he does," Katherine commented, pulled from her brief reverie by Violet's inquisitive gaze. "Claims playing in the waters is what keep him spry in his old age."

"Spry?" Constance questioned in a teasing voice. "Pendleton must be, what? Eighty years of age?"

Katherine seemed to blush before she said, "He's nine-and-seventy, and he'll probably outlive me. You'll see soon enough. He's due to join me here when Jonathan and Sarah return from their anniversary trip." Jonathan might have been the Duke of Whyte, but he was also Thomas' oldest son, a secret which Katherine and Thomas vowed to keep until their dying days.

Now Jonathan's oldest child, John, was grown up and had taken on some of the responsibilities of the dukedom. In fact, he was currently with his new wife, Theodosia, on their wedding trip somewhere in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

"The only new man in my life is my latest grandson," Katherine announced. "My second son, James, has sent word that he and his wife are due to arrive back in London in a fortnight. They're bringing him to meet me."

Violet gasped. "I have another cousin," she gushed. "Does he have a name?"

"As it happens, they've named him Michael. After your father, of course," Katherine said.

"Where is your youngest son living these days?" Adele asked.

"In the Cotswolds. Beatrice prefers the country for the children, and I can't say I blame her. James sees to the Whyte dukedom's farmlands near the river, so it works out to everyone's advantage."

The women nodded their understanding and were quiet for a moment before Clarinda turned to Violet and asked, "Have you made many friends here in Town?"

Surprised to have the conversation turned back to her, Violet said, "Oh, yes. One in particular. Lady Amelia has been most amiable."

"Weston's sister?" Constance guessed.

"Indeed." Wrinkled noses followed her confirmation. "Is... is there a reason I shouldn't be friends with her?" she asked meekly.

"Oh, Lady Amelia is perfectly suitable," Katherine assured her. "It's Weston we're not particularly fond of."

About to defend the young duke, Violet realized she didn't know him well enough to form an opinion. Amelia had tried to introduce him at a ball, and although he had acknowledged her with a bow and had brushed his lips over her silk-clad knuckles, Amelia hadn't said more than her name when he had excused himself with word that he needed to return to Weston Hall.

"I've only met him once, and it was quite brief," she said.

"This is all his late father's fault," Adele stated. "Weston never taught him what he needs to know, and he's not been the least bit humbled by his inexperience."

"It's as if he's play-acting as a duke," Constance murmured.

"He is rather high on his horse," Clarinda remarked. "But then, his father always was."

"Poor Helena," Constance murmured. "How she stayed with that despicable man, I'll never know."

"I expect she's trying to set her son straight," Katherine offered. "If Jonathan had been in the same situation, I certainly would. Thank goodness Whyte was so good about seeing to it both his sons could run a dukedom in his absence."

"Helena should be out of mourning by now," Adele commented. "Perhaps she'll seek out the help of another aristocrat on his behalf."

"Everyone knows the boy doesn't have any friends, after what happened…" Clarinda stopped speaking, her attention suddenly on Violet. "Well, after that breeze was raised at university."

"Breeze?" Violet repeated, sure she didn't know what the countess meant. "Do you mean… a fight?"

Katherine placed a hand on Violet's. "Words and… perhaps a bare knuckle or two… were exchanged in anger, is all," she said, waving her other hand as if it was a small matter.

"It was much more than a breeze," Constance stated. "I was told Weston started it and Lord Crawford did everything he could to prevent…" She stopped speaking, her gaze going to Violet. "Further violence," she added lamely.

Violet stared at the countess. "Did my brother strike him?" she asked in a whisper.

"Only after Weston hit him. Twice, I heard. Lord Crawford's fist was apparently more effective, for he only had to hit back once to knock out Alfred," Constance explained. "Got him hard on the nose. Blood everywhere. Your brother was in the right."

"Whatever were they arguing about?" Violet asked, once again turning her attention on her aunt.

"No one is saying, and anyway, it's none of our concern," Katherine replied. "Water under the bridge, as they say."

"It sounds as if His Grace was publicly humiliated," Violet murmured, vowing she would bring up the matter with her brother during that night's dinner.

"He had it coming," Clarinda said, "but it did nothing to temper his prideful airs. His nose is still held so high, it's a wonder there's enough air for him to breathe."

"It's no wonder he behaves with false bravado," Violet murmured.

Four sets of eyes rounded in response. "What are you saying?" Katherine asked.

"He's a man?—"

"Barely—"

"Who has had his ego bruised in public," Violet continued. "In my experience, and this is strictly based only on those men whom I know from our area of Shropshire?—"

"The country folk," Clarinda whispered.

"–Half would react with humility and apologize for their transgression while the other half would react by acting even worse, sure they are in the right and determined to prove their point, even if it should cost them friends and family."

Katherine blinked before she bowed her head in an exaggerated manner. "Such wise words from one so young."

"Why you sound as if you've already been married twice," Adele commented with a grin.

Violet dipped her head. "I've a father and a brother," she said quietly.

"Who I thought got along swimmingly," Katherine remarked.

"Oh, they do," Violet assured them. "It's all the other members of their sex who seem to misbehave."

Titters erupted from the other women, but they quickly quieted when the clock on the mantel chimed half-past-four.

"Oh, I must be going," Clarinda said, rising from her chair. "We've a soirée to attend this evening."

"Indeed," Constance and Adele chimed in. "So good of you to host us this afternoon, Your Grace," Adele said. "I think it's my turn on the morrow."

"I'll see you at half-past-three," Katherine replied, rising to escort her guests down the stairs and to the front door.

About to follow the older women out the door, Violet paused to kiss her aunt on the cheek. "Thank you for allowing me to join you."

"It was my pleasure," Katherine replied. "You brought good news and held your own with some rather gifted gossipers," she added with a wink. She sobered somewhat. "Do take care should you become acquainted with Weston."

Violet furrowed a brow. "Understood," she replied. Dipping a curtsy, she took her leave of Whyte House and made her way to the Fenwick town coach.

She had until dinner to sort how she would bring up the matter of Weston with her brother.

Someone was at fault for something, and she was determined to learn who it was.