His Michaelmas Mistress (6 page)

Beatrice was trying desperately to keep her composure.

Julia could see her left eyebrow twitching every few minutes. She knew why her mama would keep herself from saying anything, everyone was so relieved to see her out of her bedchamber that they were all walking on eggshells around her. Even her brother was on his best behaviour.

“Do you have any thoughts of what you shall do today, dear?” Beatrice asked, in a sweet voice, while she stared at her with her eyebrow twitching, and her eyes darting furtively to the footmen standing nearby.

“I think I might start the day off with some shooting or some archery,” she mused, sipping at her tea, “and then, I rather thought I might take a drive in my curricle, if the weather holds.”

“Drive? Race, more like,” Richard snorted. “Are those chaps you race against active on Tuesdays?”

“Why do you care, dear?” Beatrice asked. “And besides, your sister knows how to handle herself in that bloody contraption. I just worry that she is not in the right frame of mind to be driving it.”

“My frame of mind is completely sound, Mama.”

Her mother eyed her warily. “You are sitting here in your housecoat, with your hair quite untidy, and your face unwashed, and your eyes look quite wild. I do not think you are prepared for racing yet. Mayhap, you ought to simply take a nice little ride through the village, or better yet, why don’t you and Richard walk down to Lark Hall and call on Alice and Edward? I am quite certain they would love to see you.”

“Rose goes around in her housecoat and no one bats an eye. I do it, and everyone acts as if the world is ending,” she lamented.

“Rose was recuperating from a severe fever when she was doing that. She was still quite weakened. That could be expected, and well, her father walks around in his banyan day after day, so really, who could blame her?”

Julia sighed. “Is Thomas Somersby still there?”

“I think so,” Beatrice said, sipping on her coffee, and reaching for a slice of toast.

“Then, I might just steer clear of there,” Julia said sighing.

Thomas Somersby always rubbed Julia the wrong way. His vociferous attitude quite undid her. Many probably wondered why she could tolerate Freddie’s boisterous ways. What they didn’t know was that Freddie usually showed a different, gentler side to her, and she loved that part of him.

Thomas Somersby on the other hand, always had the uncanny knack to single her out, and when he did, she never knew what to say. He flustered her to no end, and she didn’t like feeling that way.

“Oh, Thomas really isn’t that bad. Why, if I were inclined to marry again, he would be a good suitor. He hasn’t a title, but he has scads of money,” Beatrice said softly.

She and Richard choked at their mother’s admission. Finally, Julia caught her breath.

“Mama,” Richard gasped. “He is old enough to be our grandfather!”

“Oh, dear, when you make those noises, you sound quite unladylike,” Beatrice rebuked.

“I shall remember that the next time I choke on my tea, Mama. I hope…I hope you’re not going to be inclined to marry again,” she said, a little too desperately.

Beatrice shrugged her shoulders. “I might. And aye, he is old enough to be your grandfather, but he is one of the handsomest men, even at his age. If I don’t get any grandchildren soon, what else shall occupy my time?”

No one had the courage to remind her that when they were children, Beatrice left most of their care to the nursemaids. She didn’t take an interest in them the way that their Aunt Alice did with her children.

Fanny, one of her mother’s pugs, walked under the table, and sat on Julia’s foot. She smiled. There was nothing quite like a little heartbeat at one’s feet.

“However, I would be less inclined to marry, if you were to find your happiness with Lord Axbridge. I would be able to look forward to grandchildren that way.”

Richard sat at the head of the table, and his eyes flickered between Beatrice and Julia as they sat opposite each other. For being normally so reserved and disinterested in everything, he seemed awfully enthralled right now.

Julia kicked her brother in his shin, and smiled serenely at her mother.

“Damnation, that bloody well smarted,” he muttered.

“Richard, language, please. I can’t deal with those kinds of words this early in the morning,” Beatrice lamented.

“I do apologize, Mama. I daresay I have quite forgotten the time. I should away.”

“Oh, don’t go rushing off now, Richard. Why…Mama, we really should think about finding a suitable young lady for him. It is high time he was married, don’t you think?”

His eyes widened, and he looked as if he was about to ring a fine peal over her. She wished him luck with their mother around. Beatrice’s eyes brightened. “Oh, aye, Richard, you should settle down. You are older than your sister, and you haven’t really made an effort to catch any young lady’s eye. It is time I should become the Dowager Countess of Tisbury. You should try to find someone at the Michaelmas Ball.”

Julia groaned. “I quite forgot about that one. I don’t think I want to attend this year, Mama. I really don’t feel up to it.”

“If you do not go, you will disappoint your aunt and your uncle. They rarely ask anything of us, and they always attend the balls of ours that matter, so you shall do the same. And I want you home in time to dress for dinner tonight. We have been invited to Lark Hall, and you shall not disappoint them.”

Julia grumbled. She loved how her mother took her choice out of any situation. She ruled over her quite like a little autocrat, and she did it with style.

“Some fashion magazines came in the post the other day, Julia. Why don’t you just stay at home, do some shooting or archery, or whatever else strikes your fancy, and then, you can come back inside, and spend the rest of the day with me? We shall study the magazines like you read your books, and we can make plans to hit the shops like a hurricane the next time we go to London.”

“I already spent a pretty penny on a wedding trousseau that I can no longer stand to look at, much less, wear, Mama,” Julia said, sighing.

“Oh, my darling daughter, you have always spent a good deal of gingerbread on your wardrobe before? What stops you now? You know no one at this table minds if you take that trousseau and give it to your personal maid…or…” Beatrice brightened visibly, “You could invite dear little Ruby over and ask her if she’d like anything, and I am quite certain the Miss Prices wouldn’t be opposed to taking a few frocks off your hands. You might as well get rid of the whole lot, and we shall commission a new trousseau for you when the time comes.”

“Thank God, we are not like Tobias Avondale,” Richard said.

“Why is that, dear?” Beatrice asked innocently.

“Because he couldn’t afford to keep the two of you in new frocks, spencers, pelisses, redingotes, capes, cloaks, fur muffs, hats, bonnets, scads of gloves, and whatever the hell else you two decide to buy.”

“Well, I suppose I could invite Ruby over tomorrow, as I plan on holding the Moonrakers meeting, then…”

“Oh, well, you had best start writing out missives, and get one of the footmen to deliver them, or they won’t know that the meetings are being held once again. I am quite certain that Rose and Iris will like seeing you up and about. Secluding yourself from the world, just doesn’t suit your gregarious personality, Julia.”

“Oh, I don’t send out missives, Mama. I send everyone a snippet of lace, and that tells them the meeting is on for the following day, and if they have the afternoon free, they come. A few footmen can deliver them, and they know where they have to go.”

“You will have to send a rider out to Maidstone Manor, and Wylye Hall, you cannot expect one of our footmen to run out that far.”

“No, indeed, Mama. Oh, this shall be such fun.”

Julia sighed. If she took her curricle out today, she knew where she would be going. She would be going to return something to Freddie that she never should have kept this long. She had his betrothal ring, and it was about time, she gave it back to him.

“And, Julia, dear…”

“Yes, Mama?”

“You need to do something about Lord Charles. The poor man is quite out of sorts. He shows up here every single day. And every single day, it falls upon your brother and me to turn him away. It is rather vexing. Lord Charles looks quite wretched. He is staying at Avondale Abbey, and I am quite certain he would like to see you. You owe him that much. You owe him closure. You cannot keep stringing him along like this.”

“I know, Mama. I know, I do,” she whispered.

She sighed. Today might not turn out to be as fun as she thought it would be.

Love was hard, and she wished she could turn her heart to marble like the many statues of white marble Gods and Goddesses that were in Castleton Court’s majestic ballroom.

Eager to escape her mother, she stood up.

“Off then, dear?” Beatrice asked.

“Aye. I shall prepare the lace to be sent out, and then, then, I think I shall go out for a ride, and see where the day takes me.”

“Make certain it takes you to Avondale Abbey, and stop off first at Lark Hall, and fetch yourself a chaperone, or chaperones,” Beatrice advised.

“Yes, Mama,” she said dully, leaving the Breakfast Room.

She didn’t know who she would enlist to play chaperone.

Violet and Lily usually stuck with each other, and Simon wasn’t much help either. As for the other children at Lark Hall, she doubted any of them would want to tag along with her.

Her closest companions, Rose and Iris were married now, and she doubted that either one of them would pop in before she left, and she didn’t know if she felt like taking a ride out to Maidstone Manor, or Wylye Hall. She would probably have to settle for Ruby. Ruby was a dear little thing, but she hardly said a word, and was afraid of the bloody world.

Julia felt a little left out. Rose and Iris had found their happiness, and left her behind. Bitterness welled in her mouth. She couldn’t resent them for what had happened to her. It wasn’t their fault that Charles had returned from the dead, nor it was it their fault that her big brawny bridegroom had decided to call off their wedding. Fanny had followed her from the Breakfast Room. For whatever reason, she had decided to become her little friend.

What she needed today was to find someone who was a peep of day boy, or girl. She needed someone who would readily kick up a lark with her, and unfortunately that someone wasn’t Ruby Massey.

She could keep putting off the inevitable, but at some point, she’d have to meet with Charles. She couldn’t bear it if he tried to pull her back into his embrace. She would have to keep him at an arm’s length, so she would need a good chaperone. Now…who would she pick for that coveted position?

*****

“Mama,” Richard sighed.

“Yes, Son?”

“I think we really ought to have told her about how that bit of gossip concerning her, Freddie and Lord Charles showed up in The Times. Uncle Edward shall know about it, and possibly, Lord Cary, and Lord Everley, might know as well. It would be disastrous if she were to find out from someone outside of Castleton Court.”

“I don’t think we need to worry her about that. She needn’t know that she is the center of the ton’s current on-dit. She has already putting herself through enough misery. I won’t see her unhappiness doubled or tripled. And devil take those old bloody biddies who reported the gossip to that newspaper.”

“They might not be old, Mama. There are young women that report gossip to the newspapers as well. What if someone tells Julia about it when she is out gallivanting around Wiltshire?”

“She doesn’t pay any attention to newspapers, and neither do any of her chums. She will stay clear of it. Trust me on that, dear.”

“If you say so…but I want no part of it, Mama. If she finds out, you shall be the one left holding the bag, not I.”

“Oh, Richard. You are so amusing. Julia won’t get in high dudgeon with me.”

“You think so, eh?”

“I know so, Richard. I am her mother.”

“Sometimes to her deepest chagrin,” he muttered, beneath his breath.

“What did you say, dear?”

“Nothing, Mama. Nothing at all.”

The lace had been sent out, and the footmen had an invigorating afternoon ahead of them.

Julia hadn’t bothered to send any to Lark Hall, as that was the first stop she intended to make once her curricle was brought round.

She watched with pride as her red and cheery looking curricle was brought round. Oh, how she had missed her afternoon rides, and while she wasn’t quite up to racing yet, she intended to do so shortly. The men she raced against needed a good reminder about what a competent driver she was. And, she needed a little bit of extra spending money.

“There you are, my lady,” the groom said. “Would you like one of us to accompany you?”

“No…no, I shall be quite safe on my own.”

“Aye, my lady.” He looked a little uncertain, but when she sighed heavily, he departed. She wasn’t helpless. And yet…

“Fine, on second thought, you may come with me.” She didn’t normally take a Tiger with her, but she supposed this time around, it wouldn’t do any harm, and she was traveling a good distance. It wasn’t like she was taking a ride down to Lark Hall. He could sit behind the main compartment and stay there unless she needed him to tend to the horse. She was perfectly capable of getting up into the driver’s seat and back down without any assistance, and the Gypsies hadn’t been a problem since that fateful day when Rose and she had been accosted.

Once the blackguard that was the root of the problem had died trying to drown Rose, everything in their quaint little part of Wiltshire had gone back to normal. The Gypsies had become a help, not a hindrance, and they wouldn’t let anyone hurt one of the Lovetts. Still, it would be nice to have him sitting there in case anything did go wrong. Of course, when she rode her phaeton, she normally did take a groom or two with her, because it was a little trickier alighting from a phaeton than it was to step down from a curricle!

She chuckled, as she recalled how much Rose deplored this conveyance. She abhorred it with a bloody passion, and Iris wasn’t too fond of it either. Come to think of it, none of her cousins were fond of riding with her in her curricle. The only person that had been up for it was Freddie, and he’d always let her drive. She sighed heavily, and tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind.

Happily, she sat up in her curricle, and looked at her beautifully matched pair of chestnut coloured horses. She might have been dumped by Freddie, but at least she could comfort herself with the fact that she didn’t have a hard life. She led a charmed one, and ever since she’d heard about Freddie’s hard upbringing, she’d been all the more grateful for it. Once the Tiger was seated behind her, with the reins and the whip in her hands, they were off!

She rarely drove with a horsewhip, foolishly thinking it wasn’t necessary to control her team of horses, but after what had happened with the Gypsies, she felt a little more secure having it in her hands.

Before she knew it, she had the wind blowing around her and rustling her hair. Fortunately, she wore a dependable bonnet that hardly ever let her down. She laughed as she sped toward Lark Hall. Oh, how she would love to go racing today, but she didn’t have the heart for it, yet.

The breeze rustled through the trees that lined the road down to Lark Hall, and it sounded as if they whispered to her. Before she knew it, she imagined they were chanting, Freddie, Freddie, Freddie.

She grit her teeth together, and grew heartened as the Queen Anne styled manor house came into view. It was a lovely old place, and always beckoned to her with welcoming arms. Slightly smaller than Castleton Court, it didn’t lack any finery. It was just as gilded as Castleton Court…if not more so. Her dear uncle had spared no expense turning it into a manor house that was the envy of every nobleman in the County.

It looked as if the children were playing out on the grounds, and she could just make out her uncle in the distance, sitting by the River Avon with his fishing rod and his mastiffs by his side. She laughed. The man wore a brightly ruby hued banyan today with the matching cap, and he looked rather charming. He looked like the lazy gentleman he was. Some underestimated her uncle thinking that since he led a carefree life that he was as daft as a donkey, but he wasn’t. He was one of the wittiest men she’d ever met, and had a cunning mind to go with it.

Life here had gone on as if nothing had happened, and while she almost rued them for it, she realized that she was not the center of everyone’s world. And in a strange way, it was almost reassuring to realize that no matter what happened in life, the nice set of pace, and idyllic existence of Lark Hall would never be altered.

“It’s Julia!” her cousins cried, rushing to her as she drew up to the lane. A few grooms ran to help her and she left her curricle in their capable hands.

Her cousins gathered around her, and Hyacinth and Poppy had their arms wrapped around her. “You look lovely,” Hyacinth said, staring up at her in adoration. She had missed this. The younger girls had always worshipped her as if she was a Goddess.

The Miss Prices had walked to follow the children, and she could see Ruby lingering behind everyone. As she looked past them all, she saw her Aunt Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sitting in the Gardens. Fortunately, Grandpapa Somersby hadn’t moved from where he sat. It was a rather lovely day, and it looked as if everyone was taking full advantage of it. Soon, the crisp coolness of autumn would come, and these carefree days would be long behind them.

Lily and Violet were absent. Well, she couldn’t take one of them along with her on her quest. She would have to either take one of the younger girls…or if she could find Simon, she could enlist his help, not that he was of any help usually, but he would fill the role of chaperone nicely.

They walked together back toward where Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sat. The children gave her parting hugs, and then went to back to flying their kites with the Miss Prices looking on.

“Oh, Julia, you look quite fetching today. The colour in your cheeks, gives you quite the glow,” Alice exclaimed.

“Here, here,” Thomas Somersby said, giving her a wide smile. He failed to impart anymore of his usual verbal commentary, and busied himself with drinking his perry and reading his newspaper.

Ruby sat down without saying a word, and reached for her glass of lemonade. The girl was so quiet, one could rather forget she was even there!

“I shan’t stay for long, Aunt Alice. Mama implored me to go to Avondale Abbey today, but she wanted me to stop by here and find someone suitable to come with me. Normally, I would take along a companion, but I rather think she wants someone male or older than me.”

“Indeed,” Alice said, looking at her with her kind eyes. “Well, I can take some time away from Lark Hall, or you could enlist Simon to go with you. He is not at all busy, and he was complaining just the other day that there wasn’t much for him to do here. He will certainly be content when terms start at Oxford, as he is bored so easily.” Alice looked over at Ruby. “I daresay that Ruby could do with an outing as well. Why don’t you take her along with you? The Duke has an aunt visiting him at the moment, and I should think she’d do well enough as the older chaperone of the female variety.”

“The Duke’s aunt left yesterday,” Grandpapa Somersby said.

“Oh, she did, didn’t she? Silly me,” Alice said. “Ah well, there is still Simon. He returned from riding about an hour ago, but he takes most any excuse to go out riding. I daren’t think we shall have to twist his arm. Simon,” she called. He sat away from them, on a hammock hung between two trees, and he looked bored to death. Her voice startled him, and he fell off the hammock onto the grass. Julia laughed, as did Alice. “Oh, I do hope he is all right,” Alice said.

“He falls out of that contraption several times a day, Aunt Alice,” Ruby said. Though Ruby was actually a cousin of Alice’s, she called Alice and Edward aunt and uncle.

“Oh, yes. He’s rather lucky that way, isn’t he?” Alice said.

Simon walked toward them in his leisurely way. “Yes, Mama?” he asked, coming to stand behind his mother’s chair.

“Julia would like to go on an outing to Avondale Abbey. She requests your company and Ruby’s.”

“You rode down in that awful curricle, didn’t you?” Simon asked, with a grimace.

“Aye,” she said, resisting the urge to laugh.

“Well, Ruby can ride with you. I shall ride on horseback alongside you two.” He dashed away toward the stables. She hoped they would make haste to saddle his horse, because if she continued to put off her trip to Avondale Abbey, she would lose her nerve. And she had worked up the courage do it, and losing her nerve would be a shame.

Ruby looked a little nervous. “I actually think I’d rather stay here. I…I don’t think I’d be much help to you anyway, Lady Julia.”

“You need to start calling me just Julia, at some point, Ruby. As for not being much help, I think you shall help me immensely.”

Ruby still looked uncertain. She almost seemed afraid to leave. “Uncle Thomas, I suddenly feel quite lightheaded.”

“Rubbish,” he snorted. “Your Mama might try to keep you from having fun, Ruby, but you shall find no such hindrance here. While she enjoys herself in my Brighton townhouse, you will go out and have some fun with young people closer to your age.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Ruby said obediently. She stood up, and started walking toward the curricle.

A groom helped Ruby up into it, and then, Julia climbed up unassisted. She took the reins and looked over at the diminutive little woman. If anyone was her complete and utter opposite, it was Ruby. She was a wallflower, and that was something Julia had never been.

“I…” Ruby looked more than just a little nervous. “I don’t know if I’m dressed nicely enough to be presented to a duke.”

Julia looked at Ruby. She wore a bright yellow spencer and a muslin dress with yellow daisies on it. Either Ruby was fond of the colour or someone who bought her wardrobe was fond of it.

“I shouldn’t worry, Ruby. The Duke is an old friend of mine, and he isn’t at all stuck up. He’s a genuinely nice man. Some around here don’t care for him because he attempted to steal Rose away from Micah, but there isn’t anything wrong with him.”

“Oh, I understand. They quite rightly sided with Micah, because he was their mate from the Wars.”

“I see someone has been telling you some tall tales.”

“Simon filled me in on a few things, and if he left anything blank, Violet and Lily filled those spaces for me. I think it’s wonderfully romantic,” Ruby sighed dreamily.

Ruby was a wallflower and a romantic at heart. Mayhap, she wasn’t such a bad soul after all.

“I was once a romantic as well, Ruby,” she said wistfully.

Simon cantered up to them on his horse. “Are you two ladies ready to depart?” he asked, gallantly tipping his hat to them.

“Oh, you do look fine atop your steed, Simon,” Julia said with admiration.

Simon coloured up a little. “I give you my thanks, Julia.” He smiled at her, and then cleared his throat nervously. “Come on, ladies. We have to go and pay a call to the Dodgy Duke.”

“Don’t call him that to his face, Simon,” Julia gasped.

“I shan’t. Besides, I wasn’t the one who came up with that nickname for him, was I?”

“No…I confess I had a hand in that one,” Julia laughed. “Simon, would you like to race?”

Ruby looked a little panicked, and gripped the side of the curricle.

“I don’t think Ruby is keen on that idea,” he said. “But the last one there is a rotten egg.” He urged his horse forward.

“Don’t worry, dear. I’m a grand driver,” she said, looking out of the corner of her eye at Ruby. The woman looked scared to death. She had to loosen up a bit…she had to learn how to enjoy life!

*****

Freddie, Felix and Lucky had been stalking the poacher or poachers for a couple of hours now. Whomever was behind it was fast, but by the way the ground had been disturbed, they were still somehow on the Estate. He wouldn’t be surprised if they’d been bold enough to set up a tent somewhere.

“These bloody blighters are bold as brass, aren’t they, Freddie?” Lucky asked, as they set off tracking their latest trail.

“Oh, aye,” Freddie agreed. He wanted to be done with this soon, and go and do some trap shooting or go and hunt some grouse.

“If we do some trap shooting today, I won’t be the one that releases the pigeons. Not with that look of thunder in your eyes, Mouse,” Felix said shuddering. “I’m likely to get my arse shot off!”

He chuckled. “I’m not quite as keen on it as Micah,” he said.

They stopped short, as they smelled something peculiar. It smelled as if someone was roasting their loot. That meant they were indeed bolder than most. If it had been a gang, he felt sure they would have already left the grounds.

They heard barking, and saw a little dog tear across the grounds in front of them, and race to the bushes. Seconds later, a few hares were driven out, and then, they heard a man’s voice. The man had a distinct Cockney accent, and Freddie’s insides clenched. The dog stopped playing with the hares, apparently, he wasn’t interested in doing anything else, and halted, with is tail erect, and his ears upward as well. It was some kind of a terrier.

The dog regarded them for a little while, and then his tail started wagging, and he ran toward them, barking playfully.