Page 38 of Lady Beast's Bridegroom
Arial excused herselfto return to the garden and the girls. Lady Deerhaven joined them there a short while later. “Your husband and his friend have gone to see the printer of that objectionable piece. Deerhaven has gone too. It will probably do no good, but it makes the men feel useful.”
At that point, one of the littlest girls tried to climb into the fountain after a boat and burst into tears when restrained by a nursemaid. Lady Deerhaven hurried over to take the child from her servant and soothe her with a mixture of cuddles and to scolds.
For a time, Arial was able to put the nastiness to one side and enjoy helping the garland makers to form and don crowns of flowers.
She was then co-opted as part of the audience for a presentation the girls had apparently created between them while making the garlands. The eldest Deerhaven daughter introduced herself as the Princess Cassandra, cursed with never being believed. She then declaimed the tragic story of four other princesses from history, while the girl representing that princess mimed the actions beside her.
The littlest girl wriggled into her nursemaid’s arms then went to sleep. The child on Lady Deerhaven’s knee watched every move, as rapt as the erstwhile boat mistresses. The servants sighed and cheered in all the right places. And everyone clapped enthusiastically at the end of each story, and at the end, when all five princesses curtseyed, their faces flushed with success.
“Bedtime for the little ones,” Lady Deerhaven proclaimed, “and milk and cake for everyone else. Come and give Mama a kiss, my darlings, and off you go. Lady Ransome, do say you will allow your darling sisters to stay a little longer and join my daughters for a snack?”
Arial was happy to agree, and Viv and Rose strolled off with their new friends, hand in hand in a long chain of five girls, still wearing their flower crowns.
Lady Deerhaven took Clara and Arial inside with her. “We, too, need refreshments, do we not?”
Her servants clearly understood their mistress, for tea and cake waited in a pretty little sitting room.
“May I ask what was troubling Lord Ransome?” Clara asked, once they were seated.
Arial gave her a quick summary as Lady Deerhaven prepared them each a cup of tea.
Clara shook her head. “Why would a person wish to be so mean? I cannot see how Miss Weatherall is advantaged by making that disgraceful story public.”
“It is much to her disadvantage, I assure you,” Lady Deerhaven declared, with some satisfaction. “My husband’s brother has become disenchanted with the young woman. However, as a gentleman he could not break the betrothal, and saw no choice but to wait for Miss Weatherall to do the right thing.”
She nodded, decisively. “I have made several suggestions. For example, I do not suppose for one moment that Miss Weatherall has considered what a marriage to a career army officer might involve, especially to a husband who has no reason to treat his wife with more than common decency.”
Her smile was akin to that of a cat with exclusive access to its own cream pot. “She has an eye on the marquisate, of course, though dear John would be horrified should he be forced to take on the title. However, Deerhaven and I have at least ten more breeding years yet, and I do not mind telling you that in a few months from now we hope to relieve our brother’s mind.”
She had no more to say on the topic, instead turning the conversation to Arial’s need to continue to go about in Societyas she had been doing. “The more people see you are every inch a lady, and your husband is devoted to you, the more they will be offended on your behalf at that scurrilous flyer. And the less they will be inclined to believe defamatory comments and insinuations from your despicable relatives.”
Arial had to agree, but she was not looking forward to the next few weeks.
As Lady Deerhaven predicted, Peter and his friends had no success with the printer, who claimed he had not named anybody, and, therefore, no harm was done. Peter was annoyed about that but delighted that John planned to disentangle himself from Miss Weatherall.
“Lady Deerhaven suggested that he adamantly refuses to house Mrs. Weatherall or make any financial contribution to her upkeep,” he told Arial. “And John is to play the stern tyrant from now on, demanding that his betrothed banishes her court. He will make it clear to her that, given her behavior, he will not trust her. He will give her the choice of coming with him on campaign or living quietly in the country on a small allowance while John is overseas. Deerhaven is helping John draw up marriage settlements to that effect.”
“My goodness,” Arial said. “I should think that will do it.”
Peter agreed. “And if that is not enough, Deerhaven commented that his youngest daughter is nearly three years old. He hinted that he hoped for many more children and said that they would be cutting the Season short this year, for Lady Deerhaven always requires a lot of sleep when she is increasing.”
“Miss Weatherall will not at all like being married to a second son with no expectations and being kept on a limited budget.”
“One can only hope,” said Peter. “Do we have to go to this ball, tonight, dear wife? In fact, can we not just go home to Three Oaks? I know Lady Deerhaven thinks to turn Society’s mind inour favor. But if Society has a mind, it is small and mean. I am tired of small and mean.”
“I don’t want to run away, Peter. We can send our apologies for tonight, if you wish, but all our reasons for going out in Society still apply, if not more so. We may not like many of the people we meet, but their opinions will affect your sisters and our children, if not the causes that you and I support.”
Peter sighed. “I’ll go to the ball,” he agreed, “if you really want to.”
Arial did not particularly want to. She would really prefer to stay home and have an early night. But the girls were excited about the new mask they had made to match the gown that had been delivered yesterday. Besides, she hated to let small-minded gossips and nasty critics think that they had won.
“Then I had better go up and begin to prepare,” she said.
Chapter Sixteen
The ball wasnot as bad as Peter feared. Some women snickered behind their fans. A few conversations stopped when he and Arial walked by. A few would-be wits made sly allusions to the French tale,La Belle et la Bête, or the opera based on that story.
On the other hand, several people came up and introduced themselves. One of them put into words what the others were delicately dancing around. “I have seen the caricatures, Lady Arial, and they have made me all the more determined to meet you and to offer you my support.”
