is! You can’t sit to play at Hazard without two hundred guineas in your pocket at least.”
“I’ll be going to Court soon, shall I?” Dudley asked. “How quick before I get a place?”
Several pairs of startled eyes turned his way. Even his mother stared—though she was just taken aback by the stupidity of his blunder. Hester, who relished most anything that embarrassed her aunt, hid her amusement with a touch of her napkin to her lips.
James Henry caught her movement out the corner of his eye and turned in time to catch her smile. He quirked an eyebrow, conveying his understanding to her, if to no one else. Hester fought a rush of chagrin, which she suffered whenever they shared a thought, for she had lied to James Henry about the highwayman Blue Satan, afraid that he would betray St. Mars. And with that lie between them she could not be at ease with his friendship.
Mrs. Mayfield broke into the silence with an embarrassed laugh. “A place at Court! Why, you silly boy, one would think that they grew on trees! They are not so easily come by, I assure you! Nobody comes by a place without they have a very influential person as patron.”
“But you said—”
Dudley tried to speak, but his mother did not give him time to finish. “You will see how it’s done, after you’ve been at Court awhile. And you could not do better than to watch how your brother-in-law comports himself. Why there is not a prettier gentleman at his Majesty’s Court than my Lord Hawkhurst, and so I always say.”
As Harrowby preened himself, she continued, “Then, once you have got the lie of the land, so to speak, and you have got someone to take an interest in your advancement—a relation , perhaps, for it is always in a gentleman’s best interest to see that his family and his wife’s family gets ahead—then, perhaps this generous person will see what his Majesty can do for you.”
Throughout this speech, Mrs. Mayfield had kept one eye on Harrowby to see if her ramblings suggested anything to him. So far, they had produced nothing except an approving expression, so she pushed on.
“Of course, this person would have to have the King’s ear. He would have to be a peer with a great estate, else why would his Majesty care about pleasing him?”
As her hints grew broader, Hester reminded herself that she must not let her aunt’s vulgarity get under her skin. There was no one likely to notice it, except James Henry, who must already have seen Mrs. Mayfield for what she was. She avoided meeting his gaze again, however, for fear of losing restraint.
Mrs. Mayfield had almost exhausted her circumlocutions before the light of an idea brightened Harrowby’s face.
“I’ll tell you who’s important enough to get you a place with his Majesty, Mayfield,” he said. “Me!”
“Oh, my lord!” Mrs. Mayfield erupted in raptures, though the energy she had spent getting through to him made them shorter than they otherwise would have been. “You must make your thanks to Lord Hawkhurst now, Mayfield. How fortunate you are to have such a generous brother-in-law!”
Prompted by his mother, Dudley thanked Harrowby, though he seemed confused by what had just transpired. If he had any guile, Hester decided, it was not as practised as his mother’s.
“And what else do you think, my dear?” his happy mama added. “A particular friend of my lord’s has presented me to his sister, and she has agreed to help you find a good wife.”
“A wife!” Dudley looked horrified. “I never said I wanted a wife!”
“Don’t mean to get leg-shackled, hey?” Harrowby gave a sympathetic laugh. “Not ready for the old ball and chain yet?”
“No!”
“Well, I’d advise you to take cover if that’s the case! When it comes to marriage, your mother has more tricks up her sleeve than a comb has teeth. Zounds! But I ought to know!” Harrowby accompanied this witticism with such a loud shout of laughter as to make Hester jump.
At least, James
“I’ll be going to Court soon, shall I?” Dudley asked. “How quick before I get a place?”
Several pairs of startled eyes turned his way. Even his mother stared—though she was just taken aback by the stupidity of his blunder. Hester, who relished most anything that embarrassed her aunt, hid her amusement with a touch of her napkin to her lips.
James Henry caught her movement out the corner of his eye and turned in time to catch her smile. He quirked an eyebrow, conveying his understanding to her, if to no one else. Hester fought a rush of chagrin, which she suffered whenever they shared a thought, for she had lied to James Henry about the highwayman Blue Satan, afraid that he would betray St. Mars. And with that lie between them she could not be at ease with his friendship.
Mrs. Mayfield broke into the silence with an embarrassed laugh. “A place at Court! Why, you silly boy, one would think that they grew on trees! They are not so easily come by, I assure you! Nobody comes by a place without they have a very influential person as patron.”
“But you said—”
Dudley tried to speak, but his mother did not give him time to finish. “You will see how it’s done, after you’ve been at Court awhile. And you could not do better than to watch how your brother-in-law comports himself. Why there is not a prettier gentleman at his Majesty’s Court than my Lord Hawkhurst, and so I always say.”
As Harrowby preened himself, she continued, “Then, once you have got the lie of the land, so to speak, and you have got someone to take an interest in your advancement—a relation , perhaps, for it is always in a gentleman’s best interest to see that his family and his wife’s family gets ahead—then, perhaps this generous person will see what his Majesty can do for you.”
Throughout this speech, Mrs. Mayfield had kept one eye on Harrowby to see if her ramblings suggested anything to him. So far, they had produced nothing except an approving expression, so she pushed on.
“Of course, this person would have to have the King’s ear. He would have to be a peer with a great estate, else why would his Majesty care about pleasing him?”
As her hints grew broader, Hester reminded herself that she must not let her aunt’s vulgarity get under her skin. There was no one likely to notice it, except James Henry, who must already have seen Mrs. Mayfield for what she was. She avoided meeting his gaze again, however, for fear of losing restraint.
Mrs. Mayfield had almost exhausted her circumlocutions before the light of an idea brightened Harrowby’s face.
“I’ll tell you who’s important enough to get you a place with his Majesty, Mayfield,” he said. “Me!”
“Oh, my lord!” Mrs. Mayfield erupted in raptures, though the energy she had spent getting through to him made them shorter than they otherwise would have been. “You must make your thanks to Lord Hawkhurst now, Mayfield. How fortunate you are to have such a generous brother-in-law!”
Prompted by his mother, Dudley thanked Harrowby, though he seemed confused by what had just transpired. If he had any guile, Hester decided, it was not as practised as his mother’s.
“And what else do you think, my dear?” his happy mama added. “A particular friend of my lord’s has presented me to his sister, and she has agreed to help you find a good wife.”
“A wife!” Dudley looked horrified. “I never said I wanted a wife!”
“Don’t mean to get leg-shackled, hey?” Harrowby gave a sympathetic laugh. “Not ready for the old ball and chain yet?”
“No!”
“Well, I’d advise you to take cover if that’s the case! When it comes to marriage, your mother has more tricks up her sleeve than a comb has teeth. Zounds! But I ought to know!” Harrowby accompanied this witticism with such a loud shout of laughter as to make Hester jump.
At least, James
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