Margaret smiled at Darcy. “Why thank you, a visit would be lovely.”
Reginald beamed and composed himself. He jumped to his feet and pulled a chair out for his cousin.
“I’m unusually parched today,” Margaret commented.
Darcy recognized her cue. “I too, would appreciate a libation. I’ll fetch one of the servants to bring a cool pitcher of sweet tea for the table.”
Margaret smiled. “That would be delightful.”
Darcy got up and left the two sitting at the table. Margaret watched her walk away before speaking. “Cousin, when I first learned of your marriage, I was not convinced marrying someone so young was a wise course of action. But now that I have come to know Darcy, I must say, I have changed my mind.”
Reginald looked surprised, but pleased none the less. “You’ve spoken with Darcy?”
“Ah, yes. Her insights often catch my attention during our afternoon teas. I find her intelligent and she possesses uncommonly good taste in art and décor. It’s a shame she wasn’t able to gain more experience entertaining before she was married, because I think she has the ability to become a first rate hostess for your household.”
Instantly attempting to take credit for any valuable abilities Darcy might possess, Reginald stammered, “Yes, indeed. I try to keep her abreast of current events. Why, only this morning, I was reading from the paper and telling her about…”
Margaret interrupted, “Yes, yes, I’m sure you’ve tried to help her along, but I think it might behoove her to spend more time with me as my protégé, learning social graces as only a knowledgeable woman can teach them. As I said, she shows promise and we are, after all, cousins, are we not? In return for my tutelage, perhaps Darcy could assist me with hosting the annual ‘Masters of Industry Ball,’ in New York next year. It might serve as a belated ‘coming-out’ party, to introduce her to society.”
Reginald gulped and nodded enthusiastically, beside himself with glee. Margaret could tell he was already envisioning a significant rise in his social ranking.
Though he tried to appear calm, Reginald’s voice almost squeaked with excitement. “I believe I can arrange for Darcy to spend more time with you during the balance of our winter here. Of course, my personal situation will suffer without her at my side, but I will make this sacrifice for her benefit. As a matter of fact, I may be able to remove myself from her concern by accepting a few invitations to participate in extended hunts and fishing excursions.”
Margaret forced her smirk into a smile. “Then it is settled.”
As the memory began to fade back into the fog, Honor had to bite her lip to keep from giggling at the way Margaret pulled Reginald’s strings like a talented puppet master. She relaxed and floated away, wondering how many memories were still hiding within the folds of the heavy, swirling mist. She didn’t have to wait long to see the next one.
The fog dissipated to reveal Margaret and Darcy, deep in conversation at the parlor table in Darcy’s hotel suite. Honor got the impression the two women were no longer just pretending to be friends, but had instead developed a close bond.
Margaret clucked, “My dear, Darcy, I’m more concerned about your future than I am about this current crisis.”
“Yes, being a man’s third wife is an unenviable position,” Darcy agreed. “If I had borne him a son, things might be different. But as it is, when Reginald passes on, his sons will inherit all of his property and I will have to rely on their generosity for my survival.” Darcy winced at the idea.
“His sons will inherit everything except your personal possessions,” Margaret corrected. “It’s true you can’t change the sad fact that Reginald’s sons will inherit your home, and when they do, they will most likely either move you into small quarters within the bowels of the house, or they will expect you to leave altogether.” Margaret leaned toward Darcy, lowering her voice. “But there is something you can do to prepare for that eventuality. You can build a nest egg, with which you can live out your days in comfort.”
“A nest egg?” Darcy lamented. “How do you propose I manage this feat, when I have no means of income? When Rory and I were making plans to run away together, we sold some of my personal trinkets, but they yielded very little profit and I own nothing else.”
Margaret shook her head at her friend. “Darcy, you are a very intelligent woman, but you lack confidence in your ability to outwit the men in your life. These things I am teaching you are things I have already accomplished for myself, as have several other ladies with whom I have become acquainted over the years.”
Margaret now had both Darcy’s and Honor’s full attention.
“The key to survival is remembering that society is like the current of a river. If you fight it, you won’t get very far; but if instead you learn to float with the current, it can carry you a long way.”
Darcy knitted her eyebrows together, trying unsuccessfully to understand Margaret’s analogy.
Margaret smiled patiently. “You are learning everything necessary to become the envy of your peers. Soon you will set the standard for proper social behavior and you will utilize your wonderful creative abilities when entertaining. All the ladies who know you will begin to crave invitations to your parties and those who don’t yet know you will hear about your events and seek you out. Your status will influence and elevate your husband’s place in the social standing of your community.”
“I understand what is expected of me, but cannot comprehend how that will help me build a nest egg.”
“It’s simple, really. You must immediately develop an affinity for fine jewelry, clothing and art and let Reginald know these things bring you joy. When he realizes you are responsible for bringing him the social recognition he has always sought, he’ll want to keep you happy. Each time he gives you an expensive gift, you will reward him with public recognition for his generosity. The more you socialize, the more your jewels and finery will show off his wealth to those he wishes to impress.”
Darcy smiled, beginning to understand the methodology.
Margaret continued, “Also, if Reginald upsets you or wants you to help him with additional social obligations, allow him to demonstrate his regret or appreciation with jewels. He will quickly learn that expensive gifts are an easy way to gain forgiveness and cooperation.”
“But what if Reginald doesn’t oblige me in this manner?”
Margaret laughed at her naiveté. “He will. All men are the same in this regard. Once Reginald learns that gifts not only keep peace at home, but also make his peers envious and his competitors wary, he will gladly spend as much as he can afford.”
Darcy nodded thoughtfully.
Pleased with her pupil’s grasp of the lesson, Margaret continued. “Many women in society are as concerned about their own futures as you are about yours. And some of us have discovered our goals are more easily obtained when we secretly cooperate with one another.”
“But how can I help others obtain what I myself do not have?” Darcy queried.
“By building a force of allies. For instance, if you see another woman wearing a new piece of jewelry in a social setting, you compliment her in front of her husband. You admire his good taste and his ability to select jewels of obviously high quality. That woman, in return, will do the same for you. And so it goes. Men use social gatherings to build their self-esteem and impress business competitors, while intelligent women use them to build personal wealth.”
For the first time in her life, Darcy began to believe she could influence her own destiny.
Margaret advised, “You also need to build a social gathering circle.”
“A social gathering circle?”
“Yes. You’re aware that services of certain clothing designers, caterers, florists, and musicians are more highly regarded by affluent society than others, are you not?”
Darcy nodded; concentrating on Margaret’s lesson.
Margaret lowered her voice again. “Well, the reason many of these establishments are sought out on a regular basis is that the business owner provides a discrete cash payment to the hostess for selecting them.”
Shocked, Darcy blurted, “bribery!”
“No, not bribery,” Margaret clarified. “Incentive. A social gathering circle provides positive benefits to all involved. For instance, many of the businesses I utilize are operated by women. When it becomes known that I patronize their shops, they become far more successful than they might have otherwise. And the more sought-after the shop owner’s products become, the more prestige my husband reaps when I am able to secure their services.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Darcy hesitated. “Margaret, as you are Henry’s second wife and have borne him no children, have you acquired a nest egg of your own?”
Margaret gave her a sly smile. “Even if Henry left me nothing at all, I could live quite comfortably for more than a hundred years. Never forget this important lesson. An intelligent woman with allies can accomplish anything.”
As the fog rolled in, Honor floated away willingly, pleased with what she had just witnessed. Margaret had managed to manipulate the very protocols that were meant to keep Victorian women subservient to men. By doing so, she had accumulated enough personal wealth to protect her from an uncertain future. And now she was teaching other women to do the same.
Honor shook her head in admiration. She could hardly wait to get back to her own time, so she could tell Josh what she had learned. But instead of waking up in bed, the fog parted to again reveal Reginald and Darcy the little table in the Belleview Hotel garden.
Honor was confused. Why was she being shown the same memory she had visited earlier that evening? Just as before, Reginald read a newspaper while Darcy worked on a needlepoint project. But almost immediately, it became clear this was a different day in more ways than one.