Chapter 13: Collusion

Percy mounted the front stair to the Hendred family residence with a heavy tread. To say that he anticipated taking little pleasure in the evening was to understate matters. All that long day, he'd been tempted to send his regrets, but his conscience had not brooked treating Georgina Harcourt in so shabby a manner. She had, after all, done nothing to deserve such a lack of consideration, and, if honoring his promise to attend her coming-out ball and the dinner preceding it put him in the awkward position of being in Helena Damerel's company, there was nothing for it but to steel himself to the difficulty and handle it as best he could.

The week since his meeting with Lord Damerel had been a trying one. He had not needed the baron's broad hint that he was not an acceptable match for his daughter, but it had served to goad him into examining his conduct and forcing him to admit he'd been acting more suitor-like than was appropriate. He'd resolved in consequence to modify his behavior, to be, if no less affable, more reserved in his dealings with Helena and no more particular in his attentions toward her than to other young ladies. Had it been possible, he would have quit Town altogether and retreated to Harebell, but his bargain with his mother held him trapped in the social whirl and so he'd been obliged on an almost nightly basis to put his new resolve into practice and watch as Helena's bright smile faltered and her eyes clouded with confusion. It was painful to witness and required enormous self-restraint on Percy's part, but it was a necessary, if regrettable, evil.

He had indulged himself in so far as to time his arrival within minutes of the dinner hour and, upon crossing the threshold, was ushered into a drawing room already crowded with guests. Mrs. Harcourt came forward to greet him with just a hint of relief in her manner and, when he would have apologized for his tardiness, assured him that it did not signify, there was time as yet to make him known to some of the company with whom he was unacquainted. In this way, Percy was introduced to some dozen persons, all of whom were related either by birth or marriage to either his hostess or her late husband. He finally happened on Miss Harcourt standing by the chair of elderly woman who Percy scarcely needed telling, so strong was the family resemblance, was Mrs. Harcourt's mother, Mrs. Maria Hendred. Percy had no sooner expressed his delight in meeting her and his pleasure at having been invited than the butler appeared to announce that dinner was served.

"As we are mostly family, Lord Percy," Mrs. Harcourt said, "we shall not stand on ceremony. Lord Stormont will take my mother in, and then, if you will follow behind, you may take Georgina."

Miss Harcourt, her chin tucked demurely and her cheeks a rosy red, stood smiling at him shyly. Here, Percy thought with sudden clarity, was another fine line to walk, for, unless he was very much mistaken, his having been accorded the distinction of escorting Miss Harcourt signaled he was looked on as a potential suitor, and a favored one at that. Not having, at the moment, any other option, he bowed to Miss Harcourt and offered his arm. "I'd be honored."

The dining room into which they proceeded was a long, richly-decorated space with, at its center, a table beautifully laid with fine china, sparkling glassware and a profusion of flowers. Percy found that he was to be seated toward the end of the table over which Mrs. Harcourt would preside, with Miss Harcourt to his right and, according to the place card, a Miss Eugenia Harcourt to his left. As the other guests filed in and sought their places, Percy tried to keep his attention fixed on Miss Harcourt and his gaze from straying toward the door, but even so, he caught a glimpse of Helena as she entered the room on the arm of a stylish, if not downright foppish, young gentleman.

Once they had taken their seats, Percy confided to Miss Harcourt that, being largely unacquainted with his fellow guests, he felt somewhat at sea. Miss Harcourt obligingly set about supplying him with names and snatches of biography, beginning with Lord Stormont, an uncle by marriage, seated on her mother's right and then proceeding in an orderly fashion down the table. A couple of aunts, another uncle by marriage, and a Reverend Mr. later, she finally approached the real object of Percy's curiosity. "You know Walter Flavell, of course, and my cousin Helena. On her right is another cousin, Ned Farnsworth. I call him 'cousin,' though, in truth, we're not at all related. He's my Aunt Evelyn's nephew, and since she and my late uncle Harcourt raised him as their own after his parents died, we're used to thinking of ourselves as cousins."

The soup plates having been cleared and the fish course served, Percy turned dutifully to Miss Eugenia Harcourt, a woman past her middle years and, if her off-cue answers were any indication, partially deaf. Percy struggled to keep the conversation afloat and then, the turbot in horseradish sauce at last dispatched, turned gratefully from aunt back to niece. "You were telling me about your cousin Ned," he reminded her.

"Oh, yes! Well, now, let me see… He's said to be training for a barrister but I don't suppose he really means to take up the profession. He's just biding his time."

"Until…?"

"Until he can find a wife to support him in the style to which he's become accustomed. It's long been my aunt's dearest wish that he and I should marry, but he is shockingly expensive and my fortune far too small to tempt him."

Percy had to smile at her offhand tone. "You don't regret it?"

"Oh, not in the least! I am very happy for some other woman to pay his tailor's bills and gambling debts."

A trill of laughter rose just above the murmur of voices, and, turning toward the sound, Percy saw Helena twinkling up at Farnsworth who, his face lit with a sly grin, was regaling her with some story. Miss Harcourt, having followed Percy's gaze, said, "Helena is far better suited to his purpose than I, but he'll have no luck with her. Even if she succumbed to his charms — which is exceedingly unlikely — Lord Damerel would send him packing. He's already done as much to worthier men."

Percy, who was all too personally aware of the baron's high bar, replied nonetheless, "He acts just as a father should."

"Oh!" Miss Harcourt said quickly. "I did not mean to criticize! He is a parent such as any girl would be glad of. I only meant… well, it is rather hard on those gentlemen who are rejected on no better grounds than the size of their incomes."

She stole a swift glance down the table, and Percy, following her look, saw it aimed at Walter Flavell. The auburn-haired giant was sawing through his filet of beef in a workman-like manner and attending his dinner companion's remarks with only the most perfunctory show of interest. There was, as well, a droop to Flavell's shoulders that Percy had never yet seen and a noticeable absence of his usual high spirits. "You were speaking of Flavell just now? Do I take it he offered for Miss Damerel?"

Miss Harcourt gave her head a rueful shake. "No, he did not get even so far as that. Lord Flavell sounded Lord Damerel out on Walter's behalf — they are very old friends, you see — and was advised to dash any hope Walter might cherish. It was a bitter pill to swallow."

Miss Harcourt accompanied these words with a look of such heartfelt compassion in Flavell's direction that Percy was struck by a sudden intuition. In his surprise (and, it must be said, relief), he blurted out, "You care for him!"

He cursed himself for a boor as, Miss Harcourt's rosy cheeks flaming crimson, she averted her eyes from his. "Well, of course I do. I… I've known him all my life. He's my uncle's dearest friend and like a brother to me."

"I do beg your pardon," Percy said, sincerely. "I spoke out of turn."

An awkward silence fell between them, broken only by the clink of silverware on china as Miss Harcourt applied herself to reducing her meat to shreds. Percy was casting desperately about for some way to repair his faux pas when Miss Harcourt surprised him again by emitting a small sigh and, without raising her gaze from her plate, admitting, "You are right, though. I have dreamed since I was a girl that, one day, when I was grown, Walter would see me not as his best friend's little niece but as the woman he wished to call his own." She slid him a sidelong glance, her lips twisting in a self-deprecating smile. "You know, just like in a fairy tale."

Instead, Percy reflected, she had been forced to witness Flavell forming a hopeless passion for her beautiful cousin. Another girl in her place might have been eaten up with envy and resentment. That Miss Harcourt appeared not to bear Helena the least ill will earned her his respect and admiration. "If you mean to imply your dream was fanciful and unrealistic, I would argue that nothing is further from the case. If Flavell doesn't yet return your regard, it can only be because he has yet to see the change in you. He must be made to lose his blinders."

Miss Harcourt regarded him with a certain skepticism. "And how is that to be accomplished, pray?"

"In my experience, the expedient is a fairly simple one: to pique his interest, you must first be seen to interest other men."

"Oh," Miss Harcourt laughed. "I am to draw a court of admirers? Is that all?"

"It need not be a court. One suitor — if he is particularly marked in his attentions — would suffice."

"I take your point, but it remains for such a gentleman to be found."

The conversation was interrupted at this interesting juncture by the removal of the beef course and the serving of roast chicken. Percy was constrained to engage again with the hearing-impaired Miss Harcourt, and when at last he was free to turn back to Georgina, he did not hesitate to begin, "You have done me the honor, Miss Harcourt, of trusting me with your confidence and, if you will permit, I should like to be frank in my turn. As you may be aware, I am not at present in a position to marry unless my prospective bride is very well-dowered. Just as you, very reasonably, do not wish to be married for your money, neither do I wish to wed on that basis. For reasons I need not go into, I am obliged nonetheless to look about me for a wealthy wife, or, at least, to give the appearance of doing so."

Miss Harcourt listened to this speech with every appearance of interest and sympathy. As a matter, it appeared, of simple curiosity, she asked, "You haven't felt drawn, then, to any of the Season's debutantes?" Not having anticipated so direct a question, Percy was lost for an answer, and seeing him flounder, Miss Harcourt's eyes went round with dismay and understanding. "Oh," she breathed. "I'm sorry!"

Percy treated her to a weak smile. "It's no matter. In any case, what I'm driving at, Miss Harcourt, is, situated as we are, we can help each other, you and I. To satisfy certain obligations, I must appear to be casting my eye over this year's eligibles and you, if you are to attract Flavell's notice, would benefit from being the object of another man's attentions. I should be glad to take on that role if you're willing. It would be a charade, of course, but as I should be very careful not to raise any firm expectations of making you an offer, I don't see it can do any harm and might do some good."

Miss Harcourt searched his face intently. "You are serious? You would truly pretend to court me?"

Percy smiled easily. "It would be no hardship, I assure you. And, don't forget, it would be to my advantage as well. What do you say?"

She hesitated. "How would we go about it?"

"Well, we have already made a good start, sitting here together tête-à-tête, enjoying each other's company. This evening I shall ask you not for my usual one dance but for two. Does Flavell not usually take you into supper? Then, you must reserve the dinner dance for me. Tomorrow, I shall send you a large bouquet of your favorite flower — lily of the valley, wasn't it? — and later in the day stop by to invite you out for a drive."

She regarded him with a mix of doubt and anticipation. "You will be going to a great deal of trouble."

"Not at all. It will be my pleasure."

She caught her lip between her teeth and worried it a bit. "Do you think it will succeed? In changing Walter's view of me?"

"We cannot know unless we try."

She drew in a breath and then, with decision, bobbed her head. "Then, I say yes, let us try."

"Very good! Now," he said, leaning toward her and lowering his voice to a whisper, "what I want you to do is break out in a laugh as if I've just told you the most amusing and slightly scandalous bit of gossip. Can you do that?"

In response, Miss Harcourt, her grey eyes merry, let loose a very creditable peal of laughter. Heads turned in their direction, and Miss Harcourt, with a pretty show of self-consciousness, contritely raised a hand to hide her mouth.

Whether Helena — or indeed Flavell — had been among those to mark the moment, Percy did not look to see. He did hope, though, that if Helena had noticed, it had not caused her any pain. His sham courtship of Miss Harcourt had the potential to distress her, and he regretted it keenly, but, what with her father's preemptive rejection of his suit, if she returned his feelings, there was in any event no avoiding future heartache. Better by far she should suffer it sooner than later.

And if, by surrendering his dream of Helena, he could help make Miss Harcourt's come true, that would, at least, be some consolation.