“But when the courtship fell apart, she married Sir Harry Blessingame,” Ann said.
Lady Malmsby laughed shortly. “Through the machinations of a spymaster,” she said dryly.
“What? Uncle Candelstone?” Ann asked.
Lady Malmsby nodded. “Which resulted from my meddling,” the Duchess ruefully admitted with a deep sigh.
“One of your plans gone awry?” Ellinbourne asked Lady Malmsby, amused. The Duchess had a reputation as a meddler and prankster.
“More like a plan that succeeded far beyond my expectations,” Lady Malmsby said.
“I thought she came to work for Uncle through her husband,” Ann said.
“She did. However, who do you think introduced her to Sir Harry?” Lady Malmsby said.
“Candelstone,” said Ellinbourne.
She clasped her hands in front of her. “Precisely. He saw arranging—and preventing—marriages as part of his strategies. Remember when Lord Aldrich married Miss Edgerton, a wool merchant’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Ellinbourne said slowly, frowning.
“He arranged that marriage after one of Mr. Edgerton’s woolen mills burned to the ground in an accident Candelstone inadvertently caused when one of his grand stratagems went awry. It was an expeditious way to appease the merchant and allow Aldrich to look like he was marrying money.”
“He wasn’t?”
“No, Aldrich was one of Candelstone’s agents, who pretended to be an irresponsible gambler. But my point is, this is an example of how Candelstone uses arranged marriages to his convenience. He wanted Bella to work for him, but to do so he needed her married to one of his agents. He didn’t pay her, he only paid Sir Harry, and Sir Harry was the only one on the books as employed. She didn’t work for Candelstone; however, he considered her an employee, and gave her orders like one.”
Ann bit her lower lip, a deep frown pulling her brows together. “I remember when we were in Sicily together, he would call her into the library to give her instructions. I had a sense that she did not want to do what Uncle ordered her to do.”
Lady Malmsby nodded. “He grumbled in my hearing of needing to pay her after Harry died. I gave him and my daughter Catherine a dressing-down for that, for they were both of a mind. There was no way Lady Blessingame, as a recent widow, could be in the society company he wished her to be in. She needed her mourning period, and if she was to return to society, she needed more funds than her widow’s jointures. And even the lowest peasant gets paid for the work they do, even if it’s ha’penny.”
“It is no wonder she has been hiding since Waterloo, poor dear,” said Lady Oakley.
“But why did she and Mr. Nowlton precipitately leave in opposite directions?” Ellinbourne asked. “You said they were courting, but she chose another. Happens every season. I could understand his animosity if his feelings were more engaged, but she appears to have issues as well. And Nowlton does not strike me as a man to wear the willow. Is she the reason Nowlton has remained a bachelor?”
Lady Malmsby sighed. “I don’t know; however, I have my suspicions. Aidan is not an emotional person. Everyone else in the family, in one manner or another, has their heads in the clouds. Aidan is our tether to the ground, like they use for those hot-air balloon exhibitions.”
“He does not practice an art?” Ellinbourne asked.
Lady Malmsby and Ann shook their heads. “No, nothing. He loves all art, and that is why he owns a gallery, for he has a most discerning eye; however, he cannot create, only judge and admire,” Ann explained.
Ellinbourne frowned. “He is the youngest of your children, correct?”
“Yes,” Lady Malmsby said with a smile. “A gift, ten years after Catherine was born.”
“By then, everyone had a passion they followed.”
“Yes. My daughter Maria, Ann’s mother, was a talented watercolorist. Myths and legends enthralled Arthur, Elizabeth found sculpture, and Catherine loved plays and pantomimes, especially the costumes, make-up, and disguises.”
Ellinbourne cocked his head to the side. “I would imagine, being the youngest with a significant age gap, the family inadvertently pushed Aidan into a helper role. He didn’t have an opportunity to develop his own talents, he was too busy helping everyone with their talents.”
Lady Malmsby’s brow furrowed. “He takes care of us. He acts more the duke than Arthur does.”
“And he is not the heir, Lord Lakehurst is,” Ann said.
“My head aches with all these deep thoughts. Let’s go to Gunter’s for an ice. I could do with sitting down for a while,” Lady Malmsby said.
“That sounds delightful! I would love to have one of their sorbets.” Lady Oakley said.
