Duncan Sisters Trilogy - The Bride Hunt Part 13

wouldn't wish him on my worst enemy." "Don't exaggerate,"Constancesaid, bending to clear a marquetry table to receive the tea tray brought in by the maid.

Prudence grinned reluctantly and leaned over to take a cuc.u.mber sandwich from the plate. The maid poured tea and left. "Well, who's going to start the ball rolling?"Constancesat down on the end of the sofa opposite Chast.i.ty. Chast.i.ty frowned and instead of answering that question posed one of her own. "Did it occur to you that it might be very difficult to find a woman willing to marry a divorced man?"

"He's rich and successful," Prudence pointed out. "He's well connected. There's nothing particularly unfavourable in his appearance." "Talk about d.a.m.ning with faint praise,"Constancesaid with a crow of laughter. "I think he's rather distinguished-looking." "He has good eyes," Prudence conceded. "And a good head of hair." Chast.i.ty chuckled and spread honey on a b.u.t.tered crumpet. "Nice voice too." Constancedeclared with a touch of acid, "Divorce isn't the same handicap for men as it is for women."

"No," Chast.i.ty agreed.

"But we don't know who was the injured party," Prudence pointed out.

"Even if it was his wife, I'm sure he did the decent thing," Chast.i.ty said. "It would be unthinkable

otherwise."

"Allowing her to divorce him?" Prudence frowned. "With most men I would agree with you, but in my

experience, Gideon doesn't play by all the rules."

"He only kissed you, Prue," Chast.i.ty said.

"Without my permission!" her sister fired back. "How would you like it, Chas?"

Chast.i.ty shrugged. "It often happens to me. I just pat their cheeks and explain that I'm not interested."

Prudence surveyed her with slight exasperation. "But I'm not you, Chas. I don't flirt, and I don't shrug

these things off. I expect men to leave me alone unless I invite them closer."

"This isn't getting us anywhere,"Constancesaid. "Let's look at what qualities we think Gideon would insist upon in a second wife." "Faithfulness," Prudence said with a short laugh. "That goes without saying." "A submissive type, probably," Prudence added. "One who doesn't mind being grabbed at will." "Prue, you are not helping,"Constancerebuked. Prudence nodded. "All right," she said. "Since he believes in women's education, I'm sure he'd prefer a woman with an educated mind." She drank her tea.

"And of course someone who could hold her own in the kinds of social gatherings he frequents."

Chast.i.ty rummaged in her bag for a notebook and pencil. "Let's make a list of what we see as necessary qualities and then you can show it to him, Prue. See if he has any others to add."

"We have to consider the daughter's feelings too,"Constancesaid. "I wonder how much it would matter to him that the child should like a potential candidate."

"I think it would have to be someone who liked children, who got along well with them," Prudence said

definitely. "In all conscience, we couldn't possibly promote a marriage in this case where we knew the potential bride had an antipathy for children."

"Prue's absolutely right," Chast.i.ty said, andConstancenodded her agreement. "I would think a potential candidate's level of education would be important too,"Constanceput in. "Ifhe's sending his daughter to North London Collegiate, he must be intending her for Girton, wouldn't youthink? He'd want another woman in the house to be able to keep up with the girl's education."

Prudence considered. Girton, the women's college atCambridgeUniversity, now allowed women to sit public examinations. They still weren't allowed to take a degree, but the cachet was enormous. "Then he'd be expecting her to pursue some kind of career," she mused. "Teaching, I suppose."

"Who do we know who's qualified to teach? Not a governess, of course, but at undergraduate level, or at least in one of the good girls' schools. That would cover the necessity for getting along with children too."

"Astrid Bellamy," Chast.i.ty suggested. "She's pa.s.sionate about women's education. She went to Lady Margaret Hall atOxford."

"She's too old," Prudence stated instantly. "She must be nearly forty."

"But we don't know that age would matter to him," Constance pointed out. "Unless he wants more children, of course."

"He'd have been looking more actively for himself if that was the case," Prudence pointed out. "He must be forty himself."

Constancefrowned. "Maybe so. But once we get him interested in this process it might become a factor."

"I suppose so," Prudence said, sounding doubtful.

"Well, we could ask him."Constanceregarded her sister with the same frown.

"We could," Prudence agreed.

"You seem less than enthusiastic about this, Prue,"Constanceobserved.

Prudence shook her head. "No, I'm not. Not in the least. Of course I'm not."

"Ah,"Constancesaid. "My mistake."

Chast.i.ty cast a quick glance between her sisters, then returned to her note-taking. "What about looks?" she asked. "Do you think those are important to him? Must it be a beautiful woman?"

Prudence thought about this. "I would say looks were less important than brains and personality, but . . ." She shrugged. "What do I know?"

"More than we do," Chast.i.ty said, chewing the tip of her pencil. "You spent an evening with him."

"I can't see around his domineering, overbearing personality," Prudence stated. "What woman of strong character with a mind of her own would give him the time of day?"

"I seem to remember some comparison with Max,"Constancemurmured from the depths of her sofa. "But then, perhaps I'm not a woman of strong character with a mind of my own."

Prudence threw one of the fringed peac.o.c.k cus.h.i.+ons at her. "Max has redeeming features."

"We might find some in Gideon Malvern if we look hard enough," Chast.i.ty said. "What do you think about Agnes Hargate? She's fairly young, fairly attractive, well read, although she didn't go to university."

"She's a widow with a five-year-old son," Prudence said.

"So we know she likes children,"Constancesaid.

"We don't know he wants a ready-made family," Prudence objected.

"Again, we could ask him," Chast.i.ty said. "I'm sure Agnes would be interested. I know she's lonely."

"Did he say anything to you, Prue, anything at all after you proposed this bargain?"Constanceasked, leaning forward slightly.

"Yes," Chast.i.ty said. "Did he give any hint of the kind of woman who might appeal?"

Prudence hesitated. What had he said after he'd taken that kiss? Something about how having kissed him she would now know what kind of woman would suit him. How she would now know what kind of lover he would make. Somehow she didn't feel like sharing that with her sisters.

"No," she said. "He said only that he wasn't in the market for a wife and he was very hard to please."

"Well, that's encouraging,"Constanceobserved aridly. "More tea?"

Prudence pa.s.sed her cup.Constancewas right, of course. She wasn't entering into the spirit of this exercise with genuine enthusiasm, but why not? It had been her idea to find the barrister a bride. It was a brilliant solution to the generally intractable problem of finances. But every woman who came to mind as possible struck her as impossible. She was just depressed, she decided. Depressed and oppressed. The more she dwelt on the libel suit, the more impossible it seemed to defeat it.

Constanceglanced at her and then looked across at Chast.i.ty, who made a comprehending face. Something was wrong with their generally imperturbable sister. Prudence was always on an even keel, the reins of business firmly in her hands. Her sisters could take off on emotional flights of fancy on occasion, but never Prudence. She was too sensible, her concentration on the subject at hand unwavering. But not this afternoon, for some reason.

"Excuse me, madam." The maid appeared in the doorway. "Fred just delivered this for Miss Prue." She extended a letter. "It went toManchester Squareand Mr. Jenkins thought it might be important, so he sent it straight round."

"Thank you, Brenda." Constance took the letter and glanced at the envelope. "From the chambers of Sir Gideon Malvern, KC." She handed it to Prudence. "He didn't waste any time, did he?"

Prudence slit the envelope and unfolded the paper. "He says that he's received immediate acknowledgment from Barclay's solicitors that he's the barrister of record in the matter of Barclay v. The MayfairLady." She looked up. "Gideon said he'd send them a letter this afternoon. I wonder if it's a bad sign that they responded so quickly." A worried frown creased her brow.

"It'll be a relief to get it over with,"Constancesaid.

"What else does it say?" Chast.i.ty leaned forward.

"He says they are requesting an early trial date, and he's not going to contest that. He wants to see me this evening to start preparing for the case." She handed the letter to Chast.i.ty. "You'd think that he would try to postpone as long as possible, wouldn't you? We don't have the evidence for the fraud accusations as yet."

"We haven't had a chance to search Father's papers," Chast.i.ty said, laying a soothing hand over her sister's that was twitching on the arm of the chair. "We'll do it at the first opportunity."

Prudence nodded. "I know. It's just happening too fast."

"Well, we must have at least a month to put it all together,"Constancesaid bracingly. "Cases don't come to trial overnight."

"No, true enough." Prudence managed a smile. "So, I suppose I'd better send a message back to say I'll be there...which is where?" She took back the letter and read it again. "Oh,Pall MallPlace. Number Seven." She looked up with a shrug. "I'd have expected his chambers."

"Perhaps he has another office," Chast.i.ty suggested. Prudence shrugged. "I'll find out atseven o'clock." "He doesn't say anything about dinner,"Constanceobserved. "Which, I trust, means that this is a purely business meeting," Prudence declared crisply. "He's not sending his chauffeur for me either."

"So, with any luck you won't have to be fending off unwelcome advances," Chast.i.ty murmured.

Her sister ignored this. She said coolly, "If Father's not using the carriage this evening, I'll get Cobham

to drive me in the barouche. And I'll tell him to come back for me ateight o'clockso I'll be home in time

for dinner. An hour should be sufficient for the barrister. It'll certainly be enough for me," she added. "Are you going to take this list?" Chast.i.ty indicated her notebook. "Or at least ask him whether he has any particular preferences?"

"I won't take the list, but I will ask him about preferences," her sister said, rising to her feet. "We should go home, Chas. It's nearlyfive o'clock. Are you dining in tonight, Con?" "No, at Number Ten," her elder sister said, referring to the Prime Minister's official residence with an exaggerated sigh.

"Oh, that's an honor," Prudence said, regarding her sister with narrowed eyes. "Something in the wind?"

Constancesmiled. "I don't know, Max won't say anything. But I have a feeling...just a feeling."

"A Cabinet post?" Prudence asked quickly.

"As I said, Max is mum."

"Well, he deserves it," Chast.i.ty said, hugging her sister.

"Let's hope it's one that doesn't clash too much with a vocal suffragist wife," Prudence said, voicing an awkward truth in customary practical fas.h.i.+on.

Constance grimaced slightly. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yes, of course you will." Prudence kissed her. "We'll talk tomorrow...exchange accounts of our evenings."

Constance laughed and showed them out. Max was just drawing up to the curb outside the house as they said their farewells on the top step. He ran up the stairs. "Are you two leaving?"

"We just came for tea," Prudence said.

"Well, hold on a minute and I'll get Frank to drive you home before he puts the motor away." He kissed his wife and hurried into the house, calling for his manservant.

Just before seven o'clock Prudence stepped up into the barouche, greeting the elderly driver with a warm smile. "How are the horses, Cobham?"

"Oh, well enough, Miss Prue," he said. "Getting ready to be put out to pasture. Just like me." He cracked his whip and the two glossy chestnuts picked up their hooves and started off at a smart trot around the square.

"They don't seem ready to be put to gra.s.s," Prudence observed. "Any more than you do. You're looking very sprightly, Cobham."

"Well, that's right kind of you, Miss Prue. But I'll be seventy next birthday. Time for a nice little cottage in the country."

Prudence realized that she was being given a serious message. If Cobham was ready to retire, then he had every right to do so. And every right to the pension that would enable him to live as he chose in the little cottage in the country. But there was no provision for pensions in the budget. Her mind worked fast, adding and subtracting expenses. Adding and subtracting necessities. She sc.r.a.ped for Cobham's wages every week, even though in this day of motorized omnibuses and frequent hackney cabs they really could manage without a coachman, let alone the horses that cost a fortune to feed and house inLondon. But it wasn't remotely conceivable to turn the old man off.

However, if the horses went to pasture at the country house at Romsey, they would be much cheaper to keep. Then she could rent out the mews atManchester Square. Mews courts were being turned into garages for the new motor vehicles all over fas.h.i.+onableLondon; it would be an income, of sorts, that would contribute to Cobham's pension. And if he took one of the cottages rent-free on the estate at Romsey, then he could live comfortably on half hisLondonwage, which would probably be the equivalent of the rent on the mews. He could have a very comfortable retirement and the family finances would benefit.

"Had you thought where you would go, Cobham?" she asked.

"The wife's a hankering for the old village," he said, slowing the horses across a slippery patch of cobbles. "Spent enough time inLondon. Misses her sister."

Prudence nodded. Cobham's wife came from Romsey. It was how Cobham, a Londoner to his bootstraps, had come to work for theDuncanfamily at the Manor.

"There's a vacant tenant cottage on the road toLyndhurst, if you'd be interested. Of course there'd be no rent to pay. It would be part of your pension, if that was agreeable."