by Lucy Langton
“Forgive me, Miss Worthington. I did not know better,” Pietro Generali spoke up then.
“Fear not. It was a long time ago,” Kitty reassured him. The opera continued and their conversation dwindled as they all took in the lovely performance. The singers were dressed to the part, and Kitty even spent time envisioning herself on the stage. She knew that it would be quite scandalous for a woman of her status to ever sing in the opera. But it was a daydream she could silently entertain.
During the intermission, the candles and chandeliers were all set once more to fill the opera house with light. Kitty rose to her feet with Miss Talbot as they both discussed using the lady’s room in order to stretch their feet and prepare for the second part of the opera.
“Do not dawdle my dears,” Lady Talbot encouraged. “There are a lot of people in the opera house tonight, and I do not want to have to worry about either one of you.”
“Please, don’t worry about us, Mother. We can take care of ourselves,” Miss Talbot replied in a sweet voice. She looped arms with Kitty and led her away from the booth and towards the stairs. As Kitty peered down the stairs, she could see a large crowd as everyone tried to either visit another person or find a way to get a bit of fresh air before the next act. Kitty wasn’t so sure about the idea of using the ladies’ room because it would no doubt be very crowded.
As they came to the bottom of the stairs, Miss Talbot had to unhook her arm from Kitty because the foyer was too dense with people. Kitty spotted the ladies’ room and started to make her away around the many people to reach that area. But once she did so, she looked over her shoulder to see that Miss Talbot was nowhere to be seen. Concerned, Kitty looked around the room, even standing on tiptoe to try to spot her. But her efforts were fruitless. She decided the best place to wait for Miss Talbot would be in the ladies’ room because that was where they were both headed. Therefore, Kitty made her way inside in hopes of finding the other woman soon.
Chapter 13
By the time dinner had come and gone, Hugh was feeling worse than he had in a long time. Every aspect of his life had been brought up and put into review as he and the Royal Magistrate discussed the best course of action for Hugh.
Like Kitty, his godfather had put Hugh to the challenge to improve his reputation as quickly as possible so that Hugh could not become a target for the misdeeds of others. Though the Royal Magistrate agreed that Hugh had done some good this week, it would take months for him to repair his reputation.
Many lords, to include Lord Harding, had been discussed as well to see if Hugh was being targeted for anything other than murder. They talked about the recent burning of his country estate as well as his current standing with Miss Worthington
It was all almost too much for Hugh, especially when the Royal Magistrate started to question him about his feelings after his parents had died suddenly. Now all Hugh wanted to do was drink away his pain as he stepped out into the Royal Court for some fresh air.
The night air felt refreshing to Hugh as he walked away from his godfather’s secret study and into the open Royal Courtyard. The moon shone through the clouds, casting shadows all over the open space. Several lanterns had been lit, spreading an ominous glow all about. Combined, it was enough light for Hugh to find his way away from the many towers and towards his hopefully waiting carriage.
“Lord Blackmore, is that you?” came a voice to his left. Hugh looked over to the gentleman that had addressed him and was surprised to find Lord Montreal coming his way. The earl was a good friend of his whenever he frequented a certain gaming hell. Lord Montreal was always fun to spend time with, but he wouldn’t consider the man someone he could rely on if he ever was in trouble.
“It is me, Lord Montreal,” Hugh replied as he stopped and waited for the other man to join him. “What are you doing at the Royal Court so late in the evening?” Lord Montreal looked at him with a wicked grin on his face.
“I suppose I could ask you the same thing,” Lord Montreal replied. Hugh chuckled, knowing that the man was right.
“Well, I guess then we shall both agree to keep this little encounter a secret,” Hugh replied as he continued his way towards where the carriages should be waiting to take guests away from the Royal Court.
“Indeed. But, since we’ve had this chance encounter, why don’t you join me for a drink at the Ragged Doll?” Lord Montreal asked, naming one of Hugh’s favourite gaming hells. Hugh knew that it wouldn’t be the best of ideas since he’d just promised his godfather that he would stay out of trouble. But since it was too late to call on Kitty and find a way to calm his nerves, he figured a quick drink wouldn’t hurt.
“My carriage or yours?” Hugh asked with a grin.
“That’s the spirit,” Lord Montreal replied with a slap on Hugh’s back. “Let’s take yours since I came here another way.” Hugh was intrigued by this comment but asked no more on the matter.
“Then it seems our meeting was very beneficial for you,” Hugh said instead of asking the Earl what he was doing here in the first place.
“I’m feeling pretty lucky tonight,” Lord Montreal only said in reply. Hugh just shook his head as they came upon his carriage. Hugh felt relieved to see that his driver and footman were present. The footman jumped down from the driver’s seat and quickly opened the door for them. After Hugh gave instructions on where to take them, Hugh climbed into the carriage after Lord Montreal while looking forward to his first glass of brandy.
“The word on the streets says that you’ve gone soft, Lord Blackmore,” Lord Montreal spoke up as the carriage left the Royal Court and made its way back to the main part of Town. “Papers are making you seem more like a gentleman when we both know that you are not always so.” Lord Montreal laughed at his own statement, but Hugh only forced a smile to his lips. This type of banter was to be expected from Lord Montreal.
“You’re right,” Hugh said as he straightened his posture. He knew he didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about. “I am trying to improve my character for a certain young lady.” Lord Montreal seemed surprised by this and began to laugh even louder. His round middle seemed to dance with his laughter, and Hugh tried to remember why he enjoyed spending so much time with Lord Montreal. Perhaps the Earl was easier to be around when he had a few drinks in him.
“And what is the name of this young lady who is doing her best to tame the wayward Duke?” Lord Montreal asked through his mirth.
“I intend to make Miss Worthington my bride before the end of the week,” Hugh answered. Kitty had never said that their deal was to be a secret, so he felt confident in sharing these details with the Earl.
“My goodness, Miss Worthington has become a target for many gentlemen these days,” Lord Montreal said. This made the hairs on Hugh’s arms rise as he tried his best to keep his temper. “I had heard that she is already engaged to Lord Harding.” Hugh’s nostrils flared at the mention of the man that was no doubt working hard to ruin him.
“Miss Worthington actually denied him,” Hugh explained. “And that is why I’m so confident of my own chances.” This only made Lord Montreal laugh hard as he slapped his hands down on his knees repeatedly.
“You always told the best jokes, Lord Blackmore,” Lord Montreal said as he continued to laugh. Hugh was now finding the man rather repulsive. He was relieved when the carriage came to a halt and the door was opened for them. Hugh alighted from the carriage quickly and could already hear the small assembly of musicians playing for the evening. Normally Hugh liked to get as drunk as possible and enjoy dancing with a few of the brothel women, but tonight he just wanted to enjoy one drink and then head home.
“Sounds like a good time to me,” Lord Montreal said as he stepped down from the carriage and swiftly moved past him and into the open door of the Ragged Doll. Hugh told his driver that he’d be out shortly, but not even the carriage driver seemed to believe him.
As Hugh entered the gaming hell, he felt more put off than before. He avoided the women and went st
raight to the counter to order himself a finger of brandy. And once that was in his stomach, he made his way over to the card tables.
“Come, Lord Blackmore. Join me here,” called Lord Montreal as he moved around the several tables. He saw that there was only one other gentleman at the table, so he figured it couldn’t hurt to play a few rounds as he let the brandy take effect.
“Good evening,” Lord Blackmore said to the other gentleman, but the man barely looked up at him as he accepted the cards that Lord Montreal was dealing. Hugh took his cards, wondering if his luck was turning up when he saw he had a pair of aces in his hand. Hugh ordered another drink from one of the brothel women as he started to really get into the game. He even started to laugh at a few of Lord Montreal’s bad jokes.
“Is this seat taken?” came a familiar gentleman’s voice. Hugh looked up just as his stomach tightened in knots. He saw Lord Harding standing beside the other empty chair at the table, his eyes focused on only Hugh. Since this was the man he was certain was out to get him, Hugh stood from the table and set down his cards.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Hugh said to the other two players as he then made his way towards the open door. He didn’t trust himself to keep his temper and not start a fist fight with the Earl, so he knew that now was the time to head home.
“Where you going, Lord Blackmore?” Lord Montreal cried out, followed by loud laughter. Hugh didn’t even bother looking over his shoulder as he left. He didn’t care how this would make him look or if people would consider him a coward. The one thing Hugh wasn’t going to do was make matters worse by starting a fight with the man who probably could use a good beating.
“Hey, you’re not allowed in here!” cried the woman at the front door as an errand boy came running into the gaming hell. He collided with Hugh, making him take a step back as he grabbed the young boy by his shoulders. The boy looked up at Hugh and smiled before pushing a note into his hand and running off again before the woman could whip him. Hugh unfolded the note in his hand and was surprised to see that it was from Kitty.
Meet me at your townhouse immediately. It’s very important.
Hugh wasn’t sure why Kitty would need to meet him so late at night. She would have known that he wouldn’t be expected back at him home till tomorrow and wondered if something terrible had happened to her or her aunt. Wanting to get to the bottom of it all, Hugh left the gaming hell at once and gave swift orders to his driver to take him home immediately. His driver seemed startled but was quick to take action as the footman opened the carriage door for him.
Even before Hugh was seated, he rapped his knuckles against the side of the carriage to signal that they should be off. The horses started down the street at a quick pace, the sound of the carriage wheels rattling against the cobblestones. Hugh’s heartbeat quickened in his chest as his mind raced to understand what possibly could have happened. He only hoped that Kitty was unharmed.
~*~
The music for the second act began, and Kitty knew that she couldn’t wait for Miss Talbot any longer. Only a few ladies remained in the room, and after Kitty had freshened up, she’d decided that her safest option was to return to the viewing booth. Kitty left the lady’s room and travelled across the foyer to the stairs. She looked for Miss Talbot everywhere but couldn’t spot her. She only hoped that she’d returned to the booth on her own.
“Ah, there you are, Miss Worthington,” Lord Talbot said once she returned to the booth. “Beatrice has fallen ill and she returned home.” Kitty sighed with relief to at least hear that Miss Talbot had been found.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Lord Talbot. We had become separated in the crowd, and I had waited for her in the lady’s room,” Kitty explained.
“She had returned to the booth, and I took her down to the carriage. It shall be back once the show is over,” Lady Talbot explained.
“Well, I do hope she feels better soon,” Kitty said as she took her seat next to Pietro Generali. At least now she didn’t have to worry about being interrupted by Miss Talbot if she did wish to have a more private conversation with the composer. Kitty placed no more concern towards Miss Talbot as she enjoyed the rest of the opera and commented on it with Pietro Generali.
When the opera was concluded, she stood with the rest of the audience to applaud the performance. She wished that this night would never end, that she could continue discussing music with such a like-minded composer. But at least Pietro Generali was kind enough to escort her down to the foyer to return home by Lord and Lady Talbot’s carriage.
“This has been a most enjoyable evening, Miss Worthington,” Pietro Generali said as he let go of her arm once they were outside on the street. “I hope that we can visit one another once more to speak on the topic of music. My wife and children will be joining me next month in Town, and I shall enjoy introducing them to you.”
“I would be delighted to make your family’s acquaintance,” Kitty readily replied. Pietro Generali bowed to her and she returned the gesture with a curtsey. He turned and returned to the opera house, no doubt eager to speak with the opera singers. Though a famous composer, he was still just a commoner and had the freedom to speak with the singers without having to worry about his reputation.
As Kitty turned to follow Lord and Lady Talbot to their carriage, an errand boy came running through the crowd at an alarming rate. She almost spoke up to scold the boy for being so reckless, but he quickly stopped in front of her before pressing a note into her hand and running off again. Kitty only stared at him with her mouth wide open before looking down at the note.
“What does it say?” Lady Talbot asked. Kitty opened it to read a message from Hugh, requesting that she come to his townhouse at once. Since Kitty didn’t think Hugh would be home till late tomorrow, she was very surprised and concerned by his message.
“My dearest friend has fallen ill and wishes that I come to her at once,” Kitty explained. “I will call a petty cab and go immediately.”
“We could take you there as easily,” Lord Talbot offered.
“No, it’s quite fine. It’s already late, and I don’t want to inconvenience you any longer,” Kitty said as she took a step back from them. “She lives very close to my house, so it won’t be a bother at all.”
“But …” Lady Talbot went to say, but Kitty had already turned and walked off into the crowd. She walked about two blocks away from the opera house before she hailed a petty cab and gave the driver instructions to Hugh’s home. She was terribly worried about Hugh and hoped that whatever he’d been summoned to speak to the Royal Magistrate about was now complete. She was riddled with all sorts of worry that she didn’t even bother to put much thought into how her reputation might be affected by running off into the night to pay a visit to an ill friend. For now, all that Kitty cared about was seeing Hugh well.
Chapter 14
The moment the carriage came to a stop, Hugh opened the carriage door and made his way up to the front door of his townhouse. He didn’t even bother pulling the door chime but opened the door himself and went straight in. The candles were not even lit in the hallway, making him very concerned. Closing the door behind him, Hugh took a few uneasy steps forward till he saw light coming from the sitting room.
Thinking it must have been Kitty waiting up for him, Hugh made his way to the room and opened the door. He saw a young woman standing there, but when she turned around to face him, he saw that it wasn’t Kitty. In fact, it was Miss Beatrice Talbot, a young woman that was fast approaching spinster years and was sometimes spotted in gaming hells.
“What is the meaning of this?” Hugh asked as he stepped into the sitting room.
“Oh, what joyous news, Lord Blackmore. I’ve just come from the opera where I did enjoy the performance with Miss Worthington. She wants to confess her love for you, and I convinced her to write to you that you two may meet tonight and finally be official,” Miss Talbot quickly explained. Hugh could see that the woman was eager and excited, and the thought of
Kitty confessing her feelings for him did readily appeal to him.
“I told her that I would remain present so that there would be an official witness,” Miss Talbot continued to explain. “She should be here any moment.” She turned from Hugh and collected two glasses from the brandy tray he had in the room. She handed him one and said, “Let’s drink to your future engagement.” She tipped back the glass, and thinking a stiff drink would help to settle his nerves, he did so as well, drinking the full contents of the glass.