Page 9

D iana made her way up the front path of the Seely House, joining another woman who was knocking on the door, but no one answered. She knocked harder.

“Perhaps we should go in. I don’t know if there is a staff accepting visitors,” Diana suggested.

The young woman turned to her, startled to see someone else.

She was the woman from the exhibit Diana had seen sketching a statue.

She nodded and pushed the door open. As they entered, Diana glanced around the two-story foyer, which had a split staircase leading into separate mezzanines.

A commotion from the one on the left caused Diana and the woman to turn.

Lady Hawley grinned down at them, waving exuberantly.

“Hello. You both made it. I’m so pleased. I’m sorry no one opened the door for you. My butler, Harrison, was supposed to do that, but he was so appalled at the state of Seely House that he became distracted cleaning it up.”

The butler, Diana assumed, threw the doors of a room open on the first floor, shaking his head in disgust. “My lady, perhaps we should have your guests join you at the Hawley Townhouse.”

She let out a shriek that echoed through the empty, expansive room before grinning. “Nonsense, it adds to the fun.”

The butler looked like he was about to roll his eyes, but after quickly glancing at Diana and the other woman, he thought better of it. “As you wish.”

“Good day,” a woman said from behind Diana.

They all turned. It was the Duchess of Lusby.

“Your Grace,” Lady Hawley said, curtsying. Everyone else followed her lead.

The Duchess of Lusby nodded in acknowledgment.

She was dressed in a gray-and-purple frock, a sign that she was nearing the end of mourning for her husband.

The duchess was a bit of a mystery. She’d fled England and stayed gone for a few years, then returned to marry a duke twenty years her senior.

The couple only hosted one ball a year in London and spent most of their time in the country.

The duchess shifted, uncomfortable with the staring. “Lady Hawley, your message said you had a venture.”

Their hostess descended the stairs. “Yes, that is correct. Please join me in this room right over here.”

They all followed her to the space the butler had just emerged from. To Diana’s surprise, the room had furniture and didn’t look nearly as worn as the foyer. Perhaps Harrison could work miracles.

As they sat, Lady Hawley said, “Let me do introductions while we wait for the last lady?”

She looked at the young woman that Diana had seen at the exhibit.

“This is Sarah Martin. She is a lead scholar in Roman art history. She recently wrote a paper proving there were well-regarded and highly sought-after female painters in ancient times. She has studied with some of the greatest scholars in England. Did I forget anything, Miss Martin?”

The young woman’s eyes widened, shocked.

Lady Hawley grinned at her before turning her gaze to the Duchess of Lusby.

“Her Grace, while currently not involved in antiquities, spent several years traveling to various historical sites to catalog artifacts. It is rumored that she can look at an object and tell you what time period and civilization it is from.”

The duchess frowned at her, not impressed with her knowledge. Before she could respond, their host turned to Diana. A wave of anxiousness filled her. She was unsure and nervous about what their host would say.

“Then there is the Marchioness of Hensley, a highly respectable society member.”

Diana winced, flushing. There was that blasted description again. The duchess rolled her eyes. “Are you saying the rest of us are not?”

Lady Hawley let out another guffaw. “Of course not.”

The butler appeared at the door, interrupting them. “My lady, Lady Esme.”

Diana knew the last lady quite well. Both she and Lady Esme’s siblings had married into the same family.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Their hostess rose to greet her. “You are here now. We are in the middle of introductions.”

Lady Esme took the seat next to Diana, smiling, relieved she knew someone. “And lastly, this is Lady Esme, a historian. I believe your interests lie in the earliest civilizations on earth and the building of their societies.”

She blushed. “Well, not a real historian, more so self-taught.”

“Only because you are a woman,” the Duchess of Lusby said.

Lady Esme turned to her, surprised that she knew who she was. The duchess didn’t explain any further. Diana studied those around her. There couldn’t be a more different group of women than those sitting in this room. What was Lady Hawley planning?

“Harrison, can you prepare the refreshments?” Lady Hawley asked.

“Yes, my lady,” he said from the foyer.

She took a deep breath. “I have invited you all here to ask you to be on my board for a new venture. I plan to establish the Historical Society for Female Curators, which will be based out of this very building. It will not be an easy feat, but I think it will be a worthwhile endeavor.”

Stunned silence met her statement. Diana, again, didn’t understand why she was asked to attend. She knew nothing about antiquities.

Lady Hawley continued, “Imagine this building filled with artifacts, ancient texts, and exhibits that make London giddy with excitement. Have you ever been to the London Society of Antiquaries exhibit? It’s dreadfully dull.”

“The study of history isn’t a game,” Miss Martin said judgmentally.

Their hostess rolled her eyes. “I understand that, but presentation is so important. We could use all of our skills to make this venture wildly successful. The Duchess of Lusby, Lady Esme, and you will ensure we provide worthwhile antiquities, and I will draw in visitors.”

She hadn’t mentioned Diana. What did the lady want from her?

Perhaps her being here had been a mistake.

She felt her cheeks heat, but then Lady Hawley fixed her eyes on her.

“And you, Lady Hensley, will give us the appearance of respectability that we need to survive any insinuations thrown our way.”

Ahhh…she understood. She glanced around the room. The women present were either considered eccentric, scandalous, or both. She was here to provide an image of high moral standing. Why did Diana want her attendance to be for something different?

“Will we be stakeholders in this venture?” the duchess asked.

Miss Martin added, “Will it be an all-women’s club? Would our families need to be supportive of the venture?”

Lady Hawley smiled. “All wonderful questions. While I imagine most guardians, fathers, and husbands would be supportive, the plan would be to do this on our own. We would have overall control.”

Lady Esme wrinkled her nose in confusion. “How would that be possible without the ability to legally own the club?”

Their host nodded. “You make a valid point, but after speaking with my solicitor, I believe I have found a solution. We have an investor who has agreed to back us and sign off on a trust, giving us full control.”

Diana and the other women stared at her in shock. Diana asked, “Why would they do that?”

“They will get a percentage of any profits, but they also believe in setting up this club as much as I do.”

The duchess frowned at her. “How do we know this isn’t a passing fancy for you?”

Her comment hinted at the situation involving Lady Hawley’s husband, but their hostess stared back at her innocently.

“My only motive is to make sure women also have a club that allows them to be involved in the antiquities field. If we happen to do better than other clubs, that will only be an added benefit.”

A skeptical snort escaped the duchess. “Are you expecting us to invest our own money?”

Lady Hawley shook her head. “No. The investor has agreed to provide some upfront funds to set up our club’s location, which will be right here.”

Diana glanced around the massive run-down building.

It needed a great deal of work. She suspected the other women were thinking the same thing.

As if not wanting them to dwell too much on it, Lady Hawley clapped excitedly.

“I have also established another avenue to generate income while we get started.”

“How?” Miss Martin asked.

Lady Hawley grabbed a document from a satchel. With a flourish, she placed it on the table in the middle of all of them. They all leaned forward and read it.

First Cruise of Its Kind!

Join the crew of the SS Lark for a leisure cruise to new and exciting locations. Stops include Porto, Sardinia, and of course the best place for respite, Tuscany.

Don’t miss out on your chance!

Diana looked up at her. “How does this generate income?”

Lady Hawley smiled. “For our club, our investor and I will travel on this cruise containing new destinations. I have convinced two newspapers to publish a column generated from updates we send back at each port. The club will receive royalties.”

“That will be good for short-term income, but it will be at least a year, likely two, to get the club up and running,” the duchess stated.

Diana suspected Lady Hawley didn’t appreciate the duchess’s practical points. Her smile was becoming more forced. “You are quite right, Your Grace, but I have also partnered with the ship owner to potentially build a tour for ladies.”

The whole scheme seemed rather outlandish to Diana, and she sensed from looking around that the others thought so too. Yet she hesitated to say no.

“Who is the club investor?” Lady Esme asked, changing the subject.

They had discussed so many things, Diana had forgotten they didn’t know who he was.

Lady Hawley shifted uneasily in her chair.

“Someone who has agreed to own the club but won’t have any say in how it is managed.

And, most importantly for the cruise, someone all the ladies would love to read about as he goes adventuring. ”

“We would all need to have a solicitor review the trust and know who this investor is before agreeing to anything,” the duchess stated.