by Abby Ayles
* * *
“I believe Bess told me some of that. I am very sorry for your loss," Lady Louisa responded.
* * *
"Did you ever spend time here with him then?” Lady Louisa continued hoping to bring up happy memories for her cousin.
* * *
If she had learned one thing from the death of her father, it was that forgetting was not the remedy. So often when a loved one was lost, remaining family members would do all they could to forget the unhappy circumstances that lead to their death.
* * *
This would often result in the removal of anything that might remind one of the deceased person. In the end, all memories both happy and sad would be lost to them. Then all that would be left would be that empty sorrowful feeling of loss.
* * *
It was far better to suffer through the bad memories in order to hold on to the good. Only then could the pain lessen over time. Though Lady Louisa was sure that it would never go away completely, it certainly would be bearable.
* * *
“No. Mother never thought it quite proper for my sister or me to be out in the garden. She said it was servant work. I am actually a little surprised she didn’t object this morning.”
* * *
“Perhaps she changed her mind. Or perhaps she hoped to see the beauty of the gardens again as well.”
* * *
“I can’t imagine the second. Mother would be so cross with Father when he was out here in gardens. She would always comment how anyone could see him and it was so unbecoming of a gentleman to work as such.”
* * *
“My father though,” Miss Mary said rising and wiping her cheek with a dirty glove, “He would always say his father, and grandfather, and great-grandfather all stood in this same spot and dug around the same lettuce. He would not break such a tradition.”
* * *
Lady Louisa smiled as Miss Mary spoke the memory. For a moment she let her cousin drift off to another time before she shrugged and went back to the work of removing deep-rooted weeds.
* * *
“He sounds like a very determined man. I wish I could have been lucky enough to meet him,” Lady Louisa said before returning to her own particularly stubborn weed. “Would you tell me more about him?” Miss Mary paused for just a second.
* * *
“It’s funny; Mother barely liked the subject of him while he was with us. Since his departure from this world, I honestly thought she would be happier. She speaks of him even less however and seems even more sullen.”
* * *
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lady Louisa said with truth.
* * *
She had heard from her own mother that her aunt and uncle’s relationship was strained over time. It must have been a terrible thing for her aunt to choose love and then lose it in the end.
* * *
In truth, Lady Louisa wondered if it was her own aunt’s pride and jealousy that had not only severed the ties with her sister, but her husband as well.
* * *
“I, however, would be more than happy to speak about him,” Miss Mary said with a little spunk.
* * *
The two ladies spent the remainder of the afternoon covered in soil swapping stories of both their fathers now gone. It was a most pleasant and therapeutic experience for the both of them.
* * *
“My word,” said a deep voice coming from around the house and walking along the white picket fence that encased the two garden plots.
* * *
Lady Louisa and Miss Mary stood to find Colonel Jasper watching them with a teasing gleam in his eye.
* * *
“Lady Hendrickson informed me that I might find you two out in the garden, I had no idea she meant that you would be more covered in soil than the last time we met,” he continued.
* * *
Both ladies quickly stood, a little embarrassed at the current status of their soiled hems. Miss Mary even had a smudge of dirt on her cheek from where she wiped it earlier.
* * *
“I can safely say, neither one of us was expecting company in our present condition,” Lady Louisa replied as she tipped back her sunbonnet and removed her gardening gloves.
* * *
Miss Mary was nervously doing the same. Though she did do her best to brush the dirt off of her apron, she still had no knowledge of the offending smudge on her now rosy cheeks.
* * *
Though Miss Mary was no match for her older sister’s beauty, she was very pretty in her own way. Even with the heat of the day on her face and the strenuous work deflating the curls of her golden hair, she still outshined Louisa in looks.
* * *
“Well I do beg pardon for the intrusion,” Colonel Jasper said with a bow. “Rowland was most anxious to meet the family I spoke so highly of all night long upon my return. I dare say members here shared the same sentiment,” he added with a wink.
* * *
“I would be more than happy to introduce you two ladies, as well?”
* * *
“I thank you,” Lady Louisa said quickly remembering her self-promise to give her cousin space on this matter, “but I am sure another opportunity will arise. Hopefully at that time I will be more properly dressed for it,” she added with a cool smile.
* * *
“Of course. Well, I am not offended by your hard work. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind showing me around the outside grounds while the others speak inside. It is far too fine of a day to waste it,” Colonel Jasper said.
* * *
Lady Louisa looked to Miss Mary waiting for her to respond. It didn’t seem that Miss Mary was used to making such decisions so instead, Lady Louisa made it for the both of them.
* * *
“We would both be delighted to, though I will have to defer all leading and talking to my cousin as I know the land no better than yourself.”
* * *
Miss Mary was happy to lead both around the grounds and show the various highlights. At first, she was very timid on the matter. Colonel Jasper would ask her little encouraging questions all the while, however, and soon Miss Mary needed no prompting in the discussion.
* * *
By the time the sun was starting to set in earnest, Lady Louisa couldn’t help but hold back from the party with a smile as the two in front of her engaged in conversation. Both were enthralled with the current discussion of prevalent wildflowers versus ones planted in gardens.
* * *
“I don’t think there is anything more wonderful than to walk down a path and come upon a meadow of freshly bloomed wildflowers," the Colonel debated.
* * *
“Although such a thing is a beautiful site, I would have to argue that one can find more happiness in a bloom of your own doing. In fact, my father used to say that it was the toiling and hard labor put into a plant that made its fragrance so sweet.”
* * *
“What a lovely sentiment,” Colonel Jasper said with his eyes lowered down to Miss Mary. “One that is truly hard to argue with.”
* * *
Lady Louisa had never expected her cousin to have such an interest in the outdoors before this day’s interaction. Now she had a feeling that Miss Mary had a great many interests that she kept hidden away upon request of Lady Hendrickson.
* * *
“Pray tell, what lovely flowers will waft up beautiful perfume from your labors today?”
* * *
“Nothing really,” Miss Mary confessed. “I have but planted lettuce and root vegetables. My cousin, Lady Louisa, was the one to plant the herbs and medicinal plants. I suspect they will create a much better sight to see.”
* * *
Both eyes turned to Lady Louisa as if they had remembered her presence for the first time. Rather than being upset that she was forgotten, Lady Louisa rather liked how well the two were getting along.
* * *
“I suppose th
e only fragrance of pleasure from the medicinal garden would be the lavender and rose hips,” Lady Louisa supplied to their questioning looks.
* * *
“Both lovely choices for growing and uses, I must say,” Colonel Jasper said making sure to include her in the conversation again.
* * *
Lady Louisa couldn’t help but notice that there had to be almost twenty years between her young cousin and the Colonel but the two seemed quite well matched for each other. She had never considered herself to be a matchmaker, but in this instance, she might make an exception. The two seemed to make a very handsome couple.
* * *
“Why did you two never come in?” Miss Hendrickson said that night over their family meal. “I expected that once Colonel Jasper informed you of our guest, you would have straight away come to meet the Duke.”
* * *
“We were not presentable after a day working in the garden,” Miss Mary stated merely not wanting to say more on the matter.
* * *
“Then what were you up to?” Lady Hendrickson said with a narrowing of her eyes.
* * *
“Colonel Jasper expressed a desire to know more of the area, so we took a turn with him around the gardens and property,” Lady Louisa responded.
* * *
“You two would rather walk around outside with an old man than meet the very eligible Duke of Rowland?” Miss Hendrickson said with a scoff. “You really are dull of mind, Mary. No matter, I had no problem keeping the Duke entertained all on my own,” she added with her head held high.
* * *
Even Lady Hendrickson beamed with pride at this fact. Though it was all meant as hurtful comments towards her and Miss Mary, Lady Louisa couldn’t help but be at least satisfied in doing what she suspected her aunt and cousin had wanted of her.
* * *
“Louisa,” Lady Hendrickson said. “I was wondering if you would be so kind as to help Bess tomorrow with the mending?”
* * *
“Of course Lady Hendrickson,” Lady Louisa said.
* * *
“And then there are the new dresses that need to be tried and fitted before the mending. I am sure you are more than skilled in such works, it would be a shame not to get your expertise on the matter.”
* * *
“I would be happy to help.”
* * *
“Wonderful, dear,” Lady Hendrickson said in a dismissive tone.
* * *
Lady Louisa was beginning to feel that each day of her visit was going to be filled with such tasks from her aunt.
Chapter 7
Lady Louisa wasn’t surprised when the following week she was again asked to go to the market on foot. At least this time she was not alone as Bess was at her side.
* * *
Lady Hendrickson insisted that Lady Louisa accompany the maid as she made her monthly walk to town to sell butter at the market.
* * *
Lady Louisa didn’t mind the task as she rather enjoyed the morning talks with her maid and expected her day trip to be no less enjoyable. Lady Louisa was also looking forward to the chance to get another look at all the stalls on Market Day.
* * *
As they walked, Lady Louisa learned how each morning and evening the milk was collected from three cows that had a permanent residence in the barn. Then Bess, as well as the other maids, would let the cream separate and then turn it into butter.
* * *
Each pad of butter was salted, and molded into decorative wooden molds with various flower motifs on top. Once prepared they were wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in the root cellar until their designated market day each month.
* * *
Mr. Johnson, who was normally somewhat disheveled from his hard labor around the estate, was dressed in his Sunday best that morning as he took the rest of the goods into town in a cart. The butter needed to wait until later in the day when the height of commerce began. In that way, it didn’t spoil or melt in the heat of the sun.
* * *
“People come from far off villages, m’lady, just for this here butter. In fact, I was even told that the Duke ‘imself had it on his table since he arrived.”
* * *
“May I ask what makes yours so unique?” Lady Louisa questioned as they made their slow stroll through the tree covered forest.
* * *
“Some say it’s just because it is pretty. Others will tell that it's on account of the feed the cows get. See we don’t let them graze willy-nilly as most other folks do. The milk can change in taste by what she’s been eating. Our girls get only sweet barley from our very own fields.” “How interesting,” Lady Louisa said.
* * *
She could tell by the way Bess had her chin held high and was also wearing her Sunday best, that this was a production of love and pride. She suspected that Bess was about Miss Mary’s age and showed the signs of her youthful vigor as they trudged along on the path. Even her brown hair seemed to gleam in the light breaking through the trees as if it had its own supply of energy.
* * *
Lady Louisa looked up her nose at her own grey blonde hair that was placed so perfectly onto of her head with delicate ringlets shaping her face. How she wished her own hair glowed and emanated light as did Bess’s.
* * *
She couldn’t help but think at that moment, with Bess in her finest and her in a walking dress, it much rather looked like she was the Lady’s Maid and Bess was the Lady. She shook the thought out of her head. It was an awfully silly thing to think that clothes alone could determine one's status from the outside, for surely Bess was a commoner but her looks and high-held head that day made her out to be the Queen of England herself.
* * *
“I suspect I will have to sneak a small amount on a biscuit before the day is out to determine if I agree with the superior taste,” Lady Louisa finally said in a joking manner.
* * *
“By, m’lady, you’ve had it all these days with meals. Tis’ the same we serve in the house.”
* * *
“I know, but I didn’t realize its importance then and took it for granted. I will have to try it again with this new knowledge, for certainly, that will make a difference.”
* * *
Both girls continued such conversation as they made their way through the forest and into the village. Lady Louisa found the trip to be most enjoyable and spent the whole of the day there with Bess.
* * *
Much to her surprise, people seemed to flock to their stall as soon as they arrived with their baskets of butter. Some had even been waiting the whole of the morning with one eye on the stall for Bess’ appearance.
* * *
It was strange for Lady Louisa to see that just about everyone knew each other by name. Indeed, in London there would be specific markets or even stalls and shops that might be favored, but rarely did a proprietor know the name of every single customer that walked through the door.
* * *
This seemed to be the case of this small village. With each client that came to the stall, either Mr. Johnson or Bess spoke a few words with them. Often inquiries were made about family members, and gossip exchanged.
* * *
Lady Louisa enjoyed watching and taking in all the close familiarities. It was unquestionably much friendlier than things back home. She was surprised when the conversation turned to her.
* * *
“Lady Louisa?” A voice called and waved at her from the other end of the stall.
* * *
It quite startled her since she hadn’t expected to know anyone here.
* * *
“Yes, that is me,” she said a bit shyly.
* * *
“I thought I recognized you,” the portly older man said coming to her side. “I dare to believe you don’t remember me.”
* * *
“I do apologize for that,” Lady Louisa said as
she searched her brain for any recognition of the man.
