When Eleanor glanced her way, she looked truly shocked. Eleanor knew that she was wondering what could have happened to make her change her mind.
“The more that I think about it, My Lady, the less likely it seems. Look at you, you are going to wed a gentleman who you do not love. How can I—I who am nobody at all, expect to marry for love?” She shook her head. “It seems like a dream.”
“Oh, Eleanor! No, not you!” Lady Julia took Eleanor’s hands in her own. “Please, don’t you give up on love. I cannot bear it. Perhaps I cannot marry for love, but you—you must.”
“Then I shall try my best, My Lady.” She smiled half-heartedly. Eleanor could never say what was truly in her heart. She felt devastated. How had things gotten so tangled up? She toyed with the locket around her neck. Its comforting presence soothed her.
“I don’t know why, but it seems like this whole visit has gone awry,” she said.
“I feel it too,” Lady Julia told her. What was being left unsaid lay between them heavily.
They stared out, over the garden wall. It was so quiet. The flowers were such brilliant colors that they almost seemed unreal. The sun was beginning to lower on the horizon.
“We ought to head back in,” Lady Julia said. “I need to dress for dinner. The Duke and Duchess of Edgeriver are coming this evening. Along with Lord Sommerset.” She wrinkled her nose at the mention of the Earl.
Eleanor was curious to see them. Lady Julia had told her all about them. They sounded kind. “Do you need me to chaperone this evening?”
“I daresay that we won’t be separating at all,” Julia said. “You can stay upstairs. Perhaps have a lovely evening, reading your book.”
“Of course,” Eleanor agreed, hiding her disappointment. Together, they walked back toward the house.
Aaron had been anxiously awaiting this dinner. He knew that his brother and Lord Sommerset had gotten into a tiff at the ball. Luckily, Aaron and Jack were the first into the parlor, giving them time to discuss what needed to be done. Aaron handed his brother a drink.
“I expect you to make amends with Lord Sommerset,” he said to Jack. “Do what you have to. Apologize, if need be. Make things right between the two of you.”
Jack gave him a withering look. “Do you know what he said, Aaron?”
“No. And I don’t care,” he replied. “Sometimes, you have to get along with people that you don’t like among the ton. That’s what a gentleman does.”
Jack’s face fell even further. “You won’t even hear what he said?”
“What did he say?” Aaron relented, reminding himself that Jack was young, and fancied himself one of the Knights of the Roundtable.
“That Lady Julia was prime for the taking,” Jack told him, raising an eyebrow significantly.
“He was trying to get a rise out of you, Jack.” Aaron sipped his drink. It didn’t say anything good about Lord Sommerset.
“He is trying to woo Lady Julia,” Jack said. “He’s treating her like she’s a prime cut of meat. Aren’t you angry? I mean, you’re supposed to be engaged to her by the end of her stay.”
“True enough. But Jack, you can’t be offended by everything,” Aaron replied, already weary. “He’s an unpleasant sort, I’ll give you that. But he’s going to be our neighbor someday. No doubt, he’ll come to visit the Duke and Duchess from time to time. What would you have me do?”
“Lady Julia deserves better,” Jack said succinctly. “If you aren’t in love with her, then why not let her go?”
Aaron swallowed. He could not answer that. He was beginning to see that perhaps Jack was in love with Lady Julia. Luckily, the door opened and Arthur entered, along with Lady Julia and Lady Whitecier, thus ending the brothers’ tête-à-tête.
“I say,” Arthur said jovially. “Is that the good brandy?” The way that his eyes swept back and forth between them suggested that he, at least, might have heard a part of the conversation.
“It is,” Aaron replied. He decided to keep an eye on his brother and Lady Julia. He hadn’t been, he realized. He was curious to know if she returned his brother’s affections.
Lord Whitecier might be against her marrying a second son. In which case, Aaron would be more than happy to help Jack put forth his suit.
The web becomes even more tangled, he mused as he took a sip of his brandy. He watched as Jack spoke to Lady Julia. They were both smiling at each other in a way that Aaron knew well. It was a tale worthy of the bards. The Duke in love with a maid, and his younger brother in love with the Earl’s only daughter.
Chapter 20
Eleanor was up in Lady Julia’s chamber, cleaning up after helping her mistress dress for the evening. She heard the sound of horses’ hooves in the drive. She saw the barouche, carrying the Duke and Duchess of Edgeriver and the Earl of Sommerset.
She watched, hiding behind the damask curtains, as they all got out of the carriage. From far away, Eleanor could see that the Duke and Duchess were simply dressed, but in rich fabrics. The Duchess wore a fine necklace which sparkled. Even up there, she could tell that Lord Sommerset thought a great deal about himself.
She laughed, softly, recalling what Lady Julia had said of him. That he was full of self-importance. That he thought that Lady Julia was enamored with him, after only one dance.
The group entered the house, and Eleanor turned away, returning to her task. There was a soft knock at the door. When Eleanor opened it, she found herself face to face with Mr. Bradshaw.
He smiled, pushing his way inside of the room. Eleanor was shocked by this rude intrusion. Her mind raced.
“What are you doing?” Eleanor demanded. She didn’t panic—not yet. If she needed, the poker by the fireplace was within easy reach.
“I know that something is going on between you and the Duke,” he said. “I see a lot, you know.”
“There’s nothing. Nothing at all.” She stared back at him, wishing that he would just go away.
“That’s for me to discern.”
“Why? On whose authority?” she demanded. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her breast. She raised her chin and stood her ground.
Mr. Bradshaw smiled, folding his hands behind his back. “I wonder—how much would you give for the Dowager Duchess not to know about your dalliances with the Duke?” He stepped forward. “How much is my silence worth to you?”
Eleanor wondered when he had seen them together. She had the feeling, suddenly, that their meetings were not so secret. She knew that Mr. Bradshaw was acting as Aaron’s valet, after Ponsby’s disappearance.
She sighed, closing her eyes. “I—I have nothing.” Her pay was not much. She saved what she could. Still, what she had was not a lot. Nothing that would be satisfactory for him.
“You have that fine gold necklace,” he said, his eyes going to her throat, where she was nervously fingering her locket.
“No, please.” She hated that she was begging. It was the only thing that she had of her parents. Even this tenuous clue was the only hope that they were out there, still alive and looking for her.
“Yes. Perhaps that will be it,” he said giving her a cold smile. “I can sell it for a pretty penny. I will give you some time to consider my proposal.”
“Which is?” She felt herself go cold.
“That necklace for my silence.”
Eleanor felt a twinge in her chest. She could tell Aaron everything. Have him get rid of this vile man. But Mr. Bradshaw read her mind. He leaned in.
“You don’t want to put His Grace’s reputation at risk, do you?”
Eleanor recoiled as he tutted.
“Why would they believe you?” Eleanor demanded.
“Try me,” he said. “But next time that you meet up with His Grace for…whatever it is that you do, don’t expect you won’t…accidentally… be discovered.”
He let the door swing shut behind him. Eleanor felt sick to her stomach. She went into her own room, taking off the necklace. It was a golden locket, with a ros
e on the center. Inside, there was a pearl. It had been with her, when she had been found on the front step at Clayriver Manor.
She had hoped that someday, she would be able to use it to find her parents. Perhaps, it was some sort of a clue. One that she had yet to discern.
Maybe, there was nothing. Her parents were long gone. They were so far in the past that perhaps they would never be found again. What she needed to preserve was her future. Which was suddenly very uncertain.
Dinner was over. It had been a very impressive seven courses. Everyone was smiling and contented, even Jack and Lord Sommerset, who had been glaring at each other throughout the meal. Aaron hoped that the two gentlemen would be able to put aside their differences and come to an understanding.
“Come, Gentlemen,” Aaron said. “I think we ought to retire to the library, where there will be brandy and cigars.”
They parted from the ladies. Once they were ensconced in the study, Aaron looked over at Jack meaningfully. His brother smiled at him, and nodded. He understood what was expected of him. He went over to Lord Sommerset.
“Lord Sommerset,” he said, “might I have a private word?”
“Of course,” the Earl replied. They moved over toward the window, where Jack began speaking in a low voice. Aaron felt a deep sense of pride in his younger brother.
He heard Jack say, “I believe that you and I got off on the wrong foot—”
“What’s happening over there?” the Duke of Edgeriver asked him curiously.
“I hope they’re resolving their differences.” Aaron, at times, had felt more like a parent toward his brother. The age difference, on top of their father’s death when Jack had been no more than a child had created this.
“Ah. Good. I heard all about their…disagreement. I suggested that the Earl do the same.” The Duke raised his eyebrows. Aaron busied himself in pouring the drinks. When the two returned, they were both smiling.
Aaron handed Jack a glass of brandy. “I’m proud of you,” he commented in a low voice.
Jack smiled, raising his glass to Aaron. “Here’s to you, my Brother,” he said. “May you always be unwavering in your infinite wisdom.”
Aaron smiled, clinking his glass against Jack’s. The two brothers smiled at one another, then turned back toward the others. The discussion turned toward the Earl’s plans for the summer.
“I shall be heading to Tunbridge Wells in late August,” Lord Sommerset said. “I have a married sister who resides there.”
“I have a cousin who lives in the area,” Jack was quick to say.
Jack is so young, and besotted with Lady Julia. Aaron felt badly for him. Though he wasn’t without the ability to change. Louisa had rarely had reason to ask him to change his behavior. Jack was always so tractable.
“I was wondering,” Lord Sommerset said. “How long Lady Julia and the Countess of Whitecier will be in the country?”
“They will be here until early August,” Aaron replied. “The Earl of Whitecier comes thither at the end of this month to join them here.” And to talk about our marriage, he did not add.
“And have you made her an offer of marriage yet?” the Duke asked. It was a good-natured comment.
“Not yet,” Aaron replied. “We haven’t even spoken of it. There simply hasn’t been the right moment. But I hope to speak to her soon. I can’t say that I know how she feels about me.” He laughed, feeling a little like he was coughing.
“Don’t wait too long,” the Duke said. “You should be planning the engagement party before she leaves.”
Suddenly, the feeling in the room had soured. Both Lord Sommerset and Jack were frowning. Aaron himself felt ill at ease. He was disappointed in his own actions. He was in love with Eleanor. In his mind, she looked up at him, going up on her toes to kiss him.
He sipped his drink, in an effort to focus on what was going on in the conversation. Things were so damnably slow. He tugged at his cravat, which Bradshaw had tied too tightly.
Only Arthur and the Duke of Edgeriver were talking amiably. Jack was staring off into the distance.
“I wonder—” Arthur said, “why don’t we gentlemen go hunting soon?”
“Capital idea,” the Duke agreed. “It has been a long time since I last rode out cubbing.”
“I will see it arranged,” Aaron said, because it was expected of him. He was the one with the horses, after all. The hounds had been lazing about. No doubt, it would do them all good to get out.
Aaron sipped his brandy. Am I being selfish? Lady Julia could be considering someone else’s suit right now. Instead, she’s waiting for a proposal that I don’t think I can give.
The problem was, if Lady Julia left, then Eleanor would, too.
Then what would I do? He could hardly arrive at Clayriver Manor in order to propose to the maid. That was his problem, he realized. He knew what—who he wanted to be with. He just didn’t have a plan.
Lady Julia had had a fine evening thus far. The ladies were all in the drawing room, enjoying glasses of black-currant cordial. The windows were wide open, allowing a gentle breeze into the room.
“Tell me,” Lady Whitecier said, to the Dowager Duchess. “What was this place like, back when you hosted those renowned balls?”
The Dowager Duchess smiled, her fingers going to her diamond necklace. “We would have a large guest list, of about twenty or thirty members of the ton,” she said. “The party would go on for nearly a week. It was positively glorious.”
“Twenty to thirty?”
“Yes,” the Duchess of Edgeriver added. “We would feast on the very finest foods, drink the best champagne, and then dance until the sun came up.”
“What would you do all night?” Lady Julia asked, picturing the grand festivities.
“We would host musicians and actors to entertain us, we would have night after night of dancing,” the Dowager Duchess said, smiling reminiscently.
“Why do you not do this now?” Julia wondered. After all, the Durnsott family was not having any financial difficulties—or her father would never have considered the suit.
“We stopped after my husband passed,” the Dowager Duchess replied. “My step-son has little interest in being often among the ton.” She turned to Lady Julia. “It is my dearest wish that you will be the one to bring the Durnsott name back to what it once was.”
“I would be more than happy to,” Lady Julia replied. “Although a house of twenty to thirty people!” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine it.”
“Start out with only a few,” the Dowager Duchess suggested. “Perhaps ten, or fifteen. Let the ton get to know you while you learn how to run a household.”
Lady Julia nodded, her mind filled with ideas for garden parties and nights with musicians. But if the Duke did not care for such finery and fanfare, perhaps, would it be fair?
“I have almost outlived my usefulness to anyone,” the Dowager Duchess bemoaned. “My step-son has made it quite clear that I am to retire. But I can help you to take your rightful place.”
“You will always be needed, Your Grace,” Julia said.
“You’re very kind. But it is my step-son’s wish that I retire to London, where I won’t steal the show from you, My Dear.”
“But I need you here,” Lady Julia said, “to help me.”
“Perhaps you can convince him otherwise,” the Dowager Duchess said, smiling at her.
“Yes. I’ll have to,” she replied, taking the Dowager Duchess’ hand and pressing it. “We ladies have to stick together.”
Lady Julia was surprised that the Duke wanted the Dowager Duchess to leave. After all, this was her home. Not to mention, if the Dowager Duchess left, then would Lord Ayles leave, too?
Chapter 21
Eleanor was helping Lady Julia undress for the night, pulling the pins out of her long blonde hair, as she unwound it from the high bun that she’d put it in only hours before.
Eleanor knew that she was being quiet. Her stomach felt sick after Mr. Bradshaw�
�s message. Lady Julia hardly noticed—she was talking about all that had transpired during the evening.
“The Dowager Duchess says that the Duke has said that she must retire from here,” Lady Julia said. “I will have to speak with him, when we begin to discuss our marriage, though I don’t know when that will happen.”
Eleanor felt this like a knife to the heart. Of course. That’s what must happen, she reminded herself.
Lady Julia was silent for a moment, and Eleanor began to pull a brush through her long, blonde hair. “Though, I must admit, I’m beginning to wish that things were otherwise,” Lady Julia whispered.
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