Whatever their motivations, the staffing of Worfields, in conjunction with the final preparations for the assembly, kept Selina frantically busy during the ensuing week. On Sunday morning, Winthrop grudgingly conceded that they could “limp along’’ with a staff of twenty, which would necessitate the hiring of “only” sixteen additional personnel.
“Sixteen inside the house, that is,” he added. “As you and his lordship have no carriages or horses”—he frowned disapprovingly—“we shan’t require coachmen and grooms and stableboys. However, we are still left
with the grounds, and we shall need at least three
gardeners.”
Selina wearily nodded and subsequently, by her estimate, was compelled to interview perhaps half a hundred chambermaids and parlormaids, scullery maids and lady’s maids, valets and gardeners, footmen and footboys. This awesome task was completed at noon Thursday, when Selina checked the final scullery maid off her list, and she shoved her notes on the staff to the far side of the bonheur-du-jour desk in the parlor and drew forward her notes on the ball. The florist had discovered himself short of potted palms and planned to substitute potted ferns. Selina hated ferns. The caterer had belatedly recollected that oysters were out of season and proposed salmon instead. Selina despised salmon. The orchestra leader had fallen ill, and his cousin was to take his place. Well, the cousin would not exactly take his place because the cousin played only cello. Therefore the second violinist would play first violin, and, rather than a second violin, there would be two cellos . .. Selina crumpled the paper and sniffed back an infuriating threat of tears.
But by Friday afternoon, the situation looked miraculously brighter: Grandmama sent word that the florist had received a new supply of potted palms and the orchestra leader had recovered from his illness. That left the salmon, of course, but Selina was sufficiendy encouraged to send Mrs. Seymour’s coachman back with the assurance that everything was in readiness at Worfields as well. Addison, the coachman, hastened back some forty-five minutes later with another communication from Grandmama: though she had the utmost faith in Selina, perhaps—in view of her vasdy greater years of experience—she really should inspect the premises herself. As it was nearing six o’clock oy now, Selina felt she really should invite Mrs. Seymour to dinner, and she dashed off an appropriate note and thrust it into Addison’s hands. The beleaguered coachman, visibly perspiring, fairly vaulted to the box of the barouche and raced down the drive again.
The carriage returned prompdy at seven, Grandmama
regally ensconced within. Abbot rushed down the steps to assist her out, one of the new footmen escorted her to the door, and one of the new maids bounded forward to take her wrap. Winthrop himself led Mrs. Seymour and Selina to the ballroom, where—after running one white-gloved fingertip along every windowsill— Grandmama pronounced herself satisfied. Winthrop, unmistakably preening, guided them back to the dining room, and at this juncture, there was a slight hitch: the remaining new footmen were bitterly arguing amongst themselves as to just how the various serving dishes should be situated on the sideboard. Fortunately, Alex and Papa and Jeremy fairly stumbled over one another in their eagerness to seat Mrs. Seymour, and Selina thought Grandmama might well have failed to notice the lapse.
If she had noticed, she must soon forget it, Selina thought confidently, for the footmen abruptly ceased their bickering and served the meal quite flawlessly. Furthermore, Mrs. Larkin had outdone herself: the thick, rich mulligatawny was followed by a savory shrimp concoction, which, in turn, was supplanted by roast beef, asparagus and tiny, perfectly cooked potatoes. Selina was pleasantly stuffed by the time the dessert arrived, and evidently Mrs. Seymour shared her content because she merely picked at the warm, flaky mince pie.
“I wish to say that I am exceedingly proud of you, Selina," Grandmama stated at length. The footmen had delivered coffee and brandy, and she paused and sipped at the latter. “I knew you to be a clever girl, of course, but I must own to some doubt as to whether you coaid administer an establishment the size of Worfields. A great English household is, after all, substantially different from a cabin in the American wilderness.”
Selina elected not to point out that, even in their darkest moments, she and Papa had never occupied a cabin in the wilderness.
“However,” Mrs. Seymour continued, “you have surpassed my most optimistic hopes: it is clear that you will not only be an excellent wife for Alexander but a splen-
did mistress of his properties as well. Consequently, I judge it the proper time to settle the question of my
estate.”
A deep, almost palpable silence fell upon the table, and Selina suddenly perceived what the Earl had been at. He himself had mentioned Grandmama’s propensity for conducting tests, and he must have sensed that she was not quite ready to approve her new granddaughter- in-law. No, Selina had to prove herself capable as well as “thrifty” and “clever,” and his lordship had speedily
f
irovided her an opportunity to do so. She shot him a urious glare down the length of the table, but he was peering intently into his brandy glass.
“Naturally I shall revise my will,” Mrs. Seymour went on, “but I shall also make arrangements for the immediate future. I have no desire to keep you on a leash, so to speak, so I shall instruct my solicitor to transfer a certain sum to you at once."
Alex and Miss Bradley had won, Selina thought bitterly, had won more and more easily than they could possibly have dreamed. She glanced at the Earl again, but he was now swirling his brandy about his glass.
“It will not be an enormous sum,” Grandmama cautioned, “but, wisely invested, I am sure it will provide an adequate income. And I am further sure that you, Selina, will invest it very wisely indeed.”
“Selina!" Alex crashed his glass on the table, and a small fountain of brandy gushed up the sides and over the rim.
“Did I fail to make myself clear?” Mrs. Seymour sighed. “It is no reflection on you, Alexander; truly it is not. Your father was more careless with money than most, but my own dear Samuel was far from blameless in that regard. And I fancy John will admit that he is a dreadful spendthrift.” She smiled at Papa, who seemed to be strangling on his own brandy. “In short, after five and seventy years of observation, I have concluded that women generally manage money far better than men, and I shall therefore entrust my funds to Selina.”
“And—and your will?” his lordship choked.
“Since I wish to be perfectly fair, I shall adjust Harriet's
and Jeremy’s shares of my estate upward so as to compensate for the early payment to you. I shall leave Harriet’s portion direcdy to her, and yours and Jeremy’s will be placed in trust, with Selina as executrix.”
Time! Selina thought desperately; she and the Earl must have time to evaluate this monumental new complication. “I—I am deeply flattered by your confidence, Grandmama,” she stammered. “However, as you have known me but a few weeks, I daresay you would be more comfortable if you postponed such a grave decision—"
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Seymour interposed crisply. “A delay could prove quite literally fatal, for at my age, one never knows just what may happen. No, I am firmly persuaded of your ability, dear, and I shall visit my solicitor on Monday and have him draw up the required papers. And now, as I want to be entirely refreshed for the ball, I fear I must beg to be excused.”
There was nothing more to be said: Grandmama wiped her mouth, deposited her napkin on the table and rose. The rest of the party trailed her into the foyer, where Selina mumbled a hasty good-night and raced up the stairs. Her initial inclination was to hide in her bedchamber, ignoring the frantic knocks Alex would no doubt lay on her door, but she soon realized that any such escape would be cowardly in the extreme. No, she and his lordship must calmly, frankly discuss this latest, most disastrous bumblebath, and she nervously paced the sitting room, awaiting his arrival. Whether fortunately or un-, she did not have long to wait: she calculated that som
e thirty seconds had elapsed when the sitting-room door flew open and the Earl stepped over the threshold.
“I did not influence her in any way, Alex,” she wailed. So much for calm. “Please, you must believe me: Grandmama and I have never talked of her estate in any but the most general manner—’’
“I do believe you,” his lordship hissed, “so for God’s sake, keep your voice down.” He closed the door and crossed to her side. “You forget that there are dozens of servants prowling about.”
He cocked his blond head toward each of the doors in turn, and Selina listened as well. But there was no sound anywhere—the master suite was utterly quiet— and eventually Alex nodded and relaxed.
"I do believe you,” he repeated. “Though I must confess that I was somewhat surprised when Grandmama made her announcement.”
“Stunned” or “horrified” might better describe his reaction, Selina thought, but she decided not to issue a correction.
“However,” the Earl continued, “upon reflection, I recognized that Grandmama was behaving quite characteristically. She created a test, you passed it, and she rewarded you.”
“You created the test,” Selina said. “It was you who suggested we staff Worfields.”
“WintJirop suggested we staff Worfields. Indeed, as I recall, Winthrop demanded it.”
“But you agreed,” Selina insisted. “Grandmama had nothing to do with it.”
“What is your point?”
“My point is that you were hoping for the very event which has occurred. Well, not the very event,” she amended; “you were hoping Grandmama would give you a substantial sum of money. But i daresay, as you are suddenly so cheery, that you have figured a way to surmount that obstacle. You will probably ask me to compose a will in your favor, and when I ‘die,’ the money will go to you—”
“Impossible.” Alex shook his head. “To begin with, I should be astonished if Grandmama neglected to cover that contingency: she will surely specify that in the event of your death, the money is to revert to her.”
“And if she does not?"
“If she does not, there is a chance—albeit remote— that we should be exposing ourselves to prosecution for fraud. It would require a combination of circumstances, of course. Someone would have to discover that you were not dead and we were never married. Then that someone would have to inform Grandmama of our hoax. She would understandably conclude that we
had deliberately set out to steal her money, and she might well be sufficiently irate to pursue the matter legally. Although, as I indicated, the likelihood is remote.”
Remote? Selina recollected Miss Bradley’s determination to ferret out the truth about her and Alex's marriage; what better “someone” could there be? And Miss Bradley need not await Selina’s alleged death to tattle to Mrs. Seymour. No, once the money was in Selina’s hands, which, by Grandmama’s pronouncement, would occur on Monday . . .
“Fraud!” Selina was wailing again. “Then we must tell her, Alex. Before she can visit her solicitor, we must tell Grandmama we are not married.”
“That is one alternative," his lordship agreed, “but I fancy I’ve a better one. I propose we convert illusion to truth.”
“Convert illusion to truth?” Selina echoed.
“Legitimize our situation.”
“Legitimize our situation?”
“Must I bow to tradition and grovel about on my knees?” the Earl roared. “I am asking you to marry me!”
“Marry?” Selina gasped. “You would wed me for Grandmama’s money?”
It was, at best, a rhetorical question—perhaps more in the way of an outburst—but, to her surprise, Alex mulled it over a moment.
“I do not know,” he responded at last. “I am inclined to think I should not, but I honestly don’t know. In any event, Grandmama’s money is beside the point, for I intended to reveal my sentiments weeks ago, the day we first came to Worfields. However, on that occasion, you were busily misinterpreting my words, babbling of Isabella—”
“I was not babbling," Selina protested stiffly. “I naturally assumed—”
“Yes, you did,” his lordship snapped, “and your assumptions, your incessant interruptions, created this most recent coil. I should therefore appreciate it if you would hush and listen to me until I have finished.”
Selina did not think her interruptions could remotely be termed “incessant,” but she bit her lip and nodded.
“Very well.” Alex smiled, but, to Selina’s further surprise, his mouth seemed a bit unsteady round the edges. "The fact is, I have come to find you quite— quite compatible. You are clever, yes—I told you that long since—but you also amuse me. Amuse me in the best sense of the word: I thoroughly enjoy your company. Indeed, I must own that since our move to Worfields, I have rather missed you.”
He stopped and waved vaguely about the master suite, and Selina discovered that her heart was crashing most alarmingly against her ribs. She wondered if she should confess that she had missed him as well, but he had forbidden her to speak, and she gazed down at his splendid new boots.
“You are no doubt wondering about Isabella,” the Earl continued, “so I shall spare you the trouble of an inquiry. On the night of Grandmama’s ball in London, I was inevitably compelled to compare the two of you, and I could not conceive why I had ever been attracted to Isabella. As I remember, I grew a trifle irritable at that juncture, but I daresay no man welcomes the revelation of his own poor judgment.”
He had grown excessively irritable, Selina recalled, and he had apparently forgotten the immense attraction of Miss Bradley's fortune. But she must not interrupt, and she bit her lip again and inspected his indigo pantaloons.
“In short,” Alex went on, “I was confused: I much preferred you to Isabella, but I was not yet prepared to speak. On the other hand, I couldn’t risk letting you go, so when Grandmama proposed the trip to Wiltshire, I seized upon it as an opportunity to gain time. I attempted to explain my feelings in Reading, but you were chattering of Isabella then, too, and I could not find the words.”
He hesitated again, and Selina raised her eyes to the buttons of his pale blue waistcoat.
“Our first visit to Worfields settled the matter in my mind: I perceived that, with you at my side, it could be a happy home for me and for Jeremy as well. You may recollect that I asked whether you could be happy here, but you chose to misconstrue my question, and I fancied you were not yet ready to entertain my suit. I needed more time, and I was consequently delighted when you and Grandmama planned a housewarming ball. The staffing of the house offered still another extension, so I eagerly acceded to Winthrop’s impertinent ultimatum.”
He paused once more, and Selina ventured a glance at his neckcloth.
“Which brings us nearly to the present.moment,” his lordship concluded. “I should like only to add that the intervening weeks have in no way altered my opinion. To the contrary, as I stated earlier, I have found us increasingly compatible, and I believe I should be very happy with you indeed. I must therefore ask again whether you could be happy with me. Though perhaps I should first inquire if I have omitted anything.”
“One thing.” Selina forced herself to look at his face, and she discovered his eyes dark and unreadable. “You have not mentioned love."
“Love?” Alex sighed. “I did not mention ‘love’ because it is an emotion I cannot define. What is ‘love,’ Selina? I have always counted it a superior form of friendship; am I mistaken?”
“There is more to marriage than—than ‘friendship,’ ” Selina said.
“Ah, you are speaking of passion then. Be assured you will not find me lacking in that regard, for I have desired you from the first instant I saw you.”
He reached out and touched her cheek, very gendy, but Selina could not repress a shiver.
“You needn’t be afraid.” His voice was low, hoarse, just above a whisper. “I taught you to ride horseback, and lovemaking is far easier and infinitely more pleasurable.�
�
He lowered his head, and Selina was Briefly reminded of his outrageous advance in London, but this was totally different. His lips touched hers so lightly that they might almost have been a dream, but despite that— because of that?—her own mouth parted quite willingly beneath his. Then, only then, his fingers left her face and tangled in her hair, and he groaned and pulled her against him. Against him, but not close enough, and Selina’s arms wound round his neck. Was this desire? she wondered distandy—this aching need to be ever closer, this compelling urge to be consumed? His lips moved to her ear, to her neck, and Selina struggled desperately out of his grasp.
“No!” she panted. “No, I must have time to think."
“Time, time; think, think.” The Earl essayed a grin, but it was decidedly shaky. “You are much too sensible, Selina; I daresay I shall have to provide instruction in that area as well. And I have not even finished the current lesson . .
He reached for her again, and as Selina dodged away, her bedchamber door creaked open.
“Ah, here you are, Lady Worsham,” Rose said brighdy. “Forgive me, ma’am, but I just learned that dinner was over. If you are not yet ready to go to bed—”
“I fear her ladyship is not yet ready to go to bed,” Alex interposed solemnly, “but I believe she would like to retire.”
“No? Yes?”
Rose frowned, and as she puzzled over Lord Worsham’s odd remark, Selina fled across the sitting room. The hapless maid had just begun to shake her head when Selina reached the bedchamber door, shoved Rose through it and slammed the door behind them.
The Counterfeit Countess Page 16
