Bath Tangle Part V

Major Kirkby has been in Bath for some weeks, now, with Serena, when he visits the house one day and finds that Fanny is in an embarrassing situation. She has a young admirer, Mr Ryde, who has paid a call. He is infatuated with her and tries to kiss her.. and as Fanny is shy with men she does not know how to handle the situation. Hector throws him out and comforts Fanny and they both suddenly realise that they care for each other. He tells her that he was smitten by Serena's beauty and the memory of their past romance, and did not realise that she is not the angelic goddess he thought her.. and that while he is fond of her, he finds her too bossy and he does not want the sort of life that she would problaby enjoy most, with a political salon and life in London. Fanny tells Hector that she knew she cared about him, but was happy just to have his company after her marriage where she was not all that close to her husband. They decide that they can't tell Serena.. that she loves Hector and is looking forward to marrying him. Fanny tells Hector that he will get over her, that Serena is a good person and he will grow to love her in a different way and will get used to married life with her... but they decide that they must separate for a few weeks. Hector decides that he will make an excuse to go home to his manor in Kent and spend a little time there. Gerard turns up in Bath, and Emily tells her grandmother that he is the cousin and ward of Rotherham, so she sees no harm in his going out with Emily. However, after a couple of weeks, Rotherham announces that he is coming to Bath, and she takes fright. She did like the idea of being a marchioness, and was happy to marry Rotherham at first but his domineerng ways scared her and his telling her that she will have to take on a role of society hostess that is quite beyond her. She tells Gerard how scared she is and he tries to make a plan to rescue her.