Page 28 of Doxy for the Ton (Misfits of the Ton #7)

Oakhurst House, Surrey, five months later

M imi poured the tea and handed it to her guests—Eleanor and Lady Radham—before settling into her chair. She glanced about the parlor— her parlor—while children’s laughter could be heard in the garden outside: Lily’s son Sam, and Gabriel, Lady Radham’s eldest.

Since Mimi had taken possession of her house on the outskirts of Radham Village, bringing Lily and Sam with her, Lady Radham had visited almost every day. Mimi relished her privacy, but found herself welcoming her new neighbor’s company—particularly today, when she’d brought Eleanor with her.

“Your school’s almost ready, Miss King,” Lady Radham said. “I rode past yesterday. The work on the roof is complete.”

Mimi blushed at the reference to her real name. But if she were to make a new life, she needed to do it with honesty. Lady Rex, the respectable widow, no longer existed—neither did Mimi, the painted whore. The time had come for Jemima King to take her place in the world.

“When will the school open?” Lady Radham asked.

“I hope we can admit our first pupils in September,” Mimi said. “I’ve received several inquiries—thanks, I suspect, to you.”

“There are many girls in the county in need of education,” Lady Radham said. “Is Lily to teach there?”

“She’ll be giving lessons in embroidery,” Mimi said. “I’ve said she can live with me as long as she wishes, and I’ve set aside a parlor for her dressmaking work. But she insists on moving to the school once Mrs. Briggs has settled there. I’m not certain Lily’s ready—she’s still wary of strangers—but I commend her courage.”

“As do I,” Eleanor said. “Are Lily and her son enjoying life in the country?”

Mimi nodded. “She’s quite transformed, and little Sam has blossomed. He spends all day helping Mr. Wade in the kitchen garden. He was so proud that he’d picked the beans for supper last night, the dear child.”

Someone tapped on the window, and Mimi turned to see Sam and Gabriel holding a basket aloft.

“Look what we’ve got, Miss King!” Gabriel said. Then they disappeared with a clatter of footsteps and laughter.

Eleanor leaned forward, fixing her intense gaze on Mimi. “How does it feel to hear your real name?”

A somewhat forward question, but Mimi had accustomed herself to her friend’s frankness.

“Eleanor!” Lady Radham chided.

“It’s all right, Lady Radham,” Mimi said.

“ Juliette , please.”

“Juliette.” Mimi smiled. “Your sister has every right to ask. I deceived everyone into thinking I was a widow. I cannot imagine what you must think of me.”

The sisters exchanged a glance and smiled, as if sharing a private joke, and Mimi felt her cheeks warm.

“F-forgive me, I…”

Eleanor let out a snort, and Juliette stifled a giggle.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Juliette said. “Posing as a widow is a family tradition of ours.”

At that moment, the door burst open and two whirlwinds entered—Sam and Gabriel, followed by Lily.

“Boys!” Lily cried. “Sammy—look at your hands!”

The smaller of the whirlwinds stopped and inspected his hands. Then he wiped them on his breeches and clasped them behind his back.

“Gabriel and I have been picking peas, Miss King. We’ve got a whole basketful! And we’ve cut some roses for you. Mr. Wade helped so we wouldn’t cut ourselves.”

The larger boy approached Juliette and moved to put his thumb in his mouth, but she caught his wrist.

“Wash your hands first, sweetheart.”

“Yes, Mama. Mr. Wade cut a rose for you and Aunt Eleanor as well.”

“And he cut one for you , Ma,” Sam said to Lily. “Mr. Wade likes you.”

“What nonsense you speak!” Lily said, blushing, and Mimi smiled to herself. Mr. Wade, the soft-spoken manservant, seemed to have appointed himself as Lily’s personal guardian. The timid young woman had responded to his gentle kindness in a manner that warmed Mimi’s heart. Lily had little reason to trust the male sex, but Mr. Wade was evidence that there was at least one man in the world who could be trusted.

Or, perhaps, there was another…

“Come along, boys,” Lily said. “Shall we see if your tea’s ready? It’s such a fine day, I asked Cook if we could have a picnic in the garden. What do you say to that?”

“I say hurrah!” Gabriel cried, abandoning his mother’s side for the prospect of a picnic.

“Wash your…” Juliette began, but before she finished, the boys had gone, Lily in their wake. “Boys are such a handful,” she said, leaning back with a sigh. “I can never get Gabriel to sit still. And he just eats !”

“He’s growing, that’s all,” Eleanor said. “He’s tall for his age.”

“If he grows to be as tall as his father, he’ll need to eat,” Mimi said, laughing.

Juliette drew a sharp breath and exchanged a glance with Eleanor.

“Forgive me,” Mimi said. “I meant no offense.”

“None taken,” Juliette said. “We are of a kind. I have lived as you.”

Mimi turned to face her. “Were you a—a…” She gestured to herself, unwilling to voice the word.

“In a manner of speaking.” Juliette turned toward the window, from which the boys’ laughter could once more be heard. “Gabriel is not Andrew’s son.”

“So you were a widow?” Mimi asked.

“I let myself be seduced by another, then found myself with child, and friendless.”

Eleanor took her sister’s hand. “Not entirely friendless.”

“You’re too kind, sister, given how I behaved toward you.” Juliette turned to Mimi. “The world frowned upon me nonetheless. Any woman who doesn’t conform is branded unworthy. So, I fled to the country and passed myself off as a widow.”

“And Lord Radham?” Mimi asked.

“He was the vicar of the parish I settled in,” Juliette said. “The villagers were somewhat judgmental, save a few exceptions—most notably Andrew himself. So you see, Mimi, it’s quite possible for those on the opposite ends of Society’s idea of respectability to find happiness—and love.” She gave a smile of contentment. “Andrew loves Gabriel as if he were his own. And while a… natural child may be subject to the cruelty of a judgmental world, I’m assured that our little corner of it is free from such prejudice. The villagers hereabouts were very welcoming when Andrew brought me here after our marriage, and they adore Gabriel. And there’s great excitement about your school, Mimi. It will be a haven for your young women. I’m certain it will be a success.”

“There’s still much to do,” Mimi said. “And the success of the enterprise can only be measured by its financial self-sufficiency. We cannot rely on your donations forever.”

Eleanor let out a laugh. “ Financial self-sufficiency —you sound like the Duchess of Westbury! She has a head for such things, and is rumored to have single-handedly restored the fortunes of her husband’s estate within a year of their marriage. I’m certain she could be persuaded to patronize the school.”

“But—” Mimi began, and Eleanor raised her hand.

“Permit your friends to assist you in your endeavors, Mimi. The duchess thinks very highly of you, given your kindness to her stepson. You settled half your fortune on the school—those of us who love you wish to contribute also.”

“It wasn’t my fortune to give,” Mimi said. “It was—”

“It was money earned in good faith,” Juliette interrupted, “under the terms of your agreement with…with another. There’s no shame in earning an honest wage—nor the manner by which you earn it.”

“Even if I earned it by whoring?” Mimi asked.

The door opened as she was mid-sentence. A man entered, followed by Betsy, the young girl she employed from the village to keep house.

It was Lord Radham.

He stopped in mid-stride and focused his clear gaze on Mimi. Her cheeks burned as she cast her gaze over his form—from the perfectly fitting dark-green jacket, his top hat tucked under one arm, the cream-silk embroidered waistcoat and matching cravat, to the formfitting breeches and polished calfskin boots. He pulled off his gloves and placed them in his hat, then inclined his head.

His expression, though not showing disapproval, held a gentle quietness that disconcerted her more. He blinked, and his expression remained the same.

He was a man who shuttered his emotions behind a calm demeanor.

“Andrew!” Juliette said, rising. “I wasn’t expecting you home today. I thought you were still in London.”

“I arrived not ten minutes ago.”

“And you came here directly? Is something amiss?”

“I’m come to inquire whether my wife will be returning home, given that Mrs. Smith told me you were expected an hour ago. Georgiana is missing her mother.”

“You exaggerate, as usual,” Juliette said. “Our daughter is most likely asleep at this hour. Besides, she has Frances to take care of her.”

Lord Radham drew Juliette into his arms. “I can never be angry with you , my love—you know that.”

Mimi flinched as he glanced at her over the top of his wife’s head.

“To whom is your anger directed, brother?” Eleanor asked.

“It matters not,” Mimi said. “Lord Radham, do you have news of London?”

His expression darkened. “Number 16 Grosvenor Square is let again.”

Mimi’s heart stuttered.

Had Alexander established her replacement there already?

“Andrew, I hardly think—” Juliette began.

“Juliette,” Mimi said, “it’s all right.”

“No, it’s not ,” Eleanor said.

“I agree,” Lord Radham said. “It’s not all right—and it never will be.” He turned to Mimi. “I’d hoped to see you settled there, Lady Rex—” He shook his head. “Forgive me— Miss King .”

“Has she”—Mimi hesitated—“has the new occupant kept on the staff?”

“I believe so,” came the reply. “My housekeeper mentioned it. She said your housekeeper—apologies, your former housekeeper—was seen coming out of the back door. Even your maid has been kept on.”

“Mrs. Dryburgh is turning into something of a gossip, Andrew,” Juliette said. “Shame on you for encouraging it.”

“H-have you met the new occupant?” Mimi asked.

“No,” he said. “I have no occasion, nor any wish, to visit Grosvenor Square.”

This time she caught the flash of anger in his eyes.

“Andrew,” Juliette said, her voice sharp, “we’ve already discussed this. It’s not your place to speak of it.”

“Speak of what?” Mimi asked. “If my presence here offends you, Lord Radham, I’m sure I can find somewhere else to—”

“It’s not your presence here that offends me, Miss King,” he said, “but the necessity of it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Andrew, that’s enough !” Juliette said. “My friend has no wish to hear your opinion of…of her circumstance. She’s here by her own choice, are you not, Mimi?”

Mimi nodded. “But I have no wish to remain where I’m not welcome.”

“You are welcome, Miss King,” he said, extending his hand to her. She stared at it, unmoving. “Will you accept my apologies? I meant no offense to you .”

“Then whom did you intend to offend, sir?”

He colored, and his hand shook. Then she took it. “Him,” he said.

Alexander…

Mimi caught her breath, and Juliette rolled her eyes. “I told you not to speak of Sawbridge in front of my friend. It’s distressing enough for Mimi to leave London, let alone be reminded of her circumstance.”

“Am I not permitted to disapprove of the manner by which Sawbridge treated your friend, Juliette? She deserves better.”

“ She is in the room, Lord Radham,” Mimi said. “And she knows enough of Society’s rules not to place undue expectations on men of your rank.”

“I was content to break such rules for the woman I love,” Lord Radham said, taking Juliette’s hand once more.

Mimi swallowed the knot of pain, and Juliette let out a huff.

“You mean well, Andrew, but you’re exacerbating the matter for my poor friend. Your sex is too ready to criticize mine for overly loose tongues, but sometimes it’s best for the man to remain silent.”

He clicked his heels together and bowed in Mimi’s direction. “Forgive my lack of insight,” he said. “But I still condemn him. We have a shared history, you see, due to what happened to my brother, Robert.”

“I know,” Mimi said. “I am sorry for your loss, but I beg you don’t think too badly of Alexander.”

His eyes widened at her familiar address.

“He suffered greatly over your brother’s death,” she continued. “It plagues him at night when he sleeps… I-it lies heavily on his conscience. It’s not my place to expect you to forgive him, or to ignore the loss you suffered. All I ask is that you consider the possibility that at some point in the future, you might come to understand him, even if you can never bring yourself to think kindly of him.”

“And his abandonment of you, Miss King? Can you think kindly of him for that?”

“He did no such thing, Lord Radham,” Mimi said. “We had a temporary arrangement that has now ended. Besides”—she gestured about the parlor—“if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and nor would my school. You may view our arrangement as distasteful, and I assure you that you’re not alone in that view. It was, nevertheless, one of few choices open to me for survival. And having taken it, I’ve gained my independence, and a handful of women will be given an opportunity in life that they could never have afforded before.”

“I know, and I salute you for it.”

Mimi shook her head. “It’s him you should salute, Lord Radham. He brought it about.”

“You make me quite ashamed, Miss King,” he said. “But you’ve confirmed my opinion that Sawbridge was a damned fool for letting you go.”

“A mistake that I’m sure he’ll cease to regret in due course.”

Now that he has a new mistress in Grosvenor Square.

“Andrew, I think you’ve said enough,” Juliette said. “If you’re eager to take me home to our daughter, we should take our leave.”

“Gabriel’s having his supper with Sam,” Mimi said. “He is welcome to stay the night if you’ve no objection.”

“None at all,” Lord Radham said. “You honor us with your invitation to our son.” He bowed over Mimi’s hand and kissed it.

Juliette rolled her eyes. “One moment they’re making fools of themselves by demonstrating a complete lack of understanding, and the next, they’re falling over themselves in an act of gallantry to make up for their shortcomings. Men! I’ll never understand them.”

“My Montague is the same,” Eleanor said. “I’ve given up trying to understand him.”

“Yet they’re such simple creatures,” Juliette added. “It’s an enigma, to be sure.”

Mimi suppressed a laugh at Lord Radham’s bemused expression, and Juliette slipped her arm through his.

“Be not afraid, my love,” she said. “There’s hope for you yet, provided you accept my instruction with good grace.”

She winked at Mimi, then steered her husband toward the door. Shortly after, Betsy arrived with Juliette’s cloak and ushered the couple out, leaving Mimi alone with Eleanor.

“Would you like me to leave also?” Eleanor asked. “Forgive me—I’m no good at understanding when it’s time to go.”

“You may stay as long as you wish,” Mimi replied, taking her friend’s hand. “For dinner, if you like. Gabriel and Sam would be delighted to hear your opinion of the beans they harvested this afternoon.”

“We’ve guests for dinner tonight at Rosecombe,” Eleanor said with a sigh. “I dislike social occasions, but they’re a necessity. Of course, you’d be welcome at Rosecombe—come and stay for a few days when you can spare the time.”

“Won’t there be danger of my meeting…?” Mimi gestured in the air in front of her.

“No danger, I assure you,” Eleanor said. “I understand little of social convention, but even I know that it’s not the done thing to invite my friend to stay at the same time as the man who broke her heart.”

“Thank you,” Mimi said. “More tea?”

Eleanor nodded, Mimi refilled their cups, and they sat, sipping their tea in silence. At length, Eleanor set her cup aside and leaned forward.

“He still loves you. I’m sure of it.”

“Eleanor, please.”

“I know I mustn’t speak of it, and I wouldn’t say anything in front of anyone else—not even my sister. But I noticed a transformation in him when he was with you. I confess I never could abide him. But when he was with you, I surprised myself by beginning to contemplate the possibility of liking him a little.”

“And now?”

“I’ve seen him in London a few times since…”

Mimi held her breath as her heart rate increased. “Was he well?”

“He seemed in good health.”

“And…happy?”

Eleanor shrugged. “He wasn’t smiling, but few people smile unless they know they’re under observation.”

“No, I mean”—Mimi hesitated, hope and fear warring with each other—“was he with company?”

“Oh!” Eleanor cried. “You mean was he with a woman—a lover?”

Mimi winced at Eleanor’s bluntness. But she couldn’t berate her friend. Eleanor didn’t adopt the niceties of Polite Society. She asked direct questions and gave direct responses.

“He was alone,” she said at last. “Except when I saw him at Lord and Lady Walton’s soirée. In fact, Lady Walton inquired after you. I’m sure I could persuade her to send a donation to the school—she’s another who applauds the independence of women.”

“Hardly independent if I’m reliant on the charity of others,” Mimi said.

“May I ask you a personal question?” Eleanor said. “I’m afraid you may think it forward of me, but I’m curious.”

“Then ask.”

“Are you lonely?”

“What an odd question!”

“Forgive me, I meant no offense.”

“I know,” Mimi said. “No, I’m not lonely. I have friends—you and your sister. There’s Lily and Sam, and I’ll soon have the school to occupy myself with. I’ll be too busy to be lonely.”

“No, I meant…” Eleanor shook her head. “Forgive me, Mimi, but I thought you were also in love. You don’t deserve to spend your days alone. Montague has friends who—”

“Eleanor, I dream of freedom, not a husband.”

“The two aren’t always mutually exclusive.”

“But in most cases they are,” Mimi said. “Besides, I could no longer look at another man without seeing…”

Without seeing Alexander: the way his lips quirked into a smile each time he saw her, the soft sighs he’d made as she brought him to pleasure—and the intensity in his eyes when she had let him kiss her…

She shook her head. “You heard Lord Radham. Alexander has moved on to the next woman without a backward glance. I did the right thing by leaving before it was too late.”

“Unless it is already too late,” Eleanor said. “You still love him, don’t you?”

Mimi blinked back the moisture in her eyes.

“He still loves you ,” Eleanor added. “I’m certain of it.”

A person always claimed certainty when they sought to convince others of that which they knew to be false.

But Eleanor only wanted Mimi to be happy, and Mimi loved her for that. She kissed her friend on the cheek, then the duchess bade her farewell, calling for Betsy to fetch her cloak. Moments later, Mimi heard the crunch of wheels on gravel as Mr. Wade summoned the Whitcombe carriage to take Eleanor home to the husband who loved her to the exclusion of all else.

“He may have loved me,” Mimi whispered, placing her palm on the cold pane of the window while she watched the carriage drive away. “But not enough.”