It was clear that the game had not changed at all since those long-ago afternoons with other children from the village.
Beatrice’s hand went into the box and pulled out a watch that he knew belonged to Severn.
Severn raised his hand in acknowledgment.
“A very fine watch,” Beatrice said with a smirk.“I do not know when, little brother, you became such a dandy.”
The crowd murmured in laughter, and Severn chuckled.Given how much time he spent with Beatrice in London, and how alike in nature the two could be, Malcolm did not worry that his sister did not know the line where his sterling sense of humor left off and his hotheadedness began.Further, Beatrice was essentially patroness to their whole family, but to none of them more than Severn.He lived with her in London for nothing, coming and going as he pleased, which offset his naturally small income very handsomely.
“What should I make him do to get it back?Perhaps he shall have to sing for it—or bark like a dog.Or tell a story.Yes, I think tell a story.Tell us a story, Severn—an embarrassing story about yourself.”
Severn smiled in the dim light, and he didn’t look too vexed, even thoughsomethingflashed in his brother’s eye that was not quite pleasure.
“I almost never embarrass myself,” Severn said to the crowd.“As you all know.”
Malcolm didn’t doubt that Severn could come up with an amusing story that involved him in some indecorous scrape.He doubted whether it would be appropriate for a mixed audience.
But he underestimated his brother.
“However, my love of fine things has gotten me into trouble a time or two.Long ago, when I first arrived in London and hoped to show my knowledge of fashion…”
What followed was a genuinely very funny story of Severn commissioning a pair of silk dress shoes for a ball in what he thought was a handsome shade of green.When he received the pair, he thought they looked peculiar, but since they essentially fit, except for being rather tight, he wore them anyway.After all, he was unfamiliar with London fashion.
He was enjoying himself at the ball and had decided to stay longer when his sister and Leith announced their departure.However, one of their friends, the Viscount of Tremberley, pulled Severn aside not long before they left and informed him that he strongly suspected that he was wearing slippers meant for a lady.
“I nearly sprinted to my sister’s carriage,” Severn said.“And I returned home to a note from the shoemaker begging my pardon for sending a pair of green silk dancing slippers meant for aMrs.Kendall to my address instead.”
The assembled crowd roared at this story—even Malcolm found himself laughing.Beatrice was gasping for air, tears running down her face.
Beatrice’s reign of terror continued, although Malcolm had to admire her dexterity and tact in dealing with all parties.She asked each person to do something that was technically embarrassing and certainly the opposite of what the assembled crowd expected from them but nevertheless allowed them to highlight a good quality about themselves that others might not readily recognize.
She asked Mr.Barstow, for instance, to sing “Home, Sweet Home” and thus the party had the privilege of discovering that he had a lovely singing voice.If Malcolm had to guess, he had been too bashful to sing before the company previously.She had Philip howl like a wolf, which showed off his uncanny ability—a gift all his life—to do something manifestly ridiculous while maintaining his dignity.She demanded that Mr.Marburry do an impression of a famous actor on the London stage that Malcolm himself had obviously never seen perform, but everyone else seemed to find extraordinarily accurate.George was made to try to touch his nose to his tongue, which he attempted with a becoming alacrity.
She was even kinder to the ladies.Lady Daisy, who even Malcolm had gathered was generally found dull, was asked to recite an original verse—and it was discovered that she was actually quite clever with words.Miss Jones, the only girl amongst George’s heiresses who could be considered plain, was asked to recite a famous passage in either LatinorGreek, and did both, highlighting her unusual learning.Pretty but unremarkable Miss Marburry was told to dance a jig, which she did with impressive grace.Tilly was told to spin around until she was dizzy—a procedure which revealed a very dainty ankle he was sure that George and the other gentlemen could not ignore.
After nearly an hour, everyone else had won back their forfeits besides Malcolm and Miss Wallington—and it was clear that Beatrice, for some reason he could not fathom, was saving him for last.
She turned to Miss Wallington, picking up the silk handkerchief that the girl had given as her forfeit.
“A lovely item,” Beatrice said.“And Miss Wallington, I grow tired of making my own sex perform to have their property returned to them.I do think it is a much more fitting punishment for a gentleman.Which is why I am going to have one of the gentlemen here do the work for you.”
Dear God, Malcolm thought, what was his sister going to do?
He knew when Beatrice had a plot—and he sniffed one out now.
“What gentleman would like the honor of retrieving this handkerchief and delivering it back to Miss Wallington?”
She held the handkerchief aloft in the direction of the gentlemen.And it was, immediately, awkward.The gentlemen who werenotGeorge knew the purpose of this house party and didn’t want to interfere with his courtship.But as the silence stretched on, it became embarrassing for Miss Wallington, especially since George did not rise.
Finally, Severn stood and approached Beatrice.His fingers had just grasped the silk of the handkerchief when George lurched forward, his step not exactly smooth on account of both his foot and the rapidity with which he charged across the room.
“Let me, brother,” George said.
And then he snatched the handkerchief away from Severn.
Severn held up his hands in surrender and walked back to his seat.
George walked over to Gertrude, went down on one knee, and held it out to her.“For you, my lady.”
