My Lord Tremaine

by Oliver, Marina

  That caught Lady Tremaine's attention.

  'Really, William? Perhaps you, or your mother, who I must assume was in charge of the indoor servants, should instruct me on how to run an establishment of this size? I believe your own house is so modest you are saying it cannot house your mother when you – finally – leave the Court.'

  William flushed, but shook his head when Mrs Tremaine would have sprung to their defence.

  'I would be able to sleep if I moved back to my old room,' was all he said, and almost immediately Lady Tremaine gave the signal for the ladies to depart.

  *

  It was on the following morning, just after breakfast when Edmund was on his way to the estate office at the far end of the east wing, that he heard William's hectoring voice. He turned the corner to find Elinor standing in front of Jane's door, and William looming over her.

  'I demand you let me in, Madam!'

  'Pray be quiet, William. Jane is asleep. She had a disturbed night, and needs to rest.'

  'You dare to keep me from my own wife? You are an impertinent chit, and I won't stand for it! And you need not imagine you are coming with her when I take her back to Bude. I'll engage another maid!'

  'I'm not her maid, and you did not engage me, William! If you had done so you would have been obliged to pay me a wage, but you are too mean for that. As for my wishing to live with your family, there is nothing I'd like less! I just pity Jane who will have no choice.'

  He began to bluster, while Elinor tried to persuade him to keep his voice down. He seized her by the arms and attempted to drag her away from the door.

  'I'll not stomach defiance from a chit like you!' he roared.

  'What's all this commotion?' Edmund demanded. 'Perhaps, William, you will cease brawling in my house, and certainly you will not lay hands on another of my guests.'

  William turned towards him, letting Elinor go so abruptly she almost fell.

  'I'll do what I wish! I will not be kept from my wife! I need to talk to her!'

  'But when your wife comes downstairs, you can see her and talk with her to your heart's content.'

  William snorted, but he turned on his heel and stalked away. Elinor gave a sigh of relief and smiled rather tremulously at Edmund.

  'I am so thankful you came along, my lord. I thought he was going to force his way into the room.'

  It was, he thought, a difficult task she had to protect her sister from his deplorable cousin.

  'Is your sister really asleep?'

  'After all his noise? No, but she had a bad night and needs to rest. That is the last thing he grants her, peace and rest!'

  There was something he did not understand in her words. He frowned, and looked questioningly at her. Suddenly she seemed embarrassed.

  'I must go back to her. She will have heard this commotion and be fretting.'

  'Of course. And do tell her to pay no heed to my mother's insensitive comments last night. I was only a child, and did not understand at the time, but I recall my Aunt Susan telling me that when my mother was carrying me, she spent far too much time cosseting herself, and too little on her other duties.'

  Elinor giggled. 'Thank you,' she said, and turned to open the door.

  Edmund went on his way. Did he really recall that, he wondered, or had he said it in an effort to help Elinor. The girl had looked harassed, and he had suddenly realised what a burden she was undertaking, looking after a peevish sister and protecting her, if that was what it was, from a dominating husband.

  The girls were so very different, he mused as he sat in the office, papers spread out before him, but doing no work. He had not known Elinor previously, for she had been at school. Though younger than Jane, she seemed to be the leader, both protecting Jane and contriving for her. He had for some time disbelieved the story of her frequent nightmares. Why did they carry on that farce? Could it be to keep William away from his wife? He recalled the tales he had been told of William's forcing the maids to grant him sexual favours. The man had, he'd thought then, been insatiable. Was he, deprived of access to the maids, becoming importunate towards his wife? It was his right, but surely a sensitive man, knowing his wife was ailing, would be considerate?

  He sighed. Elinor seemed capable of protecting her sister, but she could not be there always. He could not intervene, and he was well aware no appeal to Mrs Tremaine to speak with her son would be heeded, or if it were, be successful.

  He turned to the papers in front of him. Dealing with these problems was easy, dealing with people far too difficult.

  *

  Lady Tremaine seemed to be hugging to herself some welcome news when they gathered before dinner that evening. She had received several letters that day, but did not mention them to Edmund. She carried on a voluminous correspondence with various members of the family, and friends she had had since childhood, many of whom he had never met, so he was not expecting her to tell him any news. That it pleased her was obvious. She made an effort, he felt, to ask Jane if she felt better today, and was gracious to Mrs Tremaine, asking her whether she had yet visited the Dower House to put it in order for when she and Amelia went to live there.

  Mrs Tremaine replied she had not thought the Dower House in a fit state for anyone to live in.

  'I am sure, if you tell my son what needs doing, he will set any repairs in train. I feel certain you wish to have your own home as soon as possible.'

  It was obvious Mrs Tremaine had no wish to leave the Court, despite the attitude of Lady Tremaine. She seemed willing to put up with discourtesy in order to remain with William.

  'It will only be until the New Year, less than six months, so it does not seem worth the trouble and expense, especially as you will no doubt be moving there yourself when his lordship brings home a bride.'

  Lady Tremaine smiled, but made no reply. She continued to smile for the rest of the evening, and came downstairs on the following morning just before the ladies were about to sit down to luncheon.

  'Don't serve immediately,' she told Gooch. 'I am expecting a visitor. Go and ask his lordship to come and join us today.'

  Elinor heard this, but thought little about it. There had been no visitors to the Court apart from lawyers, and Edmund had seen them, the ladies had not even been introduced. She had thought it odd no one from the village had called, but Mrs Craven had explained they felt it was Lady Tremaine's place to make the first move.

  'Not that she was ever very sociable,' she had added. 'We are not good enough to mix with her.'

  Elinor and Jane were in a small parlour that overlooked the driveway when the sound of carriage wheels on the gravel came to them.

  'This must be the visitor,' Elinor said, and explained what she had overheard. 'I wonder who it can be that she makes so much fuss over it?'

  She went to the window in time to see a footman spring down from where he had been riding on the rumble seat of the big travelling carriage, and let down the steps. The door opened, and a girl was helped down. She was, Elinor decided, dressed in the height of fashion. Her pelisse was of a celestial blue, trimmed with sable, and she wore a hat with a huge poke bonnet, also in pale blue and with darker blue ribbons falling behind. As she trod down the steps she revealed a slender ankle.

  An older woman descended after her, soberly gowned in a dark brown cloak, and carrying what looked like a jewel case that she snatched away when the footman offered to relieve her of it. This was presumably the girl's maid.

  Gooch was at the front door, and two of Edmund's footmen were waiting to unload what appeared to be a mountain of luggage. The girl went forward and disappeared into the house.

  'Well,' Elinor exclaimed, 'it looks as though this visitor has come to stay for months! I wonder who she is?'

  They were to discover this when Gooch came later to ask them to step into the drawing room.

  'For it seems we're to be all formal today.'

  'Who is it?' Elinor demanded.

  He shook his head.

  'I don't know
, Miss Elinor. I've been here for many a year, but I can't recall seeing her before.'

  She and Jane went, as bidden, to the drawing room. The girl was seated on a sopha beside Lady Tremaine, who was patting her hand. She wore a simple muslin gown, again in pale blue with a darker blue flounce, but it had obviously been made by a first class modiste. She turned to smile at the sisters, and showed a row of small white teeth and rosy lips. Her eyes were of a brilliant blue, and her golden ringlets were tied in a knot on top of her head, with a blue ribbon. Did she ever wear any other colours, Elinor wondered as the girl, who was about her own age, or a little older, sprang to her feet to greet them.

  Sir Edmund, Elinor saw, was standing with one foot on the fire guard, and looking somewhat sardonic.

  'Come in, my dears, and meet Diana Poyser,' Lady Tremaine said in the friendliest tone she had yet used towards the sisters. 'This is my dear niece, and she has come to stay with me while her parents voyage to India. Jane is William's wife, Diana, and Elinor is her sister. They are staying here while this horrible business is sorted out.'

  *

  CHAPTER 9

  William came in just as the others were moving into the dining room. He frowned when he saw Diana, but after a surly greeting said nothing more, concentrating on his food and drinking copious glasses of wine, so that Elinor wondered he was still so steady when they left the table. He said he was going to ride, laughed at some private joke, and made towards the stables. Jane glanced after him and said she meant to rest during the afternoon. Elinor suspected she was put out of countenance by Diana, who had kept up a lively chatter for the entire meal. Jane was used to Edmund paying her polite attentions at meals, but he had been forced to listen to Diana's shrill voice relating all the gossip of Bristol, and boasting of her success during the months she had just spent in London.

  Elinor herself had promised to help Mattie in the still room. Mattie was full of scorn for Mrs Tremaine, who had made no effort to preserve any of the surplus early fruit, or see that the usual tasks had been completed by the servants if she chose not to do them herself.

  'She's just not a proper housewife, 'Mattie said.

  It was therefore late in the afternoon before Elinor went to see if Jane needed her help. She suspected her sister would be making a special effort with her dress that evening, competing with Diana. The younger girl was clearly wealthy, and she had brought enough luggage with her to be able to wear a different gown each day.

  She found Jane curled up in bed, sobbing gustily.

  'Jane, love, what's the matter? Are you ill?'

  Jane's sobs redoubled in intensity, and she turned a woebegone face towards her sister.

  'He – he came to me!' she sobbed. 'He laughed, and said he was not to be denied any longer, and you were not being a guard dog. Oh, Elinor, he hurt me! He was so rough!'

  Elinor was puzzled.

  'He said he was going riding. And he was wearing breeches and his riding boots at luncheon.'

  'He said it was me he meant to ride!'

  Elinor stared at her in horror.

  'Oh, how could he!'

  'Elinor, he was wearing spurs. He – he kept prodding me with them! My feet and legs are bleeding!'

  Elinor swallowed hard and suppressed her fury. She would deal with William later. Now she had to help Jane.

  'Let me see,' she commanded, and pulled back the covers.

  There were many scratches on Jane's feet and the lower part of her legs, but as far as Elinor could see, although they were still seeping some blood, they were superficial. None had gone deep, but she wondered how any man could be so vicious towards his wife, and one, moreover, who was carrying his heir.

  'I'll fetch Mattie,' she said. 'She knows what to do.'

  Mattie, when she saw the state of Jane's feet, sent Elinor to collect some oak leaves.

  'I'll bind them over the wounds, they'll stop the bleeding,' she said. 'Then I have a salve made with comfrey, and that will soothe the pain.'

  'Oak leaves?' Elinor asked. 'Do they really stop the bleeding?'

  'I've seen them cure much worse wounds than these,' Mattie said. 'I don't know why they do, but if something is effective, I'll use it. Now go and fetch me some, while I clean my poor dear's legs.'

  Half an hour later Jane was bandaged and resting in bed. Elinor said she must pretend to be worse than she was, and so remain in bed. She had given Jane some laudanum and hoped she would soon sleep. She and Mattie went into her dressing room and closed the door. Only then did Mattie let her anger show.

  'That William is mad!' she exclaimed. 'He needs to be put in an asylum! How could he treat his poor wife so barbarously?'

  Elinor shook her head.

  'It may be my fault,' she said slowly. 'I prevented him from using the maids, and I've been keeping him from Jane too, so when he finally managed to get to her he was angry.'

  'It's not your fault he's a ravening beast, my pet. But what can we do now?'

  'I ought to tell his lordship, and ask him to send William away.'

  'He'd insist on taking Jane with him, and he'd have the right. No, I have a better plan. Since he's been complaining of sleeplessness he's been taking laudanum, and also something he says settles his stomach. Molly prepares it for me. He eats too much,' she added, and Elinor laughed.

  'I know he is not funny, but I wish he would burst,' she said. 'But it seems I now have to guard Jane by day too.'

  'We'll contrive, I can sit with her during the day. I'll add more laudanum, and if that doesn't work I'll add a few things to his medicine which will keep him occupied.'

  'What do you mean?'

  'A purge. If I can contrive, I'll add salt of tartar. It's not such a strong taste as ginger, but perhaps I can put in both.'

  'You are a wicked old woman!'

  'We need to be to foil a wicked man. Now I'll stay with Jane while you go and change. You've blood on your gown, and it's almost dinner time.'

  *

  When Elinor announced that Jane was too ill to join them, William glowered at her. She thought he looked ill at ease, and wondered whether he expected her to tell the company just what ailed Jane. She was tempted, but it would shame her sister, so she held her peace, vowing only that if matters grew worse she would tell Edmund and beg him to intervene.

  Diana, in a silk dress of a delicate primrose shade, and carrying a Norwich shawl, was in an ebullient mood. She wore a necklace of diamonds, far too elaborate for a simple dinner in the country, and several diamond bracelets which kept getting caught in her shawl as she gesticulated excitedly. This necessitated her laughingly asking Edmund to release her. So far as Elinor, watching with an inward frown, could tell, he was relishing her lively behaviour. Diana was just the sort of girl to attract him, lively and wealthy – though she would not have thought Edmund would be swayed by her money.

  Lady Tremaine watched Diana with an approving smile. She was clearly attempting to make a match between her son and her niece. Would Edmund fall for his cousin?

  Diana was explaining that her father was an East India merchant. He and her mother had gone to oversee his business in India, and expected to be away for many months, and she was so very grateful to her dear Aunt and cousin for their hospitality.

  Mrs Tremaine tried more than once to snub the girl. She tutted and glared, but Diana blithely ignored such hints. This having failed, the older woman said that in her young days chits only just out did not put themselves forward in an unseemly manner. Diana looked at her with raised eyebrows.

  'Oh dear, do you think I am being unseemly? Aunt, is it true? Edmund, am I giving you a disgust of me?'

  'You are naturally lively, my dear,' Lady Tremaine said, smiling at her while at the same time shooting angry glances at Mrs Tremaine.

  Elinor almost choked, and had to take a hasty gulp of wine. How could one face show both anger and complacency at the same time? She glanced at Edmund, and found him talking to Gooch, apparently unaware of the undercurrents around his table
.

  Diana soon reclaimed his attention, and said languishingly that when the wretched rain ceased Edmund must show her every inch of the estate.

  'For I have forgotten so much, and it has been years since I was here before. And you and your friends were so unkind, always running away so that I could not follow. Will you run away from me now, dear Cousin Edmund?'

  'I think dear Edmund will appreciate your company better now,' his mother said when it seemed as though Edmund was not about to reply.

  Diana sighed. 'Oh, if he finds me a tedious bore, then I will not plague him. Perhaps you, Cousin William, will be my escort? After all, you reigned here for six months before poor Edmund recovered his memory and came home, you must know the entire estate. Perhaps you have forgot, Edmund?'

  'I am recalling more every day,' Edmund replied.

  Did he find her company pleasant, Elinor wondered. Was this the way debutantes behaved during the Season in London? If so, she was thankful she would never be going to London, never have to behave in such a fashion.

  When the ladies left the room Mrs Tremaine and Amelia went as usual to their private sitting room, and Elinor said she needed to check on Jane.

  Her sister was sleeping peacefully, and Mattie informed her she had found a key which fitted the door between Jane's and William's dressing rooms.

  'So I have locked it. Here's the key, keep it by you. Now go back to the drawing room. You can't desert Lady Tremaine like those others do. So rude, it is! I'll stay with Jane till you come to bed.'

  Elinor sighed. 'I suppose I must.'

  'That girl, Diana, is after his lordship,' Mattie said. 'Is he going to let her?'

  'How can I tell? And what do you know about it?'

  'Phyllis came to see if I needed any help, after you'd all gone in to dinner. She brought me my dinner, but Jane was asleep, she didn't have any, so we had a gossip. Never mind, lovey. Now I've had a bed put in the dressing room, so you won't be on your own. Just let this precious husband try to force his way in tonight! He'll find more than he bargained for!'