Bachelor List

Chapter 1 Constance Duncan nodded at the doorman as he held open the glass doors to Fortnum and Mason. The buzz of voices greeted her from the wide marble expanse of the tearoom all but drowning the brave strains of the string quartet from the little dais at the rear of the polished dance floor. She stood for a moment at the threshold of the tearoom until she saw her two sisters sitting at a coveted table beside one of the long windows looking onto Piccadilly. The windows were streaked with rain, however, and offered little view of the street beyond or Burlington House opposite. Her sister Prudence saw her at the same moment. Constance raised a hand in acknowledgment and hurried between the tables toward them. "You look like a drowned rat," observed Chastity, the youngest of the three, when Constance reached them. "Thank you, sweetheart," Constance said, raising an ironic eyebrow. She shook rain off her umbrella and handed it to the morning-coated attendant who had appeared as if by magic. "It's raining cats and dogs." She unpinned her hat and examined it ruefully. "I think the ostrich feather is ruined. . . . At the very least it's going to drip all over everywhere." She handed the hat to the attendant. "You had better take this too. Perhaps it'll dry off in the cloakroom." "Certainly, Miss Duncan." The attendant received the dripping hat, bowed, and glided away. Constance pulled out a spindly gilt chair and sat down, spreading out the folds of her damp taffeta skirts. She drew off her kid gloves, smoothed them, and laid them on the table beside her. Her sisters waited patiently until she was comfortably settled. "Tea, Con?" Prudence lifted the silver teapot. "No, I think I'll have a shooting sherry," Constance said, turning to the waitress who now stood at the table. "I'm so cold and damp I might just as well be on a grouse moor, even though it is only July. Oh, and toasted tea cakes, please." The waitress bobbed a curtsy and hurried away. "Prue and I didn't get caught in the rain at all," Chastity said. "It started just as we arrived." She licked her finger and chased pastry crumbs around her plate. "Do you think we can afford it if I have another one of those delicious millefeuilles, Prue?" Prudence sighed. "I don't think we'll go bankrupt on your sweet tooth, Chas. It's the least of our worries." Constance regarded her sister sharply. "What now, Prue? Something new?" Prudence took off her spectacles and wiped the lenses on her napkin. She held them up to the light, peering shortsightedly. Deciding the smudge had gone she replaced them on the bridge of her long nose. "Jenkins came to me this morning looking even more mournful than usual. Apparently Father has instructed Harpers of Gracechurch Street to lay down a pipe of port for him and replenish his cellar with a dozen cases of a very special Margaux. Mr. Harper sent a very large and very overdue bill to Father with a polite request that it be settled before he filled the new order . . ." She broke off as the waitress appeared with a silver-lidded salver and a glass of rich dark sherry. The waitress placed them before Constance and lifted the lid on the salver to reveal a fragrantly steaming stack of toasted tea cakes, studded with plump raisins and oozing golden butter. "Those look delicious." Chastity stretched a hand and took one of the tea cakes. "You don't mind, Con?" "No, be my guest. But I thought you wanted another millefeuille." "No, I'll just share these, it'll be cheaper." Chastity took a buttery bite and wiped her mouth delicately with a fine linen napkin. "So how did Father react to Mr. Harper's bill, Prue?" "GuFeather, Jane is the author of 'Bachelor List' with ISBN 9780553586183 and ISBN 0553586181.