Perfectly Flawed (6 page)

Finishing the motion, he swept the edge of his coat
with his left hand and flared the tail of his garment out to
one side before artfully casting his arm forward before
him.

Aunt Penny took a step back.

With a stylish flip of his right wrist, Sir Philip positioned his right arm in an arc over his head, and descended low into the bow, nearly reaching his foot.

"Goodness!" Aunt Penny cried at his lavish display,
appearing to have been left a bit breathless.

"Ah, me. . ." Charlotte's eyes fluttered and she placed
her hand lightly upon her throat, drawing in a labored
breath.

It was probably too much flourish for a person to take
in all at once. At least, it had been for Muriel. "Honestly,"
she whispered, unable to keep silent.

"I would not dare impose upon His Grace, Mrs. Parker,
but my curricle hit a nasty hole on the road. Several
spokes split and the wheel dislodged itself, sending the
axle to the ground where it summarily snapped in two"

"How unfortunate," Aunt Penny commented.

"For us," Muriel added softly.

"A kind villager happened to pass by and came to my
aid. Mr. Ellis will see to the care of my horses and make
preliminary arrangements for my vehicle's repair on my
behalf. I must attend to the final arrangements with the
local wheelwright as soon as possible. I would normally
obtain temporary residence in a nearby establishment,
but as I understand, there is not an empty room to be
had within ten miles."

"Ten miles?" Charlotte echoed, knowing the exact reason why the nearby establishments were filled.

Muriel swung her gaze from Sir Philip to her breathless sister.

"He made the suggestion," Sir Philip continued,
"that because of my position and situation, I might impose upon His Grace's hospitality. It was fortunate that
Lady Muriel, here, came along-most fortuitous on my
part." He made a modest bow to her. "And she was in
the position to relay me and my necessities forthwith."

A few moments passed in silence.

Aunt Penny blinked. "His Grace is not presently at
home, but I am more than willing to extend an invita tion to you on his behalf until your transportation can
be repaired. We could also have the repairs done by our
own-"

"I thank you"-Sir Philip held up his gloved hand"but that will not be necessary. I'd much rather employ
those whose livelihood depends on their daily toil. Honest work for honest pay, you know." He glanced at her
from the corner of his eye and smiled. "I shall gladly
accept your hospitality. I suppose I have no other choice
but to foist my presence upon you poor, unsuspecting
souls."

Muriel mumbled to herself.

"Huxley," Aunt Penny called to the butler, which may
have been an effort to cover Muriel's protest. "Will you
see that Sir Philip is settled in the Gold Suite?"

"I shall, madam," the butler acknowledged.

"We'll send for your luggage and your man."

"I am quite alone, and I travel with just this single
piece." He motioned to the small leather chest that a
footman, who was only now ascending the steps near
them, carried.

Aunt Penny stared at the impossible size of the luggage and then took in the breadth of Sir Philip. In Muriel's estimation, an Exquisite such as the baronet would
have needed a container at least ten times the size. Perhaps he only wore one set of clothing and the case contained only a selection of the many neckcloths he
required.

"At once, madam," Huxley repeated, stepping away
to make the needed arrangements.

"This is most excellent" Sir Philip, obviously pleased
with the outcome, emanated cheer and goodwill. "I
could not ask for more ... Except, if I am to remain in
your beautiful home, in your lovely company, would it
be too much of an imposition to ask for a tour of the
house and grounds at some later time?"

Bright-eyed Charlotte stepped forward, her lips parted,
anxious to grant Sir Philip's request.

"My other niece, Lady Muriel's elder sister, Lady Charlotte." Aunt Penny gestured to Charlotte, who blinked,
braved a smile at him, and sank into a curtsy.

"Ah, yes. The beautiful angel I've heard so much
about," Sir Philip replied, turning his attention to her.

"How do you do?" As if Charlotte had planned it, a
becoming flush of pink washed onto her cheeks, coming to full bloom once his attention was focused completely upon her.

No, this could not be.

Horrified at Charlotte's reaction, Muriel noticed an
expression she had never seen upon her sister's face before. One of pure adoration ... from her sister Charlotte ... for Sir Philip Somerville?

No. No. No.

"How do you do? I am delighted to make your acquaintance," he said in quite another tone altogether.

Muriel laid a protective arm in front of Charlotte, preventing her from moving any closer in case Sir Philip
should affect another extravagant display for her benefit.

Sir Philip did not repeat the ornate leg he had per formed for her aunt. He reached out for Charlotte's hand
and bowed over it with quiet intensity.

"I ... I would be delighted to show you the grounds,
if I might," Charlotte uttered when she found her voice.

Muriel simply could not believe what she saw. It was
all too clear that Charlotte fancied this horrid, dreadful
dandy.

By the time Charlotte had come to her senses, she
realized the recently arrived baronet, Sir Philip Somerville, had gone not only from her company but from the
premises.

Aunt Penny had urged her nieces to accompany him
to the stables and to assure him the transportation he
needed was readily available. Muriel had wished him a
lengthy journey to Bloxwich and an extended duration
in the village that would detain him even longer. It
seemed to Charlotte that her sister had taken somewhat
of a dislike to him, although she could not imagine why.

Charlotte sighed. This gentleman had so impressed
her with his exquisite manners and bearing. He had,
after all, proclaimed himself an Exquisite, and she regarded him most favorably. She would not consider herself in love with his man. After all, she had only just
made his acquaintance.

"Girls!" Aunt Penny called, directing their attention to the road leading to their drive. "The first young man
is just arriving now-with a pail in his hand."

"Oh, look-it is Sir Hugh!" Charlotte exclaimed. She
had met Sir Hugh Linville only yesterday, but his constant
smile and laughing eyes made sharing his company a delight. Whether his good humor was for show, Charlotte
could not know.

"Is he not very handsome?" Muriel said, leaning against
Charlotte to whisper and then laugh. "He certainly is a
jolly one, that's for sure."

"And why shouldn't he be? He's the first to arrive,"
Aunt Penny said, wrapping an arm around each niece
and, with modest pressure, urging them forward. "Let's
greet him properly, shall we?"

They weren't the first to approach. A footman held
the horse's head while Sir Hugh dismounted and handed
his ante, a pail of ripe gooseberries, to one of the kitchen
staff.

"Ladies!" Sir Hugh called upon seeing them approach.
He brushed the sleeves of his jacket, made quick work of
tugging at each glove for a snug fit, and removed his hat
to properly greet them.

"Tell us, Sir Hugh, how did you do it?" Muriel's enthusiasm for the baronet was nearly equal to her delight
in acquiring a new Latin textbook. "How did you manage to find so many ripe gooseberries so quickly?"

Sir Hugh glanced at Charlotte and his affable smile
widened. "It was nothing really." He tried to shrug off
his victory. She found that a touch of modesty suited him very well. "I simply sought out the spots of ripe berries from a distance while others crept tediously through
the patch, searching willy-nilly for any fruit."

"How clever you are!" Muriel remarked, with an
overabundance of brightness that was so very uncharacteristic of her when addressing any gentlemen. "Is he
not clever, Charlotte?"

Muriel's curious behavior gave Charlotte pause. It
was almost as if her sister were trying to create some
interest on Sir Hugh's behalf.

"It is indeed quite an accomplishment," Charlotte
agreed. "Come, we will proceed to the Blue Parlor, shall
we? That is where we plan to take tea, is it not?"

"Tea will not be served for at least an hour yet," Aunt
Penny reminded her niece. "The tarts and scones have
yet to be baked. It such a nice day I thought we might sit
outdoors. The east lawn perhaps. You must entertain
Sir Hugh until our five other guests and Sir Nicholas
arrive."

"And we are expecting Susan, Miss Wilbanks, as
well," Muriel added to both Sir Hugh and Charlotte.
"We cannot begin until all the guests are present."

"Yes, certainly." Charlotte had never observed this level
of enthusiasm in her sister. "Do not concern yourselves,
ladies. Sir Hugh and I will stroll very slowly, taking in the
grounds and gardens on our way. I'm sure by the time we
return to the house other guests will have joined us."

"An excellent suggestion. That is where the true reward lies." Sir Hugh must have immediately seen the
benefit of being the first to acquire the berries.

"We shall point the other guests in your direction as
they arrive," Aunt Penny informed them.

Muriel seemed pleased with the arrangement and
added, "I shall join you as soon as I change into something more appropriate."

"Thank you, Aunt Penny." Charlotte could barely believe that her sister would make a genuine effort to be
pleasant. It was so unlike Muriel, yet she could not bear
to think ill of her sister. Charlotte stepped toward Sir
Hugh, who offered her his arm. "Shall we begin?"

"By all means," Sir Hugh replied, leading her forward.
"It would be my great pleasure."

With a saddle horse and the directions supplied by the
Duke's stable boy, Philip trotted toward the local village
of Bloxwich. The journey gave him time to ponder his
morning. His small diversion might have begun as a minor detour with disastrous effects, but the incident was
not completely objectionable. Yes, his curricle lay ruined
and it was conceivable his London arrival would be a
week late. No harm there; he simply would dash off a
missive when he returned to Faraday Hall, informing
his tailor to reschedule their appointment.

The manor itself held some interest. Not the building
but its inhabitants, the three lovely ladies who welcomed
Philip. The acquaintance of the elder sister, Lady Charlotte, was quite a pleasant surprise. Who'd expect to find
such a rare beauty out here in the country? The thought
of her put a smile on his face.

Philip arrived at the village and slowed his mount to a walk. Although he had never set foot in this rural community, the main street felt crowded.

Adorned in the finest London style, a trio of young
men lurked before a storefront. A pair of Corinthians
across the way strolled in the opposite direction. Then
he recalled the line of travelers he'd seen earlier. These
men must have been Lady Charlotte's suitors.

"Oi, Sir Philip!" Donny Ellis, the kind local who had
helped Philip only hours before, approached, hailing
him.

"Good day to you." Philip halted his horse and dismounted to better converse.

"And to you, sir." Ellis doffed his hat. "Just come back
from seem' Peter Strong now. I'll take you there if you
like." He no longer needed to raise his voice to be heard.

"Again you come to my aid, Mr. Ellis. It is much appreciated."

"I take it Lady Muriel got you to Faraday all safe and
sound, sir?" Ellis moved forward, gently leading the way.

"Yes, Lady Muriel did so with alacrity." Philip wondered how it came to be that her identity had not been
immediately revealed by Ellis. "What news do you have
for me, my man?"

"You'll not find your horses here in town." He gestured
down the way. "There weren't no room. I've had your
cattle stowed down at The Wild Rose; they can stay there
until nightfall."

He would need to make further arrangements before
the day's end. An inconvenience Philip would sort out
once he had finished here.

"Sent young Sturgis to fetch your rig first thing. He'll
be bringin' it to Strong's straightaway. There be the shop."
Ellis gestured to the left.

A man's rant rang out from the shop. "I've been waitin'
for near-on a week, now!"

Ellis led Philip inside, where he caught sight of the
outraged patron and a leather-aproned man, clearly Peter
Strong. "That's Matthew Tyndale," Ellis whispered as a
casual introduction.

"That be him right there. You blasted worm." Tyndale
jabbed his large finger in their direction, pointing at
Donny Ellis. "I heard what the two of you said. You can't
just push my wagon aside 'cause some flush nob is havin'
trouble gettin' to Town in time to measure his swelled
head for his new hat!"

Apparently news of Philip's disabled curricle had
instigated the tirade. Subsequently his large cranium
would be taking the brunt of the wrath-if not literally, then by earnest name-calling.