With a smile of endearment, Julianna turned her attention to her niece bidding herself not to worry over much. Fletcher was practically an adult. “Yes, Dee, the dowager duchess certainly knows everything there is to know about entertaining. And hiring good staff, for that matter. I wonder if her cook would be willing to share the recipe with ours if you enjoyed it so much. I shall mention it when I send around our note of thanks.”
“Oh, that would be so good of you, Aunty, thanks. Although, when you think about it, what are the chances of the cook being willing to share?” Odelia asked with doubt in her voice. “Think about how jealously our cook guards his secrets.”
“True enough, but there is no harm in asking. Besides, Grandmother and her cook will be flattered by the request if nothing else.”
“Did you see what the duke’s wife was wearing?” asked Odelia, ready to change the subject to a much more gossipy one. “What ever could she have been thinking to wear that color with her complexion?”
Julianna just smiled and allowed the young girl’s chatter to wash over her. Odelia didn’t really require a response, and Julianna allowed her mind to drift to thoughts of how the evening had thus far gone for her. For a moment she allowed herself to push worries about her niece and nephew far from her mind and indulged in a frivolous daydream in which she was a carefree young miss being courted by a ruggedly handsome viscount.
After a moment, with a sigh but with determination, she pushed those thoughts back down into the hidden places of her heart. She wasn’t sure what Lord Lucius Ackerley had in mind, and while she was almost certain he was enough of a gentleman not to intentionally hurt her, she did not trust that she would come to no harm in his company. She must guard her mind and heart well because if she let him get too near it, this time she doubted they would survive intact.
With renewed determination to resist any fantasizing about a future with the viscount, Julianna squared her shoulders as she descended from the carriage in front of the beautiful stone façade of the house in which they would be dancing until dawn. She reminded herself that she was about to enter the very same ballroom in which her future with Viscount Beaufort had fallen apart. It had been during the Roxborough ball that she had terminated her engagement exactly seven years before. She suppressed a shudder at the memory. Behind her, Odelia let out a little squeal of excitement.
“This is going to be so much fun, isn’t it?” the young lady enthused as they climbed the grand staircase, trying to keep up with the earl as he hurried to enter the elegant building.
“Hart, wait for us,” hissed Julianna with a hint of asperity, not wanting to cause a scene. But really, if they ran into the house, surely that would cause a bigger scene, she reasoned.
Checking his haste, the earl turned a sheepish face to his sister and daughter. “Sorry, ladies. I forgot for a moment that you were with me. Would either of you like my elbow?” He tried for a degree of gallantry.
Exasperated with her brother’s one tracked mind, Julianna took one arm while Odelia took his other. Trying to mask her impatience with him, Julianna took a deep breath, expelling it slowly before turning to him with a smile.
“You must understand, brother dear, that we cannot run in outfits like these. Of course, according to Grandmother, it is not seemly for a young lady to ever run. So you mustn’t mind our slow pace. We shall get there soon enough.”
She paused for a moment before chiding him. “You really should make an effort not to forget your companions. And, just a quick tip — If you do find you have forgotten them, please do not tell them so. It is most off-putting.”
Hart laughed at his sister’s rebuke. “You are quite right. Hopefully, if you two were real ladies I would not be such a buffoon.”
Both ladies gasped in outrage. “What do you mean by such an outrageous remark, Father?” demanded Odelia, shocked to the depths by her father’s callous statement.
“Ouch,” declared the earl with a sheepish face. “That was poorly said. I merely meant that you are not ladies I would court, so I have no need of impressing you.”
Odelia was shocked into silence by his explanation, as she had never thought of her father pursuing a courtship. Julianna, having been previously prepared, did not allow his statement to distract her outrage. “But Hart, you are supposed to love us, and never, ever forget about us!”
“I do love you both ever so much, surely you know that. Oh, I am making a muddle of this evening, aren’t I? Please, just forgive me and enjoy your evening. We are here now. We should go in and have a lovely time, right?” The earl was determined to meet up with his mystery appointment.
Still simmering with a degree of resentment, Julianna spoke with an uncharacteristic level of waspishness. “I certainly hope for your sake that your rendezvous is not with a lady, since clearly you have a long way to go in that department.”
Not to be deterred by sisterly recriminations, the earl tweaked his sister’s nose playfully, and then kissed his daughter’s cheek in passing before he swept away into the crowd.
Both Montgomery ladies stood for a moment with matching looks of perplexity before they looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Your father is truly incorrigible!” declared Julianna while shaking her head. “Of what use is he to us this Season?” She asked the rhetorical question as she helped Odelia shake out her skirts to more advantage before they were officially announced by the master of the evening.
Since they were latecomers the ballroom was already overcrowded and it was a bit overwhelming to the country-bred ladies to descend the grand staircase into the sea of people. They presented quite a picture. Julianna’s brunette hair offset Odealia’s blonde, so opposite and yet with such a striking family resemblance.
When their names were called, many in the throng turned to watch their descent. Always elegant, Julianna turned several heads as her contained, maturing beauty caught the eye of many a connoisseur. Meanwhile, Odelia’s youthful vigor and pretty face and form were looked on with favor by a completely different set. As soon as they reached the bottom, there was a queue forming of eligible men looking to secure a place on their dance cards.
The night passed quickly in a swirl of color and light as the ladies were handed off to partner after partner. Julianna was ever vigilant in keeping an eye on her charge, but she still managed to garner immense pleasure from the evening’s entertainments. It was with sore feet but light hearts that the ladies were finally handed into their carriage just a short while before dawn lightened the sky.
The earl had made sure not to forget his ladies again and had waited with a false show of patience as the girls enjoyed the evening long after he had concluded his business and was ready to leave.
“I guess I should not have let Fletcher go off on his own tonight. He could have escorted you two home,” he growled in an irritable mood.
Not to be deterred, Odelia smiled at her father with full charity and reasonableness. “You should have told us if there was a certain time you wished to leave. I had a wonderful night and enjoyed nearly every moment of it. But I must admit, I am dearly looking forward to falling onto my bed as soon as possible.”
“Did your meeting not go well, Hart?” Julianna asked with kindness.
Hart was chagrined by his own churlishness especially in view of the ladies’ attempts to be understanding. “No, no, my dear. It actually went very well, better than I had expected or even hoped. I am just so single-minded that once my business was concluded, I was ready to go home, and you two were still having so much fun. I did not have the heart to tell you we had to go before you were ready, but I was wholeheartedly bored.”
Turning to his daughter, he continued with uncharacteristic emotion. “Your mother would be so happy to see you, Dee. You are so beautiful and you seem to be making a nice little splash amongst the ton. I am terribly sorry she is not here to share this with you.”
Julianna looked away with a catch in her throat. Odelia, though, caught her hand and squeezed it.
“It is true. It would be quite lovely if Mama had never died, but I must say Aunty Jules is doing a bang up job of watching over me. Sometimes I think she is more diligent about it than Mama would have been.” Her fake petulance caused the other occupants of the carriage to laugh, glossing over the emotional moment.
Chapter 14
Despite the late night, Julianna awoke feeling fresh and ready to face the day, bounding from the bed when her maid scratched on the door before carrying in her morning’s chocolate.
“Good morning, Maizy, isn’t it a beautiful day?” Julianna nearly danced before the surprised maid but then winced when her feet protested the abuse.
“You seem right chipper this mornin’, milady, despite your sore feet.” The amused maid handed Julianna her steaming cup of chocolate before pulling open the wardrobe doors to decide what her lady should wear that day.
“I must admit, my feet are a wee bit tender, but we had so much fun last night, Maizy! Odelia was ever so popular.”
“Seems to me you must’ve been popular too, milady, if your feet are tender. You must’ve had your share of dances, too.” Maizy puttered around straightening the room as she spoke.
Julianna blushed and smiled in reminiscence. “It is true. I did do my fair share of dancing.” After taking a glance at the clock on the mantle she gasped. “Nearly noon! Maizy, why did you ever let me sleep so late? There is so much to be done today! It is nearly the day for our own ball, and there are so many things I need to attend to.”
The reasonable maid clucked her tongue at her lady’s signs of panic. “You don’t have any appointments today, milady, nor are you expecting any guests. I didn’t think you needed to do any more shopping, and you were out so late last night. I figured you needed the rest more than anything else. No doubt you’ll be out late again tonight, so sleeping a little later than usual isn’t going to do you any harm. And milady Odelia is still abed, so there was nothin’ for you to worry your pretty head about. I know you have your lists all written out, and almost everything is scratched off, so you need your rest more than anything, if you don’t mind my sayin’ so milady.”
“I guess you are right. Although Odelia and I do each have an appointment to go out riding in the park later this afternoon, we haven’t many commitments for today, so it is a good time to take a break. Thank you, Maizy. I think you are wiser than I am.”
The loyal maid blushed at this praise. “Get on with you, milady. Now, what would you like to wear today? Should you dress now in your riding clothes or change later?”
“Since I shall be lazing about for a couple hours, perhaps I shall just put on a dressing coat to run down for some breakfast then remain above stairs until it is time to get ready to go out. If you have other things to do, please go about them and you could return to help me and Odelia around three. I believe we shall both be riding in carriages of sorts so we shall not require riding habits.”
Thus dismissed, the maid bobbed a curtsy and went about her business. Julianna ran down to the dining room to see what had been left over from the morning meal. Delighted to see the array that had been kept warm in preparation for her and Odelia, Julianna tucked into a generous serving, feeling rather ravenous after the evening’s exertions.
Odelia bounced into the room, as cheerful as always. “Good morning, my dearest Aunt! How are you? Did the boys leave us much food? We were dreadful slug-a-beds today, were we not?”
With a cheerful smile of her own, Julianna had to agree. “The servants were kind enough to anticipate our late arrival and kept everything warm for us. You will see that there is plenty to fill you up.”
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments while they both savored their meal. Julianna broke the silence.
“Remember last night you made the comment that the Season is all about fun and has nothing to do with politics?”
Odelia paused with a fork halfway to her mouth. “You aren’t about to shatter my illusion of fun, are you, Jules?”
Julianna laughed. “So you already realize it is an illusion?”
“Not exactly,” Odelia hedged. “But I guess when you think about the girls that are relying on a good marriage to secure their future and often even the future of younger sisters, there is a certain politics to it. Or the impoverished gentlemen with respectable titles that are looking for an heiress to marry. They might not be having nearly as much fun as I am during the Season. But Papa doesn’t fit either of those categories, so why does he have to make every event about business or politics? Why can he not just escort us somewhere and watch us have fun? Or better yet, he could try to have a good time himself.”
“I am glad you see there’s more to this than having fun for many. But, Odelia, my dear, even for you this is a very serious matter. While you are in far different circumstances and really a lot of it is about fun, one day you will marry, and that is a very serious decision to make. You need to look far beyond fun in order to make a decision that will affect the rest of your life.”
Odelia looked at her aunt and set her chin at a stubborn angle. “You never married.”
“True enough. And I have loved nearly every moment of my life on the estate with the rest of you, but it has often been far from fun.”
Odelia never enjoyed being serious for long and tried to divert her aunt with some teasing. “Nearly every moment? Which moments did you not like?”
Julianna laughed but would not be dissuaded. “Never you mind. The fact is, your father loves his work in the House of Lords, and it really is important to all of us. Somebody has to do it. He has accepted the responsibility, and we should support him as much as we can. It would be good for you to give it some thought since one day, when you are a wife, you will need to support whatever is important to your husband.”
“Will he need to support what is important to me?”
“I hope you choose a husband that will support you in whatever you would like to pursue. You should look for a partner for your life.” Julianna was treading on slippery territory. She knew there were women’s movements being promoted amongst the bourgeois and even many aristocratic ladies had taken up the cause. She didn’t know enough about it to take a firm stand one way or the other, but she felt quite fiercely that it should work both ways and wished that quite adamantly for her beloved niece.
Odelia pondered for a few moments. “Well then, I would say it is definitely a good thing that I want to enjoy at least one more Season before I settle down, isn’t it? This way I can have all the fun I want this year. After the Season is over, I can go home to Somerton and think it all over at my leisure. Next year is very much soon enough for any heavy thinking.”
With a little shrug and a small laugh, Julianna had to agree. “I guess you are right, Dee. Let us enjoy ourselves. But do give thought to how you could support your father. Maybe you should ask him about what he is trying to accomplish and see if there is anything we can do to help. I am certain he would appreciate the offer. After all, he is making all this fun possible for you.”
Odelia wrinkled her nose as she thought about her aunt’s words. With reluctance she admitted, “I guess you are right, as always. But if I ask him, he’ll probably go on and on, and my mind will wander and I’ll be no further ahead.”
Julianna couldn’t help her amusement over the truthfulness of her niece’s statement. “Warn him in advance to think before he speaks. He needs to express it in layman’s terms for ladies. It will be good practice for you both.” With a firm nod, Julianna was about to get up. “I must say I am glad you can see the reasonableness of this. It is a relief that you are nowhere near as silly as your friend Abigail.”
Odelia was surprised by her aunt’s choice of words. “I am not sure where to begin with what you just said. Did you think I was silly? Maybe you and Papa should have let me go away to school. You only have yourselves to blame. And actually, Abigail isn’t all that silly either.”
“I’m sorry, Dee. I did not mean you any insult. I can truthfull
y tell you I have never questioned your intelligence, but even you must admit you can be a little silly at times. Would you not say it’s a part of the fun?”
Odelia’s face turned sheepish. “I guess you are right. I do enjoy being silly sometimes. But Abigail is a great girl, even if her silly moments are longer than mine.”
“She seems to be a nice, sweet, young lady, and I am glad you have found a companion to share your Season with. But she truly does not strike me as being all that bright.” Julianna’s worry over Fletcher’s interest in the girl was shading her judgment. She really had no objection to Odelia being friends with her. Then she wondered if that was somehow a double standard. She sighed in exasperation at her own silliness.
“Never mind, Odelia. What will you be doing today while you wait for the baron to come for you?” Julianna knew just how to distract a young lady.
“Isn’t it exciting, Aunty Jules? I hope he brings a curricle, or maybe a high perch phaeton! It will be just the thing to be seen riding in either of those.”
Julianna sat back and enjoyed her niece’s chatter for a few moments, content that the girl was concerned about the social aspects and truly seemed to have no romantic interest in Kenneth Landon. Then she thought of the need to continue her niece’s education.
“Would you like to write the thank you notes for last evening, or should I?” Julianna broke into Odelia’s stream of conversation.
Odelia blinked in surprise. “You would allow me to do it?”
Julianna tried for a casual shrug. “Absolutely, somebody has to. We need to write notes to the duchess and Lady Roxborough. You could do both or choose one and I will do the other.”
“What a great idea! Let’s split it. I think Great Grandmother’s note requires a higher degree of finesse than I am prepared for. You do her and I shall write to Lady Roxborough. Am I representing all Montgomerys or just you and I?”
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