Chapter 7

By the time Rebecca reached the house in Seville Row, she had decided that her cousin's attitude toward Katharine needed to change, whether he was initially willing. She was not out to trap him. She was a very sweet lady and Rebecca had decided that they were going to be friends, at least for the next two months, anyway. What happened once she was married was hard to foretell.

Rebecca knocked at the door and was greeted by the enthusiastic smile of Passepartout.

"Miss Rebecca." He greeted. "Come in. It is good to be seeing you on this fine day!"

"Hello Passepartout. Is Phileas in?"

Jean Passepartout had come to Phileas when he had won the Aurora from a German Baron. The man was a comical, animated Frenchman with a terrible grasp on the English language. He murdered it constantly to the irritation of his scrupulously proper employer. But he knew every inch of the airship Phileas had won and how to pilot and repair it. Over time, Passepartout had also become the perfect valet for her very difficult to deal with cousin. His contract, in response, was generous and perpetual.

"Yes, in study," Passepartout announced. I getting the tea."

Rebecca followed the valet into her cousin's study. It was the main living area of the house, a pleasant masculine room lined with bookshelves, with a window over the desk.

Phileas sat reading from a stack of papers as she entered the room. He looked up to acknowledge her entry and went back to his work. He did not stand in greeting, which was proof he was still in a snit.

"Finished with your shopping?" He inquired disinterestedly.

Rebecca sat in the chair near him. His insolence showed his feelings about her spending time with Katharine. As if I require a reminder or, as if your displeasure will have any effect on whom I choose to spend time with.

"Yes, I did."

Passepartout noted his master's attitude and quietly left the scene of the upcoming battle. He had heard his master muttering about the tea he had attended. An old matron was trying to marry off a niece to his master. It was the way things are done in upper society. The valet sighed. He had never met this countess or seen the young lady. If his master were this much against the match, the girl must be very homely.

"We had quite an enjoyable afternoon too," Rebecca was saying, as Passepartout left the room. "I think we will become quite good friends."

"Indeed," Phileas said, looking up momentarily. "I would not have thought you and the lady could have anything in common."

Passepartout returned. The match Rebecca had been about to start was put on hold while he poured tea and served refreshments. Phileas gave the man a quick thank you and bid Passepartout to leave. As soon as he left the room, round two began.

"Actually, I found that we have a great deal in common," Rebecca said. "Katharine has a few things in common with you as well."

"Katharine is it. Getting awfully familiar fast," Phileas said. "I cannot credit any such thing. How could a woman of her rank and upbringing have anything in common with me, or you?"

"You do like fencing, do you not?" Rebecca said. "You used to enjoy sailing. Did you know she owns a merchant fleet? Four of them are the new Clippers from America?"

A point went to Rebecca. Phileas looked up with interest he couldn't hide.

Rebecca continued, "If you had consented to meet with her before now, you might have had a friend to go fishing with last season. She enjoys catching salmon. She is quite a horsewoman, too."

Phileas stopped pretending to read his papers. "Fishing?"

Big points to Rebecca, Phileas's cool composure had cracked.

"Well, a lone girl raised with fourteen male cousins learns a good many useful skills, she tells me. Imagine it. I thought I had it bad with just you and Erasmus to deal with. I shudder to think what that poor woman's childhood must have been like!"

"Evidently, enjoyable and full of comradery, if her cousins allowed her to join them fishing," Phileas said. "The same as your own."

He made his point and won points for the retort.

"There is another thing," Rebecca added. "She says you two have previously met some years back, twice even."

All points instantly went to Rebecca. Phileas was completely hooked and was being reeled in.

"When was this?" He asked.

Rebecca smiled cat-like, the curious sort, indeed. "Oh, in the first meeting was when she was a child, some party at Whitehall honoring your father. Was Countess Weatherly's husband in the service? She took her to that. Do you have any recollections?"

Phileas's eyes seemed to scan some inner catalog. "A party for father at Whitehall? Yes, yes, that is it. There was a party given for father after his knighting at Whitehall. Erasmus and I attended it with him. There had been a lot of such things afterwards. Eleanor attended alone. Her husband had died around that time."

"As I recall, Erasmus vanished, and father sent me looking for him. I found him in the basement training room playing on the equipment with a little girl. She was all dressed up in pink bows. I brought them both back. That must have been her. What was this second meeting?"

Time to land him.

"She did not tell me the details, other than that it cost you a pretty penny. For the rest, you must consent to take her to Lady Bucknum's dinner party on Friday. We have received invitations already. You just need to request her company."

Phileas yanked back on the line, hard. He went livid and ran for cover.

"I will do no such thing! Whatever do you think you are doing, trying to help that woman? Really Rebecca, I would have thought family loyalty would have put you on my side."

"And why ever not?" Rebecca fired back. "A lady of her rank would not do the family standing any harm. Katharine is a very sweet woman. And your disposition could use sweetening up."

Phileas glowered at her, promising agony for that catty retort.

"Besides, you think far too much of yourself," Rebecca said, ignoring his anger. "Katharine is not interested in you in the least. She has an undeclared suitor back in Scotland. The request for your company was just a matter of friendly comradery, a chance to discuss common interests and old acquaintanceships, nothing more."

"She is not…" Phileas started, but covered it with, "I cannot ask to take her to the party. Eleanor would consider it a concession of interest on my part. The woman has been after just that for years. She would have the wedding planned by next Monday."

Rebecca giggled. She had not seen Phileas back pedal so hard in years. He had women swooning at his feet as far back as Rebecca could remember. To have one who didn't was a novelty.

"Oh, come now Phileas. Eleanor is not that bad. At any rate, Katharine is only going to be in London for two months. That is not long enough for a proper courtship, by any standards. She tells me she does not expect to come back to London next year without a wedding ring. She believes if the two of you spend a little time together, Eleanor might calm down a bit. You are perfectly safe. She will leave here; get married in Scotland, and Eleanor will have to accept. Nothing more to be said."

Phileas digested all that for a long moment. "I see. You are sure this is not a rouse to get your help?"

Rebecca leaned forward and gave his hand a squeeze. He was landed.

"You really think I would knowingly put you in danger of a marriage trap? Phileas, dear cousin, I know where my loyalties are. You have helped me avoid this often enough. Allow me to return the favor. Katharine told me all about it. It is a family thing, estate planning. She has known the gentleman all her life, and it is expected. Stop worrying."

Phileas considered that, along with what he had already been told of the situation. He relented. "I will consent to escort her to a few functions to get Eleanor off our backs. But if her suitor does not come through by next year, the two of you will pay dearly."

"I will take the chance," Rebecca said.

They had him! Friday was going to be fun!