The Heart's Companion

by Holly Newman

  "Yes, yes it was. Strange, isn’t it, that circumstances should be such that we wouldn’t meet again for fifteen years? Tell me, whatever became of those two mistresses?"

  "Elsbeth! I’m surprised at you. What a question to ask me! As if I would pay attention!"

  "I only thought as it was you who told me about them, you would know what became of them."

  "Well, I only listened and learned because I knew you considered yourself in love. I thought it my duty as your elder sister to look out for your interests. After you promised not to see him again, I dropped the matter, of course. But what is this? I feel I am undergoing an inquisition!"

  "I’m sorry, Serena. I suppose seeing Lord Conisbrough again brought back too many memories and too many unanswered questions."

  "I don’t know what unanswered questions there might be. It all seems straightforward to me."

  "Yes, I suppose it would ..."

  "What? Oh, no matter. What I also wish to discuss with you, sister dear, are your plans once dear Jane is safely wed." She leaned toward her sister, her expression serious and her lips pursed in a tight bow.

  "My plans?" Lady Elsbeth parroted back to give herself time to think.

  "Excuse me, Elsbeth," Jane said, appearing at the doorway. Her knowing smile revealed she’d heard Lady Serena’s last statement. She ventured to interrupt to give Lady Elsbeth time to gather her obviously scattered wits. "Cook said there would be no problem, and I’ve ordered the structure swept clean. "

  "Oh, an excellent idea," Lady Elsbeth said. She smiled at Jane, exchanging amused appreciation with her niece for whatever notion Lady Serena was about to bring forth, along with a thank you for the timely interruption.

  Jane nodded and went down the hall in search of Mrs. Phibbs.

  Lady Serena pursed her lips and shook her head at Jane’s interruption.

  "I’m sorry, Serena. I believe you were asking about my plans?"

  "Yes. For you know, it won’t be too much longer before Jane is wed. It can’t be. She is far too wealthy and attractive— in a dark way—to remain a spinster all her life. And what will you do when that happy event transpires? Please do not tell me you shall remain here at Penwick Park to take care of those two boys whenever Mary and Delbert Litton take it into their heads to go jaunting overseas! I swear, Mary is very like her father. I’m inclined to believe there is gypsy blood somewhere in the Grantley family. Nonetheless, she and Litton are well matched. But stay here you cannot."

  "Why?"

  "Because—Well, because you need a life of your own without being at the beck and call of our relations."

  "That would be pleasant, Serena. But you forget I am virtually a charity case. I have a modest income for my needs, but it is certainly insufficient for maintaining an establishment, and I do not think I should like renting rooms."

  Lady Serena shook her head adamantly, her dark, slightly gray-streaked curls bobbing back and forth. "Good heavens, no indeed. And besides, it is beneath you. The family would never stand for it. No, I have a better proposition. Come live with me."

  "Live with you?"

  "Yes. As certain as I am that Jane will be wed soon, so shall my dearest Millicent remarry. Then I shall be all alone. It is not a prospect I greet with equanimity, I can assure you. So, come live with me. We shall deal together very well, sisters as we are. And what could be more amenable in society’s eyes?"

  "You make an interesting proposition. I should certainly give it some thought," Lady Elsbeth said, carefully controlling her expression.

  "Please do, dear. Only think of the fun we should have together! I know I do."

  "To be sure," her sister said dryly.

  "There now, I’ve said my peace. You will give it some thought, won’t you?"

  "Yes, I shall think on it."

  Lady Serena sunk back into her chair. She sighed deeply and looked relieved—no, more than relieved. She looked satisfied. A bit like the cat at the cream pot. Lady Elsbeth wondered why it was important to Serena that she agree to live with her? If Serena intended to take her in as a charitable gesture—as she and Jane had assumed—she would not have hesitated to make some remark to that effect. She would have basked in her magnanimity. And she would have informed Elsbeth of the few trivial tasks she would expect her to perform. But Serena had implied that they were to be equals, though Elsbeth felt that her words did not ring true. Elsbeth could not begin to fathom her sister’s plan.

  Lady Serena straightened and reached up to pat her curls. "Good. Now that that’s settled, what are we to do today? Needlework? A little visiting, perhaps? What have you and dear Jane planned?"

  Lady Elsbeth suppressed a smile. She told Serena she would think on her proposal and already her sister was taking it as a fait accompli. She decided not to correct her. "We thought a picnic would be a pleasant diversion."

  "A picnic!"

  "Yes. Cook is preparing a cold collation. Mrs. Phibbs is providing suitable blankets for us to sit on. And as you heard Jane say, the little Grecian temple has been cleaned. We shall all go up there, take turns with the telescope, and enjoy our repast."

  A sharp frown pulled at the corners of Lady Serena’s lips. "I hope you do not intend that we should walk there!"

  "Why not? We often do."

  "Then that explains your shamefully brown complexions. No, no, no. That will never do. We will take a carriage up. At least the Folly is covered, that should shield us from the worst of the sun. Really, Elsbeth, I cannot countenance a walk of that length, and you shouldn’t either. It causes unladylike muscles to develop. Nothing can be more harmful to a lady’s success with a gentleman than to display an inordinate amount of muscle. A woman must stay soft and—and—"

  "And weak," offered Elsbeth.

  "Exactly."

  "I do not see how a little walking can increase muscles to the extent you fear. Nonetheless, if you prefer to ride, we can certainly make arrangements in that manner."

  Her sister nodded. "And I insist you ride with us. You will see how pleasant it is to relax in that way. "

  "I shall reserve judgment. "

  "I do not understand how you can be so cool," Lady Serena said petulantly.

  "I know," Elsbeth said, "and that’s why I wonder if we should deal well together."

  Her sister blinked, a look of panic crossing her smooth, slightly plump features. "Oh, but it is natural for people to not agree on everything. I should think we would still get along famously. Ah, I hear voices coming. I think we are finally to have some company."

  Mr. Burry and Sir Helmsdon paused at the doorway. Mr. Burry laughed and prodded Sir Helmsdon in the ribs. "Hey, lad, here’s a turn. The ladies are up before times! We’ll be called sluggards, that’s certain."

  "I will not care a jot, so long as they do not demand we join them at some godforsaken early hour," Sir Helmsdon drawled. He sauntered into the room and picked up a cup and the coffeepot. He smelled the heavy, rich aroma of the coffee and quirked a smile. "Devil take the Far East, I’ll take the West Indies bounty," he whimsically vowed before taking a sip.

  Laughing, the others agreed.

  "But where is Mrs. Hedgeworth and Miss Grantley?" he inquired.

  "I’m right here," said Jane, coming around from behind him. "But I’m afraid Mrs. Hedgeworth is still abed. Do you think we shall be able to rise her before noon?" she asked her aunt.

  "I believe so."

  "Well, that’s certainly a better response than the groom brought me from Royceland."

  "Royceland?"

  "Yes, I invited Lord Royce and Lord Conisbrough. Our numbers would otherwise not be even. "

  Sir Helmsdon raised an eyebrow and snorted softly. "I wouldn’t put too much faith in their attending. Neither gentleman has the best reputation for timeliness or manners," he drawled.

  Jane shrugged. It appeared Sir Helmsdon’s conciliating manner of last evening was going to be a thing of the past. Just as well. She rather liked the gentleman she’d met yesterday, b
ut it would not do to encourage him further. "I am not well enough acquainted with either gentleman to know, and I have recently discovered that it is not wise to place one’s faith in hearsay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have several other things to attend to this morning." She nodded to all and left the room.

  "Ice Witch," Mr. Burry muttered.

  The others heard him, and though a few eyebrows rose at his unnatural want of manners, no one commented.

  Jane purposefully kept herself busy for the next several hours. She checked on the old butler, spoke to the head gardener concerning the outdoor games and the alfresco meal she was planning for the next day, saw that the boys did their lessons, and conferred with Mrs. Phibbs on housekeeping arrangements. Her activities served their purpose. They kept her out of the realm of their guests. They also prevented her from any private speech with Lady Elsbeth. That last troubled her. Ever since Lady Elsbeth had fainted, Jane had been consumed by curiosity as to her relationship with the notorious marquis. She vowed, however, she would not ask anyone but Elsbeth for the tale.

  It wasn’t until it was time to change for their planned entertainment that Jane even saw Lady Elsbeth again. They met in the old family wing. Jane thought Lady Elsbeth looked younger and more energetic than she’d seen her in many a day. She told her so.

  Lady Elsbeth laughed. "Yes, I fear I was in danger of becoming a hoary old woman. One of those querulous, dusts of the ages, spinster women that people whisper about, shake their heads over, and pity. By the way, Lord Royce sent a note around. He and Lord Conisbrough will attend, but they will be bringing their horses and riding. He suggested this would be a good opportunity for Bertram to try the horse he left for him. He wrote something about speaking with you about it last evening?"

  "Yes, he thinks Bertram is old enough to graduate from his little pony to a horse. He said he possesses the perfect animal, which he brought over and had installed in the stables here last night."

  "How considerate of him!"

  "Yes, but do you think Litton would approve?"

  "Certainly. If he were around I daresay he’d realize the boy needs a horse and would see to it himself. Which, by the way, is something I mean to discuss with Mary and Litton when they return. Their sons are bright, intelligent, active boys. Besides needing a tutor, they need their parents’ attentions."

  "I agree. But can you see Delbert Litton curtailing his jaunts for them?"

  "No. What I intend to suggest is that they take the boys, with a tutor, along with them on these journeys."

  "Hmm, I agree. And it would serve a multitude of purposes. Not only would the boys get an education they’re not otherwise likely to receive, but Litton and Mary will be educated as well as to the personality and needs of their children!"

  "Precisely," Lady Elsbeth said, turning to go into her room.

  Jane followed her. "Elsbeth," she said hesitantly. She looked down at her hands clasped before her, then back up at her aunt. "Elsbeth, could you, I mean, would you consider telling me how you know Lord Conisbrough? I wouldn’t inquire in this odious fashion, but there are tales.... I mean, Aunt Serena said...."

  A shuttered expression greeted Jane’s words until she mentioned Lady Serena. Lady Elsbeth sighed, her body sagging as if it were a deflating aerial balloon.

  "Yes, my dear sister Serena. I can just imagine what she said," Elsbeth drawled. She shook her head and sat down on the edge of her bed to remove her shoes and stockings. "I met Lord Conisbrough during the little season. I’d just turned eighteen. I’d had a successful regular season, even received two offers of marriage, both of which I refused with my father’s full blessing.

  "I was in London for a holiday fete. Afterwards we were all to return to Larchwyn Hall. Everyone was coming to Larchwyn for the Christmas holidays. Anyway," she continued, rolling her stockings down, "it was at that party that I met Lord Conisbrough. He was ten years older than I was, already quite shockingly divorced from a woman who ran off to Italy with some Italian aristocrat she’d met while she and Conisbrough were in Italy for their wedding trip. The man actually followed them back to England and convinced Conisbrough’s wife to run away with him. Or so the story goes."

  Jane shook her head. "We can’t seem to get away from gossip, can we?"

  "No," Lady Elsbeth said, sighing. "Only that was pretty much the true tale. There were no whispers of cruelty or other sordidness. She simply fell in love with someone else. Here," she said, turning around, "if you want the whole tale, you’ll have to make yourself useful and help me with these lacings. I’m not ringing for the maid to overhear all this and exaggerate it to everyone!

  "After his wife left him, Conisbrough became quite jaded. He dallied with women here and there, broke endless hearts, and laughed. He gambled hard, rode hard, and played hard. Some say he had a death wish. I don’t think so. I think he was looking for some kind of cleansing, as if in burning himself out he could burn himself clean. He was near that point when I met him. He had not yet aged physically, but there were dark shadows beneath his eyes and his face was unnaturally drawn. I remember thinking when I first met him that his voice was also unnaturally harsh. Truthfully, he fascinated me. I found myself wondering about him.

  "I blush to admit it now, but I maneuvered to dance with him just before everyone went down for the midnight supper. Afterwards, quite naturally, I went down to supper on his arm. Somehow we started talking about herbs. I was surprised to find him quite knowledgeable about them. His mother was a noted herbalist. It was strange, but as we talked his face seemed to lose some of its sallowness, and his gray eyes lost their harsh metallic edge and turned to a beautiful, soft, foggy gray. I fell in love with those eyes." Lady Elsbeth sighed and smiled. She murmured her thanks as Jane unlaced her dress. She stepped out of it and picked it up, shaking it out.

  "We left for Larchwyn the next day. I didn’t see him again before we left, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I know I mentioned his name to one or two. I was gently warned to be wary. I did not understand why. Serena told me he was a callous rake, a user of women. Her words did give me pause, especially when I remembered the dissipation I’d seen in his face. Then, the day before Christmas, I received a package. It was from Lord Conisbrough. It was his mother’s journal, full of notes and recipes for herbal remedies."

  "Do not tell me that is the same red leather-bound journal you jealously guard, consult daily it seems, and enter quotes in?"

  Lady Elsbeth laughed. "The same. With it Lord Conisbrough sent a note saying that he wished his mother’s beloved work be used and appreciated, not relegated to a dusty library shelf as it had been since her death. I think I fell in love with him that day. "

  Elsbeth smiled reminiscently, then briskly continued, "I don’t recall any more of that time at Larchwyn. My time was taken with studying Lady Conisbrough’s journal. I do remember that the family was disgusted with me for my passion with herbs and that book. Everyone wondered why Lord Conisbrough sent it to me. I had no answers for them, and I didn’t attempt any. Serena said I probably reminded him of his mother. I was at first hurt by that statement, then I didn’t care, for I felt that any woman who could write such a beautiful volume must have been a fantastic creature."

  She poured water into a washbowl, added a few drops of a fragrant oil from one of the many bottles that lined her vanity, and splashed her face, neck, and arms, luxuriating in the feel of the cool water on her skin. "Hand me that towel, will you please, Jane? Shouldn’t you be getting ready, too?"

  "Yes, but I’m not leaving until I hear the end of the tale. If you do not tell me now, I fear my active imagination shall construct all manner of wild tales to end your story. "

  Her aunt laughed. "Well, we can’t have that, can we? All right, as quick as possible." She dried her face and went over to sit on the edge of her bed. Jane joined her.

  "By the time the new season began, I was anxious to see him. As it was, I was back in London three weeks before we met again. Three of the longest
weeks of my life. Immediately he took me aside to ask how I liked his mother’s journal. Naturally, I raved about it. I don’t know how long we talked—or rather, how long I talked and he listened; but afterwards I was chided for spending such an unconscionable amount of time with him. I was told his manners were too polite to allow him to walk away. No doubt I bored him completely."

  "Who—Why—Please don’t tell me you believed this!" Jane expostulated.

  "It did shake me," Lady Elsbeth conceded. "The next time we met, I was very quiet and shy. Painfully so. The last thing I wanted was to give him a disgust of me. Finally he asked me what was the matter, did I no longer desire his company? Had he disgusted me in some way? Horrified, I told him no! I told him what family members had advised me. He was angry. Frighteningly angry. He let me know that the time I’d spent with him had been the most enjoyable interlude he’d known in a long time. In fact, he wanted to spend more time with me. He asked me to go driving with him the next day. I was ecstatic. Then I was warned, quite kindly I thought, that he was using my innocence to redeem himself with society for his jaded existence. I was hurt. Not having great confidence in myself, I believed that."

  "Oh, no, Elsbeth!"

  Lady Elsbeth laughed. "When I look back now, I am awed at my naiveté. I kept our relationship very formal, for I was afraid of being hurt. During that time I was told that he was currently supporting two mistresses in different establishments. That he had no intention of changing his life-style. He was merely in the market for a quiet, biddable wife. I didn’t want to believe that. I was even driven by one of the mistress’s houses. Another time, while at the theater, I had one of the women pointed out to me and I heard some young men joke about Black Jack’s good taste. Then one day he came to speak with Father. Afterward Father called me into his study and left me alone with him. I was astonished. That was when Lord Conisbrough proposed to me."

  "Elsbeth!"