Page 67 of A Foolish Flirtation

“I don’t think we need to go that far,” Jeremy disagreed. “Unrequited love is surely punishment enough.”

“But what if he starts giving Pomfrey light punishments,” Teddy objected, “so that his sister won’t be angry? That would not be fair on the other men.”

“No, no, he will go the opposite way,” Jeremy assured him. “He will punish Pomfrey all the more, in the hopes he features heavily in his next letter to his sister.”

“That is a truly terrible strategy!” Emmie pronounced.

“Yes, but poor Gerrard is a fool when it comes to love,” Jeremy sighed. “His instincts are all wrong and he does not understand women at all.”

“Yes, but I can’t have a fool leading my campaign against the enemy,” Teddy objected. “It stands to reason!”

“You misunderstand,” his father said. “In military matters, Gerrard is brilliant, quite inspired. It is only in matters of the heart that he is sadly incompetent.”

“Oh, very well,” Teddy relented, lying flat on his stomach so he was eye level with the tin soldier. “But I will be keeping a close eye on you, Gerrard,” he warned. “There will be no dilly-dallying.”

He jostled the soldier and answered, “Yes, General Vance,” in a squeaky voice.

At last Jeremy glanced at his pocket watch. “We had all better go and change for dinner,” he said regretfully. “You too, Teddy. It’s getting late.”

15

Emmie was distracted as she dressed for dinner. Thankfully Lottie, reveling in her new position as lady’s maid, made up for this. “Ooh, aren’t they lovely!” Lottie gasped when Emmie retrieved the diamond hairpins she had worn for her wedding and passed them to Lottie to dress her hair.

“Yes, they were a bride-gift from his lordship,” she said a little self-consciously.

Lottie’s eyes were very wide. “Fancy! And did you have a very grand ceremony, milady?” Lottie had brought fresh flowers along to dress Emmie’s hair for dinner and she was placing them now very artfully in her hair arrangement.

“Oh yes,” Emmie answered absently, drawing on her evening gloves. She supposed she ought to wear them even though they were dining at home. She thought of the state dining room and realized embellishment was needed of her orange silk evening gown, which was about a decade out of style.

Noticing Lottie’s expectant look in the mirror, she realized her maid was hoping for more details about the wedding. “It was at St. Matthew in the Avon in Bath,” she added. “A very old church, twelfth century I believe, but it has recently undergone restoration and looks very smart.”

“And did you have much family there, milady?” It crossed Emmie’s mind that Lottie was fishing for information to take back to the servants’ hall. But after all, why should she not? Her new position should ensure she had some exclusive tidbits about her mistresses to impart.

“Not on my side. I am an orphan, but Jeremy’s stepaunt was in attendance,” she recalled, though she could not bring her name to mind. “And Lord Atherton was groomsman. I understand he comes often to Vance.”

“Oh yes, milady. He has been a frequent visitor over the years.”

“And afterward, the wedding breakfast was held at the civic hall. It was quite a banquet. His lordship had invited, well, some society people from the time when we were first acquainted,” she said in perfect truth. “A thoughtful attention I had not expected,” she continued with an attempt at breeziness she was not entirely sure she pulled off. “Some of them I had not seen for years.”

Lottie nodded, her eyes shining. “Would that be from when you were a debutante, milady?” she asked. Seeing Emmie’s startled look, she added, “You mentioned that this morning, milady.”

“Oh, of course I did. Yes, from that time,” she agreed quietly. “That was when I first met Lord Faris. Only, he had not acceded to his title in those days and was just an honorable.” She hoped this was enough information for Lottie to dazzle the other servants with, for she could not bring herself to embellish further.

Lottie beamed. “Your hair is dressed, milady. Shall I fetch your jewel case?” Emmie had just opened her mouth to decline the offer when she recalled it was no longer empty. Lottie was just clasping the string of lustrous pearls about her neck when a discreet knock was heard on her bedroom door.

Inexplicably, her heart leaped into her throat. “Come in!” she called, turning in her seat toward the connecting door, which she had already unlocked that evening. It did not move. Instead, it was the door into the corridor which swung open, and Pinky’s head peered around it.

“I trust I do not intrude, Emmie dear,” she said, her astonished gaze darting about the luxurious bedroom.

“Of course not, Pinky dear, come in. Lottie, this is my dearest friend in all the world, Miss Hannah Pinson. Pinky, this is my new lady’s maid, Lottie.”

“Oh, how prettily you have done her hair!” Pinky exclaimed, instantly winning favor with Lottie. “I am sure it is just as beautifully done as it was on your wedding day, Emmie!”

“Have you passed a pleasant day?” Emmie enquired, noticing that her friend was already dressed in her best bombazine gown for dinner.

“Oh yes,” Pinky answered at once, coming into the room with her skirts rustling. “Oh, Emmie, the cottage is going to be wonderful, quite wonderful. Only fancy, there are two good-sized bedrooms, besides a little box room, a front parlor, and the garden,” she said rapturously. “It is true that at the moment it is quite unkempt, but I mean to change all that and tend it most assiduously. And you will never guess what it is called!” she concluded, holding her breath.

Emmie considered this, remembering Gladys’s words from earlier. “Elm Tree Cottage?” she hazarded.