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Chapter Eleven

Sebastian

P ip looked more dapper than ever as he perched on Sebastian’s shoulder on their way to call upon Mrs. Lawrence and her nieces and nephews.

Yorke and Fairchild had taken care of the monkey during Sebastian’s call yesterday, and they had made him a monocle out of an old coin, which now dangled from his clout—the height of infantile sophistication.

Sebastian had asked them to look after the monkey with the intent that he and Mrs. Lawrence might find more time to converse and enjoy one another’s company without the distraction of Pip.

The reality, however, was that Sebastian had barely spoken with Mrs. Lawrence. He had been too occupied with her nieces and nephews.

Little Lou had reminded him forcibly of a younger Margaret—adorably tentative—while the other three had the energy of Hugo and Felix.

A bloom of nerves spread through his stomach. He had received a letter from his solicitor, warning him that he could expect the Court of Chancery to request evidence of his fitness as a guardian at any time .

He had no such evidence, at least not if it referred to his financial fitness.

Today, he was determined to speak with Mrs. Lawrence and come to a better understanding of her view of him.

If she would welcome a more purposeful courtship, he was more than ready to offer it.

He was merely afraid of scaring her off.

With the increasing affection in which he held her, there was more than a simple fortune at stake.

He feared to lose her would mean losing his heart as well.

“For the love of everything good and beautiful, Pip,” Sebastian said as they reached Number 14, “please behave yourself today.”

When the footman welcomed him inside, the house was not quiet, as it had been upon his first visit. The muffled sound of children’s voices could be heard from the entry. They quickly grew louder as the footman took Sebastian’s hat and the four children came running into the hall.

Selina and the woman Sebastian could only assume was her sister-in-law came running up behind, urging the children to mind their manners.

Their comments and instructions fell on deaf ears as they huddled around Sebastian, staring up at Pip with grins of unfettered delight. Pip looked down on his audience curiously but stayed in his preferred perch.

With the focus on Pip, it was nearly a quarter of an hour before Sebastian was properly introduced to Mrs. Jane Randall, a woman very near his same age and with a great resemblance to her sister, Miss Grant.

Mr. Richard Randall came in presently, and Mrs. Lawrence introduced him to Sebastian as well while the children played with the monkey, who had lost any qualms about his eager entourage the moment he had discovered the crumbs on Kitty’s shirt.

There came a point, however, when the rowdiness of the play grew to be too much for Mr. Randall, who insisted they take the monkey out to the garden .

“Perhaps you could supervise, then, my dear,” his wife said.

“I am happy to do so,” Sebastian intervened, seeing how little Randall liked his wife’s suggestion.

“That is very kind, Mr. Drake,” Mrs. Randall said with a generous smile, “but it is a great deal to ask any one person to supervise a monkey and four unfamiliar children. Normally, I would ask Phoebe, but she has not yet returned from her walk in the Park with the Winsers.”

“I will go along,” Mrs. Lawrence said.

Sebastian smiled at her, eager to have the time by her side.

“I had hoped to ask you a small question, Selina,” her sister-in-law said apologetically.

“Oh, then perhaps Richard can go with Mr. Drake, and I can come and spell him once we have spoken?”

Everyone agreed to this plan, and the children led the way, followed by their father, while Sebastian and Pip brought up the rear.

The garden attached to the townhouse was larger than any Sebastian had seen in Town.

It was long and narrow and enclosed by brick walls, with gravel paths lined by plants and flowers winding through it.

A small fountain and a number of trees and benches offered plenty of opportunity for Pip and the children to wiggle and laugh and talk without causing their father undue annoyance.

Arthur, who had cast himself in the role of liaison between Pip and the others, welcomed the marmoset onto his shoulder, then took him to the fountain, his siblings at his heels.

“It was kind of you to bring the monkey,” Randall said.

Sebastian rather thought Randall would have preferred he not bring Pip, but it was a civil thing to say.

“Pip is in his element,” Sebastian said, watching with amusement as the children encouraged him to climb the tree.

“He will sleep all the better tonight for this, so I can only thank your children for the service they are providing.”

“He certainly looks to be a handful,” Randall commented as Pip hopped deftly from one branch to another, making the leaves rustle.

“Two handfuls at least—and more than that before I trained him a bit. I cannot imagine how your sister and Mr. Lawrence got along with him before.”

“They must have managed fairly well, for Pip was never even mentioned until Phoebe’s latest letter. I had always thought George disliked animals.”

Sebastian frowned, for Tolliver had said something quite similar. “He enjoyed hunting them, at least, as I understand.”

Randall smiled. “The only thing he and Selina had in common.”

Sebastian’s frown deepened. Despite the gap in their ages, it surprised him to know they had shared little in common.

Though, he supposed, that was not necessarily a prerequisite for affection.

But what, precisely, was the commonality Randall referred to?

The timing of his comment was confusing. “They shared a dislike of animals?”

“No, they both liked hunting. Though, George never approved of Selina engaging in such pursuits, you know.” He gave a soft chuckle, his eyes glazed over as he stared at some distant point in the garden. “She always managed to hunt despite that.”

“Did she?” Were they speaking of the same person? Mrs. Lawrence had always managed to hunt? She knew nothing about firearms.

“Oh, yes. Selina might have been a docile wife in many ways, but she was never about to be told she could not ride to hounds or hunt. She can be quite stubborn when her will is crossed, and she developed a taste for the sport from a young age—something our father came to regret, I believe, for he was the one who introduced her to it. I can only think he did so in hopes of making her a more informed prospect on the Marriage Mart. Now she knows more than any woman I have ever met. A crack shot too. Puts me entirely to shame. ”

Sebastian did not respond, for he hadn’t the slightest idea what to say.

Mrs. Lawrence, a crack shot? Knew more than any woman her brother had ever met about hunting?

The description bore no resemblance at all to the woman who had smiled sweetly while Sebastian had taught her about rifles.

Taught about rifles he knew nothing about.

Heat crept under his cravat and into his face as unwelcome memories presented themselves.

He clenched his eyes shut.

The things he had said! And the confidence with which he had uttered them!

Breeches and counterbalances and twin-barreled musketoons.

And she had not even bothered to correct him.

She had accepted help she did not require, and she had pretended ignorance when he had betrayed his. But why?

To spare his pride?

That, at least, was a comforting thought. Or half-comforting, at least.

“Mr. Drake! Mr. Drake!” Kitty came running up to him. “Pip will not come down from the tree!”

Sebastian cast his embarrassment aside. “He will not, will he? Let us see about that.”

He followed Kitty on the gravel path through the garden, but she was right. Pip was quite content in the tree and would not respond, even to Sebastian’s coaxing. The bonbons Sebastian had been certain he had left in his pocket were absent—no doubt Pip had found them without his knowledge.

“This may require more persuasive tactics,” Sebastian said to the increasingly worried children. “Give me but a moment.”

Randall agreed to supervise while Sebastian stole inside to ask the servants for some bonbons. He encountered one of the maids in the corridor and explained the situation to her.

“You understand the predicament, no doubt, for you know Pip better than I. ”

She gave him a funny look. “No, sir. I barely know the creature.”

“Ah. I assumed you would have had plenty of opportunity to acquaint yourself with his mischief since your late master acquired him.”

She laughed. “Oh, no, sir! Mr. Lawrence could not abide animals. He always said they were only good for shooting. The monkey was here but one night before you took him in, bless you.”

The housekeeper came around the corner, her lips pressed together with displeasure as she looked at the maid, who dropped her gaze from Sebastian’s immediately. “I will fetch the bonbons directly, sir.” With a curtsy, she passed Sebastian, leaving him thoroughly and utterly befuddled.

Had he imagined Mrs. Lawrence saying Pip had belonged to her late husband?

No. Certainly not, for Tolliver had also expressed surprise to hear her say the monkey had been Mr. Lawrence’s pet. As had Mr. Randall.

Mrs. Lawrence’s response to Tolliver had been to say that her husband was surprisingly private. Was it possible he had owned such a chaotic animal without his friends or brother-in-law knowing of it?

Perhaps.

But his own servants?

Sebastian had cleaned up after Pip enough times to refute that possibility without hesitation.

Even if the maid was a recent addition to the household, she would be familiar with Pip. She would likely have been called upon to clean up after any number of messes he had made.

The monkey was here but one night before you took him in, bless you.

That was what she had said, but what in the blazes did it mean ?