“My Aunt Gertrude is visiting from Bath. It seems she has a lengthy acquaintance with the Nottingham family. I wish I had spoken to her before you married, Cece. Flavion’s mother spends a great deal of time taking the waters, and Aunt Gertrude has known her for years.” Rhoda twirled a parasol on her shoulder and fluttered her lashes as a handsome gentleman stepped aside for the three of them.
Cecily looked at her curiously. “And?” Knowing her friend all too well, Cecily urged Rhoda’s attention back to the matter at hand. “They were good friends?” She’d only met the dowager on one occasion and had been quite put off by her. Thank God, the dowager countess had returned to Bath immediately following the wedding. A cranky mother-in-law was the last thing Cecily wanted to deal with.
Rhoda pursed her lips before speaking. “Oh, no. Aunt said she barely tolerated the countess. But she had a wealth of information to share. She said that Lady Kensington often complained about Flave’s cousin. Mr. Nottingham was only ten when his parents were killed. She said her husband insisted they care for his brother’s orphaned child. She often told anyone who would listen that the earl favored him above his own son. She wanted nothing more than to send the boy away to school, but the earl refused.”
“Then why would Mr. Nottingham leave England?” Cecily pondered.
Rhoda had more to say. “Mr. Nottingham fled England when he and Flave fought over a woman — Mr. Nottingham’s fiancée! Flavion won the lady, and Mr. Nottingham left. Aunt Gertrude said that the countess never spoke of him after that.”
Cecily let out a very unladylike snort. Knowing what she did of her husband, she was not surprised that the fallout had occurred over a woman. She only wished she knew more details. Most likely Flavion had turned the charm on and stolen the lady away. Cecily understood how potent his appeal could be — all too well.
And now Mr. Nottingham was back in England feeling responsible for the safety of the cad, of all the ironies.
“Is that all she said, Rho?” Cecily asked.
Rhoda took several steps before answering. “She mentioned that she thought there were other troubles with Lord Kensington but didn’t say what.”
“Oh,” Cecily responded.
The girls walked in silence for nearly half a block. They could all only imagine what sort of troubles Flavion had gotten himself into growing up.
“I am not going to seduce Mr. Nottingham,” Cecily announced rather abruptly. She liked him. “He is innocent of having any previous knowledge of Flavion’s deception.”
Rhoda waved the concerns away with her hand. “He is a man of the world. It’s most unlikely that he is innocent,andplease remember that he had the effrontery to suggest that you might make some effort to repair your marriage — as if it were your fault it was damaged in the first place. No, Mr. Nottingham is merely trying to protect Flave and your dowry from your father.” As Gunter’s came into view, she increased their pace considerably. “There’s Emily. Let’s see what she thinks about this.”
Her friends were going to be disappointed in her, Cecily thought, as they stepped into the popular little parlor, when she told them of the bargain she had struck with Mr. Nottingham.
After choosing each of their favorite flavors of ice and finding a relatively private table near the back corner, the four ladies resumed their conversation. Cecily explained her change of heart regarding revenge on Flave by telling them that Mr. Nottingham had realized the situation the dowry was in and had already taken measures to assure its preservation.
“He’s a smart one. I’ll say that for sure,” Emily interrupted, after savoring a bite of her ice. “Might be best to leave him be. Oh, by the way, Cecily,” she added as an afterthought while reaching into her large book bag, “I picked these up for you. Do study them within the next few days as they are on loan from the library.” Her eyes twinkled with humor as she handed them over. “Perhaps there’s something here that we could use.”
Cecily read the titles of each book out loud. “A Guide to the Poisonous Plants Found in England, A Beginner’s Handbook on the Care and Handling of Firearms, and, oh Lord, Emily,A Treatise on the World’s Most Diabolical Murderers?” Placing the books into her own bag, she laughed. “You truly are going to have to stop encouraging me. I just may do it one of these days. But thank you for thinking of me. I’ll return them to the library tomorrow. I plan on going this week anyhow, and what with being ordered to stop spending so much of my husband’s — no — of myfather’smoney, I’ll need to find some other way to occupy my time.”
Emily looked sympathetic. “Any word from your father yet?”
“Nothing,” Cecily said. “And I am beginning to wonder if evenhecan get me out of this marriage. Regardless of where I go, I will be ruined. Even if he took me to America, I could not participate in Society. I’ve heard that our scandals are discussed over there nearly as much as they are here.” She suddenly felt weary. “I cannot imagine being married to Flavion for the rest of my life, though. I was such an idiot to fall for him! And now I’m tied to him forever!” Saying the words again, she realized she was becoming something of a whiner. But she did not know what to do. She could never come to terms with her situation and ‘make the best of it.’ That simply was not within her nature.
“You won’t be,” Rhoda said firmly. “You are going to seduce Mr. Nottingham, get with child if necessary, and obtain that divorce you want so badly.” She put one hand over Cecily’s. “We will all do anything we can to help you.” Looking around the table, she added, “All in?”
Emily put her hand atop Rhoda’s, and then Sophia added hers to the pile.
“All in,” they said in unison.
Blinking back tears, Cecily smiled. She had the best friends in the world. They truly were going to be disappointed when she failed to follow through with their plans.
Leaving Gunter’s thatafternoon,Cecily ought to have felt reassured and comforted. In actuality, she was more confused than before. The plan to seduce Mr. Nottingham, although sound in logic, had caused a knot to form in her stomach. Even so, his compulsion to protect such an utter scoundrel as his cousin, he seemed a decent man. And in truth, she did not think she could do such a thing.
Perhaps… perhaps…
An idea was growing in her mind. If she told Mr. Nottingham that they could punish Flavion bypretendingto have an affair, Flavion would be punished, and her friends would be appeased. Perhaps the appearance of an affair would anger Flavion enough to begin divorce proceedings…
She couldnotspend her entire life tied to Flavion Nottingham. Despite Society dictates, she simply didnothave it in her to endure a marriage such as this. And Flavion would eventually insist upon an heir.
She knew the nobility had little sentimentality when it came to the raising of children. At first, she’d been shocked to hear that many of the ladies of thetonleft them with nannies and governesses for weeks at a time. She herself had been raised by a governess, but there had not been a mama to step in and do the job herself. Furthermore, her father had kept her with him often. Not having known her own mother made it more important than ever to nurture any children she might have. A loving father had always been a part of her expectations. She positively did not wish to try to raise children with such a man as Flavion Nottingham.
Which increased her conviction that she must find a way out of this marriage!
Perhaps this new idea, this adjusted plan, would prompt Flavion to divorce her. Impatient to present it to Mr. Nottingham, Cecily was suddenly eager to return to Nottinghouse. Would he do it?
