by Sonia Parin
When she entered the store, a delicate doorbell announced her entrance.
“Lady Woodridge!” the young woman behind the counter exclaimed.
Evie gave her a warm smile. “Hello, Anna. You look splendid. I love your new hairstyle.” The last time she’d seen her, Anna had just started out in the store and had worn her hair in braids twisted and gathered into a neat bun. Now, she sported the current Parisian rage; a fashionable bob with neat rows of delicate waves.
“Anna, I would like to order some of your lovely primrose soap. Do you still carry it?”
“Yes, indeed, milady. Would you like it sent up to the house?”
“Yes, please. I’m spending a few days at Yarborough Manor,” Evie confirmed.
Anna nodded. “I’ll send the delivery boy out this afternoon.”
Thanking her, Evie turned to leave when she noticed an eye-catching display. “Oh, what are these?”
Anna picked up one of the tubes and presented it with a flourish. “Cupids Bow. A new shade by Helena Rubinstein. Offering perfectly curved lips with professional deftness.”
“What a marvelous shade. Include one of those too, please.”
“Certainly, milady.”
Evie couldn’t help noticing Anna’s subtle gesture toward a sign on the counter and wondered if she had employed the same subtle tactic to draw her attention to the lipstick.
“Day beauty care?” Evie asked, her voice filled with awe. “Is that a new service?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“By appointment only,” Evie read. “I wouldn’t mind trying it.” Before her journey to England, she had stopped for several days in New York and had indulged in a day of beauty at Helena Rubinstein’s main salon. It had done wonders for her complexion, or so she’d been told. Her face had certainly felt pampered after the treatment. “I’ll send word later on with a suitable time. Or perhaps I could decide now. Would tomorrow be too soon?”
Anna drew out an appointment book and, taking the greatest care, wrote Evie’s name.
As she watched her, Evie sensed she had drawn the attention from another customer in the store. Turning slightly, Evie studied the woman. It took her a moment to place the lady who stood near a display of face creams casting furtive glances her way.
Lotte Browning, married to the local solicitor. Her father had been a Baron and she had aspired to marry a titled gentleman but, after several failed seasons, she had given up and had accepted Mr. Browning’s humble proposal. According to the rumor mills, Mrs. Lotte Browning would continue to hold on to her aspirations until the day she died.
To Evie’s surprise, Lotte bobbed a curtsey.
To her even greater surprise, Lotte then scurried out of the store.
Smiling, Evie returned her attention to the young salesgirl.
“It seems I have been away too long, but it’s lovely to be back.” Content with her purchases, Evie strode out of the store. As she crossed the square again, she noticed Lotte Browning standing nearby looking at a store window. Or rather, pretending to look while her attention clearly remained pinned on Evie.
Nothing but curiosity, Evie thought, determined she would not let it bother her, even though she had heard rumors about Lotte Browning’s stalwart objections to Evie’s marriage. Many had shared her sentiments. In fact, to Evie’s astonishment, the news had caused ripples of discontent right across the county’s drawing rooms and beyond…
About to reach the car, Evie noticed a man staring at her. When she met his gaze, he pushed off and strode off, his pace hurried. It seemed she’d attracted the attention from more than one person, she thought.
Lotte Browning remained standing by the store window which made Evie wonder what she could find so enthralling.
She smiled at Tom. “I’ll only be another moment.” A few steps brought her up the store holding Lotte Browning’s attention.
Farm equipment?
Evie continued on and entered the store next door, moments later, she emerged with a small bag of mints.
Lotte Browning saw her coming out and swiftly looked away.
Humming a tune under her breath, Evie returned to the car and offered Tom a mint. He shook his head and thanked her.
“Go on. Have one.”
Relenting, Tom took one and held the door open for her.
Evie settled into the car and they were promptly on their way again driving through the quaint village until they were once again in the open road admiring the lush green hills of the Yorkshire countryside.
As she gazed out at the meadows, Evie thought about Lotte. She would no doubt be making haste and rushing to inform as many people as she could about the notorious Evangeline Parker’s arrival in the county. Evie knew very few people, if any, would bother to use her rightful title when gossiping about her. Although, they would display all manner of politeness while out in public.
As she gazed out the passenger window, Evie thought she caught sight of a glint of light reflected from within the copse of trees lining the road.
“Tom, I think birdwatchers are out and about. I have an uncle who is as migratory as the birds he chases around the country. He simply adores his hobby.”
The car moved along the winding road and onto a clearing where she saw the flash of light reflected again.
Evie guessed she had become the birdwatcher’s new interest and imagined the person rushing home to declare he had personally witnessed the arrival of ‘that Parker woman’.
She was about to look away when she saw a flock of birds taking flight, squawking as they flew off in an obvious state of panic. A concerned look crossed Evie’s face. She leaned forward only to be jerked back when the car suddenly jolted.
In the next instant, the car swerved.
“Get down!” Tom shouted at the same time as his hand shot out, his palm extended as if to block something.
He grabbed hold of the steering wheel and brought the car to a halt, by some miracle managing to avoid rolling into a ditch by a mere few inches.
Tom swung around to look at her. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
“Y-yes.” Evie straightened and adjusted her hat. “What happened?”
Instead of answering her, Tom jumped out of the car. He rushed from one end of the vehicle to the other. Evie imagined he wanted to inspect the tires for possible damage. When he finished, he jumped in and got them moving again. Although, not at the sedate pace they’d been traveling at. Instead, the car moved at full speed.
Evie held on for dear life. She barely had time to notice Yarborough Manor coming into view before they sped past the gatehouse and along the long driveway.
“Tom?” Evie exclaimed.
Leaning forward, he looked about. Yarborough Manor sat in the middle of an expansive park but Tom’s attention appeared to be speared toward the copse of trees in the distance.
He finally brought the car to a stop in front of the impressive porticoed entrance and after a few moments, his hands released their hold on the steering wheel and he sat back saying, “I’m sorry about that, ma’am. The sun hit my eyes and I lost control of the vehicle.”
The sun?
When he turned, he looked at her with steady eyes as he again apologized and promised it would never happen again.
The sun…
Hit his eyes?
Evie stared right back at him and wondered why he had just lied to her.
Chapter Three
House guests should never arrive bearing ill tidings
Yarborough Manor, the Duke of Hetherington’s country estate
Feeling more stunned than shaken, Evie said, “Whatever happened out there had nothing to do with the sun hitting your eyes.”
Tom turned slightly. His blue eyes, made more intense by dark lashes, lifted, the visor from his chauffeur’s cap casting a slight shadow over them.
After a moment, he murmured, “I don’t wish to alarm you, ma’am. But I think it would be a good idea if I stayed here instead of at the pub.”
Trying to settle her thoughts as well as her thumping heart, Evie murmured, “We’ll talk about it later.” She wanted to say guests did not arrive at the Duke of Heatherington’s manor house in a state of panic but held her tongue for fear that she might entice him to break with protocol and damn propriety to hell and back.
She couldn’t say for sure, but something told her Tom Winchester would set aside his role as the Countess of Woodridge’s chauffeur and show his true colors if pushed too far. She knew her granny had entertained a secret agenda when she’d suggested employing Tom as her driver and Evie had even suspected him of serving a role far beyond that of chauffeur.
Bodyguard came to mind.
After all, she had already inherited two fortunes and stood to inherited several more.
She watched him lower his eyes and take a deep swallow. Oh, yes, Evie thought. Guarded and well-contained. When he lifted his gaze toward her again, she gave a stiff nod. “Actually, wait around. I will send Caro down with a message.” That should give her enough time to settle the events in her mind. She really didn’t wish to go into hysterics over something that might have been an accident or a silly prank, nor could she dismiss it as inconsequential.
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Tom emerged from the vehicle and held the door open for her, Evie hesitated for a moment.
Something had happened on the road. She hadn’t heard a gunshot, but if someone had fired from a distance, she might not have heard it.
She looked toward the entrance and saw the butler and a footman waiting at attention.
The importance of adhering to protocol had been drummed into her well before she’d set sail for England all those years ago as a bright-eyed debutante. Set a foot wrong and news about it would spread like wildfire.
How could she raise the alarm when she didn’t know exactly what had happened?
Tom certainly knew more than he wanted to say. Giving another firm nod, she decided she would talk to him later… after she’d had a talk with her host.
Evie fixed her smile in place and strode toward the entrance just as the Duke of Hetherington, Bicky to his close friends, emerged, all smiles and good cheer.
“Evie, my darling. How absolutely marvelous it is to see you after such a long time. How long has it been?”
“Too long, Bicky. I have missed you.”
The Duke of Hetherington turned to his butler. “Larkin. Please see to the Countess’s luggage.”
The butler bowed his head. “As you wish, Your Grace.”
Evie glanced back at Tom and found him staring at her.
“Are you all right?” Bicky asked.
“Y-yes.” Evie held her hand to her chest. She needed a moment to settle more than her thoughts.
Stepping inside Yarborough Manor had always given Evie a sense of the grand scale the so-called cottages back home in Newport aspired to emulate.
Massive columns flanked the entrance with the marble floors spreading all the way to the grand staircase that led to rooms fit for royalty. The sumptuous ballroom with its sparkling chandeliers and priceless works of art as well as the dining room were to the right and the library, billiards room and various sitting rooms and drawing rooms were situated at the opposite end.
Evie knew the house had been a gift from a monarch given in gratitude for a battle won in the 1500s. Along with the house, there had also been the creation of the title. These days, she thought, someone would be lucky to get a medal for valor.
“I suppose you’ll want to settle in,” Bicky said in his jovial manner.
“Yes, even with a new car, the drive over didn’t feel any shorter. I know I could have traveled by train, but I knew I’d want to stop along the way to pick up a few essentials and the scenery is something I had looked forward to enjoying.”
“When you’re ready, join me in the blue drawing room,” Bicky invited.
The butler cleared his throat and led the way up the grand staircase.
Evie strode up, removing her gloves, one finger at a time while her eyes wandered over to the tapestries and paintings adorning the walls.
She silently smiled as she recalled her mother’s remark when she had traveled to England for Evie’s wedding.
So much of everything. Where does it all come from?
“Thank you, Larkin.” As she strode into her elegantly appointed room decorated in various shades of blue, the butler closed the door, leaving Evie alone.
She stopped in the middle of the room and sighed. It almost felt like coming home. She supposed it all had to do with the fond memories she had created when she’d first visited.
Setting her gloves down, she looked at her hands. They were shaking. She strode to the window and gazed out across the perfectly manicured lawns. “What on earth could have happened out there?”
She’d have to find the appropriate moment to mention it to Bicky, if anything, to alert him to the possible presence of poachers in the area. Her mind simply refused to consider any other explanation.
She replayed the moment in her mind and it still didn’t make sense. Tom had claimed the sun had hit his eyes, but Evie knew that had not been the case because the sun had been almost above them.
Hearing the door open, she turned. “Ah, Caro. I see you made it in one piece.”
Her lady’s maid rushed in, her cheeks slightly tinged with a hint of pink. “Milady. Tom said to keep a close eye on you but he didn’t explain. Then, he drove off like a bat out of hell… Has something happened?”
“No need to worry, Caro.” Despite still feeling shaken up, Evie gave an insouciant shrug. “Nothing but a slight mishap on our way over here.” She hoped Tom didn’t prove her wrong. Had he gone back to search the area?
She should have mentioned it to Bicky…
“Are you sure?” Caro asked as she turned and signaled to the footman who had followed her in to set the luggage down at the bottom of the canopied bed.
Evie pointed to a small case. “Do that one first, please. I need to change out of these traveling clothes. Also, I’m about to write a brief note which I’d like you to take down to Tom.” Assuming he would come back.
Evie settled down at the desk and set her mind to composing clear instructions for Tom, suggesting the pub would be the ideal place to hear of any news. Drawing in a calming breath, Evie asked, “By the way, how was your visit? Are your parents well?”
“Yes, milady. Thank you for asking. They send their regards. I had a lovely break. The whole family gathered for a dinner last night to send me off again.”
At one time, Caro had been employed by the Duke’s household and she had taken care of Lady Constance, the Duke’s younger sister.
When Evie had first visited all those years ago, she had arrived without a lady’s maid and Caro had stepped in to assist her. Then, after the war, Lady Constance had been taken by the Spanish flu, leaving Caro without a position in the household. Something Evie had been only too happy to help with.
Evie sighed. It all seemed like an eternity ago. Yet, only a few years had elapsed. So much had happened since the war.
“Did you manage well without me, milady?”
Evie smiled. Caro had traveled with her to America. When they had returned two months before, Evie had given her a vacation to visit her family. “You’re irreplaceable, Caro. Millicent did her best to step into your shoes, but you know how she tends to prattle on about her beaus. I have a good mind to send her to granny. I think they would get on well together.”
“Oh, yes. Millicent would love that, milady. She’s forever going on about wanting to travel and live in the Wild West.”
“Yes, well…as you know, Newport is not exactly the Wild West.” Evie finished writing her note to Tom, slipped it inside an envelope and handed it to Caro.
Fifteen minutes later, Caro returned. “I don’t mean to get Tom into trouble, milady.”
“Go on,” Evie encouraged. She expected Caro to say he hadn’t returned and had been quite prepared to mak
e an excuse for him.
“Well, he was none too pleased when he read your message. I could tell by the way his jaw muscles clenched.”
Evie had no trouble imagining his response. He had appeared stubbornly determined to remain at the house. However, Evie had the feeling he would serve a better purpose at the pub; the hub of village gossip.
“Caro? Has there been any shooting these last few days on the estate?”
“Not that I know of. In fact, the gentlemen have been complaining of boredom.”
So, the others had arrived early too. “Who else is here?”
Caro laid out a set of brushes on the dresser and looked up in thought. “Well, there’s Viscount Maison. His father has been complaining of ill health so the Viscount is doing what he can to sow his wild oats before taking on the responsibilities of the estate. Lord Chambers and his wife, Lady Charlotte arrived earlier with Mr. Mark Harper. Of course, Lady Porteus is here.”
“Ah, good. It’s been too long since I last saw the Duke’s sister.” Elizabeth had taken her sister’s passing very hard and had gone into deep mourning for much longer than required. However, love had conquered the day and she had married an untitled landowner. As a duke’s daughter, however, she retained the right to be addressed as Lady.
Caro continued running through her attendance list, “Lady Hammond is also here.”
“Is Penelope here with her husband?” Evie asked. She had recently seen Lord Hammond in town. Although, she couldn’t recall exactly where she had seen him. Evie shifted and frowned. Or had she actually seen Penelope? Hard to say, she thought. The moment she set foot outside her house, she saw so many people, she sometimes struggled to keep up.
“No, milady. According to Lady Penelope’s maid, Lord Hammond had business to attend to and couldn’t make it. Something to do with the estate. She’s being her usual quiet self. I’m surprised I got that much information out of her.” Caro clicked her fingers. “Lady Gloriana is also attending the house party. Although, she is staying with the Dowager Duchess.”
Evie smiled. Bicky’s cousin never missed a single event and she always made sure to take every opportunity she could get to ingratiate herself with the Dowager. “I suppose she’s still hoping to inherit the Dowager’s pearls.” Evie tilted her head. “What about the Duchess?” Not her favorite person, Evie thought, but it would sound odd if she didn’t ask about her.
