She had discarded her bonnet long ago, and the late afternoon sun warmed her back as she returned. She decided to visit the stables and check Lord Ilchester’s mount was ready for the long ride back.
Ned appeared from a loose box, his face concerned. ‘His lordship’s horse is lame, miss, he won’t be able to ride him for a day or two. I don’t reckon either of the horses we have will be up to his weight.’
‘Then he will have to remain here until Sultan is recovered. I expect somebody from Ilchester Abbey will arrive tomorrow to discover what has delayed him so there is no need for anyone to take a message today.’
Once inside she summoned the housekeeper and butler. She explained the problem to them. ‘Robinson, do you have a footman who could act as a valet for Lord Ilchester?’
‘I do, Miss Stanton, I shall send him to speak to the master’s man immediately. His lordship will require toiletries and a nightshirt and these can be borrowed from Mr Bishop.’
‘Mrs Banks, you must inform Cook that we will require a formal dinner to be served this evening. The boys will be exhausted after running about all day and they will require nothing else to eat. We shall use the small dining room, it would be ridiculous for the three of us to be marooned around the huge table in the grand dining room.’
‘I shall have a room prepared for him, miss. Shall I send you a maid to stitch your gown?’
‘Thank you, I must return and inform Lord Ilchester that his stallion’s lame as soon as possible.’
It took longer than she had hoped to restore her appearance, but fortunately the noisy ball game was still in full swing. Although it would not be dark for several hours already the shadows were lengthening and the nightingales had begun to sing.
As she approached the game ended amidst general applause. Jenny hurried towards her, her face wreathed in smiles and running with perspiration. ‘My word, that was a grand afternoon, and no mistake. We never thought to play rounders with a lord.’
‘I’m glad everyone enjoyed themselves. Lord Ilchester’s horse is lame and he will be unable to return tonight. Fortunately, as he has no luggage with him, I shall not have to wear an evening gown. However, I wish to bathe and put something more formal on. The boys must go to bed without joining us downstairs. Please make sure that Meg is aware of this.’
The matter of her brothers successfully arranged, she now had to speak to her uncle and his lordship. The stableboys and garden lads had dispersed and her brothers, with the help of their guest, were collecting up the paraphernalia associated with their game.
This gave her the opportunity to speak to her uncle before she was obliged to inform his lordship that, whether he liked it or not, he would have to stay the night at Canfield Hall.
‘I rather think he was angling for an invitation, my dear, I don’t think he has enjoyed himself so much for years.’
‘Are you feeling well enough to remain up for dinner, Uncle John?’
‘I had a splendid nap whilst they were playing, I am feeling better than I have for years. It will be enjoyable to dine formally after so long eating from a tray.’
Jarvis appeared and trundled her aged relative away. Meg and Jenny emerged from the boathouse each holding a grubby boy by the hand. Much to her consternation she found herself quite alone and for a moment was quite nervous.
Ilchester strolled across nonchalantly rolling his sleeves down his tanned and muscular arms. He flicked his coat from the back of a chair and shrugged it on. She had never seen a gentleman do this and made her feel rather peculiar. Indeed, the whole afternoon had been strange and unlike anything she had experienced before.
When she explained about his stallion he shrugged. ‘It seems that I must apologise yet again, Miss Stanton. I had no intention of foisting myself on you overnight, but I must own that I am not at all sorry I do not have to ride back this evening. I am quite exhausted after so much unaccustomed activity.’ He said this with a straight face but she knew he was jesting.
‘I had thought that maybe you would like to send a message to Ilchester, but on reflection I don’t believe anyone who works here would be able to find their way before dark.’
‘There is no need to worry, Miss Stanton, I doubt that my mother or sisters will even notice my absence. They are attending a soirée this evening and will be taken up with that.’
‘I cannot imagine any social event that could possibly take precedence over the well-being of my family.’ When he raised an eyebrow she giggled. ‘Actually, as I have never attended a social event of any sort I have no idea whether I would feel the same as Lady Ilchester and your sisters about the matter.’
‘Not even made morning calls?’
She shook her head, beginning to enjoy this light-hearted badinage. ‘Although my mama was from a wealthy family she was disowned when she eloped with my papa. When he died we lived in straitened circumstances until Mr Palmer arrived and took care of us. He was not a rich man either, but we managed very well.’ She gazed around the many acres of parkland and back to the palatial house in which she now resided. ‘We are fortunate indeed to have found a haven here with Mr Bishop. Although we have been here several weeks I am still not quite accustomed to being able to have whatever I want no matter what the cost.’
He had collected his mangled neckcloth and held it up with a rueful smile. ‘I fear this is past redemption, Miss Stanton, I hope that I might find a fresh one before we dine tonight.’ He offered his arm and without hesitation she placed her hand on it and together they ambled towards the house.
The silence was companionable, not oppressive in any way, he was a surprisingly easy gentleman to spend time with. Before she could prevent herself she had issued him and his family with an invitation to attend her birthday celebrations next month. To her astonishment his eyes blazed and the muscles beneath her hand tensed.
‘We should be delighted to come, there is nothing the ladies of my family like better than attending a house party. Will you have a ball in the evening, after the garden party?’
‘I had not thought of doing so, but if there are sufficient couples there is no reason why we should not dance after dinner. I shall be engaging musicians to entertain during the afternoon, so they might as well remain for the evening.’
‘No doubt Mr Bishop has a list of all the notable families in the area, but I should be happy to supply you with the names of my friends and neighbours who live within driving distance of this estate.’
‘Thank you, that is most kind of you. My uncle is determined that I shall become a social butterfly. I am not comfortable at the thought of mixing with dozens of strangers – I much prefer to spend my time with my family.’
They had now reached the elegant marble staircase that led to the terrace which ran along the front of the house. Abruptly she removed her hand and skipped up ahead of him. She glanced over her shoulder. ‘I shall see you at dinner, my lord, I must oversee my brothers as they get ready to retire.’ Being in such close proximity to him was making her feel quite dizzy.
Her brothers were already in their nightshirts and tucking into coddled eggs and slices of succulent, pink ham when she arrived in the nursery. They had moved to the upper floor when Meg had been appointed as the nursemaid and were perfectly happy having their own domain.
‘Have you enjoyed yourselves today, boys?’
Tom answered first. ‘We did, we did, Saffy. Lord Ilchester said he will give us our first riding lesson tomorrow if we go to bed with no argument.’
She had wondered why everything was so peaceful here. ‘That was kind of him. He is a cousin of ours, we share the same great-grandfather – that is to say our great-grandfather was his grandfather.’
‘We didn’t know we had a lord in the family – will we be lords like him one day?’ David said as he finished his mouthful.
‘No, I’m afraid not, sweetheart. Titles are passed down to a close member of the family, and although he has no sons of his own as yet, he has a younger brother. Also, in your
case you are related to him through our mama, so would not be eligible anyway.’
This was a strange conversation to be having with a pair of five-year-olds. ‘Goodnight, boys, I must go and bathe and change as I can still smell lake water on my person.’
In her own apartment her maid was waiting for her and had already set out the hip bath behind the screen in her dressing room. There had been no necessity to light the fire as the room was south-facing and still warm from the sun.
Whilst she relaxed in the rose-scented water Jenny untangled her hair so it could be washed. Hopefully it would dry before she was obliged to put it up and dress for dinner, which was to be served at six o’clock tonight to allow Uncle John to rest after the activities of the day.
Although her hair was still a trifle damp, Sapphire decided she could wait no longer to put it up as it was already a quarter to six. ‘I had forgotten I had this gown, Jenny, I ordered so many when we first arrived here.’
‘It’s an unusual shade, miss, and no mistake. I reckon it’s the colour of a duck egg and very pretty it is too. Not too grand, but smart enough to make a good impression.’
‘I think the neckline rather low, but that is probably because I have never worn anything so formal before.’ She stood and viewed herself in the mirror. Who was this beautiful stranger who stared back at her? What a difference a lovely gown made to one’s appearance.
‘There is no need to wait up for me, Jenny, I can see myself to bed. Please leave out my habit as I shall be riding first thing tomorrow.’
She had no idea where their guest had been put for the night and had not thought to ask. She hesitated on the wide gallery and then crept forward to peer over the balustrade. There was no sound of voices coming from the drawing room so perhaps Lord Ilchester was not down yet.
Suddenly he was beside her and her knees all but gave way. ‘What are we looking at, Miss Stanton?’ He asked smoothly and leaned over the ornate railing.
‘I was looking for you, my lord, but obviously in quite the wrong place.’ She glared at him. ‘If there is one thing that I cannot abide, it is a gentleman who sneaks up on one.’
His eyes were laughing at her and his mouth was twitching. He bowed in a ridiculously overblown way. ‘I most humbly beg your pardon, Miss Stanton, for arriving unannounced.’
Her irritation vanished beneath the warmth of his smile. ‘You are a most annoying gentleman, I cannot think why my brothers are so taken with you.’
For a moment she thought he was going to stretch out and touch her face and a flash of anticipation held her rigid, then the moment passed. ‘I believe we are tardy, Miss Stanton, your uncle will be wondering what has become of us. And by the way, might I say how lovely you look in that exquisite ensemble?’
This time she did stumble and only his lightning fast reflexes prevented her from taking a nasty tumble down the stairs. He did not immediately release her hand and the warmth of his fingers was doing peculiar things to her pulse. When he released his hold she hastily placed her hand behind her back.
They continued their progress down the stairs and having him so close caused her to almost lose her footing for a second time but she was able to steady herself without assistance.
‘Forgive me for saying so,’ he said conversationally, ‘but I believe that you must be the clumsiest young lady of my acquaintance. I’m surprised you have not done yourself serious harm before now.’ The outrageous statement steadied her nerves and she was able to stop in order to fix him with her most icy stare.
‘And you, sir, are without doubt the most unpleasant and irritating gentleman I have ever met.’
His bark of laughter followed her down the stairs adding to her annoyance. She shot past the waiting footmen and into the drawing room leaving him to follow in her wake. Her uncle was nowhere to be seen but the French doors were open onto the terrace and she could hear the clink of glass out there.
The perfect hostess would wait for her guest and allow him to accompany her, but she would not walk another step with that man beside her. She was known for her good humour, patience and sunny temperament but in the space of an afternoon all these had deserted her.
‘There you are at last, my dear, I have ordered champagne to be served. It is a day of celebration after all.’
‘I have never tasted it, Uncle John, and should be delighted to do so now. I do believe you have caught the sun today – in fact we are both quite tanned.’ She held out her arm for his inspection. She was not wearing gloves – another mark in her disfavour. ‘I believe it is considered unladylike to expose oneself to the sunshine, but I am not interested in the silly rules of society. I shall do as I please.’
‘Shall you indeed, Miss Stanton, that should make for an interesting party next month,’ Lord Ilchester’s smooth, annoying voice said from behind her. He was as soft-footed as a cat and appeared to enjoy making her uncomfortable. She ignored his comment – it was of no merit.
‘Uncle John, I see we are to dine out here, what an excellent idea.’ One of the new footmen, smartly dressed in livery and wig, held out a silver tray upon which were three glasses of sparkling champagne. She reached out and took one. ‘It is quite delicious and perfect for a summer evening.’
The table had been set out and laid as if it was in the dining room, with the best silver, fine damask cloth and crystalware. It might be better if she sat, she was bound to trip over something if she remained on her feet.
She had an unpleasant fluttering in her stomach and her appetite had deserted her – she was dreading being served a series of delicious dishes and being unable to eat them. The meal was served à la française, the platters were placed centrally and then they were left to help themselves.
After a few minutes she realised their guest was paying her no further attention and was deeply involved in a discussion on the merits of some political act or other, leaving her to recover her composure and her appetite.
There were three courses each with several removes and she enjoyed a little of everything. ‘I am unable to consume another morsel. I had no idea your cook could produce such excellent food, Uncle John. I shall leave you gentlemen to your port and take a promenade around the garden.’
They both got to their feet and she smiled politely before setting off across the terrace praying she did not tread on the hem of her gown. The sun was sliding below the horizon turning the water of the lake a spectacular shade of gold – a perfect ending to a very enjoyable evening.
She strolled around for some time before arriving in the rose garden where she found her favourite arbour, a stone seat surrounded by sweet-smelling honeysuckle and climbing roses. She had picked up a pebble in her slipper and needed to sit down in order to remove it. She viewed the bench with disfavour – she had no wish to spoil her new gown.
A slight sound alerted her this time and she was ready when his lordship spoke quietly from behind her. ‘Allow me, Miss Stanton.’ He removed his handkerchief and spread it on the stone and she had no alternative but to be seated. Her heart was drumming and her bodice became unaccountably tight. What was it about this gentleman that so disturbed her senses?
Chapter Six
Sapphire could hardly refuse to sit down now Lord Ilchester had placed his handkerchief on the stone bench. Once she was seated he folded his long length beside her, thankfully keeping a respectful distance.
‘You are proving elusive tonight, Miss Stanton, I have been wandering like a lost sheep around the gardens searching for you this past quarter of an hour.’
‘I came out because I wished to be on my own.’ The words were somewhat abrupt, but she was too agitated to say more.
Instead of springing to his feet and vanishing into the darkness, his teeth flashed white and he settled himself more comfortably. ‘I’m damned if I’m going to apologise for joining you, I seem to have done nothing but grovel since we met this morning.’
His unexpected turn of phrase so shocked her that she forgot she was nervous. ‘K
indly moderate your language when talking to me, sir, I do not appreciate hearing such things.’
‘I should hardly think you do, sweetheart, but I fear you are going to have to become accustomed to my robust turn of phrase.’
His reply almost gave her palpitations. He had no right to use such endearments, nor to refuse to beg her pardon for swearing. She had come to the rose garden to find peace and quiet and had found quite the reverse.
‘Lord Ilchester, you forget yourself. We are barely acquainted and…’
‘How true that is, but you forget that I am, I believe, your true guardian, and can therefore talk to you as I would one of my sisters.’
This was the outside of enough – what he said might be a fact of law, but as far as she was concerned Uncle John held that position and she had no intention of allowing this intruder to interfere with her life in any way.
‘You did not know of my existence until this morning so you can hardly claim to be an interested party.’ She jumped to her feet and scowled down at him lounging, unabashed and amused, in the arbour. ‘I sincerely hope that someone sends a carriage to collect you tomorrow, Ilchester, because you are no longer welcome at Canfield Hall.’
In one smooth movement he was on his feet – no longer relaxed and friendly, but rigid with disapproval. Referring to him without his title was disrespectful and her actual comment was hardly polite, so it was not surprising he was angry.
She knew instinctively he would not harm her, and it was easier to deal with him when glaring at her than when he was being charming and friendly. In fact, she was rather enjoying the exchange. Having him towering over her was a trifle intimidating, but she was better able to cope with his anger than his charm.
‘I know why your father sent his man here every year – it was not to offer assistance to my uncle, but to see if he was still alive. As you are no longer a beneficiary, I assume that your interest in Canfield Hall has come to an end.’
Lord Ilchester's Inheritance Page 5