The Unaccomplished Lady Eleanor (30 page)

  
‘
Papa!
’
she
cried
, throwing herself
into his warm embrace. 
‘
This is the most wonderful surprise. 
But w
hat
on earth
are you doing here
?  A
nd how long are you staying?
’

   Lord Myers laughed at his daughter’s effusive greeting.  Releasing his hold of her, he took a step back and taking both of
her hands in his, gazed at
her affectionately.

  
‘
We have been to visit Hester’s great aunt
in Bath
and thought we
would make a
detour
t
o see you on our return journey.  We shall be staying for three nights.  If,
’
he added hastily, shifting his gaze to the
d
owager
,
‘
that meets with Lady Ormiston’s approval.
’

  
‘
Of course,
’
confirmed
the
d
owager
matter-of-factly
. 
‘
I will have
a room made
up
f
or you
at once
.
’

  
‘
Oh, how wonderful, Papa,
’
beame
d Eleanor. 
‘
I have had the most marvellous day and now you are here, it is quite perfect.
’

  
‘
Well, I must say, I am very glad
to hear
t
hat
you
have had a good day, Eleanor,
’
huff
ed the
d
owager
from her chair. 
‘
I, on the other hand, have spent the entire time worrying in case another accident had befallen you.  Would you mind, pray, telling us where you have been all day?
’

  
Releasing her hold of her
father’s hands, Eleanor turned to face her godmother. 
‘
At a picnic, ma’am,
’
she
muttere
d sheepishly.

   The
d
owager
’s face adopted an incredulous expression. 
‘
A
picnic
?
’
she repeated, holding up her
lorgnette
. 
‘
A
nd what kind of
picnic
results in a young lady arriving home in such a ….
dishevelled
state of dress?
’

  
‘
Um
, well,
’
stammered Eleanor,
aware of
Hester’s eyes boring into her,
‘
it wasn’t a
picnic like the,
er
,
Stanningtons
’
, ma’am.  It was more of a fun occasion.  One where we
play
ed
…
games.
’

  
‘
Games?’
e
cho
ed Lady Ormiston, casting her eyes skyward. 
‘
Stevens!
’
she then roared,
so loudly that Hester Myers jump
ed
several inches from the red velvet sofa. 
‘
A tray of large brandies - at once, man.
’

   As
a quivering
Stevens scurried off to the drinks cabinet, Hester Myers eyed her stepdaughter
disparagingly
. 
‘
Well, I must say, Lady Ormiston,
I had hoped for some improvement in the girl’s conduct
.  H
owever
,
I can see that absolutely none has been made.  It would appear that she is still far too unruly and wilful.  Indeed,
’
she
continued with just a hint of hysteria as she dabbed at
her forehead with her handkerchief
,
‘
I am rapidly coming
to the conclusion that we sha
ll nev
er find a man to take her
.
’

   The
d
owager
whipped a glass of brandy
from the tray Stevens was
now proffering and took a
large slug
from it.
 
‘
Now, now, Hester,
’
she replied briskly
,
‘
t
here is no need
for us
to despair
so soon
. 
T
here is a young man who appears, for reasons known only to himself, to have quite a
tendre
for the girl.  I have
it on good authority t
hat he will be making an offer for her in the next few days.
’

  
At this revelation,
Eleanor’s heart
plummeted
,
while
a strange choking sound came from Jame
s
. 

  
‘
An – an offer?
’
he spluttered incredulously. 
‘
Viscount Grayson
is
making an
offer
for
Lady Eleanor?
’

   Eleanor,
tired
of being spoken of as though she were not present, felt a large stab of indignation. 
‘
Are you implying, sir,
that it is quite inconceivable that someone should wish to marry
me
?
’

   James regarded
her for a moment with a very odd
look in his eyes.  Before he could reply
,
however, Hester Myers cut in. 

  
‘
Well, I must say, Eleanor,
that the news is somewhat surprising. 
Given that yo
u display none of the characteristics present in …
normal
young ladies
, I
have no idea what kind of man would wish to shackle himself to an oddity who is so … so-
’

  
‘
Rambunctious,
’
interjected the
d
owager
.

   Lady Myers
smiled gratefully
. 
‘
Exactly, Lady Ormiston
. 
I cannot believe that the man is quite right in the head.
’

   At such blatant insults, Eleanor
’s temper flared
. 
‘
I can assure you
,
’
she spluttered
, placing her hands on her slim hips,
‘
that Viscount
Grayson is quite
normal.
In fact
,
he is quite the most normal man I
have ever met
.
And one of the most ….charming.  He certainly
does not think me an oddity.  In fact,
’
she continued, crossing her arms victoriously over her chest,
‘
I do believe the man is quite
in love with me.
’

   Hester Myers gave a snort of incredulous laughter. 
‘
In love with
you?
 
How one earth can he be-
?
’

  
‘
T
he proof of the pudding is in the eating, is it not,
S
tepmama
?’
confirme
d Eleanor defiantly.
‘
If the v
iscount does offer for me, then we shall soon see who is
right.
’
 

And with her parti
ng comment, she whisked
out of the room
,
leaving a stunned audience gaping after her
,
and James P
restonville taking another
large
slug
of brandy.

In her bedchamber Eleanor changed for dinner and, having calmed down somewhat,
made her way downst
airs to seek out her father.  She found him, th
ankfully alone, in
the rose garden. 
Linking her
arm through his
, she
joined him in his early evening stroll. 

  
‘
So,
’
said Lord Myers
,
after he had
imparted
all the news from home,
‘
it looks like you will be a married woman soon.
Indeed, I
had
the impression earlier t
hat you are quite keen on this viscount and
hopeful of an offer from him.
’

   Eleanor gave a derisory snort. 
‘
That
, dear Father,
’
she said, hugging his arm tightly to her,
‘
was for the benefit of the others in the room.  Viscount Grayson does not interest me in the slightest. 
T
he man
is
quite repuls
ive
and I can assure you that if he were to make an offer
,
I would turn it down
in an instant
.
’

  
‘
I see,
’
muse
d her father
;
then, after a brief silence,
‘
And there is no o
ther man whom you would like
to marry?
’

  
‘
None at all. 
I have no intentions of marrying anyone.
’

  
Lord Myers nodded
pensively. 
‘
I see.’

   They wandered around the gardens for another half an hour, enjoying the last of the day’s sunlig
ht.  When they returned to the c
astle a little before dinner, they found Hester Myers
in th
e saloon, looking as dour as ever, cradling a small glass of sherry.  She cast Eleanor a disapproving look as the girl entered the
room, giggling at one of her father’s jokes
.     

   
‘
What is for dinner this evening, Stevens?
’
asked
Eleanor, still smiling
as she accepted a glass of ratafia from
hi
s silver tray.   

  
‘
I’m not sure, ma’am,
’
mumbled the servant apologetically. 
‘
Although I do believe c
ook mentioned something about ham and pea soup.
’

   Eleanor stifled
a giggle as she caught her step
mother’s eye. 
‘
Ham and pea soup, eh?
 
How very
tempting.
’

FIFTEEN

A
lthough a great many things were conspiring to do so, Eleanor did not allow a single one of them
to
detract from the
pleasure of having her father’s company for a few day
s.  Not even the fact that
Madeleine appeared to have work
ed her charm on Hester and
the two of them were seemingly in cahoots to make as many disparaging remarks as possible to Eleanor each day.

Eleanor had ignored the spiteful pair
and
, for once, had been grat
eful for Derek Lovell’s brief
appearances
.  The man
incensed Madeleine to such a point that Eleanor was temporarily forgotten and all insults directed to him.  James’s behaviour
,
too, ha
d the potential
to
distract
her
.  There was no doubt, as he stomped around the
c
astle, slamming doors and barking
orders
, that he was not in the best of humours. 
He had apparently spent the previous
day in prolonged meetings with the soli
citors over the ‘title’ business
, which, from his behaviour, Eleanor could only assume had not gone as well as he had hoped.

Perhaps the largest distraction
, though
, whic
h Eleanor was doing her
utmost to ignore, was the visit by the Graysons later that day.  The
d
owager
, as expected, was in a flurry over the occasion and
had
worked the poor servants up into a veritable frenzy. Everywhere Eleanor looked that morning, she found one of the
m
frantically washing, polishing, scrubbing, plumping or brushing.  
A
nd, by the delicious smells of baking wafting around
the corridors
, the kitchen staff were working just as hard as their colleagues upstairs. 

‘
Good
l
ord, Aunt
,
’
snapped Ja
mes,
as he entered the drawing
-
room and almost tripped over
a
maid dusting the skirting
board,
‘
is there really
any need for all of this?  O
ne would think
it was the King himself who was coming to tea.
’

‘
Now James,
’
tutt
ed the
d
owager
,
‘
you know as well as I that this visit could be far more important than one from the King.  We must do all we can to further Eleanor’s chances of an offer.  God only knows, it could be the only one we ever receive.
’

‘
That’s as may be,
’
said
James
,
cast
ing
a look at Eleanor
,
curled up
with a book
in a chair by the window
and choosing to ignore the fact that she was, once again, being spoken of as though she were not in the room
. 
‘
But
perhaps Lady Eleanor does not wish for an offer.
Perhaps, as she has informed us on several occasions, she still has no wish to marry.
’

‘
Nonsense!
’
boomed the
d
owager
, causing both Eleanor and James to start. 
‘
Of course the girl wishes to marry
.  A
nd she should be grateful that we have found some
one of such consequence as the v
iscount who is willing to take her.  I can think of a hundred chits who would welcome an
offer from such a
man. 
Now w
hat we must do is
encourage the man
withou
t allowing him
a gl
impse of our desperation.   C
ome
along now,
Eleanor
,’ she instructed, turning her attention to her goddaughter. 
‘
It is time for you to
prepare yourself. 
Milly
has
strict instructions on what you are to wear.
’

A wave of despair
crashed
over
Eleanor
. 
‘
But the Graysons
are not due for another two hours, Godmother
.  And a
nyway, what is wrong with the gown I am wear-
?
’

‘
Your yellow gow
n is much more becoming
. 
Now,
go upstairs and change into it immediately. 
I have it on good authority,’ she sniffed disapprovingly, ‘that t
he Graysons have been known, on one or two occasions, to arrive a few minutes …
prematurely
.  It
would not do at all for them to arrive when you are half-dressed.  Now hurry along, girl
,
and
do
put a smile on your face.
’

Milly followed the
d
owager
’s de
tailed instructions to the
letter, dressing Eleanor in her new yellow muslin day dress and arranging her hair in a fashionable braided chignon.

‘
Aren’t you excited, miss?
’
she asked
,
as she stuck in the final hairpin.

‘
If you want the truth, Milly,
’
replied Eleanor soberly,
‘
I should prefer to
chew off my own toe
s
than marry Viscount Grayson.
’

Then, just when Eleanor had thought he
r spirits couldn’t possibly sink
any lower, the much-awaited guests
arrived: Lady Grayson in puce
-
coloured silk, dripping with jewels; Lord Grayson i
n fine military attire and the v
iscount in another ridiculously tight pair of black breeches. 

The
d
owager
, as usual, had spent an inordinate amount of time planning the seating arrangements and had ensured everyone was in their allotted place well in advance of the visitors
’ arrival. 

Once Eleanor
had reluctantly exchanged the usual courtesies with the Graysons and the
guests had taken their seats, she
slumped back in her chair, having no inclination to partake in the tedious ensuing conversation.  The
d
owager
, Hester and Madeleine
,
meanwhile
, were all
evidently
doing their utmost to impress the Gray
sons
all hoping the viscount would offer for Eleanor for their own selfish reasons
.
  C
hattering ten-to-the-dozen, the three women could not have been more nauseatingly charming if their lives had depended upon it.
They tittered politely at the v
iscount’s feeble attempts at humour; cooed obsequio
usly over Lady Grayson’s
ostentatious jewels
;
and agreed wholeheartedly with everything Lord Grayson advocated.  Eleanor had had to stifle a giggle when the man had been e
ffusive
on
Lord
Byron’s work.  Hester had
nodded her head
as
if in complete agreement, while Eleanor knew for a fact that the last time
she
had mentioned Byron, Hester had dismissed the man as ‘a crippled little rake’ and his works as ‘nothing but licentious rubbish’.

James and her father
,
on the other hand, had entered into the conversation very little.  While her father appeared to be listening intently, no doubt forming his own opinions on the personalities involved, James seemed, once again, to have drifted off into that far-away space he inhabit
ed
frequently of late.

The inane chatter seemed, to Eleanor, to be interminable.   Indeed the only positive thing to come out of the
ridiculous situation was
cook’s del
icious spread
, beautifully laid out on the ormolu
table in front of the fire
place
. Taking solace in the food, Eleanor reached for her third macaroon.  No sooner had she done so
, however, than she felt the reprimanding glares of her godm
other and Hester burn right through her.  Not wishing to give the pair
yet another excuse to reproach
what they would undoubtedly class as her
‘
unbecoming behaviour
’
, she withdrew he
r empty hand and sank
miserably
back in her seat.
 
The entire visit seemed to Eleanor to last three weeks but was actually little short of an hour.  James
,
too
,
was obviously finding it difficult to conceal his boredom.  After muttering something about needing to stretch out a twinge in his back, he had vacated his seat and taken up a position
near
the window.  Eleanor was just wondering if she closed her eyes, how long it would take her to fall asleep, when she
heard t
he words
that
made her blood run cold: 
‘
I wonder, sir,
’
squeaked the v
iscount, addressing
her father
,
‘
if I may have a word with you in priv-
’

The knowing smiles on the
d
owager
and Lady Grayson’s faces, s
wift
ly changed
to
horror as James
suddenly
cried
,
‘
Good God,
Grayson. 
S
omeone is running off with your carriage.
’

In a flash, every one of the party was at the window just in time to see the burgundy crested coach disappearing down the gravelled drive and out of the
wrought
-
iron gates.

‘
Good
l
ord,
’
puff
ed the
d
owager
. 
‘
I have never known-
’

‘
This is no time for talking, Aunt,
’
interjected James authoritatively. 
‘
Come, Lord Grays
on,
Viscount.  We must try and catch the culprits
.  If we waste a moment, they might
get away.
’

Muttering their agreement, the v
iscount and his father
scurried after
James
as he strode purposefully
out of the
room
.  A
few minutes later the rest of the party observed as the three of them, now mounted on horses, galloped furiously down the drive after the stolen coach.

‘
How very odd,
’
exclaimed the
d
owager
, wrinkling her forehead.

‘
Yes,
’
murmur
ed Lord Myers pensively. 
‘
How very odd indeed.
’

H
alf
an
hour later
, the three men returned to the c
astle with the stolen carriage.  It had been found
abandoned at the side of the ro
ad, half a mile or so away
, with no harm done to it and no sign of the perpetrators.  The incident had c
aused quite a stir and there was a
deal of speculation flying around as to how
t
he thieves
had
got into the grounds
,
and indeed the carriage, without being
spotted
.
Eleanor
, though
, had no interest in how or why the thieves had stolen the carriage.  Indeed, had she met the culprits she would have rewarded them for their impeccable timing.