Ellie sipped at her tea, her eyes dancing with merriment. “Do you suppose the infamous Duke of Kielder would go on an absolute raging rampage if he knew his sister-in-law and ward wished to be a mantua-maker?”
“Does she?” he asked.
“I don’t know for certain. I suppose it doesn’t matter either way. She wouldn’t be permitted to pursue it. And not only because her guardian is such a fearsome gentleman but because those are the limitations of the rules set upon her. Set upon all of us, really.”
Newton knew that all too well. “It is a shame people aren’t permitted to pursue those things that would fulfill and appeal to them, especially when what they long for isn’t truly inappropriate, nor is it hurtful to anyone.”
Ellie nodded. “It isn’t as though Artemis would be taking up the life of a highwayman.”
“Or as if I wish to be a villainous criminal rather than a barrister.”
Ellie looked at him over the top of her teacup. He hadn’t meant to make that confession. What was it about her that pulled things from him that he hadn’t intended to say?
“I find your parents’ objections strange. Being a barrister is not considered an inappropriate profession for a gentleman. Why, Charlie has a brother who is a barrister; no one can argue the Jonquils do not abide by propriety.” Her mouth pulled into a twist of thought. “His older brother is something of a dandy and perhaps a bit more outlandish than is generally seen, but I’ve never seen him behave in a way that was truly unbecoming of a gentleman; neither have I heard any rumors that he has.”
Newton had made all the same arguments to his parents. Charlie had made these arguments to Newton. But in the end, his parents would not be swayed. “They consider it an insult that I would wish for any profession since my father’s estate provides me with ample income.”
“I am sorry.” Ellie briefly touched her hand to his arm. “When parents get the notion that their children are meant to serve their egos and the way they are perceived in Society, the children’s best interests go by the wayside. We become tokens of success rather than people they are meant to care about.” It was too specific and quick an answer to not have come from any difficult experience.
“Your parents have plans for you as well, then?”
“Of course,” she said in a perfect imitation of her mother. Newton couldn’t help but laugh. “My parents have no sons. They have decided the purpose of their daughters is to improve their situation by marrying well. Of course, the definition of ‘well’ is limited to monetary gain and improvements and social standing. My older sister married a gentleman who had none of those things, but he loves her. She successfully resisted all my parents’ attempts to court someone they approved of. Lillian and I will not be so fortunate.”
“If you’ll forgive me for saying so,” Newton said, “your nearest sister does not seem intent upon avoiding that mercenary sort of match.”
Ellie acknowledged his statement with an uptick of her eyebrows and the slightest upward twist of her mouth. “Yes, Lillian shares their ambitions.”
“Doyou?”
She allowed her smile to fully blossom once more. “If I did, would I be undertaking this mischievous plot with you?”
“I suppose not.”
They continued talking, mostly on light topics. She was easy to talk with. And she participated in the varied conversations going on around them. Some young ladies struggled with that, thanks to the gaps in their education as a result of the dictates of a Society that valued them far too little.
Newton had never considered himself a gifted conversationalist. He often struggled to speak at length with people; he was not unlike their hostess, except he wished he weren’t quite so reserved. There was something joyful about the company of someone who made being more of who he wanted to be an easier thing to accomplish.
After they had consumed their tea and were warm again, a missive arrived. It was delivered, as was expected, to Mrs. Lancaster. After quickly glancing at it, she looked up at the gathering. “It is from the Nappers.”
Newton’s attention immediately turned to Ellie. She had, quite to his dismay, paled and grown still.
Across the way, all could hear Mrs. Lancaster unfold the parchment, the missive creaking with stiffness. Mrs. Lancaster read in silence. After a moment, she rose and crossed to Ellie. “There was a missive included for you.” She handed a letter, folded much smaller than the one she had received, to Ellie.
“I hope they were not rude to you,” Ellie said.
Mrs. Lancaster shook her head no. “But you look as though you expect them to be unkind to you.”
Ellie sighed almost silently. “They generally are.”
Mrs. Lancaster’s quiet and reassuring features folded into a look of utmost empathy. “The household I was raised in was much the same. I am sorry you have experienced that as well. No one should feel unsafe in their own home.”
Newton hadn’t heard Mrs. Lancaster speak so many words at one time. That she pulled herself from her place of quiet comfort to offer kindness and understanding spoke well of her. It was little wonder that the Lancaster family adored this member of their clan.
The room was silent as Ellie’s eyes scanned her letter line by line. Her pallor did not abate. Two spots of high color appeared on her cheeks, deepening the further she read. Though he could not be certain, Newton thought he detected tears in her eyes. He looked over at Artemis, intending to silently plead for her to come comfort her friend. Newton would have liked to have done it himself, but he knew that even in the context of their feigned courtship, he was not permitted to do so.
Artemis did not have to be told. She hopped from her seat and crossed to Ellie, sat on the arm of her chair, and put her arm about her friend. Artemis was clearly reading over Ellie’s shoulder. Ellie did not raise any objections. At one point, Artemis’s eyes pulled wide and a quiet gasp escaped her lips. Whatever the Nappers had said to their daughter was, by all appearances, shocking. Based on the pain in Ellie’s face, this letter held nothing good.
Ellie lowered the letter onto her lap and looked over at Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster. “I am afraid I must return home immediately.”
