The Folly (3 page)

While Henry spent countless hours ensconced in the quiet masculine luxury of White’s, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Beau Brummel
;
Elizabeth and Rosamunde found their own entertainments.  Rosamunde
enjoyed
riding in Rotten Row every morning, weather permitting, and encouraged Elizabeth to go with her. 
Elizabeth
preferred the freedom of galloping through the open countryside, but she went along to please her sister-in-law and to show off her new emerald green riding habit ordered especially for that purpose
;
along with numerous walking dresses, morning frocks and evening gowns
. 
After their morning ride,
Rosamunde liked to receive callers or pay calls
herself
,
then took a light luncheon followed by a
rest before the evening’s entertainment
, which suited Elizabeth just fine
.
  She enjoyed a few hours of quiet before dressing for the evening and often snuck out with Willa as chaperone for a walk through the
city
. 
 

Elizabeth had only been to London twice before she married Henry
,
when her mother took her shopping in Bond Street
on her birthday
.  Having grown up in the country, she was amazed by the amount of people who lived in London and was at first frightened
by
the never
-
ending procession of hackneys, wagons loaded with coal or produce, and the grand carriages of the wealthy.  She liked
watching
the street vendors, calling out their wares in loud, ringing voices, advertising meat pies, sausages or
citrusy
smelling oranges
, and often wished that she could buy some
.  
Elizabeth
and Willa were always back in Belgravia just as twilight began to paint the streets in shades of dusky purple
,
and the oil lamps threw flickering shadows across the facades of the stately houses lining the streets. 
Henry would not approve of her expeditions and there was no need for him to know. 

Despite Henry’s reluctance to partake of all the city had to offer, he did accompany them on a few outings.  They paid several visits to the British Museum
and took in performances at the Royal Opera and the Royal Theater.  Elizabeth had never been to the theater
,
and she sat in their box breathless with wonder, watching the
drama unfold
on the stage and wishing that it would
go on and on.   Henry, on the other hand, seemed more interested in who was in the audience and seemed bored by the plays. 

Elizabeth
longed
to visit Vauxhall Gardens,
her curiosity aroused by the snippets of conversation she heard at various soirees.  The place sounded positively heathen,
but Henry forbade it
,
and even Rosamunde wouldn’t go against him.  He said it was a den of impropriety and sin and refused to set foot in the pleasure gardens. 
Elizabeth
was sorely disappointed at not being able to go, but she gave Willa permission to go with some of the other servants on her day off
,
and eagerly listened to her description the following morning. 

“Oh, it was magical, my lady.  There was this huge
balloon
that went right up into the sky
,
with people just standing in the attached basket and waving to everyone.  I would have been terrified, but they seemed to be having a grand time.  That was before they started the fireworks.  They lit up the night sky like stars bursting into a million
pieces
.  I can
’
t tell you how
thrilling
it was.”  Willa smiled at the
memory
, her gaze unfocused, no doubt still seeing the wonders of the gardens.

“Was there anything improper going on?” Elizabeth asked petulantly.  She was sure Henry was exaggerating just to keep her from going.

“
There was
, my lady.  I saw several men disappearing into the shadows with ladies of the evening
, if you will pardon my saying so,
and coming back looking disheveled and furtive.  Sir Henry would have been livid to see that.”

“Yes, Sir Henry would never condone such things, being the paragon of virtue that he is,” said Elizabeth sarcastically, wishing she could have gone to the gardens with Willa.  “At least he doesn’t mind going to balls.  I suppose I should be grateful for that, at least.”

**

Rosamunde was one of the Patronesses of Almack’s, so Elizabeth and Henry were admitted to the Assembly rooms on her recommendation. 
The first time they went, Elizabeth was shaking with nerves, afraid to run into Peter Jarvis.  She knew he frequented Almack’s and was in town for the Season.  Elizabeth
hadn
’
t seen Peter since their ill-fated escapade at the boathouse
,
and she wasn’t sure how she would react if she ran into him at such a public place.  Part of her wanted to claw his eyes out, but part of her was still longing for him to admit the truth, even if it would make absolutely no difference at this late stage.  Elizabeth finally asked Rosamunde about Peter. 

“Rosamunde, have you seen Lord Peter Jarvis at Almack’s this Season?” Elizabeth tried to be casual, but Rosamunde immediately sensed her apprehension, smiling kindly.

“Don’t worry, Elizabeth.  You won’t be seeing Peter Jarvis any time soon, nor will anyone else.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Haven’t you heard?  Peter Jarvis was wounded in a duel a few weeks ago.  He suffered a flesh wound and fled to the Continent as soon as he was somewhat recovered.  I strongly suspect he will not be returning any time soon.”  Rosamunde looked like a cat
that
swallowed the canary, inviting Elizabeth to question her further.

“Who did he duel with and why?  Peter always thought dueling was barbaric,” added Elizabeth as an afterthought.

“Well, it seems that some young officer, I forget his name, made a comment questioning Peter’s
‘
inclinations
’
, if you know what I mean.  Jarvis was livid and called him out.  Lucky for him, the officer was not a better marksman or Peter Jarvis’s inclinations would no longer matter, at least not to him.  I believe he left with Lord Allenby, adding fuel to the fire.  His best defense would have been to marry quickly, but I gather he refused his parents’ proposal to find him a bride.
  Foolish boy.
”

Elizabeth had to admit that she felt a certain satisfaction upon hearing the news.  Peter had used her cruelly
,
and although she was glad he wasn’t killed in the duel, the humiliation he no doubt
suffered
was punishment enough.  Sooner or later, Lord Jarvis would force Peter to marry
,
and he would spend a lifetime living with a partner he would never choose for himself.  Elizabeth smiled to herself and went to her room to prepare for
the evening.  There was a lot of injustice in the world, but sometimes, just sometimes, people did get what they deserved.

Elizabeth looked forward to the weekly ball
s at Almack’s
,
where young ladies were introduced into society and thrown mercilessly on the marriage market.  Now that
she
was a married woman, she could
watch
the sport without being a contestant.  She enjoyed the supper and the dancing and met many of the people she
’
d only heard about.  She wouldn’t admit it to Henry or Rosamunde, but she had a secret motive for wanting to come to London.  Elizabeth had been a devotee of Lord Byron
,
and she desperately hoped to meet him, having heard that he
’
d returned from his travels.  She was curious to see the man who wrote the darkly romantic poetry that stirred her soul and fueled her fantasies. 

She finally got her wish when he was one of the guests at Lady Melbourne’s ball, which the Flynns also attended.  Lady Melbourne’s daughter-in-law was also there
,
and she made a spectacle of herself
,
openly pursuing the poet and throwing herself at his feet.  It was rumored that the two had an affair, but that Byron had tired of her and had thrown her over for the unholy embrace of his half-sister, Augusta.  Rosamunde told
Elizabeth
that Lady Caroline was so mad with love for Byron
,
that she dressed as a page boy
,
and showed up on his doorstep on numerous occasions hoping to lure him back.
  She cared nothing for her reputation and scandalized London
s
ociety by pursuing him so relentlessly.

Coming back to the country after the social whirl of the Season was one of the most difficult adjustments for Elizabeth.  She hoped that Henry would continue to take her to London, but the visits became less and less frequent
,
and stopped altogether
once
Rosamunde announced her intention to go to India. 
She wanted to see something of the East and would be traveling with a dear friend of hers, who was joining her husband in New
Delhi
. 
She
’
d yet to come back.  Her house in Belgravia was locked up
, so
Henry took to staying at White’s on his visits to the city, enjoying the quiet hospitality of his club without having to entertain Elizabeth. 
She
’
d asked him if she might accompany him again and again, but he refused.

Chapter
3

In June of 181
5
,
England
celebrated the defeat of Napoleon at
the Battle of
Waterloo
, making Wellington an overnight hero
.  The conflict that raged throughout Europe for
ten years was over
,
and the
Bourbon monarchy was restored in France
with Napoleon
being
exiled to the island of St. Helena for the rest of his days. 
Sir Henry was very excited by the news and left for London immediately. 
He
’
d mentioned the many bets that were recorded in a special book at White’s
,
and he was hoping to cash in since he made a bet on his previous visit stating that Napoleon would be defeated before July 1, 181
5
.  White’s was a man’s haven and Sir Henry mercifully stayed away for at least a week at a time. 

Elizabeth entertained herself by painting
or reading
in the mornings
,
then paying calls
on
acquaintances
in the afternoons.  She was grateful for the company of other women despite not being able to be truthful with them.  As far as the ladies were concerned,
Lady
Elizabeth Flynn was happy and content, hoping to give her husband a son
in the near future
. 
What good was it to tell them of her misery?  It would only give them
fuel
for gossip
,
and
Elizabeth
was too proud to allow herself to be a source of entertainment
for
others. 

The closest thing she had to a friend among their neighbors was Lady Veronica Bromley, who
’
d just come out last Season.  She was charming and lively
,
and had the audacity to reject two marriage proposals from perfectly desirable, eligible men, which infuriated her parents.  Veronica was a romantic at heart and refused to marry just anyone.  She would have love or nothing at all.  Veronica had been away in London for the whole Season and Elizabeth pined for her company, eagerly awaiting the letters that kept her abreast of the latest gossip and scandals.  Veronica duly reported that
Augusta Leigh
had given birth to her third daughter, rumored to have been fathered by her half
-b
rother, Lord Byron.
She wrote about meeting the Regent himself
,
and peppered her letters with scathing comments about the various members of the nobility.   While Veronica was away, Elizabeth was forced to spend more time with Mrs. Bolton and her
daughters, Dorothy and Delphina.  They were both spinsters nearing
thirty,
who spent most of their time doing good works and perfecting their needlepoint, but they were sweet and kind and
Elizabeth
had to
frequently
remind herself that being dull was not a crime.

Elizabeth frequently thought of Rosamunde.  The last letter had come a few months before, announcing Rosamunde’s imminent return to England.  She had grown tired of the heat and the tight-knit English community in New
Delhi
,
and was ready to return home. 
Elizabeth
hoped that Henry would permit her to visit Rosamunde in London or invite his sister to stay with them for a while in the country. 

Elizabeth had often thought of Rosamunde’s advice, but found it hard to apply
it
to her own life.  Rosamunde had been left a wealthy widow, giving her the freedom few women had.  Even if Elizabeth dared to defy Henry, there
was
very little she could do buried in the country.  Her only act of rebellion had been to avoid pregnancy, but she was beginning to suspect that Henry was on to her.  He never said anything outright, but sometimes she caught him watching her
;
his eyes narrowed in speculation
,
and she felt a shiver of fear.  Henry was not a violent man, but there was something she sensed in him that frightened her.  She supposed she would have to give him a child sooner or later.  Maybe he would leave her alone if she gave him a son.