Isoline squirmed a bit. She thought Bellamira must be including her father in that stack of letters. Though she realized she was guilty of ignoring her grand-auntie.
“In fact, the last time I received something from a family member who did not ask for something in return was from Isoline,” Bellamira said, and Isoline nearly choked on her tea in shock. She couldn’t remember what Bellamira was referring to.
“Oh, surely not,” Isoline said. But Bellamira was insistent.
“It’s true!” she said. “You had just turned fifteen and you sent me a portrait. I even have the letter that came with it.” She stood and crossed the room. She opened a few drawers in a large chest and rummaged through them until she found what she was looking for and pulled it out. “Here. Not much, but I still remember it.”
She handed the note to Isoline who read it eagerly.
Dear Grand-Aunt Bellamira,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am so sad we have never met, but I think of you often. In honor of my fifteenth birthday, my father commissioned a painting. I wanted you to have one so you may keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I do you.
Sincerely, your devoted niece,
Isoline Beresford
Isoline gave her aunt a smile. “Of course,” she said. “How could I ever forget.” As she read the note, she realized that she had not forgotten, but that it had never happened. The paintings did, she remembered keenly having to sit for them for hours. They had been completed only weeks before her mother died. But she had not sent one herself to her grand-aunt. Nor had she sent the note. But she knew who did. She instantly recognized her mother’s handwriting. Her mother must have taken one of the paintings and sent it along with the note on her behalf. But she had no idea why. If her mother wanted to send a painting and note to her aunt, why did she not instruct Isoline to send the note herself. She would have done so even if she didn’t understand her mother’s motives. She was not one to argue with her mother overmuch.
Bellamira took the note back and held it in her hands as she sat back across from Isoline. “As you can see, Isoline, I don’t need a companion.” Isoline could not help but agree. If Bellamira truly was as old as she had been led to the believe, the woman did not show it. She seemed as healthy—physically and mentally—as a woman half her age. “But I suppose at my age I can understand why the extended family might think I need to have someone around. And if it had to be anyone, I suppose I am glad they chose you.”
Isoline blushed. She wasn’t sure why her mother did what she did, but it certainly paid off in the end. Isoline was a woman in need, and Bellamira, however begrudgingly, had been there for her, and Isoline was grateful.
“You are far too kind, auntie,” Isoline said.
“Well, enough of this sentimentality,” Bellamira said as she stood, followed by Isoline and Tristan. “It is far too late to have male visitors.”
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” Tristan said with a smile. He gave a short bow to Bellamira, and then to Isoline. “I am truly glad I happened upon you, cousin. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you,” was all Isoline managed to get out. She couldn’t quite manage to bring herself to call this man her cousin, not yet.
As Tristan exited the parlor, a woman in a simple black dress who appeared to be in her mid-thirties entered the room.
“Miss Beresford’s room is ready, my lady,” she announced.
“Very good,” Bellamira said. “Bess will be your maid,” she told Isoline as they also left the parlor and started up the large staircase. “She will be waiting in your room. I know you lost your trunks and such for now, but Bess should have been able to find you something suitable to sleep in. When James returns we shall try to salvage your clothes, and if not, we can send for something from the village.”
Isoline was nearly panting with exertion as they reached the top of the stairs, but Bellamira did not seem phased in the slightest.
“I am amazed at such efficiency,” Isoline said. “I would imagine running a house such as this would be so complicated.”
“Well, I have had many decades of practice,” Bellamira said.
“Have you?” Isoline couldn’t help but ask, even though as soon as she said it she realized how rude it must have sounded. Bellamira raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “I mean…excuse me, grand-auntie, but you look exquisite. I never would have guessed you are as old as everyone tells me.”
“Everyone talks about my age, do they?” she asked as she turned and walked down the gallery. Isoline felt her face go hot with embarrassment, but then she realized Bellamira was once again attempting a joke. “Well, I can’t really blame them, I suppose. It must be shocking to know I have outlived so many other much younger members of the family.”
“Tristan wasn’t kidding when he said you were the family matriarch,” Isoline said, counting the doors as they passed, sure she would never find her room again.
“Clean living, no stress, and the grace of God,” Bellamira said. “Those are the keys to a long, healthy life.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Isoline said.
“I know it is anything but,” Bellamira said as she finally stopped in front of a door and opened it. A young woman inside the room gave a curtsey.
Isoline took her aunt’s hand in her own and started for a moment at how cold it was. Bellamira seemed surprised by the gesture, but Isoline gave the hand a squeeze. “Thank you so much, grand-auntie, for everything.”
Bellamira gave Isoline a small, uncomfortable smile, as if she were not used to the sensation, and slipped her hand away, turning Isoline toward the room. “Sleep well, my dear.” She closed the door behind her.
“Can I help you undress, miss?” Bess asked. Isoline nodded and let Bess remove her dress and place her shoes in the hallway, most likely to be cleaned by a footman. Bess looked to be about Isoline’s age, but she had copper red hair and freckles. Isoline had hoped to speak with Bess a bit and inspect her room before falling asleep, but as soon as her head landed on the fluffy pillow and Bess pulled the heavy down comforter over her, she was fast asleep.
She slept so deeply, she couldn’t be bothered to dream.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Isoline was awoken by a gentle knock on her door.
“Miss Beresford,” Bess called.
Isoline forced her eyes to open. The room was already bright with morning sunlight. “Yes, Bess,” she said groggily. “Come in.”
Bess entered the room and walked over to the window, throwing the curtain open brightly. “Did you sleep well, miss?” she asked. She didn’t wait for an answer before she was stoking the fire and opening the door to the wardrobe to find Isoline something acceptable to wear.
“I think I passed right out,” Isoline said as she squinted in the light and stretched her arm. “This is the most comfortable bed.”
“Her ladyship has only the best of everything,” Bess said as she laid out a terribly old-fashioned green dress. “James brought your cases in, miss,” she explained. “But they were soaked through and quite a few things smelled of smoke. Jenny, she’s our washerwoman, is going to salvage what she can after a brisk wash and dry, but that will take all day. Mr. Talbot himself is going through your personal items, books and papers and such, and laying those out to dry as well. I hope you don’t mind.”
Isoline climbed out of bed and shook her head. “I don’t mind. I don’t think I have anything too scandalous among my thing, except possibly my books on dream theory,” she said.
Bess prepared the bowl of wash water and helped Isoline remove her sleeping gown. “Dream theory, miss?”
“Have you ever wondered if your dreams have a deeper meaning?” Isoline asked. “Like, if you dream of falling, it could mean you feel as though your life is out of control.”
“I think I would know that without a dream telling me,” Bess said. “Do you often dream of falling? Sounds a bit frightening.”
>
“Not exactly,” Isoline said. “I just have very…realistic dreams, I suppose. As though I’m not dreaming at all but am quite awake.”
“You poor thing,” Bess said. “Sounds right exhausting.” She helped Isoline towel off and then they got to work putting Isoline into her many layers of clothes. Isoline was surprised by how free-flowing the borrowed dress felt. It cinched up under her bosom, but the rest of the gown was light and billowy. It was nothing like the tight corset and full petticoats she normally wore. She felt almost indecent.
“Are you sure this is quite all right to wear?” Isoline asked as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror.
Bess couldn’t suppress her smile. “You look lovely, miss,” she said. “I think you’d look beautiful in whatever you wear.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Isoline said, turning to look at herself from the back. “I just think I might send the men into apoplexy if they see me in such a state. How did the ladies get away with such clothes back then?”
“I’m sure the menfolk won’t mind a bit,” Bess said with a chuckle. “And I doubt they will say anything. Lady Granville herself gave the approval for you to wear the things in this closet. They won’t want to upset her by saying anything untoward.”
Isoline nodded. “Of course. Thank you, Bess.”
Bess gave a curtsey. “Lady Granville takes her breakfast in her room. But Mrs. Lawson, the cook, has had a breakfast tray sent for you to the dining hall.”
“I’ll be down shortly, then. Thank you, Bess.”
Isoline took one last look at herself in the mirror and shook her head. Well, there was nothing she could do about the dress now. She had nothing else to wear for at least the day. She wandered over to the window to check the weather. She wondered if she would need only a light wrap or something heavier. As she looked out, she thought she saw someone duck behind a tree. She watched for a moment, but he never appeared from the other side. She shrugged. Aunt Bellamira had a full staff, she certainly had gardeners as well.
She opened the window and put her hand out. The clouds had cleared away from the day before so the weather was warmer and drier, but it was still surprisingly chilly for summer. She would have to get used to this northern weather. She thought a heavier wrap might be in order.
She went down to the dining room and was surprised to see a footman waiting to serve her tea with her breakfast.
“It makes me feel a bit out of sorts to have so many people waiting on me,” she said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “Back home we had a much larger family but so few servants.”
“I’m sure you will soon get used to the way things are run here, miss,” he said with a smile.
“Of course…” she said.
“James, miss,” he told her.
“Oh, James,” she said as he handed her a cup of tea. “You are the one who fetched my bags last night, weren’t you?”
“I was, miss,” he said as he moved back to stand by the tea tray.
“That was so kind of you,” she said. “I feel terrible that you were sent out in the rain so late.”
“Not at all, miss,” he said. “We are all just glad that you arrived safely.”
Isoline started to relax a little as she enjoyed her breakfast. She thought that it would be awkward having so many servants around. She worried they might think that she was beneath their dignity to serve. She was of no importance, after all. Nothing like the Dowager Duchess of Payne. Isoline might be a distant relative, but her family carried no title and did not have much money. In fact, since her father had more or less disowned her, she was basically a poor relation in need of her grand-aunt’s charity. But there was nothing but politeness and respect in the tone and actions of the staff. If anything, she felt well-cared for by them all, as though they thought she was a lost puppy in need of their coddling.
“I suppose I should call on my aunt now,” she told James when she finished her meal.
“Her ladyship usually stays in her rooms during the morning,” James explained. “She has breakfast and then reads or works on her correspondence. She doesn’t tend to socialize with anyone except her maid until she comes down for luncheon. I believe your mornings will belong to you as well, miss.”
“Oh,” she said, a little disappointed. She was being given free room and board in exchange for being Bellamira’s companion. It felt strange that she was not being called on to…companion. What exactly would Bellamira expect of her anyway? She supposed they would have to discuss her duties at luncheon.
“I think I will explore the house and grounds a bit then,” she said. “I will need to learn my way around eventually.”
“Of course, miss,” James said as he walked over to the wall and showed her a dangling cord. “Most rooms have a cord like this. If you need anything, just pull it and someone will be along shortly. Though…” He paused.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I just realized that many of the rooms and cords haven’t been used in many years. Some could be in disrepair. If they don’t work, I think you could just stand out in the gallery and yell. Someone will be sure to hear you.”
Isoline laughed, and James couldn’t suppress a smile even though he was trying. “If I get scolded for screaming from the gallery I’ll be sure to let them know that James had given me permission.”
He smiled as he opened the door for her to leave the dining room. As she walked back to the main staircase, she was surprised that the house already felt less imposing than before. She nearly skipped up the staircase to the first-floor gallery. She realized that for the first time in months, she felt happy. Even when she had been engaged to Cyril, she was anxious about her future, concerned about marrying a man she didn’t love. Would they be happy? Would they grow to hate each other? What did she know about marrying into the nobility? Would her mother-in-law be as kindly toward her after the wedding? How long would it be before she became a mother? What did she know of raising children? After she called off the engagement and her father announced his plans to disown her, she had been even more miserable and was then terrified of the future.
Now, she still did not know what the future held. How long would she stay? What if Bellamira died and didn’t make her an heiress. What if she died and Bellamira did leave her an inheritance? Would her dreams ever go away? Would she ever marry? Would she end up an old spinster like her aunt? But all of those questions, while important, did not seem pressing. For the moment, she was taken care of and happy. What was it Bellamira said about the secrets to a long, healthy life? One of her tips had been no stress. As she breathed in deeply, she could certainly imagine that a life without cares or worries would contribute to a healthy and optimistic outlook.
She headed down the hallway opposite the direction to her bedroom to start her exploration. She started to open the first door, but then she realized that she didn’t know which room was Bellamira’s, and she didn’t want to walk in unannounced, so she knocked. After a moment, she didn’t hear anything, so she carefully turned the knob.
The door was locked.
She pouted in disappointment. The next door was also locked, as was the next. She couldn’t imagine why the doors were all locked, but then, she didn’t see a reason why they would be unlocked either. The rooms were unoccupied, so maybe having them locked meant they knew the rooms were at least left neat a tidy, even if they did get a bit dusty. The housekeeper probably had a schedule of which rooms to dust when and kept the doors locked the rest of the time. It made sense, but didn’t leave much for Isoline to explore. She wondered if the housekeeper would be willing to loan her a key.
At least the hallways themselves were somewhat interesting. Artwork seemed to hang on every available space, and not just paintings of old relatives. There were landscapes and still life, classic works in the Greek and Roman style, and even a scroll in an oriental style. Someone in the Granville family certainly had an appreciation for art. Isoline made a note to ask her grand-aunt about it
when they spoke.
With exploring the house not an option, Isoline decided to explore the grounds instead. As she exited the front door, she was pleased to find that the temperature had increased from when she had tested the air that morning. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the fresh smell of the countryside. As she stood on the porch, she surveyed the land before her. Indeed, there was nothing else to look at but land. There was not another house or even a steeple to be seen. She knew there was a village somewhere nearby, but it was probably too far away to walk to.
She knew the grounds were expansive—they would have to be to support such a large house—but she had no idea just how large they were or what was to be found thereupon. But what was the fun of exploring if you knew exactly what you were going to find? She set out walking with no particular destination in mind. She assumed it would be easy enough to find her way back to the main house.
The stables were not very far from the house, and the grooms gave her a polite nod when she entered. By now, all of the staff for the entire estate must have known that Bellamira’s niece had arrived. One of the grooms asked her if she would like him to saddle a horse for her. She told him no, that she was happy to explore on foot for now, but she was glad to know this would be an option in the future. She did enjoy riding. But for now, she was excited to be in the middle of nowhere and was looking forward to being alone for a few minutes.
She was surprised to see that she wasn’t nearly as alone on the giant estate as she would have thought. Every so often, she would come across a man or a small group of men working the fields or with animals. After she left the barn, she came across sheep and pigs and the men tending them. Even when she came across a stream, a man in wading pants was fishing and some women were washing clothes.
She kept walking, hoping to find a bit of solitude eventually. After a long while, she stopped running across people. She crested a small hill and looked in every direction. She could not see the house. She suddenly realized that in her quest to be rid of people, she had also become completely lost. She was exhausted.
Dangerous Passions Page 4
