Even as she made a list of necessities, Esmeralda endeavored to solve the riddle of who her benefactor might be. Latimer must know, but she had no means of contacting her butler. Less important than the friend’s identity was his intention—she could not believe his choice was disinterested, but did he mean to keep her for himself or to destroy her completely?
She could only hope the answer would be revealed in short order. Esmeralda was not a patient woman at the best of times and this interval was far from the best of times.
“There is a delivery for you, my lady,” Higgins said when Eliza returned to Haynesdale House. “From Carruthers & Carruthers.” He offered the package to her, which was about the size of a book.
Eliza had neither purchased nor requested a book, but perhaps Damien or her mother had sent her a gift. She thanked Higgins and took the parcel to her room. The house was quiet and she guessed that her mother was in her chambers and that Damien either slept or had gone out. She only opened the package once the door was closed behind herself.
It was no book, but a folio including a sheaf of loose pages with a note atop them.
Dear Mrs. North—
I have heard of your interest in my work The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Arts of Seduction and hereby enclose three excerpts from this volume, soon to be published by Carruthers & Carruthers. At this point, the publisher seeks impressions of the work from discerning ladies, the better to ensure that there are no great omissions and to finalize the final work. I would greatly appreciate your observations upon these excerpts at your earliest convenience and welcome your suggestions, if any, of additions. You may correspond with me in the care of the publisher. Please note at that time whether you would be interested in reading more.
Thank you for your interest and assistance.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Delilah Oliver
Author
Eliza was delighted. This was the volume she had been seeking!
Mrs. de Roye had known the author, after all. And the volume was to be published by Carruthers & Carruthers, a most reputable firm. Eliza was thrilled to be granted an early glimpse. She fanned through the loose pages, which had the appearance of letters. The writing was in an elegant and feminine script, but these offerings of advice were clearly not from a single letter. They were separate pages and the text did not continue from one to the next. Sadly, there were only three leaves included in this portfolio, but Mrs. Oliver implied that there were more.
Eliza sank into a chair to read the first page.
Upon the question of absence…
It has often been said that absence encourages the deepening of regard, but in this writer’s experience, that is not the case. People in their essence do not change much over time, although there may be superficial adjustments over time—once one has taken the measure of a person’s character, that assessment, if correct, should remain true. What often does happen, particularly in question of ladies who are generous of nature, is that time and distance will permit such a lady to forget the irksome habits or inappropriate tendencies in one who was once of close acquaintance. The return of that individual can thus provide a strong and unwelcome reminder of his deficiencies and perhaps make it clear once again why paths parted in the first place. I encourage ladies not to doubt their earlier judgments of former companions, lest they be mistakenly encouraged to offer such persons new opportunities.
It sounded as if the writer was thinking of one person in particular, one who had been a disappointment. As a friend? As a lover? It was impossible to be certain, but this page offered little new beyond compilations of advice Eliza had read before.
She hoped the work improved from this point.
Disappointed but still hopeful, she set the first page aside and read on.
Upon the matter of encouragement…
It is a lamentable fact of our society that men often wed women considerably younger than themselves. This disparity of age is not without its issues in matters of compatibility and quality of conversation, but let us consider the conundrum from another angle. It is not uncommon for a man of eligible age to meet or become acquainted with a female who is yet a child, either through family connections or close friends. There may be fondness between them or even a complete disregard, but if the pair encounter each other a decade (or more) later, they might each perceive the other in a more favorable light. The lady, no longer a child, may be attractive to the gentleman, while the gentleman may be found far more interesting by the lady than when he was outside her sphere. In such instances, it is not unknown for the gentleman to decline to make his interest clear, as he might with any other eligible lady of similar age. There is perhaps a lingering memory of the lady in question as a child and the certainty that any romantic interest might yet be inappropriate or unwelcome.
In such instances, when the admiration is mutual, I believe it is permissible for the lady to offer encouragement to the gentleman in question. She need not be bold or brash, but can subtly reveal her interest that the gentleman might become aware that his own attentions are welcome. A touch of her gloved fingertips upon his arm, for example, even if fleeting, can leave a favorable impression. A confession, delivered in a whisper directly into his ear, perhaps with her lips straying to touch his skin, can be sufficient. Perhaps the most effective method of encouraging the gentleman is to ask for his protection against an undesirable suitor. A man of principle will be honored to provide such service to any lady he holds in regard, but in such an instance as this, the task itself may guide his thoughts in a welcome direction—as well as offering the opportunity of time in each other’s company, the better to promote a potential union of hearts and minds.
This was rather more the manner of advice she had expected, though still regrettably vague. Encouragement. Did Nicholas require encouragement? Even if he was disinterested, Eliza thought she had little to lose in being so bold as suggested here.
She considered the specific suggestions and thought she could certainly find a moment to touch his arm at Almack’s that evening. She might have done as much earlier in the afternoon. A whisper in his ear was far more daring and she was uncertain when she might find opportunity for that—let alone what she might confess. She sighed as she reviewed the last suggestion. Regrettably Galveston had been declined already or she might have been able to ask Nicholas to defend her against that man’s unwanted affections.
The very prospect made Eliza smile, but she read on.
Upon the matter of secrets…
No deed creates a stronger bond between lovers than the confession of a secret. A secret is often, by its very nature, a matter of tremendous personal importance, so the sharing of it with any other being implies a profound trust. The secret once revealed also creates a bond between confessor and recipient, one that is not readily compromised. Thus, I can only encourage any lady reading this volume to consider the possibility of her beloved having a secret, and thence to contrive to learn it. This is not, it must be noted, in order to use this secret as a threat, for that would be a breach of the entire marvel of love, but instead to gain greater understanding of the hidden depths of the lover’s nature. We each have details of ourselves, dreams and visions, history and secrets, that we surrender to few others, if any at all—to become the custodian of another’s secret is the sweetest burden of all.
One may be assured that all men and women possess at least one secret, and that in fact, the gaining of trust and intimacy may result in a cascade of confessions, each more profound than the last. A truly deep bond between lovers, one sufficiently strong to last a lifetime if not beyond, can be forged with secrets. What is your beloved’s greatest desire or source of wildest joy? What is your beloved’s deepest regret or most profound fear? What is the thought or experience that your beloved has never shared with another? Unlock this prize and hold it as if it were your own secret, and this can only bind your two hearts as one. Perhaps the confession of your own will open the door to opportunity...
Secrets.
Sadly, Eliza had only the one and she was not in a hurry to confess it to anyone.
