retire to Sidley House for the nonce. But by tomorrow I shall have
made a miraculous recovery.”
“A veritable Lazarus,” Vaughn muttered. Even in the
limited glow of the carriage lights, Sidley could see how
grim he still looked.
“I will call ‘round at the Formsbys’ tomorrow and
make my apologies, Vaughn.”
“You should be making your farewells.”
Sidley shrugged. “Certainly I can no longer entertain
the notion of offering for Lady Katherine. I cannot wed
a woman who shrieks so.”
“Perhaps she mustn’t suffer a husband who swoons
so”
As Benny laughed again, Vaughn continued to hold
Sidley’s amused gaze. “It is not Lady Katherine you
must bid adieu, as you well know, Lee. You’re too much
the gentleman to sport with Miss Ware. You are far
from insensible. You heard her tonight.”
“Yes,” Sidley said. “She’s very kind-”
“‘Kind’? Don’t play with her, Sidley. Let her spend
her sympathies on her lieutenant. No doubt they make a
charming couple. Be wise enough to take your own advice, else I shall ignore it as well”
“Fair enough, Vaughn.” Sidley sighed. “But the girl is
invited to Aldersham. What would you have me do about
that?”
Vaughn shot him a dark look and shook his head.
“Do not go to Aldersham,” he suggested.
“We could run on down to Brighton instead!” Benny
urged. “Tip Newell and Percy Rutherford went down
last week, along with-”
“We are promised to my aunt,” Sidley reminded them.
“Aldersham it is. I believe I can be dismissive enough to
Miss Ware in my own home, with a dozen others about”
“Or private enough,” Vaughn suggested.
“I promise you, Vaughn, after tomorrow’s call, Miss
Ware shall have such an aversion to me, she shan’t wish
to remain within thirty paces.”
The next day they were so dutifully early to pay a
call upon the Formsby household that the ladies were
not yet available to receive them. Sidley had taken
special care with his toilette, being most particular to
discard some of his habitual powder, thus improving
his outward appearance of health. Intending to abide by
his promise to Vaughn, he had also taken care to dress
elaborately enough to raise Miss Ware’s disapproving
eyebrows-though, as he remembered, she had rather
nice eyebrows, and he saw no reason to mimic the impudent coxcombs he found so trying.
They were shown into a small front parlor, one obviously rarely used for company, as the ladies’ sewing baskets were neatly arrayed to one side of a cold hearth. The
gentlemen could hear the preparations for visitors in the
drawing room across the hall; undoubtedly the clearing
up from the previous night’s ball required that callers
be diverted temporarily from any lingering evidence of
revelry.
“They might at least have lit the fire,” Benny grumbled.
“We are rather early, Benny,” Sidley told him affably, ..and it is not cold” His gaze had settled on a pair of
painted landscapes above the room’s fine spinet. He
walked over to take a closer look. The neat signature
M. Ware did not surprise him.
“They are good,” Vaughn commented at his side.
“She paints like a man.”
“She paints better than a man, Vaughn. She paints with
the best” Again he concentrated on the perfect watercolors. “These are exquisite.”
He heard Vaughn’s sigh and turned to him with a
quizzical brow. “What is the problem?”
“You, Sidley. You are the problem. Tell me that you
have not just abandoned your good intentions.” When
Sidley stayed silent, Vaughn charged, “You are supposed
to be dying. You might act it.”
“Vaughn!” He watched Vaughn walk to a corner across
the room, where another painting commanded attention.
Sidley wished for better light in which to judge the oil,
but the beauty of the piece would have been discernible
even in the worst surroundings. Depicting the city from
across the river, in a scene reminiscent of the prints
made a miraculous recovery.”
“A veritable Lazarus,” Vaughn muttered. Even in the
limited glow of the carriage lights, Sidley could see how
grim he still looked.
“I will call ‘round at the Formsbys’ tomorrow and
make my apologies, Vaughn.”
“You should be making your farewells.”
Sidley shrugged. “Certainly I can no longer entertain
the notion of offering for Lady Katherine. I cannot wed
a woman who shrieks so.”
“Perhaps she mustn’t suffer a husband who swoons
so”
As Benny laughed again, Vaughn continued to hold
Sidley’s amused gaze. “It is not Lady Katherine you
must bid adieu, as you well know, Lee. You’re too much
the gentleman to sport with Miss Ware. You are far
from insensible. You heard her tonight.”
“Yes,” Sidley said. “She’s very kind-”
“‘Kind’? Don’t play with her, Sidley. Let her spend
her sympathies on her lieutenant. No doubt they make a
charming couple. Be wise enough to take your own advice, else I shall ignore it as well”
“Fair enough, Vaughn.” Sidley sighed. “But the girl is
invited to Aldersham. What would you have me do about
that?”
Vaughn shot him a dark look and shook his head.
“Do not go to Aldersham,” he suggested.
“We could run on down to Brighton instead!” Benny
urged. “Tip Newell and Percy Rutherford went down
last week, along with-”
“We are promised to my aunt,” Sidley reminded them.
“Aldersham it is. I believe I can be dismissive enough to
Miss Ware in my own home, with a dozen others about”
“Or private enough,” Vaughn suggested.
“I promise you, Vaughn, after tomorrow’s call, Miss
Ware shall have such an aversion to me, she shan’t wish
to remain within thirty paces.”
The next day they were so dutifully early to pay a
call upon the Formsby household that the ladies were
not yet available to receive them. Sidley had taken
special care with his toilette, being most particular to
discard some of his habitual powder, thus improving
his outward appearance of health. Intending to abide by
his promise to Vaughn, he had also taken care to dress
elaborately enough to raise Miss Ware’s disapproving
eyebrows-though, as he remembered, she had rather
nice eyebrows, and he saw no reason to mimic the impudent coxcombs he found so trying.
They were shown into a small front parlor, one obviously rarely used for company, as the ladies’ sewing baskets were neatly arrayed to one side of a cold hearth. The
gentlemen could hear the preparations for visitors in the
drawing room across the hall; undoubtedly the clearing
up from the previous night’s ball required that callers
be diverted temporarily from any lingering evidence of
revelry.
“They might at least have lit the fire,” Benny grumbled.
“We are rather early, Benny,” Sidley told him affably, ..and it is not cold” His gaze had settled on a pair of
painted landscapes above the room’s fine spinet. He
walked over to take a closer look. The neat signature
M. Ware did not surprise him.
“They are good,” Vaughn commented at his side.
“She paints like a man.”
“She paints better than a man, Vaughn. She paints with
the best” Again he concentrated on the perfect watercolors. “These are exquisite.”
He heard Vaughn’s sigh and turned to him with a
quizzical brow. “What is the problem?”
“You, Sidley. You are the problem. Tell me that you
have not just abandoned your good intentions.” When
Sidley stayed silent, Vaughn charged, “You are supposed
to be dying. You might act it.”
“Vaughn!” He watched Vaughn walk to a corner across
the room, where another painting commanded attention.
Sidley wished for better light in which to judge the oil,
but the beauty of the piece would have been discernible
even in the worst surroundings. Depicting the city from
across the river, in a scene reminiscent of the prints
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