Page 69 of A Foolish Flirtation

“I did not mean for you to make yourself that comfortable, Nye,” his wife commented ruefully. He turned toward her and winked, slinging his arm over the back of his chair.

Jeremy laughed. “You must not scold him, Mina. If he can be made comfortable, perhaps he will grace us with his presence here again. Who knows?” Nye looked skeptical but made no reply.

“May I take my collar off, Mama?” Teddy asked, turning at once to Emmie.

“Your collar is not tight, Teddy,” she pointed out. “Why should you wish to remove it?”

He frowned. “I am too old to wear lace collars now I am nine.”

“Oh, but it’s such a pretty collar, dear!” Pinky could not forbear objecting. “With such intricate lacework.”

“That’s why,” Teddy glowered, glancing at his uncle for support. Nye affected not to notice. “Cousin James can have all my lace collars,” Teddy said with sudden inspiration. “I daresay they are suitable for a baby.”

“They would be far too big for him,” Emmie said, glancing over at Baby James, who, in the absence of any nursery staff, was being passed between the two footmen. Currently Colfax had a firm hold of him and was rocking him with an easy grace, shifting from one foot to the other.

“Aunt Mina could alter them for him,” Teddy said irrepressibly. “She has a big sewing box, I’ve seen it.”

Mina pressed her lips together and Emmie threw a glance of appeal at Jeremy. “When you are eleven and sent off to school, you can relinquish your lace collars,” Jeremy said firmly. “And not until then.”

Teddy thrust out his bottom lip but fortunately, dessert appeared at this point to sweeten his mood. Today it was a selection of cream layered cakes and a chocolate mousse, all of which met with his approval.

Pinky tentatively asked Mrs. Nye if, while in Bath, she had a subscription to the lending library. Much to their surprise, she had not. “My father, being a schoolmaster, did not approve of novels,” she admitted awkwardly. “In fact, he quite forbade them at the school, fearing they would cause moral degradation among his female pupils.”

Emmie felt herself turn red and poor Pinky looked quite mortified. Jeremy spoke up at this point to tell Mina that she did not know what she was missing out on. He told her of their plans to dedicate an area of the library to a collection of novels and told her that she must feel free to browse them and borrow one when it had been set up.

“I don’t know about that,” Nye rumbled. “I like to be the one who degrades my wife’s morals.” Now it was Mina’s turn to redden. Emmie noticed she flashed a look at her husband that seemed to promise retribution later. Not that he seemed perturbed. If anything, the brief smile playing about his lips would seem to indicate he looked forward to it.

After dinner, Emmie, Pinky, and Mina withdrew to the white and gold drawing room with Teddy and Baby James while Nye and Jeremy remained to smoke cigars and drink port. At least, Emmie supposed Jeremy would eschew the port and limit himself to an after-dinner smoke if past habits were to be relied upon.

Pinky visibly relaxed as they moved away from the menfolk. Emmie could tell that last remark about degraded morals had completely overset her. Higgins passed the baby to his mother and then left to fetch them a tray of drinks.

Teddy took Pinky by the hand and led her at once to the large stone foot to regale her with its dubious history. She and Mina sat side by side on one of the white sofas.

“I hope you did not think I share my father’s views on novels,” Mina said apologetically. “I did not mean to imply judgment earlier, merely to explain why I have never indulged. I always used to seek out the more thrilling reads myself in the periodicals we subscribed to. I daresay I should enjoy a novel very much.”

Feeling relieved at this olive branch, Emmie smiled at her. “Then I hope you will borrow one from us when they arrive, though it is possible you do not have much time to yourself at present, with young James.” They both looked at the baby. “He is a very bonny child, how old is he?”

“He will be a year old in August,” Mina said fondly, turning the child in her lap.

“Teddy is very proud to have a cousin, he told us of him on our journey here from Bath.”

Mina looked interested. “Did you live in Bath long, Lady Faris?”

“I wish you would call me Emmie. I lived there some eight years all told.”

“As you will have gathered, I am from Bath myself. My father used to run a school there, The Hill School for young ladies. I used to teach there myself as a matter of fact.” When Emmie nodded but showed no knowledge of that establishment, she looked a little disappointed. “I assume you were educated in London.”

“Yes, though I did not attend school. I had a governess at home.”

“Did I hear Jeremy say that Miss Pinson was your governess before she was your companion?” Mina asked.

“That is so,” Emmie agreed.

“I understand she is taking over my nephew’s lessons until he goes away to school.” Mina hesitated. “I am glad Jeremy is thinking of his schooling again. Teddy has been without structure for too long. His previous tutor did not suit.” She paused. “A pity, but there it is. And then there was his illness… His education has consequently suffered.”

“He is improving by the day,” Emmie said, glancing over to see her stepson disappearing out of the door with Pinky in tow.

“He certainly looks a good deal better,” Mina agreed.