“I didn’t abandon you Hattie. Even after you said those cruel things to Miranda about her being too concerned with her looks and money, we never gave up on you. We always knew you were not meant for the life of a missionary in the African jungle. I am beyond grateful that you realized it as well before it was too late. That was an incredibly brave thing you did in Gibraltar.”
She smiled softly. There would not be too many other young women in London who could lay claim to that feat of daring.
“He is a good man, your Mr. Saunders,” said Edgar.
Hattie blinked, taken aback by the sudden change of topic.
“He is not my Mr. Saunders,” she replied.
“Really, I don’t think that is how he sees things. He was deliberately vague about the details of what transpired between the two of you onboard the Canis Major, but I know enough to have agreed to Mr. Saunders’ request to court you. Hattie, you need a husband and knowing the family that Mr. Saunders comes from, you would be hard pressed to do better. There are some realities which you are going to have to face up to and marrying William Saunders is one of them.”
She rose from the couch. She had been half expecting this position from Edgar. Will was no fool, he would see Edgar as the means to press his case for their marriage.
“What is to happen now?” she asked.
“Well Mr. Saunders and I have agreed that you shall move into my house. But before that happens, I need you to explain to me what happened to you. Why can’t I hug you as much as I desperately need to, and what happened to your face?”
“I crossed the boss of one of the criminal gangs in the rookery in Plumtree Street. He gave me a beating which left me with this angry scar and a number of badly bruised ribs.”
The shock and anguish which appeared on Edgar’s face matched that of Will the night Joshua had brought her home. The young women of their social circle led protected lives. Strapping footmen and trusty maids ensured that vagabonds did not get close to them.
Young unmarried women of the haute ton would be hard pressed to point to St. Giles on a map, let alone be willing to set foot in its dangerous streets.
He was about to open his mouth and Hattie knew a pronouncement about her charitable works would soon be on his lips. She had her own speech well-rehearsed.
“I am prepared to come and live with you and Miranda, but I will not give up my work.”
Edgar huffed. “You cannot expect me to accept that condition.”
“Father Brown needs me to help him at St. John’s. In return for letting me undertake my daily visits to the church and Covent Garden market I will agree to stay out of the rookery. I shall live under your roof until my future can be determined.”
Edgar considered her words for a moment.
“And you will rejoin society and allow William Saunders to court you?”
Hattie sighed. She had little other option but to accept those terms. They did however fit in with her plans. By joining society and spending time with Will among the rich and powerful of London, she would be able to show Will how ill- suited they were.
The more Will pushed for her to marry him and give up her work, the harder she would resist. Edgar would not stand idly by and let her be browbeaten into an unhappy marriage. It was therefore only a matter of time before she was able to convince Will that a union between them was a terrible idea.
“We have an accord,” she replied.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Despite her protests, Will and Edgar agreed that Hattie’s personal effects were to be moved to number thirty- seven Newport Street that very day. There was a slight tussle over where Brutus would reside, but Edgar insisted that the cat was part of the chattels of the house and therefore covered under the lease. Brutus would be staying at number forty-three.
Hattie stifled a laugh when she saw Will holding his feline nemesis as she walked out the front door of her family home. She knew Will well enough to know he would be mighty peeved at being left with Brutus and her two sets of silk tearing claws.
Miranda Wright embraced Hattie’s return with gusto and within days of Hattie’s arrival had arranged an entirely new wardrobe of clothes for her sister in law. She would have happily thrown out Hattie’s other plain clothes but Hattie insisted she needed them for her work at St. John’s.
Hattie was left humbled when Miranda accepted her heartfelt apology with good grace.
“You are family. Edgar and I never stopped loving you,” said Miranda.
Hattie kept her side of the agreement with Edgar. She stayed away from Plumtree Street. Little Annie Mayford came by the church every few days and picked up some fresh fruit for Baylee which Hattie had specially set aside.
Hattie quickly slipped into a comfortable routine. In the morning she would make her way to St. John’s to help Father Brown, in the afternoon she would come home and spend time with Miranda and baby Sebastian.
She had just returned home late one afternoon when Miranda caught her at the front door.
“Quickly my dear, head upstairs and change. That coffee colored gown with the dark blue stripes will be perfect. I have had your maid lay it out on the bed,” said Miranda.
Hattie frowned. She had been working at the church since just after dawn, and her feet hurt. She had no wish to go out and spend another afternoon shopping with Miranda.
“Mr. William Saunders is here to pay you a visit. Your maid is waiting in your room to fix your hair. Hurry.”
Miranda gave Hattie a gentle push toward the staircase.
Hattie headed upstairs. Will had given her a few days peace, but she knew he would be impatient to move things along.
When she entered the formal drawing room a short while later Will rose from his seat and greeted her with a formal bow. He was dressed in a dark blue jacket with matching striped trousers. The subtle charcoal grey of his waistcoat was stylishly offset by the pure white linen of his shirt and cravat. Not a hair on his head was out of place.
Her heart skipped a beat. Mrs. Little had been wrong in her estimations of Will, he was more than handsome. The very sight of him stirred something deep within. She knew it to be longing.
“Hattie, it is a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely.”
She looked to Miranda who was seated on a nearby chair sporting a social smile. Her sister in law would be thrilled with Will’s visit. Hattie suspected she already had a wedding guest list hidden somewhere in the desk of her private sitting room. The moment Hattie accepted Will’s suit the wedding invitations would be out.
The whole scene was a tad farcical knowing what had already occurred between her and Will, but she had given Edgar her word and knew she had to go along.
“Mr. Saunders has offered to take you to the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall. Isn’t that wonderful?” said Miranda.
Hattie took a seat next to Miranda, who took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle pat.
“Oh. Thank you,” replied Hattie.
She wondered how much Miranda had revealed to Will of Hattie’s old life. Will would no doubt have been gently pressing her for clues of how he could gain Hattie’s favor.
The pleasure gardens had once been her favorite place to visit. The trip across the river by boat to the south bank of London was a summer highlight of her younger years. Miranda would know full well how much a visit to the gardens would mean to Hattie.
“Yes, my sisters and brother will make up the rest of the party. They are especially keen to meet you. I think you may remember my sister Eve from your debut,” said Will.
“You need to get out, socialize with some people of your own age and have some fun” added Miranda.
A little bubble of excitement started in Hattie’s stomach. She could not remember the last time she had gone out in search of entertainment, let alone fun.
It was later in the year than she was used to attending the gardens, but if she wore warm clothes the journey across the river and to the gardens could be enjoyable. An evening out with Will a
nd his family would be interesting at least. She vaguely remembered Evelyn Saunders, but did not know either of Will’s other two siblings.
“Thank you. I would love to join you,” she replied.
“Oh, do come on Hattie!” Edgar called impatiently from the bottom of the stairs.
He shook his head in disbelief.
Hattie appeared at the top of the stairs, her cloak tucked over her arm. She had been ready for quite some time, but Miranda insisted that she make Will wait.
“Never appear too eager to please, even after you are married. Keep to the rule that making them wait creates a certain tension. A flustered man is far easier to bend to your will than one whom you hurry after.”
The more time Hattie spent with Miranda, the greater understanding she had of why her brother so loved his wife.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs Hattie handed her cloak to Edgar, who promptly handed it to Will standing beside him.
“Have a wonderful time,” said Edgar, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
A chill went up Hattie's spine as Will lay his hands on her shoulders and draped the cloak around her. It was the closest they had been since the night he had last kissed her. Her body ached for his touch.
The scent of his cologne filled her senses, reminding her of how good it had felt to be in his arms. To know the pleasure of his body loving hers. His sexual presence was tattooed on her mind.
As they left the house and stepped out into the early evening chill, Hattie did not feel the cold. The singular touch of Will’s hands had her blood heated with desire.
A footman opened the carriage door and Will helped Hattie to climb aboard. He climbed in after her.
She was met with the sight of three smiling, welcoming faces. A tall young man, with a shock of white hair called out her name as she sat down.
“Hattie, finally we meet!”
He reached across and offered his hand.
“I’m Francis. This is Caroline,” he said pointing to the young woman seated beside him. Will chuckled, as his younger brother shamelessly stole his thunder.
Caroline was a stunningly beautiful young woman. She was graced with pale blonde hair and porcelain skin so flawless it would make an artist weep. When she smiled her deep green eyes drew Hattie in.
“Hello Hattie, lovely to meet you,” she said.
“Oh, and I think you know Eve from your first season,” said Francis.
Hattie took a moment as memories of her half-finished coming out season two years earlier resurfaced in her mind.
“Now I remember you Eve. You had a pale purple gown at the first of the balls and I was desperate to find out where you got the fabric from. I had never seen anything like it before, and I must confess to having been jealous” said Hattie.
Eve smiled.
“My mother had the fabric smuggled in from France. It was terribly wicked of her and papa was furious. I remember the row they had when he found out. Still mama was adamant that the dressmaker was going to use it.”
Hattie looked at Will, but he did not react to his sister’s words. Will it appeared had decided that he was going to adopt a social face when he was in public with Hattie. She suspected that his siblings had been told very little about her, other than that their brother saw her as a potential bride. He was playing the courting game by the rulebook.
Eve and Caroline both seemed lovely girls. Any other young woman would be pleased to have them as sister in laws. From the way they had greeted her, she knew they would be disappointed when they discovered that she would not be marrying their brother.
Her own disappointment came with the discovery that instead of taking a boat across to Vauxhall as her parents had liked to do, the Saunders carriage crossed over the Thames at Westminster Bridge. Will to his nature read her mind.
“I did enquire about taking a boat across, but the river is icy up this far and none of the small pleasure boats are making the trip across at this time of the year. My apologies to you all,” he said.
A short while later they reached the pleasure gardens which were situated not far from the South bank of the Thames. A crush of carriages and people made finding a place to alight a difficult prospect. Finally, a frustrated Francis opened the door and made a clearing in the road for the others to step down.
At the entrance to the gardens, Will paid the entry fee and Hattie took his offered arm.
“Ah there he is,” exclaimed Eve.
Picking up her skirts, she raced ahead of the group and threw herself into the arms of a young man who was standing to one side of the entrance path. They then proceeded to indulge in an all too passionate kiss for such a public place.
“Steady on girl, your brothers are watching,” said the young man, finally releasing Eve. His words noted protest, but the smug look on his face said otherwise.
Hattie felt Will’s grip on her arm tighten. She was sure he cursed under his breath.
Eve took a firm hold of her male friend’s hand and brought him over to the group.
“Sorry, I forgot to mention that Freddie was going to join us tonight. I am sure it is alright with you all,” she announced.
From the way Will was grinding his jaw, Hattie knew Will was far from pleased.
“Oh, and who is this?” said Freddie, rudely pointing at Hattie.
She had been away from polite society for some time, but Hattie knew well enough that both Eve and Freddie were behaving poorly in public. From the look of disgust on both Francis and Caroline’s faces they were not impressed with such common behavior.
Will stepped in.
“Miss Harriet Wright, may I introduce the Honorable Frederick Rosemount. Frederick is the second son of Viscount Rosemount.”
Suddenly reminded of social expectations Freddie dipped into an elegant bow.
“At your service Miss Wright. You may call me Freddie. All my friends do.”
He was immaculately dressed, his coat cut to fit snuggly against his shoulders and chest. His bright red waistcoat which was finished with gold buttons screamed for everyone’s attention. As she observed him Hattie noticed he kept shifting his stance. It was clear he was trying to find the best pose with which to impress the other members of the party. The only person who seemed to think he was anything but a pompous ass was Eve, who inexplicably hung on his every word.
He was a tad too polished and smooth for Hattie’s liking. If he wasn’t the son of a viscount, she would have picked him for a conman.
The group walked on through the crowded park. Everywhere she looked there were different forms of entertainment to entice and delight.
Hundreds of lamps which hung from trees and poles lit the way. The soft light they threw out gave the entire gardens an almost fairy land appearance. Hattie was enchanted.
“This reminds me of when we visited St. Michael’s cave. It is like another world,” she whispered to Will.
He looked up into the trees and then looking down at her smiled.
“Yes. Let us hope there are no monkeys.”
They stopped for a few minutes and watched a juggler who managed to have five supposedly loaded pistols in the air at the one time. As the juggler caught the last of the pistols, he fired it into the air. The crowd gasped and then loudly applauded.
“Do not try that at home Francis,” said Will.
Francis caught his brother’s jest and laughed.
“Lord no. Far too dangerous. I shall only use three pistols.”
They walked on following the flowing crowd as it moved along the main path. Finally, they reached a large grassy clearing. Dotted around the edges of the clearing were a series of private boxes. Will retrieved a ticket out of his pocket and led them to the private box he had booked.
The women retired to a soft overstuffed couch and got settled. Will meanwhile, beckoned to a nearby waiter. After a short conversation, the waiter headed off. He returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with glasses of champagne which he set down in front of the group.
Will picked up a glass and handed it to Hattie. Their fingers touched as she took a hold of the glass. The sensation of touching his skin reminded her as to why Will had invited her this evening. He had plans for them to be forever touching skin.
Hattie blushed when she saw Will lick his bottom lip. She remembered all the wicked things that tongue and lips had done to her body.
As she took her first sip of the champagne, she smiled. Miranda was right, it had been too long since she had had any fun. No matter how things eventually ended with Will, tonight she would make every effort to enjoy herself. It would be a night for making pleasant memories.
Eve downed two glasses of champagne in quick succession, earning herself a brotherly rebuke from Francis. Freddie, Hattie noted, stood to one side, and let her do as she pleased. When she called for a third drink, Will reached over and took her glass out of her hand.
“I think you should take it a little slower Eve, the night is still young,” he cautioned.
Hattie was surprised to see a pout appear on Eve’s lips. She seemed determined to take her brother to task over some unknown slight.
“Don’t think that just because you have come back to London that you have any right to tell me what to do Will. I am a grown woman. I shall decide if I want another glass of champagne, not you,” replied Eve.
To Hattie’s surprise, Freddie stepped in at this point and attempted to calm things down.
“Now Will my good chap, how about I take Eve for a turn around the gardens. The fresh air might return her to good humor. Rest assured we shall remain in full public sight on the main paths.”
Hattie knew the look on Will’s face all too well. It was his, “I would love to punch you in the throat, but society won’t let me” look. They all knew he was being played, but Eve and Freddie were masters of getting their own way.
“Fifteen minutes no longer, or Francis and I shall come looking for you,” Will ground out.
Eve’s demeanor immediately changed and she took hold of Freddie’s arm, half dragging him out of the supper box and toward the nearest path.
My Gentleman Spy (The Duke of Strathmore Book 5) Page 21