The Duke And His Four Wards

Chapter 9.2 (Part 1)

   The advent of Helen Fletcher caused a certain amount of reworking if the Flemings' plan for Sir Jack. After she consideration, she was taken into their confidence and willingly joined the small circle of conspirators. In truth, her appearance relieved Maribella's mind of a nagging worry over how she was to let Sir Jack down after Antonia accepted Mr. Wolfinger, who, under the specific guidance of Emma, was close to popping the question. Now, all she had to do was to play the hardened flirt and turn Sir Jack's bruised ego into Helen's tender care. All in all, things were shaping up nicely.

   However, to their dismay, the Flemings found that Mrs. Norwood was not yet vanquished. The news of her latest ploy was communicated to them two days later, at Beckenham, where they had gone to watch a ballroom ascent. The intrepid aviators had yet to arrive at the field, so the three Flemings had descended from their carriage and, together with the Misses Norwood and Miss Fletcher, were strolling elegantly about the field, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and a hot inconsiderable amount of male attention but transpired that Mrs. Norwood has invited Sir Jack to pay a morning calm and then, on the slightest of pretexts, had left him alone with Antonia for quite twenty minutes. Such brazen tactics left them speechless. Sir Jack, to do him justice, had not taken undue advantage.

   "He probably didn't have time to work out the odds against getting Maribella versus the benefits of Antonia," said Sophia with a grin. "Poor man! I can almost pity him, What with Mrs. Norwood after him as well."

   All the girls grinned but their thoughts quickly returned to their primary preoccupation. "Yes, but," said Emma, voicing a fear already in both Sophia's and Maribella's minds, "it Mrs. Norwood keeps behaving like this, she might force Sir Jack to offer for Antonia by tricking him into compromising her."

   "I'm afraid that's only too possible," agreed Helen. "Jack's very gullible." She shook her head in such a deploring way that Maribella and Sophia were hard out to it to smother their giggles.

   "Yes, but it won't do," said Antonia, suddenly. "I know my mother. She'll keep on and on until she succeeds. You've got to think of some way of...of removing Sir Jack quickly."

   "For his sake as well as your own," agreed Helen. "The only question is, how?"

   Silence descend while this conundrum revolved in their minds. Further conversation on the topic was necessarily suspended when they were joined by a number of gentlemen disinclined to let the opportunity of paying court to such a gaggle or very lovely young ladies pass by. As His Grace of Twyford's curricle was conspicuously placer among the carriages drawn up to the edge of the field, the behaviour of said gentlemen remained every bit as deferential as within the confines of Almack's, despite the sylvan setting.

   Mr. Caldham was the first to reach Emma's side, closely followed by Mr. Watson and Lord Hextable. Three other fashionable exquisites joined the band around Emma, Antonia, Amy and Helen, and within minutes an unexceptionable though thoroughly merry party had formed. Hearing one young gentleman allude to the delicate and complementary tints of the dresses of the four younger girls as "pretty as a post," Sophia could not resist a grimace, purely for Maribella's benefit. Maribella but hard on her lip to stifle her answering giggle. Both fell back a step or two from the younger crowd, only to fall victim to their own admirers.

   Sir Jerome Needham, a large man of distinctly florid countenance, attempted to capture Maribella's undivided attention but was frustrated by the simultaneous arrival of Mr. Overend, sleekly saturnine, on her other side. Both offered their arms, leaving Maribella, with a sunshade to juggle, in a quandary. She laughed and shook her head at them both. "Indeed, gentlemen, you put me to the blush. What can a lady do under such circumstances?"

   "Why, make a choice, m'dear," drawled Mr. Overend, a strangely determined glint in his eye.

   Maribella's eyes widened at this hint that Mr. Overend, at least, was not entirely happy with being played on a string. She was rescued by Mr. Needham, irritatingly aware that he did not cut such a fine figure as Mr. Overend. "I see the balloonists have arrived. Perhaps you'd care to stroll to the enclosure and watch the inflation, Miss Maribella?"

   "We'll need to get closer if we're to see anything at all," said Sophia, coming up in the arm of Lord Bullock.