Another woman, plainly gowned, followed and went towards the chaise. She was, Joanna learned, Albinia's maid. Finally a small, dapper man who was Henry's valet stepped down and began to organise the disposal of the several trunks also carried on the roof of the coach, until Henry descended from the chaise and fussily told him to go round to the stable yard and take everything in through the side door.
'We don't want the hall and stairs cluttered with all these trunks and hat boxes, man.'
'Goodness, how long have they come for?'' Joanna asked quietly.
'Perhaps three nights, more if Albinia cannot face the return journey by then,' Sir Kenelm replied softly.
Joanna watched as Henry went back to the post chaise, and he and the maid tenderly assisted Albinia to descend. They appeared almost to be carrying her as they supported her to the steps.
'Welcome,' Sir Kenelm said. 'Come in now out of the cold.'
When they reached the hall Firbank closed the door and Albinia gave a shudder, clinging to Henry's arm.
'I am quite frozen,' Albinia whispered. 'And the road was so rutted, my teeth are rattling, and my whole body is sore.'
Joanna watched in amazement as Henry unwrapped a rug from round Albinia's shoulders, and the maid helped her remove several shawls and then a fur-trimmed pelisse. She ought to have been much too warm in such an abundance of coverings. Then she recalled her duties as hostess and moved forward.
'Let me take you up to your room,' she said, smiling brightly.
'I hope you have given us the rooms we always use when we come to the Castle,' Albinia said, her voice markedly louder.
'Of course, Mrs Aston told me what you preferred.'
Thank goodness for the housekeeper, Joanna thought. Mrs Aston had warned her about Albinia's fixed belief these particular rooms were solely for her use, when Joanna would have put her in one of the larger suites of rooms looking out over the front lawns.
'She claims the noise of carriages disturbs her,' Mrs Aston had said. 'You'd think we were in Leeds or London. I doubt one carriage a day passes under those windows.'
'We don't have any carriages apart from theirs coming,' Joanna said. 'And I cannot hear the noise, when my room is much closer to the drive.'
'Yes, come up and rest,' she said now.
Albinia sniffed. 'Of course I must rest. Travelling is so exhausting, so bad for my constitution. I will have some broth and perhaps a coddled egg sent up for dinner, if you will be so kind.'
'Whatever you wish,' Joanna said, moving towards the stairs.
At that moment Matthew, who had been out riding, visiting some of the tenants, came in from the direction of the stables.
'Albinia! And Henry! You have made good time. I hope the journey was not too exhausting.'
He briefly shook Henry's hand, then turned to Albinia and raised her hand to his lips.
'Why, you look younger every time I see you,' he said. 'I cannot believe it has been two whole years, and you have even presented me with a niece since I saw you last. How I am longing to meet her, and see young Harry. I must permit you to go up to your room now, but later, we must talk, and you must tell me all the Yorkshire gossip.'
Albinia simpered. There was, Joanna thought, no other word for it. She allowed Joanna to take her upstairs, followed by her maid, but all the way she was exclaiming that she had not known Matthew was at home, and demanding to be told how long he was to be here on furlough.
'I shall look forward to hearing all about the war,' she said, and there was no more mention of having her dinner sent up to her room.
*
'Matthew has always been a favourite with Albinia,' Sir Kenelm said as he and Joanna waited in the drawing room before dinner.
Joanna was too nervous to sit, and wandered back and forth between the window and the fireplace.
'He knows how to treat her,' Joanna said, laughing. 'But I am delighted he is here to amuse her!'
'Flirt with her, you mean. Before he joined the army he had a reputation in London as a dangerous flirt, for he paid exclusive attentions to some chit for a few weeks, and then moved on to another. I imagine he has left a few broken hearts behind in Spain, if the Senoritas have taken him seriously.'
'The uniform helps,' Joanna said. 'Most of the girls at school would all but swoon at the sight of a red coat.'
Sir Kenelm laughed. 'Did you?'
Joanna shook her head. 'I saw too many wounded soldiers in Portugal, when their uniforms were badly torn and stiff with mud, to have romantic notions about the army.'
She shivered, looking out of the window, and Sir Kenelm put his arm round her shoulders and gave her a hug.
'You need not be concerned. It's all over now, and that monster is safely out of the way.'
'A pair of lovebirds! Am I disturbing you? Shall I go away and make a great noise as I come in?'
It was Matthew, who had entered the room and was standing by the door, laughing at them. Joanna blushed, and Sir Kenelm swiftly dropped his arm from Joanna's shoulders. She moved aside, not looking at Matthew, who came towards her, still laughing.
'Well, sister Joanna, don't be embarrassed. It's clear to me that when Kenelm makes no mention of you, or of his intention to wed, in his last letter to me, he must have been struck amazingly quickly by Cupid's dart.'
Joanna glanced at Sir Kenelm, who was shaking his head. Whether in denial of Matthew's words, she could not tell. Matthew went on speaking.
'I'm pleased for him, for he has been lonely these past ten years,' he went on, his tone now serious. 'Albinia's maid tells me she is feeling more the thing and means to come down for dinner,' he added. 'You must confess I have my uses.'
Joanna could not help laughing.
'I was afraid she was going to remain in bed the whole time she was here,' she said. 'Your flirting with her has been beneficial.'
'Me? Flirting? How can you so malign me?'
'Easily!'
Their banter was interrupted as Albinia, leaning heavily on Henry's arm, entered the room. Sir Kenelm immediately went forward to lead her to a chair beside the fire. Joanna seated herself opposite and desperately tried to think of an innocuous topic of conversation, while the three brothers retreated to stand by one of the windows.
'Have the children settled?' she asked.
'Oh, how could you expect me to trail up to the nursery?' Albinia said in a fade-away voice.
'I didn't mean that! But I thought the nurse, or the governess, would have come to tell you how they were.'
'They know far better than to disturb me when I am forced to rest.'
'But you are feeling better now, I hope, as you are able to come downstairs,' Joanna said, adopting a cheerful, encouraging manner which, she thought privately, was more suited to a child than a woman several years her senior.
'I felt I had to make the effort. After all, you are so new to this position, I know you will appreciate my help.'
Did she mean she was intending to take over the role of hostess, Joanna wondered, not knowing whether to be indignant or amused. She might be feeling nervous, when this was her first social occasion, but after all, she told herself firmly, they were all family. She would adopt an imperious, overbearing manner.
Firbank then came in to announce dinner, and Joanna put her resolution to the test, rising to her feet and holding out a hand to assist Albinia to rise. Her hand was ignored, and Joanna shrugged.
'Sir Kenelm, pray escort Albinia. Henry, Matthew, we will go in together, as our numbers are uneven.'
Sir Kenelm grinned at her as he came across the room, and she turned away, trying not to laugh. He had obviously overheard the exchanges, and guessed what her reaction was. She hoped she could maintain such a dignified air for the rest of the visit.
*
Enoch Busby looked at his sister with dislike. Why was she wasting the blunt like this, staying in an expensive inn when she could have stayed with him, and given him some of it. They had been arguing about this ever since he arrive
d, brought by her summons and considerable curiosity to discover why she had been turned off. That would be a blow to her superiority, he thought in satisfaction, for she was five years the elder and had always dominated him, telling him what to do and usually criticising him for doing whatever it was inadequately.
'Never mind that,' she said now. She thrust a copy of the Intelligencer towards him. 'I want you to find this Captain Thomas so that I can meet him.'
'How the devil do yer expect me to do that? And why do yer want to meet him? Mean to ask him ter teach you about card sharping, do yer, so's you can take up a different way of earning some blunt?'
He laughed at his own wit, but Miss Busby sighed deeply.
'I know who it was who did this to him,' she explained with what he recognised as her condescending patience when she was implying he was a fool. 'I can help him get revenge. And we'll meet at your house, it would hardly do to invite him here to my private rooms.'
'Eh? How can yer know anything about it? It says here he never saw 'em, and when they spoke they disguised their voices.'
She had, with reluctance, ordered a tankard of ale for him, and he took a swig and brushed the back of his hand across his mouth.
'Of course they would, any fool could have told you that!' Her patience was clearly diminishing. 'Never mind how I know. I want to speak with him, but I can scarce visit all the taverns and inns in Leeds to find him!'
'Neither can I, an' if I did, and had ter buy ale in every one, my Dora would slay me.'
'Are you such a weakling you are not master in your own house? But here, take these,' she added, handing him some coins. 'Make the most of them, though, for I'll not provide you with more. Choose the most likely places, and spend as little time in each as is necessary to see who is there, or to ask for him.'
Enoch took them. He resented her sarcasm, but it was the first time she had ever given him money. And a cunning idea came into his head. He would go and ask the reporter on the Intelligencer where to find this man Thomas. Then, he could drink what he liked, where he liked. He gloated that his clever sister, who was always prating about how up to snuff she was, hadn't thought of this.
'What do yer mean, revenge?' he asked, suddenly cautious. 'What yer planning, our Emmy? I don't want ter get mixed up in summat that could go wrong.'
'It won't go wrong, and it's none of your business. And how often do I have to tell you not to call me Emmy? My name's Emmeline.'
'It's my business if yer wants me ter find the man.'
She glared at him, and seemed about to say something cutting, but recollected she needed him and spoke more mildly.
'Once you've found him and arranged for him to speak with me, you can wash your hands of it.'
'I don't like the feel of it.'
'Then give me the money back, you're a poltroon, and I'll find someone else! Jed Tanner was always sweet on me when I was a girl. He'd do it.'
Enoch, who had often been the recipient of Jed Tanner's opinion of his stuck-up sister, tried to hide his grin.
'I'll do it, our Emmeline, but don't expect ter see me fer a few days,' he warned her.
'It can't possibly take you so long for a simple task. Not if you use your common sense. If you have any.'
'I've more than you think,' he muttered as he rose to his feet and left the parlour.
*
The visit was proving less of an ordeal than Joanna had expected, and this was largely due to Matthew, who was clearly a prime favourite of Albinia's, and flirted outrageously with her. Joanna began to understand what Henry had seen in her when she was a girl, why he had married her. She must have been very pretty, and could even have been lively. Joanna worried for a while about Henry's reaction when he saw his wife so much taken with his young brother, but Henry looked happy enough, and she soon realised that Matthew's attentions to Albinia freed him to do other things. He rode round the estate with Sir Kenelm, meeting many old friends, he said, and later he and Sir Kenelm retreated to the billiard room. Joanna, feeling very much an unwelcome third in the drawing room, decided Albinia did not require a chaperone, so took her embroidery and went to join them.
There was a deep window seat at the far end of the room, and she sat there contentedly, sewing and listening to the occasional comments of the men, which were mainly to do with estate matters. When they finished a third game Henry looked at the clock above the fireplace, and sighed.
'I had better go and relieve Matthew of attendance on my wife,' he said. 'She enjoys his company and he is very patient with her, but perhaps he would prefer to play with you.'
'Oh dear, ought I to be with her?' Joanna said, putting aside her embroidery. 'I will go, you need not finish your game.'
'Kenelm is too good for me,' Henry said, 'and Albinia will be wondering where I am. Do you play, Joanna?'
'No, I have never had the opportunity.'
'Then let Kenelm teach you. He was always the best of the three of us, when we were boys.'
He left the room and Sir Kenelm came to sit on the window seat beside Joanna.
'If you learned, we could play together,' he said, and Joanna thought he sounded rather wistful. 'I've had no one to play with for years, so when I go to London all my old opponents can beat me.'
'If you think I could play,' she said doubtfully. 'I didn't understand what you were doing, why you aimed for certain balls.'
'You needn't worry about that for a while. You need to be able to hit the balls first.'
It hadn't seemed too difficult, Joanna thought. They had just pointed the cue and pushed it against the ball, which then was supposed to hit one of the other balls. If they were skilled enough this other ball vanished into one of the pockets, and that was apparently how they scored.
'Let me try,' she said, and Sir Kenelm handed her a cue.
'Hold it this way,' he said, and showed her.
Joanna took the cue, rested it on her hand as he had demonstrated, pointed it, and gave it a push. She hit the side of the target ball and it rolled to one side.
'It's much heavier than I thought,' she said, surprised. 'I didn't want to send it right off the table.'
'Try again.' He replaced the ball, and Joanna aimed at it once more. This time she hit the top of the first ball and it bounced for a couple of feet and then stopped without getting anywhere near the others.
By now she was becoming furious with herself for being unable to do what had seemed so easy when the brothers were playing.
'Let me try again. What am I doing wrong?'
'It's the way you hold the cue. Here, let me show you.'
He went behind her, put both arms round her to hold the cue with her, his hands over hers. Joanna felt herself blushing at his closeness, and prayed her trembling was not obvious to him.
After a short while she began to aim the cue more accurately, but Sir Kenelm stayed by her to guide her. Only when the door opened and Matthew came into the room did he move away, rather swiftly.
Matthew gave them both a quizzical look, but to Joanna's relief refrained from comment.
'Henry said you might like a game,' he said mildly.
'Yes, please do come and play,' Joanna said, rather breathless. 'I am useless, I cannot even hit the ball properly.'
'It takes time,' Sir Kenelm said. 'I did not learn for many weeks.'
'I don't wish to interrupt your lesson,' Matthew said, but Joanna shook her head.
'I have things to do,' she said, and handed Matthew her cue. 'Thank you so much for entertaining Albinia for me.'
He grinned. 'She is not so bad as she pretends,' he said. 'I think her life is exceedingly boring, which makes her peevish and ill-tempered.'
'Then she should make an effort to do more than lie on a sopha complaining all day,' Sir Kenelm said, and Joanna wondered what had caused this uncharacteristic show of irritation.
She did not hear Matthew's reply, but as she closed the door she heard him give a shout of laughter, and her cheeks burned. Was he laughing at her, or
teasing Sir Kenelm about the way he kept finding them when her husband's arm was about her?
*
Joanna had been dreading Christmas Day, when the children had been promised they could join the adults at dinner. The Rector and his wife had been invited too, and perhaps their presence would prevent the twins from showing her too great hostility.
'You may join us at dinner if you are polite, and manage to behave yourselves,' Sir Kenelm warned the twins, and they dutifully promised they would be on their best behaviour.
To Joanna's surprise they behaved politely, though they managed not to speak to her other than to mutter greetings. Harry was full of stories about the kittens he said the twins were going to have when they were old enough to leave the mother cat.
'I want one too,' he said.
'It is not settled that the twins will have a kitten,' Sir Kenelm said, but he gave Joanna a rueful look, and she smiled back. It would be far too tedious and create too many sulks and tantrums if they were denied their pets.
'You must be hoping they will soon tire of these kittens and they can be banished to the stables,' Matthew whispered to Joanna, and she gave a choke of laughter.
Albinia looked suspiciously at them, then turned to Harry.
'We have a stable cat already,' she said. 'Why do you want another?'
'This won't be a stable cat, it will be my own, and it will stay with me in my bedroom,' Harry said.
'We will see how you behave for the next few days,' Henry said firmly, and Harry, though he went into a corner with the twins and muttered resentfully, seemed to accept his father's ruling.
Joanna breathed a sigh of relief, and was thankful when Firbank announced dinner was ready. The children looked rather overawed as they went into the dining room. It was the first time, Sir Kenelm had told her, they had been allowed to join the adults at a formal meal. Even Harry was unusually subdued, apart from demanding his glass be filled with wine rather than the lemonade the footman was pouring.
After dinner, when they had all returned to the drawing room, the children were given presents. Sir Kenelm, knowing Joanna had gifts for the twins, had bought a cricket bat for Harry when he went into Leeds.
The Chaperone Bride Page 11