“Really, my lady, whatever were you doing in the company of that upstart, Lady Rogers? Her husband is merely a baronet, don’t you know?” Melissa was asking snobbishly.
Unsure what those two things had to do with one another, Beth did not know how to reply. However, politeness dictated some answer was required so she merely said, “She seemed to be quite nice.”
“Well, really, Elizabeth, nice is for commoners. A countess must always be aware of the consequences of their associations. I know you are not really conversant on such things, so I have decided that it is my responsibility as your new sister to help you know just how to go on. I have a responsibility to the House of Westfield to see that you do not bring shame upon it.” Lady Melissa momentarily forgot she was trying to ingratiate herself with her husband’s wife and allowed her contempt to show through.
Beth couldn’t restrain her chin from rising at this comment in a gesture that surprisingly mimicked her husband’s air of proud confidence. Lady Melissa noticed and was called to her senses. She quickly recovered her cloying pretence of friendship by inquiring into Beth’s day, and Beth briefly told her about the diverting time she’d had shopping.
“Why ever did you choose to frequent the shop of Madame Celeste? She isn’t at all the sort of dressmaker the Countess of Westfield should grace with her patronage,” declared Melissa superciliously.
“She seemed perfectly acceptable to me,” Beth said. “Why would you say I should not frequent her establishment?”
“You would not understand, my dear,” stated Melissa, her voice fairly dripping with condescension. “Her fabrics are clearly of an inferior quality. Next time you wish to purchase some gowns, you should let me know and I shall guide you as to what is acceptable attire for Justin’s wife. In fact, I think you should allow me to inspect the purchases you have made today before you venture outside the house in any of them.”
Beth’s tolerance of her sister-in-law’s outrageous attitude was nearing an end, so she was relieved that at that moment they pulled up in front of her house and she was spared from having to come up with an answer to Melissa’s latest comments. Unfortunately, her politeness dictated that she must offer the other woman some hospitality.
“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?” Beth was desperately hoping she would say no, so that she could escape from her oppressive company. Unfortunately, Melissa quickly accepted and they were handed down promptly by the waiting footman.
“I so dearly love the pastries your cook makes,” Melissa was saying. “I tried to convince Justin to let me take his cook when I got married. I told him it was the perfect wedding present. But he stubbornly refused my request.”
As they entered the stately townhouse, Beth asked the butler to have tea brought to the front receiving room before she led Melissa there. Melissa made a production of arranging her skirts about her corpulent expanse. She then looked around the room inspecting its presentation. Since there was nothing she could find fault with, she again turned on Beth and her choice of companions.
“How did you come to know Lady Geneva?”
“The earl took me to visit her and her husband, the Viscount of Cumberland, yesterday and she invited me to go shopping with her today. She has been very kind and gracious.” Beth didn’t mean to imply that Melissa had not been, but the comparison was fairly obvious, although Melissa seemed oblivious to that fact.
Melissa’s mind was racing over the meaning of Justin’s introduction. She knew he and Cumberland had some connections in the House of Lords and deduced there must be some political motivation behind his actions. That didn’t interest her very much, but she saw another means for making trouble.
“Ah yes, Cumberland. He’s an old political crony of Justin’s. Have you decided how you will support Justin’s political career now that you are his wife? He will no doubt need all the help he can get since you have not brought any alliances with you.”
Melissa had managed to blunder her way into one of Beth’s greatest insecurities – just what did she bring to the marriage? Thus far, her husband had been nothing but kind to her and she felt like a complete burden on him. She knew that in the eyes of the world she brought nothing to the marriage except obligations. But she didn’t want her husband’s sister to know how close to the quick she had gotten, so she mustered up a polite smile. She had an instinctive and deep distrust of Lady Melissa, but she accepted that the woman had more knowledge of this world than she herself did, so she decided to ask, despite her misgivings.
“No, I have yet to decide what I shall do to support my husband’s career. Have you any suggestions?”
She could hear the coldness in her own words and thought how pleased her father would be if he were there to hear. She felt it was just the right tone to keep Melissa at arm’s length while still soliciting information. Unbeknownst to Beth, though, Melissa had an agenda of her own that really had nothing to do with advancing the earl’s political views and was all about her own interests. She was not about to be put off by this young woman’s coolness.
“You really must be careful with whom you associate. It would be best to be very selective and cultivate a few choice friendships. However, I would suggest you not worry over much about the events of the Season. They are purely social occasions and have little to contribute to matters concerning the government. Have you had occasion to meet Lady Maria Drysdale? I should think she would be an appropriate companion for you. And she has a lot of knowledge regarding the politics of the day, if you would like to develop your interests there.”
Beth could not quite put her finger on why this suggestion was so many kinds of wrong, but she felt instinctively repelled by her sister-in-law’s suggestion. Her impression of Lady Maria earlier that day at Madame Celeste’s shop had not been a favourable one, and she had no intention of cultivating an association with the woman. She didn’t want to explain this to Melissa though, so she was deeply relieved to see the teacart being rolled in and hoped to put a quick end to the visit. She wholeheartedly wished her husband were there to help her deal with this awkward situation; Melissa was his sister after all. But that was not to be; he was off doing whatever he did all day and she would have to get through this on her own.
The young countess managed to be polite and hospitable to her condescending sister-in-law for the remainder of her stay. Lady Melissa, unfortunately, far outstayed the requisite twenty minutes, but finally she reached the end of her list of dos and don’ts she felt it necessary to enumerate for Beth and struggled to her feet. Beth managed to smother the giggle she felt bubbling to the surface at the sight of her wide-girthed guest trying to get out of the soft settee she had seated herself on and escorted her to the door.
The visit with her sister-in-law left her decidedly unsettled and had quite ruined her day, so she became rather quiet and subdued. Beth was happy that Justin was finally dining at home, but she was surprised that he had asked his secretary to join them for the evening meal. He had given her a brief explanation as he introduced them to one another.
“It’s good for the two of you to get to know one another since I rely so heavily upon the assistance of Mr. Nicholas. I was so busy all day today, I need to get some work done with Mr. Nicholas this evening. You do not mind, do you, my dear?”
Beth was shy at first, but the quiet young man was even shyer, which contrarily soon put her at ease with him. Their talk of all the various aspects of the business of running the earldom was fascinating to her. She’d had no idea her husband’s properties were so extensive, and she was impressed by his involvement in and knowledge of all the many details. Unfortunately, this knowledge, combined with her experiences of the day only added to her feelings of inadequacy for her new role as countess. She was relieved when the men excused themselves to go to the earl’s library to continue their business talk. Beth didn’t feel up to carrying her end of the requisite social niceties should they have wanted her company. With lowered spirits, she dragged herself up to her room
.
Once seated at her dressing table brushing out her hair before bed after dismissing Sally, Beth looked herself in the eye in the mirror and gave herself a mental shake. These dismal feelings just would not do. She was young and energetic and she considered herself to be in possession of a reasonable degree of intelligence. Surely, she would be able to master the skills required to be a successful countess.
She had paid a certain degree of attention to Lady Melissa’s lecture that afternoon but had mentally dismissed half the list as inconsequential. The other half could be useful. And she had been well raised. While not being quite so high socially, her parents had both begun life in comfortable, aristocratic surroundings, and her mother had educated her in proper behaviour. With the help of her new friend, Lady Jenny, surely she would be able to turn herself into an asset for her husband rather than a liability.
She reminded herself once more that even though her handsome husband seemed too busy to spend time with her and he had told her they ought not to be in one another’s pocket, he had been kind and gracious toward her. He really did not appear to be anything like her father. That fact alone was enough to make her smile. She ignored the sigh that wanted to follow when she realized that she actually wished to spend a little more time with him.
The positive thoughts buoyed her lacerated emotions and gave her a new hope for the future. Despite this, though, she slept fitfully through the night. She slept late in the morning, missing Justin in the breakfast room and then needing to rush to make her appointment with Lady Geneva. She was still feeling a bit flustered when she was ushered in to Jenny’s classically elegant receiving room.
“Good morning, my lady, I hope I am not too late,” Beth apologized as she hurried gracefully into the room.
“No, my dear, you are right on time. Come sit down, you look like you could use a cup of tea to shore up your nerves. Whatever has happened?” asked Lady Geneva.
“Oh, nothing of any matter, but it is kind of you to ask. Although, I must say, I would have thought it was not at all the thing to point out that another lady is not in her best looks,” Beth teased drolly with a cheerful laugh.
“Well, that is true, my dear. However, we have decided to be friends, have we not?” defended Jenny with a laugh of her own. “Tell me truly, are you all right?”
“Yes, truly, I am fine. I just did not sleep all that well last night. I have a lot on my mind.”
“I would imagine you do, my dear,” agreed Jenny. “By the way, how was your visit with Lady Melissa yesterday? I would imagine spending any amount of time with that woman would give someone nightmares.”
Beth laughed but felt the need to defend nonetheless. “Be careful now, she is my husband’s sister, we must be polite at least.”
With another soft chuckle Jenny agreed, “Of course, my friend, we must be polite. All right, let us talk of better things. Have you brought with you your invitations? I see your reticule is bulging so you must have. Let us see what there is to do for the next several days.”
Beth laughed as she pulled the sheaves of paper from her bag. “I have to admit that I haven’t even heard of some of these people that are respectfully requesting my presence at a multitude of gatherings, many of them for the same day.”
“Oh Beth, my dear, you have so much still to learn!” Jenny said with a trill of laughter. “Of course, they are for the same day. Some of the lovely ladies of Society compete to see who can have the biggest crowd squeezed into their ballrooms or drawing rooms. And some events are scheduled in such a way so that you can attend multiple gatherings in one day. For example, I believe it is in two days from now you could attend a lunch at Lady Derbyshire’s town house, followed by a musicale at Lord and Lady Hardwicke’s conservatory, followed by tea at Madame Perrault’s, and that is all before dinner! After dinner, there are several balls being held. You could either stay at one or flit between several. For many, the aim is to see and be seen. For others, there are the connections to be made, either political or matrimonial depending on one’s circumstances.”
Beth huffed a small sigh. “I am not really sure what my circumstances are, Jenny. It seems that my lord, the earl, would like me to make friends and be independent. At least, he approves of my attending whichever gatherings I feel inclined towards. But I have no idea how to choose.”
“Well, that is where I come in. So, I have quite decided to give myself the great privilege of being the first to have you attend a large evening party, so my ball at the end of the week should be your first of that nature. By then, some of your ball gowns should be ready for you. In the meantime, let us choose according to your wardrobe,” Jenny pronounced drolly.
She continued, “You mostly have appropriate day wear. Some of the gowns I’ve seen you in are quite lovely, even if they aren’t in the first stare of fashion. With the right hairstyle, you shall be perfectly fine. So, let us see which invitations look to be the most interesting. Until you get a bit more polish and practice, why don’t you limit yourself to smaller, intimate gatherings where you can get to know people, then you won’t feel quite so out of place when you do venture into the larger crowds.”
“That sounds like quite a good idea. Can you tell from the invitations which shall be small and which large?” asked Beth, still not understanding how it all was arranged.
“In a manner of speaking. Once you have more experience you will be able to tell at a glance from who is hosting the gathering which way it will go, but for now I will tell you. No doubt we are invited to most of the same events. That tea at Madame Perrault’s would probably be quite nice. She is one who prefers being able to actually speak with her guests, so she usually limits how many she invites. And her cook does exquisite things with tea. I actually already accepted that invitation, so it would be lovely if you accompany me.”
After that the two ladies continued in the same vein. Jenny described with as much detail as possible what could be expected in each venue and they planned out the week. Beth was relieved by her kind assistance and thanked her congenially as she stood to leave.
“I should go. I do not wish to monopolize all your time. Thank you so much for your patience and help. I feel much more prepared to face these social events now that you have explained so many things to me. As soon as I get home I shall write notes of acceptance as we decided. And I look forward to seeing you in two days for tea.”
Lady Geneva accompanied her guest to the door. “It has been my pleasure, Beth. I am happy to be of help. Would you like me to pick you up so we can arrive together?”
“That would be lovely, thank you. I have yet to organize the carriage for myself,” she laughed. “I guess that is just one more thing to figure out.” Beth paused for a moment and then laughed. “I guess that is one of the good things about having so many servants. I can probably just ask the butler to do it for me.”
“Now you’re getting the hang of things,” agreed Jenny with a smile as she waved her friend on her way. As she returned to her room, she felt quite confident the young countess would do very well in Society. It seemed the Earl of Westfield’s accidental bride was a good choice after all. Jenny looked forward to spending time with her during the Season; it was almost like having a younger sister.
Beth spent a comfortable afternoon with correspondence. She started with sending notes of acceptance or regret to the various ladies who had been kind enough to invite her to the multitude of social gatherings on offer over the next week or so. Jenny had assured her that it would be a much less daunting task in the future as she could accept or decline as she went. Once that task was looked after, she spent a great deal of time carefully composing letters to her mother and Molly. She shared many details about the shopping and making new acquaintances. Only Molly noticed as she read her missive that Beth didn’t say too much about how she felt about her new circumstances.
The next day Beth spent quietly at home attending to her new domestic duties. It was soon enlivened by the exciting arrival of som
e of Beth’s purchases. She and Sally spent a pleasant interlude examining the new gowns and deciding which would be best for her various outings over the next couple of days. Beth now felt quite prepared to attend Madame Perrault’s tea the following day.
Although she was settling comfortably into her new life, she saw very little of her husband. It did nothing to assuage her nerves in his presence. She understood he was a very important, busy man. But she wondered if perhaps he was as nervous as she was about their relationship. Or perhaps he just had little interest in her. She determined that she would become the best wife she could manage to be and perhaps he would like her a little. Other than that, she had absolutely no idea how to engage his interest.
Chapter Twelve
Beth and Jenny were regally announced by the formidable-looking butler as they made their way into the classically elegant receiving room Madame Perrault had allocated for her guests that afternoon. The ladies looked around with pleasure. Jenny had been there before, but Beth was a little awed by the beauty of the décor and she tried to be discreet in her admiration. Their hostess was pleased by the warmth of their compliments as she welcomed them to her home and introduced Beth to her other guests.
Beth was delighted to make the acquaintance of one guest in particular. Lady Amelia, Countess of Brine, was her dear friend Max’s grandmother. While that lady had an austere demeanour, Beth was predisposed to like her, and the older lady quickly thawed in appreciation of the young woman’s sweet disposition and kind inquiries into her health. “Max mentioned you were laid up with a congestive complaint last year. I am so happy to see you are quite recovered, my lady,” said Beth in her sweet, quiet voice.
“You’re my Max’s Beth?” demanded Lady Amelia. “Well, if that don’t beat all. The lad has had nothing but good to say about you for years, young lady, although, some of the scrapes the two of you got into as youngsters surely would have turned my hair grey if I had been responsible for the two of you.” She tried to sound severe, but then she giggled almost girlishly before adding, “But since I wasn’t, I could just enjoy the tales.”
The Debutante Bride: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair) Page 11
