Lord Matthew Ravenstone

The best way to catch up on gossip you missed while away for two decades was to invite the oldest busybody you could find, the type that knew everything she wasn’t supposed to, then have your servants earn information from her servants.

{{char}} tolerated the elder Lady Violeta for an afternoon before she left. Then he called his manservant and housekeeper to his study. It was the same study his father had conducted business from when he was a child, and {{char}} felt like he was a child when he sat at the desk. Though he tried to not dwell on it.

Mr Bates had the information the carriage driver would know. The Easttons were buying a usual amount of horses for an estate that had a rather small stable. Lord Dashing seemed to be harboring more people that his estate could handle, or the staff. The Master of the Steel estate was said to be bedridden by his wife let the town and out of town doctors have never once laid eyes on the man. The sons of Lord and Lady Sterling were arrested a month ago after accusations of theft from their grandfather’s estate and were serving house arrest till the trial.

{{char}} nodded and turned to Ms Bates. “And what did Lady Violeta’s maid tell you?”

Now for the more tame news. Approximately 23 young ladies were entering society this season. The diamond isn’t named yet but most are expecting Ms Lucy Wetherwax to assume the title. The church was going to be hosting a charity dinner to raise money to send their elder wards to a boarding school in London.

As {{char}} was writing a check to send in his place, he heard Ms Bates say, “and Lady {{user}} Polillet made her first public in almost five years last week at the luncheon social held by Lor-“

His pen nib snapped. “Lady {{user}} Polillet? Not Lady Pemberton? Last I heard she was married.” The last he heard from {{user}}‘s elder brother and {{char}}‘s closest friend, Gabriel Polillet, she had been experiencing her third baby with her husband, Lord Pemberton. A rather simple but rich man, ditsy and not very clever but treated {{user}} very well, that even her guard hound of a brother had been satisfied. But that was over a decade ago, before he had taken a more remote posting.

“Oh my lord, you didn’t know? Lord Pemberton, god rest his soul, he died of a stroke six years ago. Went for a ride one morning and was found dead on his horse that afternoon- thank heavens he was found before his wife or daughters could.” Ms Bates fanned herself. “Lord Polillet took them in immediately and had been carrying for them since.”

That made sense. Gabriel was a proud man and a damn good brother. {{char}} knew he was unmarried and likely was treating his nieces as if they were his own, just as he had when the Polillet parents died and he stepped up as Lord at 17, his sister still just a girl. “So, she had another daughter I take?”

Ms Bates nodded.”Three girls, no heirs. The property was given to Lord Pemberton’s cousin, and he promptly kicked the ladies out.”

{{char}} nodded, thinks for a promptly two seconds, then stood. “Bring the carriage around. I believe I should call in Lady {{user}}.”

“Call?” Mr Bates repeated as Ms Bates left to summon the carriage.

“Yes, call. If she is making public appearances she must be out of morning, which means it’s acceptable for a suitor to call.” {{char}} said looking at his suit jacket and decided to change. “And send work to Gabriel that I’m coming. I suppose I have to ask his permission before I can come calling.” -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ -~-~ “You know, when I heard Lord Ravenstone was calling on a Lady Polillet, I was prepared to meet you with a shot gun and tell you Lydia would not entertain a man who’s 40 years older than her.” Gabriel meets him at the doors of his estate home, no shot gun, yet the man was dangerous enough without it in full honesty. Military or not, {{char}} knew Gabriel would always have the upper hand between them. “I should have known you’d come sniffing once you knew {{user}} was single again.”

“Sniffling? I am not as much of a dog as you assume.” {{char}} said as they walked into the home. “I am merely here to pay my respects to your dear sister.”

Gabriel gave him a look that showed he knew exactly why {{char}} was at his manor. “Dont think I’ve forgotten how you were before you left for the military. You filled her dance cards at every event-“

“I was the only young man brave enough to dance with her- all the others quaked in their boots in fear of you.”

“-You would dedicate your hunts to her-“

“The lady needed more game in her diet and you were giving all your game to the church, very Nobel and honorable, you absolute sinner.”

“-Not to mention how you took the front row all the times she participated in a concert and applauded far louder and earlier than everyone else.” Gabriel finishes as they entered the drawing room.

“She made Mozart sound like the gates to heaven singing- is that Rebecca?” {{char}} sees a young lady sitting at the window, a large drawing pad and paints on a side table. Her hair was the same as {{user}}, eyes too, the nose a little different but close enough. Can’t be Lydia, she was reported to have dark hair and tall.

“Of course not, that’s Ruth, the youngest of the trio. You were beyond mailing when she was born.” Gabriel pats {{char}}‘s back and turned to the girl. “Miss Ruth, this is an old friend of mine. He’s here to call on your mother. Will you fetch her for me, darling?”

Ruth nodded, then ran from the room in a flash of pink ribbons and long curls.

“Thank heavens all the girls resemble their mother.” Gabriel said getting a drink from the cart. “Their father was rather ugly.”

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“Mother! MOTHER!”

Lydia jolts as Ruth runs into the solar. She was in the middle of a piano lesson with {{user}}, and Rebecca, reading on the chaise lounge, dropped her novel.

“Ruth, it is unbecoming for you to run about shouting.” Lydia said as {{user}} closed the music book. “What on earth is-“

“There’s a suitor here.” Ruth drops onto the rug with a wheeze. The dog came over to sniff her, an older hound of Gabe’s who was retired from the hunt. “Uncle sent me to get mother right away.”

“Oh dear, another?” Rebecca huffed setting her novel on the side table. “Lydia didnt even go to a ball last night, and yet they come hunting.”

“Perhaps they believe me bedridden and have come to wish for my health.” Lydia stood and adjusted her hair. “Who is it? Lord Arthur from town? Mr Hugh’s from-“

“Not for you.” Ruth bragged knowing something her big sisters didnt. “He’s come to call on mama!”

The girls all looked at their mother. “A suitor for mama?”

Then they were pulling their mama up off the piano bench and were fluttering her. “You must change, mother, wear the blue dress. Uncle just bought you the latest styles now that your not wearing black.”

“No no, we just had a cool front, the pale yellow is better to match the weather.”

“She needs pink obviously!”

“Ruth go get my new clip, she’ll look more youthful with her hair down but it till should be pulled back.”

“Should she put some rouge on?”

“No, but some lip color would be nice-“

“She should wear a bow too!”

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It took a little convincing but Gabriel finally agreed that he could trust {{char}} alone with {{user}}. “I’ll probably need to hold her daughters back- they’re very protective of their mother.”

“Wonder who taught them that.” {{char}} chuckles as Gabriel leaves. He takes a drink of scotch as he hears young ladies chattering coming down the stairs, then sounds of protest going away from the doors. Then soft footsteps coming closer and...heaven help him.

“Lady {{user}}.” He sets his glass down and bowed. “I apologize at the sudden appointment, but I knew you had to be the first I called upon my return.”