By the time they had returned to the house, many of the others had risen, including Miss Yasuhara, who joined them for tea.
"My my, you two are up and about early!" she commented. "If I did not know better I would say you were courting!"
Mr Davis caught Miss Taniyama's cheeks tinging pink at this comment. That was new. He cocked his head to the side and observed her for a moment before speaking.
"My mother insisted we treat each other like brother and sister," he said robotically. "I am merely complying with my mother's wishes."
At that moment, the door burst open and Lady Oakmoor swept in.
"And yet, you promised, young man, to dance at least twice last night! And you did not!"
"Good morning to you to, Mother," Mr Davis replied.
"And what excuse do you have?"
"There was no one to dance with."
"I would have danced with you!" Lady Oakmoor cried. "Now if I kept my end of the bargain, I should now have the rights to throw that mangy cat of yours out of my house! But as I am a kind person, I will let you keep her." Lady Oakmoor sighed. "No one to dance with… That is the poorest excuse I have heard…"
"Miss Yasuhara had been otherwise engaged in dancing, and Mai was not dancing. I refuse to dance with Miss Hara or Miss Matsuzaki as they are liable to get the wrong impression. Mrs Lin is even more insufferable when dancing and you were busy playing host. I knew no one else."
"And no one can be introduced in a ballroom?"
"You did not offer to introduce me to anyone," Mr Davis muttered.
Lady Oakmoor sighed again and gave up.
"Miss Taniyama, how did you find the evening?" she asked.
"Most illuminating," Miss Taniyama replied. "It was wonderful to meet Mrs Lin!"
"Oh definitely, perhaps we should call on them later. Miss Yasuhara, would you care to join us?"
"I would love to!"
"Lady Oakmoor, I am not dressed for such a visit," Miss Taniyama complained. "I must go and change."
"Yes, you do have mud all around the hems of your skirts! What have you been doing?"
"I went for a walk," Miss Taniyama replied. "The morning air was most refreshing."
"Lovely. Well you go and change and then we'll be off! I will call for the carriage."
Miss Taniyama nodded her consent and rose, about to leave the room when Lady Oakmoor called her name.
"Miss Taniyama, could you just check in on Eugene, it is not like him to be asleep so late even if there was a ball last night."
"Of course."
Miss Taniyama left the room and took the detour past Lord Newthorpe's bedroom. She knocked lightly to announce herself.
"Lord Newthorpe," she called. "Your mother has asked me to check on you…"
Miss Taniyama's words fell silent as her eyes fully absorbed what was in front of her. Lord Newthorpe was not alone in his bed. At first, she thought that his bedmate and he were merely sleeping. Then she heard the moans, saw the slight rocking of the bed, the nakedness of their skin.
"I will just show myself out!" she squeaked.
Both men looked around as Miss Taniyama covered her eyes and backed out of the door. She meant to fled, to run as far as possible and yet she could not move further than a foot away. Miss Taniyama had collided with a hard chest.
She bounced backwards and looked up to see Mr Davis glaring down at her.
"I—"
"What did you see?"
"Nothing, I—"
"Do not lie to me."
"I—"
"Miss Taniyama. All it will take is a single word from me and I can have you thrown out onto the streets with nothing but the clothes you wear at this moment. Tell me. What did you see?"
Before Miss Taniyama could even think of replying. Lord Newthorpe burst out of his room, hastily dressed and harassed looking.
"Miss Taniyama—"
"Gene, let me deal with this," Mr Davis insisted.
"Noll, I— It's all a big mistake, honest! I—"
"Eugene. Return to your room I will speak with you in a minute," Mr Davis said in a dangerously low voice.
Lord Newthorpe nodded and backed into his bedchamber.
"Now, Miss Taniyama—"
"They were doing things!" she hissed. She glanced up and down the corridor in search of servants. "They were… It did not look like something I…"
Mr Davis pursed his lips.
"And what will you require to keep silent on the matter?" he asked. "Money? Jewels?"
He spat the last two words so hard Miss Taniyama winced as if he had struck her.
"Nothing!" she whimpered. "Nothing at all!"
Mr Davis narrowed his eyes and stepped closer.
"If I hear even a whisper. You will regret it. Now go."
Miss Taniyama scampered away. Mr Davis watched her go with pain in his chest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then entered Lord Newthorpe's room.
"What the hell were you two thinking?" he muttered.
"I have no idea what you mean!" Lord Newthorpe replied. "It's just me!"
He gestured around his empty room as if to prove it.
"Yasuhara. Get out from under the bed, you aren't fooling anyone. You know your actions are punishable by law. And yet you do not have the sense to keep it to your private 'boxing' sessions?"
"Noll. I'm—"
"Do not try my patience."
Mr Yasuhara slid out from under the bed and straightened his clothing.
"Mr Davis, we just fell asleep together!"
"And then woke up and decided to do something else," Mr Davis finished for him. "Yes. Miss Taniyama saw it. Now I have threatened her to within an inch of her life. If she speaks, I will deal with her. But you two have to be more careful!"
"Noll, I—"
"I don't want to hear it," Mr Davis muttered. "Just…"
He shook his head in disappointment and showed himself out.
Miss Taniyama ran to her room and scribbled down everything she had seen. She locked this new letter with the other she had written. While her previous reservations held true, she had no reason not to collate evidence against the family. If all good and well, then she would never have to use it.
Once she had completed this task, she changed into a clean dress and put the mud-stained one out to be washed.
A private thought about squirrelling away some sort of sustenance, whether it be in the form of food or money, occured to Miss Taniyama. If she was to be thrown out of the house by Mr Davis, then she wanted something to fall back on.
Mr Davis.
Her emotions regarding the man were so mixed. Mr Yasuhara seemed to think him enamoured by her and yet his own behaviour blew hot and cold. One minute he was caring for her, fetching her a drink, insisting she rest… And the next, he was threatening to make her homeless.
His threat was neither idle nor unfounded. Miss Taniyama knew the consequences of Lord Newthorpe and Mr Yasuhara's actions as well as he did. Miss Taniyama knew that he was only trying to protect his brother.
And yet she could not help but wonder that if Mr Yasuhara's words had been true, that Mr Davis truly did care for her in some way, that he would have been softer in his words towards herself.
Miss Taniyama rejoined the party downstairs and together they set off. On several occasions, Lady Oakmoor commented on her being absent minded, but Miss Taniyama played the situation off as tiredness from the previous night.
Mrs Lin had been delighted to see her friends so soon. She had already begun plans for a little party of her own in a few days time.
"We're thinking of having a few of the officers over, for a little supper and some card games," Mrs Lin told them. "There are several bright young officers that are desperate need of wives."
She looked to Miss Taniyama and Miss Yasuhara at this point. Miss Taniyama smiled and shook her head. But Miss Yasuhara looked genuinely excited by the prospect.
"Do you like a man in uniform?" Lady Oakmoor teased her young guest.
"Well, Colonel Lin looked most becoming," Miss Yasuhara admitted. "But as such a handsome man as he is taken, I suppose I could make do with some other younger officer."
The ladies laughed at her boldness. Miss Taniyama thought she saw something like a scheme coming together behind Lady Oakmoor and Mrs Lin's eyes. She said nothing of it, but suspected that her young friend would find herself engaged before her trip was done.
A few days later, Lord Newthorpe and Mr Yasuhara decided to spend the day trying to teach Miss Taniyama, once again, to ride. This time with Miss Yasuhara's assistance. While they were out in the park, Mrs Lin had taken it upon herself to return the visit to Lady Oakmoor.
"Lady Oakmoor, I have here a personal invite for you and your family to come to our humble abode this Friday evening for a little party," Mrs Lin began.
Lady Oakmoor took the envelope, admired the handwriting and agreed at once.
"We would be delighted."
"And if Mr Davis and the boys find themselves disinclined to come, do not force them. Because it will make it much easier to find a husband for Miss Yasuhara without them," Mrs Lin said with a laugh. "Although, on the subject of marriage, I must enquire further about Miss Taniyama. She is a delightful young lady who would make any man happy. I know of her financial situation, but surely something could be done for her?"
Lady Oakmoor sighed.
"I wish it were so simple," she replied. "If her father was easily located, or even her father's will to be found, then something may be done. But it is proving difficult."
"You are looking for him?"
"Not I, personally, but Mr Yasuhara is here to study law under Lord Oakmoor's guidance. He's given him the project to test him."
"And if her father is never found, what then?"
Lady Oakmoor looked away for a moment.
"Then perhaps I will touch on my own fortune to assist her. I think she wants a family and as a woman almost denied one… She is too good a girl to miss out."
"And Mr Davis danced with her," Mrs Lin mentioned. "That was unexpected."
Lady Oakmoor smiled.
"Yes, he did."
"You think there is something between them?"
"I have never seen Oliver as interested in a girl and yet… He has stated so many times that he is opposed to marriage. I do not know how he is to be supported if he does not. He claims that Eugene will take care of him and while I believe that... Perhaps it is not for me to worry. They are smart boys, they will figure it out."
"There is no ill notions in worrying for your children, Lady Oakmoor. I know I would do the same."
Mrs Lin smiled with a hint of mirth in her eyes. Lady Oakmoor narrowed her eyes for just a moment.
"My dear Mrs Lin, do you have something to tell me? Am I to be a grandmother?"
"If you were my real mother, then perhaps. It is too soon to tell but…" Mrs Lin smiled again. "I just have a feeling. Like I can feel a change in my body."
"Oh this is wonderful!"
"You must not tell Lin! Or anyone! I do not want a soul knowing until I am certain."
"Of course, of course! I will not tell anyone! But I am so pleased for you!" Lady Oakmoor gushed. "I will admit to starting a bonnet for your future children soon after you were wed. I missed you so much when you were gone and it kept my idle hours busy."
"You are too sweet."
Colonel and Mrs Lin's evening party rolled around all too soon. Miss Taniyama, though still feeling out of sorts from her encounter with Mr Davis, went along to support her friend. Miss Yasuhara had spent almost an extra hour getting ready. Redoing her hair and reapplying her ribbons so many times no matter how often Miss Taniyama repeated claims of her beauty.
Much to Miss Taniyama's surprise, Mr Davis, Lord Newthorpe and Mr Yasuhara all came. She supposed that Lord Newthorpe and Mr Yasuhara were social creatures. However Mr Davis's decision to attend, after having received reassurance that he need not, confused her somewhat.
That is, until she thought that he might be accompanying them to keep an eye on her. Did he suspect that she would spread Lord Newthorpe's secret so swiftly after his threat?
This dampened the elation she felt in her that Miss Yasuhara would be having such a good evening by pangs of regret for her own circumstance.
They arrived in good time and were shown into a little parlor where several card tables had been set up. Miss Taniyama knew a little of cards, as it had been one of the few things her mother had felt up to doing during her illness.
She sat down with Miss Yasuhara and two officers who introduced themselves as Wilson and Beckett. They were sturdy young men, tall and blond with cheerful smiles. Miss Taniyama had suspected them brothers at first, but after some conversation they revealed themselves to be cousins.
"We were born within a few days of each other," Wilson explained as he looked through his cards. "And we have been good friends ever since."
"That is until I beat him at cards," Beckett added. "Then he becomes a frightful bore."
"Ah," Miss Yasuhara began. "That is a great shame, but as I am about to beat you both that shall not be an issue!" She lay down her cards and the whole table exclaimed at her sudden victory.
"How sly of you," Miss Taniyama commented. "My plan for the long game barely began!"
They continued to play until supper was announced. Upon which, they all rose and were shown through to the dining room. Mrs Lin had carefully planned the table and had written little name tags for each place.
"I wanted everyone to have an opportunity to meet new people," Mrs Lin was saying as they entered. "So I hope you will all make a new friend today."
Miss Yasuhara, it turned out, was surrounded on every side by officers. Not far away, Lady Oakmoor and Lord Oakmoor were sat together, close enough that they could intervene if necessary, but far enough away that they need not be involved in the conversation.
Miss Taniyama, on the other hand, was seated as far as possible from her friend and right next to Mr Davis.
She wanted to beg Mrs Lin to move her to any other place, but there were no spare seats. So she took her chair and waited for him to join her. On her other side was a married couple and opposite her were the only rowdy men in the whole party.
Miss Taniyama strongly suspected they had drunk a little too much of the wine.
"The couple next to you may soon be requiring the service of a governess," Mrs Lin suddenly hissed in her ear. "Do not mention it, but do scope them out. If they seem like nice people, I am sure I can mention your name to them."
Miss Taniyama thanked her for her goodness. So that had been Mrs Lin's plan and a delightful scheme it would have been too, if it had not been for Mr Davis.
"Good evening," Miss Taniyama said when he sat down. "Have you had much luck with cards?"
"No."
"I would not have suspected you of playing poorly."
"I did not play at all."
Miss Taniyama frowned, but said no more. The starters had just been served and Miss Taniyama tucked in, eager for any excuse not to make conversation.
"Yourself?"
Miss Taniyama almost dropped her fork in alarm.
"I won only one game. Miss Yasuhara was most proficient."
"And no doubt her charms distracted the gentlemen."
"No doubt indeed. But she is young with an intention to be married, so I cannot blame her or them."
"Mrs Lin's intention to surround her with officers already has her five possible suitors by the looks of things."
"Yes," Miss Taniyama agreed, looking down the table and smiling at her friend. Miss Yasuhara was the life of the conversation at that end of the table.
"Do you play chess, Miss Taniyama?" Mr Davis asked.
"I do not, but I would be delighted to learn."
"I will ask Lin to borrow his set then," Mr Davis said.
"You know the Colonel well?"
"Quite well, yes. My mother, as I am sure you have noticed by now, has a habit of taking young people under her wing and looking after them. She sees herself as a surrogate mother to a lot of people, the Colonel and his wife included."
"How kind of her."
They ate in silence for a little while and Miss Taniyama caught a little of what the rowdy officers opposite her were saying.
"...head down the pushing school later, eh, boys?" one said as he chewed his food, open mouthed.
"Yeah!"
Miss Taniyama was somewhat startled.
"You still attend school? Even though you're in the army?" she asked, with no thought to interrupting their conversation.
The men looked around and laughed in her face. Miss Taniyama sat back, affronted.
"They mean a house of ill repute," Mr Davis muttered so that only she could hear. Miss Taniyama looked around at him in alarm.
"Oh. Oh I see."
Miss Taniyama blushed in her ignorance and forced her focus back to her food.
"But they are officers!" she hissed back. "These are supposed to be respectable men!"
"And apparently even 'respectable men' have urges, Miss Taniyama."
"Then they ought to get married and—"
"And then leave their wives for months, if not years at a time? Men like them will do these things. Do not be so surprised about it."
"But I must screen Miss Yasuhara from these facts. What of the men she is sat by? Are they as—"
"I am sure Mrs Lin will have vetted them," Mr Davis said in an attempt to soothe her fears.
"Are you sure? I do not want Miss Yasuhara to set her heart on a man that will not be faithful to her. A good marriage is bound by trust and mutual respect and—"
"You seem to know a lot how a 'good' marriage works for someone not interested in being so inclined yourself."
"I am basing this on what I saw of my parents, and of your parents," Miss Taniyama replied in earnest. "Just because I have no hope for myself does not mean I cannot care and advise those I care about."
"And what would you advise me?" Mr Davis asked.
Miss Taniyama blinked, unsure how to take this question.
"You mean, on the topic of marriage?"
"That is what we were speaking about."
Miss Taniyama blinked again, unsure how to respond. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"I think you should find someone to spend your life with that will make you happy," she said. "You have the opportunity to marry for something like love, though I suppose fortune must come into it somewhere. And then I think you should settle within a short ride of here, so you may often visit your brother, or else you would miss him. Though of course, you would never admit it."
Mr Davis accepted her speech without comment. They ate the remainder of the meal in relative silence. An occasional comment on the food or the atmosphere occurred, but nothing more. Miss Taniyama almost forgot to listen into the marriage couple's conversation to see if they were worthy employers and by the time she had, she sincerely wished she had not.
They were bickering at every opportunity and found Mr Davis's silence a welcome relief.
After the main course, the party broke up into card tables again, as dessert would be served later as a buffet. Mr Davis enquired of Colonel Lin about a chess board and he provided one most willingly, on the condition that they first play a game.
Miss Taniyama sat to the side to watch their progress, in a hope to learn a little of the rules. She caught the intentions of most of the pieces, but she had no hope for playing her own game against Mr Davis.
In fact, they soon drew a little crowd in. The officers supporting their colonel, suspecting that no one could beat him. Miss Taniyama, feeling a little sorry for Mr Davis's lack of support, decided to cheer him on until Lord Newthorpe passed her by and informed her there was no need.
"Noll will win. He always has done."
Miss Taniyama could not question this as she had no idea of how the game was progressing. Colonel Lin had taken more of Mr Davis's pieces, which she supposed to be a good thing for Lin. But Mr Davis did not seem perturbed by this fact in the slightest.
"Lord Newthorpe, how do you win at chess?" Miss Taniyama asked.
"By killing the king," Lord Newthorpe replied. "Noll will put the Colonel's king in a position from which he cannot escape and thus declare checkmate."
Miss Taniyama continued to watch, enthralled as both men moved their little wooden pieces. Every now and then a spectator would 'ooh' or 'ah'. Then all of a sudden, Mr Davis spoke.
"Checkmate."
Colonel Lin frowned deeply.
"It can't be…" he muttered. "I could— No. Wait."
"It is, sir!" an officer cried. "It's checkmate! He did it!"
Miss Taniyama gaped as Colonel Lin tried to find a way out of the situation, but alas, he could not seem to find one. He sighed, defeated and offered Mr Davis his hand.
Mr Davis shook it with a smile that Miss Taniyama thought to be genuine.
"I challenge you, sir!" another officer cried. "To save the reputation of our men!"
The others laughed. Mr Davis looked to Miss Taniyama, seeing as it had been his intention to teach her, but she shook her head and smiled. So he accepted the challenge.
Miss Taniyama only left when dessert was announced. When she went to fetch something to nibble on, Lord Newthorpe handed her a plate with raspberry tart on it.
"Give it to Noll, seeing as he cannot get up right now."
Miss Taniyama complied and carried the plate over, sharing Lord Newthorpe's compliments. Mr Davis thanked her without looking up from the game, but picked up his fork nonetheless and ate a little.
Not to anyone's surprise, but Mr Davis won the next game, and the next, and the next. Some men began betting on the outcomes, but the only ones that won were those that bet on Mr Davis. Miss Taniyama watched for the rest of the evening, learning slowly to appreciate the tactics and forethought involved. She wondered if Mr Davis would still teach her to play. She wondered if she could ever hope to play respectfully.
She wondered if Mr Davis would ever truly trust her…
Author's note: Still with no internet, I'm currently sat in a cafe to post this as I got sent home from work because of the snow (If you're not aware, the whole of the UK is having snow issues...) but my landlord said internet should return on Tuesday! So that's something... Maybe I'll post a second chapter today before I head home... Who knows!