Page 47 of Fortune Favors the Frivolous (Matchmaking Mischief Makers #2)
B urning with shame, Henry watched her leave. He was aware of the opprobrium on the expressions of those who had witnessed the spectacle. No one came to offer support; clearly no one believed Henry.
In the distance he saw Caroline hurrying towards him, a dainty figure in white muslin, her pink sash trailing behind her. She looked distressed and his heart cleaved with longing for the girl who would always support him.
Well, he thought, there is nothing I can do if Mrs. Pike is so determined to discredit me. But if I am free to marry the woman I really love, then surely no public shaming is too great a price to pay.
But as Caroline neared, her mother stepped into her path, gripping her daughter’s arm.
A short, intense tussle followed, but soon Lady Weston was joined by Lady Hartfield, and Caroline was forcibly led towards one of the crowded supper tables.
And though the sight of her desperation as she looked over her shoulder was some compensation, it was not enough to raise Henry from the depths of despair.
Feeling the greatest pariah, Henry took an awkward step towards the balloon.
The aeronaut, a wiry man whose name he learned was Beaumont, was making final preparations for the ascent.
His face was tanned and leathery and Henry noticed his powerful hands, stained with coal dust and callused from handling ropes, as he checked the moorings.
His practical attire of dark trousers and a worn leather waistcoat over a serviceable linen shirt made him look more like a sailor and worlds apart from the genteel society surrounding him.
Beaumont was currently adjusting the wicker basket that hung beneath the magnificent envelope, checking the secure attachment of several mysterious canvas bags tied to its interior.
The brazier that would heat the air was already lit, its gentle roar occasionally punctuated by a louder whoosh as the flames caught a new supply of fuel.
The aeronaut glanced up as Henry neared, touching his cap in a rough salute. There was a simple, trusting air about him as he said proudly, “Evening, sir. Come for a closer look at the apparatus?”
“Something like that,” Henry replied, his voice hollow. “Quite an impressive contrivance.”
“That she is, sir. Finest balloon in London, if I do say so myself.” Beaumont patted the basket with pride. “Been flying her for nigh on five years now, and she’s never let me down.”
Henry nodded absently, watching as the man checked a compass that was securely fastened to the rim of the basket.
“You’re preparing for a lengthy journey,” Henry observed, noting the provisions stored within.
Beaumont hesitated, giving Henry a shrewd look. “You know something of ballooning, sir?”
“Not really. I just wondered.”
The aeronaut straightened, wiping his hands on his trousers. “Well, since you ask… more than usual lengthy. Most unusual.”
“Oh?” Henry tried to sound merely curious as he hoped the aeronaut was as forthcoming as he had started out being. Perhaps he could be gently prodded into revealing more than he intended if Henry asked the right questions.
“But, of course, the balloon today will be up in the air and back down within the hour, since there will be a few guests eager to ascend.”
“Lady Townsend has arranged for a lottery to take just two.”
“Just two on a lengthy ascent?” Henry offered a colluding smile. “Lady Townsend is known for her outlandish matchmaking schemes. This sounds like the most outlandish of all. Why, I’d almost believe she thought she could whisk her chosen likely pair to—”
He stopped, the wind suddenly whooshing from his lips as he finished, “Gretna Green.”
No, surely not, he thought, however the aeronaut’s eyes had widened in surprise.
“Got it in one, young man,” he said, snapping his fingers.
“Well, I should say that her ladyship had planned a short ascent of less than an hour. But no sooner had she walked away than I had a visit from another party, offering a handsome sum to alter the arrangements.”
“Good lord! What sort of alterations?”
Beaumont lowered his voice, glancing around to ensure they weren’t overheard. “I’m to take the balloon free of its tethers once the passengers are aboard and fly north. As far as the winds will carry us, though the gentleman was most specific about wanting to reach Scotland.”
“Scotland?” Henry’s brows rose. “So, this gentleman specifically wants to go to Gretna Green?”
“The very place mentioned.” Beaumont nodded. “Though how he expects me to steer a balloon with such precision, I can’t say. We go where the winds take us, and that’s the truth of it. Still… anything to make a body happy.”
“But those aren’t Lady Townsend’s instructions, are they?”
“No, and nor do I have the wind to take us all the way to Scotland for they are beyond my control.”
“Then what will you do?”
The aeronaut shrugged as he turned back to tightening a rope. “I aim to please both parties. It’s the winds that will carry whoever hops in that basket when the conditions are right for the ascent.”
“And that’s what you told the gentleman?”
The aeronaut smiled. “I told the gentleman what he wanted to hear, o’ course.”
Henry looked about him, spying Venetia in the distance, flanked by her aunt and Lord Windermere.
“And the passengers? Did he specify who would be joining you?”
“A gentleman and a lady, that’s all I was told.
Though I gathered the lady might be… reluctant.
” Beaumont looked uncomfortable at this admission.
“I don’t hold with forcing anyone, sir, but the payment was substantial.
My wife’s been ailing, and the doctor’s bills…
But, like I said,” he added, more comfortably, “I made no promises. It all depends on the winds.”
“Of course,” Henry murmured, his mind working furiously. Windermere had already succeeded in the first part of his evil plan: discrediting Henry.
Now he intended to force Venetia into an elopement—but instead of conveying her to Scotland in a carriage which could be waylaid, he planned to fly her there.
With her engagement to Henry broken and Henry’s reputation in tatters, Venetia would have no defender.
“When are you scheduled to depart?” Henry asked.
“Maybe an hour. Maybe three. Though I’ve orders to be ready when the signal comes.” Beaumont pointed to a red flag planted near the balloon’s tethers. “When that’s waved, I’m to prepare for immediate departure.”
Henry sent another glance across the lawn, where he could see Windermere deep in conversation with Mrs. Pike.
They’d risen and were part way down the grassy slope.
Venetia stood at her aunt’s side, looking pale and distressed.
Caroline was nowhere to be seen, likely still under her mama’s watchful eyes at the supper table.
Desperately, Henry fought for inspiration. Dependable Caroline was not here. And Rothbury had decided to leave at the most crucial moment? And Amelia, with her quiet good sense, was not here to state publicly what she’d learned regarding the so-called princess.
Maybe the best way to protect Venetia in the short term was simply to ensure there was not an equipage available that could whisk her so effectively out of reach as a hot-air balloon.
“Mr. Beaumont,” Henry said, “what would you say to another change of plans? One that might spare you any moral qualms about unwilling passengers, and would still provide for your wife’s care?”
The aeronaut regarded him thoughtfully. “I’d say I’m listening, sir.”
“The gentleman who approached you—Lord Windermere—is not someone whose orders should be followed. He intends harm to the lady in question.”
Beaumont’s simple face hardened. “I’ve no stomach for that sort of business.”
“Nor I. Which is why I propose that when the time comes, you and I ensure that the balloon carries a different pair of passengers altogether.”
“And who might that be, sir?”
Henry took a deep breath, hardly believing what he was about to suggest. “Myself and… someone else. Someone who deserves the chance to escape as much as I do.”
He thought of Caroline, of her desperate look as she was dragged away.
Of all the pain and longing they had endured while trying to do the honorable thing for Venetia’s sake.
Perhaps now, with his reputation already destroyed and the engagement effectively ended, they could seize this one chance at happiness.
“I’ll need your help, Mr. Beaumont. And I promise you’ll be very well compensated for any inconvenience.”