Spring Muslins

by Melinda Hammond

  They were in the morning room, where Miss Morrison was arranging flowers in a vase to stand on the little drum table. She listened in silence to Lucia, then put down the scissors and turned to her.

  'I believe you are right, my dear, and I have been meaning to speak to you about that myself. I hope I can relieve your mind of one worry. You need not be anxious about my future as I have been offered employment. Although you may not be happy about the actual details.'

  'Oh Morry, I wish you would not worry so over what people think of you! Have you found something you think you might like? If so, I am delighted for you. What is it, my dear, another post as a governess, or a schoolteacher?'

  Morry clasped her hands and said, a little breathlessly, 'A companion. Lady Quidenham has asked me to live with her. She said she wishes to set up a legal contract for us, that I may be comfortable and have no worries that I might be turned off without notice in the future. Indeed, she has been most obliging.’

  'Oh.' Lucia smiled. 'That is excellent news, Morry. I am glad that my falling out with my aunt has not reflected badly upon you.’

  ‘You do not mind?’ she peered anxiously at Lucia. ‘You do not see it as a betrayal?’

  ‘No, of course not! You must not hesitate to take it. You have built up an excellent understanding with my aunt and I believe you will be very happy.’

  ‘I believe I shall,’ she replied. ‘I made it quite plain to Lady Quidenham that although she might not wish to keep in touch with you, I must do so. I told her I will not abandon you under any circumstances but neither will I be a party to any clandestine correspondence.’

  ‘You did? How very brave of you, Morry,’

  ‘Yes, wasn’t it? But she did not mind at all. She said I might do as I wished as long as it does not jeopardise her comfort! I have been showing Grace how to keep the accounts and she is coming on very well, but if you were going to live at Orchard Street, then you will be able to help her, too. And it is not as if you will be lonely without me. You will have Grace, after all.’

  ‘I shall indeed. Oh, Morry, I cannot tell you how pleased I am for you.’ She hugged her. ‘And if my aunt proves too much of a trial you shall come back and live with Grace and me. It was what we first planned, after all!’

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  With Miss Morrison’s future secure, Lucy thought she should lose no time in telling Grace of the change in their plans. Lady Quidenham had summoned her lawyer to the house that very afternoon to draw up a contract of employment and she insisted that Morry should be present, so Lucy threw on her pelisse and set off for Orchard Street alone.

  For once there were no carriages at the door, nor any customers waiting in the reception room.

  ‘My mistress is in her consulting room, Miss,’ Ella told her, bobbing a curtsy. ‘I will see if she is at home – ‘

  But Lucy waved her away, saying cheerfully, ‘I know my way, I will find her myself.’

  Ignoring the little maid’s strangled protest, she hurried through the passage to the back room and threw open the door.

  ‘Oh!’

  She stopped, staring at the sight of her cousin locked in a fond embrace with Mr Edward Chawton. They broke apart hurriedly, Grace’s cheeks on fire. Lucy, too, was blushing furiously and she put up a hand, muttering her apologies. She would have withdrawn, but Grace stopped her.

  ‘No, no, Cousin, do come in. You will be the first to hear our news!’

  ‘News?’ Lucy was too stunned to do more than repeat the word.

  ‘Yes.’ Grace took her hands and pulled her further into the room. ‘We are married!'

  If she had been shocked before, Lucia was now speechless.

  She looked from one to the other. She swallowed, hard. 'Oh. But that, that is wonderful news. How? When?'

  ‘By special licence today,’ said Grace.

  ‘My mother is against it, of course,' said Edward. ‘Which reminds me, I must apologise to you, Miss Luckington, for her behaviour towards you when she learned you were Grace’s cousin.’

  ‘Did you inform her of that?’ Lucy asked him. ‘Did you think, perhaps, it might make her look more favourably upon the match?’

  ‘Good heavens no, ma’am. I didn’t know myself until Mama told me. As if that would make Grace any less acceptable to me! No, she gave me an ultimatum. Give up Grace, or give up the family. So here I am! She has thrown me out of the house, you see, but I believe she will come around in time. I know she wanted me to marry a fortune, but one cannot dictate with whom one falls in love.' He turned to Grace and smiled at her. 'My heart is here, now. ‘

  He reached out his hands and Lucy watched as her cousin went to him, her face radiant. There could be no doubting the affection between them.

  ‘But I don’t understand,’ murmured Lucy, her thoughts in turmoil. ‘Where will you live?’

  ‘Here, of course! We will take two rooms next door for our living quarters. We can ill afford the space, with all the plans Edward has for the business, but it must suffice, for the present.'

  Mr Chawton nodded. 'My paintings of the fashions have proved very popular, and I think we might do more with them. We could send them to other warehouses, outside London. We will print an order form on the back, with space for the measurements that Grace requires to make up a gown.' He began to look quite excited. 'Customers will be able to place an order from anywhere in the country.'

  'What an excellent notion.'

  ‘And Edward says he will look after the accounts, too, so that we need no longer rely upon Morry.’ Grace blinked away a tear. ‘Oh Lucia, was ever anyone so blessed?’

  Lucia felt the heat of tears behind her own eyes as she stepped forward to hug Grace, then turned to hold out her hands to Mr Chawton.

  ‘I am delighted for you both,’ she said. ‘I wish you all the happiness in the world. I believe you have every chance of success with your business venture, too.’

  ‘Thank you, Miss Luckington, I hope so. Grace has told me of your kind investment in her business, but I am hoping that if we can make it work, we should be able to save enough to pay you back your capital in a year or two. Won’t that be a fine thing?’

  ‘It will indeed.’ Lucy tried to shake away the fog from her brain. Morry was going off to Brighton with Aunt Evadne, Grace and Edward were married. What on earth was she going to do?

  ‘Now, what was it you came for, Lucia?’ Grace asked her.

  Lucia looked at her cousin. She was standing hand in hand with Edward Chawton and looking so radiant that Lucy could not bear to share her worries with them.

  ‘Oh, nothing. Nothing that cannot wait.’

  When Lucy left Orchard Street, she did not return directly to Quidenham House but instead she went into the gardens in the centre of Portman Square. She needed to think.

  There was no question now of her going to live with the new Mr and Mrs Edward Chawton. Grace would take her in, she knew that, but they needed the room for themselves, and besides, she had no desire to live with newlyweds. She must find somewhere of her own. The difficulty would be persuading Morry that she should not give up the lucrative position she had been offered as companion to Aunt Evadne.

  Dear Morry, she would think it her duty to stay with Lucy, but she could not allow that. Her own small savings and the projected return on her investment in Orchard Gowns would be barely enough to keep one person, let alone a companion. She must convince her old governess that she was content to live alone, but at present she could not even convince herself.

  ‘Miss Luckington.’

  She spun around to find Sir Darius approaching. She had been so deep in thought she had not heard his booted feet scrunching on the gravel path.

  ‘Sir Darius.’ Her pulse leapt at the sight of him and it was all she could do not to turn and flee.

  ‘I saw you coming in here but you looked…’ He came up to her, his eyes searching her face. ‘Are you quite well?’

  His concern almost overset her. She desperately needed someone
to confide in, but Sir Darius was not that person.

  ‘Perfectly well,’ she told him, meeting his eye with as much confidence as she could muster. ‘It was such a pleasant day I wanted to enjoy the sunshine a little more before going indoors.’

  ‘I see.’ He did not look as if he quite believed her. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’

  ‘As you wish.’

  She began to walk along the circular path around the gardens and he matched his steps to hers.

  He said, ‘I believe Lady Quidenham leaves Town in two weeks.’

  ‘Yes. On the fifth.’

  ‘What will you do?’

  ‘I am not going with her.’

  He gave a little huff of exasperation. ‘I know that, you said as much at Lady Winterstoke’s party. What will you do?’

  Lucy made a sudden decision. ‘I shall return to Little Furzewell.’

  Why had she not thought of it before? She had grown up there, she had friends in the village and would be able to find rooms at a much more reasonable rate than in London. She would be removed from the pitying gaze of society and, even more importantly, Grace and Morry would not doubt that it was what she really wanted.

  ‘Miss Morrison will be going with you?’

  ‘No. She is going to Brighton with my aunt.’ Her chin went up. ‘My investment is making an excellent return –’

  ‘If it is making enough to keep you in comfort then I am amazed.’

  She swallowed back a retort and continued stubbornly.

  ‘An excellent return and my presence in Town is no longer required.’

  ‘And do you think you can be happy, living in retirement, after enjoying the delights of the capital?’

  ‘Of course I can. I am not such a frippery creature as you think, sir!’

  ‘I do not think you frippery at all! I think you are proud and stubborn and –’

  Yes?’

  She stopped and turned to glare at him.

  Adorable.

  With those pansy brown eyes daring him to continue Darius could not say the word aloud. He was shocked to realise how close he had come to declaring himself again and he had no wish to suffer another rejection. He gave the tiniest of shrugs and by tacit consent they resumed their walk.

  ‘You are on your way back from Orchard Street?’

  ‘Yes. My cousin’s business continues to thrive.’ There was a defiant note in her voice.

  ‘You still think it was I who gave you away.’

  ‘That hardly matters now.’

  ‘It matters to me.’

  ‘Well it should not!’ she flashed back at him. ‘I pray you will put it out of your mind, Sir Darius. And now I will bid you good day.’

  She turned on her heel and walked off.

  Darius stared after her, such feelings of impotence and frustration raging inside him as he had never known before. She was in trouble, he knew it with every fibre of his being, but the darling girl was too proud to admit it or to accept his help. But then, she believed he had betrayed her trust and there was no way he could disprove that. He scowled at the ground, scuffing at the gravel with the toe of one shiny Hessian.

  He was not conceited enough to think every other woman was in love with him, but until now he had never been rebuffed by any woman upon whom his fancy alighted. True, he had never been much in the petticoat line and his fancy had alighted on very few women, but that thought was easily discarded.

  Perhaps it would have been as well for him if he had met with more setbacks, but birth, fortune and a modicum of good looks had combined to make him a very eligible parti. His lip curled. It had been made abundantly plain to him over the years that he could have his pick of the debutantes, should he wish to choose a bride.

  It was somewhat humbling, then, that he should fall in love with the one woman in Town who did not want him!

  *

  Lucy hurried back to the house, trying not to cry. How dare he pursue her, after what had happened. He had betrayed her once and she would not confide in him again. She wanted to run up to her room and shut out the world, but as she reached the first landing she saw Miss Morrison coming from Lady Quidenham’s room.

  ‘Ah, Lucia, thank goodness!’

  ‘Morry! Have you been with my aunt all this time?’ she clasped her hands together and said anxiously, ‘I know how much I have upset her, but have I made her truly ill?’

  ‘No, no, Lucia, she was going on very well, earlier. I read to her for a good hour and she was so much recovered that she declared she would take a little nuncheon in her room. I left her with Fixby, but then Betty came to find me and said there was such a to-do going on between the dresser and her mistress and I came up and – well – her ladyship is quieter now, but insisted that she see you as soon as you came in.’

  ‘Then I will go to her immediately. But do we know what is amiss?’

  Morry shook her head. ‘She would not tell me, except to say something about harbouring vipers in her bosom.’

  Lucy’s heart sank lower than ever.

  ‘Very well, I had best go and find out what I have done now.’

  ‘Aunt Evadne?’ Lucy tapped on the door and went in. ‘You wanted to see me?’

  Her aunt was sitting in a chair by the window, wrapped up in shawls and with a rug thrown over her knees. She looked very pale and Lucy forgot her own troubles as she hurried across the room and sank to her knees beside her.

  ‘Dear ma’am, you look very unwell. Should I send for the doctor?’

  ‘No, no, it is nothing he can mend.’

  The dowager sounded so defeated that Lucy reached for her hands.

  ‘Then what is it, Aunt? Can I do anything?’

  The claw-like fingers clung to Lucy.

  ‘I owe you an apology, Lucia. I know now that you were not responsible – at least, not directly! – for everyone knowing of your connection with Orchard Gowns.’

  ‘You, you do?’ Lucy was bemused. ‘Then, who?’

  ‘Fixby!’ Lady Quidenham’s strangled cry caught at Lucy’s heart. ‘She has been with me since I married the Viscount. My trusted confidante, but now –’

  ‘Miss Fixby?’ Lucy sat back on her heels. ‘But why should she do such a thing?’

  ‘To hurt you, of course!’ The dowager pulled out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes, then began to tug the hapless lace between her fingers. ‘She resented your presence here, but while you held my letters she could do nothing. Then, when you gave them back to me, she was so incensed at your behaviour in arranging the meeting with Linus Theale that she decided upon revenge. Her cousin is maid to Lady Chawton, and knowing what a gossip her mistress can be, she dropped a word in her ear. On the morning of Lady Winterstoke’s party.’

  It was not Darius!

  Lucy put her hand to her mouth as relief washed through her like a flood. Not Darius. At least she need not leave Town thinking ill of him.

  ‘If you wish to ring a peal over me you may do so,’ muttered the dowager. ‘I deserve it.’

  ‘I would not dream of it, Aunt. But how did you discover it was Fixby?’

  ‘She told me, earlier today. Phoebe Morrison had persuaded me to try a dish of eggs dressed with artichoke bottoms, just as I like them. Fixby carried them up to me. She knew of course that you were the cause of my distress and she thought she was helping by bringing you down a peg or two.’

  ‘Oh dear. Oh, I am sorry, Aunt Evadne. Did she not realise how it would reflect upon you?’

  ‘No, of course not. She was thinking only of harming you. Naturally I have turned her off. I shall miss her terribly but I will not keep servants I cannot trust.’

  ‘Oh heavens, this is all my fault,’ cried Lucy, stricken. ‘But you must not send Fixby away, ma’am. It would be too cruel, to both of you. She only did it because she loves you so, Aunt, and knowing she has hurt you will be punishment enough, I am sure.’ She jumped up. ‘Is she still in the house? Let me go and send her to you and you can tell her she is forgiven.’

&n
bsp; ‘She may be gone by now.’

  ‘But she may not,’ exclaimed Lucy with sudden decision. ‘I shall go and see. And if she has left the house then I shall go and find her! It is the least I can do to atone for all the harm I have done you.’

  With that she sped away. The dresser was found below-stairs in the housekeeper’s room, where she was weeping uncontrollably. When Lucy explained that her aunt had had a change of heart the transformation was almost comical. The dresser wiped her eyes, offered gruff but sincere thanks to Miss Luckington and hurried back to be reunited with her mistress.

  Lucy watched her go and, after exchanging a few words with the housekeeper, she made her way to her room, drained but a little happier.

  *

  It did not take long for the news to break all over Town that Edward Chawton had married the little seamstress from Orchard Street and had been disowned by his mother. Darius heard it from Lady Claversham when he called to take breakfast with her on Thursday morning.

  She ended with a malicious titter. ‘How diverting it is to have the Luckington chit in London. First she sets the Town by the ears, parading herself about like a fashion plate, and then she contrives a very advantageous marriage for her cousin.’

  ‘Since Chawton has been cast off without a penny I cannot think it much of an advantage,’ Darius retorted.

  ‘It is no wonder Lady Quidenham and her niece were not at Almack’s last night. Everyone was talking of how Miss Luckington and the little seamstress ensnared Edward Chawton.’

  ‘It is a love match,’ put in Verity. ‘I had it from Lucia when we met in the Park yesterday afternoon. They were married by special licence on Monday.’ Lady Claversham frowned at her and she added, defiantly, ‘I know you would like me to cut the acquaintance, Mama, but I will not. Lucy is my friend, and a good one too. And as long as Grandmama and Darius have no objection, I shall continue to see her!’

  Lady Claversham shrugged her white shoulders.

  ‘Well, it cannot be for much longer. Lady Quidenham is off to Brighton in a week and her pert little niece will slink off back to the country, having done her best to make herself the talk of the Town. She must be a teeny bit disappointed that any plans she had of becoming the dowager’s heir have come to nothing.’