Once Upon a Time in Bath Read online

  When Wolf escorted Annie back to her brother, he said, “May I call on you tomorrow, Miss Appleton?”

  For a fraction of a second, her gaze flicked to her brother, and then returned to the man addressing her. “Alas, Mr. Wolf, I will be spending the day with Miss Pankhurst at the dressmaker’s.”

  He fixed a smile on his face and bowed. “Perhaps another time.”

  At the end of the night when they assembled in his carriage, Miss Pankhurst turned to Annie. “Will you really accompany me to the dressmaker’s tomorrow?”

  “Neither flood nor famine could keep me away,” Annie said.

  “I shall be so very much in your debt. I know from reading the Bath Chronicle, you are one of the most fashionable women in the city.”

  Appleton laughed. “You mustn’t believe everything you read in that rag! They’ll have you believing I am a most wicked man.” He shrugged. “Though I regret to say I can’t claim to be worthy of being in the same coach with a fine young lady like you.”

  “Pray, do not listen to my brother. He is a good man. And, my dear Miss Pankhurst, don’t believe everything you read of him in the Chronicle, either. It can be a beastly silly publication.”

  They delivered her to the house she and her father were letting on the Circus, and Appleton insisted on escorting her to the door where a servant in lime livery let her in.

  “I am not going to see you again, my lord, until I have dresses in which I’ll be fit to be seen.”

  “You couldn’t possibly look any more charming than you look tonight.” He bowed and returned to his carriage.

  It was imperative that he offer for her as soon as possible. There was little doubt that Miss Pankhurst was soon to be Bath’s most courted lady.

  Chapter 4

  “My daughter will be the prettiest girl in all of Bath in her lovely new dresses,” Mr. Pankhurst said. He had insisted on accompanying her and Miss Appleton to Mrs. Gainsworth’s, Dressmaker to the Fashionable, who had been enthusiastically endorsed by Miss Appleton.

  She was also the most expensive in Bath—a hearty endorsement for Mr. Pankhurst.

  Mrs. Gainsworth herself had shown him to a plush velvet settee where he could sit and view Dot in the various creations pinned to her in a variety of fabrics as she paraded in front of her father for approval.

  “Papa! How can you say such a thing in front of Miss Appleton? She’s far lovelier than I will ever be. And you’re embarrassing me excessively. I beg you stop boasting about me, or I will refuse to wear a single new gown.”

  He looked contrite when he addressed his daughter’s companion. “You must forgive me, Miss Appleton. I pray you don’t fault me for being a doting father.”

  “Who’s blind,” Dot added.

  “Of course not,” Miss Appleton responded. “And I don’t think you’re blind at all. Your daughter is exasperatingly lovely.”

  Dot sighed. “You must be tired, Papa. We’ve been here for more than three hours. Shall we go to the Pump Room? Perhaps a glass of the water will restore you.”

  He wrinkled his nose in distaste and shook his head. “I’m a very wealthy man, and even though this effort will tax my delicate health, I’m determined that you be the most fashionably dressed young lady in Bath. When we leave Mrs. Gainsworth’s, we’ll go to the milliner’s and the glove maker’s and the cobbler’s and ensure that you are dressed as well as you would were your father a Royal Duke.” He chuckled and lowered his voice. “Though I daresay I’m wealthier than those spendthrifts sired by our king, poor old soul that he is.”

  “But I’m afraid we’ll drain your strength,” Dot protested.

  “What difference can it make whether I sit on a velvet settee here or in our house?” He effected a pained look. “I’ll take care to find at least a chair wherever we go.” He cast a glance at Mrs. Gainsworth. “Now tell me how many dresses will you be making for my gel?”

  The matron, whose locks, a mixture of gold and silver, were shorn close to her head, began to count on her fingers. “There’s the white muslin, two sprigged for morning calls, the blue with a matching pelisse, and an ivory with ermine trim and muff, another of fine silk in green. That should be enough to launch her into Bath society.”

  “I want each delivered to Number Five, The Circus, as each one’s completed. I shall pay you in sovereigns upon every delivery. And once you have her measure and know which style she prefers, we’ll want them duplicated in other colours. Nothing will do but that my daughter be the most fashionable girl in all of Bath.”

  Though it was Dot’s natural inclination to be embarrassed over her father’s extravagance, she knew it was futile to protest.

  Mrs. Gainsworth’s eyes rounded, and she favored him with a beaming smile. Dot had gathered from reading the Bath Chronicle that many of the fashionable ran up large accounts with trades people, and she feared those poor tradespersons did not always get paid for the services they rendered. Sadly, many figures of Society thought their patronage was payment enough for all the costly fabrics and skilled needlewomen’s and tailors’ time. Thankfully, her father would never be that kind of client.

  “We will work around the clock to have the first gown to your lovely daughter by tomorrow afternoon,” Mrs. Gainsworth said.

  Unaccountably, Dot had found herself, with each dress, wondering if Lord Appleton would think her attractive in it. More and more, she thought about him and wondered if it was truly possible that he could be attracted to her.

  She most certainly was attracted to him.

  By the time they made the rounds of all the other trades people whose skills would contrive to render Dot fashionable, they were too exhausted to go to the Pump Room.

  “Are you certain you won’t receive callers until your new finery arrives?” Miss Appleton asked her.

  “I’m certain, but it looks as if Mrs. Gainsworth will oblige us with the first dress late tomorrow.”

  Miss Appleton nodded. “Your father’s terribly clever. He knows how to expedite matters. As soon as Mrs. Gainsworth learned she’d get paid by the piece upon delivery, she determined to work around the clock! You are most fortunate to have a father with such deep pockets.”

  “To be truthful, I don’t think about Papa’s fortune. Having a wealthy father never seemed important back at Blandings.”

  An uncharacteristic solemnity edged into Miss Appleton’s normally cheerful voice. “Unfortunately, in the rest of the world, wealth is important.” Then she attempted to brighten, but Dot could tell something must be troubling her friend. “Expect my brother and me to call on you Thursday.”

  Just knowing she would see Lord Appleton again lightened her step. Dot said good-bye to Miss Appleton in front of the glovemaker’s shop on Milsom Street, and they each walked in different directions to return to their homes.

  As soon as the Pankhursts reached their home, Mr. Pankhurst put a hand to his head and spoke in a feeble voice. “I do believe I’ve overtaxed myself today. I must take to my bed.”

  Dot felt dreadfully guilty that she was responsible for her father’s discomfort. Her brows lowered with concern, and she spoke in a tender voice. “Shall I have Cook send up a tray? Or have you completely lost your appetite?” When Dot felt poorly, she could never eat.

  “I shall have to force myself to eat. One in my condition must keep up his strength.” Her father—whose slightly portly physique gave testament to his always hearty appetite—turned and began to mount the stairway, groaning with each step. “I may have to procure a sedan chair and have two strong footmen hoist me up the stairs in it.”

  “Or we could put your bed in the saloon.”

  “Never! I must have the privacy my bedchamber affords.” His voice had suddenly increased in stridency.

  Dot wasted no time in getting down on the Turkey carpet in the drawing room and playing with her kitties. “Did you miss me today?” It wasn’t often she was away from them for this many hours.

  Of the four, only Nellie came to climb upon h
er, her purr vibrating as she came to settle on Dot’s lap. As happy as Dot was to see them, she felt as if something were missing. Her thoughts kept wandering to Lord Appleton. Everywhere they had gone that day, she had looked for him. Being with Miss Appleton without her brother was rather like going about with only a single glove or a solo shoe. She felt his absence acutely. How could it be that after just one day’s acquaintance she had become so attached to him?

  Would he approve of her new dresses? More importantly, would he find her attractive in them? She thought of the indecent waltz she had witnessed the previous night. Her face flamed when she thought of waltzing with Lord Appleton, yet she could not deny she longed to find herself waltzing in his arms in her new green silk dress.

  She wondered which dress Mrs. Gainsworth would deliver tomorrow afternoon. Dot was impatient for Thursday to come. She grew impatient to see his lordship. Would his attentions to her still be as marked as they had been the previous day?

  * * *

  When Appleton and his sister arrived at the Pankhurst residence, he was astonished at the number of servants required for this family of two. Astonished and somewhat intimidated. Two towering footmen had met them at the door. How in the devil had Pankhurst found two specimens of exactly the same size? And rather an impressive size it was!

  As Appleton stood in the gracefully appointed marble entry hall with its curving staircase, a third servant—an austere butler—went to announce him and his sister to their master. Appleton understood what it must feel like to be the runt of a litter, though he was a bit above average height himself.

  To give Pankhurst his due, the man did not give off airs as did many vastly wealthy men. He personally came to greet them in a most agreeable manner. “So good of you to call, my lord. Do come into the drawing room. My Dot will be down momentarily. Wait until you see her in her new finery! Don’t mind if I say so myself. She’s a beauty!”

  He led them into an elegant chamber, furnished in high quality French furnishings and painted a sunny yellow. “Indeed she is,” Appleton agreed as he took a seat on a silken sofa in the same bright yellow.

  How fortunate Appleton was to have discovered the Pankhurst wealth before the rest of Bath had the opportunity to swoop down on the unmarried lady like vultures. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the city learned of her father’s vast fortune.

  According to his sister, no expense had been spared the previous day in making Miss Pankhurst into the finest dressed lady in all of Bath. All the city’s shopkeepers would be spreading the word about the new heiress in town.

  It was imperative that he secure her affections before the onslaught.

  Miss Pankhurst then entered the chamber wearing a snowy muslin dress sprigged with tiny purple flowers. He deemed it most fashionable, but it was her figure with its meaty bits that was even more to his liking. What had happened to the old Miss Pankhurst? This young woman really was lovely. Even that mahogany-coloured hair of hers was elegantly styled.

  He then noticed a parade of cats following her into the room.

  “Miss Pankhurst!” Annie exclaimed. “You are provokingly beautiful. You’ve procured a maid to style your hair. Such envy-worthy loveliness!”

  Dot patted her coif. “Thank you. I’m so pleased.”

  “Pray tell, how did you find her?” Annie asked.

  “I asked our exceptionally competent housekeeper, and before I knew it, she had this wonderful girl here. Did she not do herself credit?”

  “Indeed she did,” Annie said. “She’s astonishingly talented.”

  “I thought so, too.” Miss Pankhurst then did a most unladylike thing. She plopped on the rug and began to play with her cats. There were four of them altogether.

  Appleton was gratified that Elvin had not accompanied him and his sister this day. If he had, there would be no end to the teasing Appleton would have to endure over that lady’s obsession with her demmed cats.

  One of those cats—quite a fat one the colour of marmalade—strayed from the others and had the audacity to come and rub its furry self against Appleton’s leg. He prayed Miss Pankhurst would not notice if he gave it a slight kick in an attempt to dislodge the insistent feline from his calf. But the beast still did not budge.

  When it began to move a moment later, he thought perhaps it was a delayed reaction to his miniscule kick, but his hopes were dashed when the orange cat came to settle its bottom on his boots, the very ones that Digby had polished to a mirror-like shine that very morning. The blasted cat purred so loudly Appleton was certain its owner several feet away could hear the annoying sound.

  She then turned her smiling face to him. “Oh, do look! Lover Boy loves Lord Appleton.”

  “Smartest cat in the bunch,” Mr. Pankhurst said. “Of course, he’s the only male. He instinctively knows when males enter our domain.”

  “I think, Papa, you’re being very obtuse. Each of my kitties is highly intelligent.”

  It was all Appleton could do not to contradict the lady. Cats were such inferior creatures when compared to dogs. Did not everyone know it was dogs who were highly intelligent? As besotted as Miss Pankhurst was over these feather-brained felines, even she, he would vow, would be powerless to teach them a single skill.

  The lady’s attention returned to him. “You must have a special way with cats, my lord.”

  She need not know of his dislike of cats. “I confess I’ve hardly ever been around them.”

  Her face collapsed. “What a very great misfortune.” Then she brightened. “But Lover Boy will ensure that that changes. He obviously adores you.”

  Lover Boy? That was the silliest name he’d ever heard. No one would ever saddle a dog with a ridiculous name like that. “I presume you gave your cat such a . . . an affectionate name because of his overly friendly nature?”

  “Oh, yes. Just listen to him purr. Is he not a darling? Don’t you just want to cuddle with him?”

  Annie started giggling. “I don’t believe my brother thinks in such terms, Miss Pankhurst, but I completely understand. Would that I had one kitten of my own, and you are fortunate to possess four! I should think I’d been transported to heaven.”

  He hated like the devil that Annie was encouraging her!

  “But you’re blessed with siblings,” Miss Pankhurst countered. “I had none.” Her brows lowered. “Why is it you cannot have at least one kitten of your own?”

  “It’s our youngest sister, Abby,” Appleton said. “She cannot tolerate being in the same chamber with cats.”

  Annie nodded. “Her eyes water like a spigot, and she sneezes uncontrollably.”

  Miss Pankhurst looked stricken. “How immensely unfortunate. I should die if such a calamity befell me.” Her lips screwed up as if she were deep in thought. “Did you not just say your youngest sister is named Abby?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do all the girls possess names starting with the letter A?”

  “Indeed they do,” he said. “A very astute observation on your part.” Once again, he counted himself fortunate she wasn’t the dimwit they’d expected.

  “Thank you, my lord,” Miss Pankhurst acknowledged. “But the use of A names is not a practice, I take it, your family used with the sons?”

  He shook his head. “While our parents fancied alliterative names, the Appleton males have always reused the same family names.”

  Miss Pankhurst nodded. “So there’s Annie and Abby . . . What are the other sisters’ names?”

  “There’s just one other. She’s Agnes,” Annie answered, petting a black and white cat. “And what’s this little one’s name?”

  “Nellie.”

  “You must share the evolution of Nellie’s name,” Mr. Pankhurst said from his big chair near the fire. He was powerless to stifle a chuckle.

  With no more encouragement than that, Miss Pankhurst scooped up the cat, kissed it on its whiskered cheek—did cats have cheeks?—and proceeded to show the visitors that the fur around the animal’s ri
ght eye made an almost perfect black circle. “You see the patch around Nellie’s right eye?”

  He and Annie nodded.

  “Well, because of that, I named this kitty Lord Nelson.”

  “Oh, yes,” Annie said. “Because that looks exactly like an eye patch.”

  “It does.” Miss Pankhurst shrugged. “However, before Lord Nelson was a year old, it became clear to us he was a she when she presented us with a litter of kittens.” She shrugged. “Thus Lord Nelson became Nellie.”

  Appleton couldn’t help himself. He chuckled. Loudly.

  Miss Pankhurst readily joined in the laughter.

  “What if your Lover Boy had turned out to be a lady?” he asked. “What might you have named him, er, her, then?”

  “I suppose something like Sweetie Girl.”

  The butler entered the chamber, cleared his throat, and said, “A Mrs. Moreland and two Mrs. Blankenships to see you, Miss Pankhurst.”

  “Have them come here.” Miss Pankhurst’s gaze flicked to Annie. “Two Mrs. Blankenships?”

  Annie shrugged. “There are actually three residing in Bath at present. I daresay Glee’s come with her sister-in-law Mary Blankenship, who’s married to Jonathan Blankenship.”

  “Jonathan Blankenship’s the very best of friends with my friend Sir Elvin’s twin brother, who’s a scholar of some repute.”

  “As is Jonathan Blankenship,” Annie added.

  Miss Pankhurst’s natural smile deepened even more. “Two scholars?”

  Appleton nodded.

  “You say it’s Sir Elvin’s twin who is the scholar?”

  Appleton laughed out loud. No one who knew Elvin would ever take him for a scholar. “Definitely his twin,” he finally said,

  Miss Pankhurst’s mouth lifted to a smile, and her black eyes shone with delight. “How exciting. I do hope I will have the privilege of meeting these great minds.”

  “It will be my honor to introduce you,” he said.

  “I declare,” Mr. Pankhurst said, “I should be honored to meet them also.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Those very large, very dark eyes of Miss Pankhurst’s met Appleton’s. “I didn’t know Sir Elvin had a twin brother. Are they identical?”