Her youngest daughter, Juliet, however, was another matter. Although the girl would be joining Hannah and Isabel for the season, and therefore leaving the house empty, Juliet had a fiery temperament that concerned Eleanor more than Hannah’s reserved nature.
Sighing, Eleanor returned the tip of the quill to the parchment to complete the letter she had been writing before her thoughts had carried her away.
As for Juliet, she continues to remain as wild as the wind in a storm. She has grown to be a beautiful young woman, a fact she understands all too well and uses it to her advantage whenever possible. She may be prone to telling great tales, but her heart remains pure despite her deception. Although it may not be right of me to do so, I find that she holds a special place in my heart. I cannot explain my reasoning, Charles, although you should know. However, that is perhaps a secret meant only for my heart and not that of any other.
Although I shall never tell you or anyone this particular secret, I will tell you this. For all the hurt you have caused me, the grief you brought upon me during our marriage, in the end, you allowed me the most beautiful and strongest of daughters. And for that gift, you will always have my gratitude.
Eleanor looked down at the parchment and smiled. The letter was not complete, and it was time for her to retire for the night. It would be added to the many letters she had written to her husband over the course of the past four years since his death, and she was certain it would not be the last.
She rose from the chair and yawned. Her bed was calling to her.
However, before she could make her way to her bedroom, the sound of cry of pain resounded in the hall, causing Eleanor’s skin to go cold, and she recognized it as Juliet.
Chapter One
Two things existed in the world that Miss Juliet Lambert hoped to accomplish. The first was to attend her first season, for which she would leave the confines of her Wiltshire home in just a week’s time. Granted, she loved Scarlett Hall with its jutting parapets and grand towers, but so much more could be had in life beyond its walls, and she was determined to experience all she could. Parties, balls, dinners, dancing; to be a part of such a grand spectacle was a fantastic dream, and she could barely keep her excitement under wraps.
Her second goal in life was proving to be a greater difficulty. It was not the type of challenge that would last her a lifetime, for it had more to do with the sport than the prize. Daniel Hoskins, one of the handful of stable hands at Scarlett Hall, was of the lower class; however, Juliet found him handsome in his own way with his dark hair and brown eyes. Yet, for some reason the man barely showed her an ounce of interest, and for the life of her, she could not reason out why.
It was not for lack of trying that the man paid her little heed. She had batted her eyelashes at him in some effort to appear demure. She had dropped her handkerchief on the ground, and although he had retrieved it for her, he turned away almost immediately, much to her chagrin. She may as well have been one of his horses for all the interest he showed in her!
The fact of the matter was, how could Juliet expect to catch the eye of some noble duke or earl if she was unable to catch the eye of a lowly stable hand?
It was this frustration that had Juliet sitting in the drawing room with her sister Hannah, who was a year older and could not have been more different from Juliet. Whereas Juliet welcomed the idea of attending the season, Hannah had little interest in going to London. So much so that she had feigned an illness the year before in order to remain home. Juliet could not fathom any woman of the ton wishing to remain home when she could find such wonderful entertainment elsewhere.
“It will be the reason she gives her heart to him,” Hannah was saying, speaking of the characters in a book she was penning.
Although Hannah’s usual drivel about her writing typically bored Juliet, Juliet allowed it this evening. She was well out of ideas on how to gain Daniel’s attention, and since Hannah enjoyed romantic novels—a strange phenomenon since she cared little for romantic notions in her own life—perhaps an idea on how to catch Daniel would take root.
“That is fascinating,” Juliet replied. “Tell me again.”
Her sister smiled and smoothed the white skirts of her dress, a stark contrast to Juliet’s red. “In her defiance, Christine shall attempt to remove the ivy that has obscured her view from the window. Then she will slip and fall into the arms of Percival, who will be there to catch her when she falls.”
Juliet could not help but sigh as she thought of such a notion happening to her. It would be Daniel catching her in his strong arms, and she would reward him with a kiss. Of course, such an action on her part would be unladylike, but would it not be warranted for such a brave act? Daniel would be so overcome with her beauty that he would whisk her off to marry her, and he would find joy in working in order to buy her gifts, thankful that a man of his station had been fortunate to marry a woman such as she.
“It is the proposal about which I worry,” Hannah said with a shake to her head. “Would he make the request in a place that has some special significance, or should he speak to her outside her window as Romeo did with Juliet?”
Juliet clicked her tongue. “That is of little importance,” she said as she rose and walked over to the liquor cart. “What is important is the part when she falls.” She perused the numerous bottles until her eyes fell on a red wine lying in one of the slots on the side. She poured a glass and turned around, the bottle still in her hands.
“What are you doing with that?” Hannah demanded. “You do not mean to steal it, do you?”
Juliet laughed. “Steal it? My dear sister, how can one steal what one already owns?” For all the intelligence Hannah purportedly had, this riddle seemed to stump her. “I am merely going to allow myself a drink or two.”
Hannah glanced at the closed door. “I do not believe you should do that,” she said in that incessant admonishing tone she tended to use with Juliet. “If mother were to catch you drinking, she will be quite unhappy.”
Juliet returned to her sister and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “My sweet, innocent sister,” she said with a sigh. “Mother is busy in the office, hiding away as she oftentimes does. She takes no notice of what we do, nor does she care.”
Although the words were true, saying them aloud pained Juliet. Over the past year, their mother had become somewhat of a recluse, and she spent less time with any of her three daughters. Juliet was glad their brother Nathaniel was off at boarding school, for he was not home to endure the neglect. When Isabel married Laurence, Juliet had to admit that she and Hannah had become quite jealous of the time their mother had spent with the new couple.
“I hate to admit it,” Hannah replied, “but you are right. It hurts me that Mother has ignored us.” She sighed, and Juliet’s heart went out to her sister. Hannah was by far the most attached to their mother, and Juliet knew the woman hurt the most. “Juliet, may I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I…what I mean to say is the season…” Hannah sighed. “If I do not meet a gentleman, what do you suppose will happen?”
“You will meet someone eventually,” Juliet replied. “That is, after all, the true purpose of men and women.” She walked over to the fireplace and looked into the dancing flames. “We are to find love, if there is any to be had, of course. To court, to marry and to produce children faster than hats at a millinery.”
Hannah gasped. “Children? I do not want to have children.”
Juliet could not resist the urge of mischievousness that came over her. “Have you not heard the latest fashion of the ton?” she asked. Her sister replied with a shake to her head. “Why, women are now expected to have at least a dozen children.”
“This cannot be,” Hannah replied. “That many children? I cannot imagine! From my understanding, the pain of one childbirth is bad enough, but a dozen?” She looked up at Juliet. “And you? Will you do the same?”
Juliet laughed. “I? Children? I t
hink not. No man will put such a burden on me.”
“Not even Lord Parsons?” Hannah asked with a wicked smile. “I saw the manner in which he spoke to you at the Wilson Party.”
Juliet clenched her fist. They had attended that party three weeks earlier to celebrate the upcoming season. Lord Hugh Parsons, although a handsome man, was by no means a man she wished to court her. Her mother had accepted his first card, and Juliet found the man such a bore, she had almost fallen asleep. When he sent another card last week, Juliet had promptly refused before her mother had even seen it. Thankfully, her mother never learned of it, and Juliet had sworn the maid who had received it to secrecy.
“Not even Lord Parsons,” Juliet replied firmly. “That man is not worthy to look upon my beauty.”
A small smile played on Hannah’s lips. “And yet Daniel is?”
The words hung in the air, and Juliet felt her heart skip a beat as she thought of the stable hand. “That is silly even for you, Hannah,” Juliet retorted. Yet, the words were true. The idea that she was attracted to the man caused her great confusion. If only he was of noble blood! Regardless, there were plenty of gentlemen nearly as handsome and with far more wealth than he could ever dream of possessing. Yet, she could not stop herself from attempting to gain his attention.
Looking down at the bottle of wine she still held in her hand, Juliet knew it was time to implement the plan she had been devising for the past few weeks.
“Daniel is a stable hand,” she said with a jut to her chin. “Therefore, he stands among some of the poorest in England.”
“Then why do you spend so much time with the man?”
Juliet tightened her grip on the bottle. “If you must know,” she said with as much haughtiness as she could muster, “he has requested to gaze upon my beauty daily.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “It was a request about which I considered telling Mother, for I believed his intentions ill. However, then I realized that, as he said, there is no woman as beautiful as I.”
Hannah’s smile faltered, and Juliet seized the moment. She did not enjoy telling tales; however, at times, they were necessary.
“So, yes,” Juliet continued. “I do allow Daniel to gaze upon me, for it gives the man the strength to complete his work.”
“It sounds odd,” Hannah said.
Juliet shook her head in disbelief and headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To the stable,” Juliet replied. “My horse has not been well, and I must check on her.”
Without waiting for a response, Juliet hurried down the hallway, the bottle clutched to her breast. The servants, including Forbes, the butler, would more than likely have retired for the night, and with her mother busy in the office, it was the perfect time to escape.
She glanced around as she wrapped her cloak over her shoulders, and with the bottle of wine now hidden beneath the heavy wool, she made her way out the door. Yes, now was the most opportune time to implement her plan. For, if someone as well-respected as Lord Parsons had an interest in her, then a simple stable boy had no excuse not to, as well.
***
The horizon was a beautiful red, much like the wine in the bottle Juliet carried as she made her way to the stables. Her mind and heart both raced with excitement at what she planned to do.
The story Hannah told had been brilliant, and for a moment, Juliet regretted the many tales she had told concerning the season. Poor Hannah was anxious enough about attending without Juliet’s help. Her sister would see that there was nothing about which to concern herself once they were there.
Yet, Juliet worried. Although she desperately wanted to go to London, the idea of not seeing Daniel for so many months did not sit well with her. It was strange that she had these feelings, for a woman of her station did not cavort with men from his. Despite the fact he had not shown any interest in her as a man would have for a woman, they had shared in many talks that she found rather intriguing. Her mother and Isabel had warned her that spending too much time in the stables was unbecoming of a lady; however, that advice, much like any other she received, went unheeded. She was intelligent enough to get out of any situation that might occur, despite the warnings.
Slipping through the white painted wooden door, Juliet glanced around. The horses were locked away in their stalls, and the stench of the place made her feel ill. The stables were well-maintained, but even the slightest odious odor could shake the countenance of any young lady. However, she had a plan to fulfill, and she would not leave until she saw it completed.
She narrowed her eyes in the dim light searching for someone particular, a beast much like the horses. She strained to hear any sounds of the man, but only the light neighing of horses or faint movement from their stalls was all she heard. At the end of the long corridor, a smaller hallway branched off to the right and led to a large room. There was where numerous saddles and blankets were kept, and at one of the several tables sat Daniel working on a saddle. As she drew closer, she realized it was hers.
Her legs grew weak as she watched the man. His shirt drew tight across his broad back, and that might have been enough, but it was the hands that worked the saddle that made her heart flutter and her face burn, for the muscles under his sleeves relaxed and contracted with each movement he made.
“It’s an honor to have you here again, Miss Juliet,” Daniel said without looking up from his work. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Juliet swallowed hard in an attempt to bring moisture to her suddenly dry mouth. “I-I came to check on my saddle. Have you fixed it according to my wishes?”
“I have,” he replied. “Or rather I’m almost finished.”
“Please,” Juliet said, “continue as if I were not here.”
The man nodded, his dark hair bouncing from the movement. His arm muscles bulged as he pulled tight one of the knots.
How could a man such as he be awarded with such a strong body?
Juliet started when the man stood and faced her. With brown eyes and a strong jaw and cheekbones that highlighted a rare smile, the word handsome did not do him justice. In truth, Juliet had never seen such a finer man as he. However, she would never admit as much to him.
“I’ve finished your saddle,” he said with a bow. “I hope it’s to your liking.”
Juliet swallowed hard again, reminding herself of her position in life. Although winning the man’s gaze was of the utmost importance, she had to maintain a ladylike stance. It would do no good giving the poor man any ideas. Well, perhaps a few ideas, but she could not allow it to go too far; she had to respect her position in society.
“I would like to see it now,” she replied as she walked over to him. The dark brown leather had light tan strips, giving it a far different appearance from those of her sisters. In all honesty, it was the most beautiful saddle she had ever seen in her life. “It is acceptable,” she replied, although keeping her excitement hidden was difficult.
“Acceptable?” Daniel asked in shock. “I’m sorry. Doesn’t it make you happy?”
Juliet turned to the man and looked into his eyes. A woman could become lost in them if she did not keep her guard.
“Miss Juliet?”
She shook her head to clear it. “Yes. It is fine. Thank you for doing the work I requested.”
“I’ll try harder next time,” he said sadly, his eyes lowered. “I think my craftsmanship is getting better, though, don’t you?”
Juliet sighed. “A lady such as I has high standards. I realize that you, unlike Lord Parsons, understands those standards.” The man raised his head and smiled, and Juliet had to suppress a grin. Men were so predictable and easy to manipulate! “Yet, I find your willingness to please me admirable.”
“Thank you, Miss Juliet,” he replied. “I’m happy to hear that. I’ll do better next time, I promise.”
Juliet turned and walked over to one of the worktables where various tools lay. She placed the wine bottle she had brought with her on the table a
nd picked up one of the tools with a pronged end that reminded her of a fork. “You recall me telling you of Lord Parsons, do you not?”
“Yes,” Daniel said. “He’s the gentleman from the party you went to with your sisters and Miss Annabel, if I remember.”
A streak of jealousy rushed through Juliet at hearing her cousin’s name. Annabel was beautiful with her wheat-colored hair and blue eyes, and Juliet could not help but worry that perhaps her cousin had caught Daniel’s eye when she, herself, had not been successful.
“You are correct,” she responded as she replaced the tool and chose another, as if that were the object of her discussion. “He sent me another card last week, as well as a letter.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” the stable hand replied, much to Juliet’s frustration. “From what you’ve told me about him, he’s a respected gentleman.”
Juliet clenched her fist. Was the boy daft? Could he not see she wanted him, not Lord Parsons, to look her way? She turned and allowed a moment to take in his strong features. “I, too, believe the same,” she replied. “Or I did until I received his letter. I must admit it frightened me and…” She paused for dramatic effect. “Oh, I suppose my safety holds little concern for you.”
“Miss Juliet, I’m very concerned about your safety. And your happiness. You may tell me if you’d like.”
Juliet pressed a hand to her breast and sighed. There were times to tell tales, and now was indeed one of those times. “I will because I trust you. Can I trust you?”
The man nodded. “Of course.”
“Well, you see, at the party, when Lord Parsons spoke to me, he told me I was the most beautiful woman in all of England. However, the card that came with his letter held such vile words…”
“What did it say?” Was that anger in his voice? Oh, she hoped so!
“He wishes to kiss me, to press his lips to mine,” she said with feigned modesty, as if such an act was beyond her senses. “That such an honor was worthy of payment. He then offered me the sum of five thousand pounds and the deed to a parcel of land near Dover.” She looked up. “I have never been more offended in all my life!”
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