The Suitor List (8 page)

That was a shame. Lady Vernon did not appear to be
older than her aunt Penny-unless not looking one's
age ran in her family. In that case the Baroness might be
anywhere between nineteen and forty.

"Feel free to call upon me again, if you might spare
the time. I have enjoyed your company so much."

"Yes, I believe I shall. Thank you" Augusta held an
unexpected fondness for Lady Vernon.

"And you will tell me how you are going along ...
and how many more men have fallen in love with you."
Lady Vernon set her teacup on the table.

"I cannot imagine a more pleasant place, or a more
amiable person to pass time with." Augusta had the distinct feeling she was not the only one who valued their
budding friendship.

"Where are you off to tonight?"

"We will attend the theatre" Augusta did not wish to
confess she had never been before. "However, I am not
sure which."

"And tomorrow afternoon?" Lady Vernon's eyebrows
rose in an all-knowing fashion. "I expect that there have
been many a young gentleman to occupy your time."

Augusta's gaze dropped to her lap. "I am to visit Kew
Gardens"

"Oh-the flora!" the Baroness exclaimed. "I am sure
it will be an excellent outing."

"I expect you should like to visit there very much.
Would Sir Samuel not accompany you?"

"He would be happy to do so if I should wish it, but I
think not. I am quite content to remain here"

Augusta realized that, with the exception of sheer
size, Kew Gardens may not have much to offer Lady
Vernon. She had quite an impressive garden herself.

"You must return and tell me your impressions of the
gardens-and of the theatre. And of all your new gentlemen acquaintances . . "

"Yes, ma'am. I shall." Just listing the men she would
see and the parties she'd be attending in the next few
days made Augusta a bit dizzy. For there would surely
be several new ones to add to her list.

Truth be told, Augusta was no closer to coming to a
decision as to who might interest her. Every day that
passed, the number of her male acquaintances grew but
there was less time to truly know them.

Augusta was not entirely sure how she would decide.

"I have not seen you since Friday afternoon, Gusta!"
Emily complained when Augusta, her father, and Mrs.
Parker arrived to the Wilbankses' townhouse for the
musical soiree Sunday evening.

"Did you go to the theatre last night?" Emily squeezed
in before the arrival of the other guests could interrupt
them. "And to Kew Gardens with Sir Benjamin this afternoon?"

"Yes, and yes, and-" Augusta smiled and curtsied at
the Lord and Lady Weybourne, greeting them with, "It is so good to see you again, your lordship, your ladyship."

"The theatre?" Emily reminded Augusta where their
conversation had been interrupted.

"Oh, yes. It was delightful-I enjoyed myself enormously."

Emily pointed to a gentleman from behind her open
fan. "I see the Weybournes have brought their spare,
Mr. Chester Atwater, with them. Did you meet anyone
of interest there?" Emily paused, seemingly rethinking
her question. "I mean anyone new. Surely there was a
line outside your box at intermission."

"Only the brave gentlemen dare approach" Augusta
recalled the quiet interval. "It seems my father is a bit
of a gargoyle. All of them were frightened away"

"He is a duke, and they cannot know him as we doagreeable and kind-hearted."

"We know him to be that way, I doubt any of the visitors that night would agree with you" Augusta touched
Emily's arm, attracting her attention. "We'll talk about
this later. We need to concentrate on this evening."

"I expect you're right. I suppose I am nervous because
I am to play the pianoforte tonight." Emily glanced
around at the growing number of guests. "We'll have
more than a goodly number of gentlemen in attendance.
Look there"-she indicated as best she could without
pointing-"It's Sir Thomas Granville and his friend
Lord Tremaine. They are both very desirous to meet you,
Gusta"

Augusta felt her face warm. She would have wished
for some dancing to occupy her time instead of attempting to converse with new gentlemen acquaintances.

After supper, Lord Arthur Masters escorted Augusta
from the table to the large parlor, where the musical entertainment was to take place.

"Will you be entertaining us this evening?" Lord
Arthur inquired, leading Augusta to a seat and occupying the one next to her.

To her great relief, she had already been informed
that she was not to play. "How do you know that I even
possess any sort of musical abilities?" She noticed that
he had chosen their seats to one side of the room where
they might not be surrounded by other guests.

"It would shock me to discover that you do not have
even the most basic skill of the pianoforte." He lifted her
arm and splayed her gloved fingers, admiring them.
"How could you not play with this finger span?" He
smoothed two fingers past her wrist and they came to rest
on her forearm. "I would not be surprised if you played a
string instrument as well."

Augusta could not imagine how he knew, but some
considered her study of the violin scandalous.

"There is muscular definition in your forearm and
much strength in your left arm" With firm pressure he
pressed various spots, proving to himself that he had, indeed, been correct. "I am a student of the arts: music,
sculpture, painting. The human form has a great appeal
for me-" He cleared his throat. "Artistically speaking,
that is."

"Of course" How else would Augusta interpret his
meaning?

"Have you been to the British Museum?"

"I'm afraid I have not had the opportunity." She did not inform him that exhibits and museums were mainly
of interest to her youngest sister, Muriel.

"Then I offer myself as your guide. If you would allow me to accompany you one afternoon."

And she would. Augusta was not as curious to see the
antiquities as she was in observing the behavior and demeanor of Lord Arthur Masters.

The following evening, Emily and Miriam giggled
and passed in front of the boxes, dashed around the
guests, milled about, and finally caught up with Augusta
at Vauxhall Gardens.

"Where have you been?" Emily sounded anxious at
the sight of her dear friend. It had been days since they'd
met and had a chance to speak.

"You're nearly an hour late!" Miriam, sounding a bit
peevish, scolded her cousin.

"I'm sorry. I've only returned home a few hours ago. I
barely had time to change before leaving for Vauxhall"
She had stepped out of her puce flounced walking dress
immediately into her green-and-white striped cambric
frock and donned the bonnet for which Lord Fieldstone
had, so generously, supplied the ornamentation. She secretly hoped he might easily recognize her. Augusta
glanced around for the last member of their foursome.
"Where is Lizzie?"

"She has already left Town," Miriam supplied, apparently cross at Augusta for arriving late.

"We are also to leave in a few days" Emily was not
pleased to miss whatever festivities remained.

"The Season is as good as finished already, and I am to be married the day after tomorrow," Miriam
interjected-as if Augusta did not know and was not
constantly reminded of her cousin's good fortune in finding a husband at the very start of the Season.

Yes, yes, Augusta knew well enough. Miriam would
soon be a married lady, married to an earl and becoming Countess Dawson. Augusta would call her Lady
Dawson. The worst possible bit of this development had
nothing to do with Miriam but with Augusta herself. She
had no engagement in sight, not even a single prospect.

But what had she expected? Augusta had only been
in Town for a week. She could not make such an important decision based upon a meeting or two. Perhaps
some could but not she.

"Never fear, Em, only a few days remain," Augusta reassured her best friend. "I shall write you as you wrote to
me earlier in the Season-and I shan't omit any details.
Once I return to Faraday Hall we can once again look
forward to our tete-a-tetes"

"Splendid, Gusta!" Emily's radiant smile returned to
her face. How Augusta hated to see her friend suffer a fit
of the dismals. "Now tell me why you are late. Where
have you been?"

"The `Change," Miriam announced in her know-itall tone.

"Exeter Exchange! Was it as exciting as I've heard?"
Emily wanted to know. "I've heard it is a terrifying
place"

"It is not for the faint of heart, I can tell you that
much" Augusta wondered where she should begin.

"Mr. Allendale," Miriam announced firmly. "Why
don't you start there?"

"Oh, he is very wealthy and very handsome, don't
you think, Mimi?" Augusta teased her cousin.

"He need not be so handsome if he is wealthy"
Miriam's remark went by without a response from Emily
or Augusta.

"I shall allow you to form your own opinion regarding Mr. Allendale," Augusta said to Emily. "As I said,
visiting the Exeter Exchange can be unnerving."

Emily's eyes widened, obviously expecting to hear a
frightful tale of Augusta's afternoon.

"From the street I heard sounds of .." Augusta
paused, attempting to describe what she heard as accurately as she could. "Clearly some sort of animal sounds,
and they were distinctly wild. Not any dog or cat, or
even any type of farm animal I've known."

"Oh, dear." Emily cowered back and grabbed Miriam's
arm.

"I must have displayed some fear, for Mr. Allendale
not only drew my hand into the crook of his arm, he
covered my hand with his own and asked me if I was
sure I wished to proceed. He told me there were some
young ladies who found viewing the menagerie quite
frightening."

"And you continued on?" Emily gulped.

Augusta straightened. "I assured Mr. Allendale that I
was made of sterner stuff than the typical young miss.
However I found myself gripping the strings of my reticule very tightly and hoped it was indeed true"

"Oh, Augusta!" Miriam, who was not nearly as timid
as Emily, began to show fear.

"With a devilish smile he chuckled and confessed
that he had thought as much, and he motioned that we move forward. We entered the building and climbed up
and up the stairs." Augusta paused, trying to recall her
impressions, and perhaps a small part of her wished
to tease Emily as well. "The noises grew louder and
the pungent odor increased. I thought I might .. " She
paused again, bringing her fingertips to her lips at the
vivid recollection. "We finally reached a landing
where we were among several other couples who had
paused, unable to catch their breath-a clean breath"

Miriam and Emily groaned and made unpleasant
faces.

"We continued onward. Just as we walked into the
first room .. " Augusta nearly shivered as she recalled
the incident. "There was a fearsome roar from a large
cat, some sort of tiger. It was very ferocious and wild. It
flattened its ears against its head, bared its long fangs. I
leapt back-thank goodness Mr. Allendale was there to
catch me"

"So what you're telling us is that you ended up in Mr.
Allendale's arms," Miriam commented, putting an emphasis on her cousin's behavior that might have made it
seem scandalous, instead of it being the result of the
terror she'd experienced.

"I cannot deny it." Augusta smiled. Nearly all the unpleasant smells had receded when she'd snuggled up
against him. She felt protected while wrapped in his
strong arms. The scent of his sandalwood soap and the
starch from his linen filled her every breath. She felt
completely safe. "It could not be helped, really"

"That's enough of Mr. Allendale, if you please, Gusta"
The wide smile that spread across Miriam's face must
have been for the benefit of the approaching guests. "These gentlemen are only interested in how close they
can get to you"

Augusta leaned against the squabs of the carriage after the night's wonderful music and dancing. She had
simply enjoyed the evening with her friends and many
of the gentlemen known to her.

How would she fall asleep after all that excitement?
She sat next to her aunt and across from her father in the
carriage as they traveled home. As far as Augusta was
concerned, the night was not long enough for her to
dance her fill.

"Gusta," her father said without a smile and in a deep,
very serious-sounding baritone, as if she had misbehaved.

"What is it, Papa?" She watched his shadow move on
the window shade with the sway of the carriage, and
she wondered if he was contemplating her deeds.

"Your aunt and I have been discussing your visit to
Town."

Augusta glanced at Mrs. Parker, who wore the most
stern expression, then back to her father. She could not
imagine what she had done that they could complain
about.

"Even though we delayed your arrival it seems you
have accumulated a greater number of suitors than I ever
could have anticipated."

And was Augusta to think she was at fault?

"What your father is saying is that you cannot possibly be expected to choose among them" Aunt Penny
sounded sympathetic to Augusta's difficulty.

"We have decided to host a house party in a fortnight's time. You shall decide which young ladies
and gentlemen are to be invited."

This was delightful news. There best be plenty of
music and dancing every evening if Augusta were to remain content.

"We shall, one by one, strike them from your list if
you should decide they do not merit your affection."

"My beaux list-" Augusta whispered on a breath,
and blinked in disbelief. Such a thing did exist for her
and it was amazing she could put it to good use. She
might need help compiling a list of ladies, and had no
doubt that Emily could surely advise her.

"Yes, by all means, once you have given me the guest
list, we shall prepare the invitations." Aunt Penny nodded, acknowledging what had to be done.