The Alter Ego_A Regency Romps Story Read online

  Arthur smiled broadly, ignoring her insults as he wondered if Mrs Clyde and her stepdaughter would be out and about the following day.

  “Capital, Aunt Seraphinia! I predict a summer packed with amusement and entertainment for us all!”

  “What rot,” she muttered as she helped herself to a slice of cake.

  Chapter Three

  Lily could barely keep the grin off her face as they left the White Hart, a hired footman a few paces behind them, and began their stroll towards Milsom Street.

  Anna squeezed her stepdaughter’s arm lightly. “And to think, you did not even want to come to Bath.”

  “I never said I did not wish to come,” said Lily, raising her chin just a touch. “I would much have preferred to stay at home. Now we are here, though, I intend to make the most of it.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” said Anna. “Perhaps you will be convinced that it is an excellent place to make our new home.”

  Lily gave a thoughtful nod. “I suppose it could well be, and thankfully none of my uncles, aunts, or cousins.”

  “Lily, don’t talk about your family in such a way,” chided Anna.

  “As if you don’t agree with me after how beastly they were to you,” replied her stepdaughter with a scowl. “The fuss they made about it made me quite sick, I can tell you. Besides, Uncle Desmond and Aunt Eleanor said you made Father an excellent wife, so it’s not the business of anyone else in the family. Calling you a fortune hunter of all things, just because he left half his wealth to you!”

  The unpleasant memories made Anna grimace. “They were just concerned about him being taken advantage of while he was sick,” she said, even though the words rang hollow to her own ears.

  “Fudge, for none of them lifted a finger to help him, or me. Besides, Cousin Edward inherited the Manor, so there was nothing to complain about. Father built up his fortune without family help, so I admit I was dashed happy when the Will was read, and they got nothing else.”

  “This is not a proper conversation to be having, dearest,” said Anna, glancing over her shoulder at the hired footman, who was doing his best to appear to be doing anything other than eavesdropping.

  “You say that about every conversation,” said Lily, “but I don’t see why it is in this case. The only reason we’re in Bath is to escape my odious family, and at least with you and your father as my guardians, I don’t have to worry about someone trying to marry me off to Cousin Toby.”

  “I’d rather you were transported,” said Anna with a shudder. Tobias Clyde was an odious little toad who cared about nothing but money. It was, in fact, his sudden desire to promote a match between himself and Lily that had forced Anna to bring her stepdaughter to Bath before the London Season.

  “Well I hope to have a hundred beaus before I am done, and that news of every last one of them gets back to my family.”

  “A whole hundred? But surely you would not want to fall in love with them all at once,” teased Anna.

  “I don’t intend to fall in love with anyone very soon,” declared Lily. “I want to enjoy at least one Season, and perhaps a second if that wouldn’t leave me positively on the shelf. After all, I’m still not eighteen. You, on the other hand, is a different matter altogether.”

  “Me?” said Anna, startled by the comment.

  “Who else, you goose? You’re devilishly pretty with your mother’s dark colouring, you have a respectable fortune, and you are one of the sweetest people in the world. Unless you have set your cap at Cousin Tobias!”

  “Has it ever occurred to any of you that I do not want to marry again?” Anna said with considerable exasperation. “Matthew did everything he could to ensure that I would be able to live my life as I see fit – a freedom that is so rarely granted to a woman in this day and age, one could almost accuse him of being a progressive.”

  Lily blinked. “Are you saying that you don’t wish for a husband?”

  “Yes! No! I mean naturally it would be lovely to fall in love, my dear, but I have no need of it. I plan to make a home for myself, here in Bath if I like it, or close to my parents in Kent if I do not. My priority is seeing you successfully married to a good man, and until that happens, the last thing I will be thinking of is a husband for myself.”

  “There you go, being a goose again,” sighed Lily. “I know that you and Father married for convenience – for my sake as much as yours! – but he was devilish fond of you, and left you money precisely so that you could marry where you liked.”

  “Lily!” groaned Anna, knowing beyond doubt that the footman would spread this piece of gossip amongst the staff at the White Hart upon their return.

  “It’s hardly a secret, for he told me so himself,” said Lily with a careless shrug. “Besides, it was the same reason he appointed your father to be my official guardian, rather than one of his brothers. He believed we were both destined to marry for love, and he wanted to do everything he could to ensure it still happened, even after he was gone.”

  Her voice cracked on this last word, and she looked away.

  “So, that’s how I feel. And mark my words, Anna, for while you are busy sizing up every gentleman to see if he is worthy of me, I shall be doing the same for you.”

  Anna felt her cheeks grow warm. “Please, Lily!”

  For once, the girl seemed to realise that she may have said too much. She leant into her stepmother, giving her a swift side hug as they walked. “Everyone back home knew you were the best thing to happen to Father, and I will always be grateful to him for giving me such a perfect stepmother!”

  “Flatterer,” laughed Anna, torn between exasperation and fondness for the girl.

  Their thoughts were soon turned in a happier direction, however, as they had arrived at Milsom Street, and shopping began in earnest.

  A happy hour was spent debating the relative merits of sprig muslin over a pale pink gauze, with as much time spent arguing over whether shell buttons were du rigeur, or merely vulgar. Lily, whose opinion of Governess was higher than that of anyone else who met the pug, spent a large quantity of her allowance on a ridiculous new collar for her beloved pet. Anna, of a more practical mind, bought new silk stockings for both her stepdaughter and herself, as well as a few pretty accessories for their hair.

  A stop at the apothecary allowed them to procure some Distilled Pineapple Water for Anna’s complexion, as well as some elixir to help Lily feel less fatigued. Lily insisted that they take a look in at the milliner’s, which resulted in both ladies having great joy in deciding which hats made them look positively insipid, and which they could no longer live without. Once they had deposited their packages back with the footman to be taken to their rooms, they decided to stop in at Molland’s tea shop to indulge in a cup of hot tea and some marchpane.

  “It is such a pity we do not know anyone in Bath,” said Lily, staring out the tea shop window at the people strolling on down the street. “How nice it would be to see a familiar face or two!”

  “Hopefully that will be rectified soon, thanks to your Aunt’s letter of introduction,” said Anna. She held the delicate teacup in her bare hand and savoured the warmth on her fingers.

  “Have you had a response?” asked Lily, and if Anna was surprised at her stepdaughter’s interest, she did not show it.

  “Yes. We are to present ourselves tomorrow, as it happens. Your Aunt warned me that Lady Harden can be something of a dragon, so we are to be on our best behaviour. And before you ask – no, you cannot bring Governess.”

  “But everyone loves pugs!” exclaimed Lily. Anna took a sip of tea before answering.

  “For all we know, Lady Harden might own cats. No, Lily. It is the height of bad manners to take your dog into someone else’s home without their prior approval. Imagine if a guest brought their hunters into our living room!”

  “We don’t have a living room,” replied Lily, looking mulish.

  Anna sighed. “I know you love Governess, darling. And I know that your father bought her for
you as one of his last gifts, but surely you see it’s not the thing? He never let you take her out when you went visiting, now did he?”

  She watched Lily chew slowly on a piece of marchpane. The girl swallowed it, then gave a curt nod. “You’re right. Father thought it was bad manners, and as you do as well, I will leave Governess at the hotel. Even though she is my closest friend in the world beside you, dearest.”

  “And I promise once we have secured a home, Governess can be present at all our morning calls and parties. I’ll even buy her a velvet cushion with pink brocade to sit on.”

  A pretty smile crept over Lily’s features. “Make it a footstool with purple velvet, and I will agree to anything!”

  The excellent mood between them restored, they began to make plans to visit the Pump Room, which was located opposite their hotel, the following day rather than that afternoon. As much as Lily seemed to enjoy being out and about, she was reluctant to leave Governess alone in their rooms for much longer, and Anna, who still winced at the memory of what the pug had done to her favourite slippers, was inclined to agree.

  Anna was just about to suggest that they make their way back towards the White Hart when Lily sat up straight in her chair and said with a squeal: “Mr Arthur! How lovely to see you again – only, what have you done to your hair?”

  Anna turned her head to see Mr Arthur strolling into the tearoom with a lady of a similar age to herself on his arm. It was a long moment before she could pay that woman any attention, or indeed remember any of her manners at all, for her eyes were quite firmly fixed on Mr Arthur’s decimated locks from the moment he removed his hat.

  “Mrs Clyde! Miss Clyde! What a happy accident to run into you both again!” said Mr Arthur with what seemed to be genuine pleasure. “Do you like the style? It is a la Ceasar, you know, and I am told quite fashionable.”

  “Yes,” said Anna faintly, thinking that the only men she’d ever seen with that style had either been twice Mr Arthur’s age or rapidly running out of locks on their hairline. “It’s very… regal.”

  The lady alongside him turned her head away, putting a hand to her mouth to cover her laugh. Her action seemed to recall him to her presence, and he made the necessary introductions.

  “May I present my cousin, Miss Jane Lindon? She resides here in Bath and is being so good as to keep me company today. Jane, this is Mrs Clyde and her daughter, Miss Clyde.”

  There was an odd expression on Miss Lindon’s face for a moment, which Anna would generally attribute to the small age gap between herself and Lily despite being introduced as the girl’s mother, but something about the lady’s surprise told her there was more to it than that. The look was quickly replaced with a smile that wholly transformed her from plain to quite pretty. “How do you do? May I ask, are you a relation of Sir Desmond and Lady Clyde?”

  “That’s my aunt and uncle,” said Lily, perking up. “Do you know them?”

  “I have had the pleasure of meeting them at one of our aunt’s soirees,” said Miss Lindon, something in her expression making Anna wonder if she was saying everything she knew. “I feel I must extend my condolences for your loss, ladies. I never knew Matthew Clyde, but he was always spoken of with great respect and fondness.”

  Lily, the vivacity drained from her face, gave a little nod of thanks, while Anna forced herself to respond with some suitable nonsense. Mr Arthur, clearly understanding the need to change the subject, gestured toward the empty plates on the table.

  “I see you have experienced one of Bath’s great delicacies, ladies. I suspect I am here for the same purpose as you.”

  “Marchpane!” laughed Lily, her eyes lighting up. “I swear I have never had anything so delicious, but my darling Anna says I am not to eat it morning, noon and night.”

  “What a cruel tyrant you have for a mother,” said Mr Arthur, shaking his head.

  “So cruel, in fact, that I am trying to save her from a marchpane-induced stomach ache,” replied Anna with a roll of her eyes. “I agree, I sound like an ogre.”

  “Then there is only one thing for it; I shall rescue you, my fair maiden, by ordering some more delectable delicacies with which to distract your prison guard, and allow you to indulge in an extra piece of marchpane without censure.”

  “Oh, we could not,” started Anna, but Lily clapped her hands together in delight, and Miss Lindon proceeded to take a seat beside them.

  “And don’t forget some tea, Cuz,” she said to Mr Arthur, and then turned her attention to the Clydes. “How have you found Bath so far, ladies?”

  It was difficult to say precisely how it happened, but within half an hour Anna felt like she was well on the way to becoming fast friends with Jane Lindon. Even Lily seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself, even going so far as to ask her whether any of Mr Arthur’s more outrageous stories were true.

  “I’m afraid I wasn’t present at the Ball where he turned up in the powdered wig,” she apologized. “I can attest to the time he surreptitiously poured gravy onto the train of Lady Eugenia Pulford’s gown, which caused her host’s dogs to chase her about the house for the best part of five minutes until we could rescue her.”

  “You didn’t!” gasped Lily.

  “In my defence, she quite deserved the punishment, the little wretch,” said Arthur with evident cheer. “Jane, had she or had she not just inferred that Miss Hemsworth – a sweet girl, I assure you! – would be better company to the hounds than amongst the Ton?”

  “You’re bamming us, both of you,” laughed Anna, half with relief and half with disappointment at the discovery the tale was untrue. “Why, you told us yourself, Mr Arthur, that you did not move amongst the fashionable set in London!”

  He blinked at her a few moments and then threw a desperate glance over at his cousin. Anna frowned, trying to make sense of it.

  “I should have specified, it was not in London or Bath that this took place, but rather at a country party. Hosted by our Aunt. We may not be fashionable, you see, but she is held in great respect by the Ton!”

  “Oh, like Lady Harden?” said Lily before Anna could question Jane further. “We are to meet her tomorrow.”

  “The Old Bat’s in town?” said Mr Arthur, looking alarmed. “Good Lord, how do you know her?”

  “My sister in law provided letters of introduction,” said Anna, feeling like there she was caught in the middle of a whirlpool without a clue as to what was going on about her. “Do you not like her? I find myself relying on her to introduce us.”

  Mr Arthur recollected himself. “She’s a high stickler, and you can’t deny she is well connected. I supposed her to still be in London, as she can’t stand – not that it matters!”

  “Did… did you just kick your cousin under the table?” said Lily, narrowing her gaze at Miss Lindon, who continued to sip her tea with a nonchalant air.

  “I was merely reminding him of his manners, my dear,” Miss Lindon replied. “Arthur sadly lacks town polish, or he’d know not to gossip about others in public – particularly when they are your acquaintances.”

  “Oh, is that all?” said Lily as a smile spread across her face. “I perfectly understand your predicament, Mr Arthur. I have no polish at all, you see, and Anna is forever saving me from scrapes. For instance, I planned to take along my pug to meet Lady Harden, and had not the faintest idea it would be considered bad Ton.”

  “A pug?” repeated Miss Lindon, looking at Lily with renewed interest.

  “Yes, her name is Governess, and she is the dearest little thing imaginable. So pretty in both looks and temperament!” said Lily with such enthusiasm that Anna did not have the heart to correct her. Lily twittered on about all Governess’ finer qualities, including her ability to relieve herself on a gentleman’s boot at command, oblivious to the startled expression on Miss Lindon’s face. Mr Arthur, on the other hand, had covered his mouth with his hand but was incapable of hiding the laughter in his eyes.

  “Do you know, I have it on excellent authority that Lady
Harden simply adores pugs?” said Miss Lindon with a wide smile. “In fact, I must positively insist that you take Governess with you when you pay your call.”

  “I don’t know if that would be wise,” began Anna, but Miss Lindon held up a single hand to silence her protest.

  “Mrs Clyde, you must own that I know Bath society better than you, and as you are friends of my cousin, here, it is in my interest to see you settle into town successfully. Why it might even encourage him to visit more often.”

  Mr Arthur practically flushed at this comment, and there was a quick, unspoken exchange between the two of them. Anna, with a glance at her pretty stepdaughter, knew instantly that he must have been captivated with Lily since meeting at the Inn. Her heart both soared and plunged at once, which she rapidly convinced herself was a side effect of consuming too much marchpane and pastries.

  “Very well, if you think it will help endear us to Lady Harden,” she said, unable to keep the doubt from her voice.

  “I positively guarantee it,” said Miss Lindon, finally setting her cup back down to the saucer. “Now if you will please excuse us, ladies, but we simply must stop by the circulating library before we head home. Mr Drake has some new volumes in, and my Aunt will never forgive us if we do not return with new novels for her.”

  “I hope to see you ladies again soon,” said Mr Arthur as he put on his hat. Anna decided it looked better that way and idly wondered if there was a proper method of informing him that he needed to regrow his hair.

  “I’m sure we will,” she replied, glancing at her smiling Lily. “It would afford both of us much pleasure.”

  “And I look forward to furthering our acquaintance,” said Miss Lindon, a dimple appearing in her cheek as she flashed them a wide smile. “I have a feeling that Bath will be much more lively this summer now that you have arrived.”

  “What do you suppose she meant by that?” asked Lily after they had left Molland’s.

  Anna sighed. “Probably that if Governess decides to besmirch every top boot in Bath, we will cause a riot amongst the city. Speaking of which, let’s return to the White Hart. Hopefully, that pug of yours has not torn apart our new bonnets while we lingered here.”