His twins, Priscilla and Samuel, at five years old, were in a stage that could only be described as monstrous, their demanding ways and constant tantrums responsible for a revolving door of governesses his mother, Ethel, and mother-in-law, Matilda, kept hiring and losing in quick succession.
Some of the twins’ behavioral problems were due to the grandmothers indulging their every whim, but Walter had been hesitant to step in, because, for one, society gentlemen weren’t expected to concern themselves with the day-to-day issues of their children, and for two, he knew his mother and mother-in-law overindulged the children to make up for their motherless state.
After learning about Oscar’s expulsion though, and after the twins were removed from a birthday party when Priscilla demanded the birthday girl fork over a doll she’d been given, and then launched into a fit of rage when the birthday girl’s mother reprimanded her—which apparently caused Samuel to dump his piece of cake on that mother’s lap—Walter had realized that drastic measures were needed to get his children in hand.
Marriage seemed the most logical option, because providing the children with a new mother would introduce a measure of stability in their lives, which would then restore order to his life. That right there was why he was in Newport, still dripping a bit of punch as he tried to puzzle out how he should phrase the answer to Gwendolyn’s surprisingly blunt question.
“Is it a companion you’re searching for, Mr. Townsend?” Gwendolyn prompted, dragging him from his thoughts.
“A . . . companion?” he repeated.
She wrinkled her nose. “Given the blank expression residing on your face, I’ll assume a companion isn’t your greatest concern, although there is something to be said about seeking an alliance with a lady who has similar interests. That helps the conversation flow, as well as allowing a shared enjoyment in whatever amusements you pursue.” She arched a brow his way.
“Are you asking me what my hobbies may be?”
“Only if those hobbies have something to do with helping you secure a perfect match.”
“I don’t have many hobbies. My business interests consume most of my time.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I was told you have three children.”
“I do.”
Her eyes narrowed another fraction. “Don’t they consume much of your time?”
“Ah, well, like most society gentlemen, I leave the rearing of the children to the governesses, as well as to my mother and mother-in-law. However . . .” he hurried to continue when Gwendolyn’s eyes suddenly flashed in a concerning fashion, “the children are the reason I’ve reentered society this Season.”
Whispers immediately reached his ears as the crowd of ladies gathered around him began edging closer.
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Gwendolyn said briskly, taking another step toward him, which lent him another whiff of her perfume, one that smelled like vanilla mixed with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“To narrow your response to where it’ll be perfectly clear to everyone—how important of a role do the children play in your search for a wife?” Gwendolyn continued, pulling him directly from thoughts of vanilla.
“I suppose my children play the most important role, because I’m interested in securing an alliance with a lady who’d relish taking on the role of mother to them.”
Whispers immediately sounded around him again as Gwendolyn inclined her head. “See? That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I have the sneaking suspicion you’ll soon be inundated with candidates longing to provide your children with a mother.”
Before he could respond to that—not that he knew how he should respond except to perhaps thank her, not that he was certain a thank-you was in order when after glancing at the ladies surrounding him he noticed telling gleams in their eyes—Gwendolyn stepped back and nodded to the ladies at large.
“There you have it, ladies. Mr. Townsend is in search of a lady who longs to become a mother to his three no-doubt adorable children.” She dipped into a curtsy. “You’re welcome.” With that, she straightened, sent him a smile that left his mind going numb again, moved to Miss Duveen’s side, took hold of her arm, and together they began making their way through the crowd.
Giving himself a shake that resulted with his thoughts returning to order, Walter realized he’d just participated in the most curious conversation of his life, and one with a lady he found undeniably fascinating. Regrettably, given her lack of society status, she was not a lady he could afford to find fascinating, which meant he needed to put all thoughts of Miss Gwendolyn Brinley aside, no matter how much the lady intrigued him.
Five
“I don’t believe you’ve thoroughly considered our current situation, Mrs. Parker,” Gwendolyn said as she stuffed a bathing costume into the woven bag she was packing. “In my humble opinion, your only option is to terminate my employment because you must be mindful of your reputation. To make our parting more palatable, I’ll take it upon myself to arrange transportation on the Fall River Boat Line. I can organize that this morning while you’re off to Bailey’s Beach.”
Mrs. Parker set aside the paper she was reading on a cozy chaise positioned by bay windows that sported a stunning view of the Atlantic. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have no intention of sending you packing, and contrary to your belief, I have considered the matter at length. As I mentioned over breakfast, you’ve become an instant sensation in Newport. It wouldn’t benefit me to terminate your employment now. In the spirit of full disclosure though, I was planning to give you the boot after Mrs. Oelrichs told me what transpired between you and Miss Suzette Tilden.”
“I think people should act on their first impulse, and because your first thought was to fire me, allow me to pack my bags and get off to the docks.”
Mrs. Parker narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I’m oblivious to the fact you want me to fire you so you won’t feel as if you’re shirking your commitment to me. I believe shirking goes against your nature, which does speak highly of you. Nevertheless, I’m not going to appease your desire for termination, because you’ve done something I’ve never been able to accomplish—you’ve shown a negative side to one of this Season’s reigning diamonds, Suzette Tilden. That proves you have substantial worth, and it was only your first night out as my assistant.”
“It wasn’t a difficult feat to accomplish, what with how Suzette deliberately tried to embarrass Adelaide Duveen, most likely in an attempt to show herself to greater advantage.”
“Well, quite, but you see, until last night Suzette was thought to be above reproach. After her punch debacle, and because she had the audacity to publicly engage in a verbal skirmish, her diamond status has been significantly diminished. Her misbehavior has permitted our very own Miss Ellsworth to shoot straight to the coveted spot of being considered the incomparable of the summer.”
Mrs. Parker snatched up the fan she always kept at the ready and waved it in front of her face. “Besides accomplishing that unusual feat, by announcing yourself as my assistant matchmaker, society gentlemen have learned my closely guarded secret. I’ve been inundated with calling cards today—not from ladies, but from gentlemen, all of whom long to secure meetings with me to discuss their interest in Elizabeth.”