by Gay, Gloria
“I was making the rounds of the woods with Landrew when I saw you from across the meadow,” he said by way of explanation for intruding on them. “I thought I might cross over and…”
“Do sit, dear,” said Ellen quickly, “and tell me how my sketch is coming along,” she said, rescuing her brother from too much explanation.
“We were about to stop work and have our picnic, Robert. Won’t you join us?” she added.
“I…” Robert turned to Celia, to see if the idea was as welcome to her as it was to him.
Celia said nothing at first, after her quiet greeting but continued to work on her drawing. But Robert saw a soft smile grazing her lips and a thrill shot through him.
Then Celia turned her full gaze on him and echoed Ellen’s invitation. Robert looked directly into her eyes. The memory of their time together the day before came back to him and he felt that Celia’s thoughts were also on their meeting. How wonderful that he could enjoy her company again, and in almost the same spot as the day before.
“I’m sure there’s enough food here for the three of us,” Ellen said. “You must take a rest from your work, Celia. We have the whole afternoon; no use tiring yourself.”
Celia helped Ellen to spread the cloth and arrange the napkins and plates. Both Robert and Celia were quiet while Ellen kept a steady stream of chatter.
Robert mused that Celia had learned more about Ellen and her studies than she had found out until now because poor Ellen, burdened with the problem of keeping up the conversation was hardly helped by him and Celia. He was intensely aware of Celia and he felt that she felt his presence just as much as he did hers.
Ellen told Celia that she belonged to a literary circle and mentioned certain authors. Celia looked up in surprise at Robert. Robert could tell she was curious as to how he viewed his sister’s friends.
“I’ve been their guest a few times,” Robert told Celia. “I had to be certain Ellen was not involved with any objectionable persons.”
“I don’t mind you checking up on me, Robert.” Ellen said amiably. “I wish you would join my group.”
“No thanks,” Lord Merrick said with a laugh. “I’ve enough to do with Parliament.”
“I hope you will come to London with me, Celia. I do so want to introduce you to them,” she added.
“As you can see, Miss Meade,” said Robert, “my sister is a bluestocking.”
“Our house in St. James stays open year around, not just for the Season, Celia,” added Ellen, ignoring her brother’s words. “Robert fills in our father’s seat in Parliament and he has other business in London. I often tag along with him. Now I shall drag you with us, to see what Lady Caroline Lamb is up to, among other things,” she laughed.
Robert realized that Ellen was doing everything possible to throw him and Celia in each other’s company. How wonderful that he had an ally in his sister Ellen. With two conspiring to bring them together he and Celia had a better chance than with just his effort alone.
But Lord Shelton, having been told that both Robert and Ellen would be gone for three days on a trip to London became extremely upset about it.
“You can’t both of you leave me alone for three or four days. I will not stand for it!” He was addressing Lord Merrick as Lord Merrick walked behind the footman who was wheeling Lord Shelton to the back terrace where Lord Shelton took the air each morning if the sun was out. Lord Merrick had insisted on this when his father would have stayed in bed, instead, complaining that he was restricted to his bed.
“Dr. Kinny has agreed to visit you twice a day, Papa,” Lord Merrick assured him. “You will be well-cared for. I must go to London for an important vote in Parliament and Ellen has need of some fashion items she can only obtain in London.”
“Bah! You’re both just doing this to get me in a state. Why can’t one of you stay with me? Why must you both leave at once?”
“You have three other daughters beside Ellen, Papa,” Lord Merrick pressed on, suppressing a sigh of fear that his little outing with Celia might be disrupted. He and Ellen had planned it with great care. The hardest thing, they thought, was that Celia would agree to go with both of them to London. Then Ellen had the idea to include their Aunt Lavinia. Celia had readily agreed once Aunt Lavinia had been included.
Lord Shelton tried to stand up from his three-wheeled Bath chair and Robert hurried to hold him down lest he harm himself. He wished he could install a leather strap across the Bath chair to hold his father down while they moved him about for he was always doing this and making either Robert or Ellen gasp that he should someday harm himself by falling head first from his chair to the floor. But he doubted his father would allow the strap.
Lord Merrick had purchased a chair each for downstairs and for his bedroom, for him to be wheeled about the lower and upper floors.
“Either you or Ellen must stay with me. I order you to do that, Robert,” his father insisted, as a footman placed a serviette on his chest and started to feed him. Lord Shelton’s limp left arm lay useless by his side and although he could move his right hand and hold things with it, the effort was too much for his dwindling strength.
Robert instructed his father’s footman, Will, to wheel his father to the back terrace which was pleasantly sunlit. He then took his leave of him.
* * *
Caroline glanced at the mirror which revealed her in her new sky blue habit. She smiled at the thought that she looked her best in the costly attire as her maid put a fresh handkerchief in Caroline’s reticule and placed the matching short cape about her mistress’ shoulders.
“It’s ever so pretty, Miss Caroline,” Dora said of the new habit. “And becoming to your eyes!”
“Go see if John is coming,” Caroline said, ignoring Dora’s words. She checked the reticule to make certain there was a comb and a few hair pins inside and reaching for her whip she walked down the hall just as John and Dora were coming up to meet her.
The groom rode at a respectful distance from Caroline as Caroline headed to the Shelton estate where she was to meet with Julia for their morning ride. But she was early, for she intended to speak with Lord Shelton while Julia finished with her grooming.
When the butler opened the door for Miss Caroline Delaney, Caroline told him that she was a bit early because she needed to speak with Lord Shelton. She was aware that Lord Merrick was away for a day, so she did not expect to run into him. It was with his father that she had business today.
“Lord Shelton is in the back terrace, taking the sun, Miss Delaney,” Dorlan, the butler, told her, confirming what her spy had confided to her.
“Would you direct me to Lord Shelton while I wait for Lady Julia, Dorlan?”
“Yes, Miss Delaney,” said the butler and his granite countenance revealed none of his thoughts.
Once she had greeted Lord Shelton, who was surprised at his visitor, Caroline hurried on to what had brought her to her meeting.
“Lord Shelton,” she said as Lord Shelton glanced curiously at her, “I came a little early for my riding outing with Lady Julia and I asked Dorlan to direct me to you for I was anxious to see how you fared, my lord.”
“Ah—bah—well, as inconvenienced as always and unhappy that Robert and Ellen are both to leave me for a few days. I have stated repeatedly to them that they must not both leave at the same time!”
“I understand completely, Lord Shelton,” Caroline said, instilling softness to her voice. With a glance at the terrace door, looking out for Julia, she moved a chair closer to him and sat. “I have found out that Miss Meade is the reason they are both leaving together to London, Lord Shelton. Miss Meade has insisted on it.”
“Upon my word, why would the chit do so? What business does she have in this? And who is Miss Meade,” he added. “I did not understand fully what her connection is to your family when she was introduced to me.”
“Miss Meade is a poor relation, Lord Shelton. She and her family begged Mr. Delaney to take them in, and they have disrupted
our household since the first moment they arrived! They squandered the trust fund that Celia’s father left them and now must live on what they beg from my father!”
“Why has your father allowed himself to be bamboozled this way?” asked Lord Shelton.
“Intrigue is Miss Meade’s main talent, Lord Shelton,” Caroline told him. “But I beg you not to disclose what I told you to your son. You see, Miss Meade has put her sights on your son and is doing everything in her power to trap him in her net.”
“Upon my word,” Lord Shelton said again. “How can I be of service to you, Miss Delaney?”
“You must not allow your son to fall into Miss Meade’s clutches, Lord Shelton. But I beg of you, please don’t let him know that it was I who alerted you of the danger!”
“I will keep your confidence, Miss Meade, and thank you for your trust in me. Have no fear, I will put a stop to Miss Meade’s machinations!”
“I feel better already, Lord Shelton,” Caroline said in a low voice as she stood up, moved her chair back to where she had found it and called a greeting to Julia, as she heard her friend calling out for her.
* * *
Once back home, Celia, locked away in the privacy of her studio, basked in recalling the wonderful morning she had spent with Robert and Ellen.
But Celia was in a quandary. On the one hand she enjoyed Ellen’s company and was very happy to have at least one friend in the neighborhood, for she and Ellen were alike in many ways. Celia had never had a friend who thought of things besides balls and dresses and rides around the park. But the price of this too enjoyable company was too high. Celia felt sinking more and more into an attraction towards Robert that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Though she was successful in keeping herself from thinking of Robert, he was always just at the edge of her mind, increasingly coloring all her actions and the way she felt each day.
Yet each time she considered it she again came up against a wall. There was just no way to avoid the fact that Caroline considered Robert her personal property. A shudder coursed through Celia—where would this lead?
One afternoon when the rain was keeping Celia to her room her mother came in to tell her that Uncle Worth had asked her help in organizing a ball that was to be held in mid-summer. Worth, she told Celia, had given her the list of guests and they included many people from Bath, as well as the families in the surrounding countryside. Apparently, although Aunt Solace had died a year and a half before, Caroline had convinced her father that she would wear lavender, in keeping with custom but that a year and a half was enough of a mourning period.
The idea caught Celia by surprise. Such a thought had never crossed her mind. Although the huge manor did not have a ballroom the great hall had the proportions for holding at least forty couples dancing at once. She felt a surge of excitement. To dance with Robert!
Celia had received an invitation from Ellen to accompany her and Robert to London a few days before and Celia had happily agreed. Lord Merrick had to be present for an important vote in Parliament and Ellen needed to do some shopping. She told Celia she would make her very happy if she would agree to accompany them. They would spend three nights and four days in London.
How could she say no to something that held so much allure? But in the back of her mind there was the nagging little voice that told her Robert would be with them countless hours once his duties in Parliament were met. It was obvious Ellen was trying to bring Celia and her brother together.
A swirl of happiness in her chest made her sigh with joy.
Aunt Lavinia would accompany them so that the journey would be all that was proper.
“And your father agreed for both of you to leave at the same time?” Celia asked Ellen. She was surprised, for she had seen how clinging Lord Shelton was toward both Ellen and Robert.
“Oh, it wasn’t easy for Robert to convince him,” Ellen said with a shake of the head. “He had to convince Lord Shelton’s sister, Aunt Agatha, who lives in the next county, to spend the days we are away with him. Poor Aunt Agatha,” said Ellen, “Papa will have her running around all the time we are away, getting him this and that from the village. You cannot imagine, Celia, how different Papa is from how he was before his illness. You would not have known him now had you known him then.”
“Illness of such devastating nature changes people,” Celia.
Caroline could not invite herself to be one of their party as she had nothing in common with Ellen and had never been her friend. It was Julia who was Caroline’s best friend. Julia was a girl easily swayed by flattery and had not the perception to see that Caroline’s friendship was little more than her wish to be a close companion to someone who would bring her in closer contact with her object, which was to be mistress of Shelton Hall.
Bella and Mrs. Meade had several errands and purchases outlined for Celia and were excited that she was to make such a trip and in such company. Her mother brought it up several times at dinner, which, Mrs. Meade told Celia, gave Caroline a disgust. Caroline had retired early to her room, “in a mood”, Margaretta whispered to Celia, to Celia’s discomfort, for she hated to have a harmless pleasure of hers made into a triumph by her mother, apart from the fact that it was dangerous for her mother to taunt Caroline.
She did not wish to compete with Caroline in any way and was forcing herself to think of the journey as one done in the company of her dear, new friend, Ellen.
The sky was white and cloudless and the air crisp and cool the next morning when Celia, wrapped in her new burgundy walking gown and matching woolen cape boarded the Merricks' large elegant carriage and greeted Ellen and their Aunt Lavinia warmly while avoiding her brother’s eyes.
From the doorway her mother, Bella and Fred bid her farewell with many entreaties not to forget their errands. Celia glanced up and saw Caroline looking from a window above.
The hours flew by for Celia as the carriage covered the miles, for the trip was made in the company of a new friend, Ellen, their Aunt Lavinia, who was a gentle lady who spoke kindly to Celia and the man Celia yearned for in painful secret. Robert sat opposite her and it was difficult to avoid looking directly at him when he was constantly addressing her in conversation.
Ellen had added the extra incentive of a visit to the Royal Academy of Art and Celia could hardly wait for such a treat. She would be able to look at paintings in real life rather than prints. She could hardly wait from the excitement she felt.
The carriage was huge, so their Aunt Lavinia, the two girls and Lord Merrick, had ample room in the coach to stretch their legs and arms.
Celia finally gave in to the pleasure of Robert’s company and talked at length with him. They spoke of books they had both read and Celia found out he knew a lot about art and was aware of contemporary artists of whom she was most ashamedly in total ignorance. And knowing this to be one of her favorite subjects, Robert expanded on it, to Celia’s pleasure.
She wondered why something that gave her so much happiness had to be laced with the hurt of denial that she must force on herself. Why had her heart been drawn towards the very man she was not allowed to encourage?
“There is an important art movement going on in France,” Robert said. “The most important of these artists, Eugene Delacroix, is considered an innovator and, therefore, dangerous to the establishment. He is often reviled. There is an exhibition of his paintings at the Royal Academy of Art. We would love for you to go see his paintings with us, Miss Meade.”
“I so look forward to it,” Celia said happily.
“We could also visit the British Museum, if we have time,” Ellen added. “Do you know, Celia, that it is the first museum that was established in the world?”
“I didn’t know, Ellen. How proud of our country it makes me feel,” Celia replied.
Celia had never been able to afford even the hackney fare to visit the museum and the Academy when she lived in London, and would have felt guilty if she had spent the money on herself in such a way, when she and her
family often went without supper.
* * *
As their journey advanced, Celia tried to pull Ellen into the conversation but it looked like Ellen was content to just listen to her and her brother, her eyes, as were those of Aunt Lavinia, on her embroidery, Ellen spoke only when called upon by her brother for a reference.
Celia became very aware that Ellen had a scheme for bringing together her brother and Celia and from her smiles she could see Ellen felt it was working very well, at least for now.
Celia held back, though. Always in the back of her mind was the fact that Caroline had targeted Lord Merrick as her own and if she felt threatened by Celia in this regard, goodness knew what she would resort to. Celia and her family were dependents of their uncle now and their stay at Rook’s End was precarious.
She could tell that Ellen was looking forward to the opportunity to speak to Celia in confidence while Robert took care of his own business in London.
There would be a shopping spree where they would spend many hours in each other’s company. Ellen had even mentioned that they might extend the stay in London by two more days. Surely, she had insisted, the shopping and museum visit could not be both accomplished in a single day.
At their first stop at an inn where they partook of luncheon, Ellen conferred with their aunt, and with Celia and her brother as to the necessity to extend their stay in London and asked Celia if she was in agreement. When Celia nodded, a little uncertainly, Ellen brightened considerably.
“Would you then dispatch a note to your family, Celia?”
Celia could just see her mother’s reaction when she received the missive. It had been difficult for Mrs. Meade to allow Celia to “leave her to fend for herself” for three days, but quite impossible that she should be forced to be without her for five days.
Celia tried to put from her mind what her mother’s reaction would be to the letter and tried to enjoy their stay in London without any disquieting thoughts.
Ellen introduced Celia to many of the Merricks’ friends who were temporarily residing in London. The morning of the day after their arrival saw them greeting many callers, while a slew of invitations had already piled up in the post tray. Aunt Lavinia had a wide acquaintance in London and they, too, came to call on her at the townhouse.