by Ivy Brooke
When she entered the foyer, she found Mr. Cole reading a letter. He grumbled something she could not decipher, then crumpled up the letter and threw it underfoot angrily. Concerned, she asked if anything was wrong. He only spat back that it was none of her business and stormed up the stairs. He had left the crumpled paper behind, so she picked it up; she had no intention of chasing after him to return it, but had planned to at least put it away somewhere. But driven by curiosity, she opened the letter and smoothed it out. It was a very short message:
Mr. Henry Cole,
I highly suggest you consider leaving town, if you do not desire for me to expose
what you are to the whole of your relations and neighbors.
Most Sincerely,
P. R. A.
Upon hearing footsteps, she crumpled up the letter again. Looking up, she saw Mr. Cole rushing back down the stairs. Seeing her with the balled-up letter in hand, he glared at her in cold suspicion and, without a word, took the paper and disappeared up the stairs again. Imogene only stared after him, trying to understand what the letter might have meant; but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Nell crying. Remembering herself, she went outside and saw Nell standing by the door, coated in mud, crying. Imogene assured her friend that all would be well and walked with her to her room to clean and change, making sure no one saw her along the way. By the time they were ready to return to the ball, the Cartwrights were all assembled in the foyer, heading out the door. Imogene joined them, agreeing that she did not want to go back in front of all the other guests after what Anthony had done.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Imogene visited Emmeline in her room that night to tell her about the letter she had found.
"Did Mr. Cole act oddly when he danced with you?" she asked her younger sister.
"Well, no," Emmeline recalled. "I mean, he acted as he always does; you know..." She whispered, as though uttering forbidden words: "Not very amiable."
"You should not be so afraid of censuring him, sister; everyone knows he is a cold, disagreeable man. I can well imagine what a man like him could be hiding."
"But it does not concern us. We should just forget about it."
"Yes, I suppose so..." though her tone suggested that it would not be soon forgotten. "Has a date been set for the wedding?"
"The coming Sunday after tomorrow."
"So soon? That does not give us much time."
"What do you mean?"
Imogene smiled. "Answer me first how long you will stay here after the wedding before moving to Mr. Butler's estate."
"Only one week. Why? What have you planned?"
"Well, you know we are having an assembly the day before you leave to see you off."
"And...?"
"I thought it would be nice to do one more activity together as a family, and I've just finished reading Henry IV: Part One..."
"Oh, I am sure if..."
"It would be wonderful! We can rehearse, then perform it at the assembly!"
"Do I have to learn all my lines?"
"No; we will have only two weeks, half of which will be used to plan the wedding, no doubt."
"Does Henry IV have a large cast?"
"Well, the Butlers would help out, of course, and I was thinking of the Coles as well. If we cannot get enough people for it, I shall choose a more accommodating play."
Getting caught up in her sister's playful mood, Emmeline dared to tease, "So then you and Mr. Phillip Cole can play the romantic leads?"
"No, of course not. Any romantic roles would be occupied by you and Mr. Butler, of course."
"What about you and the younger Mr. Cole? You spent a lot of time together at the ball."
Imogene only chuckled at her sister's teasing and bid her "good-night" as she went off to bed.
------
After church the next morning, Imogene sat down to write to all her friends and family, appealing to them to be in the play. She had thought about asking the Archers as well, but since they would not be invited to the wedding, she decided that it would probably not do to invite them to the assembly. Besides, she felt able to assemble a full cast already; she discussed it with her own family that morning, and though Mrs. Cartwright did not wish to be a part of it, everyone else was anxious to begin.
That afternoon, she received a letter from Mr. Campbell. She had actually forgotten all about him until that moment. Tearing off the wax seal, she opened it up to read it.
Dear Ms. Cartwright,
I think it best to discuss the matter when we next meet at your sister's wedding. It
greatly distresses me; I only wanted to use part of my generous inheritance to assist in
making you a true lady, but I now find that such an idea was foolish. It would be in vain
to wait for when you may be ready for marriage—it is evident now that the day will never
come. I sincerely wish you happiness in your decision.
Best Regards,
Mr. Rupert Campbell
Imogene hardly knew what to make of the letter. He seemed to resign to her decision, yet
what was there left to discuss? It was all in the hands of their barristers now. Then his comment on how foolish he was in trying to make her a lady—did he mean that she was beyond hope, or that she never needed improvement? The final phrase was vague as well—did he mean that she would never be ready for marriage of any kind, or that she would simply never marry him? It left her feeling slightly vexed and almost desirous to speak with him, for then his tone could decipher his feelings for her. At any rate, the letter did clearly state his intention of arranging a breach of betrothal, which was all she really needed to know.
She had just finished reading her letter when a servant announced the arrival of Phillip. He had come on behalf of his sister who was still out of spirits from what had happened at the ball, and he had hope that Imogene visiting her would cheer his sister up. She was only too happy to accept the invitation.
The carriage ride was wonderful as she rode alone with Phillip into town.
"How are you liking Bath, sir?" she asked.
"Very much. Living in the country is also rather enjoyable, but I felt it was time to try a change of pace."
"That is the benefit of living in our neighborhood—all the comfort of the country, but still all the convenience of being near town. But what about London? Did it not strike your interest?"
"Perhaps it did once, but since coming here, I am sure I have made the better decision."
"I am glad to hear it. Regret is a horrible contribution to one's life."
"Do you regret anything?"
"Regarding a time as early as last night, I believe you could guess my answer."
"You have no reason to regret. Though if I may dare, I do regret ordering the wine for the ball."
"You have no reason to regret that, for what my brother did was not your fault."
"No more than your own, you see? I would hate for you recall last night with regret."
She could not help but smile. "I have no regrets on that score, sir."
He smiled in return. "I am glad to hear it."
Trying to think of more to say, she told him about her idea of performing Henry IV. "More is explained in the letter I sent," she finished.
"That is a splendid idea! A quite heroic undertaking, considering the large cast, but it would be wonderful if it worked out. Henry IV was my father's favorite—although it did help that his own name was Henry. I am not sure that my brother Henry could help you out, however."
"Would he not like it?"
"Actually, he would like it very well. After our father passed on, he took on the art of reading aloud to all of us. However, he is no longer in town. I tried to persuade him to stay, but he desired to return to his estate farther out in the country."
Imogene's mind immediately turned to the letter she found. "How was he when he left?"
"He seemed rather agitated; probably anxious to return home. He is more accu
stomed to the country air and the solitude. He is more himself there; crowds have always made him uncomfortable. I suppose you have noticed that about him, though."
"It is difficult to ignore," she put as delicately as she could.
"I have often tried to get him more involved with society, but...my persuasions often have the opposite effect."
Imogene then felt compelled to defend Mr. Cole—she was reminded of Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Barton trying to persuade her into a society that she was not comfortable with. "I suppose I can understand his behavior to some degree. After all, if he is so accustomed to solitude, city life would be quite difficult to adapt to."
"Yes, I believe you are right."
Imogene was rather disappointed that Mr. Cole had left town, not only for the sake of her play scheme, but she was also hoping to find out more about his situation—who P.R.A. was, and what Mr. Cole had in his past that would make him subject to such blackmail.
Nell was excessively pleased that her friend Imogene came to visit. Imogene told her about her Henry IV scheme, and Nell became so excited that she gathered all in the house together to perform a very rough attempt at The Merry Wives of Windsor with the servants as audience. They each had to take on multiple roles, and depended entirely on their books, but everyone had a grand time. Imogene could not stop smiling all the way back home.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Over the next couple days, Imogene received letters back in response to her play proposal. In the end, her cast consisted of: her father, brother, and sister; Mr. and Mrs. Butler, Mr. Thomas Butler, and Jane; Mrs. Cole, Mr. Phillip Cole, and Nell. Going back into her books of Shakespeare plays she had read, she realized with sadness that Henry IV would not be possible, so she settled on A Midsummer Night's Dream. She was rather disappointed, but nonetheless still thought it would be a good diversion for them all, so she wrote back to all of them, stating the play of choice and which roles she would like them to take. She also explained that due to cast limitations, aside from the scenes already being cut for time, the scenes with the theatre players would also be cut, and only Bottom would remain. So she designed the cast list as such:
Lysander: Mr. Thomas Butler
Demetrius: Mr. Phillip Cole
Hermia: Ms. Emmeline Cartwright
Helena: Ms. Jane Butler
Oberon: Mr. Amos Cartwright
Titiana: Mrs. Amelia Cole
Puck: Ms. Imogene Cartwright
Theseus: Mr. William Butler
Hippolyta: Mrs. Fiona Butler
Egeus: Mr. Amos Cartwright
Faeries: Ms. Nell Cole
Bottom: Mr. Anthony Cartwright
Admittedly, she did not much care to do A Midsummer Night's Dream (to her, it was an unfashionably popular play). However, she was greatly looking forward to assuming the role of the impish Puck (and not to mention seeing her brother as the donkey-headed Bottom). The Butler family visited nearly every day for wedding plans, which was perfect for rehearsing. The Cole family could not visit as often, but came at least three times in a week to rehearse. Imogene began to use the play as a means to avoid thinking of the upcoming wedding—after Emmeline left the house, only her father would remain to give Imogene any comfort or relief from her mother and brother. And it was easy to get distracted, as everyone was having a grand time with the play and enjoying one another's company.
Finally, the wedding day came. It was a beautiful ceremony with the church decorated all in white, and the sky was clear and sunny. But no matter how beautiful the day, no matter how amiable the groom, no matter how happy Emmeline was, Imogene found it difficult to be happy. After so many years of Emmeline being dependent upon her, she came to realize how much Imogene depended upon her sister to be there for her.
When it came time for the reception back at their house, however, she could not help but smile as she once again enjoyed the company of all those around her, including aunts and uncles and younger cousins whom she had not seen in a long while. She danced with all the young men until her feet were feeling worn and she had to sit down. And no sooner had she sat down than Mr. Campbell approached her.
"Good day, madam," he greeted.
Turning her head to see him, she replied, "Good day, cousin."
"You stated in your letter that you wanted to discuss something."
"Actually, I believe it was you who stated that discussion was necessary. What was it you wanted to discuss?"
"The terms of the breach of betrothal."
"I want only my freedom."
"You are entitled to some money."
"I do not want any money, I do not want anything from you."
He took a deep breath, preventing himself from getting angered. "Then are you going to return the things I gave you?"
"What things?"
"The day of our betrothal, I have you a locket. When you became twelve, I gave you that signet ring you are wearing."
Imogene looked down at her signet ring. Until then, she had completely forgotten that he had given it to her. As for the locket, she had no recollection of it all and expected it was buried in her jewelry box. "You are right; you shall have them back." She took off the signet ring, but hesitated, thinking of how it was the only thing she had to seal her letters with. Nonetheless stubborn, she handed it over to him. "I will return shortly with the locket."
Retreating to her room upstairs, she sifted through her jewelry box and found the locket at the very bottom. It was a golden chain with an ivory white cameo on a black setting. Inside the locket was inscribed the day their betrothal was set. Anxious to remove the abhorred symbol from her room, she immediately returned downstairs to Mr. Campbell and handed it over. He glanced over it briefly before pocketing it with the signet ring.
"I apologize for having so troubled you, Ms. Cartwright."
"Let us simply go back to being only cousins, sir. It is better that way for the both of us."
"The breach of betrothal will be finalized on Wednesday, madam. I will write you as soon as it is settled."
"Thank you, sir." With that, he went to speak with her father, and she remained in her chair, watching her sister dance with her new husband.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"What is this I have heard about a breach of betrothal?" Mrs. Cartwright started severely. It was the day after the reception, and Mr. Cartwright had just informed her of the news he had gotten from Mr. Campbell.
"I cannot tell you what you have heard, mama," Imogene replied snidely. "Perhaps if you told me what you have heard, then I can answer your question."
Mr. Cartwright gave his daughter a gentle caution with his eyes, warning her that showing such attitude to her mother would not be wise at that time.
Though Mrs. Cartwright was already in such a temper that any tone of voice was lost in her thoughts. "Your father has informed me that Mr. Campbell is arranging for a breach of betrothal with you."
Imogene maintained her dark mood, coolly replying, "And who did father hear that news from?"
"Mr. Campbell."
"If Mr. Campbell said it himself, then it must be true. What more do you need to hear, mother?"
"It was your doing, was it not, Imogene?"
"It was a mutual scheme, mother; it would not be legal otherwise."
"But you drove him to accept the idea!"
"I drove him? I drove him?" Imogene could not speak further, for she knew all in the room would regret it if she did.
"And I suppose after such humiliation as you have created upon yourself, there is no hope of him returning to the idea. I shall have to find someone else. It is embarrassing enough that Emmeline has married before her elder sister; someone new must be found soon before rumors begin. Both Mr. Coles are bachelors, are they not? And reasonably well-off..."
"Mother!" Not that Imogene was entirely opposed to thinking of Mr. Phillip as a prospective husband, but she would be cruelly humiliated if her mother went to him to suggest a betrothal.
"Mr. Cartwright, write to M
r. Cole in the country and invite him to supper as soon as ever he may come."
At the mention of the elder Mr. Cole, Imogene flashed her father a look, pleading desperately for help. He immediately obliged his daughter, "You cannot mean Mr. Henry Cole, my dear. You mean Mr. Phillip Cole who lives in town, of course."
"No indeed. The elder Mr. Cole has the greater division of the property and finances. Though now I think of it, never mind writing him. He has already been invited to attend the assembly at the end of the week."
Imogene bowed her head into her hands. Her mother would be dropping hints to Mr. Cole about betrothal all night long, and in the company of dozens of other people—including Mr. Phillip. But after a deep breath, she began to relax. After all, Mr. Cole would not possibly want to accept such a scheme.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
For that week, Imogene did nothing but pour over her lines and rehearse for the play. She rarely saw Emmeline who was always with her new husband, shopping and preparing for the move to their new home. Imogene kept to her room for the most part, feeling that her sister had been stolen from her, but knew very well there was nothing she could do about it. She was tired of the feeling, thinking herself selfish and immature, but she could not help it. Her letter from Mr. Campbell granted her a slightly better mood, now knowing that all was settled and they were back to being no more than cousins.
The assembly took place in the city where they could use a more spacious room, appropriate for their play performance. During the carriage ride, Imogene tried to get her feelings in order. She was excited for the play and would be happy to see her friends and Mr. Phillip again, yet her sister would be leaving, and her mother would be speaking to Mr. Cole about a possible betrothal. However, just as she stepped into the gathering room, she firmly settled herself on being relaxed, letting go, and just having a pleasant evening.