Gerald began to grow desperate at her meddling. He squeezed the vial in his pocket so hard it almost cracked. He forced his tone to remain even. "Very well, Sister. Whatever you think. We shall go tomorrow after breakfast. I shall be only too pleased to try to smooth things over as best I can. Now, if you are quite done with your meal, can we withdraw to the parlor for coffee?"
Vanessa had hoped for dessert, but in view of her brother's being so obliging regarding paying Clifford a visit, she rose from her chair and took his proffered arm.
She was slightly surprised when Gerald insisted on pouring for her. He waved her objections away by declaring, "I am accustomed to being alone, without the delights of female companionship.
"Besides, I should like you to pick out a book for a few minutes of edifying reading. Now that you are back here and are to be living so close to me, I would appreciate any help you can give in improving my education. I'm afraid I was always an indifferent scholar, for all I went to Cambridge for several terms. You are so knowledgeable thanks to wonderful Aunt Agatha, it would be foolish of me to not avail myself of all you have to offer."
Vanessa felt a small twinge of pride in her accomplishments and her brother's seeming appreciation of them and desire to learn. She went to the small side table to look over the pile of books on horse breeding which she had left there.
Stifling a yawn and rubbing her aching temples, she blinked hard to focus her eyes on the writing on the spines, wondering why she felt like a clock that had begun to wind down.
While her back was turned, Gerald whisked the vial out of his pocket and sprinkled what looked to be the right amount in her cup, before pouring the hot coffee onto the white powder and stirring briskly. He then added several teaspoons of sugar, and a liberal amount of milk. He placed the cup by Vanessa's side, and nervously prepared another cup for himself. He could not help staring at her as she took her first sip, and made a moue of distaste.
Vanessa sat down wearily. "A tad more sugar, Gerald, if you please. And we really do need to speak with Mr. Grigson about a less bitter blend of coffee in future."
"Of course, Vanessa, whatever you wish. Now that you are back here in Somerset, I look forward to you taking the servants in hand."
She looked steadily at her brother over the rim of her cup as she took another sip of coffee, disliking the taste but hoping it would give her a lift to get through the rest of the evening. "I will agree to help, if you will also permit yourself to be taken in hand. Gambling, balls, hunting, fine dining, are out of the question from this point onwards. You simply cannot afford the pursuits of a gentleman of leisure until you have a more stable and reliable income. You need to take the reins of this estate yourself, and see that everything here has a real cost. I expect you to know the price of everything you buy down to the last penny, so that you may be sure the housekeeper and steward are not cheating you.
"And it must be apparent even to a bluff country gent like yourself that you cannot continue to spend and spend on luxuries when you can barely manage to secure the necessities. I know you of old. You would rather buy a new waistcoat than have the button sewn on. I will help set up the estate, to ensure that it will provide you with a decent income, never fear. But if we are talking of family pride, I wonder you can stomach the notion of requiring rescue from your baby sister, rather than at least trying to shift for yourself."
Gerald bit back a scathing retort, and forced himself to sip his own coffee. All he really longed for was to be out of her company downing a few stiff drinks with his friends. A bout of roistering would do them all a world of good. He had been much more circumspect since Vanessa had arrived three weeks previously, but the throbbing excitement in his blood as he thought of all the possibilities that awaited him down the road was almost more than he could bear.
"After all," Vanessa continued, "you will never secure a decent, respectable woman for a wife if you continue to be so heedless of you reputation and estate. You know you will have to work hard and try to marry well if you wish to improve your expectations. Yet that no one with any status in society will let you anywhere near their daughter if they know you to be nothing more than a fortune-hunter."
"I can go to London, find a pretty girl just coming out and--"
She shook her head. "You can try. However, a London season costs more than I can grant you. In any event, you tried it before, and got yourself talked about most dreadfully. Even if the people in London had short memories, which I am sure they do not, I am afraid this latest debacle of yours will precede you unless we can persuade Clifford Stone to give up his claim, and allow the matter to drop. As it is, I think tongues will be wagging all over the County and beyond about your infamous little card game for quite some time."