“Forgive me,” she said once the fit ended. “I believe the dust in some of the closed rooms has affected me. Let us go and welcome your lady’s maid.”
Harmony’s father snorted. “There is no need to welcome a servant,” he said with a sneer. “Just have your butler show her the appropriate quarters.”
Lady Lambert gave him an even stare. “Mr. Radcliffe, I like to welcome all of my guests to my home, regardless of their position.”
Harmony was surprised at the authority the woman carried in her voice. What shocked her further was that the woman did not wait for Harmony’s father to respond but instead simply walked away, giving him a clear message that there was no need to argue because her point of view was correct and his was not.
“O-of course, my lady,” Harmony’s father stammered, hurrying after Lady Lambert like a puppy expecting scraps of attention. Her mother followed immediately after.
Nathaniel came to stand beside Harmony, and she glanced up at him. “Your mother is patient and kind,” she whispered. “I feel as if my parents have offended her ten times over.”
He chuckled. “Worry not. Mother has dealt with all sorts of people over the years, and many were like your parents. They cannot be any worse than some guests we have had, I assure you.”
Relief washed over her. At least that was one worry she could relinquish!
As they entered the drawing room, Harmony hurried over to Lydia and embraced her. Then she turned to the baroness. “My lady, may I present Lydia Scanting, my lady’s maid and companion.”
Lydia gave a deep curtsy. “My lady,” she said. “Thank you for allowing me to come to your home.”
The baroness gave her a warm smile. “You are most welcome. May I ask how long you have been lady’s maid to Miss Harmony?”
“Three years, my lady,” Lydia replied. “And I must say it’s been an honor serving her.”
“Yes, yes,” Harmony’s father blustered. “Now, move along, Lydia.”
It was as if her father’s voice had no audience, for Lady Lambert said, “I no longer have a lady’s maid, but I do miss having someone help me dress. Those in your position are truly a godsend.” There was a sadness in her voice that Harmony found strange, but who was she to wonder such things? “Forbes, will you show Lydia to her room?” She smiled at the maid. “If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask.”
Once again, this woman surprised Harmony. The baroness offered the same to a maid as she did to her honored guests!
Lydia dropped into another curtsy. “Thank you, my lady,” she said before following the butler out of the room.
“Would you care to rest now?” Nathaniel asked Harmony. “Or perhaps I can show you around the gardens. They are quite lovely.”
“I would like that,” Harmony replied.
Yet, her mother spoke over her. “Thank you, my lord, but I believe Harmony should rest until dinner.”
A melancholy fell over Harmony. She would have preferred to go with Nathaniel, but her mother’s tone brooked no argument.
Lady Lambert came to stand beside Harmony. “I believe I will rest, as well. I realize that getting around such a large home can be overwhelming, so Nathaniel, would you show Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe to their room? I will accompany Harmony. You do not mind, do you?”
Her father grinned. “No, of course not, my lady. He gave her a bow before following Nathaniel and his wife out of the room
As soon as they were gone, Harmony turned to Lady Lambert. The baroness was strikingly beautiful, and her eyes held a kindness that she found endearing.
“And what do you think of Scarlett hall?” the woman asked.
“It is quite lovely, my lady,” Harmony replied truthfully. “Everything is so perfectly grand. I admire the decor so very much, and I could spend days in the library! I would never have expected such a large house to feel comfortable, but that is exactly what I feel here.” She paused and looked down at the floor. “My apologies for talking so much. I do tend to ramble at times. But I do enjoy reading and could spend hours in that room alone.”
The baroness let out a small laugh. “There is no need to apologize, and especially for expressing your enjoyment of reading. My second eldest daughter, Hannah, rarely left the library, and when she did, she always had at least one book in hand.”
Harmony could do nothing but smile. “Thank you again, my lady, for allowing us to come. I am thankful.”
“I know you are,” Lady Lambert replied. “And please, call me Eleanor. I see no reason for stuffy titles at this point. Come, I will take you to your room.”
Harmony nodded and they made their way to the foyer and up the grand staircase. “Are those portraits of the previous lords of the house?” she asked.
“They are,” Eleanor replied. “Nathaniel will have his portrait painted soon, although he has complained incessantly about sitting for it.” She gave a small laugh at this. “I do not blame him. I find sitting for so long can become tedious.”
“I would not know,” Harmony replied. “I have never sat for a portrait before.”
Lady Lambert merely smiled in response.
As they stepped onto the second-floor landing, Harmony stopped before the last portrait. “Is this Nathaniel’s father, the last Lord Lambert?”
“It is.”
“He has told me much about him. My condolences for your loss.”
The baroness smiled again. “Your room is down this hallway. It belonged to my daughter Juliet.”
“Nathaniel has spoken of her, as well,” Harmony said as she followed the other woman down the hallway. “I suspect she is his favorite sister.”
Eleanor laughed. “I believe Juliet is everyone’s favorite, although no one will admit as much.” She added a wink, to which Harmony giggled. “Remember, treat my home as if it were your own.”
“Thank you,” Harmony replied. “I will.”
“We will talk later, hopefully alone. For now, I shall leave you to rest.”
Harmony nodded, and Eleanor continued down the hallway to her bedroom.
Closing the door behind her, Harmony smiled. There was something special about Lady Eleanor Lambert, and she felt a bond with the woman she had never felt with her own mother.
What could she wish to speak to me about? she wondered, although she suspected it had to do with Nathaniel. Why else would she want to talk to her alone?
Sighing, she walked over and ran her hand over the smooth coverlet on the bed. She and her parents had journeyed to Scarlett Hall to wait for Nathaniel to announce his intentions, and she could not wait.
Rather than calling for Lydia, she removed her dress and draped it over a chair before sliding beneath the covers in only her shift. Not long after, sleep overtook her, and soon she dreamed of her and Nathaniel living at Scarlett Hall, happily married, with several children romping around the gardens. And she smiled.
Chapter Seventeen
The following morning, Harmony hoped for a pleasantly quiet stroll through the gardens. The sun had not been in the sky for long, and dew still clung to the blades of grass in a desperate attempt to not be sucked back into the atmosphere. The gardens of Scarlett Hall were magnificent beyond belief, and she looked forward to quiet contemplation.
Unfortunately, her parents decided to join her, and rather than enjoying the beauty around them, they spent their time voicing a variety of complaints.
“I do find it odd,” her mother said as they walked past a flowerbed filled with lovely columbines and white syringas without so much as a glance of appreciation for them, “how Lady Lambert speaks to her servants in such an informal manner. It is as if she believes they are nearly her equal!” She shook her head. “It is quite unbecoming of a woman of her station if you ask me.”
“I could not agree with you more,” her father replied. “It is all so very strange. Perhaps the woman is lonely living so far from civilization in such a large house alone.”
Her mother clicked her tongue. “That may be so, bu
t it does not excuse her actions. I worry that she is setting the wrong example for Harmony.”
They came to a stop, and her father heaved a heavy sigh. “I would not concern yourself too much. Harmony and Lord Lambert are merely courting at this point, but I do suspect he will ask for her hand soon enough. Yet, that does not matter at the moment. She is a baroness, and her actions are her own. We have brought up our daughter to know her place in society, so she would never shame us in such an appalling way.” When he turned his gaze upon Harmony, he gave her a look that commanded she would not embarrass them in such a horrible manner.
“No, I would not, Father,” Harmony replied.
“You see?” he said, perhaps a bit too loudly. “There is nothing about which to worry. You…” He fell silent as Nathaniel and Lydia approached.
“Good morning, Mr. Radcliffe, Mrs. Radcliffe,” Nathaniel said. “Mother would be honored if you would join her in the drawing room at your convenience.”
“We would like nothing more,” her father replied, puffing out his chest like a puppy awaiting a treat.
“May I stroll with Miss Harmony before breakfast? We can then join you after. Lydia is here to chaperon.”
“I cannot see why not,” her father said, no sign of his discontent evident in his tone.
Once her parents were gone, Harmony gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she whispered to Nathaniel as she glanced toward the place where she last saw them, hoping they were not hiding behind a bush in order to listen in on what they said. It was easy to think of them doing such a thing. “I feared I would not be able to talk with you without my parents present.”
He grinned at her. “And now you can,” he said.
Harmony glanced at Lydia, but the woman had her attention on a nearby lilac bush. Or so she made it seem. Yet, she did not worry her friend would stretch her ears to listen.
She considered finally expressing her true feelings for Nathaniel, to tell him that she loved him and that she hoped to hear the same from him. But she glanced at Lydia once more. No, a woman did not say the words before the man, and Harmony would not embarrass herself in front of Lydia by doing just that!
Instead, she smiled and said, “I wanted to say that I believe your home quite beautiful. And your mother! I feel we are already fast friends. She speaks with such authority but does so in a kind way. It is so admirable. I feel I will learn much from her about being a baroness.”
“Indeed, Mother is an admirable woman.” He offered his arm, and Harmony took it. “When you meet my sisters, you will understand how one would need strength to raise them.”
Harmony giggled, and they moved down the path. “I could spend hours here,” she said with a sigh. “And the library! There are so many books on such a vast array of subjects. It will take years to read them all.”
“And I have no doubt you will,” he said, smiling down at her. “One day soon, we will marry, and you will spend your days doing as you please. You may spend every hour in the gardens, in the library, or wherever you wish. The choice will be yours to make.”
“It does not matter,” she said as they came to a stop. “All I want is to be near you. And although this house is wonderful, if we were to live in a tiny cottage, I would be just as happy.”
“I know this, and it is one of the reasons feel for you as I do.”
His cheeks reddened as he said this, and Harmony waited for the words she had been hoping to hear for so long. With the sun shining down and the red roses beside them, it could not have been more picturesque. What a beautiful setting to share their love for one another!
As he stared down at her, she silently practiced her response to his admission of his love for her.
His lips parted and he took a light intake of breath and said, “Are you hungry?”
Her smile faltered for a moment. “I…yes, I am.”
Although those were not the words she had hoped to hear, she had no doubt they would come one day. She hoped they would come soon, for she longed to reply in kind.
***
With Harmony and her parents resting in their rooms, Nathaniel, who was feeling restless, spent the last hour walking the halls of his home to consider the next steps in his life. It was his plan to pull Harmony’s father aside when they rose from their nap and ask for her hand in marriage. Then during dinner this evening, he would make the formal announcement to the others. There was no need to wait any longer as far as he was concerned, and the sooner she became his wife, the better.
At the top of the grand staircase, he stopped and smiled. His mother was speaking with Forbes, as she oftentimes did. The butler was as much a part of the family as anyone, and although some would find the inclusion of a servant in the family, Nathaniel would not have it any other way. Forbes might be stiff at times in his demeanor, but he always had a ready smile when one was needed.
He descended the stairs. His mother turned toward him, and he stopped, sensing waves of sadness coming from her.
“Mother?” he asked. “Is everything all right? You seem worried, and dare I say sad, about something.” He placed a hand on her arm and noticed that it seemed thinner than he remembered.
“All is well,” she replied, placing a hand on his cheek. “I just wanted to be sure everything is perfect for the Radcliffes.”
“It is more than perfect,” he replied, smiling down at his mother. “And if they have any complaints, we will send them off to stay at the inn in Rumsbury.” He gave her a sheepish grin to show he was teasing. “I was considering taking a stroll. Would you care to join me?”
“I would,” his mother replied.
Forbes opened the door, and Nathaniel followed his mother onto the portico. The sun that had shown so brightly that morning had disappeared behind a mass of dark clouds, creating a chill breeze.
His mother pulled her wrap in tighter.
“Would you like me to get go for something a bit warmer?” he asked.
“No, I am quite comfortable with what I have,” his mother replied as she adjusted the wrap on her shoulders. She gave him a small smile. “Harmony is a wonderful girl.”
Nathaniel led his mother down the steps. “She is more than wonderful. Words cannot express how truly great she is. I swear I have never met anyone quite like her.”
“I assume the reason you brought her family here is because you plan on asking for her hand. Am I correct in my assumption?”
He laughed. “Nothing escapes your notice,” he said. “But yes, I will speak with her father today.” He glanced down at her. “You do not disapprove of my choice, do you?”
“It has been my desire that my children marry for love, and the way you smile at that young girl shows me she makes you very happy.”
“Indeed she does. And although we have been courting only a short time, I knew I cared for her well before. It is odd, but when I look back, I see I knew before I knew.” He laughed and shook his head. “Does that make any sense?”
His mother nodded. “I understand quite well.”
“Was it the same for you with Father?”
They walked past the stables. “I have always cared for your father,” she replied.
Nathaniel had been devastated when his father died, for he had been only ten at the time, but with time that pain had eased. Yet, not having his father there to see him prepare to take his place as the next Baron Lambert had not been easy. Every son wanted his father’s approval.
“I wish he were here,” he said as they came to a stop where the grounds of the house met the seemingly endless fields of green dotted with yellow and white flowers. “Do you believe he would have been proud of the man I have become?” This question had always haunted him, for even when his father was alive, he was away on business all too often to know what he truly thought of his son.
His mother looked out over the land, although she seemed to look beyond what was there. “You have become the man he wanted, in that I have no doubt.”
Nathaniel could not help but bea
m with pride. “When Harmony and I are married, what will you do?” He paused as he realized how his words must have sounded. “I do not mean that I want you to leave, for this is still your home if you choose to remain.”
Her smile reassured him that she had not taken offense. “This has always been our home,” she said, “but now it belongs to you, just as it belonged to those barons before you. As for me, I wish to live near the sea, although I am not quite yet certain where.”
“Have you heard of Murkside Manor?” Nathaniel asked. When she shook her head that she did not, he said, “It is a property that is a part of the Parker Estate, a grand hotel in Cornwall that overlooks the sea. You will stay there while I find you a home. If you would like that, of course.”
“Yes, that would be fine,” she replied, but that sadness he had sensed in the foyer returned.
“Do you not wish to go? You may remain here forever if that is what you prefer. I did not mean to push you away. I know Harmony will not object to you staying…”
“No,” his mother whispered. “I want to go.” She placed a hand on his arm. “My boy has become a man and will soon be married. I still cannot believe it is true.”
He realized at that moment that her sadness came from a mother who was seeing her youngest child married, and he smiled as he kissed her cheek.
“Although that is true,” he said, “I will always be your son.”
She chuckled. “Yes, you will be. Nothing will ever change that. Come, I believe I am ready to return home. It is colder than I first thought.”
With that, he led her to the house. Would he be this sad when his children married? He gave a silent chuckle. He probably would be!
Chapter Eighteen
Although the study at Scarlett Hall, as well as the rest of the house, belonged to Nathaniel, he could not help but still consider it as belonging to his mother. In fact, the house belonged to his family and it was always open to his sisters if the need ever arose. He would never refuse refuge for those about whom he cared.
Harmony of the Soul: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 8 Page 10