“Since you are new to society, you may not have heard of a small publication that comes out on a fortnightly basis,” Lady Yardley began. “I have indulged in the ownership of it for some years. It is by no means a secret that my name is attached to it, however, although I often have others writing for me. I do not claim to write every piece myself.”
Cassandra blinked rapidly. There were some society papers, and certainly the newspapers, which her father and brother had always sought out, but what Lady Yardley could be involved in, Cassandra could not imagine! Such things were not expected of a lady of quality but, then again, Cassandra considered, why should a lady such as Lady Yardleynotdo such a thing? There was nothing wrong with it in itself and given that it was no secret that she wrote such things, then there could be nothing for anyone to complain about.
“What is the name of the publication, if you do not mind my asking?”
It was Lady Elizabeth who asked the question, her eyes as wide as Cassandra knew her own to be.
“It is ‘The London Ledger’.”
The name meant very little to Cassandra herself, but given the way her friends exclaimed, it appeared that she was the only one who had very little knowledge of it
“But that is astonishing!” another one of her friends exclaimed “It is a very well-known publication, though my mother has never allowed me to read it.”
Surprise filled Cassandra, immediately beginning to wonder what sort of things were being printed in ‘The London Ledger’ which would prevent a young lady from being permitted to read it!
“There is nothing improper written there,” Lady Yardley began, as though she could read Cassandra’s thoughts.” Lady Yardley took a sip of her tea, as though discussing this was quite commonplace “I have many others who write for me, as I have said – both ladies and gentlemen, in fact. I always seek to print what is true. However, I will admit that, on occasion, I have been forced to print a rumor with the caveat that it isalwaysexplained to be so.” So saying, she set her teacup down on the table beside her. “There have always been good reasons for such things. I never print whispers lightly.”
Considering this for a moment, Cassandra shook her head.
“I am afraid that I do not understand.” The confusion in her voice brought a quietness to the rest of the room as Cassandra let her gaze run around her friends, looking from one to the next, and then, finally, to her cousin “Why should you ever need to print a rumor?”
“I understand your concern.” Lady Yardley replied, quietly. “No doubt, you have always been told that rumors are to be avoided at all costs.”
“Yes, precisely.” Cassandra let out a long breath. “My mother states that rumors are nothing short of gossip. Therefore, I determined never to evenlistento them.”
“As did I,” Miss Wynch added as some of the other young ladies nodded. “I can understand Lady Cassandra’s confusion.”
“I shall explain.” Smiling gently and without any hint of frustration over their questions, Lady Yardley lifted one shoulder. “Every time I have printed a rumor – explaining it to be so, of course, it has been, I considered, in the best interests of theton.For example, the last time I did so, it was to protect a young lady – much like yourselves. She was being courted by a worthy gentleman but, in the midst of this, some rumors were circulating – rumors my husband heard. I shall not go into details but they were very dark whispers indeed.” Her expression grew serious. “I could not prove whether or not such whispers were true, but I could instead make certain that the young lady, whom he was eager to attach himself to, knew of them also.”
A frown swept across Cassandra’s forehead.
“Could you not simply have spoken to the young lady in question?”
Lady Yardley sighed.
“I had tried, but the young lady, who felt she was so close to being betrothed, was a little less than willing to hear anything I had to say. She would not listen to anything about her particular gentleman. To be truthful, I also attempted to speak with her mother in the hope that my concerns would overrule the delight of having a daughter so close to being betrothed. However, my concern was not taken seriously – and thus, I felt I had no choice.
“And did they listen?”
Lady Yardley smiled sadly.
“For some reason, printing words in a paper gave my concerns more weight and yes, the courtship came to an end soon afterward. I therefore felt justified in what I had done.”
A brief silence filled the room as the tightness in Cassandra’s stomach began to unwind.
“And have you ever been proven wrong?”
This time it was Miss Millington who spoke up, her hands clasped together, her fingers loosening and tightening, and her eyes a little wide. Did she have some sympathy for the situation which Lady Yardley had only just described?
“There was one occasion where the rumors were not proven to be true.” Lady Yardley smiled again, her expression almost a satisfied one. “But in that situation, the gentleman was forced to prove himself to his lady, which made for a very satisfactory outcome. They are very happily married now, and have, indeed, found a love match with each other - which is all the more wonderful.” She let out another small sigh. “As I have said. I am always very careful about what I print, but it is an excellent way of making sure that certain gentlemen who are eager to prove themselves to their chosen lady are, in fact, genuine in their affections.”
Cassandra considered this for some moments. Did Norah intend to use ‘The London Ledger’ to aid each of them? It could be of use, she imagined.
“What are your intentions with ‘The London Ledger’ as regards us?” Choosing not to hold back her questions, she looked at her cousin steadily. “You will use it to help us, I assume?”
“I should hope so. In the first instance, myself and Lord Sherbourne – a friend of both myself and my husband – will be able to advise you on whether or not the gentleman pursuing you might have anything of concern about him. If there are rumors or whispers of some kind, then the Ledger can be used to discover the truth. If there are none, however, then I would suggest that you may have found a gentleman willing to commit his heart to you, in time, should your acquaintance progress that far.”
A gentle swirl of excitement began to rise within Cassandra as she quickly imagined what it would be like to find herself betrothed – only for it to fade away as she thought about what it would be like to be betrothed to a gentleman who did not have any real interest in her and had only proposed to her for the satisfaction of his pleasures or requirements. She knew all too well that her dowry was a significant one, albeit smaller than her elder sister’s – but more than enough to make a gentleman wish to claim her as his own. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much help she needed in finding what she wanted the most: a gentleman who would love her.
