by Anne Herries
‘Welcome, ladies,’ she said. ‘I am Mrs Saunders. His lordship is out walking with a few of the gentlemen, but Lady Elizabeth awaits you in the front parlour with some of her other guests. You are not the first to arrive—we have had carriages from eleven o’clock this morning!’
‘Good afternoon—or perhaps it is almost evening,’ Mrs Hampton said. ‘I am Mrs Hampton—this is Miss Royston and my daughter, Miss Hampton.’
‘We are expecting you, ma’am,’ the housekeeper said. ‘Would you like to go straight up? I shall take you up myself, and send one of the footmen to let her ladyship know you are here.’
Mrs Hampton thanked her and they followed her into the house and up the stairs. They were conducted to the end of the first landing and then up some stairs to a further floor. Here they were taken through double doors into what was obviously a suite of rooms.
‘This is the green suite, ma’am,’ Mrs Saunders told them with a satisfied look about her. ‘Royalty has stayed here in the past and the Duke of Marlborough. His lordship wanted you to be comfortable. You have two private sitting rooms and three bedrooms. When we have a party of guests it is nice to put them together—especially unmarried ladies.’
Susannah wandered round the sitting room while her mother and Amelia explored the other rooms and settled which would suit them and her. She trailed her hand over the shining surface of highly polished mahogany furniture, thinking that she had never seen any thing quite so fine. The soft furnishings were a dark green-striped satin, the hangings a paler shade of the same material. There was a handsome bookcase, a desk and chair, as well as a display cabinet containing objets d’art. Something she found particularly pleasing was a collection of Meissen porcelain, little figures of monkeys dressed as French courtiers from the previous century and playing musical instruments. She took one of the figures out, examining it with pleasure until her mama returned.
‘Come and see the bedchamber we thought you might like,’ Mrs Hampton said. ‘It has a beautiful view of the park and you can just see a lake in the distance. Pendleton is a large estate, Susannah.’
‘Yes, Mama.’ Susannah glanced at the fine paintings on the wall as she followed dutifully through the small hall into the bedroom her mother indicated. It was less formal than the sitting room, furnished in paler shades that she preferred, but still with that majestic mahogany furniture—making her very aware that she had never stayed in a house such as this one. Amelia’s house was large and comfortable, but this… A little shiver ran down her spine. Could she ever be mistress of a house like Pendleton? Surely she was not worthy of the honour? There was so much she did not know. So many tasks that she feared might be beyond her. She had not realised until this moment just how wealthy and important Lord Pendleton really was. It struck her forcibly that her life would change completely once they were married. She had been living in a dream world, but this was reality! When Susannah had dreamed up her prince on a white horse, she had never thought beyond the moment when the prince took her into his arms and told her that he loved her.
As yet, Harry had merely told her that he had a warm regard for her. What did that mean exactly? Had he proposed because he could not live without her—or because she was suitable to be the mother of his children? Susannah felt a hollow sensation inside. Was she suitable to be any man’s wife or a mother? And to be the chatelaine of such a house would be such a responsibility!
‘Would you like this room?’
‘Yes, of course, Mama,’ Susannah said, becoming aware of her mother’s odd look. ‘I am quite content—unless you would like it?’
‘I have chosen mine. Amelia and I thought you would like this one.’
‘It will do very well.’
Susannah glanced out of the window. The view was magnificent and she could see the lake spark ling in the distance. Two people were walking towards the house. She could see them clearly, Lord Pendleton and Miss Hazledeane. Mrs Saunders had told them he was out with some gentlemen, but he had returned with his mother’s ward. She had linked her arm through his and they seemed intent, en grossed in their conversation. Miss Hazledeane had a presence and seemed very sure of herself, as if she felt at home here.
Susannah could not help feeling a pang of what she suspected might be jealousy. It was very wrong of her, because Harry would naturally be on good terms with his mother’s ward.
She drew away from the window and looked around the bed room again. It was very grand, but she supposed she would get used to living in these surroundings after a while. She must if she were ever to live here as Harry’s wife. She had thought only of love and romance, but now a few doubts had begun to creep in. Was she the right bride for Lord Pendleton? Could she do what was expected of her?
‘Yes, Mama, it is a beautiful room,’ she said, making an effort to smother her doubts. She took off her pelisse and laid it on the bed with her bonnet and gloves. ‘It will seem more homely once I have some of my own things unpacked.’
‘Yes, Susannah, it will,’ Mrs Hampton agreed. She moved to take Susannah’s hand, holding it tightly. ‘Are you feeling a little over come, dearest?’
‘I do not think I had imagined the house would be quite this large—or this grand, Mama. I am not sure I belong in a house like this….’
‘But of course you feel strange at first,’ Mrs Hampton said. ‘We have never stayed in a house as grand as this one, I know. Papa’s house was modest, and Amelia’s—well, she makes one feel so very comfortable when one stays with her. This is a formal house, but I dare say parts of it are more like a home. These are the best guest chambers. We have been given them because we are honoured guests.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Susannah agreed. She took a deep breath. Her doubts were a mere irritation of nerves. No doubt she was not the first young woman to feel this way when confronted with her husband’s home and family. She had yet to meet the family! She must hope that they found her suitable. ‘I shall be comfortable here once I am settled, Mama. Please do not worry about me.’
Mrs Hampton pressed her hand. ‘You are a sensible girl, Susannah. You know that you can always talk to me about any thing that bothers you, do you not?’
‘Yes, Mama, of course,’ Susannah replied and smiled. ‘Do you suppose we should go down?’
Even as she spoke, they heard a voice in the sitting room. Mrs Hampton smiled. ‘I believe that is Lady Elizabeth come to welcome us.’
‘Yes…’
Susannah followed her mother into the sitting room. Lady Elizabeth was greeting Amelia, but she turned with a smile as they entered, her eyes finding Susannah.
‘Forgive me for not greeting you the moment you arrived,’ she said, coming towards Susannah, hands outstretched. ‘Mrs Hampton—Susannah. I hope you like your apartments?’ She kissed Susannah on the cheek. ‘They are a little formal, I know, but it meant you could all be together and I thought that might be more comfort able for Susannah. We shall be quite a large party once everyone gets here—quite a few single gentlemen—so it is nice for the single ladies to have their rooms together.’
‘You are very thoughtful, ma’am,’ Susannah said and smiled. It was impossible to feel awkward in the face of Lady Elizabeth’s warmth. ‘Thank you for arranging it so….’
Lady Elizabeth’s eyes were knowing, filled with understanding. ‘This is such a large house. When I first visited as a girl I was situated in the east wing and I was for ever losing my way. I once ended up in the gentlemen’s wing, which might have been embarrassing. I did not wish it to happen to you. Now, Susannah, take my arm. We shall go down together. I was sorry that we did not see more of each other in Bath, but it was a short visit, because I needed to make sure everything was in order here. Now, my dear, take my arm, I want you to meet my friends. They are all eager to meet you.’
Susannah did as she was bid, laying her hand on Lady Elizabeth’s arm and listening to her hostess talk as they went along the landing and back down the stairs to the first floor. Lady Elizabeth was still a
very attractive lady with a smile much like her son’s and Susannah was feeling more comfortable when they entered the large salon together. It was elegantly furnished, as was the rest of the house, but the atmosphere was softer here and the way the sofas and tables were arranged in small groups gave it a more intimate feeling. The colours were crimson, gold and cream, the furniture heavily gilded, as were the magnificent mirrors and pictures adorning the walls. There were some fifteen or more people in the room, some of them known to Susannah, others not. She saw the Earl of Ravenshead and Lady Manners, Miss Terry and her brother and several gentlemen she did not know.
‘My cousin, the Earl of Elsham—Lord Marsham and Sir Henry Booker,’ Lady Elizabeth said. ‘Lady Elsham and Lady Booker…Lord Coleridge and the Earl of Ravenshead. You must know that Max and Gerard are particular friends of Harry’s.’
‘I have met them both, though Lord Coleridge only once,’ Susannah said, offering her hand to the rather large and magnificent gentleman.
‘It is a pleasure to meet you again,’ Max Coleridge said, bold eyes twinkling. ‘Harry tells me you mean to learn to drive, Miss Hampton. I should be de lighted to tool you around the park when ever you wish.’
Susannah smiled and thanked him, desperately trying to remember the names as her hostess introduced her to more ladies. Several of them were older, relatives who had not been in London during the Season, but were obviously welcome guests here. Lady Ethel Booker was in her later years and slightly deaf. She used a lorgnette to good effect, training it on anyone she wished to inspect, and for the moment that appeared to be Susannah.
‘Not a bad figure,’ she remarked to her husband in a voice that carried a little too far. ‘Better than I expected from a country nobody.’
‘Be quiet, Ethel,’ her husband said. ‘You are speaking too loudly again.’ He directed an apologetic smile towards Susannah, who could hardly meet his gaze, let alone return the smile.
It was obvious to Susannah that Harry’s family were watching her, to see if she would do, and she was much afraid that she would be found lacking. How could she—an ordinary girl—be the right wife for Lord Pendleton when he lived in such splendour?
When Miss Terry and her brother ad dressed her she answered softly without her usual sparkle, feeling crushed by the weight of expectation all round. When she saw Miss Hazledeane enter the room looking relaxed, self-assured, her cheeks refreshed from a walk in the air, she felt as if she would have liked to run away. How ever, pride would not let her give in to such an unworthy urge and a moment later Toby came to her rescue.
‘Ah, there you are,’ he said and smiled at her. ‘My mother isn’t here yet, but she shouldn’t be long in arriving. My sister Anne will be with her. At least there are a couple of ladies of your age, Susannah. Most of the old crusties are here, but you mustn’t mind them. Their collective bark is worse than their bite. Here comes Harry….’
Even as he spoke Harry saw them and came towards them, a smile of welcome on his lips. ‘I am glad you arrived safely, Susannah. I was not sure when to expect you—I thought later this evening—but Toby tells me you made very good time.’
‘Yes, we did, sir,’ Susannah said and gave him a shy smile. ‘I am very glad to be here. You have a beautiful home.’
‘Pendleton is a show place,’ Harry told her. ‘I am not sure I would call it home. I have other houses that are more comfortable I may show you one day, but the family likes to gather here for a few weeks in summer. It is large enough to hold them all should they wish to visit, and I believe most of them are coming this year.’ A smile of unholy amusement touched his lips. ‘I am sure I have no idea why. Mama assures me that she did no more than issue the usual invitation.’
‘I imagine an invitation to Pendleton must always be accepted.’
‘Good lord, no! There are a couple here that haven’t bothered for the past five years,’ Harry said. ‘I dare say they have their reasons for coming this time.’ His eyes twinkled at her. ‘They have come to inspect the new bride—which reminds me, you do not yet have your ring, my love. I shall give it to you later.’
‘Yes…’ Susannah glanced down at the points of her white satin shoes. ‘You have extensive grounds. I should very much like to explore them one day.’ She longed for him to say that they could go for a walk immediately, but he did not.
‘You may walk where you wish, of course,’ Harry told her. ‘How ever, I shall take you driving tomorrow morning and you will get an idea of where everything is. I would not wish you to get lost and come to harm, Miss Pendleton.’ He looked at Toby. ‘I visited the stables earlier. You have done well. I heard there was a suitable pair and I am pleased with your choice. You have a good eye.’
‘Thank you, Harry.’ Toby looked pleased. ‘I would have suggested a walk to the lake, Susannah, but Aunt Elizabeth is determined to show you off to everyone,’ he said as Lady Elizabeth came towards them with an elderly lady in tow. ‘I can’t take too much of this! I am off. I shall see you at dinner, Susannah.’
Harry looked amused as his nephew made a beeline for the door. ‘I would emulate Toby and escape with you, but I am afraid you will have to smile and bear it, Susannah. By tomorrow they will all have satisfied their curiosity and you may escape with me to explore.’
Susannah met so many people before she was allowed to go and change for dinner that her head was whirling and she was afraid she would not recall all the names. She had not been sure what sort of a reception she would receive, but everyone seemed friendly enough. Most of them greeted her with a polite smile and she did not hear remarks about her person from anyone but Lady Booker, who had a habit of speaking loudly because she was deaf. However, from the smiles and nods she received during and after dinner, Susannah thought that she must have been generally approved—for the moment at least.
Susannah could not help wishing that they might have had a little time together before all his relatives arrived. She was trying to accustom herself to the idea that she was engaged to a man she loved—a man she was not sure felt quite the same about her. She knew that Harry felt some thing for her, but most marriages were arranged for reasons other than love, and she could not yet be certain that she was loved, as she would wish to be—to distraction.
Susannah would have felt her situation a little awkward even had she been sure that Harry was in love with her; only a girl of spirit could have coped with being thrust into a family gathering of this nature, and Susannah refused to be crushed by the weight of expectation. She would make every effort to enjoy this visit and she could hardly wait for the next morning so that she could escape for a while to go driving. Perhaps by the time they returned she would have more idea of how things stood.
She was relieved when she was alone in her room. Her maid helped her to undress, brushed her hair and wished her good night and Susannah got into bed. The mattress was harder than she was used to and, despite her efforts to settle, she tossed and turned for some minutes before getting up with a sigh of despair. She would fetch a book from the sitting room and read for a while.
The moon was shining full in the front windows of the sitting room. Susannah found herself drawn to them. She stood looking out for some minutes, and then she saw the man and the woman emerge from the shrubbery. They paused, embraced fervently, and then the man turned and walked away. Despite the moon light, Susannah was unable to see their faces, though she suspected that the woman was Miss Hazledeane.
Who had she been meeting? Could it be the Marquis of Northaven—had he followed her here from Bath? Susannah frowned. Harry would be angry if that were the case. However, she could not be certain. It might have been Harry himself, for he had seemed quite happy in Miss Hazledeane’s company when Susannah had seen them together earlier that day. No, no, that was a terrible thought! Completely disloyal and unworthy. Susannah did not know whether Harry truly loved her or not, but she was certain that he was not the kind of rogue who would kiss another woman when his fiancée slept only a short distance aw
ay.
She would not allow herself to be jealous of the other girl. If Harry had wished to marry her, he would not have spoken to Susannah. Her mind clear on that point, she wondered about the situation between Jenny Hazledeane and her lover.
Should she speak to Harry or keep Miss Hazledeane’s secret? A meeting at a teashop in Bath was one thing, but secret meetings in the moon light were quite another. Miss Hazledeane was Lady Elizabeth’s ward and she ought to behave circumspectly while living here. However, Susannah could not be certain of what she had seen. It would seem spiteful if she accused the woman of doing some thing she hadn’t—besides, it really was not Susannah’s place to spy on her.
She sighed and put the problem from her mind. She had problems enough of her own. She was still sure that she loved Harry, even though he appeared to have a temper when roused, but she was having doubts about the future. She had promised to wed Harry and it was what she truly wanted in her heart. Yet how could she ever be mistress of a house like this—the first lady of an illustrious family whose ancestors had entertained and even married with minor royalty? She was, as Lady Ethel had said, the daughter of a country nobody. In London that small fact had not seemed to matter. She had been swept off her feet by all the adulation she received, but here in this house everything seemed different. She was very conscious that the Pendleton family were watching her—waiting for her to make a mistake? Or perhaps she was judging them now?
Why had Harry asked her to be his wife? Was he marrying her because she was charming and beautiful—a suitable match and mother for his heir?
It would explain his anger in the inn yard, Susannah thought. He had spoken of being concerned for her—but had he also been concerned that scandal would ruin her good name? His own name and family clearly meant a great deal to him. He had still asked her to marry him, but how would he feel if there should be scandal over that incident? She remembered the way the Marquis of Northaven had leered at her when she was leaving Bath in Toby’s curricle. If there should be a stain on her reputation, Harry might wish that he had not spoken! Oh, she was foolish to let silly things haunt her! Harry had intended that this visit should be a pleasure and it would be if she could put her silly fears out of her head.
