Free Azalea by Brenda Hiatt

beamed at her young
relative. "Of course, dear! I'll be delighted to be of assistance."
    "Miss Beauforth and I just encountered Lord
Glaedon in the Park. As I, ah, mentioned last night, my grandfather
was well acquainted with his father, the fourth Earl. He spoke of
the family to me on more than one occasion, and it was my
understanding that it was Herschel who was next in the succession?"
Azalea could not quite bring herself to say Christian's name. She
paused, hoping that Lady Beauforth would take it from there. She
was not disappointed.
    "Oh, my dear, I assumed you knew! It's best
you do, I suppose, all things considered. After all, if there were
any unpleasantness in that quarter, it's only fair you should know
why, don't you think?"
    Azalea nodded vaguely, having absolutely no
idea what her cousin was talking about.
    Lady Beauforth continued.
"What I mean to say is that Herschel was killed two years ago in
the war— the American war, you understand, not the French. Marilyn
was quite devastated, I assure you. You may not have known it, but it
was planned almost from her infancy that she would marry poor
Herschel. Our lands run with theirs, you see.
    "At any rate, Christian
seems to have taken all Americans in dislike because of his
brother's death. Quite understandable, I suppose. Not that it
is your fault, of
course, or anyone else's who wasn't actually in the fighting, but
I'm sure you understand."
    Azalea was beginning to, though the
suddenness of having her suspicion confirmed almost took away her
capacity for thought. "But, my lady—" A light tap on the door
interrupted her, and Marilyn's abigail entered with a note for Lady
Beauforth.
    As her cousin read the message, Azalea had
time to consider what she had just learned and to be glad of the
interruption. She had been on the point of asking how Christian had
escaped the shipwreck, a question that would have demanded more
explanations than she was ready to give at the moment. There was
another matter she could bring up, however.
    "Tell my daughter that we'll discuss this at
dinner. Perhaps we can contrive to make an appearance at both,"
said Lady Beauforth to the maid, dismissing her.
    She turned her attention
back to Azalea. "Now, my dear, where were we? Oh, yes, dear
Christian. I pray you'll not take offence at his manner if he
should, ah, treat you less than charmingly, now that you know the
cause. And I suppose it would be quite proper if you were to make
some show of sympathy over poor Herschel, seeing how you know the
family, so to speak. But let me tell you the most
interesting on dit — Oh, was there any other advice you needed?" Lady Beauforth
interrupted herself, apparently remembering her current role as
social advisor.
    "As a matter of fact,
Cousin Alice, there is," said Azalea reluctantly. She thought she
might have liked to hear that particular on dit . "I find myself in need of
visiting my grandfather's London solicitor, a Mr. John Timmons, and
have no idea how to go about doing so."
    "Oh, surely there will be no need to
actually visit the man," said Lady Beauforth, clearly disappointed
by the mundane request. "Indeed, most solicitors very much dislike
women in their offices, I understand. I know dear Sir Matthew's
lawyers always called on me here at the house after he went to his
reward. Your best course would be to send a message round, asking
him to visit you."
    Azalea doubted this very much. After all,
she was hardly of her cousin's social standing, which would likely
make this Mr. Timmons reluctant to take so much time out of his
busy schedule to cater to her whims. In addition, if she were to
decide to ask his advice about her six-year-old marriage, she had
no desire to be overheard by any member of her cousin's household.
She decided to confide in Lady Beauforth about the lesser of her
problems.
    "The truth is, Cousin Alice, I need to speak
to him about a rather delicate matter. I find that what my
grandfather left me, which seemed so ample in