by Matilda Hart
“And as for you-” Selene muttered, moving her burning gaze to Helena, “I’ll need two new dresses by the end of the afternoon; for a stroll in the palace gardens and another for dinner! They should be eye-catching but not too overdone!”
“Two new dresses by six?” asked Joanna. “No one can do that!”
“She’ll do it if she does not want to be out in stables” Selene answered. “You’ll have the old seamstresses’ room and you can even use these wretched things,” she added, giving one of the beautiful gowns on the floor a small kick. “With a smirk, she added, “If Helena Rowe has as much talent as she claims then it should not be an issue.”
As the young woman began to walk out of the room, Selene turned to say one last thing, “Oh, and keep in mind that I will need several more new outfits for the next few weeks - particularly for the Masquerade Ball. Duke Beaumont will be my escort, and I cannot allow him to see me in anything less than fantastic.”
If her intention was to hurt Helena, she succeeded.
While the two began to sort through the wonton damage of the room, Joanna said, “Pay no attention to her, Miss. She’s just trying to get to you.”
“If anything this just proves that she knows about us somehow.”
“Or that she is horrible woman,” Joanna muttered. “But perhaps that is good thing. Maybe he has told others about you!”
Helena shook her head. “I suppose I just don’t understand how he could court her.” Or anyone for that matter, she thought dryly.
“She can put on a sweet face when she needs to. She still manages to fool her father into thinking she’s an angel, after all. But in truth, I doubt that it this courtship is for love. As you know, the duke’s image has been suffering a bit as of late – I personally blame that sly friend of his. And being seen with a lady such as Selene would-“
“Give him added virtue,” Helena finished. It was then that she began to realize how much this new world was like a game. Everything was calculated and manipulated for a higher purpose, and nothing was to be taken at face value. And like it or not, she would have to start playing sooner or later in order to obtain her goals.
Joanna sighed as she was left to pick up after Selene’s tantrum. Shaking her head of black curls, she said, “All these noble folk make me glad of my station some days. At least I don’t have to deal with all of this foolishness.”
Chapter 5
17th of May, 1813
Baron Phineas Grove paced around the room anxiously as he tried to come up with something to say to his protégé. The elderly man had done his best to raise him right after his own parents had passed on, but it seemed that lately nothing was getting through to him. As Phineas continued to sort through his muddled thoughts, the door behind him opened with a slam.
“Good afternoon, Phineas!” a voice boomed.
The old man jumped at the sound. With a patronizing tone, he exclaimed, “How many times have I told you not to do that, Nathaniel? And you are an hour late for our meeting!”
“Oh come now, Phineas. No need to be upset,” the man said with a grin. “A man of your age needs a bit of stimulation nowadays.”
The baron rolled his eyes at the comment, but asked, “Where were you?”
Nathaniel shrugged. “Just spending some time with Oliver, he was showing me some impressive wine that obtained from a French shipment.”
“I imagine that you had a taste of it as well?” Phineas asked flatly.
“Naturally,” Nathaniel replied with a smirk. “So what is it that you wished to speak to me about, old boy?
“You, actually. More specifically, your behavior and reputation,” he answered, taking a seat in his armchair. “I will be quite frank, Nathaniel. There have been a quite a load of particularly nasty rumors and accusations within the House.”
The young man waved off Phineas’ concern. “There are always rumors. It’s nothing to be concerned with. And with all that I’ve done in the war, how could anyone doubt my integrity?”
Grove ran a hand through his thinning, gray hair nervously. He could not believe his ward had gotten this arrogant. “Every hero, no matter how great, eventually has had their downfall with pride, Nathaniel. You cannot allow yourself to forget that, or you will fall victim to it.”
Silently, Phineas then walked towards an old painting on his wall. It showed a young, married couple with a child. The boy, like his father, had the same sandy hair and blue eyes. They both shared the same, confident expression. His fingers touching the frame, he then said, “Remember to become the man your parents would be proud of.”
The duke’s flippant smile suddenly transformed into somber frown. He hated when his adoptive father mentioned them lately. While Nathaniel had always been eager to hear the stories of their bravery in the French Revolutionary Wars, as he had grown older they became an expectation that he could not hope to accomplish.
No, deep down Nathaniel knew that he had strayed off the path they had set for him. One of righteousness and sound judgment, but even as he thought of going to the light it seemed pointless. He would never be able to measure up to them anyhow.
Unconsciously, he began to fiddle with the folded material in his pocket. Almost threadbare from continued fondling, the small handkerchief had never left his side in five years. Nathaniel found it gave him comfort whenever his nerves or conscience bothered him. It reminded him of the one time he had truly felt like a hero.
Sighing, Phineas went over to inspect it. “I’m surprised someone of your exquisite taste carries around a thing like that. And one that does not even bear your own coat of arms.”
Taken out of his brooding state, Nathaniel quickly placed it back in his pocket. “Oh it’s nothing. Just a gift I received a while ago from a girl I rescued during that raid in Maidstone.”
The older man looked at him skeptically. “I have seen you receive many gifts from those you have helped, Nathaniel. And even the medals you’ve received from the Queen eventually have become lost. And now you tell me that you’ve kept a simple handkerchief from just some girl?”
“I never said that she was just ‘some girl’…” he said softly, remembering the way her lips had felt against his. It was foolish, that just one chance meeting would stay with him for this long – especially since there were so many women in London and other places in England he had met. But she… she had had something unique; though he could not quite put it into words.
Phineas was surprised at this. He had seen the endless trollops that he and his sordid friends came across, but never had he seen Nathaniel display any true emotion because of them. Could there be someone that had actually made an impact on him. “Who was she then?”
“Helena Rowe,” he whispered. The name still as fresh to him as the day he had heard her speak it. “I was supposed to return to her after my tour, but I…”
“Didn’t feel worthy?” Phineas asked.
“Yes and…” Nathaniel felt a pang of guilt for thinking it, but finished, “I was afraid for my reputation since she was not of high birth.”
His mentor shook his head in disappointment.
“It’s not as if I don’t regret it every day!” he stated quickly. Taking out the cloth for another look Nathaniel said, “Besides, I am quite sure that she has found another by now.”
Before Phineas could interject, the clock in the corner began to ring.
“It’s six o’ clock,” Nathaniel said dejectedly. “I should already be at the Connolly house by now.”
“Oh, I forgot that you were starting to court her,” Phineas said, his expression sour. “I know it isn’t my place to meddle in your love life, Nathaniel, but I don’t trust that woman.”
“You’ve never hesitated to meddle before now,” he replied cheekily. “I don’t quite trust her either, but she does look rather pleasing doesn’t she? And I will need a companion at the Masquerade Ball. Oliver insisted that I not go alone once again.”
That Oliver, Phineas thought bitterly. The old
man still regretted ever allowing Nathaniel to spend time with the young earl, though he knew the two had grown close during the war. The man was a cad in his opinion, and a dangerous one at that. No other member of the royal house had as much contact with so many scandals as he.
But not wanting to start yet another fight about him, Phineas merely wished his adoptive son a good evening. Getting out a piece of paper and some ink, he then set out to draw the design he had seen on the handkerchief. It seemed rather familiar, and Phineas’ curiosity about the girl mentioned was greatly peaked. Perhaps there is some hope for Nathaniel, yet.
Chapter 6
20th of May, 1813
Helena wearily pulled her head up from the hard surface of the working desk. It seemed that she had fallen asleep in the process of making another dress for Selene. In the last few days, the poor girl had barely seen the outside of the room. And it seemed as if each night that the noblewoman requested more and more work. With a groan, she attempted to at least finish the stitching for the skirt before heading down to the kitchen for some food.
“Oh my,” Joanna said, nearly dropping the plate of cucumber sandwiches she was holding. “You look terrible, Miss Rowe!”
“Thank you, Joanna,” Helena replied disdainfully as she bit from a piece of fruit. “Selene has had me working nonstop on new gowns.”
“Ah yes, she seems to love them. And I know for a fact that everyone who sees them compliments them. Even Nathaniel.”
While it should have made her smile, Helena only felt hollow. As much as she liked to believe that here was a chance she would see him again, it was difficult to stay cheerful knowing that she was assisting Selene in making him her new husband.
“At least she has not caught on yet,” Joanna said, offering her one of the treats. “To your secret, I mean.”
Helena’s spirit was slightly lifted as she recalled it. Deep in the bowels of the workroom, hidden inside two locked chests, was the dress and mask she had prepared for herself. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever created. It had been difficult, particularly with being at the beck and call of that madwoman, but she had done it. She had the most perfect gown to take to the ball, but there was only one problem: she had no invitation to get in.
Originally Helena had planned to use Solomon’s invitation as he was still off on business, but the crafty Selene had hidden it away somewhere. It made her wonder if she had suspected something.
“I suppose I can always simply stand in the crowd as the guests enter the palace,” Helena said with a sigh.
“I’m sure we will find some way to get in. There has to be at least one man who needs a woman to go with him. An earl or a count…” Joanna said hopefully.
“You know, Joanna,” she said. “I never did ask this before… but why are so determined to see me and Nathaniel together? No one else seems to.”
While she did not want to seem ungrateful for the support, in fact Helena greatly appreciated it, it still appeared odd.
A faint shade of pink brushed over her cheeks as she answered, “Well… I suppose it does sound foolish… but I have always wished that one day I’d get to see one of those stories about true love myself. To know that…. Well… that there is some hope for girls like us. And that despite our place at birth we can rise above it and find a soul mate.”
It was now Helena’s turn to blush. Giving her a tight hug, she then whispered, “Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me.”
The tender moment was cut short, however, as they received a notice that a guest had arrived.
Knowing that it would not be Nathaniel, Helena was suddenly curious at who would be visiting.
“Oh, it’s just Baron Phineas Grove,” Joanna said, heading out the door to bring him some refreshments. “He’s come to pick up some of Marquis Connolly’s documents, I believe.”
Grove could hardly stand Selene’s incessant questions about Nathaniel. The woman was close to rivaling a spy with all the details that she wanted about him. It was unfortunate that his old friend had gone off to Oxford without him, but Solomon had never liked staying home after the passing of his wife. And his daughter certainly did not help.
Sighing, he grabbed the documents he had been looking for. It would have been much simpler for the old chap to deliver it to him, but no sensitive information could be trusted with all of the shady characters going about.
As Phineas left the Connolly study room, he came across a familiar symbol on the rag a maid was using to clean a mirror. A red stag with a small star on its back. Snapping his fingers, he realized it was the same thing he had seen on Nathaniel’s token.
“Excuse me, Miss,” Phineas said to the girl. “But where did you get that?”
“This?” asked Joanna, confused that the nobleman would ask about a washcloth. “It’s a discarded fabric from the seamstress, sir.”
“The handiwork looks familiar. Who is she? Has she made anything else?” he asked elatedly.
“We just hired her. She’s made just about everything the Marchioness wears nowadays, sir,” Joanna answered. “You probably do not know of her, she comes from Maidstone. Her name is Helena Rowe.”
The baron’s grey eyes brightened and he gave wide grin. “Take me to her immediately!”
The young maid was shocked by his request but simply nodded as they began their way up to the attic.
As they waited for her to answer the knocks on her door, Phineas was nearly bursting with excitement. What are the chances that this could happen? he thought. The old man did not consider himself to be superstitious, or even extremely religious, but even he had to believe this was a sign of some sort. And he would see to it that it would not be squandered.
Chapter 7
20th of May, 1813
“Hello?” Helena said, opening the door after hearing the pounding knocks. She was surprised to see that it was Joanna, accompanied by an elderly man.
“Sorry to disturb your work, Miss. But the baron requested to meet with you. He admires your skill,” Joanna answered.
“Of course,” she replied. “Come on, in. I do apologize for the state of my work space. I have been quite busy as of late.”
However, Phineas seemed preoccupied by something else. “Ms. Rowe, you used to reside in Maidstone, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And were you ever in danger from the invasion by the French?”
Confused as to where he was headed to this, she answered, “Why yes. Around five years ago. I was hiding from the soldiers in my father’s cellar for nearly a week they found my mother and I.”
“Oh? And how did you manage to allude them? They are quite ruthless in battle. I doubt they let you escape.”
“No, sir. I was rescued by an English soldier.”
“Do you recall his name?”
“Yes, it was the duke, Nathaniel Beaumont.”
“And did you by any chance give him anything? A token of gratitude, perhaps?” he asked, his voice now starting to betray his impatience.
“Yes, a handkerchief I embroidered myself,” she answered fretfully. “I mean no disrespect, sir. But why do I feel as if you already know all this?”
Phineas then peeked around the outside of the door before shutting it. “Because, my dear. He is my adopted son. And I believe that he may be in love with you.”
Joanna gasped from her viewpoint in the corner as Helena took a step back in shock.
“I know that it may be hard to believe, Miss Rowe. But I know that it is the truth. He still has the handkerchief you gave him. And I the look in his eyes… I may not be the smartest man, but if there was a look of love in a person’s eyes – he had it.”
Feeling as if her legs were about to give out, Helena took a seat in her chair. “Sir… even if what you say is true, why would you tell me this? Would you not want the duke to be associated with a woman of noble blood? I am nothing but a seamstress.”
Phineas shook his head. “Despite what most would have you think
, a noble birthright does not mean a noble character. Nathaniel is an upstanding man, but I am not blind to what he is becoming. And despite all the guidance I have tried to give him, I know that it will not be enough. He does not need another fanciful woman to show off to the people, what he needs is you.”
***
Earl Oliver Dillingham was not very pleased with his friend’s behavior. Normally Nathaniel was quite enthusiastic about coming to the Grinning Wolf. The bar was the perfect place to impress both women and men alike with tales of his heroism in the war. But tonight, it seemed as though his mind was troubled by something. And knowing Nathaniel’s generally carefree nature, it must have been something very serious. This was not good for Oliver.
“There was a woman in the corner over there,” he said to the sullen-faced man. “She was staring at you for the last half hour waiting for you to return her wink. And you did nothing.”
“I am courting Selene Connolly, it makes no difference to me to lose such a small prize,” Nathaniel stated flatly.
“Oh come off it, Nathaniel. Any other night a girl like that would already be on your arm and on your way to your quarters. And that would be with or without courting another woman. Now tell me, what is ailing you? I’m sure you could use at least some advice.”
Nathaniel shook his head. “Trust me Oliver; I’ve gotten plenty of unwanted council from Phineas already. I suppose I’m just a bit out of sorts. Must have had a bad piece of mutton or some such.”
Oliver was silent, but was still very much suspicious. The two had been friends for quite some time, and the earl knew when he was hiding something from him. And it likely had something to do with the cloth the duke was fondling with more veracity than usual. However, in this case the truth may have needed a bit of persuasion – the liquid variety.
As Nathaniel continued to be lost in his thoughts, Oliver turned to a barmaid and slipped her several pounds. Within minutes, the winking woman returned with a bottle of absinthe – and a very strong one at that.