The Lords & Ladies Box Set

by Fenella J Miller

  Chapter Eight

  Emma woke at dawn and, finding her sister still asleep, slipped on her robe and went into the sitting-room where she found an unknown maidservant on her knees in front of the grate cleaning it out in preparation for another fire. The girl jumped nervously and started to scramble up, scattering ash on the carpet.

  'Please don't get up; here, let me help you.' Before the girl could protest Emma tied her robe more securely and dropped to her knees. Taking the copper pan and matching brush she quickly swept away the mess.

  'Thank you, Miss Meadows, I'm that sorry, but Mrs Truman said as I was to not wake you, but make sure you had a lovely big fire going when you came in here this morning.'

  'You didn't wake me, I'm an early riser; it was very kind of Mrs Truman to think of us.' Emma stood up. 'What's your name? I should like to be able to address you correctly if you're to be here every morning.'

  'It's Lily, miss.'

  'Well, Lily, I shall leave you to your duties. I'm going to sit on the window seat and look out on to the park, the night was too dark to see anything when we arrived yesterday.'

  She deliberately didn't ask for refreshments as Jane would take care of that herself; her abigail ought to make herself known below stairs as soon as possible. Also Jane might well discover the whereabouts of her grandparents which was something she hadn't liked to enquire about last night – gossiping to servants was not done.

  Soon the room was warm and Lily had vanished through a door in the wall. She relaxed and gazed out across the rolling parkland. There was something vaguely familiar about the vista and she smiled as she recalled this was an exact facsimile of a plate she'd seen in a copy of Ackerman's Repository. The grounds, could well have been landscaped by non-other than Capability Brown. It had been made to look like something out of a picture, there was even a manufactured Greek temple placed on a convenient slope in the distance.

  The ornamental lake was dull and grey in the early morning light and the sky was heavy, she feared it could rain before luncheon. Wet or not she was determined to go outside and explore. This was her first time away from home and although she had not wished to come, now she was here she intended to make the most of it – she might never have another opportunity.

  She re-entered the bed chamber and tiptoed across the wide expanse of floral carpet to enter the dressing room and came face-to-face with Mary, who was, at that very moment laying out her walking dress, the necessary under garments, a warm cloak, gloves and bonnet.

  The girl dipped and smiled. 'Good morning, Miss Meadows. Lily said that you was already awake, so I came up at once to put out your clothes. Miss Jane is assembling your breakfast tray and will have it up here by the time you're ready.' With such deft fingers to help Emma was soon dressed and her sister remained undisturbed.

  Jane greeted her cheerily. 'I have chocolate here, miss, and as Cook has just baked, I've brought you up some fresh rolls and some of her preserve.'

  'Thank you. I intend to go outside and have a look around before I break my fast and this will fortify me beautifully. Did you discover when breakfast is served here?'

  'It seems it will be served whenever you and Miss Eugenie wish it to be, I said that nine o'clock would suit, I hope that's acceptable?'

  'Exactly right, for I doubt Miss Eugenie will be awake and ready before then.' How accommodating the staff were – and to think she had thought them unfriendly when she had arrived. The distance had been on her side, not theirs. 'Jane, could you bear to come with me? If I'm to get lost, I'd sooner do it in company.'

  Jane grinned, flicking aside the skirt of her plain blue dress, revealing she was already wearing stout boots. 'I only have to run upstairs and get my cloak and bonnet and I'm ready.'

  Fifteen minutes later Emma was leaving her rooms, warmly dressed and eager to explore. To her astonishment there was a footman waiting outside her door. He jumped to attention and bowed.

  'Good morning, Miss Meadows. Mr Foster said I was to be your guide until you are familiar with the house.'

  'How thoughtful of him, thank you. Tell me, what am I to call you?'

  The young man bowed again. 'I'm Jonathan, I shall be at your service at all times.'

  'Thank you, Jonathan. I must own that I am relieved to see you, I had visions of myself, and my abigail, wandering lost in this huge establishment for weeks.'

  Her escort grinned, revealing him to be far younger than she thought, little more than a youth, really.

  'I reckon you'll soon get used to it, Miss Meadows. Mr Foster has said as we're all to keep an eye out for you, make sure you don't feel uncomfortable.'

  She followed him down the wide passageway, noting there were several similar doors on either side, these were obviously other bed chambers. They emerged on the wide gallery that overlooked the massive, marble floored entrance hall she had been so impressed with the night before. She ran forward to lean on the polished oak balustrade, staring down with pleasure at the space below.

  'Look at this, Jane, it's magnificent. The ceiling must be at least sixty feet - and see those wonderful moldings, we could be in a palace not a domestic dwelling.' Her maid was hanging back nervously and Emma remembered the girl disliked heights. 'Never mind, let's descend, I wish to go outside and have a look round before the rain comes. Eugenie and I can explore indoors later today.'

  Foster appeared and bowed formally. 'Good morning, Miss Meadows, I trust that you slept well. I have arranged for Jonathan to be your guide this morning, and for as long as you need him. He has been here three years and is quite capable of taking you anywhere you wish to go.'

  Emma eyed the young man, he was dressed smartly in bottle green livery, but it was his indoor garb, and she doubted Foster would allow him to fetch a cloak. She couldn't refuse, but was determined to send the boy back as soon as she could.

  'Thank you, Foster.' Belatedly, she remembered Mama had said that you never thanked a servant as they were merely doing their duty, what they were being paid for. This practice had always seemed impolite to her.

  She turned to the waiting footman who was hovering anxiously beside her, unsettled by the presence of the austere butler. 'I should like to go the stables, I think. I love horses, although in the last few years I have had little contact with them.'

  'In that case, Miss Meadows, we had best go out by the side door, there's a path leads directly from there, it's the one Sir James uses.'

  He led them across the hall, their boots clicking noisily on the marble, down a wide passageway and around a corner. From that point the floor was carpeted again and her boots quiet. Eventually the young man stopped, opening a door on to a gravel path that led, straight as an arrow, through an archway of wisteria, the black branches empty of foliage and flowers. It would look stunning in the early summer. She wondered if she would be here to see it bloom.

  The stables were a short distance from the house and the brisk walk brought much-needed colour to her cheeks; she could hear the welcome clatter of buckets and hooves, the occasional whinny and the laughing shouts of the grooms as they worked. The time was only eight o'clock but already everyone was up and busy, apparently happy to be so. Papa had told her one could tell a lot from the condition and demeanour of the staff; if they were well fed, smartly dressed and content, then their masters would be good people too.

  Jane had informed her the reason her grandparents had left unexpectedly was to attend the birth of the third child of Uncle Patrick and his wife. Emma quite understood their desire to be present, especially as the arrival of the baby was premature, but to leave without a note of any sort did show a lack of feeling that bothered her.

  She was beginning to revise her initial impressions of both the house and its owners because everyone she had met had been so accommodating and were going out of their way to make sure she was content. These instructions could only have been given by her grandparents. The apartments they had been allocated were sumptuously appointed, everything of the best quality, and the
y had not one, but two personal maids to take care of them.

  There was no further time for introspection as Jonathan led her round the corner of the huge, grey stone building and through an archway into an immaculate cobbled stable yard. Emma's eyes widened. Why there must be more than two dozen loose boxes, three quarters of them with eager equine heads poking out, all with burnished manes and shining eyes.

  Jane also disliked horses, so she didn't ask her to do more than stand and wait in the shelter of the archway. 'I shall not be long, Jane, and if you get cold you may return to the house, I shall have no difficulty finding my way back. Jonathan, you may return, I'm sure you have other duties to perform.'

  A tidily dressed man of middle years, and florid complexion, wearing a bottle green jacket, waistcoat, and smart blue neckerchief, approached her, a smile of welcome on his face.

  'Good morning, Miss Meadows, you're most welcome. I see you're not dressed for riding, have you come to select a mount for yourself? We have several beasts suitable for ladies.'

  'I'm afraid I'm a novice rider, but am hoping Sir James will arrange for me to have instruction.'

  The head groom introduced her to all the horses, both riding and carriage. He explained that the empty boxes, twelve of them, were for the horses that were accompanying her grandparents. Good heavens! She was well aware that it cost more to keep a single groom and horse than it did to keep a house full of indoor servants. She could hardly imagine the wealth in this establishment if they could afford to keep so many animals.

  'We've seen all the horses now, miss, have you taken a fancy to any of them?'

  'I think that Silver Star is very pretty; Miss Eugenie, I believe will settle for her.' She turned to survey the boxes, all the horses were handsome, but none of them had especially appealed to her. A loud banging and kicking coming from the far corner of the yard, from a box that was closed, attracted her attention.

  'What animal do you have incarcerated in there? Why is his box closed?'

  The man shook his head. 'It's a new gelding Sir James purchased before he left; he's a wild one, will let no one in, takes a lump out of all the grooms who see to him. I expect the master will sell him on, he doesn't like bad temperament in his animals.'

  'I should like to see him, it's possible he's merely upset and the strangeness of his new surroundings is making him behave out of character.'

  Not waiting for a refusal, after all she was the mistress here in the absence of her grandmother, she walked briskly to the box and stood, tapping her foot to show her determination to enter. Roberts reluctantly slid back the bolts. The door swung back, but no angry head shot forward with gnashing teeth. Surprised, Emma peered into the darkness and could see a huge horse standing pressed against the manger, his ears back, his eyes were rolling, not in anger but in fear.

  Without hesitation she unlatched the lower door and walked in, speaking softly, extending her hand towards the terrified animal. 'There, boy, no one is going to hurt you. I know just how you feel, it's hateful to be removed from familiar surroundings, to hear only strange voices. Look, I shall be your friend.'

  Making no attempt to touch him, she knew enough about animals to understand she risked being bitten if she startled him. She stood still, not looking directly at him, and turned her back, appearing disinterested. Two grooms remained poised anxiously in the doorway, ready to come to her assistance if necessary.

  There was a faint snuffling behind her and then she felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder, she ignored it and continued to stare ahead, as if there was something of great interest at the far side of the box. A second nudge, and an enormous chestnut head was gently lowered over her shoulder and a whiskery muzzle began breathing gently on her cheek.

  Now was the time to make physical contact. Slowly, so as not to alarm him, she raised her hand and rested it on his cheek, scratching gently behind his ear, then she put her other arm around his nose and embraced him. Slowly she turned to face the massive beast, still not making eye contact, and rested her face against his.

  For few moments they breathed in unison, and the horse relaxed. This was the horse she wanted to learn to ride on, he was too big and too high-spirited for a novice, but as soon as she had seen his coat was almost the same shade of red as her hair, her heart was touched, and she would settle for no other.

  Reaching up she grasped the length of rope dangling beneath his halter and led him outside. 'Come along then, I shall take you around and introduce you to the other members of this yard.' The horse ambled along behind her to the astonishment of all the grooms he had been terrorizing.

  The head groom was standing by the door scratching his head, grinning widely. 'Never seen the like, all he needed was a bit of love. I thought I knew horses, but I got it wrong with this fellow. His name is Firebrand, by the way, miss.'

  Firebrand – that was an excellent name and suited the horse perfectly. Emma spent a contented half hour leading her new friend around the yard and by the time he returned to his stable he was no longer a line

  danger to himself or others.

  The route to the house was simple and she found her way to the side door with no difficulty, but when she was inside she wasn't sure in which direction to go. As she hesitated Jonathan sped round the corner, his wig askew, and skidded to a halt in front of her.

  'There, a stable lad raced down to the kitchen with a message you were on your way back. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, Miss Meadows, it's a long way round to the side door.'

  Upstairs Eugenie was disappointed she'd missed the excursion to the stables. 'You should have waited for me, Emma, and now it's raining.'

  'I'm going to wash and change, then we can go down to breakfast together; we have the inside of the house to explore and we have our very own footman to help us do so.'

  Not only was there a breakfast room, but also a small dining room, as well as the grand chamber used when company was present. The housekeeper came in whilst they were eating breakfast to discover their wishes for the day; Emma was quick to tell Truman that they required no more than soup, or bread and cheese at midday, that they did not take afternoon tea, and would have a simple repast in the evening to be served in the small dining room without any fuss.

  With so much to occupy her Emma scarcely had time to miss her father or worry about the continued absence of their grandparents. Being busy also helped a little to alleviate the loss of Lord Denver. She had discovered there was a library running the length of the house, the front wall broken by dozens of windows, the rear wall with floor-to-ceiling shelves all filled with handsome leather bound books of every description. Eugenie had fallen in delight upon a dozen of the latest novels, and exclaimed with joy at the books of fashion plates and ladies magazines. Emma discovered a volume which gave detailed instructions on learning to ride. Admittedly it was aimed at gentlemen, but there was one chapter on the use of the side saddle.

  She had returned three times to the stables and been shown how to lunge Firebrand in the indoor school,

  but without a riding habit could not begin her lessons. When Emma had discussed the events of that fateful night with her sister she was relieved to discover Eugenie no longer blamed Denver, indeed, said that he had done everything he should, the fault was all his brother's, and as long as she never saw him again, she would not hold a grudge against his lordship.

  They decided that when Emma wrote to her father at the weekend she would enclose a note for Lord Denver saying how sorry she was she had been unable to speak to him and that she would be more than ready to see him when she returned in the New Year. She prayed he might have returned to Kesgrave Abbey by then.

  On Saturday morning the girls decided to walk across the park because Eugenie wished to investigate the folly at the far side of the lake. Jane had laid out her outdoor garments before leaving to don her own outdoor cloak. This was the first occasion Emma had worn this pelisse since she had arrived earlier in the week. She felt the rustle of paper in her pocket and pulle
d out the letter her father had given her, she had quite forgotten about it. She had not written to him yet, felt it would not be politic to tell him her grandparents were absent, but had decided she would write as soon as they returned which, according to Mary, was to be that very day.

  She turned the letter over and saw the bold black writing. This was not from her father, it was a scrawl she had seen once before written on her dance card. This was a letter from Lord Denver. He must have composed it when he had visited last Saturday but Papa, for some reason had not given it to her until she had left on the Wednesday. Why had she not thought to check in her pocket until now?

  Smoothing out the paper she scanned the contents. Her cry of anguish echoed around the parlour and she collapsed on a convenient chair.

  Chapter Nine

  Relieved she was alone, Emma held the paper in shaking fingers and read it for a second time.

  My dear Miss Meadows,

  I fully understand your reasons for not speaking to me and so am writing this letter to you to explain my actions last night and this morning. I was forced to leave you alone on the dance floor because my brother took your sister away and I feared for her safety. I was right to do so as his intentions were not honourable.

  I arrived in time and sent Miss Eugenie home in the carriage which is why you were obliged to wait.

  My brother will be leaving Kesgrave Abbey forever as soon as I return from here. I am sending him to India, he must learn to be responsible and repent his actions before he may return and be accepted as my brother.

  I shall be away for three days; I shall see him onto the ship myself and make sure he stays there. Then I shall return here for the answer to this question. My dear Miss Meadows, I have come to regard you with the deepest affection over the past few weeks and am praying that you reciprocate my feelings.