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Authors: Fair Fatality
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his fingers together across his plump little belly. “I take it that you do not agree.”
“No, nor would anyone who was not positively paper-skulled. No matter!” Again, that chilling grin. “Let the chit try and attach Carlin; it will only give him a disgust. Once Mistress Fair Fatality comes to realize she’s frittered away her chances and become a laughingstock, she will be more amenable, and making a cake of herself over Carlin will keep her out of more serious mischief.”
Many years’ service as Lady Blackwood’s man of business had enabled Sir Phineas to cut straight to the heart of her malice. “Amenable to what?” he inquired cautiously.
The dowager elevated her gaze to the ox-skull frieze. “Amenable to the plans I formulated before ever the baggage came to town! Which brings me to that little errand which I mentioned to you previously.”
With his clasped fingers, Sir Phineas rubbed his belly, which again had begun to ache. “And that plan is what?” said he.
Lady Blackwood continued to contemplate the ox-skull frieze, as if from that macabre source she derived inspiration. “The chit is highly capricious,” she mused aloud. “Rag-mannered, outspoken to a fault—and very wealthy, Phineas. Very wealthy, indeed! The money was left so that she cannot dip into her capital, and must live off the proceeds; but when she remarries, which of course she must, her husband will be under no such obligation. In short, my niece is possessed of a dowry so handsome as to induce her bridegroom to overlook any minor character defects.”
From what Sir Phineas had observed of the young lady, her defects of character were neither minor nor easily overlooked. All the same, he found it within himself to briefly pity the girl. “Am I to conclude that you have already selected this bridegroom? My errand will concern him? Have you considered that your niece may not approve your choice, Georgiana?”
“Lud! What difference does that make?” Lady Blackwood lowered her gaze from the ox-skull frieze and glowered upon Sir Phineas. “I flatter myself that I am more than a match for any green girl, even one as mule-headed as my niece. In short, Phineas, I have no intention of allowing Jaisy’s fortune to pass out of the family.”
----
Chapter 7
Miss Valentine also wished that her pathway might be eased, though not in the manner suggested to Sir Phineas by Lady Blackwood. Miss Valentine’s aspirations were much more vague, consisting primarily of a nebulous hankering after some manner of heavenly intervention, perhaps a divine lightning bolt of sufficient potency to strike the volatile Lady Easterling suddenly submissive, and render Georgiana either speechless or benign. To her list of longed-for miracles, Sara then added Confucious, and a most unkindly longing for his abrupt demise.
For this unseemly reflection, Miss Valentine must not be held wholly at fault; many were the responsibilities that pressed upon poor Sara, and Confucious was at present the most troublesome of the lot. In fine fettle this day, the Pekinese had thus far upon their expedition made attempts to savage a watercress-seller and a cat’s-meat man, had interfered disastrously with a potman carrying beer from a nearby public house, and put an abrupt end to a Punch-and-Judy performance. Scarlet with embarrassment, Sara made to these poor unfortunates financial redress—past encounters of a like nature had taught her never to depart Blackwood House unprepared—and hastily quit the scene.
Sara tucked the snarling dog under one arm and set off down the cobbled street. Confucious snapped and snarled. Irritably, Miss Valentine warned him that she was within aim’s-ace of following the recommendations so recently given her, and drowning him in the Thames. Having delivered herself of this announcement she paused to take stock of her surroundings.
They were near Hyde Park Corner, on the south side of the road, practically in the shadow of St.
“No, nor would anyone who was not positively paper-skulled. No matter!” Again, that chilling grin. “Let the chit try and attach Carlin; it will only give him a disgust. Once Mistress Fair Fatality comes to realize she’s frittered away her chances and become a laughingstock, she will be more amenable, and making a cake of herself over Carlin will keep her out of more serious mischief.”
Many years’ service as Lady Blackwood’s man of business had enabled Sir Phineas to cut straight to the heart of her malice. “Amenable to what?” he inquired cautiously.
The dowager elevated her gaze to the ox-skull frieze. “Amenable to the plans I formulated before ever the baggage came to town! Which brings me to that little errand which I mentioned to you previously.”
With his clasped fingers, Sir Phineas rubbed his belly, which again had begun to ache. “And that plan is what?” said he.
Lady Blackwood continued to contemplate the ox-skull frieze, as if from that macabre source she derived inspiration. “The chit is highly capricious,” she mused aloud. “Rag-mannered, outspoken to a fault—and very wealthy, Phineas. Very wealthy, indeed! The money was left so that she cannot dip into her capital, and must live off the proceeds; but when she remarries, which of course she must, her husband will be under no such obligation. In short, my niece is possessed of a dowry so handsome as to induce her bridegroom to overlook any minor character defects.”
From what Sir Phineas had observed of the young lady, her defects of character were neither minor nor easily overlooked. All the same, he found it within himself to briefly pity the girl. “Am I to conclude that you have already selected this bridegroom? My errand will concern him? Have you considered that your niece may not approve your choice, Georgiana?”
“Lud! What difference does that make?” Lady Blackwood lowered her gaze from the ox-skull frieze and glowered upon Sir Phineas. “I flatter myself that I am more than a match for any green girl, even one as mule-headed as my niece. In short, Phineas, I have no intention of allowing Jaisy’s fortune to pass out of the family.”
----
Chapter 7
Miss Valentine also wished that her pathway might be eased, though not in the manner suggested to Sir Phineas by Lady Blackwood. Miss Valentine’s aspirations were much more vague, consisting primarily of a nebulous hankering after some manner of heavenly intervention, perhaps a divine lightning bolt of sufficient potency to strike the volatile Lady Easterling suddenly submissive, and render Georgiana either speechless or benign. To her list of longed-for miracles, Sara then added Confucious, and a most unkindly longing for his abrupt demise.
For this unseemly reflection, Miss Valentine must not be held wholly at fault; many were the responsibilities that pressed upon poor Sara, and Confucious was at present the most troublesome of the lot. In fine fettle this day, the Pekinese had thus far upon their expedition made attempts to savage a watercress-seller and a cat’s-meat man, had interfered disastrously with a potman carrying beer from a nearby public house, and put an abrupt end to a Punch-and-Judy performance. Scarlet with embarrassment, Sara made to these poor unfortunates financial redress—past encounters of a like nature had taught her never to depart Blackwood House unprepared—and hastily quit the scene.
Sara tucked the snarling dog under one arm and set off down the cobbled street. Confucious snapped and snarled. Irritably, Miss Valentine warned him that she was within aim’s-ace of following the recommendations so recently given her, and drowning him in the Thames. Having delivered herself of this announcement she paused to take stock of her surroundings.
They were near Hyde Park Corner, on the south side of the road, practically in the shadow of St.
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