The Unknown Heir: Book Nine in the Regency Romps Series Page 8

  "Of course you should call him Jacques," said Christopher. "Everyone in Montreal does so, for there are too many Gautereaus to keep track of, and besides, the only person addressed as Monsieur Gautereau is le grand bruin himself - Jacques' step father!"

  Cordelia smiled, and inclined her head. "Very well, Monsieur Jacques. My mother and I are at home to visitors tomorrow, and I will have thought of how best to help you by then - if you escort Henrietta, of course."

  It was not Jacques, however, who responded to the invitation.

  "You've always been a great gun, Lady Cordelia, and I promise faithfully to bring both my friend and my sister-in-law to pay their morning calls," said Christopher with a broad smile. He was apparently oblivious to the fact that Governess was relieving herself on the toe of his boot.

  Lady Cordelia looked blankly at Christopher for a moment, and Jacques had the pleasing thought that she had forgotten his friend was even there. Her society smile slipped back into place within moments, however, and she favoured Mr Douglas with a flutter of her long eyelashes.

  "I look forward to it so much, and please, tell Henrietta not to concern herself with etiquette, for I will be extremely cross if your party does not stay with us for at least an hour."

  Henrietta had finally managed to reach them, her carriage coming to a halt a mere foot away from them. A radiant Miss Clyde practically jumped down from the carriage, assisted by Lord Arthur and not Christopher.

  "Lady Cottingham has promised to take me out for a drive next week, for I don't think I have ever been in such a splendid carriage! And so many people turned to look at us, as though we were a pair of princesses tooling about for a lark! Oh, thank you as well, Lady Cordelia, for letting me take your seat! You are both too kind! And you as well, Mr Douglas, for looking after my dear, dear Governess. I trust she gave you no trouble? But of course she didn't, for she's an absolute angel and not in the least bit poor mannered, no matter what Lord Arthur claims!"

  Jacques, far too concerned with the fate of his sister to save Christopher from a strained conversation with Miss Clyde about the behaviour of her pug, handed Lady Cordelia up to the vacant seat beside Henrietta before executing a polite bow.

  He glanced at his cousin, who was looking at him with a strained expression. He remembered what Cordelia had said, and although it would be too much to say he forgave Henrietta for her duplicity, he could at least appreciate that she had done what she thought was best for the grandfather who had raised her from childhood. He inclined his head.

  "I shall see you at dinner, ma cousine," he said, and was rewarded with a sigh of relief from Henrietta, while Cordelia gave him an approving nod.

  After briefly exchanging pleasantries with the Arthurs, Henrietta clicked her tongue and gave the reins a light tug. Her horses began to walk, and the cherry red carriage pulled away smoothly.

  Christopher, Jacques noticed, stared after Lady Cordelia with a dazed smile, before giving his attention over to Lady Arthur and engaging her in a discussion about her vain efforts to curb her husband's latest prank.

  It seemed the pug had destroyed at least one infatuation but had unfortunately strengthened another.

  Jacques gave Miss Lily Clyde a brotherly smile and offered her his arm.

  "Did you enjoy your ride, Mademoiselle?" he said.

  "Very much so, and it was so kind of your cousin to take me up when she barely knows me from Adam," said Miss Clyde with considerable enthusiasm. "Was Governess very naughty while I was gone?"

  "I suspect your pug performed her role a la perfection," he replied, and was rewarded with a sheepish giggle.

  "At least she likes you, Monsieur," she said. "She is very picky, you know."

  "But that is because we are a brother and sister facing the unknowns of London together," he replied, throwing out an arm in a dramatic manner.

  "Do you know that I always wanted a brother?" said Miss Clyde with a happy smile, "and if Governess likes you, then you must be perfect for the role."

  He gave a bark of laughter. "My sisters would disagree, mon amie! Thérèse is of an age with you, and no doubt would inform you I was an enfant terriblé."

  "I don't believe it," she replied.

  He spent the rest of their walk sharing the worst anecdotes from his childhood, much to her amusement, but his thoughts did not stray too far from Lady Cordelia and her kind offer.

  She would not be so happy with him when she learned of his plan to keep her and Christopher far apart, he mused.

  He did not want to consider too deeply why that thought made his heart heavy, and instead set his attention to remaining in the good grace of Governess.

  Chapter Five

  As it turned out, Cordelia met Jacques far sooner than she had expected, although with hindsight, it was obvious that he would be present at the Gloucester's small evening party, since the Earl was as much his cousin as Henrietta was.

  The Gloucesters were no strangers to lavish entertainments, but possibly due to the Countess being in a delicate situation, they had forgone their usual large balls and routs, and instead opted for quieter entertainments of only twenty or so couples.

  A group of musicians played the latest compositions in the corner of their grand salon, and although the guests would stop to applaud at the end of each piece it was a lie to claim that anyone was paying more than cursory attention to the music. Seating was arranged in a way that encouraged guests to filter into small groups where they could gossip, enjoy the light refreshments offered on silver trays by immaculately dressed footmen, and consume copious amounts of champagne from the Earl's cellars.

  There were people of all ranks and walks of life present, for although everyone present was in some way fashionable or notorious, Lady Gloucester was famous for prizing wit and intellect over birth and title. Aided by the Marchioness of Shropshire and Lady Loughcroft, the Countess ensured that everyone present had the opportunity to converse with more than one group of guests, and was even adept at making sure that even the shyest of those under her roof, such as Miss Hemsworth, was made comfortable and able to enjoy the evening.

  Despite it being an informal affair, Cordy had put as much thought into her outfit as she would have for a ball held by Lady Jersey, for Abigail Standing, the Countess of Gloucester, was her heroine. A simple cream satin overlaid with an embroidered gauze of pale blue flowers, two strands of pearls and a fan that she'd painted herself might look like an easy ensemble to the untrained eye, but simple was not synonymous with elegant, and it was doubly difficult to both adhere to Brummell's advice of not allowing one's clothes to stand out with the very important task of drawing the admiring eye of anyone who mattered.

  And at an informal gathering held by Lord and Lady Gloucester, everyone was of consequence, for although the highest sticklers of the Ton might look askance at the dashing nature of the young Countess, the couple were widely regarded as intelligent, generous, and most importantly, fashionable.

  "Lady Cordelia, if you were not such a darling girl, I fear I would loathe you," said Lady Gloucester the moment Lady Delby and Cordy walked into the room. "How do you manage to seem so effortlessly elegant, my child? I must be ten years your senior and I cannot do it."

  "She bathes in distilled water of pineapples, and sleeps in a feather cloud," said Henrietta as she came over to greet them. "It has long been a source of irritation that my dear friend here makes beauty and grace look effortless."

  "I assure you, Lady Cottingham, that it is not effortless at all. My daughter spends the greater part of her waking hours thinking about composition and colour," Lady Delby replied before Cordelia could say a word. "I confess that even I have learned much from her artistic eye when it comes to fashion and dress. If only the menfolk would listen to her as well!"

  Cordelia felt her cheeks warm up at the rare dash of public praise from her mother. "I did design the embroidery myself, Lady Gloucester, although it was the talented hands of my dressmaker that brought it to life. I can sew, but n
ot as quickly as Miss Cambridge."

  "It was Cordy who designed the train for my pineapple dress, and her dressmaker who completed the embroidery on it," said Henrietta, although her current ensemble, while of a stylish red satin, did not feature any embellishment at all. "Frightfully expensive, but I have never had so many compliments before. Even Lord Arthur was forced to admire the detail through his eye glass, and then announce he would have a waistcoat made in the exact same style!"

  "Then I must call on Miss Cambridge armed with some of your drawings, Lady Cordelia." replied the Countess. "I cannot bear to be in anything but the first stare of fashion. Please, ladies, come and sit with us. There is no need for introductions as everyone is familiar to you, my ladies, with the exception of my new favourite person in the entire world: Jacques Gautereau. He's a distant relative from Montreal, and is a genius."

  This praise surprised Cordelia, but she could not think of a polite way to comment. Her mother, however, seemed amused by the pronouncement, and even graced Jacques with a fond smile as he responded to Lady Gloucester's beckoning gesture.

  "The distant Cartwright relation," said Lady Delby, acknowledging that she - and probably the entire Ton by now - knew of Jacques, even if they were yet to meet him. "I take it that he provided a solution for your afflictions, Abigail? I know it is awfully vulgar to say this, but you have not yet looked as radiant as you do right now."

  "I looked as sick as a horse," replied Lady Gloucester with more cheer than would be expected from a woman who had been green about the gills for weeks. "But my dearest, darling Jacques had the perfect remedy! I will not claim to be fully recovered, but I have not felt this well for an age."

  "It was nothing, Abby," laughed Monsieur Jacques as he joined them. Lady Delby raised an eyebrow at the familiarity, but Cordelia had the impression that everyone found themselves on easy terms with the young Canadian very quickly indeed.

  "Nothing?" cried Lady Gloucester in disbelief. "You might think it's nothing, but I've been as sick as a cushion for the best part of five months and driving myself to distraction in the process. It was a miracle, my dearest cousin, an absolute miracle."

  Jacques, Cordelia noticed, turned a humble, and yet somehow roguish, look towards her mother as he spread his hands before him.

  "I can claim no credit, Madam Delby. I have many, many siblings, and my mother often had the same sickness. It is a remedy of my grandmother's that I used to prepare for her when she - how did you put it, Abby? Was to cast up her accounts? I learned early to trust the wisdom of my grandmothers, for they were so often right, even when I wished it were not so."

  Cordelia blinked in surprise as her mother, who only allowed the Countess of Gloucester address her informally, actually smiled favourably on Jacques.

  "It is always the way, Monsieur Gautereau, and I agree that our grandmothers should be trusted over many modern practices - why, I even heard tell of a man who had lost his arm in a carriage accident being bled by the fool of a physician that attended him! But I must know what the remedy you suggested was; cayenne pepper and laudanum? Powdered oyster shells?"

  "It is so odiously simple that I do not know why I have never heard of it before," said Lady Gloucester with a shake of her head. "Dearest Jacques visited this morning with a whole ice cream pail full of ginger water ice, but had asked the chef to add extra lemons and the merest hint of peppermint essence. I cannot describe how heavenly it tasted, and I felt better almost immediately, and while I am not about to indulge in feasting any time soon, my newly found cousin here is my favourite person until the end of days."

  Lady Delby, much to Cordy's astonishment, actually laughed.

  "That is wonderful news, my dear Abigail, for I do not agree with doctors that just because morning sickness is natural that we should suffer through it! I must know, however, how Gloucester feels about your transferred affections.

  Jacques' grin became devilish. "He assured me that Abby's love for me is nothing compared to his, and that he is forever in my debt."

  "Not possible," declared Lady Gloucester, "although we are indebted to Jacques for this miracle cure, and you know how odious I find being indebted to anyone. Lady Delby, I must beg your aid in turning my new cousin here into the darling of the Ton, for while I can certainly convince the dashing and the fashionable that he is the greatest thing to happen to London since Brummell, I bow to you when it comes to convincing the gatekeepers of Polite Society to bring him into the fold."

  "Perhaps we should let Jacques decide that," said Henrietta, glancing over at her cousin with a wary expression.

  Cordelia guessed that they were talking with each other again, but that the truce was fragile enough for Henrietta to worry about it breaking.

  "As though he'd disagree," said Lady Gloucester with a forcefulness that made Henrietta look like an admonished schoolgirl, and Monsieur Jacques like a stubborn young boy.

  "Were you consulted for your opinion, Monsieur?" asked her mother, with an expression that implied she already knew the answer.

  Cordelia noticed that her friend looked rather tense, and that her hands were gripping the arms of her chair rather tightly.

  "I have many sisters," he explained with a languid shrug, "Marie-Thérèse enjoys dancing, Marie-Helene nothing more than the chance to show her dresses to advantage, and both ma mere and grand-mere have a great love of balls and routs. If I can survive parties with the Beaver Club and le Bon Ton of Montreal, I am sure I can survive it here, when I will not see anyone I offend again after I return to my home."

  "An excellent attitude," said Lady Delby with an approving nod. Henrietta and Lady Gloucester, however, exchanged looks that did not seem at all happy with his response. An awkward silence threatened to brew.

  "I have offered to help Monsieur Jacques to navigate the trickier waters of the Ton, Mama," said Cordelia. "I remember well how Trix felt when she first joined us, so I know how to be an excellent guide."

  "Oui, Madam Delby, and I am much obliged to Mademoiselle Cordelia for her kind offer."

  Cordy was not sure what reaction she had expected from her mother to this disclosure, but it was certainly not the look of frank interest and curiosity that Lady Delby now favoured the young Canadian with.

  "Indeed," she murmured. "Well, you should join us at the theatre some time, Monsieur. While Cordelia is an expert in the social niceties of parties and fashionable behaviour, I suspect my husband would be a useful connection to you, both here in London and in Montreal."

  Cordelia only just stopped her mouth from gaping open, while Henrietta was now looking at Lady Delby with the same frank curiosity that she'd just used on Jacques.

  "Merci, Madam Delby. Your husband has business interests in Canada?"

  "He has a significant investment in the Hudson’s Bay Company," replied Lady Delby.

  "As does Cottingham," said Henrietta quickly, trying to catch the eye of her cousin who determinedly avoided it.

  "Je regrette, Madam, but I am a proud Nor'Wester, which makes us mortal enemies, non?"

  Lady Delby, much to the surprise of everyone present, chose to be amused at this pronouncement.

  "Why does that not surprise me?" she said, but refused to be drawn on this cryptic statement. They were joined a few moments later by Lord Cottingham and Christopher, who upon learning the topic of conversation, were quick to share some stories of the notorious animosity between the two Canadian companies.

  "Didn't you say that's the whole reason your father became a Nor'Wester, Jack?" said Christopher with a friendly grin. "Because the Cartwrights were stakeholders at Hudson's Bay, and so he sided with the opposition out of principle?"

  "Your father disliked the Cartwrights?" said Lady Delby, slightly bewildered by the conversation.

  "It's a bit more complicated," said Henrietta hurriedly, but her husband and brother-in-law seemed to find the question amusing.

  "In a manner of speaking," replied Jacques, ignoring the others. "My father was a Cartwright by
birth, but he was not on good terms with his own parent when he arrived at Montreal. He died when I was very young, but my mother says that he always did like to do the opposite of what his family expected of him."

  Cordelia watched the frown deepen on her mother's face, which was astonishing as Lady Delby avoided showing any strong emotion on her face for fear that it would cause wrinkles. She did not, however, share her thoughts with them.

  "When we go back to Montreal I'm hoping that Jack and I can work on bringing the companies to the table now that Lord Selkirk has passed on," said Christopher. "The whole rivalry seems silly to me."

  "Not a view shared by the Nor'Westers or the Metis," said Jacques in a weary tone that suggested this was a long running disagreement between them.

  "You plan to go back?" said Cordelia before she could help it. It was only when Christopher began to answer her that she realised that she'd meant the question for Jacques.

  "As soon as our business is concluded here, I hope," he replied. "You would love it there, Lady Cordelia! The land is like nothing you've ever seen, and the lakes are as big as oceans. Even the snow and ice is enchanting, for it turns even the most mundane of vistas into something quite magical."

  "Until you have to try and walk through it," said Lord Cottingham, shaking his head at the memory. "I very much enjoyed my time out in the colonies, but my apologies to Gautereau as I say this: it is not a country where I would want to live."

  "That is because you did not listen to me, mon ami, and insisted blue superfine was warm enough for the carriage ride, and not the bear coat I offered to you," replied Jacques. "I agree that it is very cold back home, and the land remains wild and free, but I love it very much, for it shaped my family."

  Cordelia couldn't help smiling at his romantic description, but there was a heaviness in her heart that she deliberately attributed to Christopher's announcement that he intended to return to Montreal. It was not as though it could have been due to anything else, after all.