The Honourable Fortune Hunter (Scandalous Miss Brightwells 5)

Chapter 1

“She’s a hoyden; she’s undisciplined, and she has shown no gratitude during the five years she’s lived on our charity.”

“Charity?” Fanny, Lady Fenton, leaned forward to offer her guest a fruit bun, still warm from the kitchens below. It had been several hours since luncheon, and Mrs Hodge looked like she needed regular sustenance. “If Lizzy is your ward,” Fanny went on, slowly, “or rather, was your late husband’s ward, then I trust you are not…out of pocket?”

After twenty minutes of listening to an exhausting list of Miss Lizzy Scott’s failings, Fanny was having difficulty keeping her tone sweetly patient. Mrs Hodge was the widow of Fenton’s loyal batman during the Peninsular Campaign, Jeremy; and Fenton, upon recalling that his old retainer’s ward, Lizzy, was of marriageable age, had insisted Widow Hodge, and her inherited ward, be invited to the five-day Christmas house party being held at Quamby House, the country seat of the Earl of Quamby to whom Fanny’s sister, Antoinette, was married.

“I have determined not to find myself out of pocket since poor Jeremy died, for I do not indulge her as he used to.” Mrs Hodge dabbed at her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief and smoothed her black crepe skirts in affected distress. “My, but the girl was a trial that first year she came to us. Crying every night—wailing!—and trying to climb out of the window.” Mrs Hodge took a delicate sip of her tea while Fanny wondered if she should mention the crumb that clung tenaciously to the bristles of her upper lip.

She looked down at her pale-pink, half kid boots and tried to contain her impatience. “I believe Lizzy had lost her entire family to scarlet fever when she was only fourteen?” She made sure the gentle reminder was couched in an enquiring tone. If there was one thing Fanny had learned since she, too, had been an undisciplined hoyden, it was that the appearance of sweet patience created the necessary veneer needed if one were to achieve one’s desires.

And Fanny’s immediate desire was to survive the dreadful woman’s visit without causing offence to the neatly coiffed and shod personage perched on the velvet-upholstered chair in front of her. And to see her out of the door as soon as possible.

“Fourteen! What a terrible age!” Mrs Hodge swallowed the last of her fruit bun with an energetic gulp. “Before the age of seventeen, she’d been expelled from three Ladies Seminaries—three of this country’s finest purveyors of elegance, refinement, and education.” She sniffed. “Well! A properly disciplined girl will know if she takes a thing too far. When my Susan was fourteen and dared to speak back, she soon discovered what would not be tolerated. Some swiftly administered discipline was all that was required to make her the docile, pliant creature who knew what was good for her when she accepted Sir Richard, whose tender solicitude she’s enjoyed these past five years of matrimony.”

The woman positively bristled with pride at the mention of her illustrious son-in-law.

“Didn’t Susan reject Sir Richard?” The memory returned swiftly to Fanny of her husband telling her of his dismay at such a mismatched union.

“Only the once. Susan was brought up to be good, just as I was. She accepted that her mother knew what was in her best interests. Fortunately, my poor, dear Jeremy was on the Continent when Sir Richard was so insistent that dear Susan honour him and become his wife.” She wrinkled her nose and her eyes narrowed, as if recalling some failing in her late husband. “Despite his wartime heroism

and ability to keep his family in great comfort…” of course Mrs Hodge would not be so coarse as to articulate the fact that her husband had amassed a fortune through trade… “Jeremy always was as soft as butter when it came to dispensing discipline. That, I’m afraid, was left up to me.” Mrs Hodge took another sip of tea and the crumb thankfully was washed away, for when she raised her head to once more smile at Fanny, only the yellowing of her teeth was a distraction. Her smug and self-satisfied expression was a fixture to which Fanny had become inured. Mrs Hodge obviously knew how to play to her strengths for she generally kept her mouth closed when smiling.

“And now Miss Lizzy is coming to Quamby House tomorrow,” Fanny said, “and you intend that she accepts Mr Dalgleish if he proposes.”

“When he proposes, Lady Fenton,” Mrs Hodge corrected her. “Lizzy has twenty thousand pounds in return for what Mr Dalgleish brings to the union.”

“And what does Mr Dalgleish bring to the proposed union?” She cleared her throat and said, delicately, “I heard whispers that Mr Dalgleish was a fortune hunter.”

For a moment, Mrs Hodge appeared to falter before she said, smoothly, “Nonsense! I would never dangle Lizzy in front of a…fortune hunter!”

Fanny raised her eyebrows. “Does Lizzy favour Mr Dalgleish?”

Mrs Hodge reached for another fruit bun. “Mr Dalgleish is handsome and personable, and Lizzy has agreed to let him court her these next few days. Their betrothal will be announced during the Christmas Ball.”

“I gather Lizzy has become a burden to you,” Fanny said in a poor attempt to hide her dislike.

“Lizzy has always been a burden.” Mrs Hodge swallowed her fruit bun and said rather combatively, “I defy any woman to deny she would not harbour the same sentiments in her sensitive, maternal breast, as I do following five long years of intransigence and ingratitude.”

Fanny straightened in her chair and put her cup down with a smile. She’d had enough of the conversation. The mere thought of what else she must survive in order to get to the other side of her sister’s enthusiastic Yuletide celebrations was giving her a megrim.

“Well, I daresay it will be on your conscience if Mr Dalgleish proves not to be worthy of Lizzy, in which case you’ll not persist in the girl marrying him,” she said, rising in dismissal.

“You’ll do what you can to promote the union?” It seemed Mrs Hodge had not taken account of Fanny’s words.

“Provided Mr Dalgleish and Lizzy appear to suit.” There, that let her off the hook.

Mrs Hodge nodded in apparent satisfaction as she moved towards the door. “Mr Dalgleish will prove eminently suitable to Lizzy. I shall make sure of it.”

“You’re sure she’s not shown a disinclination towards him?”

“If she gives such an appearance, it’s only to goad me.” Mrs Hodge’s nostrils flared. “The only reason Lizzy was allowed to come for this visit rather than remain in Houghton was because Mr Dalgleish would be here, and Lizzy promised to agree to the match if there was nothing objectionable about him. Which there is not. You’ve seen nothing objectionable?”

“I have not met the gentleman. He is expected later this evening.” Fanny tried to remember what else had been said about him. Other than he was known to have a predilection for young ladies of fortune. Fenton had invited him, as she recalled. But as more than three dozen guests were expected over the next few days, most of them invited by her sister and brother-in-law, she’d stopped trying to account for each one of them.