She and Charlotte returned to the salon to find the gentlemen awaiting them. Amy looked an enquiry at Sir James.
‘A splendid body of men!’ he enthused. ‘Some are accustomed to working on the land, but there are scholars among them too.’
‘So we may begin?’
‘Yes, I think so. We have taken up far too much of the Earl’s time… Now, my lord, if you will excuse us.’
The Earl showed no disposition to leave the gathering. ‘If I might accompany you today?’ he suggested.
‘Of course!’ Sir William gave his cordial agreement. ‘In the first place we shall measure out the boundaries of the present house…’
Amy reached for her pad and paper. This was to be her domain. Then she found that James was by her side.
‘No Countess?’ he asked with an innocent look.
‘Her ladyship remembered an urgent appointment in Bath.’
‘Now, why, I wonder, does that not surprise me? Amy, what did you say to her?’
‘Not much!’ Amy was on the defensive. ‘But, James, she was so rude to Charlotte. I could not let that pass.’
‘Of course not, my dear!’
The note of amusement in his voice fired Amy into further revelations.
‘She actually sneered at us, you know. She may be an accredited beauty, but I cannot say that I like her.’
‘No?’
‘Oh, I suppose that you will take her part. Men are always overwhelmed by beauty, which does not give me any high opinion of their good sense. Confess it, James, you think her exquisite?’ ‘I do indeed. A diamond of the first water!’
Amy looked disappointed. ‘I had not thought that you, of all people, would be so taken in. Do you not see beneath the surface?’
James looked at her and shook his head. ‘Do you know so little of me, love? The Countess is a diamond, yes, with many of the qualities of that precious stone… Shall we say that I find her cold and hard?’
Amy slipped a confiding hand into his. ‘You don’t admire her, then?’
‘No, my dear, I don’t. My concern is for the Earl, but at this present time he appears to be content with his bargain.’ James turned away, leaving Amy to her own thoughts.
They were not pleasant. In the space of a few short hours she had managed to alienate the Countess. It was ill mannered of her, but hopefully no great harm had been done. She picked up her pad and pencil and followed the men outside.
The problems with the Countess were soon forgotten as her companions paced out the dimensions of the manor. Amy noted the figures with care, handing them to Charlotte at appropriate intervals.
Charlotte was comfortably installed upon a garden seat, sheltered from the rays of the late September sun by a large parasol.
Beside her lay the drawing of the original manor house, which she had studied with some care. Now she was sketching quickly upon transparent paper, totally absorbed in her task.
‘Will this work, Miss Charlotte?’ Sir William was bending over her shoulder.
‘I hope so, sir.’ Charlotte had lost any trace of shyness as she laid one drawing upon the other. ‘Do you see? The outlines of the two buildings are quite different.’
‘Splendid! We are not tiring you with our demands, I hope?’
‘Oh, no, I am enjoying the work so much! There must be something here, beyond the east end of the present building, or so it would appear.’
‘You are right. I shall set the men to digging there. It will be a start.’ He smiled down at her. ‘You are a wonder, ma’am. We should not go on so well without your help.’
Charlotte flushed with pleasure, but she waved the praise aside. ‘If I might have the measurements of the south wall, sir?’
‘Of course!’ He seemed loath to leave her, but Amy drew him away.
‘Sir William, I have noticed something of particular interest upon that wall. Do you care to see it? James will bring Charlotte the rest of the measurements that we have completed.’
Her attempt to leave her two friends together was not entirely successful. Sir William confirmed that the damage to the south wall was caused by musket fire, but he was soon interrupted by James.
‘Then, as we suspected, the attack must have come from the south. Do you agree? I wonder why this wall alone was left standing…?’
‘Possibly too badly damaged to be worth a cannon-ball.’ Sir William gazed into the distance. ‘The Levellers must have set up their camp upon yonder hill. It would overlook the manor house.’
‘And seems to be the highest point for miles around. Henry and Crispin will confirm it, I feel sure.’
They had not long to wait. Within minutes Amy saw her cousins riding towards them. They had completed a reconnaissance of the area some time earlier, and had also made another discovery.
‘The weakest defences were in the east,’ Henry reported. ‘It is flat land, suitable for an attack.’
‘But…but that cannot be,’ Amy insisted ‘The attack must have come from the south—’
‘You haven’t heard me out, coz! There is a huge earthwork to the east. It must be fifty feet in height.’
‘It was built upon a rocky outcrop.’ The Earl had come to join them. ‘My ancestors knew the danger. That bastion was thrown up over many years. I have always wondered as to its exact depth.’
‘We shall try to satisfy your curiosity, my lord.’ Sir William’s face was alight with enthusiasm. ‘I will go at once and set the men to digging.’
Henry’s face was a picture of disappointment. ‘Sir, it is long past noon,’ he said. ‘My brother and I…well…we came upon an inn by chance. The landlord has promised us a fine fat goose if we should care to dine there.’
The Earl’s pleasant expression changed. ‘My dear sir, I must hope that you will not consider it. Naturally, you will dine here. Pot luck, you understand, but things have come to a pretty pass if I cannot give my friends a bite to eat.’
Amy realised that he was mortally offended. ‘My lord, how very kind of you!’ she said quickly. ‘My cousins, and indeed all of us, had no wish to be a trouble to you. We did not intend to trespass upon your hospitality…’ She looked at Charlotte for support.
To her astonishment Charlotte walked towards the Earl and dropped a curtsy. ‘How good you are!’ she said. ‘You have understood that we ladies must be tired. I can only thank you for your concern. It will be such a pleasure to dine with you, my lord. I can think of nothing which would please us more.’
The Earl’s good humour was at once restored. He patted Charlotte’s hand. ‘Nor I, my dear. Now let us go indoors. You have stayed in the sun for much too long. I shall be severe indeed upon your escorts.’
Amy smiled when she saw the laden table in the dining-room. Pot luck, indeed!’ Hot soup and a hearty stew could be guaranteed to please the most voracious appetites, but if that was not sufficient there were pies and pasties to suit all tastes, as well as a large roast ham and a succulent joint of beef. The Earl’s chef had not forgotten the ladies. Sherbets, syllabubs and delicately flavoured custard tarts stood on a side table.
The Earl was a noted trencherman and his guests did not lack good appetites. The morning in the open air had sharpened their hunger and they did full justice to the meal.
It was as they were preparing to leave the table that the Countess reappeared.
The Earl was on his feet at once. ‘My dear, do come and join us! You must be starving!’
An affected laugh greeted his words. ‘Laverstoke, my dear, have you forgot that I never eat in the middle of the day? It is fatal, in my opinion, to the female form, and I have no wish to suffer from embonpoint.’ Her malicious gaze rested upon Amy and Charlotte.
‘That cannot be the fate of anyone here, my darling. Bless me, you ladies are all as slender as willow wands. Now tell me, how did you go on in Bath? Your errand was successful?’
The Countess drew off her gloves and sank into a chair. ‘It was exhausting, if you must know it, but one feels obliged t
o help out where one can. I could scarce send this urchin to my sister without some decent clothing.’
‘You speak of the boy we saw this morning, my lady?’ James betrayed only a mild interest in the child.
‘Why, yes, Sir James. It is quite the fashion to have these small creatures in attendance.’
‘Rather like a monkey or a dog!’ Amy murmured sotto voce.
‘Did you speak, Miss Wentworth?’ The Countess had not heard Amy clearly, but she understood the gist of the remark.
‘Miss Wentworth was wondering merely what happens to these boys once they have outgrown their childhood,’ James said smoothly.
Although he had spoken for her, Amy did not take offence. He was right, the problem had crossed her mind.
‘Oh, I suppose some use can be made of them.’ The Countess dismissed the problem with an airy wave of her hand. ‘Naturally, one could not employ them as a body servant, nor would one wish them to serve food, but perhaps in the stables?’
‘Quite a contrast from their previous existence!’ Amy could hold her tongue no longer.
‘Quite! I am so glad that you understand, Miss Wentworth. For a time I believed that you thought me wrong to engage them in my service, but now I see that you appreciate how well they are treated. They have fine clothes, sweetmeats and the entrée to all the best houses. What child could ask for more?’
‘What indeed!’ Amy was incandescent with rage. It was only her regard for the Earl and the fact that she was a guest in his home that caused her to hold her tongue.
As always, James came to her rescue. ‘When do you leave for Brighton, my lord?’ he asked politely.
‘Why, whenever my lady wishes it.’ The Earl cast a fond glance towards his wife.
That lady bridled. ‘My dear, you know that my wishes are your own… Did we not decide that within a few days, perhaps?’
‘Why, yes, my darling.’ The Earl was perplexed. He had understood that they were to leave upon the following day. ‘There is some difficulty?’
‘Not in the least, my love, but I know that you are enjoying the company of your friends. I have no wish to deprive you of that pleasure.’
‘Always so thoughtful, my heart!’ The Earl would have been surprised to learn that the Countess had wasted little time upon the choice of livery for her sister’s page. Instead, she had made it her business to enquire about Miss Charlotte Skelmersdale.
Few women understood the value of good connections better than she did herself. As the daughter of an honest yeoman farmer she had attracted the attention of the local squire before she was sixteen. She had spurned him, but not upon moral grounds. Such nice scruples she would leave to those who could afford them. She could not.
The squire was married, so she could hope for nothing there, other than a hole-and-corner affair. Her hopes rested upon his heir, a boy who had not yet attained his majority. She had swept the young man off his feet, but she was no match for his mamma. At the first intimation that he wished to wed her, the boy had been packed off to a relative in distant Scotland. She could not follow him. Indeed, the idea had not occurred to her. The squire’s son was the means to an end. Now she must change her plans.
She left her father’s farm within a month and made her way to Brighton. After all, one must mix with the wealthy in order to capture a rich husband. She might have become a demi-rep—so many offers had come her way—but the life of a so-called “bird of paradise” did not appeal to her. Even the stunning Harriette Wilson must lose her looks with time. Now the famous courtesan was reduced to threatening to publish her memoirs. It was little more than blackmail. Only the Duke of Wellington had stood out against her, telling her to “publish and be damned”.
The Countess made a little moue of distaste. The woman must have been a fool. She herself had done much better. Laverstoke had fallen deep in love with her at first sight. Nothing had mattered then. For a lonely man, so recently widowed, she had seemed like an angel from heaven. They had wed within a month of meeting.
As for the Earl? Well, she did not actively dislike him, although she considered him a dullard. Life could become extremely boring, unless one had the stimulus of gossip.
Her enquiries had sharpened her appetite for information about Charlotte Skelmersdale. With a mother known as a virago and a brother commonly considered to be a boor it might be easy to destroy her, except that the father was an unknown quantity.
He was little known in Bath, that much she had discovered for herself, but from Lancashire? Could it be that he carried the taint of trade? A smile of pleasure curved her lips. She could not attack Amy Wentworth direct. The girl’s aristocratic connections were too well known, but it might be possible to cast doubt upon her choice of friends.
The Countess glanced across the table at her enemy. Smile if you will, she vowed to herself, you do not know me, madam!
Amy seemed unaware of her hostility. She was deeply absorbed in a discussion of Sir William’s plans for the afternoon.
The Countess gave her a scornful look. Such affectation! As if any woman would be interested in grubbing about among a heap of stones. It did not deceive her for an instant. Both girls had but one thing in mind, and that was to catch themselves a husband.
She preened a little. Naturally a beauty had no need of subterfuge. Plain creatures must, she assumed, find other ways to attract a gentleman’s attention, but it would be mortifying indeed if such a catch as Sir William Linden fell into the clutches of Charlotte Skelmersdale.
It would not happen if she could prevent it, but even upon short acquaintance she had noticed that he seemed much taken with the girl. He could not, of course, know anything of her dubious background, but that was easily remedied.
Amy Wentworth was quite another matter. Wilful, opinionated and careless of the world’s opinion, all she had to recommend her was her fortune and her aristocratic connections.
The Countess smiled to herself. That would be enough for any ne’er-do-well. No gentleman of taste would offer for her. Who would wish to share his life with such a baggage? Yet rumour had it that some had done so. A moment’s reflection convinced her that none of these suitors could have been acceptable to the Wentworth family, otherwise the chit would have been forced into a betrothal.
It was said among the gossips that the girl herself had refused them. The Countess began to wonder. Could it be that Amy too had set her sights upon Sir William? The couple would bear watching. Certainly Amy had monopolised Linden for the moment, leaving Charlotte with James and the Earl.
A spirit of mischief possessed her, as she eyed Amy with acute dislike. Such arrogance…such self-confidence…and with such a readiness to speak her mind! It would be a pleasure to disrupt her plans.
Clearly this was not the time to leave for Brighton. She turned to her husband with a brilliant smile.
‘Then we are agreed, my dear? We shall delay our departure for a day or two?’
For answer he seized her hand and kissed it. ‘Only if it will not inconvenience you, my darling.’
‘Not in the least!’ she answered brightly. ‘I believe I must return to Bath tomorrow, so I shall not disturb your work. I was so rushed today I believe that I forgot quite one-half of all I meant to buy.’
Mindful of Amy’s remark about her shopping she was careful to avoid that lady’s eye, but Amy had not heard her. She was preoccupied with their plans for the afternoon and hurried out with the others to continue measuring out the dimensions of the mansion.
Sir William settled Charlotte into her seat beneath the parasol, and handed her the drawing materials.
‘You will not over-tire yourself, I hope?’ he asked with an anxious look. ‘This is work which requires much concentration. I would not have you give yourself the headache.’
‘You are very kind!’ Charlotte blushed. ‘I cannot tire myself when I am sitting here so comfortably, whilst the rest of you are walking in this heat.’
Sir William did not look convinced. He left her wit
h some reluctance and went to join the others.
‘Miss Skelmersdale is very good, but I trust that she will tell us if she wishes to go indoors? What do you think, Miss Wentworth?’
‘Charlotte is a sensible person,’ Amy assured him briskly. ‘Pray do not worry about her. We shall send James to sit with her for a time. He will be the perfect companion. If ever Aunt Trixie is feeling unwell he senses it at once. Confess it, James, you are possessed of a sixth sense!’
‘I doubt it! My so-called magic powers arise merely from observation, Amy.’
‘Well, you always know what I am thinking,’ she protested. ‘It is uncanny!’
‘I’ll agree that it is remarkable, my dear. After all, you are always so careful to hide your feelings and keep your own counsel.’ His eyes were twinkling and Amy was forced to laugh.
She appealed to Sir William. ‘Do you see my problem, sir? James will never take me seriously. As far as he is concerned I am still a ten-year-old schoolgirl.’
Sir William had his own views upon that particular subject, but this was not the time to express them. He bowed.
‘I believe you are mistaken, ma’am. Believe me, we all appreciate straight dealing.’ With that he turned the corner of the building and disappeared from sight.
Amy turned to James. ‘You will look after Charlotte, won’t you?’ she pleaded. ‘Sir William is right in one respect. She is so anxious to play her part that she will not say when she is getting tired.’
James gave her a long look. ‘And how about you, my dear?’
‘Oh, I am never tired.’ She brushed the notion aside impatiently. ‘Don’t trouble your head about me.’
‘In that case we should continue with our work.’ He turned to follow Sir William, motioning Amy ahead.
Unknown to any of them, this brought them within sight of the Countess’s boudoir. She had excused herself from joining the party with a plea that she must be allowed to enjoy her afternoon rest on the day-bed in her room.
For once she had decided to forgo that pleasure. Now she was standing by her window, watching the figures below. Her plans were already in place. She would go into Bath next day, but not with the intention of shopping. There were those among her acquaintance who would be only too happy to discuss the affairs both of Charlotte Skelmersdale and Miss Amy Wentworth.
The Matchmaker's Marriage Page 16
