Mr. Malcolm's List (2 page)

When Julia halted abruptly in her pacing and started smiling
Cassie became even more apprehensive.
 
He
had seen that expression on Julia’s face more times than he cared to remember,
and it always boded ill.

“I have an absolutely brilliant idea,” she announced.

“Somehow I doubt it,” he replied.

Selina Dalton, expecting nothing more interesting than a
letter from her parents, was the surprised recipient of a letter of invitation
from her old school friend, Julia Thistlewaite.
 

She had hoped for just such an invitation when she had
written to Julia four months previously, but when she’d never even had a reply
to her letter she had given it up as useless.
 
Julia had always been a difficult sort of friend, liable to blow hot and
cold, so it had not surprised Selina too much when Julia refused to acknowledge
their previous acquaintance.
 
She was
more amazed that Julia had finally invited Selina to stay with her at the
Thistlewaites’s townhouse in

Selina let out a small squeal of delight at the prospect
before looking around guiltily.
 
But, of
course, there was no one to hear her.
 
She was alone, as was usual, in the drawing room of her former
mistress’s home in
Bath
.

Mrs. Ossory had been a kind and benevolent mistress, and
Selina had been genuinely grieved upon her death four months previously.
 
They had lived harmoniously together for
three years after Selina took up her position as companion.
 
Her duties were not at all onerous, and Mrs.
Ossory had proved as much a companion to Selina as Selina had to her.
 
Even in death she had been generous, leaving
Selina a comfortable settlement that guaranteed her an independence the rest of
her life.

However, Selina had nowhere to take up this independent
life.
 
She could not go on living
indefinitely in Mrs. Ossory’s townhouse, which had been bequeathed to a
nephew.
 
And she did not really want to
return to the small parish in
Sussex
where her father was serving as Vicar.
 
It was because she wished to see more of the world that she had
originally decided to take the post with Mrs. Ossory.
 
Her parents did not have the money to expend
on a
London
season, but when Mrs. Ossory, a distant connection of her mother’s, mentioned
that she was looking for a companion, Selina jumped at the opportunity.
 
Here was her chance to experience life
outside the vicarage.

And Selina had enjoyed her life in
Bath
.
 
She found it a charming city, with its
gleaming, limestone buildings, elegant crescents, and fascinating history.
 
She had not regretted the three years spent
there, but she had felt that there was something missing.
 
Mrs. Ossory’s circle of friends and
acquaintances had, by necessity, become Selina’s acquaintances, and there was
not anyone under fifty among them.
 
She
felt the lack of society of those of her own age and interests, and felt that
perhaps she could find such society in
London
.

But she knew a young lady of two and twenty could not live
alone so she was again at a loss.
 
She
could hire a paid companion—a thought that made her smile at the irony of
her situation—but that would not give her entrée or introductions to the
society she sought.
 
So she had written
Julia, whom Selina knew was living the very life she coveted.
 
And, lo and behold, she had finally received
the prized invitation.

It arrived just after Selina had made the decision to return
home to her family, realizing that she had delayed the inevitable long
enough.
 
She had already planned on
leaving the next morning and was grateful the letter had not arrived one day
later.
 
For now her destination was
London
.

Selina was a little taken aback by her reception when she
arrived in
London
two days later.
 
Julia waved away
Selina’s apologies for arriving so soon, interrupting Selina in the middle of
her explanation by saying, “It is better this way.
 
We can begin immediately.”
 
She then proceeded to circle Selina as she
stood in the drawing room, eyeing her critically.

“I suppose we will have to make do,” she finally said, and
Selina felt the urge to apologize for her inadequacies although she still had
no idea what Julia was talking about.

Realizing that some response was called for, Selina said, “I
beg your pardon?”

Julia, startled out of her ruminations, gave a tinkling
laugh and apologized for her odd behavior.
 
“I will explain all to you shortly, but I am waiting for my cousin, Lord
Cassidy, to arrive.”
 

Selina nodded, although still at a loss, and Julia began
chattering excitedly.
 
“Please come and
sit down so we can renew our acquaintance.
 
Tell me, what have you been doing this—has it really been four
years?”

Selina assured her that it had been four years since they
had last seen each other, and explained about her tenure as Mrs. Ossory’s
companion.

“How very boring for you,” Julia said.

“No, it was actually quite nice.
 
She was a genteel, kindly lady, and she
treated me very well.”

“Yes, but I am sure you found little in the way of
entertainment.
 
You will be treated much
better here in
London
.”

Selina, beginning to remember how selfish Julia used to be,
rather doubted the truth of her statement, but nodded her agreement just the
same.
 
She was then treated to a recital
of the delights that awaited her, but as Julia’s conversation mostly consisted
of the names of people Selina was destined to meet, but currently held no
meaning for her, she was hard-pressed to appear interested.
 
So she was quite relieved when Lord Cassidy
finally arrived.

Julia made the introductions and Selina eyed Lord Cassidy
with interest, thinking that she had not been in
London
for two hours and already she had made the acquaintance of a young
gentleman.
 
The interest eventually faded
to amusement, however, as she decided that Cassie, as he insisted upon being
called, could have been torn from one of Cruikshank’s cartoons.
 

His features, while pleasant, seemed to be exaggerated, so
that his eyes, ears, and nose all appeared slightly too big for his face.
 
His arms and legs were long and skinny; his
clothing, while fashionable and expensive, was creased and rumpled.
 
And though he smiled genially at Selina, his
expressive face took on a scowl whenever he glanced in the direction of his
cousin Julia.

“So, now that my cousin is here, I thought I would explain
to you the reason I invited you to
London
,”
Julia said, once everyone was seated.
 
Sensing Selina’s surprise at this statement, as Julia had said in her
letter she had invited Selina to visit because she wished the pleasure of her
company, she hurried to explain. “Of course, you know I’ve always enjoyed your
company, dear Selina, which was the reason I even conceived of inviting you,
but I also felt that while you were residing in town you might undertake to
help me with a little project.”

“A project?” Selina prompted, as Julia hesitated at that
point and seemed loath to go on.
 

Julia glanced at her cousin, who only scowled more
ferociously at her.
 
Julia continued
undaunted, although she appeared to be having difficult meeting Selina’s
gaze.
 
“Perhaps ‘project’ is not the
right word,” she said.
 
“It’s really more
of a lark.”

“Humph,” Cassie snorted, and rolled his eyes.

His cousin ignored him and continued, “You see, there is a
young gentleman, a Mr. Malcolm, who is widely known for his arrogance.
 
He distinguished me by paying me some very
pointed attentions, but then humiliated me by withdrawing his suit.”

“How dreadful for you.
 
I am so sorry.”

Julia waved away Selina’s expressions of sympathy with an
impatient gesture.
 
“Yes, it was quite
unpleasant, particularly when I discovered that he has a list that he judged me
against, and found me wanting.”

“He has a list?
 
What
sort of list?”

“It is a list of the qualifications he is looking for in a
bride.
 
But he believes himself to be so
superior to the rest of us mere mortals that the qualifications are quite
unreachable.
 
I would love to see Mr.
Malcolm receive the comeuppance he deserves by playing a small prank on
him.
 
And I remembered how in school you
were up for any sort of lark.”
 
Selina
was given no opportunity to object to this reading of her character, but she
thought that Julia must have confused her with someone else, for Selina herself
remembered nothing of the sort.
 
“I
thought if we were to present you as the perfect woman he is looking for, and
then allow him to discover
you
have a list, and he does not meet the qualifications
on
your
list, it would be a perfect
sort of poetic justice.”

“But Julia, if he is as arrogant and fastidious as you say,
surely I will not attract his attention either?”

“There is that possibility, but then you are better informed
than I or any other young lady has been.
 
You know about the list, and with some tutelage from me and my cousin
you have a much better chance of meeting the requirements.”

Selina glanced over at Lord Cassidy, wondering how this
disheveled, comical-looking man could tutor her in the feminine wiles necessary
to attract a refined gentleman of particular tastes.
 
He saw her wondering glance and explained,
“Malcolm’s my good friend.
 
I know him better
than most.”
 

 
“But you agree he
deserves this prank played on him?” Selina asked him.

Julia replied before Cassie could.
 
“Of course he does.
 
He would not have offered his assistance if
he did not think so.”
 
When Selina continued
to look unsure, Julia said impatiently, “Do not be such a namby-pamby,
Selina.
 
You will not be doing anything
to Mr. Malcolm that he has not already done himself to more than one young
lady, myself included.”

“It is just that I think your little prank is doomed to
failure.
 
What do I know of attracting
gentlemen?
 
I doubt Mr. Malcolm will even
look in my direction.”

Cassie looked over at Julia, wondering what his cousin would
say to that.
 
He knew she hated to play
second fiddle to any woman, but there was no denying that his cousin paled in
comparison to Selina.
 
Where Julia’s hair
was light red, Selina’s was a dark, rich, reddish-brown.
 
Where Julia’s eyes were pale green, Selina’s
were a lustrous, emerald green.
 
Where
Julia’s complexion was a fashionable white, Selina’s skin had a golden cast,
almost as if she were glowing.
 
Any
gentleman would look in Selina’s direction and, once they had, they would
continue looking.

Julia mentioned none of that, however. “I think in the right
setting and with the correct set of circumstances, you can attract Mr.
Malcolm’s attention,” she said.
 
“I must
say, this little prank is the only thing that has tempted me to venture back
into society.
 
I do hope you’ll agree to
help me or we may have to cut your delightful visit short.
 
I doubt I would be in the mood for much
socializing.”

Selina immediately grasped Julia’s meaning.
 
She had been invited with a specific purpose,
that of assisting Julia in humbling Mr. Malcolm.
 
If she refused to assist Julia in this
endeavor any entrée into
London
society would be denied her.
 
She sighed,
weighing her options.
 
As much as she
disliked the idea of setting herself up as a mantrap it did sound as if Mr.
Malcolm would be receiving his just deserts.
 
And there was always the very real probability he would never even
notice her, in which case Julia could not blame her if the plan failed.

“So what is it you want me to do?” Selina asked, and Julia
smiled in triumph.