too busy of late. And their family’s social circles did not overlap enough for accidental meetings.
Phoebe determined to write her friend at once. She took out a clean sheet of paper and tapped her pen to her lips as she thought.
To Miss Windham,
My dearest Daphne, I have missed you so.
She wrote a full paragraph on her doings, which parties she had attended and those observations on Society surest to make Daphne smile. Practical she may be, but that only made the impractical things of Society more laughable to her.
She found herself including the dough ball duel for just that reason, and if she described a certain oddly named gentleman with more detail than anyone else, it was only because he had proved so amusing.
Halfway down her paper, Phoebe realized she could not reveal information about her mysterious friend. Not in a letter. Perhaps in person.
Daphne, would you be willing to come for tea later this week? As much as I can tell you in a letter, I can divulge so much more in person. Especially as there is one topic of a most delicate nature I would address, seeking your advice. Do say you will come.
She finished her note with a suggestion for an afternoon three days hence, then signed her name with a flourish. After she sealed the letter, she looked again at the one for her secret friend.
If only she knew his name. But no. It was better not to know. If she knew, she would be far too tempted to seek him out. Instinctively, Phoebe felt they would get along quite well. Especially if he was a bachelor.
To A Charming Lady,
Each time one of your notes is slipped into my hand, I cannot help but be glad. Your observations are intriguing, your wit appreciated. While our communication is certainly unusual, I am grateful I dared send that first note.
I have given more thought to your new list of eligible gentlemen. There are men in London whom I believe capable of such devotion and attentiveness as you would wish in a potential suitor. They are men of honor, from good families where the qualities you seek are present. I hope that by providing you this list you will find the right person to make introductions for you.
Mr. Walter Elton, of London, a Barrister
Mr. Griffin Fenwick, of the Watford Fenwicks
Mr. William Nelson, of Hampshire
Mr. Peter Thackery, of the Kenwick Thakerys
Mr. George Waverton, of Bristol
This list will give you a place to start. These gentlemen are all known to me, and I would trust them to treat any lady with respect and gentility.
Is London to your liking this Season, P.K.? I do hope you have taken time away from your busy schedule to enjoy the art collections, theaters, and other cultural delights. I myself will go to the theater to see a revival of Cumberland’s play, The Eccentric Lover. It is a comedy you may perhaps enjoy, given that it is based upon a courtship which goes horribly awry. It will be the first time the play has been performed at Covent Garden Theater since its rebuilding.
I wish you good fortune, my dear friend.
Yours, etc.,
A Friend
The risk Griffin took was calculated when he sent that letter. He had, as promised, provided Phoebe with the names of eligible gentlemen. Slipping his own in among them would at least give her pause. If she had not yet considered him a candidate for courtship, her mind might at last bend that way on the word of her anonymous friend.
He gave the letter to the girl selling flowers along with several extra pennies if she would abandon her flowers and deliver the note immediately. She happily tucked the note in her basket of posies and skipped away, leaving Griffin to follow behind. He would wait no more than five minutes after the note was delivered to call upon Phoebe. He had not called upon her the day before, as the other men she had danced with would have been there during her at-home hours.
Though normally not one to plan out things, Griffin knew winning Phoebe Kimball would require an effort. She would receive the note from her anonymous friend, read his name upon the list, learn of the play, and then Griffin would arrive inviting her to the theater that very same evening. Her mood would already be favorable, if she truly enjoyed writing to him.
When the requisite time had passed, Griffin passed the smiling flower girl, paid her for a posy, then went