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Chapter 8
William entered the dining room and sat down at the solitary table for another dinner alone. He wondered where Xander was. Still working on the final shipment orders no doubt. He was a solid partner to have and had showed an unexpected aptitude for the details of business over the past few months, which had surprised William at first.

Of course Xander had always proven sharp at picking up necessary survival skills since they’d met on that first voyage in the Queen’s Navy. He shuddered. That had been something of a baptism of fire for a shy young boy for sure. No regrets on the choice, it had been worth every day he thought he’d keel over from the pain and exhaustion. When he’d seen the respect in his father’s eyes after returning from that trip, he knew he’d made the right decision to abandon the Cambridge education for a more real world tutorial.

He poured a glass of wine. Those years held a host of memories he’d just as soon not explore, for all he was a better man for them. Best to dwell on more pleasant thoughts, like this afternoon’s encounter with Buffy. Which reminded him that he needed to get in some serious ribbing of Xander. Seemed he had made an impression on Madam Anya after all. She’d acted downright nervous when he’d mentioned the dark-haired man to the otherwise very composed woman.

Anna carried in the first course and William looked at the empty table again. Maybe he’d just eat in the library, have something on a tray. He was about to instruct her when Xander came though the door, grinning from ear to ear.

"Great news Will, I got confirmation Wes’s ship set sail, should be here in a few weeks for sure. And the shipments for today all arrived on schedule, we’re ahead for the month."

William sat up, glad for some company at last. As they worked their way through dinner and discussed some other business concerns, Xander steered the conversation around to more interesting topics.

"So you went back to see her again, didn’t you?"

Will tried to feign innocence. "See who, Xan?"

"You know who, the merry widow who’s been distracting you since you first saw her."

"Oh, that her. Well, yeah, just needed to iron out a few details and such. She’ll be here in the morning, if you want to stick around and meet her." Ready to see his friend squirm, William continued, "And you’ll never guess who was visiting with her when I dropped by this afternoon."

"Who?"

"Madam Anya."

Xander looked up, suddenly interested. "Really? Did she say anything about me?"

"As a matter of fact she did. Even brought you up herself."

Xander’s expression revealed surprise as Will snickered. "What, didn’t think you made an impression on the lady?"

"No, well, I’d hoped, but she was just so dismissive." Xander recovered his equilibrium and pushed for more information. "Enough with the coy, Will, what’d she say? Does she want to see me?"

"Well, she did mention for us to stop by any time."

"No, not like that, not just another customer. Did she want to see me personally?"

William decided he’d had enough fun. "She didn’t come right out and say it, but she got awfully flustered when I hinted you were interested in her personally."

"Flustered as in she’s annoyed at the thought, or flustered as in she might be interested?"

"I thought might be interested. Maybe you could ask Buffy tomorrow."

Xander nodded. "Great idea." He paused, and frowned as he thought it through. "You mean Buffy was receiving Anya at home?"

William nodded.

"Are you sure she’s entirely on the up and up, Will? Not exactly the way things are done around here, I gather. You sure she’s not scamming you somehow about who she is?"

"I made some discreet references this afternoon. Mrs. Crawford is everything she purported to be, a recently widowed member of the plantation elite who now lives very quietly with her cousin and remains in mourning for her dearly departed husband. In fact, from all accounts, she’s quite the perfect lady." He shrugged. "I’m guessing that you and I, my friend, have inadvertently tumbled to Miss Buffy’s one dark secret and I intend to use that knowledge for all it’s worth."

~~~

Buffy found Dawn waiting at the bottom of the steps when she came down early the next morning for the walk to Montgomery’s house. The girl was dressed in Fred’s spare gown, which fit moderately well. It would do until they could finish the garment they had begun for her the day before.

"Good morning, Miss Buffy."

"Morning, Dawn, did you sleep well?"

"Yes ma’am, just a little nervous is all."

Buffy patted her arm, "Don’t be Dawn, everything will be fine." She wondered who she was trying to reassure with her comments, Dawn or herself. She’d slept very little, tossing and turning as she replayed the events of the day before and all that had passed between her and William.

William. It gave her a little thrill just to say his name, even in her head. Anya’s insane suggestions from yesterday had been rolling over and over in her head. Mrs. William Montgomery. Could that really be what he was after?

And why was she even contemplating that? She’d vowed on the day Lilah had appeared before her in hysterics and announced Angel’s death and her freedom that she would never, never tie herself down in that way again. There was no father to direct her marriage this time around, she had enough money to be comfortable, she was surrounded by good friends. There was no reason for her to replace the now meaningless band of gold still residing on her third finger with a real chain.

Except for that other thing Anya had mentioned. You could always consider a discreet arrangement that would be mutually beneficial to you both . . . Montgomery could provide you with some intense physical gratification, if you would allow it . . . you wouldn’t be hurting anyone.

Had she been around Anya and Faith and the other girls who gave no real thought to the men that passed through their bed every night too long? Was she losing all the morals her mother had taught her, that a lady was chaste until married and then faithful to her husband? Of course, she had been those things, before. Would taking a lover be so bad now? Men did it constantly. And who would she hurt? Montgomery was unattached and available, as was she.

She realized Dawn was looking at her rather strangely as she had been musing to herself for several minutes now. She picked up her shawl and draped it around her shoulders. Time to face the music. Probably she’d get over there and Montgomery would be nothing but courteous and professional and she’d see that she’d worked herself into a frenzy over nothing at all.

"Let’s go Dawnie, it’s time to start our new jobs."

~~~

Buffy shut the door behind her as she arrived back in the safety of her home. That had gone very well she thought. The house staff had responded fairly well, she didn’t think there would be any major problems. The poor butler seemed a bit scattered, but polite and she’d given him a recipe for a tea that might soothe his headaches for which he looked eternally grateful. Anna had taken Dawn under her wing and Buffy felt she’d be treated fairly. Cook had found the lamb she needed and was back in fine spirits. The house was large and there was some catch-up to be done to get it back in shape, but she looked forward to the challenge. It was odd to have been raised from childhood to manage a household of that size, yet never have the chance to do so. She found herself oddly excited at the prospect, even if wasn’t really her home.

And things had gone smoothly with William, she thought. She’d been polite and affable, had discussed the household concerns briefly with him, then gently gossiped about the locals in the charming way any lady knew how to do, filling him in on tidbits about his neighbors. She met his partner Xander Harris and had been amused by his not so subtle attempts to probe her for information about Anya. It was quite obvious there was something there and she’d definitely have to have Anya in for tea soon to see where that situation lay.

William had been very appropriate, no innuendo or remarks that seemed out of line, though the intensity of his gaze had made her grow hot a few times. He lingered a few minutes after Xander had taken his leave, in which time she’d managed to bring up Dawn and her concerns about her. And then he’d also departed, insisting on kissing her hand again as he thanked her for her help.

She rubbed her thumb over where his lips had grazed. If it hadn’t been for that last small contact, the soulful way he’d held her eyes, the deliberate manner in which he’d raised her hand to his lips, and the slight wink as he’d stepped away that sent her heart racing at double speed, she’d have thought there was nothing there. But all the concerns from the night before had crashed back over her as he’d walked out the door, making her wonder what was really going on.

Willow bustled down the steps at that moment and Buffy lost herself in the flow of the day, pushing her confusion aside for later private contemplation.

~~~

Dawn blew out a breath as she scoured yet another pot. Anna had been nice this morning, had given her the duties she was assigned, and showed both her and Miss Buffy around the mansion after they’d arrived. Buffy had informed Anna she’d be staying with her for a little longer and arrangements for the proper uniform to match the style of the other staff were made.

And then Dawn had gone to work. It had been hard, she was the first to admit. The sheer enormity of the mansion overwhelmed here, she’d never been in a house this large before. She’d thought Miss Buffy’s home had been the height of luxury until they’d walked through the doors into this place. The ceilings were enormously high, the furnishings so beautiful she was almost afraid to move, lest she break something. But her awe had gradually dissipated as the day had worn on, and the realization that all the fancy rooms required an enormous amount of work to keep up began to sink in. Work she had to do.

Not that she was complaining. She’d been accustomed to chores back in Ireland with her mother, cleaning, feeding the few animals, helping card the wool that would be spun into beautiful cloth. But their simple lives had not required so much upkeep.

However, it was better than the alternative. She still had trouble sleeping at night as she remembered Glory’s voice as she’d found her hovering by the docks, reasonable and kind at first, then more shrill as she’d cackled gleefully over the price she’d bring. Dawn had been poked and prodded in her attempts to establish her virginity and those horrors still remained with her.

But Miss Buffy had said she was safe here and she seemed the kind of lady who would keep her word. She’d said Mr. Montgomery wouldn’t let anything happen to her and Dawn believed her. She rinsed the last pot, carefully dried it and placed it on the hook as Cook had directed. There, all done.

She shook out the voluminous apron she’d swathed herself in for the kitchen work and placed it on the hook by the door. She’d been told she could leave when this was done, now she just had to navigate the short walk back to Miss Buffy’s by herself. Which gave her more than a few tremors at the thought of what might be lurking out there. Just as she was about to leave the kitchen, a man appeared in the doorway.

"Would you be Dawn?" He had a nice voice, with an accent far more familiar than the slow drawls she had found herself surrounded by in Charleston, and a kind smile. This must be Montgomery.

"Yes, sir." She briefly curtseyed as Anna had instructed her to this morning.

He sauntered forward and into the room. "Dawn, I’m William Montgomery, your new employer." He looked her up and down, brows knit as he studied her slight form. "How old are you?"

"S-s-sixteen," she stuttered quickly.

"You’re no more sixteen than I’m sixty. You’re just a little bit. Tell me the truth now."

"Fourteen."

"Dawn, have you finished school, know how to read and do sums?"

She debated lying again, but decided there was no point. Tears started to cloud her eyes, but she stuck her chin out and looked him in the eye. "No sir, but I’m right handy with cleaning and such. I’ll work hard."

William smiled. Buffy had been right, she was a plucky little thing. Certainly had more spirit than he had at her age. It was indeed a shame she hadn’t had the chance for any education. Buffy had commented on how bright and quick the girl was at their meeting this morning, before asking it he’d be willing to walk the chit back to her house at night. She’d batted her big green eyes at him and given him that soft smile while telling him about the girl’s fears and he’d readily agreed to the task, excited that he now had a legitimate reason to see her at night as well.

But he’d have to give some more thought to the idea she’d planted about him sponsoring the girl at school instead of keeping her as a maid. Would be a right charitable thing to do, he supposed, and wouldn’t cost much. And it was likely to get him in better with Buffy he imagined. He’d sound the girl out when he walked her home, see if she was as quick as Buffy claimed.

Dawn was still staring at him with her large eyes, assessing him as he was her. He smiled. "Now, see here little bit, I’m not giving you the boot on your first day. Anna said you’ve worked out just fine. I’m just here to take you to Miss Buffy’s, she asked if I’d walk you over."

A smile lit Dawn’s face as her fears slid away. "I just need to get my cloak sir, and I’m ready."

He produced it from his side and she nodded. "Well, then, I’m ready."

And the two walked into the night.

~~~

"Harmony, could you come in here for a minute, your father and I have something we’d like to discuss with you."

Harmony halted in the hallway and took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. The new plaid she’d convinced her mother to have made up for her from the pattern in the most recent Godey’s Lady Book really suited her well. She tweaked her lace collar, Cordelia would be so jealous.

"Harmony, today young lady."

"Yes mother."

Harmony pushed open the door to the library and took a seat beside her mother, staring expectantly at her parents. She hoped this wouldn’t take long. Cordelia was supposed to be here in a few minutes and they needed to hurry if they were going to make it to the Promenade before the soldiers came by. Her palms grew a little damp as she thought about the letter she’d carefully tucked in her bag to deliver today. She hoped he’d have one for her as well, the last had been so sweet.

She snapped back to attention as her father smiled benevolently at her. "Now, Harmony, you’ve become quite a mature young lady over the last year and now that you’ve finished at Madame Talvande’s, your mother and I have decided that it’s time you were married."

Harmony’s eyes flew wide and she leaned forward eagerly. "Papa, really? Has R…, I mean had someone asked you for my hand?" Her heart beat faster as she thought of a certain pair of broad shoulders and blue eyes. He’d told her how much he longed to speak with her father so that they could be properly wed, but she didn’t realize he would act so swiftly. And strangely her papa didn’t even seem mad. He must have made a good impression.

Her mind raced as she began to consider how long it would be before they could arrange a big church wedding at St. Michael’s. She’d of course have to get a real wedding dress made up, maybe something in a light blue, that always suited her so well. It couldn’t just be any old dress like before, no it needed to be the most beautiful gown Charleston had ever seen. That man the other night at dinner, Montgomery, had told her they’d brought in some new fabrics from France. Maybe she could convince her mother to take her later this afternoon to see about them.

Her father’s voice intruded on her happy daydreams . . . "so we plan to make the announcement in January, post the banns, and hold the wedding in February, when everyone comes to town for the races."

Harmony nodded eagerly. That should be sufficient time to have her dress made and make everyone green with envy. "Papa, that sounds perfect," she beamed.

Her mother touched her arm softly. "Harmony, are you sure you’re happy with this arrangement?"

Her father’s voice carried across the massive desk. "Don’t be silly, of course she’s happy. She’ll have one of the finest houses in town and Montgomery’s going to be one of the city’s leaders in a few years, mark my words. That young man is going places."

Harmony’s head swiveled from her mother’s concerned gaze to her smiling father. "Montgomery?"

"Yes sweetheart, Montgomery, the gentlemen you sat next to at the dinner. He was quite charmed by you."

Harmony stared him in befuddlement. "You want me to marry Montgomery?"

Wilkins shook his head. His youngest had never been that bright, "Yes, my dear, that’s what we’ve been talking about."

Harmony jumped from the sofa and flounced over to her father. "Papa, no, I can’t marry him. He’s, he’s . . . old and British and I don’t even know him."

"Young lady, what you want is not really an issue here. Your mother and I have discussed this and it’s for the best. Now Montgomery and I still have some details to work out, so we won’t make a formal announcement until the first of the year. But he’ll will be calling more frequently so that you may get to know him better over the next month."

Harmony stomped her foot as tears welled in her eyes. "I can’t marry him." She turned on her heel and fled the room. Wilkins looked at his wife.

"Just give her time, Richard, she’ll come around. It was just a bit of a shock, to be told this way. You can hardly expect her to leap for joy that’s she about to be married to a man she’s barely met."

"Well, she better get used to the idea. We have a contract and I don’t intend to lose this connection because Harmony decides to be prissy." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Do you suppose some other young buck has been sniffing around her?"

Edna May smiled. "Well, Richard, Harmony’s always had a number of suitors, but none that seemed serious, just the usual poems and flowers and such."

Richard snorted. "Well, it’s time she settled down and stopped flitting around. Perhaps we’ve coddled our precious a bit too much. She needs to be more serious, prepare to be a wife and mother and take care of her husband properly. She should be glad we were able to make such an auspicious match for her."

His wife sighed. "I’ll talk to her dear, I’m sure she’ll come around."

~~~

Harmony shaded her eyes as she looked impatiently down the street. Where was Cordelia? As soon as she sighted the brunette, she hurried down the steps and out to meet her friend, throwing up her parasol to shield her milky white skin from the sun.

"Cordy, Cordy!"

Cordelia met her distraught friend. "Harmony, what’s wrong?"

"Oh, it’s horrible, my father just told me he’s arranged for me to be married to some strange old man."

Tears formed in her wide blue eyes. Cordelia looked shocked. "Harmony, does he know?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, I thought at first he’d gone to see my father and formally ask him for my hand, but instead it’s that new Englishman, William Montgomery."

Cordelia gasped. "Harmony, you have to tell him, right away. Surely your father will understand that you’re in love."

"Oh Cordy, do you think so?"

"He has to. After all, he won’t have much of a choice once you tell him you’re already married."





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