Meanwhile, the perpetually-talking Joy had hiked Fur Blossom over her tiny shoulder and patted at her as if she were a real babe. Dot was shocked that Fur Blossom permitted it. “I believe Fur Blossom is vastly fond of you, Joy.”
“I know. She loves me. I wish she had a baby cat so I could get her and take her home. My papa said I could have my very own kitty.” She glared at her brother. “But I can’t get one until Baby Gregory’s big enough to have a doggie.”
Why was it that men always had to have their dogs, Dot wondered.
She spent the duration of Mrs. James Blankenship’s visit attempting to manage her cats with the two active children while her father and Mrs. James chatted like old friends.
When they left, Mr. Pankhurst walked them to the front door with nary a limp.
* * *
While Dot was adept at calling on pensioners of her father’s or the sick in cottages scattered around the Lincolnshire countryside, she was embarrassed to admit she had no experience paying a morning call on society matrons. At the advanced age of three-and-twenty, she could hardly beg her father to accompany her in returning the visit Glee Blankenship had so kindly paid to the Pankhursts. She had considered asking Annie to come with her, but she abandoned the scheme. If she were going to be the Viscountess Appleton, she needed to learn how to go about in society. By herself.
She rather tortured herself wondering if she should first send along a note telling the hostess to expect her call but remembered that Mrs. Gregory Blankenship and her sister had just popped in at the Pankhurst residence, as had Mrs. James Blankenship.
When Dot and her father had first arrived in Bath, he had seen to it that she had cards printed up with their Bath address upon them. “A proper lady will need these,” he’d told her. She had not needed them up to this point, but she had observed that callers at her house had presented their cards to Topham, who in turn used them in announcing the visitors to his masters. Mr. Pankhurst had told her the cards were also left when the hostesses were out to allow them to know who had called.
Therefore, after an inordinate amount of time spent on her toilette and having Meg assist her into a rose-coloured muslin she knew to be exquisite, Dot stuffed her reticule with new cards and began to walk to Queen Square.
She wasn’t sure she wanted Glee Blankenship to even be home because she wasn’t confident she knew the proper procedure for paying a morning call. But she did know that good manners demanded she return the call Glee had been so thoughtful to pay. She had another reason for calling today. She wanted to invite Glee to the Pankhurst salon on Friday.
As she drew near Queen Square, she found herself hoping Glee wasn’t at home. She would just leave a card, go on her carefree way, and would have fulfilled the social obligation.
Glee Blankenship was at home, and her drawing room was fairly bulging with callers, some of whom Dot knew and some who were complete strangers.
Glee and her sister, Felicity Moreland, greeted her warmly, as did Mrs. James Blankenship. “My dear Miss Pankhurst, I don’t think you’ve met my daughter-in-law Mary Blankenship,” the elder Mrs. Blankenship said. She indicated a plain, dark-haired woman who sat next to her. “She’s married to my son Jonathan. They’re practically newlyweds.”
“It’s been nearly two years now, Mother,” the plain Mrs. Blankenship said.
Dot perked up. “Your husband’s the scholar! My Papa was reading your husband’s book when I left the house.”
The young wife looked pleased. “That’s gratifying—and I suppose my husband is a scholar to a certain degree.” She glanced at an exceptionally pretty blonde woman. “Though Mrs. Steffington’s husband is the true scholar.”
“Your husband’s Sir Elvin’s twin!” Dot said to the blonde.
The lovely woman nodded. “You’ve met Sir Elvin?”
Glee answered instead of Dot. “Of course she has! She’s to marry his best friend.”
Mrs. Steffington’s eyes rounded. “Oh, you’re the . . . the one who’s to marry Lord Appleton.”
Dot was almost certain she was about to say the heiress. Did everyone in Bath know Forrester was marrying the daughter of a very wealthy man?
“Forgive me for not making better introductions,” Glee said. She proceeded to properly introduce Dot to the assembled ladies.
“So does your husband look exactly like his twin?” Dot asked Catherine Steffington.
“That’s what everyone says. I, too, thought so until I . . . fell in love with Melvin. Now I could never, ever get them mixed up.”
“I must confess,” Dot said, “I cannot wait to meet Bath’s resident scholars. Coming from so rural an area, it’s thrilling for me to think I’ll have the opportunity to meet someone who’s published a book. Please thank your husband for agreeing to come to our salon Friday night.”
“I’m greatly looking forward to it,” Mrs. Steffington said.
Dot addressed Glee. “I wanted to personally invite you to the salon, and it looks as if I’m going to have the opportunity to invite your sister and the others all at once.”
“I will own,” Catherine Steffington said, “I was surprised when Melvin told me he had agreed to read from his work at your salon, Miss Pankhurst. My husband normally lacks social instincts.”
“Is that why I haven’t seen you at assemblies?” Dot asked the pretty blonde.
Catherine Steffington nodded. “Melvin abhors dancing.”
The younger Mrs. Blankenship concurred. “Jonathan’s not fond of assemblies, either.”
Glee directed her attention to Dot. “Mary was my school friend long before she ever met and fell in love with Jonathan, and I can vouch for the fact she, too, was not enamored of assemblies.”
“How fortuitous that your old friend has become your sister,” Dot said.
“It is indeed,” the quieter Mary Blankenship said. “I was an only child.”
“It’s the same with me,”
