Page 62 of The Gentlewoman Companion

“We agreed. A prize decided upon and earned.”

“I will teach you, but you must allow me to take us where we won’t be in the way. Even the best trained horses, as you know, have minds of their own.”

“Lady Halverton, will there be time tomorrow?”

“Why not return to the house now? You are fairly sparking, Louisa. We best get the leads in your hands before you flame.”

“Sparking?” Louisa asked, her brows creasing.

“Do not be offended, dear.” His mother soothed Louisa like she was younger than she was. “You seem restless, that is all.”

Louisa’s step slowed, and she breathed deeply. “There, I am calmer.”

His mother gave Louisa a dubious look. “Let’s get you in that carriage. There will be plenty of time to see Mrs. Beecham and Miss Fischer before tonight’s salon. That is, if you are available, James?”

He very much wanted to ask Louisa for her advice as to how to help Margaret and could only do so if his mother was not present. “I am at my leisure.”

“No business to attend to? No acts to review?” she asked.

He had waited too long to tell her. Though delaying until they were alone might be preferable to discussing the matter in the park, he decided to answer the question.

“I will not vote this year.”

“Why ever not? It is your duty—what you were born to do.”

His mother’s notions of duty were as strict as his own, but his obligations shifted when he’d met Margaret. “In reviewing Father’s papers, I feel uncomfortable with the way the lords conduct their business. Bribes and suspicious negotiations. It’s unethical.”

“My dear, compromise is the soul of diplomacy. You will find your feet, solidify your opinions—but enter the House.”

“Perhaps in time.” James lacked the energy for the burgeoning argument. Still, he would not raise her hopes. “Or perhaps not, but I am looking for my feet.”

His mother’s arm loosened around his. Disappointed though she may be, he could not change.

“Do you know what I would give to vote?” his mother asked, taking him by surprise.

Louisa said, “Oh! My lady, you would teach those mighty lords how to think.”

“I would.” She bent around him to nod at Louisa. “And to earn that right, I might fight a war, relinquish the comforts of high society, pay with my blood. My ability to sway the thoughts of a nation are limited to drawing rooms, while you could change the course of an entire nation in an afternoon.”

“We have been reading Madame de Gouges,” Louisa told him. “Not that I disagree with you, my lady. I am merely providing context.”

He had had no idea his mother felt so strongly. “If I could, I would gift you my wig and robes, but that does not change my feelings.”

“You must be proud of him, Lady Halverton,” Louisa said. “Only a man of true integrity would take such a stance.”

James’s insides dissolved into a warm mess. Her compliment was sincere, and she had pointed out the one moral quality he continually hoped to maintain and portray above all others.

“I am proud,” his mother said. “And I will still be proud when he dons his robes. I want to say something, James, and I want Louisa to hear it.” Again, she bent forward to catch her companion’s eyes. “My husband was often away from home, leaving the affairs of Lundbrooke increasingly in my hands. I found myself a very capable administrator, though I was taught that such activities were beyond the capacity of a female. The estate and its management were a friend to me in my darkest times.” She paused, and James knew she referred to Alice’s death. “My responsibilities compelled me to rise each morning, bore me through gloomy days, eventually filling me with a thrill when the balance sheets showed how my efforts improved the estate.” She stopped walking and faced them. “We are all of us far more capable than we believe ourselves to be.”

Louisa’s arm, still linked to his, shuddered. He looked down at her, searching her face for a clue to her thoughts. What did his mother’s words mean to her? His mother spoke powerfully, and he had no doubt her voice would shake the House of Lords. But her speech inspired him in quite another direction. If he truly were more capable than he believed himself, he could support his siblings despite the obstacles he faced. For his part, he would press forward with more determination than ever before.