Chapter Nine
Charlwood House
The three-day journey from Bath to Derbyshire seemed endless to Miriam. The weather was warm and sunny, but inside the carriage the heat was stifling. On the first day of the journey Aunt Beatrice barely spoke to her except to bark an order or again chastise her for not accepting Sir Thomas’s proposal of marriage. Miriam wondered what Aunt Beatrice would say if she knew that she had also turned down a proposal from Lord Chantry.
By the second and third days it was clear to Miriam that her aunt had lost any interest in her and was now focussing all her attention on the forthcoming marriage of her son to Catherine Lampton. Both ladies were hot, tired and irritable, and Miriam noticed that even the footmen and maids were keeping well out of their way.
They reached Charlwood House just after midday on Wednesday. Miriam felt hot and dusty and the first thing she did was to ask Susan to prepare a bath for her. She then had a short rest in her bedroom before changing for dinner. She felt somewhat more refreshed when she entered the dining room later that day. However, it soon became obvious that her aunt had lost no time telling her son what had transpired in Bath.
“How could you refuse such a good offer of marriage?” Percival chastised. “You do know that you will not be able to stay here once I am married—that would not be fair to Catherine. You missed a splendid opportunity to have your own household and husband. And do not think you can live in the dower house, as I have promised that to my mother; she will neither want nor need to keep up the house in Nottingham once I am fully established here.”
Percival’s face was becoming redder, almost puce-coloured with anger, as he demanded, “What have you to say for yourself, Miriam?”
Miriam thought she had plenty to say about his lack of compassion and manners, but did not voice this out loud. “I will start to look for alternative accommodation immediately. I will request the property agents from Matlock and Buxton to visit me at their earliest convenience.”
This response seemed to satisfy Percival and he resumed eating his meal in stony silence. As soon as dinner was finished, Miriam, pleading exhaustion, retired to her room.
The next morning was difficult for Miriam. For many years she had taken on the responsibility of running Charlwood House and had continued to do so following her father’s death. Aunt Beatrice now said that she would take over such responsibilities until such time as Catherine came to live at the house as Percival’s wife.
Miriam noticed that some new staff had been hired while she’d been in Bath and that some of the furniture in the house had been removed and replaced with new items. The home she had lived in since childhood and had loved dearly no longer seemed so familiar or welcoming. She needed to escape. She rang for the footman and asked him to arrange for her horse and trap to be brought to the front of the house.
Miriam had a lovely morning driving along the roads and lanes on the estate that was so familiar to her. The countryside looked magnificent, basking in the hot summer sunshine, and people nodded and waved to her as she passed. Oh, how could she bear to leave such a place?
When she returned to the house, she was told that both property agents had arranged to visit her the following day. She spent the afternoon going over all the details of her finances so she would be fully informed when they arrived. She would have to employ at least one footman, a housekeeper and a cook, as well as her maid, and so her new house would have to be large enough to accommodate that number of staff. She would not be able to keep her horse and trap because she would not be able to afford the stabling for the horse. It perhaps mattered little, for although she could travel around the Charlwood Estate in her trap, it would not be appropriate or acceptable in any of the small Derbyshire towns.
Miriam feared that living on her own without a carriage or other means of transportation might make her feel isolated; she would be at the mercy of friends and family coming to visit her. She could always employ a companion, but shied away from this idea as generally companions were employed only by the old and infirm.
Any hope that she would be able to live in the dower house on the estate had been dashed when Percival had made it quite clear at dinner the previous evening that this was not a possibility. She thought of other properties on the estate that could be suitable for her, but she did not think she could bear being in the vicinity of Percival and his wife, who would be taking her place at Charlwood House.
The property agents visited the following day with details of four houses for her to consider. Arrangements were made for her to view these the following week, and luckily for Miriam, Lucy returned from Bath that week and offered to go with her to look at the houses.
“Two heads are better than one,” Lucy declared cheerfully. “I am sure that you will find something suitable and you will still be near enough for me to visit.”
On the appointed day Lucy arrived in a carriage to collect Miriam to view the properties. Miriam was delighted to find that Lucy’s mother, the Countess of Blackwood, had decided to join them to act as chaperone and give advice.
“You are both very young and do not have experience in dealing with men of business or of looking at properties. I think the property agents are less likely to try to pull the wool over my eyes and I may think of questions to ask that would not occur to you,” the countess explained kindly.
Miriam warmed to the words. “I am absolutely delighted that you can join us, my lady. I am sure your experience will prove very useful. I have absolutely no experience of looking at houses and never expected to find myself in this situation.”
The countess shook her head. “I was shocked when Lucy told me that Percival and his new wife do not intend to allow you to stay in the house that has always been your home. I am sure that your dear father would not have expected this to happen.”
The three ladies set out in good spirits. They were to view the first two houses in Matlock in the morning, have lunch in Matlock and then travel to Buxton in the afternoon to view the other two houses.
Spirits were not so high by the time the ladies sat down to eat lunch at the Royal Hotel. The two houses they had viewed had been most unsuitable. One had been much too small and the other was in such poor repair Miriam would have needed a fortune to make it acceptable.
Lucy tried to cheer Miriam up. “Don’t look so disheartened. I am sure that the houses in Buxton will be an improvement on those we saw in Matlock.”
“They cannot be any worse,” Miriam quipped, and this made them all smile.
Unfortunately the houses in Buxton were not suitable, either. One was too large and beyond Miriam’s budget. The second was a charming, well-proportioned house, but unfortunately it had twenty steep stone steps leading up to the front door, which would have been too difficult for Miriam to climb on a daily basis.
The countess tried to remain optimistic on the journey home. “I am sure that something suitable will become available soon. Do not despair, Miriam.” Suddenly she perked up. “I have an idea! You can be my guest and stay with us at Blackwood Hall after Percival’s wedding until you manage to find a suitable house.”
“Yes, yes, please do, Miriam. It will be fun to have you stay. We can go shopping and go to the assemblies together,” urged Lucy.
Miriam reflected on how lucky she was to have such kind neighbours; when she was a child, Blackwood Hall had been like a second home to her. “I would love to stay with you, thank you so much. And if it is not too much of an imposition, I would be very grateful if you could both continue to help me in my quest for somewhere suitable to live.”
Under her breath Lucy said to Miriam, “Do you not now wish you had given more consideration to Lord Chantry’s proposal?”
“Had I known how unpleasant coming back to Charlwood House would be,” Miriam whispered in reply, “I might well have been more tempted, but I do not think the sort of arrangement he proposed would have suited Lord Chantry in the long term. He would surely meet someone else and then regret ma
rrying me.”
“It is not unusual for society weddings to be arranged for convenience of fortune and family rather than love. I do not think what Lord Chantry was proposing was so much different,” Lucy reasoned.
“What are you girls talking about? You both should know it is considered very rude to whisper,” admonished the countess. Miriam and Lucy apologized but nevertheless were not willing to share with her the nature of their whisperings.
Chapter Ten
Percival’s Wedding
The wedding date was set for the first Saturday in October, at the Lampton home in South Yorkshire. Miriam’s dressmaker had put the final touches to her dress and she had purchased a new bonnet, gloves, boots and cape. Percival had travelled on ahead to South Yorkshire with his groomsmen and was staying in a local hotel.
Miriam and her aunt set out the day before the wedding. They had been invited to stay at the Lampton family home, Wybourne Manor, on the night before the wedding and the wedding night. They had been up since five o’clock and climbed into the carriage just as the sun was beginning to rise. Luggage, maids and footmen were travelling in a separate carriage.
“We have been invited to dine with the family and their other guests this evening,” Aunt Beatrice told her delightedly. “I have met Catherine’s parents on a few occasions and they seem extremely well-mannered people. I believe she is from a big family and has a number of brothers and sisters, as well as cousins, nieces and nephews. I think that we are the only people not directly related to the family who are being accommodated at the Manor. We should feel honoured that we have been accorded the privilege. So much better than staying in a hotel or hostelry, don’t you think?”
“I have never met any of the family,” Miriam worried, “and only met Catherine herself on one occasion. I feel a little daunted at the thought of dining with them, but I am sure that it will be a special occasion. Catherine must be so nervous and excited.”
“Indeed! And I should hope she feels privileged to marry Percival, especially with his having inherited the title and Charlwood House so much earlier than expected.” Aunt Beatrice was quite oblivious to the effect her words had on Miriam, and when Miriam did not reply continued in her speculations about the upcoming two days.
They had only one short stop on the journey for a meal and a comfort break, and keeping to their schedule, they arrived at Wybourne Manor in the late afternoon. The large, brick manor house with its stone-framed sash windows was a welcome sight. They were both tired and dusty from the journey and made some last-minute adjustments to their hair and dress as the carriage pulled up the driveway and came to a halt on the wide forecourt.
Their arrival had been noticed and a footman led them through the grand front entrance where the baronet, Lord Lampton, and his wife, Lady Lampton, were waiting with their daughter Catherine to greet them. “We trust you both had a safe journey and it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Miriam,” Lady Lampton greeted them graciously. “I will get the maid to show you up to your rooms. I know you have had a long journey and will want to refresh yourselves and change before dinner this evening. I will have a pot of tea sent up for each of you. The meal will be served at seven o’clock and I will send a maid to knock on your doors and show you the way to the dining room.”
Miriam, supported by her aunt, slowly followed the maid to the first floor where they were shown to their bedrooms. Their rooms were next door to each other and both were well appointed, although Aunt Beatrice grumbled that the windows faced the rear of the house when she would have much preferred the front.
“Aunt, I think the views are magnificent and I am sure the front-facing guest rooms have already been allocated to close family. We are not even related as yet,” Miriam pointed out.
On leaving her aunt, Miriam closed the bedroom door, took off her bonnet, cape and boots, and lay down on the bed to rest while Susan was busy unpacking her trunk. The next thing she knew Susan was gently shaking her to wake her up. A hot bath was ready and steaming and her pale blue dress was laid out ready for her. She had completely missed having the tea that had gone cold while she slept. She did, however, feel much better for having a nap and gave herself up to her maid’s ministrations as she readied her for dinner.
At seven-o’clock there was a knock at the door, and Miriam took a last look in the mirror to check her appearance before she left the room. She knew the pale blue dress complemented her eyes. Her maid had dressed her hair with matching blue ribbons, and her white gloves and boots were pristine. She pinched her checks to bring a bit of colour to them before limping after the footman who had come to lead her to the dining room.
Entering a room was always uncomfortable for Miriam because any announcement drew unwanted attention. The footman announced her very formally—“the Honourable Miss Miriam Knightly”—and directly following her, he announced her aunt.
Lady Lampton came straight over and introduced them to her son William, who had agreed to show the ladies to their appointed seats. They exchanged pleasantries about the weather and the journey they had undertaken for a few minutes and then the meal was announced. William, a slender, fashionably dressed young man of about eighteen, took Miriam on one arm and Aunt Beatrice on the other and sat them at the table. Miriam was pleased to find that he would be seated directly to her left as he seemed a pleasant young man. An older man in military uniform and sporting a fine moustache sat to her right. William introduced him as Major Whitslade.
Miriam looked around. She estimated at least thirty people were sitting around the table, and at first glance, other than her aunt, Lord and Lady Lampton, Catherine and William, she did not see a face she recognized, although she hadn’t expected to. A shrill female laugh from a seat on her left made her turn to look in that direction. Her heart almost stopped. She had never expected to see him again. Lord Chantry was sitting next to the laughing lady and Miriam could see that it was a comment from him that had resulted in the unladylike noise.
As she looked at him he looked over and saw her. She knew that she had blushed a bright red and looked down at the table quickly trying to hide this. Throughout the meal she found it difficult to concentrate on the conversation around her and thought that she must be a very dull dinner companion for poor William, who was doing his best to engage her in conversation on any number of topics. She found she was only paying him the briefest of attention because she could only think about Lord Chantry and why he was here. As the meal progressed she frequently heard his dinner companion laughing at his conversation and wondered at their relationship.
At the end of the meal the gentlemen retired to the library for brandy and cigars, and the ladies had time to refresh themselves before retiring to the drawing room for tea. Aunt Beatrice took Miriam’s arm as they followed the others through to a large, elegant drawing room, decorated with a beautiful, floral-patterned wallpaper, where maids were supplying trays of tea. Aunt Beatrice and Miriam settled on a small, exquisitely carved settee to the rear of the room so as not to intrude on what was predominantly a family gathering.
Aunt Beatrice had been called over to inspect some needlework when the gentlemen joined them. Miriam watched from under her lashes and saw Lord Chantry making his way across the room. At first she thought he was heading to where his dining companion was seated, but he walked straight past that lady and continued towards her. He made a small bow by way of greeting when he reached her. Miriam did not rise but bobbed her head in acknowledgement. She had been certain that he would want to avoid meeting with her again, and had certainly not expected him to seek out her company.
“’Tis delightful good to see you again, Miss Knightly. Are you in good health?” Vincent enquired.
“I am, thank you, and are you in good health, my lord?” Miriam was pleased to hear that her voice sounded calm, in contrast to her heartbeat that she could hear pounding in her ears.
“I am, thank you. Is this seat taken?” He indicated the seat her aunt had vacated.
&
nbsp; “My aunt has been called elsewhere, so the seat is available at present should you wish to sit,” she managed to respond while her brain was churning, wondering why he wanted to sit with her when his charming dinner companion appeared to be unaccompanied.
“If you can bear my company for a short while, I will do so.”
Miriam smiled and gently patted the free seat next to her. As he folded his long frame into the small space beside her, she realized she had made a big mistake. She could feel her body burning and her cheeks flushing as his side pressed against hers. She tried to move as close to the side of the seat as she could, but the settee was so small it made little difference. When eventually she had recovered her senses she remembered good manners and struck up a conversation with him.
“I was surprised to see you here, my lord. I was not aware that you had a connection with the family.”
“Catherine Lampton is one of my many cousins. I, too, am surprised at finding myself here,” Vincent admitted wryly. “Had I remained in London instead of returning to Yorkshire, I would not have been press-ganged by my dear mother into attending. My younger brother has managed to forgo the pleasure by pleading that Oxford is too far to travel and he would miss lectures.” Lord Chantry had such a tragic expression as he imparted this information that Miriam had to smile.
“I thought that a wedding was meant to be an enjoyable occasion,” she teased.
“I think, like the opera we saw, it may be that weddings are more appealing to women than men,” Vincent responded dryly. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Other than my aunt and yourself, I do not know anyone here and have only met my cousin’s intended bride on one occasion before today, so I cannot say with all honesty that I am. I am glad you took the time to speak with me. Tell me, how was life in Bath after I left?” Miriam wondered how Lord Chantry could look so relaxed when she was so affected by his close proximity.
In Pursuit of Miriam Page 7