Eunice picked up several and reviewed them.
“What do you think?” Aunt May prodded. “I like the looks of this one. The main course is rabbit.”
Eunice reviewed the selections. Several courses were offered, all sumptuous. Yet the prices were enough to make anyone pale. “These menus will cost us a small fortune. Can Cook prepare a meal that is just as sumptuous for much less?”
Aunt May sent Eunice several quick shakes of her head. “I believe in good stewardship of our resources as much as you do, my dear, but if this is to be our first dinner party since the house renovations, I believe the meal must be one to remember. One that will be talked about for years to come. And that means catered, of course.”
“Do I gather that the brigadier general would look most favorably upon a catered affair?”
“Well,” she admitted, “if the menu pleases his discerning palate, surely it will please everyone else as well.” Point made, Aunt May smiled in triumph, though she set aside the menu including rabbit. “So which do you prefer for our dinner? Roast beef or mutton? Or perhaps both?”
“Whichever you prefer, Auntie.” Eunice sighed. She was aware that her voice held no enthusiasm. But how could she work up any excitement over a dinner? Ever since she stopped seeing Cecil, the days seemed ever so dreary.
“You know, Lord Richard asked about you after Sunday services the other day.”
“Do you mean the same gangly Lord Richard with the hooked nose and beady eyes?”
Aunt May sniffed. “I prefer to think of him as a tall gentleman with an aquiline nose and sharp blue eyes.”
Blue eyes. But not as blue as Cecil’s.
Aunt May peered down her nose at Eunice. “Since when did one’s appearance figure so prominently in your judgment?”
“Appearance is only important if one is considering looking at that person every day over breakfast and dinner for the rest of one’s life.”
“You cannot fool me. I know who you have in mind. If you are thinking that Lord Sutton is the handsomest man the empire has to offer, I think you might need to make use of a good pair of spectacles.” Aunt May shook her head. “I fail to see what hold that man has over you.”
Eunice laughed. “Oh, Auntie. What is it they say? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? I have always felt drawn to Cecil with his confident way and his beautiful blue eyes.”
“There, there. Please do not drool over the menus. We must return them to the caterers.”
“Perhaps they will believe their food evoked such a response.”
“And perchance offer us a discount? Flattery will only get you somewhere in the ways of love, not commerce, I am afraid.”
At that moment, the butler entered. “Miladies, you have a caller.”
“A caller?” Eunice asked. “Is there not a soul in the parish who knows the meaning of at home? I thought we made it clear that we receive visitors on Thursday afternoons.”
“Yes, you did, milady. Shall I send her away?”
“Her? Of course not,” Aunt May answered. “You say it is a woman?”
“Yes, milady. And she is alone.”
“Give me her card.” After she read the name, a gasp escaped her lips. “Why, Olivia has come to see us!”
Eunice took the card from her aunt and read it. “I would not have thought so had I not seen the card with my own eyes. All the way from London?”
“She will be expecting to stay the night,” Aunt May pointed out. “And no doubt, she will make all sorts of demands. She has arrived without any notice whatsoever yet will expect us to treat her as though she were the Prince Regent himself.”
Recalling her aunt’s demands for her favorite foods when they stayed at Olivia’s, Eunice held back a smile. “Then we will just have to try to treat her as though royal blood courses through her veins. And another thing—he shall stay as long as she wishes,” Eunice said. “After all, we imposed upon her hospitality on our way here.” Eunice nodded to the butler. “Send her into the parlor and have tea prepared immediately.”
“Yes, milady.”
Aunt May stood up and peered into the mirror. “I must freshen up.”
Eunice strode up behind Aunt May and observed her own reflection. “I could use a little freshening myself.”
Olivia’s voice interrupted. “Whatever for, Eunice? It is just I, your cousin.”
“Olivia! We—I—thought you were supposed to be in the parlor.”
The butler came up behind her. Exasperation showed on his face. “I beg you pardon, miladies. I instructed her to remain in the parlor, but. . .”
Eunice had no doubt that he spoke the truth. “That is quite all right. You are excused.”
“I did not think you would mind my coming right in to see you,” Olivia explained. “After all, we are family.”
Eunice nodded. Since she had been expecting no one that day, she was wearing a simple housedress that was flattering in green but slightly out of fashion. Cornered, she had no choice but to recover by pasting a smile on her face and greeting Olivia. “Yes, indeed. How lovely to see you again! And how lovely you look today. All in such a beautiful yellow.” Eunice lightly hugged her cousin.
Aunt May followed her example, then broke the embrace. “Yes, you do, my dear. Just like a newly opened daffodil. So now tell us. Whatever are you doing out here? Visiting Lord Sutton, I presume? And you were kind enough to remember to stop by and visit us. How magnificent!”
“Thank you. If you would be so kind, I would welcome a bed for the night.”
“But of course,” Eunice said. “Stay as long as you like. You were so kind to us in London. The least we can do is to offer you our best hospitality.”
Olivia looked around the room. Eunice knew she was appraising the wainscoting that was in dire need of painting and the wallpaper that had seen better days. “Such as it can be, in a house that has been allowed to come to ruin,” Olivia remarked.
“We found the house in this condition, regrettably,” Eunice hastened to explain.
“Even worse!” Aunt May added.
Eunice cringed at her aunt’s honest admission. “Yes, we have done a great deal to improve the place since our arrival.”
“Oh, yes,” Aunt May agreed. “Have you seen the parlor?”
“No. I heard you instruct the butler to direct me there.” Olivia surveyed the worn upholstery on the chairs. “If that is the only room you have been able to pretty up, I understand why.”
Eunice decided to ignore Olivia’s insult. “Please, allow me to instruct the servants to gather your bags and take them up to my room. You can sleep there tonight.”
Olivia raised her eyebrows. “You have no guest room?”
“We have several, oh my, yes,” Aunt May said. “But truly, Eunice’s is the best room in the house. Except mine, of course.”
“I can sleep in a guest room,” Eunice said.
Olivia shrugged. “If you insist. Now, what do you plan to serve for dinner? Mutton chops, I hope.”
“I think Cook was preparing a vegetable stew,” Eunice said.
“Vegetable stew?” Olivia grimaced. “My, but you eat humbly out here in the country. Well, I suppose if that is the best you can do. . .”
“No doubt Cook can find some mutton chops to prepare for dinner tonight,” Aunt May said.
Eunice protested, “I am not so sure—”
“Nonsense,” Aunt May said. “Our cook is the finest in the parish. Practically a magician.”
“I shall see Cook about a change in the menu for this evening,” Eunice said.
“Wonderful. Perhaps she can make blood pudding, too.”
“I shall inquire.” Eunice gritted her teeth. “In the meantime, please do enjoy your tea in the parlor. Why not start without me, Auntie dear? I shall be in soon.”
“Oh, I am a bit hungry. I should be delighted to begin,” Aunt May said. “Do come along, will you, Olivia?”
“But of course, Aunt May. I could use a little refreshment.�
�
Eunice made a quick exit to the kitchen. After spending a good ten minutes convincing Cook that she could indeed prepare lamb chops in time for dinner—no matter that she had been saving them for Sunday dinner—Eunice looked down at her dress and decided to change into something more suitable for afternoon tea. Olivia could make her feel inferior about her dining-hall decor, but she could no longer poke fun at Eunice’s dresses. Not now, given that Eunice had hired the best seamstress in the village to sew her a proper wardrobe.
For this afternoon’s tea, she hurriedly chose a white silk dress, which she wore over several muslin underskirts. Lace at the collar called attention to the blond curls around her face and was crocheted in the same pattern as the lace at the hem of her dress. She wore a matching pair of silk slippers, which completed the look. She was ready to face Olivia once again.
“Eunice, dear, you did not need to change your dress just for me,” Olivia protested.
“You do look as a vision, like a heavenly white cloud,” Aunt May said.
“Indeed,” Olivia agreed, her tone begrudging her the compliment. “But my dear, you did not need to dress in your finest.”
“Oh, this is not my finest. It is merely the tea gown I wear on many afternoons. So,” she hastened to add, “have you seen Cecil yet?”
“Yes.”
“I am sure you were quite charmed by Cecilia.”
“She is a pretty little girl, though I saw her only briefly. I spoke to your friend, Abigail.”
“And how are things at Sutton Manor?” Eunice asked.
“Surely I do not need to tell you. I understand from Giles that you visit at least once a week, ostensibly to give Cecil lessons in etiquette.”
“Ostensibly? Indeed not! I have given him lessons that have delivered great benefit. Could you not see his progress for yourself?”
Olivia lifted her nose in the air as though facts forced her to make a concession to Eunice. “Admittedly, I could see a bit of improvement.”
“Enough for you to marry him?”
“No.”
“No?” Eunice felt her eyes widen in disbelief. “Why, I think he has become the perfect gentleman since he left London. He no longer smokes or consumes hard drink.”
“That is not what Giles told me.”
“His one setback was Giles’s doing. He confessed as much to me himself. I am sure that Cecil has not touched either tobacco or drink since you last saw him.”
Olivia looked at the clock on the mantel. “I saw him an hour ago. You must not know Cecil very well.”
“How dare you!” Eunice regretted the words as soon as she spoke them.
“How dare I?”
“I am sorry. I never meant to chastise you,” Eunice said. “You are my cousin, after all.”
“Never mind. I suppose I deserved it.” Olivia swallowed her tea. “I deliberately insulted Cecil just to see how you would react. And you responded just as I suspected. You really do love him.”
“But Aunt May has forbidden me to see him. And even if she did, it would not matter. He does not love me.”
“That is where you are wrong. He does love you. He told me so himself.”
Eunice could barely contain herself from leaping off the sofa and dancing around the parlor with joy.
“So that is why you came here? To test Eunice?” Aunt May asked.
“Do I not have a right? After all, she has won his heart, and I have been left out in the cold.”
Eunice’s joy evaporated. “No! I never meant for that to happen.”
“Indeed,” Aunt May said. “That is why I forbade her to see Lord Sutton again. I could see by the look in her eyes that they were becoming too close.”
Eunice rushed to Olivia’s side and knelt. She took Olivia’s hands in her own. “Olivia, I do not want Cecil if it means taking him away from you. Never.”
Olivia’s face registered shock. “Do you really mean that?”
“With all my heart.” Eunice squeezed her cousin’s hand. “Please, go to him. Go back to Sutton Manor. Do not waste a moment. Tell him you will marry him today if that is what he wants.”
Olivia’s jaw slackened. She shook her head. “You really mean what you say.”
“Of course I do. I could never be happy if I were the cause of your unhappiness.”
“Then you are more of a fool than I thought. What have I done to deserve your consideration?”
“It never was necessary for you to do anything. You are part of my family and one of God’s special creations. Is that not enough for me to consider your happiness?”
“I–I do not know what to say.”
Eunice could tell that tears threatened to spill down Olivia’s cheeks as she rose quickly from her seat, excused herself, and hurried up the stairs. Eunice stood and began to follow.
“No.” Aunt May placed a restraining hand on her arm. “Let her alone. She is heartbroken. Can you not see that?”
“How can she be heartbroken? She has just received the most precious gift I can give her.”
“On the contrary. I suspect that the gift is no longer yours to give.”
❧
Olivia chose to stay only one night, despite their protests that she could stay longer. She was reclusive during the few hours she remained, having breakfast sent to her room. Eunice couldn’t blame her cousin for desiring her solitude. Olivia was a proud woman. Admitting defeat could not have come easily for her. After sharing grace over breakfast with Aunt May, Eunice added her own silent prayer.
Father in heaven, I thank Thee for giving Olivia the strong heart and courage to concede that she was not meant for Cecil. I pray for Olivia’s happiness, Lord, and for her to draw closer to Thee in her search for peace. In Thy Son’s name, amen.
The maid interrupted just as they were about to complete their meal. “Your guest is about to depart, miladies.”
“We shall go to the great hall to bid her farewell immediately.”
“Yes, milady.”
An instant later, they were saying their good-byes.
“I wish you could stay longer,” Eunice told Olivia, and she meant it.
Olivia looked through the open front door at the blue sky. A dreamy look covered her expression. “There is nothing here for me. My life is in London.”
“Surely there was just a misunderstanding between you and Cecil. If you go to him—”
“No.” She shook her head.
“I am so sorry. I never meant to come between you. Please, forgive me.”
Olivia faced Eunice. “There is nothing for me to forgive of you. If anything, I should be thanking you. Now I can leave, knowing that Cecil will be well taken care of. . .by you.”
Eunice wanted to protest that she didn’t want Cecil, but she couldn’t. Not without lying. “I cannot.” She tilted her head toward Aunt May.
Olivia turned her attention to the older woman. “Aunt May, I implore you not to keep Eunice away from Cecil if he is the one she wants. Let her enjoy the happiness she deserves.”
“But can he make her happy?” Aunt May asked. “You know his past.”
“His old life is only his past, no longer his present,” Olivia said. “I can see how much he has changed.”
Eunice remembered one of her favorite passages from the sixth chapter of Romans, “ ‘Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.’ ”
“Yes,” Olivia agreed. “I believe that passage does indeed apply to Cecil. Thank you, Eunice, for giving him a better life.”
“You are the one who started the process,” Eunice pointed out.
“But you are the one who finished it.”
“I deserve no credit,” Eunice assured her. “The Lord and Savior is responsible for Cecil’s change of mind and heart. I was merely His unworthy vessel.”
“I do not judge you to be unworthy,” Aunt May said. “If anything, Lord Sutton is far beneath you both. But Eunice, if you believe he is th
e one you want and Olivia has given you her leave, then I will no longer keep you from him.”
Eunice took in a happy breath. “Really? Do you mean it, Auntie?” Seeing her aunt’s smile, Eunice embraced her.
Aunt May returned the embrace. “My own love was snatched from me by war. I will not let another kind of hate—my distaste for him—keep you apart.”
“You will not be around Cecil long before you will grow fond of him, Aunt May. I am sure of it.”
“Then I leave Cecil in good hands.” Olivia looked pleased. “I wish you the best of luck.”
Unwilling to tell Olivia that she didn’t believe in luck, Eunice merely nodded her thanks.
After a final embrace, Olivia departed. Eunice watched her make her way to her carriage. She held her head up, as Eunice would have expected of a prideful woman. Yet instead of seeming like a woman defeated, Olivia seemed to Eunice to have more life back in her step.
“Strange. She does not seem so unhappy for a woman who lost her fiancé.” Eunice knit her eyebrows together in puzzlement.
“I think she is happy for you and happy that she has gotten back her freedom,” Aunt May said.
“But she seemed a bit distraught yesterday.”
“Of course she was. No one likes to lose to a rival. Especially an unexpected one.”
Eunice didn’t need for her aunt to explain further. She knew that Olivia had always considered her a little country mouse, never a threat to her great beauty and sophistication. As the carriage departed, Eunice waved a final farewell to her cousin.
“I would not worry about Olivia,” Aunt May consoled her. “She always said she never wanted to marry.”
Eunice brought her hand to her side. “Do you think she really means such a thing, Auntie?”
Aunt May nodded. “And so I believe that you have done her—and Lord Sutton—a favor.”
In her heart, Eunice knew her aunt spoke the truth. “Now would you do me a favor, Auntie?”
“Of course.”
“Would you write a missive to Cecil, granting him permission to see me?”
She hesitated only a moment before nodding her assent. “I never thought I would see the day, but yes, I will write to him this very moment.” In keeping with her commitment, she headed to her study.
Lady And The Cad Page 15