by Sharon Sobel
Julia doubted that a German prince would consider her a prime match, but she acknowledged the compliment with a low curtsy. As she did so, she thought of all those who were anxious to do some matchmaking, and how she had managed to sidestep so many unwanted introductions in the past year and a half. That Laurentia did not seem anxious to throw men in her direction was one of the very reasons why she delighted in coming to Seabury.
And yet there was that one thing that Laurentia said a few hours ago. As she rose, Julia looked at her sister-in-law with some suspicion.
But Laurentia had her own distractions.
“I am so happy to stand in your famous hall of statues,” Princess Charlotte said, “for it is renown throughout the kingdom. I believe some of my own ancestors are here and my own father confided that he would enjoy a place here as well.”
“I am sure we can arrange that, your highness,” said Geoff.
“But nothing like the statues along the drive, you understand. I am not fond of the girls with birds and those dancing boys,” she continued.
Laurentia opened her mouth, and Geoff gave her a stern look. But whatever she would have said was interrupted by a commotion from the rear hall, and the entrance of nearly all the other guests spilling into the foyer. It took them but a moment to recognize the estimable presence now in their company. As they all bowed, chunks of ice and snow slipped off their shoulders and onto the growing flood on the marble floor.
Earls, countesses, men of business and the church, wives and spinsters, were all introduced in their turn to a princess and prince who would probably enjoy nothing more than to retire to their chambers. But they were acknowledged and engaged in conversation, and some singled out for particular attention.
“Lady Jersey, I have not seen you in an age,” murmured the princess. “And Lord Willem and Lord Hawkely, I am delighted you both survived the devastation of your little island, so far away. I understand that you have something for me.”
Will glared at Nick, who only just emerged from the library. “I have brought you Mr. Raffles’s manuscript, for your enlightenment and pleasure, ma’am. He was most anxious that I deliver it personally into your hands.”
“So I understand,” Princess Charlotte said. “After Raffles and yourself, I shall be the only other person to read it?”
Julia shook her head, having no desire to get between whatever arrangement they already had, but Will was impossibly honest. She sometimes thought it was a great virtue. But this was not one of those times.
“Lady Leighton has already read much of it, ma’am. We had ample opportunity to study the memoir in the several days we traveled together.”
“I see.” Princess Charlotte said, though Julia was not certain what she did see. Had word of their adventure already traveled throughout England?
“Lady Leighton, what is your opinion? Is Mr. Raffles worthy of a knighthood, do you think?”
Julia had no opinion, for the decision was not hers. And yet there were perhaps thirty people waiting on her response. The princess tapped her boot expectantly.
“Mr. Raffles has written a very credible account of the events. If earnestness and good intentions make a man worthy of a knighthood, then he may very well have earned it.”
Julia’s words fell into a well of deathly silence. Suddenly Lord Jersey started clapping. “Hear, hear!” he said. “Every butler and groom might soon claim a title!”
Everyone, including the royal couple, laughed and applauded as well. Lady Jersey looked at her husband as if he were a madman. And the poor servant who was attempting to mop up the melting snow stood a little straighter. Julia started to back away, hoping she might become invisible.
“Lady Leighton, we shall have more to discuss over the coming days,” said Princess Charlotte.
And then, with a simple wave of dismissal by the princess, everyone was on their way, to change out of traveling clothes or wet garments, to enjoy drinks in the parlor, or to share gossip or secrets.
JULIA SENSED, RATHER than saw, Will come up behind her. Perhaps she already recognized the sound of his footsteps, or identified the woodsy scent that was uniquely his. Or perhaps she just knew.
She stood beneath an elegant arch in the great portrait gallery at Seabury, looking up at a sprig of mistletoe hung on the keystone.
Apparently Will noticed it too, for once he was close, he pulled away her shawl and kissed her bare neck.
“I believe that is now my favorite flora,” he said. “Though I confess, I am also rather fond of the lavender you favor.”
Julia turned in his arms and looked up at him. His eyes were as bright as the sky of summer and she was once again reminded of how very much she missed the summer season of 1816, and all the beautiful things she nurtured in her garden.
“We have grown our own lavender since I was a girl,” she said. “It used to grow beautifully at Gainsmeadow, when we had a warm and sunny summer.”
He kissed her on her forehead. “We will again. Did we not see the stars peeking through on the night of the Langerford ball?”
She sighed. “I had nearly forgotten that, for so much has happened since.”
“Oh, yes, indeed. Now it appears you may be the advisor to a queen.”
“I think our generous princess would make a fine queen, but she has uncles who have precedence. And her son, should she have one, would be king some day. Such honor does not extend to ladies, except in a time of some desperation.” Julia knew perfectly well Will understood the laws of succession as well as anyone else. “Besides, the princess does not wish to consult with me for my clever advice. She already told me she has a German lordling for me.”
“Does she indeed? I am always amazed at how quickly ladies can cut right to the essentials. And what will you say to this German lordling?”
Julia put her hand to Will’s face and caressed his rough cheek. “Nothing, apparently, for I scarcely speak a word of German.”
“And how do your skills extend to Dutch? The language bears several similarities to German, you know. And English, for that matter.”
“Let it suffice to say I am prepared to learn Dutch, and develop a palate for those little herrings.”
“I am not so keen on those herrings myself. But there are some other things I think you’d enjoy.”
They started to walk through the long gallery, which extended along the entire frontage of the main building of Seabury. Will held her hand in his, tucked under his arm, much as if they were skating partners.
“Did you enjoy teaching all the ladies how to keep themselves upright on the ice?”
“I enjoyed talking to Miss St. John, who is perfectly capable of keeping herself up. She is a competent lady, whose marriage to Hawkely will probably do him more good than it will her.”
“And Miss Rossiter? She seemed very keen to be your student.”
“She was very keen to clutch at my arm,” Will corrected her.
Julia laughed and squeezed his hand. Something felt different and she raised their hands together.
“You have taken off your ring, Will,” she said.
“I have put it away for safekeeping, like a memory worth saving.”
There was another advantage men had over women, Julia considered. For she wore a permanent reminder of her marriage, until such time as she remarried. She could neither put it in a drawer nor press it between the pages of a sturdy book, as she might a sprig of fresh lavender. It was her name, of course, Leighton’s name. She had returned to being Julia Townshend for only a brief respite, before she could trust Will with her real identity. But she was once again Lady Leighton Kingswood. For on the day a woman married, she not only gained a husband, but a new identity as well.
WILL DID NOT SEE Julia throughout the remainder of the afternoon, though there was much ado that would have been of int
erest to her. He and Geoff and several of the other gentlemen were interrupted in their game of billiards by the announcement that Mr. Hedges and Miss Mimma Humphries were apprehended at Dover, in possession of horses that were the property of Earl Howard, and several trunks belonging to Lady Leighton Kingswood. The two opportunists remained in the custody of the local magistrate, but the horses and trunks were returned to Seabury by Geoff’s men.
“Lady Leighton will be delighted with this news, though the miscreants might have already sold her jewels to secure their passage to Europe,” said Geoff. “If so, we shall have to reclaim those as well.”
“The thieves will be punished,” said Leopold with some authority.
“And yet, Lady Leighton has scarcely spoken of her losses in the time I’ve known her. She has regrets of course, but does not seem vengeful or angry. I suspect it is not in her nature,” said Will.
“Or it may be the consequence of the bump on her head,” Geoff argued. “She had some lovely pieces of jewelry from my wife’s brother, and I am sure she would be upset if they were lost. Unless, of course, she is no longer sentimental about such things.”
Will was aware that several of the men studied him with renewed interest.
“She strikes me as a lady who treasures many memories, whether or not they are of value to others,” he said judiciously. “But she is also a lady of considered opinions, and I cannot speak for her.”
“Considered opinions, indeed,” said Geoff. “It is no wonder she has always gotten on so famously with my dear wife. Leighton and I used to hide in the library when the two of them were together, hatching some plot.”
“Are they together now?” Will asked. “Shall we ask them to join us and reunite Lady Leighton with her lost baggage?”
“I do not dare. They are conjuring up Lady Leighton’s costume for the masquerade and will tolerate no interruptions. I have been forewarned,” said Geoff, and smiled.
Will thought the ladies might be saved the bother of a new costume if Julia’s luggage was restored to her, but decided to be guided by Geoff’s example. He supposed Leighton Kingswood also knew what he was about in his marriage to Julia. So Will returned to the game room with the other gentlemen, content to be in hiding until the entire company regrouped for dinner.
AS THE EVENINGS drew closer to Christmas Eve, Seabury glowed even brighter, the dinners became more elaborate, and the assorted company more celebratory. The presence of Princess Charlotte and Leopold had much to do with the change in spirits, but each guest contributed in his or her own way. And for the first time in many months, the weather was agreeable, facilitating the travel of the last arrivals.
Julia mused about the snowstorms of the past weeks, and her own arrival at Seabury, as she combed through her returned luggage, assessing both the contents of the trunks, and her own circumstances. About an hour before she was to dress for dinner, a knock on her bedroom door heralded the return of everything she had lost. And therefore, it allowed her to consider all that she had found.
If her journey had not been perilous, if her coach had not crashed, if Mimma and Hedges had not left her for dead, she would not have been rescued by Will. If his kindness and generosity had not prevailed, she might have had to make her own way to Seabury. And then, she would have been introduced to him as a perfect stranger, and their conversation might have been brief and of little consequence. Miss Rossiter would have intruded upon their acquaintance, and Laurentia, Lady Jersey, and Princess Charlotte would have put forward an array of eligible gentlemen. She and Will might never have found each other.
She pulled her shepherdess costume from the trunk, smoothing out the wrinkles. This was a fine reunion as well, for the gown suited her so much better than the absurd concoction Laurentia’s dressmaker was even now bloodying her fingers to finish on time. Julia held it up against her body and studied herself in the mirror. Her sister-in-law was right: something had changed. But Julia doubted it truly had anything to do with the fabric of her costume or the simplicity of its style. If Will cared for her, it surely had nothing to do if she was a rustic or a fairy queen.
She doubted Princess Charlotte’s German gentleman would feel the same way.
As she spread the costume out on the counterpaine, a small velvet pouch, secreted away between the lush folds, fell onto the bed. She felt a moment of guilt as she retrieved it, realizing that she ought to have searched for this at once. For here were the only things of any real value, the jewels that might have given Mimma and Hedges a real reason to rob her of her possessions.
The Kingswood family jewels were now in the possession of the current earl, a bachelor who might do nothing more with them than pass them on to the next cousin who inherited. But these lovely necklaces and earrings were personal gifts from Leighton, apart from the estate and belonging only to her. She would wear several pieces this night, to please Laurentia and to thank Geoff for bringing about their return.
And so, when one of the lady’s maids arrived at the door to help her dress for the evening, Julia felt restored to some part of her former self, as she was laced into a corset that retained the scent of summer lavender, slipped into a gown of a length that was perfectly tailored for her, and donned the emerald earrings and necklace that had been bestowed upon her in love.
Chapter 7
WILL COULD NOT keep his gaze off Julia as she descended the broad staircase into the great hall, though he was in the midst of a conversation with several of the other gentlemen. She wore a brocade gown that he had not seen before, and as it was neither the rather drab styling that the maid had favored, nor the provocatively low neckline of Laurentia’s borrowed finery, he knew her own garments had been restored to her. She walked with grace and ease, though he knew such gowns ought to be wretchedly uncomfortable, and stairs sometimes difficult to navigate. If he had seen her thus, instead of as a frozen, disorientated survivor of a crash, he would never have doubted that she was a lady.
And yet, as she was apt to remind him, she was not born a lady. It did not matter to him; she was a lady in every way that mattered.
As she approached, he first noticed what attracted the attention of everyone else, though it was the least interesting thing about her.
“My dear, you have your jewels after all,” murmured Miss St. John, as she walked past Will. She kissed Julia on both cheeks, like a continental.
“But they surely aren’t paste, are they?” asked Miss Rossiter, as she fingered Julia’s earrings. This forward behavior was neither British nor continental, though undoubtedly American. “Why would the rogues have left them behind? They could have gotten a pretty penny for them.”
“They might not have known the difference,” said Lady Jersey tersely. “But I remember these emeralds very well. Lord Kingswood confided that he wished for you to have something of your own, not part of the family estate.”
Will wondered why the question of a lady’s possessions should be a matter of conversation. But when Lady Jersey said Kingswood’s name, Julia looked up at him with a question in her eyes, and he realized she wanted to know if it mattered to him.
“They are very lovely, and suit you to perfection, Lady Leighton,” he said, to a chorus of sighs. “May I accompany you into dinner?”
Julia said nothing, but clung to his arm until they were nearly at her seat.
“They were in a pouch nestled in several garments, and I suspect Mimma did not know they were there,” she said.
“What of everything else? The scoundrels risked a good deal by making off with your trunks, without making good on their spoils.” Will pulled out her chair, but she remained standing while others assembled in the great and festive room.
“Geoff told me Hedges made the case that they thought me dead, and tried to save anything they could carry. They made a pallet of some sort, that served as a sled as they escaped through the snow.”
“That argument, and the fact they did not sell your jewels, will probably save their skin,” Will said grimly. He was not prepared to show those two any mercy.
But Julia was made of finer stuff. “I believe them, Will. No matter what their original intent, no real harm was done, and it is the season for forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness, indeed! That this is a house of joy, and not of sorrow, is no thanks to the two of them.” Will felt the spurt of anger that had burst through his calm demeanor each time this subject came up.
“Of course not, Will. It is thanks to you,” Julia said clearly.
At his shoulder, someone cleared her throat, and Will realized the whole room was privy to some of their conversation. He gestured to Julia that it was time for her to be seated, so that the men could do so as well, and he slipped in beside her.
“I believe our hosts finally have a full house,” Julia said conversationally, as she might say to anyone else in the room.
For some reason, this bothered him as well. As they were served a spiced aspic, he paused to consider why this was so, and he realized it was because, in the time they had spent traveling, he had grown accustomed to not having to share her with anyone. Most couples with their degree of intimacy had the promise of days and nights to come, knowing that they would not be pulled asunder.
But he and Julia did not yet have that promise, and he had no way of knowing if she would go off with Princess Charlotte’s choice for her after Twelfth Night, or if he would find his way back to London with Miss Rossiter. Miss Rossiter, indeed.
“Do you not enjoy the aspic, Will?” Julia asked. “You look as if you find it sour.”
“It is as fine an aspic as ever I tasted. Geoff has a Flemish cook, so I am not surprised.”
“I know how to cook,” she said. “I was not raised in a house of privilege.”
“Then I suspect you will be a useful person to have around,” he said most sincerely, and then realized he was as tactless as those who wondered if her beautiful emeralds were made of paste. “That is, you would know if the cook is skimping on the sugar or reusing the tea leaves.”