A Trick of Mirrors

~March 22, 1807~

~March 22, 1807~

Beatrice Kendrick crouched on the floor of the carriage as it moved through the streets of London. It wasn’t easy to keep her balance in the moving vehicle and pull on the maid’s cloak at the same time, but somehow, she managed. She pulled up the hood covering her telltale red hair and ducked her head down so no one could see her face, identical to her sister’s, who was sitting and staring out the window. They moved ever closer to their aunt’s Mayfair home where they would be staying for the Season.

Bee carefully sat back on the seat next to her maid, Annie, making sure to keep her head down, so her hood wouldn’t be dislodged. They couldn’t risk anyone even getting a glimpse of her.

As planned, Bee arranged herself so she couldn’t be seen when the door to the carriage opened outside of Lord and Lady Blakemore’s home. Her sister Bel and Annie got down, making a huge fuss over the beauty of the house and the number of footmen pouring out of the house to take in all of Bel’s luggage.

The door to the coach opened again, causing Bee to hold her breath and scrunch down even farther into the tiniest ball against the side.

“Ach, ye don’t need to check inside the carriage,” Bee heard the coachman scold someone. “Miss Kendrick only had a luncheon basket in there with her, and I’ll bring it round to the kitchen meself.”

The door closed again, and Bee allowed herself to breathe. If she were caught now, their entire plan would be jeopardized. Months of arguing back and forth between her and Bel, weeks of Bee trying to convince her sister that she did, in fact, need to be there with her in London and that, no, simply relaying information by mail about the men she met would not be enough. Days of swearing to her sister that she truly had no desire to subvert Bel’s debut into society for her own ends. She was going to happily enter society on her own the following year just as their parents had planned, but there was absolutely no way that Bee was going to allow her sister, with her cavalier attitude toward rules and proper behavior when she got an idea in her head, to come to London on her own.

Bee loved her twin sister, but they could not risk Bel getting into scrapes the way she did when they went out to parties and assemblies at home. She had to find a husband this season, so Bee could be presented next year. Their parents had been very clear that they could only afford to present one girl at a time. But no amount of love could change the fact that Bel was, well, flighty and not always the best judge of character.

It had taken months for Bee to show her sister this truth and weeks for her to agree that maybe it would be best if Bee were there to actually meet the men she might consider marrying. And now the time was at hand for them to put this plan into action, and it was vital that no one knew both twins were there. Bee could not risk getting caught. God only knew if they would get this opportunity again, were she to be found now.

The carriage jolted forward as John Coachman started toward the back of the house. Bee almost toppled off the seat but caught herself just in time. They had planned for him to park the carriage at the back of the house and leave it there for a few minutes. John would then make a scene bringing the luncheon basket into the kitchen so Bee could sneak inside behind him. Annie would be on the lookout for her upstairs so she could guide Bee to Bel’s room.

This was going to be the trickiest part of their plan. Bee took in a deep breath and tried to calm her pounding heart.

The carriage stopped again, and Bee could hear John talking to the horses. He was so funny. He always talked to them as if they could understand every word he said. When they were little, Bee and Bel truly believed the animals could understand him because they always did exactly what John told them to do.

The door opened once again, and John popped his head into the carriage. “All clear,” he said, giving Bee a broad, toothy smile. He grabbed the basket and helped her down.

“You’re wonderful, have I told you that recently?” Bee asked, returning his smile.

“Ye told me when I agreed to this havey-cavey plan o’yers,” he told her. “Ready?”

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes. Let’s go.”

She followed in his shadow through the garden gate and to the back door of the house where, they presumed, the kitchen was. It was a question as to whether the door opened directly into the kitchen, in which case John would drop the basket, causing a ruckus . If it opened into a hallway, Bee could easily find the servants’ stair and sneak up.

He opened the door and then paused to peer inside. He gave a shake of his head, letting Bee know that he was about to make a mess, and she had to move fast and find the back stairs.

John took two steps into the kitchen and then deliberately tripped over a chair, sending the picnic basket and all its contents flying across the large room. Two maids screeched as they were hit by flying debris, the cook started screaming, and a footman shouted as he was covered with the messiest food the girls could find to leave in the basket just for this. Bee resisted the urge to watch John’s excellent acting skills—a privilege she’d been witness to before—and moved quickly for a door that lay open just enough to see that it led to the stairs. She slipped through on silent slippered feet, ignoring the curses and shouts behind her, and ran up to the first floor where she imagined Bel’s room would be.

A voice higher up the stair called out quietly for her, and she continued up to the second floor where Annie was waiting.

“The room is here, quickly now,” the maid said, gently pushing her down the hall and toward an open door. “Luckily, there’s a separate dressing room. You’ll be able hide in there whenever anyone comes into the room.”

Bee gave a nod, not daring to speak aloud until she was safely ensconced in the room. Once inside the dressing room with the door closed behind them, she finally took in a deep breath and threw off Annie’s stifling cloak.

“Ha…” She sighed. “We made it!” She took in a few more breaths just for good measure. She didn’t think she’d actually breathed for a good five minutes, and her heart was still pounding.

Annie giggled and shook her head. “You made it.”

“Yes. Now we only have three more months of hiding to manage, but I’m in.”

Annie dropped her head into her hands.

Bee rubbed the dear woman’s back. “It’ll be all right, Annie. We’ll get into a routine, and it will all be fine. Don’t you worry.”

Annie looked up, her forehead creased with worry. “I don’t know how, but if you say so, Miss Bee.”

“Come, I’ll help you unpack while we wait for Bel.”

~*~

They’d arrived! Finally, after days cooped up in that nasty old travelling carriage with no one except Bee and Annie, Bel felt like she could breathe again.

She hopped down from the carriage and paused to take in a deep breath of London air. It was nothing like the air at home. At home everything smelled of hay, soil, and animals. Here in the city, it was all humanity. Of course, there was still the smell of the horses, but more than anything, Bel felt as if she could smell the sheer number of people all around her. The street where her aunt lived was quiet, but still, the city around her hummed with energy. She could feel it, and it sent a thrill of excitement up her spine.

She was in London for her season! She could barely wait to get started.

The door to the well-appointed house in front of her opened, and two footmen in livery spilled out, immediately moving toward the carriage to take Bel’s trunks into the house. An older woman wearing a plain black gown with a white cap followed, pausing to curtsy to Bel before approaching her.

“Miss Kendrick, welcome to Blackholm House. I’m Mrs. Sully, the housekeeper. Please, if you would follow me.”

Oh, yes, she was most definitely going to like living here, Bel thought with another frisson of excitement. At home, they barely got by with a very limited staff—a cook and housekeeper, a daily, and one footman—but here there were so many people to see to everything.

She took in a very satisfied breath and followed Mrs. Sully past the white marble pillars on either side of the black door, adorned with an impressive brass knocker in the shape of a lion’s head, and into the house.

She paused to take in the luxury. The black and white tile floor. A ceiling that soared above painted sky blue. It was complete with clouds, a golden sun on one side, and cherubs adorning the corners. The housekeeper had stopped two steps up an impressive curving staircase with a black iron-work balustrade, waiting for her.

Bel suddenly remembered her sister and knew she had one thing to do, just one.

It had been drilled into her from the time they’d entered the city. She’d tried to look out the window to see where she was going to be living for the next few months, but Bee had been so insistent and annoying. Bel had finally given in and turned to acknowledge her sister. She’d assured Bee that she would, in fact, remember her instructions—and then in the excitement and splendor she’d almost forgotten!

“I’d like to be taken directly to my aunt, if you please,” Bel said in her most commanding voice. In truth, she wasn’t used to speaking to unfamiliar servants, and this woman intimidated her just a little.

“Yes, Miss, of course. As soon as you’ve freshened up from your journey—”

“No, thank you, we stopped at an inn just outside of London less than an hour ago,” Bel said, interrupting the housekeeper. “I’d like to see Lady Blakemore now if she is available.”

“Oh. Very well, Miss. If you would follow me, then, Lady Blakemore is in her private parlor.” Mrs. Sully continued up the stairs.

Bel followed.

The housekeeper opened the second door from the stair and Bel followed her into a bright room with cream silk-covered walls. “Miss Kendrick, my lady,” the housekeeper announced.

Lady Blakemore was sitting on a lovely flowered sofa with an embroidery frame in her hand and a sewing bag at her feet. She looked so very much like Bel’s mother, she had to stop and take a second look. Her face was a touch rounder, but she had the same high cheekbones and pert nose. Her eyes were the same hazel as Bel’s own, only her hair was a faded gray-blonde like her mother’s, whereas Bel’s hair was deep red like her father’s. The lady’s gown matched the blue flowers of the sofa perfectly as if she had chosen it specifically for that reason. She looked up with a surprised but welcoming smile.

Setting aside her stitching, she stood as Bel curtsied and then held out her hands to her niece. “Welcome, my dear Isabel, welcome to London.”

Before Bel could say a word, there was shouting that sounded like it came from the bowels of the house—perhaps the kitchen. There must have been a whole host of people all screaming for them to hear. Lady Blakemore took a step toward the door, perhaps to go see what the commotion was about. Bel jumped into action and grabbed her aunt’s hands.

“Thank you so much, Aunt Claire, for allowing me to come visit you,” she said over the noise. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to making my debut. I have been positively dreaming of this day for the entirety of the past year,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

Lady Blakemore was clearly torn, wanting to see what the problem was in the kitchen and needing to be polite to her niece. She kept looking over her shoulder toward the door, even as she tried to smile and be warm and welcoming.

“And we have been so looking forward to your arrival! I can’t imagine what that noise is,” she said, looking anxiously toward the door.

“But you are lucky to have so many staff members and so well-trained, I’m certain. Why, we have merely four servants at Bender Hall. Yet, the moment I arrived there were two footmen to take my things inside as well as your most efficient housekeeper, Mrs. Sully, to greet me,” Bel gushed.

It worked. Her aunt turned back to her and lifted her chin. “But of course, my dear. This is London, where appearances must be kept and well… We do have the means to maintain a proper staff—that is not to say anything against your dear Papa…”

“No, naturally, I understand. Mama reminded me any number of times how fortunate you were to have won the affection of Lord Blakemore when you were brought out into society. She hopes that I may do half as well as you.”