Not yet.
“Speaking of Edith,” Tony commented, deftly changing the subject, “have any decisions been made? Georgie didn’t say.”
“That’s a first,” came a muffled muttering from Cam’s general vicinity.
Was it? Interesting.
“She’s having Amelia Perry stay with her,” Henshaw informed them. “I believe she arrived yesterday.”
“I can’t believe the Perrys agreed to that.” Cam shook his head. “I like Amelia a great deal, but this is just putting another woman in harm’s way. Do her parents have the details?”
Henshaw shrugged. “All I’ve been told is that they know what they need to. Amelia is very determined.”
Graham shook his head firmly. “I’ve heard of widows of a young age hiring a companion for themselves, and even of sponsoring younger ladies for a Season. But this? It’s certainly not… orthodox.” He winced at the word, wondering if his opinion would be taken as passing judgment when it was never intended as such.
But it only led to a round of chuckles. “Welcome to life with the Spinsters, Radcliffe. With a capital S, mind.”
“Noted.” He looked around at them again. “Is this really the best option?”
“Of course not,” Tony replied without missing a beat. “It’s only the easiest.”
Now that was most certainly not true, and he took no pains to adjust his facial expression to claim otherwise. “Surely, it would be easier to install Lady Edith into someone else’s home,” he said flatly. “She would undoubtedly be safer, and no one else would be put into a potentially harmful situation.”
“Sir Reginald would find that suspect,” Henshaw told him. “Edith hasn’t made a point of staying with anybody else since her arrival in London.”
“So, take her out of London.” Really, was it so difficult to put these pieces together? “Surely, not everyone in this group thrives upon being in London for the Season.”
Tony’s mouth curved in an almost smile. “You forget one thing, Radcliffe.”
Graham turned his attention to the smug captain. “Do I?”
“Edith is looking for security and protection among Society. She is making concentrated efforts to increase her social appearances and take up more engagements.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, seeming amused by something Graham did not understand. “Taking her out of London defeats that purpose quite soundly.”
“She joined Grace and me in Derbyshire after Christmas,” Ingram pointed out. “I’ve never seen her happier. She joined us in the evenings, regaled us with stories from Scotland, walked the estate despite the cold, painted daily. She even snuck down to the kitchens in the middle of the night.”
Cam coughed in surprise. “How the blazes do you know that, Aubrey?”
Ingram grinned without shame. “I was doing the same. Bit awkward to be seen in my nightshirt and dressing gown by a guest in my home, but we had a laugh over it. She would get out of London in an instant if she could; she belongs out in the country in a quiet estate. The fact that she is remaining in London and going out in Society is proof enough of her commitment.”
The image of Lady Edith Leveson sneaking around a country estate in her nightclothes was not one that would leave Graham’s mind any time soon. He swallowed and shifted in his seat, trying to do so as unobtrusively as possible.
Did Edith wander about with her hair down or plaited?
Graham shook his head slightly, forcing the impertinent thought back. There was no point in dwelling on that question, though the idea of her dark, treacle-colored tresses waving down her back in loose curls did have a certain appeal.
Curses…
“The point is,” Ingram went on, blessedly taking Graham out of a deadly whirlpool of imaginings, “we can’t take her out of London, and she would refuse to move into one of our houses purely to spare us Sir Reginald.”
“Let him come to my house,” Cam growled, sounding like the man prone to fighting he was reputed to be.
Suddenly, Graham saw the man in a whole new light and made a note never to anger him.
Graham was a man of above-average height and an athletic build, but he would be no match for Camden Vale.
Tony sighed, ignoring Cam’s dark invitation. “At least with Amelia staying with her, Edith will be sure to garner a few more invitations than she might have done on her own. Amelia is very popular, and the Perrys well-respected; once word gets out of the friendship, Edith will be invited absolutely everywhere.”
“Good.” Henshaw nodded, taking a long drink from his glass. “Rumors already fly about her, so we will need to see that she is seen in the right company and under favorable circumstances. Sir Reginald will likely object to all of it and start his own rumors about her. That won’t help Edith make connections.”
Graham glanced at the man in surprise. “So, we are trying to get her a husband? I thought Miss Wright’s idea was vetoed.”
“We?” Tony repeated with raised brows. “You’re joining in?”
Apparently so. It had been clear to Graham the moment he’d exchanged nods with Edith, but he hadn’t admitted such until this moment. He was committed now. He lifted a shoulder in a shrug.
“Ingram brought me in, and I feel honor-bound to see this through.”
“Good man.” Henshaw thumped his back once. “And no, not getting her a husband. We’re not going to force anything, but if Edith happens to form a connection with a gentleman of whom we approve…”
Graham rolled his eyes and rested his elbows on the table. “Surely, there’s another way to keep her protected. Or why not just marry her yourself, Henshaw? You seem close enough to her already; it would be a comfortable match.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he hated the idea. It was the simplest of all the ideas yet, but it was undoubtedly the most distasteful one.
Funny, that.
Henshaw grunted once. “I offered already.”
“You did?” at least three of them asked.
He nodded. “Before I knew the situation in its entirety. I call on her once a week, you know, to check on things and make sure she wants for nothing. I know how comfortable the match would be, and likely it would be exceptional. But she refused, and it is for the best.”
“Is it?” Tony asked with more interest than Graham would have thought. “I would have sworn the two of you were destined. Georgie and I have wagered on it.”
Henshaw glowered at his friend. “What have I told you about making matches for me? I respect Edith immensely. It would be a good marriage, but it is not to be, and both of us are happier that it is so.”
“I bet you are,” Ingram murmured under his breath, smiling at something Graham didn’t catch, and Cam snickered alongside him.
Tony, it seemed, was just as clueless. “What was that?” he asked.
Ingram waved it off. “Nothing. So, we’re not getting Henshaw down the aisle, and Edith will be out and about, which could also give Sir Reginald more chances to make trouble. How do we account for that?”
“Ensure one of us is present at each event?” Tony suggested. “We can keep an eye on Edith and intervene where and when it is necessary.”