Constance spread out her hands.
“And this is the circumstance I now find myself in.” Tears were behind her eyes, and she held them back carefully, not wishing to begin to weep in front of her friends. It was not as though she were ashamed of her tears, only that she wanted to speak as openly and as freely as she could, without breaking into sobs. “Even though I have been waiting for two Seasons to have my father permit me the same freedoms as my elder sisters, it appears that he is quite determined to do the opposite. He does not care about whether or notIam pleased with the situation, he only thinks of himself, and his specific requirements about my future husband.
“I am sorry.” Lady Yardley’s voice was soft with sympathy. “As I am sure the rest of your friends are also.”
“Of course we are.” Lady Landon nodded eagerly, her eyes wide and filled with something that looked like sorrow. “To find yourself in such a situation, after you have been waiting for so long, must be very difficult to accept.”
“Though I have said that she need not accept it.” Lady Winterbrook’s remark had everyone looking at her and, whilst a faint hint of red came into her cheeks, she continued without hesitating. “I am aware that Miss Millington is eager to use ‘The London Ledger’ for one particular purpose, but I have suggested another which I hope you do not mind if I share?”
She looked towards Constance who, after a moment, shrugged and smiled. Lady Yardley, however, was the first to speak.
“You already had something you wished to put into ‘The London Ledger’?”
“Yes, I did.” She threw a quick smile toward Lady Winterbrook. “It is not that I did not appreciate Lady Winterbrook’s suggestion, it was only that I was not entirely convinced of it. Therefore, my idea was that, when my father tells me which gentlemen it is he is considering, I might use ‘The London Ledger’ to make certain that he is not a rogue? I know that you do not always put gossip in the Ledger, but mayhap a small remark about the gentleman, whoever he may be, might bring some reactions and could tell me more of his character and his reputation. Would that suffice?”
“I am certain that it is something we could do,” Lady Yardley confirmed. “But Lady Winterbrook, what were your thoughts?”
Briefly, Lady Winterbrook spoke of her idea, telling them the same thing she had told Constance herself only a few days earlier. She explained that it could be an opportunity to find a gentleman who could easily fall in love with Constance, for they were already eager to seek out a marriage where love and affection grew strong, whereas it could be very difficult to tell if a gentleman delighted in the thought or rejected it entirely, given only a brief acquaintance.
“An interesting suggestion.” Lady Yardley looked towards Constance again, her eyes a little thoughtful. “And you do not warm to it, Constance?”
Feeling a little uncertain of herself, and then wondering if she appeared so very obvious in her response, Constance put one hand towards Lady Winterbrook.
“It is not that I reject Lady Winterbrook’s suggestion,” she said quickly. “I only feared that it might be a little… impractical. And, if I am truthful, I fear that either many gentlemen will reply, and I shall need to ascertain their truthfulness, or that none will respond at all!”
“I understand your fears.” Lady Yardley considered for a moment then sighed. “Yes, there is something of a risk involved, but I would consider it a worthwhile risk. After all, it is always a mystery as to which gentlemen seek matches of suitability and convenience, and which ones seek out the hope of love as you do yourself. Some, of course, are very bold about such things, stating quite clearly what they expect, whereas others hide their thoughts away. If you were to take on Lady Winterbrook’s suggestion, then any gentleman who responded to you would already be open to a marriage of love. That is what you are searching for, is it not?”
Constance blinked slowly, then nodded. Yes, she had to admit, yes, it was exactly what she was looking for but, at the same time, it felt very odd indeed to be thinking about using ‘The London Ledger’ to search for such a thing. She had always thought it might be a fairly simple thing to discover, to find herself with a gentleman who could capture her heart as she might capture his. How often had she dreamt that one evening, they might look across the room at each other and somehow know that this was what was meant to be. Now, however, as she dropped her gaze to her lap, she realized that such an idea was foolish. It could not be as she hoped. Her father was determined to have her married off and married off very soon if he could find a suitable fellow. Therefore, she ought to be taking on every suggestion she could, ought she not?
“What precisely would I say?”
A few murmurs came as some of her friends talked over one idea and then another, but it was Lady Brookmire who finally offered a suitable suggestion.
“Why do you not write a letter to the gentlemen of London?” she began, the others falling silent as they listened to her. “You could write it anonymously, and it would only be ourselves who would know that you are the author. Write from your heart, tell the gentlemen of London that you seek a love match, and desire to find a gentleman who seeks the same thing. Therefore, if they find themselves so inclined, they could respond to Lady Yardley, so you might be aware of their name and their title. Thereafter, you would not have to go up to each individual and state that you recognize their name from ‘The London Ledger’. It could be an accidental meeting, arranged, of course, by those of us who know of your intentions, but to the gentleman involved it would appear as though it is simply a new acquaintance.”
A sudden thrill of excitement ran up Constance’s spine.
“Do you really think such a thing would work?”
“I believe that it could work.” Lady Yardley smiled. “And I should be glad to look through your responses, making certain that any with aparticularreputation is thrown aside.”
Wincing a little, Constance nodded slowly.
“So I should write a letter stating that I seek a marriage where I might love my husband, and where he would love me in return,” she repeated, seeing her friends nod, a smile on every face. “Any gentleman who wishes for such a match also should write to Lady Yardley, so that I might be made aware of them. After that, even though they will not know of it, I will acquaint myself with each of them in turn and see if there is any connection that might be built between us. Is that all correct?”
“That is it, precisely.” Lady Brookmire grinned as Lady Winterbrook clapped her hands in obvious delight. “And in addition, you can make certain that these gentlemen - for I am sure that there will be many - will be suitable enough for your father also. This is a very precise way to narrow down the number of gentlemen in London who will not only suit you, but also suit your father. I am certain that you will find a love match just as we all have.”
Much to her surprise, tears grew rapidly in her eyes and Constance could not help but let one fall to her cheek. Immediately there were murmurs of concern replacing the smiles, but Constance quickly waved one hand.
“I am not upset nor sorrowful. I am only grateful. Grateful that I have friends such as yourselves, glad that I have found hope where I did not think I had any. You cannot know how much your friendship means to me. I am indebted to each and every one of you. I am overjoyed that our vow to each other has not been forgotten and that the pact we made still holds fast. I am very grateful to be able to call all of you my friends.”
At this, there came words of affection and kindness given in response, but after a few moments, Lady Yardley reached across and pressed Constance’s hand with her own.
“Might I suggest that there is no need to linger in conversation with us, Miss Millington?” Seeing Constance’s slight frown, she smiled warmly. “I do not mean to dismiss you, only to suggest that it would be wise to write your letter expeditiously, for I am due to publish ‘The London Ledger’ very soon - tomorrow in fact - and must have everything prepared for it, tonight. Would it be possible for you to write this letter before you take your leave?” All at once, a flurry of nervousness whirled up within her, as if she had quite forgotten how to put pen to paper. “Just speak from your heart,” Lady Yardley added, as if she knew precisely how Constance was feeling. “Take care and consideration with what you write, certainly, but do be sure that your every word comes from within. State your desire clearly, and I am certain that you will receive many a response in return.”
Feeling a little dizzy, Constance rose to her feet.
“Thank you, Lady Yardley.” She looked around the room. “Thank you all. I go to write my letter this very moment.”
