Tempting the Earl

by Wendy May Andrews

  "Oh, Miss Spencer, thank you so much for seeing to my gown" Poor Ann blushed to bring up her disgrace from last evening but was too polite to let Emily's help go unacknowledged. "You were able to work miracles. I was sure it was ruined"

  "It was my pleasure, but it really wasn't me. The housekeeper here at Rosemount has a genius for such things. Please, ladies, help yourselves to whatever you would like to break your fast, and sit wherever you want" Emily graciously changed the subject, then turned to greet the gentlemen.

  "Good morning, sirs. I trust you all slept well. It would appear it is going to be a wonderful summer day. Maybe we will all be able to spend some time out of doors before the sun gets too hot"

  Mr. Garfield replied, "I for one would love to explore the woods, see what kind of wildlife we can find. Maybe if you fellows would like to join me, we could look around a bit before everyone else is up and about, wanting us to entertain them"

  "Sounds like an excellent plan, my good man. Lead the way," answered Lord Marsden. He and Lord Sutherland joined Mr. Garfield in bidding the ladies a good morning. "We shall see you ladies a bit later," confirmed Lord Marsden with a gallant bow and a wink.

  The young baron, Lord Sutherland, looked somewhat undecided about joining the other gentlemen in the hunt. He had clearly been enjoying the chatter of the young ladies and found them very good company, since he need not put in much conversational effort with them. But the lure of the sport was too strong to resist, and the three gentlemen traipsed from the room with promises to not be gone too long.

  Once the gentlemen were out of earshot, the younger Waddell ladies looked at each other and giggled. Emily smiled in amusement.

  "This is just so exciting!" exclaimed Miss Jane. "I would never have thought I would be sharing breakfast with three of the most handsome men in all of England. Isn't this just the best visit we've ever had, Mama?"

  "Well, my dear, I have to admit, those three gentlemen are very nice and quite handsome. I am glad you girls are having such a good time." Turning to Emily, Lady Waddell continued. "Is it true the Fitzgeralds arrived last night? Lady Fitzgerald must be feeling poorly this morning. Her health is not great at the best of times, let alone after a harrowing travel experience. Have you any idea what detained them? Something dreadful must have happened to make them arrive so late. I do hope all is well"

  "Apparently there was some problem with the carriage. They told the butler they were able to spend the time at a very nice inn while it was being repaired. They wanted to arrive yesterday and did not realize they still had so far to go from the village where they had stopped. In the dark, too, they made slower progress. No one was hurt, though, and I am sure after a good night's sleep they'll feel as fit as a fiddle," Emily assured Lady Waddell optimistically.

  Lady Waddell countered disbelievingly, "I do not think Lady Fitzgerald has felt `fit as a fiddle' a day in her life, but I am sure you are right, she will survive. I am glad it wasn't anything too serious"

  At that moment Lady Clara breezed into the room, looking rested and cheerful. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted. "Are we the first to leave our rooms?" she asked in obvious surprise.

  Jane laughed and said, "No, my lady, you have already missed the three young gentlemen. They have gone to inspect your forest for wildlife. They said they would return shortly. They just wanted to get `the lay of the land,' as Lord Marsden would say." All the ladies laughed at her close impersonation of the young man.

  Lady Clara filled her plate, and conversation became general as the ladies discussed the weather and what they might do that day. Emily excused herself to go check on the Fitzgerald servants and see what needs the family might have.

  She found Belle, the lady's maid for Lady Fitzgerald and her daughter, down in the kitchens getting to know the Rosemount staff. "Good morning. I am Miss Spencer," Emily greeted the young servant. "I wanted to inquire if your mistresses need anything this morning. We weren't able to meet them last night with your late arrival, and I'm not sure how long they'll be sleeping today. Do you know if they've made any special requests?"

  "Oh, thank you, miss! My lady sez she don't want to be disturbed 'til she rings. But the miss is up and dressed. She's too shy to come down without her mama," answered Belle.

  "Thank you, Belle. I'll go up to her room and meet her. Maybe she'd like to break her fast with the young Waddell ladies"

  "Thanks, miss. She'd like that," answered the young maid politely.

  Emily smiled at the assembled staff, then left the kitchens to climb up to the guest wing. She knocked quietly on Miss Julia's door. The prettiest young woman Emily had ever seen whisked the door open. She wasn't your typical beauty, but she had large sparkling eyes and shiny black curls with the biggest smile to grace such a tiny face. "Hello," she greeted in a soft, musical voice.

  "Good morning. I am Emily Spencer. You must be Miss Julia. Welcome to Rosemount. I am so sorry no one of the family was up to greet you and your family upon your arrival last night."

  "That's perfectly fine. We were unavoidably detained. It would have been dreadful if we had kept someone up waiting for us. As it was, the poor old butler was awakened on our account. Mama said it's his duty, but he's an old man, and I felt bad"

  "That is very generous of you, Miss Julia. Have you had your breakfast yet? Would you like me to send for something from the kitchen, or would you like to join some of the other guests in the breakfast room?"

  "Oh, thank you, miss! I'm actually near to perishing, but I wasn't sure if it would be acceptable to start wandering around by myself. I would like to join the others, if that's all right," requested Julia sweetly.

  "Excellent. I will show you the way" The two young women were making their way down the hall as Emily told Julia who else was staying in the big house and which rooms were whose, when they heard a shriek coming from what Emily was sure was Lady Maude's room. Miss Julia turned her large eyes upon Emily in a startled fashion, unsure what the proper behavior was in such a circumstance. Knowing Julia was uncomfortable wandering the big house by herself, Emily hesitated to leave her but knew she must check what was going on behind that door.

  With regret she turned to Julia and said, "Please go ahead without me, Miss Fitzgerald. I'll make sure everything is fine here. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, there'll be a footman who can direct you. Lady Clara and the Waddell ladies are there already-they'll make you welcome" Emily dismissed the young woman kindly and turned to the door.

  There was now the sound of weeping coming from the room, and Emily hesitated to get involved. But someone needed her help in there, so she knocked lightly on the door, unsure what she'd find on the other side when it opened. Lady Maude herself pulled the door open briskly and stood there quivering in indignation.

  "We'll need the services of a couple of servants in here, if you please. I shall be downstairs breaking my fast. I want this mess cleaned up by the time I'm finished," Lady Maude declared haughtily before sweeping regally past Emily and proceeding down the hallway with her nose elevated and her back ramrod straight.

  Stunned, Emily watched her walk to the grand staircase before she stepped into the room to see what had taken place. She was shocked to see water and broken glass seemingly everywhere. Strewn about, too, was a mountain of clothing. She helped Lady Maude's quivering maid, Peggy, step gingerly over the broken shards and sent her down to the kitchens for tea after she rang for some maids to help put order to the chaos in the room.

  "What could Lord Philip be thinking? Surely Lady Clara is mistaken. There is no way an intelligent man like my lord could be so taken in by this horrendous shrew of a woman" Emily was talking to herself as she helped two of the maids clean up the broken glass in Lady Maude's room. "There must be some mistake."

  "'Tis hard to believe the lady would throw a glass and pitcher at her own maid, ain't it, miss?" asked Maggie innocently.

  "Well, Maggie, I would have never believed it before now. However, I have had the misfortune of m
eeting the lady myself, and I am finding it quite a bit easier to believe," replied Emily, still shocked. "Can the two of you finish up in here? I am going to speak to Peggy and make sure she wasn't injured in the fray. Thank you for helping with the cleanup. I know the two of you already have plenty to do without anything extra like this"

  "That's awright, lass. We can handle it from here"

  Emily left the two girls and went down to the kitchens in search of Lady Maude's personal maid. "There you are, Peggy. How are you? Did you get hurt at all?"

  "Oh, miss, it weren't nothing. I'm used to much worse with that one. I shoulda know'd she was a bit miffy from the ride here yesterday. Never shoulda spilled nothing," answered Peggy good-naturedly.

  "Well, if you're sure you're fine, I will go attend to other matters" Emily was surprised at the maid's calmness over what she would've considered a disaster, were she in Peggy's shoes. But seeing that she truly was all right, Emily was happy to leave the kitchen and have a moment of quiet to herself before she went in search of Lady Clara to ensure everything was going smoothly with her.

  This is going to be a long week, Emily thought as she checked for flyaway hairs and straightened her gown before plastering on a smile and entering the drawing room, where some of the guests were currently assembled.

  Lady Clara was already showing signs of strain, but her face lit up when she saw Emily approaching her. "I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you," she whispered to Emily.

  "I'll tell you later. It was quite dreadful, but everything is sorted out now. Has all been proceeding smoothly here?" queried Emily softly.

  "Not exactly," was the terse reply.

  Emily looked around and took a quick head count. The gentlemen who had already arrived were nowhere to be seen, some of the guests had yet to arrive, and Lord Philip was still not here. Emily was secretly becoming worried about him. Considering that he had asked his mother to arrange this event, Emily had really expected him to be early rather than late. And the ladies currently occupying the drawing room did not look happy. Emily knew she had to do something to create a better atmosphere. With a mental effort she forced herself to wipe all unpleasant feelings from her face and plastered a pleasant smile into place, dredging up a cheerful voice.

  "Shall we try some activities? We could go for a walk out of doors; the Rosemount gardens are renowned for their beauty. Or if anyone is up to more vigorous activities, there are various sports to be enjoyed on the grounds"

  Lady Jane, Ann, and Julia turned to Emily simultaneously, all three eager and ready to be amused. Miss Julia was the first to respond. "Oh, yes, I have heard so much about the rose gardens here, I would love to see them. I personally don't feel up to anything vigorous after the long journey yesterday. Let's save that for tomorrow." The other girls voiced their agreement and got up to join Emily by the door.

  "Wouldn't you like to join us, Lady Maude? It's a beautiful day. We should take advantage of it, don't you think?" Despite her misgivings, Emily tried to be pleasant to the seemingly cold girl. Surely there must be a heart under all that ice, she thought. After all, she had seemed almost warm last evening when the young lords were around. Maybe she just didn't like women. Well, that was just tough, Emily continued in her mind. The woman was displaying extremely bad manners, and Emily had been taught that members of the nobility were always polite. I guess there are a few exceptions to that rule, she thought wryly. They still awaited Lady Maude's response.

  Lady Sedgely finally spoke up. "Go along with the young ladies and get a view of the rose gardens, Maude. A spot of fresh air will clear the cobwebs out of your mind. Run along, girls, and enjoy yourselves. Don't forget your parasol, Maude dear."

  It would appear Lady Sedgely was making an effort be pleasant, perhaps to win over Lady Clara. She must have realized the dreadful impression most of her family was making and was trying to counteract that. Unfortunately, her facial muscles appeared unused to forming smiles, and her mind did not seen to run to kindness.

  "Yes, Mother," was the cool reply from Lady Maude to her mother.

  There was a brief scurry of activity as the young ladies fetched their broad-brimmed hats and parasols before they exited the house. Already it was warming up, and it was obvious they wouldn't be able to stay out in the sun for too long. Jane and Julia had already formed a friendly bond over breakfast, and Ann was closely tagging along with them, which left Emily alone to try to entertain the unfriendly Maude. Emily was not sure if she should mention the incident with the maid and the pitcher.

  "Are you quite recovered from the rigors of traveling yesterday?" she inquired politely, striking a neutral balance between ignoring the obvious and being nosy.

  "Yes, thank you. I had a wonderful sleep last night and feel quite the thing today," was Maude's surprising reply. It was almost as if the lady had two personalities, thought Emily in bewilderment. "The grounds here are really quite beautiful. Do you tend to them yourself, or is it the responsibility of one of the other servants?" she asked in a deceptively kind voice.

  Emily was again shocked at the woman's guile and couldn't think of an appropriate answer to the leading question other than the truth.

  "Lady Clara allows me to help the gardener when I have a spare moment. It's very restful for me, working with plants and watching things grow. Have you ever tried your hand at gardening?"

  "Oh, no, I never participate in anything menial," was the snidely cool reply. "Have you any idea when Lord Philip is to arrive?" continued Lady Maude petulantly. "I thought he'd be here to welcome us" Maude was clearly not going to put any effort into being pleasant if there were no gentlemen around to appreciate it.

  "His lordship had an important matter to see to and was unavoidably detained. Lady Clara is in constant expectation of his arrival at any moment," Emily replied formally. She decided she had had enough of the dubious company of Lady Maude and excused herself. "I am sure you will enjoy viewing the gardens with the other young ladies. No doubt there are matters Lady Clara would have me attend to. Good day"

  With that Emily swept away from her and back toward the house, grateful to be rid of the other woman for a while. I'd rather polish the silver than entertain that one for too long, she thought. Being a maid was easier than this.

  Emily found Lady Clara in the small salon with Lady Sedgely, Lady Waddell, and Lady Fitzgerald. Lady Fitzgerald was a birdlike woman with small eyes and a pointy face, but as she spoke it was apparent that she had a heart of gold hidden in her small frame. Despite her apparent frailty, she cast a warm glow upon the group, and Lady Clara was looking much more relaxed than when Emily had last seen her. Even Lady Sedgely appeared at ease as she smiled at something the little woman was saying.

  Emily didn't wish to interrupt, so she stood at the door and caught Lady Clara's eye. At Emily's lifted eyebrow, Lady Clara gave a quick shake of her head: all was well, and she didn't require any help at the moment. With relief Emily took herself off to the library to get some needed work done before she went in search of Mrs. Parks to ensure all was progressing well in preparation for that evening's meal.

  All the ladies were assembled for tea, and Lords Sedgely and Fitzgerald had joined them. No one was quite sure what the older gentlemen had done with their morning, and the younger gentlemen had not yet returned from the hunt. The younger ladies were disappointed. The older ladies were looking on in amusement as the younger ones perked up at every noise in the hallway, only to be crestfallen when it did not turn out to be the absent young gentlemen. Lady Maude was apparently feeling a bit "miffy," as Peggy would say, and turned her ire stealthily upon Emily.

  "So, Miss Spencer, how are you connected to Lady Yorkleigh? Are you a distant relative we haven't heard of before?"

  "No, Lady Maude, I am not," Emily replied repressively, hoping this line of questioning would be swiftly cut off. Her hopes were dashed when Lady Maude's inquisition continued.

  "Where are you from? Are you some connection of Lord Spencer's from B
erkshire?"

  "I am not from the Berkshire area, and I doubt if Lord Spencer is any connection of mine," Emily replied politely, unsure how far Maude was going to take her questions. She made a vain attempt to change the subject. "Would you like some more tea, Lady Maude?"

  "No, thank you," she replied. She opened her mouth to say more, but Emily interjected.

  "Tell us about your part of England, Lady Maude. I have heard it's quite lovely." Emily was proud of herself for so deftly getting out of that awkward interrogation. She could tell that Lady Maude realized what had just happened by the sharpening of that lady's gaze. But there was nothing the other woman could do at that time except answer the question.

  Emily soon found herself wishing she hadn't diverted the attention away from herself, as Lady Maude turned her ire upon the sweet Miss Julia. That young lady had never before been the object of unkind banter, so it took her a while to realize what was going on. Lady Maude veiled her cutting words so skillfully that Miss Julia was bewildered and did not have the social experience necessary to deflect them. Emily's heart broke to see the tears welling up in Julia's eyes.

  When Maude was finished unsettling Julia, she turned upon Jane and Ann. Her words were couched in such a way that the older guests, caught up in their own conversations, were unaware of what was going on. Emily tried valiantly to intervene, but only the entrance of the three hunters ended Lady Maude's cruelty to the younger ladies. It was as though a magical transformation took place. Suddenly Lady Maude was all smiles as the gentlemen recounted their experiences in the woods. Her smile dimmed a bit when Lord Sutherland went to sit beside Jane and seemed to take particular interest in what she had to say, but Maude carried on genially speaking with the young viscount, Lord Marsden.