Gentlemen's Agreement

Chapter 2

Chapter 2As soon as the girls were settled in the house and Martha, taking her expanded duties seriously, had declared the property was fit for visitors, the Reverend Simeon Havilland and his family came to call, making the ten-mile journey from Surrey.

As boys, they had been allies since Simeon was not only the kindest person Percy had ever met, but he had tried to shield his younger brother from the persecution of their two older brothers, Clarence and Digby. During Percy’s glory days at Mount Street, Simeon was the only one of his siblings that Percy bothered to contact, at least occasionally. Even though he was only a country vicar and, despite having similar colouring to Percy, had no pretensions to good looks.

In the intervening years, unlike Percy, Simeon had kept in constant touch with his sisters, so the reception in the house at Little Chelsea was both cordial and genuine. The girls were also well-acquainted with Simeon’s wife Cordelia, who exclaimed affectionately at what proper young ladies Eustacia and Araminta had become and how much Phoebe had grown.

The three girls were well-acquainted with their baby niece, Harriet, now almost one-year-old, even if she immediately demanded the attention of her Uncle Percy before allowing his sisters to cluster around her, but the appearance of an older infant apparently belonging to Simeon’s family must have caused some perplexity.

Eustacia was far too polite to mention little George, let alone his striking resemblance to their older brother Clarence, the erstwhile heir to the Havilland estate. Phoebe merely accepted the child as an extra companion as she took his hand and ran off into the gardens, with Harriet toddling behind them. Araminta, who shared that distinct Havilland stamp on her features, seemed to be struggling to control her outspoken observations in front of her saintly brother and his gentle wife.

Eustacia and Araminta swept Cordelia upstairs, leading her on a grand tour of their domain, chattering constantly. Simeon and Percy proceeded outdoors to supervise Phoebe and the smaller children.

“It’s good to see you all again,” Percy said, “and George seems very content.”

“We’ve come to love him as though he’s always been with us,” Simeon said simply.

Percy always knew his impulse to leave the child with Simeon and Cordelia was sound, but his brother’s declaration confirmed his resolution. Earlier in the summer, Emma Spearman, Clarence’s abandoned mistress, had temporarily deposited her child on Percy, who found he was tempted to keep the boy close with a fierceness that surprised him.

Given that the Havillands could not afford yet another family calumny, Percy had put his head before his heart, not an easy task as George proved to be a loveable and sweet-natured infant, characteristics he certainly hadn’t inherited from Clarence.

Percy had conferred with Simeon, who had gladly accepted George into his rural vicarage and passed off as belonging to a distant relative until his mother had sufficient funds to reclaim him.

“And his mama…?” Percy asked, glad the squeals of the children hid their private conversation.

“Miss Spearman has come to call once or twice, most discreetly,” Simeon said, “in the guise of an outlying parishioner. I have to say that regardless of our initial reservations, Cordelia and I are most affected by her sincere devotion to her son.”

The brothers locked glances as Percy interpreted Simeon’s understated remark as, despite all she has been through with Clarence.

Although Percy’s friend Jo, who, unlike Percy, had met the lady face to face, tactfully described Emma as worldly-wise, Percy shuddered to think of any vulnerable young woman, however accomplished a courtesan, left to the mercies of his older brother. Once a bully, always a bully, he thought grimly.

Simeon was not a clergyman of the fire and brimstone type and would certainly not cast the first stone at a young female who depended on her attractiveness to earn her bread and her child’s keep. Also, no doubt Simeon’s sympathetic manner had caused Miss Emma to confide in him to a certain degree, and his first-hand knowledge of Clarence’s brutishness supplied the rest.

“I know she intends to make a settled home for George as soon as she has garnered adequate resources. It is not easy for her to make the journey from London to Wallingford very often, and she worries about distressing George with frequent partings.”

“Since George’s visit is more prolonged than we presumed, he is always welcome here for a short stay to give you both some respite. I’ll use your pretext of a distant family link for the girls, which should suffice in the short term. After all, it’s not as though we don’t have the extra space or are short of helping hands.” Percy added, “As autumn begins and the weather becomes more uncertain for travel, it might be more convenient for his mother to call here without needing to explain her absence from London to her current particular friend.”

Simeon was about to reply when George, who had both hands in Phoebe’s as they ran around in circles, suddenly took off the ground with the increased momentum and squealed with joy as Phoebe twirled him around. Simeon intervened to pick up a startled Harriet from her seat on the grass, to lift her out of harm’s way from George’s flying feet.

As their circuit became faster and more unstable, Phoebe inevitably overbalanced, falling on the ground laughing with George landing safely on top of her, and Harriet (who had recently learned this skill) clapped her hands together gleefully at their antics.

Simeon handed his daughter to Percy to untangle the giggling heap comprising George and Phoebe and assist them to their feet.

“Thank you, Percy. I will certainly mention your suggestion to Cordelia. We appreciate your willingness to assist, not that we aren’t all very fond of George.” He smiled, his narrow face lighting up with unexpected mischief, “As long as you don’t consider that you have more than enough on your hands already.”