Spinster and Spice (The Spinster Chronicles, Book 3) Read online

  Izzy stared at Georgie without speaking. It was unfathomable that a young man should have to bear so much, that a young girl should have suffered such a loss, and that either of them should have adapted to the new life before them without residual problems. One would never know by meeting with them or speaking with them that so much pain lay in their past.

  “What did they do?” Izzy heard herself whisper.

  Georgie smiled almost proudly. “Morton met with the manager of the estate and the solicitor and secured his sister’s inheritance despite not having a fortune therein, then he set a course for them both. He would finish at school and go into the army, though not with a commission, and hopefully bring more fortune and respectability to the family. His parents had been honorable, but hardly noteworthy, and he knew that Kitty, at least, would need more than that to be truly secure in her future. He went home whenever possible and wrote to his sister more faithfully than some men do with their wives. Tony said he’s never seen anything like it. Morton is both brother and father to Kitty, and he lived his life by both.”

  Tears welled in Izzy’s eyes without warning, and she exhaled roughly, wiping at them. “I had no idea… I knew he was a good man, and a gentleman, but I never…” She laughed once and shook her head. “He must think me a very silly creature when he is so noble and selfless.”

  “He has no cause to find you silly,” Georgie said with a fond pat to Izzy’s cheek. “You haven’t behaved in any ridiculous way, have you?”

  “No,” Izzy said slowly, thinking back, “but I do tease him, and I am not sure he agrees with it. He is so serious.”

  Georgie’s mouth curved on one side. “Morton is the sort of man to tell you if he did not agree, Izzy. Believe me, you would know.”

  She smiled ruefully in return, then sniffed back the last of her tears. “I suppose this tragic past would explain Kitty’s shyness. If she was always at home and without friends…”

  “I do believe she was shy before all that,” Georgie laughed. “But I have not yet met her, so I could be wrong.”

  “No, I believe you’re right. She has always been shy, but I am sure her seclusion compounded it.” Izzy hesitated, gnawing the inside of her lip thoughtfully. “I want her to be comfortable, and to have practice before she is expected to be out mingling with the rest of Society.”

  Georgie nodded, sitting back and setting her hands in her lap. “Well, inviting her here today will certainly be a test for her.”

  Izzy looked towards the window, her mind still whirling. “It shouldn’t be too much of a test. She’s already met Grace and Charlotte and done very well with them.”

  “You introduced her to Charlotte already?” Georgie coughed, eyes round. “Good heavens, why?”

  “Charlotte has a way with people, Georgie,” Izzy reminded her, turning back with a smile. “You know that.”

  Georgie raised a fair brow. “What kind of way would that be, Isabella?” She snickered and took the opportunity to lounge against the armrest for a moment. “No, I suppose it is better to introduce Charlotte early and let the poor dear grow accustomed by degrees.”

  They tended to joke about Charlotte and her intimidating, outspoken ways, and Charlotte was surely the sort of person that could terrify a shy individual, but she was in possession of a good heart and a generous spirit. She was really much less frightening in an informal setting, or in a personal conversation.

  Unless you were ridiculous, pompous, or insipid. There were no guarantees then.

  “But then what?” Izzy asked, her feet bouncing against the rug beneath them with anxiety. “How do I help her with more than just our little group? We are not particularly formal people.”

  Georgie pursed her lips in thought, then brightened and sat up. “Ask your mother. Surely Aunt Faith would love to invite Kitty and Mr. Morton for a dinner party.”

  “A formal party?” Izzy gave a hint of a wince. “I don’t know… Those tend to have dancing, and…”

  “A family party, then,” Georgie clarified. She began to smile, and Izzy could see her thoughts racing around in her eyes. “Just your siblings and the children, and perhaps Tony and me. No dancing, no performances, only dinner and some games, everything easy. Perfectly comfortable.”

  Izzy grunted softly and rose, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I don’t know how comfortable anyone outside of the family would be within the family for an entire evening.”

  Georgie laughed from her seat and rubbed her hands together. “Izzy, since marrying Tony, I have been subjected to more formal family dinners than ever before, and I can assure you from personal experience that Kitty Morton will be much more comfortable at one of your family dinners than at someone else’s.”

  That was a thought Izzy hadn’t considered, and it seemed somehow significant in a way.

  Could her family, as unconventional and relaxed as they were, be helpful to Kitty in her preparation for the Season?

  But what would Sebastian say about it? Coming to a family’s home for dinner when they were neither neighbors nor particularly well acquainted was certainly unusual, though not unheard of. He was reserved and proper, and there was no telling what might compromise his sensibilities.

  And to see Izzy when she was around her family…

  Why would he want to be privy to that?

  Why would he want his sister to see that?

  But they didn’t know, couldn’t know, and there was a chance that everything would be different this time.

  If he thought she was nice in public and social settings, he would be very surprised to see how she was in private with her family.

  “I’ll mention it to her,” Izzy finally said turning to face Georgie again. “I will leave the decision up to Mother. Don’t say anything to Kitty today. Or to Sebastian.”

  Georgie nodded and folded her shawl around her more securely. “I won’t say anything. I won’t even tell Tony, on the off-chance Aunt Faith doesn’t invite us.”

  Izzy snorted once. “She’ll invite you, I promise. She likes you more than me.”

  “Not true!” Georgie protested, laughing again. “I have never been more favored than you.”

  “Lies.” Izzy shook her head in mock-despair, moving out to the corridor to request a tea tray. The Spinsters and Kitty would be arriving soon, and she needed to have all prepared for them.

  Normally, she was not at all concerned about the details of their Spinster meetings, and any of them could have asked for a tea tray or sandwiches or anything else they could have wanted without any trouble.

  But with Kitty Morton coming, she needed things to be a little more perfect than normal.

  Kitty wouldn’t care, she was perfectly unassuming.

  But if she should confide in her brother…

  Well, that needed to be perfect.

  “Miss Lambert,” Collins intoned as he stepped into view from the front of the house. “A letter for you.”

  “Oh, from Kitty Morton?” she asked out of habit, reaching out for the letter on the tray.

  Collins shook his head, smiling just a little. “No, Miss. I believe it is from Mr. Frank Lambert.”

  Izzy’s heart stopped for the space of several moments, then restarted again with a vengeance. Her chest and ribs ached while her fingers hovered over the parchment for longer than they should have.

  What had he said? What had he thought? She had only sent him two more stories with the promise of more to come, but then she’d begun helping Kitty Morton, and her time had been taken up there.

  She hadn’t forgotten about her stories and her promise, but for the first time in ages, it hadn’t been at the forefront of her mind.

  She certainly had not expected a response already.

  “Miss Lambert?”

  Izzy raised her eyes to those of Collins, and she exhaled shortly before plucking the letter from the tray. “Apologies, Collins. I was lost in my thoughts.”

  He smiled knowingly, inclining his head. “Of course, Miss
Lambert.” He bowed slightly, then vanished, as he was wont to do.

  She watched him go, then glanced down at the letter in her hands, fully aware of her cousin waiting in the parlor and her friends’ imminent arrival.

  But she had to know.

  She stepped into her mother’s parlor, which was rarely used anymore, and broke the seal, her pulse pounding in her ears as her eyes darted across the page.

  Dear cousin,

  I am pleased to inform you that the two additional stories you have submitted are some of your finest work yet. I would greatly appreciate seeing more work of this quality, and then, perhaps, we will be able to discuss our options moving forward.

  Regardless, I would like to meet with you in a professional capacity in the next week or so to go over matters, including the Spinster Chronicles. Kindly respond with your availability.

  Yours,

  Frank T. Lambert

  Izzy stared at the note, grinning without reserve, fearing her cheeks would crack from the force of her smile.

  He wanted to see more? The stories she had sent him had been particularly good ones, but she could certainly create more of the same quality. She had dozens stored up, just waiting for a moment to be written down.

  She wanted to start now! This very moment, there was a story she could put down and send off to him that he would love! Or that he could love, at any rate.

  Then again, it was entirely possible that the next story would not be as appealing to him. He hadn’t agreed to publish her yet. He had to have more proof, and he wanted to discuss options.

  What options were there? Either he published her, or he did not publish her.

  Two options.

  Discussion could only mean he did not want to publish her, and he could not bear to tell her in writing.

  Her next stories for him had to be nothing less than the absolute best she had to offer. She had to convince him that her stories were good enough, that she was worth the risk, and that this really could work in his favor. How she was going to do any of that was still unclear, but she had to try.

  And for the first time, she dearly wished that the Spinsters were not coming to meet at her house.

  The bell rang below, and she jerked out of her half-delirious stupor, refolding the letter and stuffing it into her neckline before going to request the tea tray as she had planned.

  She had to keep up appearances for her friends. They could not find out about this, and if she were distracted in any way, that might provoke Charlotte or Georgie to ask too many questions…

  This needed to be her secret for a bit longer.

  And right now, she had to focus on Kitty.

  Once the tea tray had been ordered, she returned to the parlor. Edith had joined Georgie and was now sitting beside her.

  The two of them were completely different in coloring, with Edith’s very dark hair and Georgie’s being very fair, but there was no denying that they were both exceptionally beautiful.

  Once Grace arrived, there would be another, and while Izzy had never felt particularly jealous of any of them, she could not deny that there was a slight twinge in her heart of something sad when she saw them. She was not in the habit of pitying herself, but surely a bit more attractiveness in her features could not be amiss?

  Edith saw her then and smiled widely, enhancing her stunning beauty even more. “Good morning, Izzy. I hear we will be having a guest today.”

  Izzy smiled and nodded as she came further into the room and took a seat. “Yes, and I am expecting the two of you to be on your best behavior.”

  Georgie rolled her eyes, while Edith only maintained her perfect smile. “I only ever have best behavior,” Edith told her with a twinkle in her eye. “It’s all I know.”

  “Why do I doubt that?” Izzy wondered aloud with a curious tilt of her head.

  “I’m sure I haven’t the faintest idea,” Edith replied, suddenly looking as proper and refined as royalty.

  The sound of footsteps in the corridor brought them all up and Izzy smiled when Kitty Morton appeared in the door, looking more like the timid creature Izzy had first met than the girl she had walked with only yesterday.

  Izzy rose and went to her, taking her hand. “Kitty dear, welcome. Let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Mrs. Sterling, but she will insist you call her Georgie.”

  Georgie inclined her head, smiling warmly. “Good morning, dear.”

  “It’s a pleasure,” Kitty whimpered, smiling weakly.

  “Oh, lass, such a terrified sound,” Edith murmured tenderly. “It’s not as bad as all that. You already know Charlotte, and the rest of us are quite tame by comparison.”

  That steadied Kitty’s smile creditably, and Izzy felt the tremors in Kitty’s hand cease. “And this is Lady Edith Leveson,” Izzy went on, smiling her appreciation at her friends. “You may call her Lady Edith if you wish, but the title is not necessary.”

  “A pleasure,” Kitty said again, her voice stronger.

  “Whatever makes you more comfortable, dear,” Edith said, patting the chair beside her. “Come, sit here, if you can bear to.”

  Izzy chuckled wryly. “Why would she not be able to bear sitting by you? You are beautiful and lovely and charming and kind…”

  Edith’s lips curved and she winked at Kitty. “She’s earning herself a fiver for the compliments.” Then she sighed dramatically. “But alas, I am a Scot, lass, despite my marriage to an Englishman. Can you bear to sit beside me as such?”

  Kitty delighted Izzy by releasing her hand and moving almost confidently to the chair. “I certainly can, Lady Edith,” she stated before sitting very firmly in the indicated chair.

  “Brava, dear,” Izzy whispered with a wink as she sat in her previous chair.

  “Did I hear a new voice being particularly decisive?” Charlotte’s voice called from the corridor. She appeared then, her gown a rich green velvet, and her eyes sparkling with the same mischief her lips had in their curve. “Good morning, all.” She brightened when she caught sight of Kitty. “Kitty, my pet! What a lovely surprise!” She swept into the room and took the seat closest to the girl. “Are we turning you into a Spinster with a capital S, darling?”

  Kitty looked at her in outright bewilderment. “A what?”

  A loud scoffing sound turned them all to the doorway where Grace and Elinor were entering, and Elinor rolled her eyes.

  “Please, Charlotte,” the younger woman groaned. “She’s only just met us, she can’t possibly be joining us already.”

  Grace looked at Elinor in derision. “Excuse me, but I would take Kitty Morton in a heartbeat, if I thought it would suit her to join.” She looked over at Kitty and smiled at her. “Good morning, dear. That dress is so lovely with your complexion.”

  Kitty smiled, but her face flushed a little, and she was clearly overwhelmed with the number of people in attendance.

  “Is anyone going to introduce me?” Elinor demanded as she plopped herself down into a chair by Izzy’s desk, which made Izzy particularly nervous. Elinor was conniving and admired Charlotte to an unsafe degree.

  Charlotte glanced at Elinor without much concern. “Calm yourself, child, you are not being replaced by our sweet Kitty here.” She looked at Kitty with widened eyes. “Kitty, that’s Elinor Asheley, who is closer to your age than any of us but is determined to be a spinster despite not actually qualifying for the status.”

  “I wonder where she got that idea from,” Georgie murmured as the tea tray was brought in. “Determined to be a spinster…”

  That earned Georgie a hard look, but everyone else laughed.

  Kitty seemed torn between laughter and owlish staring, but then lowered her eyes as her fingers twisted in her lap.

  “Charlotte,” Izzy murmured so only she could hear, nudging her.

  Charlotte saw the same thing and cleared her throat in the gentlest way. “Kitty, is there anything you wish to ask anyone? You don’t have to, by any means, but you certainly can. We don’t ask permissi
on here, and your sweet little voice could get lost in the noise. I would ask now, if I were you.”

  Kitty’s face lost its color, and her eyes met Izzy’s in wide-eyed panic.

  “It’s all right, dear,” Izzy told her, smiling in encouragement. “I promise you, we are all friends here. Every one of us.”

  Kitty wet her lips before meekly asking, “I was told that one of you was shy like me. Is that true?”

  “It certainly is,” Elinor laughed, sounding less cynical than she had in months.

  “And h-here I am,” a familiar stammer said from the doorway.

  They all turned to grin at Prue, but Prue only had eyes for Kitty, and came straight to her. “Kitty Morton, it is a p-pleasure to meet you.” She smiled and took Kitty’s hand in hers. “I’m Prudence Vale, and I am possibly as scared as you are about the upcoming Season.”

  “But you’re married,” Kitty commented softly, visibly relaxing the longer she was in Prue’s presence.

  Prue grinned in a way that Prue rarely grinned. “I am, my dear. But it t-took me long enough to g-get there. I have no idea what this Season will bring.”

  “That makes seven of us,” Grace moaned as she reached for her tea. “I hate this time of year.”

  “Oh, it’s exciting!” Charlotte insisted.

  “No, it isn’t!” the room chorused together.

  Including Kitty Morton.

  Chapter Eight

  There is nothing so unpredictable as family, and nothing so unpredictable about families as when they are on display.

  -The Spinster Chronicles, 19 January 1818

  “Why are we doing this again?”

  “Because when respectable families invite you for dinner, you accept with gratitude.”

  “Do you know Mrs. Lambert? Because I know I do not.”

  Sebastian looked at his sister in surprise, confused that she was now expressing her fears and discomfort instead of mulling in it silently. It was not a problem by any stretch, as it was now possible to address them directly, but it was different, and would take some getting used to.