To James, England seemed much smaller than the states. The carriage ride was only a few hours through lovely green country that reminded him of Virginia. The entire party was excited to go to a ball, even though it wasn't something Herni of James usually liked.
Through Lottie and Sarah's conversation, James gathered that her cousin had been away at some French school and missed an entire season of gossip. On the way to the Herrington Estate she was regaled with every detail Sarah could remember about London society's previous year.
"We all assumed Harriet would do well for herself. She's so pretty! Lord Albee though? I mean, he has wealth enough to be sure but isn't he a little old?" Lottie replied to something Sarah had said.
"Some people aren't able to marry for love Lottie." Sarah replied, rather somberly. She wondered about what her mother might think when she declared that a man had caught her attention, and that the man was James. He was by no means wealthy, though he was stable and had a good job. James didn't offer a title or much of anything that her mother might want for her. But James did have one thing that Sarah valued above all else, her heart. She met his eye and smiled.
James was struck by what Sarah had said, but more so by the look she gave him after saying it. Her smile seemed to imply that she wanted marry for love- that is marry him for love. He smiled right back, wanting to propose right then- but it would have to be more romantic than a stuffy carriage, and besides he didn't even have a ring for her.
"Some people are allowed to marry for love. If I am able, I hope to be one of them." Lottie said, looking at her lap nervously.
"I think that's a marvelous idea." Henri said. James and Sarah shot each other the same look. Henri really liked Charlotte, that much was clear.
"Let's all make a promise, right now." He said, looking around at the other three, "Let's promise only to marry for love!" Henri raised his hand and declared, "I promise only to marry for love!" Then he held out his hand waiting for any of them to shake it.
James rolled his eyes and took Henri's hand. "I promise, when I marry, it'll be for love."
Lottie, wide-eyed, fixed her gaze on Sarah. So did Henri. She glanced at James, who was still wearing his charming smile. She took Henri's hand and shook it too saying, "Alright I promise, only love would even tempt me to consider marriage." Henri was pleased with this answer and so turned to Lottie.
"Love," she sighed, "the only proper reason for marrying and the only justification I would permit myself to use." Henri clasped her hand and Lottie turned pink.
"Wonderful!" Henri exclaimed. Lottie gingerly removed her hand from Henri's and looked out the window. Sarah knew what her cousin was thinking and wanted to comfort her but couldn't with the boys there.
"I believe we will all get the happy ending we want." Sarah said, "even if it means fighting the odds. I think some things are worth it."
Lottie shot Sarah a "thank you" glance and resumed looking out the window. "Look, there it is." She said.
The carriage approached a house like none the young men had ever seen. A massive sprawling estate stood before them. The long driveway was the length of an entire block of houses in Philadelphia, lined with hundred year old trees and closed off by a large iron gate. As they neared the building, James and Henri tried their best not to guak, but the sight was impressively grandiose. It was a castle, by all accounts and unlike anything they had ever seen in America.
Footmen met the carriage, and the group was led inside. The entrance was the size of the print shop. Every piece of furniture looked expensive, like one shouldn't sit on the chairs. James couldn't believe people lived in such excess.
A maid showed them to their rooms through winding halls and staircases.
"Do you think we're going to get a map?" Henri said under his breath.
"You did remember your compass, didn't you?" James joked back. The maid gave them an inquisitive look but said nothing.
Once settled in the spacious room Henri began looking around. "We should explore." He said, "I want to find the kitchen."
James was too busy rifling through his trunk. "Should I wear the green vest tonight?" He asked, half submerged in clothing.
"It doesn't matter what we wear. We're going to look out of place anyway." Henri replied.
"It does matter." James frowned, "everything's got to be perfect."
"You're proposing?" Henri laughed, "tonight? Do you even have a ring?"
"No, and that thought did cross my mind. I think though that ultimately Sarah won't care-"
"This is a bad idea," Henri interrupted. "I know you two are happy and in love but have you considered that maybe Sarah isn't ready to get married to anyone?"
"She said she wants to marry for love." James argued.
"Yes, but I don't think she meant this evening."
"Well we're not getting married tonight regardless. It's just a proposal-"
"Just a proposal? James, I know that where romance is concerned you're not, shall we say, well-versed? But this will be something Sarah will remember forever, you should at least try to make it special."
"Well which one is more special, the blue or the green vest?" James held them both up for comparison, ignoring Henri's concerns.
"The green." Henri sighed, "it suits you better."
—-
Sarah unlatched her trunk and gasped. Neatly folded where she had packed her blue gown, now laid a pale pink dress done up with lace and embroidered peach colored roses. Mother.
Lottie came to see what had startled her cousin and chuckled, "Your mother does have good taste."
"It's excessive!" She frowned, pulling it out and laying it on the bed. "And this lace- I'm going to look like a- like a-?"
"Like a princess!" Lottie smiled, "I for one, am excited to wear an elaborate gown and my hair like so," she pulled her hair into a messy lump on top of her head, "and prance about like royalty." She walked around trying to be silly and Sarah couldn't help but catch a little of the excitement herself.
"I'll help you with your hair. You can't wear it like that." She said. A clump of light brown curls fell over Lottie's eyes.
"I'm really going for more of a mature pony look." She giggled as she said it. They both laughed at that.
Then Charlotte let her hair loose and turned away. It was the same longing sadness Sarah had seen on her cousin earlier in the carriage.
"You're thinking about John again." Sarah realized.
"Sometimes I think about him when I'm having fun, and I feel guilty. I'm not with him." Lottie sank into the little stool in front of the vanity, meeting Sarah's eyes in the mirror.
"You'll get to see him again." Sarah said, then asked, "have you told Henri yet?"
"I'm not sure how to. I almost said something the other day when we were practicing dancing. He's a good dancer, despite what he says, he kept making me laugh and I'm sure I made the same face that just informed you of my thoughts. Of course he only guessed something was wrong, not what it was."
Sarah felt silly complaining about the quality of her dress. Some people had real problems and her one great complaint was a selection of gown. "He will understand."
"But he might think less of me."
"I don't know how much you know about Henri's own past-" Sarah began.
"He's told me about his parents, Moses and James saving him, Doctor Franklin taking him in-"
"I mean his history of falling in love, making mistakes." Sarah walked over and stood behind Lottie. She took a brush off the vanity and began brushing her cousin's hair. "The first evening when he and James arrived in London, the three of us sat around the hearth and caught up on all we missed. Henri wouldn't be in a position to judge you and I would be extremely disappointed in him if he became a hypocrite." She stopped brushing and Lottie turned to face her. "Talk to him."
—-
Henri had decided that finding the kitchens was of the utmost importance and left James to worry alone in the room. He walked down the long hall peering down around corners, hoping to find someone who could direct him towards food.
He heard voices, French. It had been sometime since he'd actually spoken the language, he was much better at writing and reading it. There was however one word Henri recognized, probably because it was nearly the same in English, "révolution". And then a voice he was beginning to recognize cried, "Louis! Now is not the time for this!"
"Gabriel?" Henri stepped out and met them. Sure enough Louis and Gabriel, the Frenchmen from the tavern, stood facing each other braces for some kind of argument. "What are you doing here?"
Gabriel, the more amiable of the two spoke, "Louis's uncle is the one throwing the party." He laughed.
"Oh, I didn't know you were rich." Henri said, feeling dumb after doing so.
"Yes," Louis scoffed, "rich enough to study Voltaire and the greats of our time. Rich enough to afford knowledge of life's injustices. My uncle is mocking me with this ridiculous party. My mother is too."
"Well," Gabriel sighed, "I'm thankful for this spot of wealth and your birthday. My bed is far more comfortable here then that tired old inn. And the food too."
That caught Henri's interest, "food sounds heavenly. I haven't eaten all day!"
"I'll show you the kitchens, and don't mind Louis. He's determined to be in a bad mood." Louis crossed his arms and stormed away.
The other two began down the hall and Herni couldn't help but ask, "What were you two agrueing about?"
"His family is desperately trying to remind him of the joys of being rich. They think he's fallen in with a dangerous group, I'm inclined to side with them. He talks of great philosophers and revolutions and making the world equal but I think it all started last when his mother said no to Mable last year."
"Mable?"
"He was in love, so he says." Gabriel laughed, "I'm not sure she loved him back but Louis was convinced he should marry her. He told his mother and she said she would cut him off if he tried. Ever since then he's fervently hated being wealthy."
"So why come to this 'ridiculous' party?" Henri said, quoting Louis.
"He wasn't going to, but then the strangest thing happened. A friend from who'd been in France a while back wrote and begged him to come. Louis wouldn't tell me who the friend was or why this person insisted on him being here but apparently the letter was convincing, because here we are."
"He doesn't seem excited to meet up with this mystery friend." Henri observed.
"I know, I thought that was strange too." Gabriel frowned, "I'm worried he's in some kind of trouble, but every time I try to bring it up he starts into another rant about changing times and whatever philosopher he happens to be reading that day."
"Well, I hope it all works out for him," Henri replied.
"What about your friend? Jack, was it? He seemed miserable the other night."
"James. He was miserable but he's in good spirits now. I think he is actually looking forward to the ball, even though," Henri laughed, "he's the worst dancer."
The two continued chatting cordially until Henri mentioned what he and James were planning on wearing.
"You'll look horribly out of place!" Gabriel exclaimed.
"We are horribly out of place. James and I don't attend fancy parties in castles in America. We've no reason to own fine clothes like that."
"You're in luck. My good friend Louis has plenty to spare. I'm wearing his coat now." Gabirel turned around proudly showing it off.
"He really wouldn't mind?" Henri knew that James might appreciate looking the part of a wealthy suitor.
"No, he believes in spreading the wealth and all that equality of the classes. It's time he put his philosophy into practice."