The Purchased Peer

by Giselle Marks

  Xavier was satisfied with his own choice of a golden brocade waistcoat which blended so well with her choice of gown. He had dressed plainly as usual in black coat and breeches with a white shirt and cravat. He preferred a thicker band of lace at his cuffs than was now fashionable, but his stockings were plain and his dancing shoes had only small buckles. Apart from his seal ring and the emerald pin he wore no other jewellery. The tailor he had patronised had offered a discount, because his proportions were so perfect to display his artistry, although the tailor would have preferred him to choose some more fashionable details to his quietly cut evening dress, but had nothing to complain of when he had seen the final garments fitted. Xavier had been embarrassed by the effusive compliments he had made about the magnificence of the earl’s body.

  Hodges preened himself over his master’s appearance and was pleased that after so long his efforts would be seen on a grander stage. A man as handsome as Xavier Falconer deserved to be seen by the best of society, in Hodges’ opinion. Their carriage was unobstructed to Grosvenor Square and made good time. Sir Arthur and Lady Selena arrived with the press of carriages and he was thoroughly bad tempered about the slow crawl to allow everyone to make an entrance at the house.

  Mordecai Ferris rode on the back of the carriage dressed in the livery of a footman. He walked respectfully behind his master as he escorted Lady Selena into the house. Sally only just missed seeing them enter. Although Lady Selena was dressed in the height of fashion, the welcome she and Sir Arthur received from Lady Charlotte and her family was slightly frigid. Lady Charlotte had not known about Selena’s note to Xavier, but it was known that she disliked Sir Arthur and allowed him only the barest of civility. For Selena to have chosen him as escort, showed a lack of taste and breeding in Lady Charlotte’s opinion. Selena’s name was mentally removed from further invitations, although Lady Charlotte made no mention of this future stricture.

  Lady Charlotte deplored the claret coat with mustard facings that Sir Arthur was wearing with a purple and yellow waistcoat. She believed it an offence to good taste as well as a fashion faux pas, but her dislike of the man went deeper than that. Unfortunately while he was received in most houses in London, she felt she could not really give him the cut direct. Sir Arthur smiled like an overfed cat licking the grease off his face. Celestina thought there was something unpleasant about his smile, but was pointedly polite. Once the majority of guests had arrived, Xavier started the first dance with Lady Charlotte while Celestina danced with Sir Felton Bathhurst. Both Xavier and Celestina were welcomed by society and Xavier jealously watched his wife dance with a number of his acquaintances, before he had a chance to dance with her himself.

  Lady Selena also had plenty of partners and danced flamboyantly flirting with them all. Xavier was wary she would try to single him out to try to persuade him to visit her again, but she seemed to be doing her best to avoid him beyond the reception line. So he relaxed and danced with a few of the wallflowers, who had not been found partners. He generously introduced his dancing partners to some unmarried men who had not been dancing, when they left the floor. If the gentlemen had not wished to dance, then he felt they should have disappeared into the card room as early as possible.

  Xavier watched Lady Selena dance, comparing her unfavourably with his wife. Her age was showing. The pink satin gown she wore with an over-gown of spotted white muslin trimmed with lace, beading and festooned with profusions of ribbons was perhaps more suited for an ingénue. Although he thought the plethora of ribbon knots on bodice and hem excessive for any evening dress, especially when worn with a diamond tiara, necklace, bracelets and earrings. Xavier’s distaste at Selena’s attire was contrasted with his enjoyment of Celestina’s success. He felt so proud of his wife. He declined a couple of invitations to make up a four in the card room and drank in moderation, procuring a glass of fruit punch for Celestina when she was allowed to leave the ballroom floor.

  It was hot in the ballroom from the press of bodies despite the chill of the night air outside. Xavier gave Celestina his arm as they wandered around the edges of the ballroom, to where windows were being carefully eased open to lessen the temperature. He tried to talk to her, but at every step they were being addressed by some former friend or other of Xavier’s. It was clear Xavier was popular with many in the ton and as they neared the windows, they were summoned over by Lady Agatha Dane, who was sitting among a group of older ladies, in the corner of the ballroom. Those ladies had been determinedly fanning themselves to create a little draft, whilst staring at the young people, with the air of ensuring they kept the line.

  “My lady, a warm evening for so early in the year is in not? Can I be of service, in fetching you something?” Xavier said to the lady who raised an eye glass and peered at him and Celestina.

  “You can introduce me to your wife, Falconer and then ask a footman to fetch some fruit punch for the ladies and I,” she gestured to include the other chaperones. Xavier politely made the introductions then Celestina was bid to sit beside Lady Dane who was resplendent in a burgundy ball gown trimmed with jet beads. Xavier went in search of a footman, having first counted the number of ladies in the group.

  Eventually Lady Dane put down the eye glass and said “you’ll do, gal. You’ve got a prize there in Xavier Falconer, the best of the bunch. He’ll never give you cause to regret marrying him.”

  “Thank you, my lady. I am proud of him,” Celestina declared somewhat put out by how the lady been surveying her.

  “And it is clear from how he looks as you, that he absolutely adores you. Look he is much more successful at catching the footmen’s eyes than I am, see he has already accomplished his task,” Lady Agatha stated satisfied as two footmen approached bearing trays of glasses of fruit punch for all the ladies. Xavier followed as the previous set of dances finished and the floor cleared briefly, before the orchestra struck up the introductory chords for the next set of dances. Once the ladies had all been served, Xavier bowed to his wife and led her onto the floor to join a set forming up for a cotillion.

  Xavier wanted to tell Celestina how well she had taken and how he admired how she had dealt with some of the more intrusive of his acquaintances, but as the dance started, there was no chance to converse. There was barely time to step through the measures, as the tune chosen was being played at a rollicking speed. They weaved their way around the other couples and got back into position, barely getting back to their places before they must start the next pattern. There was laughter as another set failed to manage to keep step and got tangled up, when some members forgot their steps.

  Celestina smiled back but she was beginning to feel a little short of breath as the music drove inexorably on. Another set towards the centre of the room seemed not to be taking the dancing seriously at all and had devolved into what was more a frenetic jig. Xavier however seemed to have no difficulty remembering the complexities of the measures and by carefully following the flow of the dance, Celestina managed to get to the end without stumbling or tripping another dancer. Xavier bowed over Celestina’s hand, bringing her hand to his lips, she curtseyed formally in response but as she rose she looked as his face and saw an impish expression, which told her he wanted to do far more to his wife, than kiss her hand. She blushed to the roots of her hair and he chuckled.

  Chapter Twenty-six – Blanche and Sally

  Sally’s note reached Blanche and she summoned a carriage and headed for Kittleton House, she entered by the servants’ entrance, but was informed that the Falconers had left some time before. She did not ask for messages to be taken to the earl but she was also informed that a red haired young lady had tried to leave a message, but had been refused. Correctly assuming that young lady would be Sally she heaved herself back up the stairs to her carriage and ordered her driver to head for Grosvenor Square. Blanche’s carriage drove past where Sally was keeping her gig’s horse calm despite the unusual amount of traffic. Blanche ordered her carriage to pull up behind it and she sent one of
two large young men whom she had brought with her, in addition to her driver to the head of Sally’s horse. Sally realising it was Blanche moved to her carriage and was handed up by the other burly young man Blanche had arrived with.

  “I know you went to Kittleton House first and were refused by that humbug of a butler,” Blanche stated.

  “They would not let me hand in a message to the earl here either, but I sent my footman with a note and I think he might succeed and will return soon.”

  They stared down the road and soon observed the young man trotting to return to the gig. He halted at Blanche’s carriage and reported a footman had promised to deliver the message and he had given him a florin as a sweetener. They wondered whether the note would reach the earl in time to prevent the attempted abduction. So they were considering whether they should go home or wait until they were sure no harm would come to Celestina. A large dark carriage moved down the road across from them it parked so it abutted the rear of Lady Charlotte’s house. On the box there was one large man bundled up in scarf, hat and overcoat with the collar up, even though it was not really a cold evening. No one got out of the carriage or got into it. Then a gate opened from the small kitchen garden at Lady Charlotte’s and a figure in black livery came out looking around to see if he was observed.

  Sally pointed out the man to Blanche, explaining it was Mordecai Ferris. He scuttled to the carriage and after knocking on the door, two very large men dressed in heavy dark clothes, with their lower faces covered by scarves followed him speedily to the rear of house. Sally and Blanche could not see what they were doing there, but watched the closed door to see what would happen.

  ***

  Celestina was hot and went to find her drink. She had left it on a small table before dancing the last set of dances. She looked around for Xavier and he smiled across at her from the other side of the ballroom, where he had been chatting to a couple of his friends. She picked up the drink and swallowed it down. Xavier left his friends and began to make his way back to her side. Celestina felt a little dizzy and looked around for Amy to escort her to the room reserved for ladies to repair to.

  Celestina could not see her dresser but another maid came over and helped her move toward the rest room. She walked fairly quickly with the maid’s assistance but she felt more and more dizzy. The distance seemed longer than she expected, but then the floor seemed to be getting nearer. Then she heard female voices, but could not make out what was being said. She recognised one as Lady Selena’s as both women almost dragged her along a corridor. A door must have opened because there was a refreshing blast of fresh air, but the revival was short and Celestina found herself tumbling into unconsciousness. As she was wrapped in a large dark greatcoat, she was lifted as the world went black and she knew nothing more.

  Lady Selena returned to the ballroom and nodded once to Sir Arthur who smiled back. It had been so easy to slip a sleeping draught into her drink in the crush of such a huge crowd. Another young man asked Selena to dance and soon she was skipping a graceful quadrille. Xavier had not been able to seen Celestina bustled away. He had seen her move but assumed she was heading for the ladies’ rest room. So he waited in the corridor for her to re-emerge. Some time passed and he asked a lady heading for the room to check whether his wife was all right, or if she had been overcome by the heat. He knew she was unused to society affairs and was worried about her because of her condition.

  ***

  Sally and Blanche’s relief at hearing from Sally’s footman-driver that the note would soon to be delivered, vanished as the two large men rushed from the gate carrying a bundled body with Mordecai Ferris at their heels. The men shoved the body into the waiting carriage and climbed in themselves, slamming the door behind them. The carriage was moving before the door was fully shut. Blanche and Sally exchanged glances and then acted.

  “He did not get the message quickly enough. We cannot risk her being left with those men for long. We will have to try to rescue her ourselves. Send your lad home with the gig and we will make sure my lady is all right,” Blanche stoutly declared. This was agreed on and Sally snuggled into a warm coach blanket next to Blanche, sitting opposite her two sturdy helpers. The men answered to Jack and Dan, though they called each other by nicknames which Sally could not explain. Blanche had a pretty good idea in which street to find number twenty-five. As they drove straight to the street, Sally recognised as the right one. Blanche dropped off Sally, together with Jack, to the rear lane behind the houses, before heading round to the front, with Dan and her driver.

  By carefully counting and slipping down the tiny muddy paths separating each group of houses, they located number twenty-five in a group of houses. Each had a closed high-fenced yard, the door to the gate of no twenty-five was bolted from inside. Jack shouldered the gate and the bolt popped open. There was not much light in the yard, which held an outhouse, which was used for laundry, and another, smaller one, for bodily relief. No one came rushing out at the noise from the breaking of the bolt, so Jack marched up to the back door and tried the door. That too was locked, but there was some noise from around the other side of the house, Blanche and Dan had reached the door and were hammering on it, yelling for admittance.

  Jack grinned at Sally and then put his shoulder to the door which survived only two heaves from him and they were in. They found themselves in a dark kitchen or scullery. They passed through an internal unlocked door and reached a corridor, one of the large men and the woman were inside the locked door. They had their backs to Jack and Sally and were telling Blanche on the other side of the door to go away.

  “Open up, you’ve put off paying my bill long enough. I’ll get the beak onto you, you salop… cochon!” Blanche was yelling and much more in that strain, while Dan appeared to be battering the door, lapsing into French invective as she screamed.

  “Hoi, I’s won’t be leavin’, ‘til you’s paid what’s owing… No use ‘iding in there, I knows you’s in there!” Blanche continued.

  Blanche and Dan were making a huge racket. Jack moved forward silently behind them and now had a small club in his hand. It swung from a leather loop. For a big man he moved very quietly, for the man was falling before the woman even realised she was at any risk. She let out one yell and tried to move out of the way, but in the cramped quarters of the corridor, she was easily tripped by Sally.

  The moment she was on the ground Sally sat on her and began ripping strips from the woman’s grubby petticoat with which to muffle and bind her and the unconscious man. As soon as they were sufficiently restrained, Jack unlocked and unbolted the front door letting in Dan. Blanche merely blocked the doorway, but continued to demand payment loudly. She watched over the two incapacitated felons, holding a similar weapon to Jack’s in her hand. Dan and Jack checked the rooms leading off from the corridor. One room which was furnished with a table and a few chairs had a lantern and a fire lit, but no occupants. Blanche entered and closed the door behind her.

  ***

  The maid returned to Xavier with the information that Celestina was not inside the withdrawing room. He knew Celestina had not really been looking forward to attending the ball and hoped that she had merely taken the carriage home early. However he was surprised she had not left him a message, to say she was leaving and going home. He sought out his great aunt and asked whether Celestina had made her goodbyes, because he could not find her anywhere. Lady Charlotte denied it was so, but had been informed that a red haired woman had tried to have a message sent to him and been refused by her butler. Xavier sent a message to his carriage driver, who was still in place and had received no communications that he should prepare to take his mistress home.

  Finally the footman who had been given the written message by Sally’s driver found him and handed over his missive.

  My Lord,

  I be sorry for having to trouble you, but I’m Sally from the Feathers near your estate. I ain’t want to cause you any embarrassment. Over the last few months I have seen a lot
of Mr Hector Browne and he proposed marriage and brought me to London town. However he wants to turn me into something like a lady and I ain’t comfortable with it. So I likes to escape from the servants he haves give me and I’s goes to some inns where I feel more at home. I met a lady known as Blanche. We realised we was both acquainted with you and she told me about the shooting at your lady.

  She told me you was seeking the investor behind a chandlery firm who you believed behind the attack on your lady and other felonies. I happened to be walking along by the back entrances to Hanover Square, where a foppish gent’lman was saying goodbye to a blonde fancy piece. He called her Selena and she called him Arthur. The man Arthur had a servant called Mordecai Ferris hanging about. I did not take much notice except she had lovely diamonds on with her dressing gown until they mentioned your title. The man said as how he would escort the blonde to Lady Charlotte’s ball tonight. There they would arrange for your countess to be carried off. He said something about her being unable to hold her head up in society after the disgrace.

  I followed the servant to a house which was in a road leading north from Northeston Road and was I believe numbered twenty-five. I hope this is in time to prevent her abduction. The blonde is in on the scheme. I wish you and your lady safe and happy.