'Very wise,' nodded Bella. 'He's a handsome scoundrel, but one meets him everywhere. That was why Mama insisted on carrying me off to the country.' She gave a mischievous little smile. 'I was beginning to go out of my mind with boredom at home, then dear Elliot sent me word that I was needed here.' She put out a hand and Rosamund took it, smiling.
'And I am very glad you could come to me,' she said. 'You must know, my lord, that Arabella and I are now fast friends.'
'Then I hope a little of your good sense will brush off on her.'
The widow protested hotly until Rosamund put up her hands.
'I have no doubt Lord Ullenwood is teasing you, Bella. It is very reprehensible, but you will have the opportunity to prove him wrong over the next few weeks, while you look after me.' She rose. 'Shall we go in to dinner?'
CHAPTER SEVEN
With so much to think about, Rosamund was happy to allow the marquis and his cousin to make most of the conversation during dinner. Despite her preoccupation, she was amused to listen to their good-natured banter and soon realised that Bella was very fond of her cousin, and relied heavily upon his judgement. After the confined existence she had known with her grandfather, where she had been allowed to meet very few of his friends, she found the thrust and parry of their conversation entertaining. She would have liked to join in, but shyness held her back. Arabella noticed how silent her friend was and did her best to include her in the conversation. When the covers were removed, and a dish of sweetmeats placed on the table, she said suddenly,
'Did you not tell me you speak French very well, Rosamund?'
'I used to be fluent, but I have not used it for some years now.'
'You must know, Rosamund, that Elliot has a vast estate in France.'
'You exaggerate, Bella,' the marquis corrected her. 'A large house with a sizeable estate and several farms. There is French blood in my family you know. My father took me to visit Chateau Ullenwood when I was a child.'
'And can it still be in your possession?' she asked, puzzled. 'Surely such properties were lost during the long wars, or if not then, during the Terror.'
'That is what we thought,' he said, 'but a couple of years ago I was contacted by a lawyer from Paris, who claimed to have papers proving that the property was still legally mine. Of course, as soon as the Peace was signed last year I sent my agent to seek out this lawyer. Since then the matter has been dragging through the French Courts, who are in no way minded to hurry matters.'
'Perhaps Rosamund could help you with your affairs in France, Cousin,' put in Arabella.
Rosamund shook her head.
'I am sure the marquis has very expert help in that quarter.' She turned to him, 'I imagine the courts are reluctant to admit that an Englishman owns even a cupful of French soil.'
'You are very right, Miss Beaumarsh. I go through the procedures for form's sake, but I have little hope that anything will come of it.'
'Could you not go to France yourself?' she asked. 'Would that not give weight to your claim?'
'Perhaps, but it would also give weight to Bonaparte and his government, which I am loathe to do.'
'Lord yes,' agreed Arabella, wrinkling her nose in distaste. 'You would have to make your bow at Court, to the very people who executed the poor king and queen so barbarically.'
'Mr Fox and his followers were very quick to visit Paris last year, as soon as the Treaty was signed,' murmured Rosamund, selecting a sweetmeat from the silver dish.
The marquis nodded. 'They support the Peace.'
'And you do not?' Rosamund's dark brows lifted. 'Surely you agree that it gives Addington and the government the opportunity to recoup a little. We have been at war for so long, and it is a costly business.'
The marquis refilled his wine glass.
'True,' he said, 'but peace comes at a price. We have given up Egypt, and the Cape, yet Bonaparte uses his influence to prevent Italy and Holland from trading with us. Do you truly believe such a peace can last? France is determined to block our trade while continuing her own expansion.'
Rosamund sighed. 'No, you are right, such a peace is doomed to fail, although I am sorry for it.'
'Poor Ros, you sound very downcast, and that is not at all like you,' put in Arabella. 'No doubt you are melancholy at the thought of leaving your home.'
Rosamund was quick to disclaim.
'I fear I am very out of practice at making myself agreeable in company. I assure you I am not unhappy.'
'But surely you must feel some anxiety that you are soon to be turned out of your home?' said Bella.
Rosamund tilted her head on one side while she considered this.
'I am not sure. It was very good of my grandfather to take me in when my parents died, but he never put himself out for me, you see. It will be very strange to lose all these familiar possessions, to be sure, but it will not overset me, I think.'
'Well I wept for days when I had to leave Tommy's lovely house in Shropshire. So, Rosamund, you must not be surprised if you find yourself suddenly overcome with emotion.' said Arabella with ready sympathy. 'Only tell me!'
In the event, Rosamund found she had no time for melancholy during the next few days. She was far too busy completing the inventory, settling the accounts and writing references for all the servants. With the exception of Meggie, whom she retained as her maid, the rest of the servants had to be paid off and it was not until she was seated beside Mrs Tomlinson in Lord Ullenwood's elegant travelling carriage three days later that Rosamund allowed herself time for reflection.
'Now, you must not try to be brave,' said Arabella, reaching across to squeeze her hands. 'You may cry as much as you wish, I have several spare handkerchiefs with me.'
'Thank you, but strangely, I do not feel the least bit inclined to cry. Perhaps I am a very cold person.'
'Nonsense,' Arabella was quick to retort. 'You have been very kind to me, and – forgive me if I speak bluntly, but I thought the Manor a very cold and gloomy house.'
'It is,' Rosamund agreed. 'I had grown so familiar I did not see it until we went through the house, cataloguing each item. And it has grown very shabby, too, because poor Grandpapa could not pay to keep it up. If he had been less proud he might have sold the house, or rented it, and moved into something smaller, where we could have lived much more comfortably.
'I can see you are not convinced, Bella, but there is nothing comfortable about living in a big house where one cannot afford to have fires in the rooms and tradesmen always pressing for payment,' She looked down at her fashionable fur-lined pelisse and added ruefully, 'And no money for little luxuries such as new clothes.'
'Oh, you poor thing!' cried Arabella. 'You must not mind it, for it is all behind you now. You will find that Elliot lives in the height of luxury and all you need do is enjoy it. Yes yes,' she added hastily as Rosamund opened her mouth to speak. 'I know you will say you must find some occupation and earn your living, but not immediately. Dear Ros, you must allow Elliot to take care of you for a few weeks at least. Ah, here we are.'
Rosamund looked out of the window as the carriage slowed and turned off Piccadilly into a quiet side street, at the end of which stood a large town house set back in its own grounds. An icy rain had begun to fall and as the carriage came to a stand two footmen hurried forward, each with a large umbrella with which to shelter the ladies as they stepped out of the carriage and walked the few steps to the door. In the hall, flames leapt from the fireplaces set at each end, and Rosamund was at once aware of the warm air on her cheek. As if this was not sufficiently cheering, she was greeted by the kindly smile of the housekeeper, who came forward to help her remove her pelisse, introducing herself as Mrs Trimble and almost immediately she began apologising that the marquis was not present to receive his guest.
'He hoped you would forgive him, Miss, for he has urgent business to attend to, and says he will join you in the drawing room before dinner this evening. In the meantime, I am to show you to your rooms, and if there is anythi
ng you are wanting for your comfort, I'd be pleased if you would tell me.'
'And does that apply to me, too, Trimble?' asked Arabella, coming up to them.
'Away with you, Miss Bella, you know you only have to ask for anything in this house,' declared the housekeeper with the mock severity of an old and trusted retainer.
'Then perhaps you would warm a little soup for when we have unpacked. We have been up since dawn, and only had time to swallow a mouthful of bread and butter before those awful bailiffs forced us out of the house.'
'Oh, you poor dears!' Mrs Trimble threw up her hands in horror. 'Let me take you upstairs without any more delay. Now, Miss Beaumarsh, did you bring your maid?'
'She is following in the baggage coach, with my own woman,' said Arabella, leading the way up the stairs. 'Although I have to say she is not exactly a lady's maid.'
'Meggie is a good girl, and very willing,' said Rosamund, biting back a smile.
'I could say as much of a large puppy!' retorted the widow.
'I know,' confessed Rosamund, 'but I could not leave her behind. She has been at Northby since she was a child. I am sure she will learn very quickly.'
'She has been acting as your maid since I arrived and I have yet to discover that she has learned how to hook up a gown!'
'Now hush, Miss Bella,' said Mrs Trimble, bustling in between them. 'Never you mind what anyone says, Miss Beaumarsh, you must make up your own mind,' she said pacifically. 'We shall see how this Meggie of yours goes on, and if she is not suitable we will find her something here. Now, you are to have your usual room, Miss Bella, and I will show Miss Beaumarsh to her apartment.'
Before disappearing into her room, Arabella promised to come and find Rosamund in half an hour and take her downstairs to the breakfast parlour.
'For by then, I am sure dear Trimble will have our soup ready!'
Rosamund was very grateful for her friend's companionship. She did not think she would lose her way in the house, for it was much smaller than Northby Manor, but while Rosamund had felt at home in the vast empty corridors, here there seemed to be an army of servants at every turn. She was not to know that the household was agog with curiosity to see Lord Ullenwood's new charge, convinced he intended to marry her. No one knew how it had started, but as soon as it became known that she was coming to live at Ullenwood House, the rumour spread rapidly through the servants' rooms.
'You take my word for it, Mrs T,' said Cook, in a moment of rare shared confidences over a glass of the master's best Madeira wine, 'A man don't put himself out like that for a chit if he ain't enamoured.'
In consequence, when Rosamund arrived at Ullenwood House, every member of the household was eager for a glimpse of her. The boot boy and scullery maid might be forced to peek out through a basement window, but everyone else found an excuse to make their way through the main rooms and take a look at the woman who had captured their master's heart. Most were disappointed and thought her too small and mouse-like to be of consequence. Why, she couldn't hold a candle to the lively Mrs Tomlinson, but when the housekeeper was applied to for her opinion she would only shake her head and warn them all not to be too hasty.
'She may be quiet,' she said, ' but she is no mouse, you mark my words. The lady is used to running her own household and knows her own mind.'
'They say her grandfather shot hisself and left her penniless,' said the under-footman. 'Gambling, they say. A sinful end.'
'Well, he left her to the master's care, and that shows some good sense,' observed Cook, up to her elbows in flour as she kneaded a large ball of dough. 'But will she make him a good wife, Mrs T? There'll be some changes here if he does.'
The housekeeper rose and shook out her skirts, preparing to return to her own room.
'Well no one's said anything about marriage that I know of,' she declared. 'So I say again let's not be hasty. We shall have to wait and see which way the wind blows. And then there's those precious aunts of the master's. We don't know yet if they approve.'
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rosamund dressed with care for her first dinner at Ullenwood House. Taking Arabella's advice, she chose a dove-grey gown with a Norwich shawl of plain white to cover her shoulders. Such attire would have been too flimsy for the draughty rooms of Northby Manor, but Lord Ullenwood's town house was compact and warm, with close-fitting windows and heavy drapes to shut out the icy night air, and fires burning in almost every room providing the ultimate luxury.
She accompanied Arabella to the drawing room, where they found Lord Ullenwood awaiting them. She felt a little shy at first; all her previous encounters with the marquis had taken place at Northby Manor, which was familiar ground for her. Now she was a guest in his house and it made her nervous. However, Lord Ullenwood greeted her with friendly civility and soon put her at her ease.
'You have everything you need, Miss Beaumarsh?' He led her to a chair.
'Thank you, yes. Mrs Trimble has been most attentive.'
'And your room is to your liking.'
She smiled up at him. 'Very much. It is very comfortable, and well-appointed.'
'You have had the guest rooms decorated since I was last here, have you not, Elliot?' put in Arabella, taking a chair close to Rosamund.
'Yes, and the new wing is finished now.'
She nodded.
'Mrs Trimble showed me. The new ballroom is delightful. You must hold a ball very soon, Cousin.'
'You forget, Bella, your mama has expressly forbidden you to go into Society, which must mean that she would not approve of any such festivities. And even if that were not the case,' he added, as she was about to protest, 'Miss Beaumarsh's situation must preclude anything of that nature.'
'Of course, I had forgotten. But these things should be well planned, Elliot. Should we not start organising your next ball now?'
His lips twitched.
'No need for that, Bella. When the time comes I need only ask Henry to see to it.'
'Ah,' Mrs Tomlinson pouted. 'The estimable Henry. How is your secretary?'
'Mellor is in good health and currently in Lincolnshire, with my agent.' The marquis turned to Rosamund. 'I want to improve the drainage on my estates there, and they have gone to look at the new plans. If Henry is satisfied, he will bring them back here for me to approve.'
'You place great faith in your secretary, my lord,' remarked Rosamund.
'I do.'
'Yet I suppose that you would normally visit the area yourself,' she added shrewdly. 'I am sorry if I am the cause of upsetting your plans, my lord, however unwittingly.'
Arabella cried out at this, but the marquis hushed her.
'Miss Beaumarsh is right. I do usually attend to such things myself, but Henry is more than able to attend to the affair.' A smile gleamed in his eyes. 'He is equally capable of dealing with matters here, but it was my choice that I should be here to look after you.'
Rosamund found herself smiling back at him.
'Then I am very grateful to you, my lord.'
Dinner was taken in the breakfast room, Lord Ullenwood explaining that he preferred its informal setting for family dinners.
'Lord yes,' agreed Mrs Tomlinson as she took her seat. 'A snug little dinner will be just the thing to set Rosamund at her ease.'
Rosamund said nothing, but the array of dishes that covered the table was extensive. Her experience of running Northby Manor informed her that Lord Ullenwood's cook had gone to great lengths to display his or her culinary skills. A glazed turkey, boiled neck of mutton, soup, plum pudding and venison pastry were amongst the dishes displayed for the first course, followed by an assortment that included partridges, sweetbreads and apple tart. With the serious business of eating to be undertaken and the servants in attendance, conversation was confined to unexceptional topics, but once the covers were removed, and the gleaming mahogany table was furnished with only their wine glasses and a selection of fine porcelain confit dishes, Mrs Tomlinson began a direct attack upon her cousin.
'
So, Elliot, what are your plans for Miss Beaumarsh?'
The marquis dismissed the remaining servants with a languid wave of one hand before replying.
'Why, I have none, at present. I imagine Miss Beaumarsh will want a little time to recover from the tragic events of the past few weeks. Ullenwood House is at her disposal.'
'You are too good, my lord,' murmured Rosamund. 'I am indeed grateful for your assistance, but I hope I shall not need to impose upon you for too long.'
'I find your determination to seek employment very puzzling,' declared Arabella.
Rosamund shook her head.
'I know you find it hard to understand, Bella, but I do not wish to be dependent upon anyone.'
'Except an employer,' put in Lord Ullenwood.
'That, my lord, would be different. I would expect a fair wage for my labour.' She sipped her wine. 'Perhaps Mr Mellor could advise me.'
The marquis shrugged. 'I am not sure he has much experience in the employment of governesses.'
'I was thinking of something more clerical, sir, as I have already told you.'
'You see yourself as an amanuensis, perhaps, or a private secretary? Ask Henry, by all means, but I doubt if he can help you.' He returned indifferently.
'Perhaps you know someone who would employ Rosamund,' suggested Arabella. 'Could you not recommend her?'
His lip curled.
'My dear Bella, I do not think my recommendation would have quite the effect Miss Beaumarsh desires.'
His cousin gave a sigh of exasperation.
'Heavens, Elliot, you are not at all obliging tonight! Do you not care what becomes of Rosamund? You are the greatest beast in nature if that is so!'
'Your descent into melodrama is unnecessary, Bella,' he replied coldly. 'Miss Beaumarsh is at liberty to make up her own mind what she wishes to do with her life. She knows that it is not necessary for her to seek employment. I have already explained that there are alternatives.'
Rosamund was aware that Arabella wanted to continue the argument, but one look at Lord Ullenwood's implacable countenance made her break in.
To Marry a Marquis Page 5
