“I-I’m not hurt,” I managed to stammer out when I realized he was staring at me. “It was simply an accident.”
“Let me help you.” He put his foot on the first step.
Two of us in this small space? Not a chance! “No, no. I can manage, sir,” I said swiftly, struggling to keep the panic out of my voice. The more he and I interacted, the more likely it was he would recognize me. I was relieved to see Mary come into view behind him, no doubt drawn by the noise of my fall. “Oh, Mary. I missed the step and dropped Mrs. Burnham’s tray.”
Mr. Harper turned and stepped aside to allow the maid to reach me. She gave me a puzzled look as she climbed the stairs. “You go on up to the mistress, Miss Nelson,” Mary said, nudging me with her shoulder. Maybe she could tell I didn’t want to be there. In any event, I was extremely grateful for her rescue. “I will have the cook prepare another tray and bring it up to you.”
“Thank you,” I said, straightening up. I nodded once in Mr. Harper’s direction. “Good day, sir.”
There was a frown on his face when I turned to hurry on my way. The clink of china fragments landing on the tray echoed behind me. I breathed out as I stepped into the hallway. Yet another unexpected encounter with someone from my past. Lovely. Just lovely.
No one made visits this early in the day. No doubt an argument could be made he had a reason for doing so, something to do with assisting Mr. Burnham. But to twice find him where he should not have been...I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
I had come to the Burnham house to solve my own problems, but it seemed I had stumbled onto a plot in need of resolving. And I had done little to achieve my own objective. I’d hardly had time to even think! There were too many mysteries in this house to distract me from my original plan to clear my family’s name.
Reaching Mrs. Burnham’s door, I paused, taking a calming breath. I couldn’t forget why I was doing all of this in the first place, but I also needed to focus on my duties. Somehow, I had to find a way to make it all balance out.
WITH SUCH A START TO the day, I was more than ready for my afternoon off. I had Mrs. Burnham dressed to receive any visitors. Eugenia had left for an afternoon walk with Miss Graham, and my time was once again my own.
I couldn’t keep from humming as I changed into the nicest gown I had allowed myself to bring. It was a pale green, and simple enough to pass as a lady’s maid’s gown, excellent though it was. I tied on my bonnet and slipped into my pelisse. All that remained was for me to get outside and commence my walk without being seen.
It would be simple enough to explain my attire. I could claim it was a gift from a former employer, though there would bound to be questions about where I could be going alone dressed in such finery. My steps were quick as I made my way out. Thankfully, it was clear all the way to the door.
The day was beautiful, which was a relief as visiting in bad weather would not have been enjoyable. The sun was shining, though weakly and many clouds were drifting through the sky. I took a deep breath as I set out on my way, happy to be able to enjoy it at my leisure.
It was less than an hour’s walk from Harley Street to Great George Street, necessary to avoid St. James Street where there would be more people walking. I kept my steps quick and steady, not wanting anyone to notice a woman alone. I recognized the street as soon as I stepped foot on it. It was even quieter than the one the Burnham’s house was on, and there was hardly anyone in sight.
I took a moment on the sidewalk to look up at the house. It looked exactly as I had left it. The windows were covered with curtains, so Aunt Beth must have been having a bad day as she did now and again. I stepped through the gate, flinching as the iron protested loudly at the motion.
Aunt Beth had spent the last two decades in this house with only a modest income to survive on, and it had already begun to show. I felt a surge of anger at my uncle, who hadn’t cared to maintain the house as he should have. He was the head of the family. And where was he? In Egypt, searching for relics of a time long past.
When I rapped the knocker, I knew I would have to wait several minutes. The staff my aunt kept were getting on in years, and there were never any visitors. Carlson finally opened the door, and his eyebrows rose when he saw me.
“Miss Juliet,” he said, stepping back to allow me in. “You have returned. Miss Beth will be pleased.”
“I’m only here for a few hours, Carlson.” I removed my pelisse and bonnet to hand them over to his care. I turned in a circle in the hall, breathing in the scent of Faircroft. There was the slightest hint of musk and a closed-off smell I’d forgotten about. “How is my aunt?”
“She has had a headache for the past week, Miss Juliet,” he said in his grave tone of voice. There was an unspoken implication of ‘ever since you left’ in his tone. “Shall I announce you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll surprise her. Is she in the drawing room?”
“Yes, Miss Juliet.”
With all the windows covered, it was dim in the house as I made my way to the door of the drawing room. Hopefully, I would be able to tease her out of her doldrums.
“Aunt Beth,” I said as I opened the door. “It’s Juliet.”
The drawing room was darker than I’d ever seen it. Aunt Beth’s mood was worse than I’d thought. After a moment, there was a response. “Juliet? You’ve come home?” Aunt Beth’s voice was weak and fragile. “Oh, I thought this day would never come.”
Squinting, I thought I saw her lounging on the chaise nearest to the fireplace. “I told you I would come to visit, Auntie,” I said, feeling my way across the room. I crossed to the farthest window and pulled the curtains open. “It’s only been a few days.”
“So, you haven’t come to your senses?”
Disappointment was evident in her voice, and I bit back a sigh as I moved to the next window. “I’m beginning to feel I ought to be in Bedlam Asylum the way everyone keeps questioning my sanity,” I said lightly as I opened the third set of drapes. Finally, the room was bright, and I smiled at the feel of the sun shining in.
“You mustn’t jest about Bedlam! If Frederick ever finds out about this mad scheme of yours, that is exactly where he will send you!”
Turning around, I forced out a bitter laugh. “Uncle Frederick has been in Egypt for nearly five years, Aunt Beth. Even if he were to make a sudden return home, I hardly think he will discover what I’ve been doing, much less care.”
Aunt Beth had sat up, regarding me with concern. “Juliet, Frederick is family. Of course he cares what you do, especially when it involves you endangering your reputation!”
Raising my eyebrow, I took a seat opposite my aunt. We’d discussed this—well, argued would be a more appropriate word—many times in the past five years. “He has a strange way of showing familial concern.” I held my hand up when it looked as though she would continue the conversation. “I’m only here for a short time, Aunt. Can we not talk about this?”
“I wish you would give up on this foolish plot, you errant minnow,” Aunt Beth said, twisting a handkerchief in her hands. “Have you learned anything that will bring this farce to an end?”
Pursing my lips, I hesitated. “Not yet, but I do feel as though I am doing something useful with my life, Aunt. It feels good.”
“If you wanted to feel useful, you could have sewn clothing for charity, like any other well-bred young woman.” Aunt Beth squinted at the window as if noticing I’d opened all the curtains. “When did the sun come out? I must take advantage of it and take a walk.”
I grimaced at the thought of another walk so soon. “Shall we see what has bloomed in the garden? We could sit on one of the benches and take in the sun.”
“No, let’s sit here,” Aunt Beth said, apparently changing her mind. “Will you tell me what you’ve been up to this past week? All I received from you was one letter and a day later than you promised. I could hardly sleep that night, I’ll have you know.”
She placed her hand at the base of her throa
t as though she was overcome with emotion. The move had a dramatic flair that made me laugh. “You have never had a restless night’s sleep in your life,” I said, unable to keep the grin from my face. “It’s been interesting at the Burnhams’. There were some things I wasn’t expecting, but I’m doing well enough at the job, I believe.”
“Don’t think I’m going to be proud of you for that.”
“Crossing paths with Mr. Harper and Mr. Bladen did give me pause,” I continued, ignoring her comment. She didn’t mean it, and I wanted to get the hard part over with. “And I found them both in places one would not expect to find young gentlemen.”
Aunt Beth gaped at me. “Henry Bladen? Isn’t that the loggerheaded miscreant—?”
“Yes,” I said, interrupting before she could continue the insult. “He is.”
“Oh, my,” was all she said for a moment. Her eyes widened. “He didn’t recognize you, did he?”
Smiling at her concern, I nodded. “He did. I was at a shop on an errand for Mrs. Burnham, and he came in to fetch an order of ribbons for his sister. Miss Graham, my old governess, was with me, so he had no reason to think I was anyone but myself. You may rest easy on that account, Aunt.”
“Well, I must say that is an odd place to meet a man,” Aunt Beth said, frowning. “Who sends their brother to play errand boy? I would say a sweet, good man would do so for his sister, but such a man does not exist!”
A laugh escaped me once again. “It was strange, and the last thing I expected to happen.”
“Did you speak to him?”
“Well, I ran into him, so it would have been difficult to avoid exchanging words.”
Aunt Beth’s eyes narrowed. “Juliet, I am aware this is the man who broke your heart, but I do hope you at least had the sense not to be rude.”
“Rude? Me? Must you doubt me so much?” I heaved a sigh as I looked away. “No, I was polite, if you can believe it. He expressed his happiness I had some consistency in my life. He thinks Miss Graham stayed with me after...” My throat seemed to choke me, and I cleared it. “And then he said the oddest thing. That he had missed my company.”
My aunt’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. “He said that?”
“It means nothing, Aunt. I imagine he was being polite.”
“Politeness would be saying he is pleased to see you well or some such pleasantry. This is something else entirely. It must mean something, or he wouldn’t have said it.”
I waved my hand. “Aunt, you know as well as I those in society often say things they do not mean. You cannot read too much into it. I refuse to believe he meant it at all. Not after five years of silence.”
The drawing room door swung open and Carlson entered, a tray in his shaking hands. I was never more thankful for a distraction. “Tea, madame,” he said in his dignified way. I winced as the china rattled most alarmingly. “Shall I bring anything else?”
“No, thank you, Carlson. Juliet will pour.”
Nodding, Carlson turned and made his way out. He, like the other faithful servants in Aunt Beth’s household, was not getting any younger. I could only wonder how long they would be able to remain at their posts. What would become of them, and who would we get to take their places?
Shaking off the gloomy thoughts, I stood and moved over to take my place behind the tray. “That other name you mentioned, Harper, was it? I don’t think I’ve heard it before,” Aunt Beth said. “No sugar for me, dear. Who is he?”
“He was a friend and schoolmate of Jonathan’s.” I handed a cup over to her. “He stayed with us several times when Jonathan came home from school in the summer. The last time I saw him was about eight years ago if I am not mistaken.”
Aunt Beth looked thoughtful as she sipped her tea. “Does he come from a good family?”
I was not at all surprised by the question. “Aunt Beth! You’re not trying to play matchmaker, are you? It’s been at least eight years since I last saw him...as Juliet Sinclair, I mean. He knows me as Julie Nelson, a lady’s maid. A marriage between us simply wouldn’t work.”
Scowling, Aunt Beth shook her head. “I knew your thoughtless actions would have horrible consequences. What will you do when you return to society?”
“Do you honestly think someone who has seen me a mere two times in the last eight years will recognize me?” I asked in astonishment. “Aunt, I hardly think I am as memorable as all that.”
She sighed. “Please don’t tell me you met this one in a shop. Or a market!”
“A lady’s maid doesn’t need to go to the market, Auntie,” I said with a fond smile. “And no. I met him at the Burnhams'.” I frowned as I recalled the circumstances. “Although it was at odd times when he wasn’t supposed to be there, and in places he had no logical reason to be in.”
“What do you mean?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but the drawing room doors swung open, interrupting our conversation. “A Mr. Bladen to see you, Miss Rycroft,” Carlson said. “Shall I show him in?”
Chapter Eight
Startled, I gasped, and Aunt Beth choked on her tea. She began coughing, and I reached for her in concern. She waved my hand away. “Yes, thank you, Carlson,” she managed to say once she recovered herself a moment later. “Please show him in and have fresh tea brought up for us.”
Giving a slight bow, Carlson stepped back and made a gesture. Mr. Bladen was right behind him? Alarmed, I surged to my feet, setting my teacup aside. Aunt Beth rose more gracefully, not even a hint of the pitiful sight she’d presented when I first arrived.
And then Henry Bladen walked through the doorway. He offered a formal bow, his eyes on me. “Miss Sinclair. Forgive me for intruding.”
“Aunt Beth, please allow me to introduce Mr. Bladen,” I said, remembering my manners with a jolt. Though I had spoken of Mr. Bladen many times to her, mostly to bewail his abandonment of me when I needed him, he had never been introduced to my aunt. A fact which made his sudden visit strange indeed. “Mr. Bladen, this is my aunt, Miss Rycroft.”
“Miss Rycroft.”
“I’m pleased to finally get to meet you in person at long last, Mr. Bladen,” Aunt Beth said, her tone all graciousness and politeness. “Please, won’t you sit down.”
He sent a quick glance at me as he took a seat in the chair next to Aunt Beth’s couch. I sank back into my seat, making sure I was as far away from him as possible without being blatantly rude. Clearing her throat, Aunt Beth made sure she had our guest’s attention.
“What brings you here, Mr. Bladen?” she asked, her tone sweet yet curious. “I don’t believe you and I were ever introduced before today, and yet, here you are on a social visit.”
There was one thing I loved about Aunt Beth. Her age allowed her to say what she wanted and ask the important questions without being looked down upon. “I realized I hadn’t paid my respects to you,” Henry—Mr. Bladen—said. “My family would never forgive me if they knew.”
I barely kept from an unladylike snort. After five years of silence, this was the excuse for his visit? That his family would be mortified if they discovered he hadn’t done so this Season? What made this year so different from the previous ones? Why now must he pay his respects?
“Unbelievable.”
“Did you say something, Juliet?” Aunt Beth asked pointedly.
Looking up, I said as sweetly as possible given the circumstances, “I said you must give our greetings to your family, Mr. Bladen. I have had no news of them in —oh, it must be five years now.”
Aunt Beth’s lips quirked and she raised an eyebrow at my not so subtle criticism. “Yes, of course,” Mr. Bladen said, sounding flustered. He glanced at me again. “My mother has spoken of you often though, I do assure you.”
His mother. I had grown fond of her in the few times we had met. She was a sweet, caring lady if a bit frail from age and illness. I had looked forward to being a daughter to her and spending many hours at her side.
But that happy event had never happened.
Still, I couldn’t allow my disappointed hopes to destroy a friendship I held dear. “I often think of her, and I wish you would tell her so for me.”
Mr. Bladen looked straight at me. “I will.” The sincerity in his voice sounded so like the young man I had dreamed of spending the rest of my life with my heart ached.
That realization unsettled me more than I thought it could have. I didn’t want to remember those dreams and hopes because with those memories came the reminder of what had happened next. He had left, and five years had passed before I ever saw him again. And now, here he was, sitting in Aunt Beth’s drawing room and speaking to me.
I had completely missed what he’d just said. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t attending,” I said swiftly as Aunt Beth glared. “What did you say?”
“I merely remarked I expected to see your uncle, Mr. Rycroft, when I arrived,” Mr. Bladen said. “He seemed to be a gentleman most concerned about the company you keep.”
An edge had come into his voice I didn’t understand. “I wasn’t aware you were acquainted with my uncle, Mr. Bladen.”
“We had occasion to meet five years ago. He is not in residence?”
I couldn’t keep from frowning at his sudden change in attitude.
“My nephew has been in Egypt for several years,” Aunt Beth said. “I’ll be sure to mention you in my next letter to him, and extend your regards to Frederick.”
Mr. Bladen inclined his head in acceptance, but I noticed the way his jaw clenched. Had he and my uncle had a disagreement? Uncle Frederick had never mentioned he’d spoken to Mr. Bladen. Was my uncle the reason behind Mr. Bladen’s departure?
Puzzled, I had nothing else to say for the rest of his brief visit. He declined any refreshment Aunt Beth offered and left after ten minutes of awkward, stilted conversation with my aunt.
Regency Rumors (The Sinclair Society Series, #1) Page 8