Henry

Henry heard quick rapping on the library door and rushed over to unlock it. “Lord Radnor, thank you for coming,” he said.

Radnor slipped through the doorway and pushed it closed behind him. “You’d better have a good reason for getting me up in the middle of the night. You said it was an emergency.”

Henry then relocked the door. “Yes sir. I believe it’s my heart.”

Radnor stopped walking toward a chair and turned back toward the door. “Utter rot. Summoning a man from his bed for nonsense.” He unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“If you’ll just listen to me it will all make sense.” Henry took a deep breath. It made him nervous to think of asking Lucy‘s father to allow him to court her. But as soon as he thought of her name he also saw her face and took courage. “Lord Radnor, I would like to court your daughter Lucy.”

Lord Radnor looked stunned; his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, but he didn’t say a word. He turned back around and sat heavily in one of the leather chairs by the door. “My Lucy?” he asked, “You want to court Lucy?”

“Yes. My heart is quite engaged.”

“It’s exactly what I wanted. I demanded it after all. I don’t know, Henry, I don’t know.” He stood and mumbled to himself. “What can I do? I have already accepted an engagement for her, and the contract has been signed. Of course, I was hoping to break the engagement, but neither Lucy nor Everett has wavered yet.”  He began to pace.

Each sentence the man mumbled sent shivers and despair through Henry. Would Lucy’s father forbid him?

“There was that kiss. It should be enough for sensible people to accept that the prior engagement is null. I imagine a broken engagement would only be a scandal if she were not to marry again. But here you are,” he said, pointing to Henry, “You could likely marry her before scandal could even take place during the season next spring. Well it’s everything I would’ve hoped for her. You have a title, a decent family, and more money than Croesus. I should like very much to see it happen.”

Henry had thought to begin courting, but if Lord Radnor wasn’t opposed to marriage first, who was Henry to correct the man. It lit hope within him. “How will you break Lucy’s previous engagement?” Henry knew it had the potential to hurt his friend Everett. But after the events of tonight, Everett might want it broken as well since he seemed to be in love with May.

“I’ll find a way to break the engagement. There must be some dirt to dig up on that Everett fellow. He’s not even titled. Of course our friends and neighbors will understand.”

“This could be good for both couples,” Henry offered, hoping to avoid more gossip if possible.

Lord Radnor’s hand clapped Henry’s shoulder, “You’re right, Lord Saalfeld. How soon do you want the wedding?” he asked.

“Immediately,” said Henry. He wondered what May would think. Would it bother her to hear of the quick marriage between Lucy and him? Deep in his heart, he thought it might.

Lord Radnor stood in front of Henry. “I’d best go find some rector. It might need to be a drunken one, an old one, or one who is just poor enough to need the money I’ll offer him.”

“What wedding? With whom?”  Simon asked, pushing the door open and walking up to the men, key in hand.

Henry said, “No one.” How did Simon find out what he was doing? The man seemed to be everywhere—everywhere Henry didn’t want him to be.

“Henry is going to marry Lucy,” Lord Radnor shouted.

Henry choked beside him. Did the man have no sense? Henry wouldn’t want Lucy to hear this from anyone else but him. Lord Radnor left, but he wouldn’t tell anyone would he?

“Keep that one under your hat, Your Grace.”

“I certainly will.” Simon gave Henry a disapproving look. “I wouldn’t want anyone to hear that news.”

Lord Radnor left, and Henry took two steps out of the room, intent on finding his bed as well when Simon put his hands on Henry’s arm and collar, pulling him back into the library.

“Henry do you recall that Everett was already engaged to Lucy?”

“Of course I do.” His chest squeezed. He didn’t what Everett to be hurt by the night’s decisions. Tingling in his spine raced up and down, changing his mind with its motion. “But that was long ago, and that engagement failed. I’d like to move quickly to secure Lucy for myself.”

“I’ll walk with you back to your room,” said Simon. Henry had the distinct feeling that Simon was there to babysit him more than a friendly gesture of walking together. For the past few hours, Simon had been everywhere Henry didn’t want him, and it looked like that wasn’t going to end every soon.

As they got to Henry’s room, Simon invited himself in. “You told me on this trip that you were going to bring a special license with you. Did you get one?”

Henry was still very confused as to why would he have a special license? As hard as he thought, he couldn’t remember a reason to have one, but he also couldn’t remember courting Lucy before. Perhaps he had a special license to marry her already. That would certainly make things easier.

“Where would you put something like that?” Simon asked.

Henry opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a leather satchel. “If I had something like that it would likely be among these papers.” He stuck his hand in and pulled out the stack. Scrolled writing at the top of the paper pronounced a special license.

“I have it!” he said happily. “I’m glad you remembered that I was thinking ahead.”

However, his friend didn’t appear to share his excitement. There is no smile on Simon’s face when he said, “Read the top of the license to me.”

Saalfeld stepped closer to the candle and read, “On behalf of Henry Stoepel, Fifth Earl of Saalfeld and Eighth Viscount of Cheltenham and the Lady May Co—trell—. That’s a mistake. I want to marry Lucy.” His hand that held the paper dropped to his side. He stared at Simon in disbelief. “What is this? Is this a joke of yours?”

His friend didn’t seem to be taking fun in it and solemnly shook his head. “You paid for that a few months ago when you decided to marry May.”

Henry slowly shook his head. None of this made sense. While May’s family was wealthy and had a very respected standing in England, he had long ago determined to marry only for love. He could see how one would easily love her. She was vibrant, intelligent, and very real. Her manners were impeccable, but she had a mischievous side. Henry shook himself. He shouldn’t be thinking of her at all.

“You’ve even proposed several times, but she has yet to give you an answer.”

Henry shook his head trying to clear the confusion. What a mistake he made in putting May’s name where Lucy’s should be.

“You thought that if you could get a yes out of her, you would marry her on the spot.”

“You mean Lucy.”

Simon was shaking his head slowly again. “You have been in love with May for several years, possibly from childhood. There was some—” Simon seemed to consider his next words carefully and then spoke slowly “—mischief about tonight that I should hope will clear itself by tomorrow.”

“Even if all you’ve said is true, I’ve set myself on a new course tonight.”

“I believe this to be a bad time to make marriage contracts.” Simon looked meaningfully at Henry. “You’ll have to wait until the house party is over to finalize that deal.”

“I should think this doesn’t pertain to you at all.” Henry was beginning to doubt Simon was really his friend. “This is a matter of love between me and Lucy.”

“In this house, on this property, and even in this county, I believe I am the law,” Simon replied.

Lord Saalfeld stomped to the other side of the room just to keep from planting a facer on the duke, but circled back around and said, “You won’t stop this,” before he pushed past Simon and left the room.

Simon pushed his hand across his face and up into his hair. It had already been a long night, and it was going to continue.

At the end of the hallway, Cora stood waiting for him. “Lord and Lady Cottrell have been enlisted to help us again. Bethany is with May, and Lord Cottrell is keeping an eye on Everett,” she said.

“The good news is that I was able to find Henry in the library. The bad news is that he was trying to negotiate a marriage contract with Lord Radnor. I don’t believe it was completed.”

Cora had the same shocked expression as Simon had felt when hearing them.

“You know, when Aunt Nellie does a potion, it can be quite powerful,” she said. “I’m afraid I also have bad news,” Cora continued. “I can’t find Lucy. She isn’t in her room, she isn’t in her parents’ room, nor is she with me. I don’t know where else to check.”

Simon had gone into Henry’s room with him so he was fairly certain she wasn’t there, but that wasn’t saying she hadn’t arrived after Simon left. “Let’s check Henry’s room,” Cora and Simon said at the same time. And off they went.

Aunt Nellie stood just outside Henry’s door, still holding a tray of now empty dessert plates, with Lucy was beside her. “Oh delightful,” Nellie said. “Our host and hostess are here. I’m sure they can help you find your room.” Nellie turned to Simon and Cora with a wink. “This little dear has lost her way. Such a grand home you have here that she can’t find her room.” Nellie couldn’t quite play the straight face and chuckled after her words.

“I’ll be glad to show you the way, Lucy. It would be nice to stay and have a little chat if you’re not sleepy yet,” Cora offered.

Lucy yawned and stretched. “I do believe I’m all tuckered out actually.” Then she yawned again. “I’ll find my own way,” she said. Then she yawned and stretched and blinked her eyes very slowly.

“I’ll just follow to make sure you’re safe,” replied Cora.

“The poor dear might fall asleep on her feet,” Nellie called as they left, but she gave a full belly laugh. Then to Simon she said, “This is a delightful holiday party. I don’t know when the last time was that I had this much fun.” She took her tray and walked down the hall.

Simon shook his head. He supposed the word fun might mean something different to the fae than it did to humans.

Simon sat on the hallway floor and leaned against the door to Henry’s bedroom, exhausted from the nonsense of the night.