by Rose Gordon
“Good afternoon,” John said casually as his eyes searched Paul’s grim face.
“Good afternoon, sir. Thank you for meeting with me,” Paul said with a slight bow.
“How can I help you today?” John asked, not bothering to bow.
“I have a small request of you, sir,” Paul said timidly, then at John’s motion, took a seat.
“Go on,” John encouraged him with a warm smile.
“I understand you are a man of the cloth.” Paul swallowed. How was he supposed to phrase this? Should he just come out and say it or should he try to sugarcoat it somehow?
“Spit it out, boy,” John said, pulling Paul from his thoughts. “I have been a minister long enough to know the more someone hesitates, the worse the problem.”
Paul’s eyes widened. He let out a deep breath before the words began to tumble out before he could stop them. “You see, I am the local vicar here, and have I been having some trouble at my church. I have spoken to the bishop, but he was of no help and he suggested I find a mentor. And I was just thought that maybe, if you could find the time, that is, could you act as a mentor for me?” His face went red and he felt awkward and embarrassed. It was awfully uncomfortable asking a favor of someone upon the first meeting. To add insult to injury, he was asking John Banks to be his mentor because of problems he could not handle in his own vicarage, most of which were directly connected to him.
John’s eyes lit up and he jumped to his feet. “I would be honored to do just that.” Wanting to waste no time, he strolled to the door and swung it open. “Why don’t we go somewhere a little less public and you can tell me about the problems going on in your vicarage.”
Paul could feel his body relaxing as they walked down to a private sitting room.
Beside him, John talked excitedly all about his early experiences. Just before they entered the room, John looked him square in the eyes and said, “I remember my first few years as a minister. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, could make me want to go back and relive them. But I promise when you get it all figured out and know how to handle people it all gets easier.”
“I surely hope so,” Paul said with a faint smile.
Chapter 14
A half hour before dinner was to be served guests started to congregate in the drawing room to mingle while waiting to be shown to dinner. Papa had introduced the family to Paul Grimes, who he proudly referred to as his protégé.
“He doesn’t yet have all the finer points of the Lord’s work, but with a little help and direction he’ll be the best vicar in all of England,” Papa declared, beaming with pride.
“I thank you kindly, sir. You will never know how much I appreciate what you have agreed to do,” Mr. Grimes said modestly.
“Think nothing of it,” Papa told him, waving his hand dismissively.
“Good evening, Mr. Banks,” interrupted a voice from behind.
“Good to see you again, Townson. I would like for you to meet Mr. Paul Grimes, he is the local vicar. He came to see me this afternoon. Mr. Grimes, this is Andrew Black, he is the Earl of Townson.”
Andrew and Paul bowed to each other.
“So this is the mysterious guest, then?” Andrew asked.
“The very one.”
Andrew turned and faced Brooke, her mother and sisters. “Good evening, ladies,” he said with another bow.
“Townson,” Mama said cordially.
“Mrs. Banks, you are looking well. And as for all three of you, Misses Banks, you all look very beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you,” they chorused in unison.
“Would you like to take a turn of the room with me, Miss Banks, and allow me to introduce you to some of the other guests?” he asked as he held out is arm to Brooke.
“I would like that very much,” Brooke said.
When Andrew and Brooke had taken a few steps out of earshot of her parents Andrew leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I see those mineral baths agreed with you.”
Brooke’s face slightly colored at his innuendo, but she was determined not to let him get her goat tonight; at least not so early anyway. “We had a splendid time in Bath. It was quite a wonderful experience,” she replied blandly
“You’re rather fetching when you blush,” Andrew said, ignoring her meaningless comment.
They walked around the room, but Andrew didn’t introduce her to anyone. He purposely steered her around the room avoiding everyone that might want to talk to them. The way he was guarding her, Brooke couldn’t help but feel like she was the only woman in the room.
“Have you had an agreeable visit thus far?” Andrew asked.
“Yes, I have. I saw some men out playing a lawn game earlier from my window. It looked like a lot of fun. Tomorrow I plan to ask if I may join.”
“Perhaps I can join you. I know the rules to most lawn games. I can help you learn them if you like,” he offered, his eyes dancing with amusement.
“I just bet you do.” She did too, he seemed the sort. She’d also bet that him helping her learn the rules would involve their bodies being in close contact. She had an excited shiver at the thought.
“Have you seen the conservatory?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“No,” Brooke said sadly. “I was hoping for a tour of the place, but when we arrived my aunt and uncle were too busy accepting guests and neither of them could give a tour at the time.”
“What of your father? He did grow up here, did he not?”
“Yes, but he has been busy with Mr. Grimes, talking about the Bible and whatnot, since shortly after we arrived.”
“Ah, what a pity,” Andrew said sympathetically. Then his eyes lit up as if he had a breakthrough of some sort. “I will be happy to give you a complete tour of the estate tomorrow if that would please you.”
“How do you know your way around the estate well enough to give a tour?” she asked skeptically.
“I’m rather close friends with your cousin Alex. He and I attended school together. Then we went on our Grand Tour together. I’ve been here many times and know where everything of interest is.”
She nodded. “Well, in that case, I should be delighted to go on a tour with you.” She looked at his smiling face and added, “We will require a chaperone, of course.”
His smile didn’t falter. “Of course you require a chaperone.” Then he pretended to pause and think about something. “How about if we bring Alex?” When she looked skeptical of going off around the estate with two unmarried men, he hastened to add, “It’s acceptable for you to be accompanied by a male cousin. He is family after all. Anyway, at these house parties the rules are more relaxed than they are in London. Nobody would think a thing of it.”
“All right then,” Brooke said, agreeing to go but still not sure how Mama would react. Even though Alex was a cousin, he was still a man, and none of them actually knew him very well.
As if fate was unhappy with Brooke, she could only revel in her excitement of the promise of a tour for a mere moment before they were accosted by the enemy: Lady Olivia Sinclair.
“Good evening, my lord,” she said, curtsying to Andrew. Then she directed a brief icy glance toward Brooke. “Miss Banks,” she murmured.
Both Andrew and Brooke quickly greeted Lady Olivia.
“I am so glad I found you, my lord. I was beginning to think you had reneged on your invitation to escort me into dinner.” Lady Olivia’s accusation was said loud enough to turn heads in their direction.
Brooke was so convinced of her words that her fingers acted on their own accord and loosened their grip of his arm and lightly hovered on his coat, barely touching the fabric. Was it true? Had he promised to take Lady Olivia into dinner? If he had, why was he walking with her? Her mind raced with all sorts of questions she wanted to ask but knew she couldn’t. She stood still, waiting for Andrew to say something.
When he finally did, it wasn’t what Brooke had hoped. “Please accept my humble apologies. I would be glad to escort you int
o dinner. Let me just return Miss Banks back to her family,” he said smoothly to Lady Olivia.
Andrew nearly dragged Brooke back to where her parents were standing across the drawing room. “You shouldn’t be acting snippy with me. I’m not the one who was caught trying to get out of an earlier promise,” she said icily when they were almost to her parents.
Andrew didn’t dignify that statement with an answer.
When they reached her parents he disengaged his arm, then turned and stalked across the room to Lady Olivia before anymore words could be exchanged.
Brooke stood by her parents. She tried to act as if she weren’t bothered with the evening’s change of events. She talked to a few of the gentlemen that were around and was escorted down to dinner by Mr. Cook.
On the way to dinner Mr. Cook tried to make small talk, but even that was too much for her to keep up with. Her mind was too busy thinking of Andrew and why he’d thrown her over like that. If he had previously asked Lady Olivia to dinner then why did he seek her out? Was he really trying to renege on his earlier promise? As awful as it sounded, she almost hoped that was what had happened. Not that she liked that Lady Olivia ended up with Andrew as her dinner companion after all, but she liked the idea that he had attempted to throw Lady Olivia over for her. She knew she was sick for thinking, and relishing, such a thought, but at least she was honest.
Mr. Cook led her to a pair of seats across from Liberty and Mr. Grimes. Once they were seated, Brooke murmured her greetings to the others then stared at the entrance waiting for Andrew. What was taking him so long? He was an earl, one of the highest ranks in attendance; he should be seated fairly close to the hostess. She saw the Duke of Gateway with his escort, Lady Burbank, come in. She was shocked when they sat down right next to her and Mr. Cook.
Mr. Cook leaned over and whispered, “They are terribly informal here. Nobody has assigned seats, nor do they arrange anyone by rank.”
Brooke nodded to confirm she understood before reverting her eyes back to the doorway. That’s when she saw them. Lady Olivia came in with a self-satisfied smile big as the Thames on her face, and when Andrew looked at Brooke, he smiled, too.
Brooke hadn’t realized she had been holding her fan until she heard a quick snap. Looking down into her lap, she discovered that she had indeed just broken her only fan. Not wanting to draw any attention or questions, she quickly tucked her broken fan into her reticule.
Mr. Cook, the duke and Mr. Grimes who were all in hearing distance clearly had not heard anything. Lady Burbank looked around as if to figure out what she’d heard. But when Brooke met Liberty’s gaze, she saw a look of sympathy on her sister’s face.
Even with her unseemly obsession with manners and etiquette, Liberty was sympathetic and would do anything for her sisters, Brooke knew this and seeing Liberty’s sympathetic face, warmed her heart.
Brook tried to put on a brave face, she didn’t want her sister, or anyone, to know how much it hurt to see Andrew with another woman on his sleeve. She inclined her chin an inch or two, as she had often seen the Ladies in London do, and turned to Mr. Cook. “Do you frequently attend parties here, sir?”
“Yes indeedy, I do.” Mr. Cook said jovially.
Brooke hadn’t noticed it before, but now she was well aware that Mr. Cook had already started to imbibe on the spirits. Both his language and his breath were giving him away.
She turned to look straight across from her where Mr. Grimes was sitting. “My father is very excited to have made your acquaintance this afternoon. He is looking forward to working with you.” She gave him a small, grateful smile. It was good for Papa to have something to do to occupy himself, and ministerial matters were his favorite hobby.
“I am very fortunate your father has agreed to pass on his knowledge to me,” Mr. Grimes said with a hint of stress in voice.
Brooke took his words as a subtle hint that he didn’t want to talk about his situation just now. “Well, even if you made up a need for him, it will do him some good. He has been trying to find things to occupy his time ever since we arrived.”
“I assure you, I have a need for him,” Mr. Grimes said stiffly, then he relaxed a bit. “But it’s an honor to meet him either way. I do look forward to getting to know him and your family better over the next few months.”
Brooke caught sight of Liberty stiffening at the statement. Did Liberty already take a dislike to this man? He acted as straight and proper as a pin, what was there for Liberty not to like?
“Miss Banks,” Mr. Cook said, catching Brooke’s attention. He waited until the footman had refilling his wineglass before he spoke. “Pardon me for mentioning this, but I have taken notice that you and your sisters have some very unusual names. Do all the colonists name their children such bizarre names?”
Brooke tried not to grind her teeth. They were Americans, not Colonists. She was born an American. By her guess, he couldn’t be so old that he could have known of the United States as the Colonies, unless of course he was a wee lad in leading strings at the time.
“Actually, I have no real knowledge of what the Colonists named their children. During my lifetime, I've only known my home country to be termed the United States of America.” Her voice was sweet, but her meaning was not.
Mr. Cook was further into his cups than she originally thought. He just sat there and blinked at her as if he had something in his eye he was trying to flush out.
He may not have a clue what she was saying, but Gateway, who was sitting on her right, did because he was openly laughing at Mr. Cook and his stupidity. “The Colonists won their war for independence in 1783. England formally granted their independence and acknowledged them as the United States of America then. Thus, Miss Banks was not even alive when they were still colonies,” Gateway said, then cocked his head in mock contemplation. “Come to think of it, Cook, neither were you. It would appear that you missed that particular lecture by Mr. Rawlings at Eton.”
Brooke fought to keep a smile off her lips.
Mr. Cook realizing his blunder said, “I beg your pardon, Miss Banks. As Gateway so bluntly pointed out, history was not an interest to me in school.”
Brooke was still in shock that Gateway had taken up in her defense and had shot Mr. Cook down without making her look bad. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all. She looked to him and noticed that he was staring at her. She started, then murmured, “Thank you, Your Grace.”
The duke immediately shifted his eyes and developed a sharp interest in his soup.
Liberty tried to salvage the conversation from across the table. “We do have highly irregular names. Brooke’s real name is Brooklyn, which is the name of a county in New York that Mama and Papa had just moved to before Brooke was born. In fact, we still live there.”
“Are there any other counties that are close to Brooklyn in New York?” Mr. Cook asked, feigning interest.
“Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx,” Liberty recited promptly. “It’s a joke between Madison and I that we’re just glad our parents weren’t living in Queens when Brooke entered the world.”
Everyone in the group gave a little laugh. Brooke personally wouldn’t have minded being called Queenie by her sisters, she rather liked the idea.
“What about your name?” Mr. Cook asked politely. “I have never heard the name Liberty before.”
“And you likely will not hear it again. It means freedom from external rule. There was a quotation in the Declaration of Independence that begins with ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Anyway, that particular line was very popular among the colonists during the time of the Revolutionary War.
“Mama’s family can trace its way back to some of the first settlers in the colony of Virginia in the sixteen hundreds; some of them later spread to the Carolinas, hence her name. Anyway, they have always been a very patriotic family and fought fiercely for independence. Her family still says that quote frequently. Mama has a plaque on her bedchamber wall with it engrav
ed on it, and when I was born they couldn’t think of a name for me. When Mama looked across the room and saw the plaque, she decided on Liberty right then and there.”
This time it was the duke who asked a question. “What of Miss Madison’s name? It isn’t a place or a definition. I am aware that the current president of the United States is named James Madison, but he has not been in office Madison’s whole life.”
Brooke decided to answer him before Liberty would ramble on again about a bunch of information that no one, save her family, cared about. “Actually, she is named for the current President. As you pointed out, he was not the president all her life, but he did help to write the United States Constitution. Papa and Mama picked her name because his last name sounded as if it would make a good first name for a girl.”
“What I fail to understand is why your English bred father would allow his daughters to have such American names. It’s as if he’s not being true to his homeland,” Lady Burbank said with disgust and disapproval evident in her voice.
Nobody responded, there wasn’t anything to say to that.
It was true Papa was English and nothing could ever change that. Yet, he had allowed his daughters to take on names that symbols of where they were from and what the United States stood for. It would seem a disgrace to English loyalists.
The rest of the meal was spent trying to avoid the topic of their names or any mention of the United States in general. For her part, Brooke just kept silent. She was too busy trying to make quick glances down the table to where Andrew was sitting with Lady Olivia.
She had looked like a cat in cream when she entered the room perched on Andrew’s arm. Maybe Lady Olivia was right, maybe she would win Andrew after all, if she hadn’t already, that is. She had surely started to dig her claws in, and made quite a show doing it.
Brooke remembered how Andrew immediately dumped her off with her parents to go back to Lady Olivia. Just remembering it made Brooke’s skin begin to feel warm with anger. He probably decided Lady Olivia was a better long term match and needed to put on his best front with her, which would mean not associating with Brooke any longer.