A Season of Romance Read online

  ‘I shall attempt to oblige.’ Daniel rolled his eyes, feeling dissatisfied but aware that he had no choice. He must marry for money as a matter of extreme urgency.

  ‘I know you will. But I would prefer for you to settle upon Adela, if only to get revenge on your uncle. I am absolutely certain that he went to considerable lengths to legally deprive you of the richest parts of your inheritance. ‘

  ‘I tend to agree with you.’ Daniel stared into the ruby red contents of his glass, noticing sediment nesting in its depths. ‘Despite the fact that my uncle and father were not on good terms, none of that was my fault.’ He fixed his mother with a significant look. ‘I can understand his wanting to provide for his widow and daughter, but to go to such lengths…’ Daniel threw up the hand not holding the drink. ‘It’s cruel and unreasonable. I should have thought that pride in the continuance of the family name would have made him want to see the Ripon estate prosper.’

  ‘That is what’s so vexing. Everyone talks about the dashing war hero. Few people saw the cruel side of his character. Besides, I dislike being made to look foolish.’

  ‘Perish the thought,’ Daniel muttered, draining his glass and refilling it, sediment notwithstanding. The wine seemed less acidic now. ‘Very well, Mother. Make the arrangements and we will move to London for the rest of the season. God alone knows, there’s little more that I’m in any position to achieve here.’

  *

  Adela spent the rest of her first afternoon in Eaton Square familiarising herself with the house itself while her mother took a long rest. She couldn’t find anything to fault in any of the spacious, airy ground floor rooms.

  ‘Everything seems to be in perfect order,’ she told a beaming Mrs Fleming.

  ‘I am gratified to hear you say so, Lady Adela,’ the housekeeper replied. ‘I am sure we did our very best. Mr Carver called regularly to inspect the arrangements,’ she added, referring to Papa’s London lawyer. ‘There was just Mr Talbot, a cook, a maid and me, as well as the outside boy and a gardener, but they came in daily. That was all we needed. We closed up all the rooms and covered the furniture. But I made sure everything downstairs was uncovered and regularly polished. And Mr Talbot kept the silver so clean you could see your face in his spoons.’

  ‘I am much obliged to you both, Mrs Fleming.’

  ‘Of course, when we heard you were coming back, Mr Carver told us to engage more servants and open up the house. It was a joyful day, even though it’s sad that the master didn’t come back, too. We heard such stories of his bravery. Mr Talbot kept track especially and read out his name whenever it appeared in the newssheets.’

  After an hour, Adela thanked Mrs Fleming and left her to return to her duties. Adela wandered out into the gardens and lifted her face to the May sunshine, enjoying its warmth on her cheeks. She had grown accustomed to the heat of Spain, but much preferred the more temperate English climate. She would most likely have a change of heart if it rained for days on end, she told herself, smiling as she took a seat on a stone bench beside the pond.

  The pond itself was large and well-tended; not a weed in sight. She saw several goldfish gliding just below the surface, and other fish with dappled backs. She had absolutely no idea what species they were. The rushes trembled and a lovely white cat appeared, looking up at her through piercing green eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Were you hoping to catch your supper, and did I disturb you?’ She held out a hand and the cat inched forward to inspect it. ‘Where did you come from anyway?’

  Clearly no stranger to humans, the cat sat at Adela’s feet and calmly washed its face.

  ‘I expect you’re accustomed to having the garden and the fish to yourself,’ she said, reaching down to stroke its back. ‘Don’t mind me. I shall not get in your way.’

  The cat pushed its head beneath her hand and purred. When she stood up to return to the house, it followed her.

  ‘Oh,’ Mrs Fleming said, when Adela let herself in by a side door and encountered the housekeeper. ‘I’m sorry, ma’am. He shouldn’t be in here. He lives in the stables.’

  ‘He seems to like me, and I don’t object to his company.’

  ‘Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind.’

  Adela did not, and the cat stalked majestically up the stairs in her wake. He followed her into her room, jumped onto the window seat and curled up in a patch of sun. Adela smiled and scratched his ears.

  ‘I can see that you are the laziest creature on God’s earth,’ she told him.

  Later that evening, Adela and her mother enjoyed an early dinner in the warmth and intimacy of the small dining parlour. There was a table that would comfortably seat two dozen in the larger parlour, but Adela couldn’t imagine putting it to frequent use. Mama ate well, agonising about which invitations to accept.

  ‘I don’t want to give offence to anyone. I am a little out of touch, you see.’

  ‘Don’t let it worry you, Mama. If we dine with Lady Blenkinsop tomorrow evening I’m sure she will be able to advise you.’

  ‘Oh, but of course she will.’ Mama brightened considerably. ‘Silly me. Why did I not think of that?’

  Tired after their journey, both ladies retired early. Adela was glad that her mother had found something to think about other than the loss of her husband, even if it was at Adela’s expense. She resigned herself to being pushed in the direction of any eligible gentlemen who engaged her mother’s attention. As long as Daniel was not one of them, she would endure the entire process for Mama’s sake and pretend to be disappointed when she failed to meet anyone whose interest she returned.

  She rose early the following morning and dressed in a smart green twill walking gown with matching pelisse. Her visit to Mr Carver ought not to be put off. She was sure that he would have waited upon her, had she asked him to. She had not, preferring to go to his office and take in the sights and sounds of London on the way. Her mother never left her bed before eleven in the morning, but when Adela popped her head around her door, she found her sitting up, wearing her bed jacket and sipping a cup of hot chocolate. Adela noticed how thin her hair now looked and just how much grey had invaded her once thick brown locks.

  ‘Good morning, Mama.’ Adela kissed her brow, feeling a deep well of affection for her remaining parent. ‘I trust you slept well.’

  ‘Tolerably, my dear, once I felt assured that the bed had been thoroughly aired and that the fire would last the night. You look very smart. Surely you are not going out. It’s dangerous.’

  Adela smiled her reassurance. ‘Not in the least. I shall have Burke drive me. I have to call upon Mr Carver.’

  ‘But I am not nearly ready…I cannot possibly—’

  ‘Calm yourself, Mama. There is no need for you to come with me. Stay here. I expect some ladies will call this afternoon to welcome you back and I am sure you will want to be properly prepared to receive them.’ Adela still found it an oddity that morning calls were made in the afternoon. Some of society’s mores baffled her.

  ‘Well, there is that, I suppose. I don’t like to think of you doing everything on your own, though, my dear. You are so proficient that I sometimes forget that you are still so young, and all sorts of ne’er-do-wells lurk ready to trick the unwary.’

  Adela assured her mother that she would remain vigilant. Mama finally let her go and she was free to go down to the waiting conveyance. It was a fine morning, and the hood was down on the curricle that Adela recalled from her youth. It had been maintained in pristine condition. She put up her parasol and took in her surroundings with interest. She saw several well-dressed ladies and a few gentlemen peering at her with open curiosity as the smart conveyance bowled past them. A new lady in town was, presumably, of great interest to them. She inclined her head as the curricle progressed as fast as the clogged streets permitted, gradually making its way into a less prosperous part of town.

  The carriage came to a halt outside of a tall building in Cheapside. Adela alighted, asked Burke to wait
for her and entered the premises. Everything seemed to be in a state of upheaval; papers scattered everywhere and clerks bustling about restoring order. The situation did not fill Adela with a great deal of confidence. Upon being asked her business, she gave her name and was quickly shown into Mr Carver’s private office.

  ‘My dear Lady Adela,’ an elderly, painfully thin gentleman with wispy grey hair and a pair of wire glasses balanced on the end of his nose stood to greet her. Adela remembered him well. His eyes held a kindly twinkle and he looked no different to the last time she had seen him, when she had been no older than seven. She recalled him patting her head and giving her a bonbon. ‘This is a very great pleasure. I wish I had known you were already back, I would have called at Eaton Square—’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Carver.’ She took the chair that her offered her and waited until he resettled himself behind his desk. ‘But I was keen to see a little of London, as you can imagine. It has been a very long time and it’s such a lovely day.’

  ‘It is indeed. How is your lady mother? Recovering from her loss, I hope.’

  ‘She is frail, Mr Carver, although you would never get her to admit it. I think being back in London amongst her old friends will help to restore her spirits. I shouldn’t say this, but she rather enjoys the tragedy of her situation.’

  He smiled. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’

  ‘I seem to have caught you at an especially busy time,’ she said, nodding towards the outer office.

  Mr Carver frowned. ‘I apologise for the disruption. We are not ordinarily so disorganised. Unfortunately, a window was forced last night, and we came in this morning to find everything all over the place.’

  ‘How distressing. I hope no one was hurt and nothing of value taken.’

  ‘Thank you, my dear. No one was hurt, which is the main thing. Whether anything was taken we have yet to establish.’

  Adela smiled. ‘I trust I find you in good health, Mr Carver. It is remiss of me not to have asked straight away.’

  ‘Perfectly so, my dear. My wife claims that I am indestructible. It must seem strange to you,’ he remarked. ‘You have been gone from the country of your birth for over half your life, far too close to the fighting and its dangers. I did try to persuade your father that you would be better off left here in the care of a guardian. Indeed, I offered my services in that regard, but he insisted upon having you with him. He was inordinately fond of you; determined to do his duty yet equally determined not to be parted from you.’

  ‘Papa and I were very close, but I did wonder as I grew older why he felt the need to keep me beside him.’

  Mr Carver raised a bushy brow. ‘You feel you have been deprived of the type of upbringing to which you were entitled?’

  ‘Indeed not. Don’t suppose for one minute that I intended my remark as a criticism, since I did not. I received an excellent education and enjoyed more of my father’s society than I would have had any right to expect if my upbringing had been conventional. I adored him. He never grew tired of my endless questions and taught me a great deal. Far more than I would ever have learned from a governess. I have an enquiring mind, you see, which I probably should not confess to, since I am told that it is frowned upon for ladies to be too well informed. But Papa approved and he always managed to ensure that I had a constant supply of books to improve the mind in question. But I still wonder…well, I don’t suppose you can tell me...’ She paused to gather her thoughts. ‘We have spent the last two months in Ripon, as I wrote and told you.’

  Mr Carver inclined his head. ‘How did you find things there?’

  ‘It a sad state of disarray, I’m afraid, which is partly what I wanted to discuss with you.’

  ‘Your cousin’s lawyers have been in touch, bandying threats around in a most uncouth fashion, trying to claim your personal inheritance as part of the Ripon estate.’ He held up a placating hand. ‘Don’t look so alarmed, my dear. Everything is watertight. Your father anticipated such a reaction and took the necessary precautions. Anyway, I don’t respond well to being threatened and sent them away with their tails between their legs.’

  ‘Daniel failed to mention his concerns to me. He pretended that everything was as he expected it to be, although I could clearly see that it was not.’

  ‘I am glad you saw through him. I did worry that perhaps…however, my fears were obviously groundless. You are just as an astute a judge of character as your father once was. It will not surprise you to hear that he didn’t hold your cousin in high regard.’

  Adela frowned. ‘Papa never criticised him in my hearing. Did he disapprove of him because he chose not to fight?’

  ‘Amongst other reasons. A lot of gentlemen declined to take up arms. Your father would not have held that against any of them; especially if they found other ways to support the war effort.’ He rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. ‘I never did get to the bottom of your father’s antipathy towards his heir. It was most puzzling. He was very close-lipped on the subject.’

  ‘Eaton Square, unlike Ripon Hall, looks to be in the very best of order. I believe I have you to thank for that.’

  Mr Carver waved her appreciation aside. ‘I did very little. Having loyal servants in place did the trick.’

  ‘Are there…well, did Papa leave us well provided for? Can we afford to keep the house?’

  ‘Goodness me, yes. I will show you the figures in a moment, just to set your mind at rest.’ He paused. ‘The house is now yours.’

  ‘Mine!’ Adela widened her eyes. ‘I assumed that Mama…’

  ‘No, my dear. Your great-grandmother brought the property to her marriage with your great-grandfather. It had been entailed to her and she made a point of ensuring that it remained entailed in favour of future female members of the family.’ He chuckled at Adela’s shocked expression. ‘A very forward-thinking lady was your great-grandmother. Your grandfather and then your father made wise investments with funds that originated from her dowry. All perfectly legal and all now yours. You can sell Eaton Square or continue to live there. But of course, until you reach your majority or marry, all financial decisions must be approved by me. Your father appointed me as guardian of your affairs should anything happen to him.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘But even if you marry, the house cannot be sold unless you wish to sell it, which I would strongly advise against. It is your security. Not many females are so fortunate.’

  ‘Ordinarily, it would pass into the control of my husband—which I suspect is what Daniel hopes for.’ Adela nodded. ‘I quite see what you mean. But in any event, I have no desire to sell it. Or to marry either, for that matter, although Mama is determined to convince me otherwise.’

  ‘You will know if the right gentleman comes along. There is no hurry.’

  ‘Then we are in agreement on that particular point.’

  ‘I have set up an account for household expenses, as well as your own and your mother’s personal needs.’ Mr Carver explained to her how to access it. Her eyes bulged when he also showed her the amount invested. Funds that were now hers. ‘If you require capital for larger expenditure, just let me know. I assume you will manage the accounts, rather than your mother.’

  ‘Yes, that sort of thing is beyond Mama and she would hopelessly overspend. I have few needs myself, but I do intend to purchase a horse. I adore riding.’

  Mr Carver smiled. ‘The account has more than adequate funds in it for that purpose. You are a very wealthy young lady.’

  Adela was frustrated not to have learned more about her father’s machinations, and about why he was so disinclined to approve of her cousin. If Mr Carver knew, which appeared doubtful, it was clear that he had no intention of enlightening her. His loyalty to his clients appeared to extend beyond the inconvenience of their death.

  ‘Your father’s possessions have reached England,’ he said softly into the ensuing silence. ‘I have been holding on to them. I wasn’t sure…’

  ‘Have them
sent for my attention to Eaton Square, if you would be so kind. I should like to go through them.’

  ‘Very well.’

  Adela stood, and Mr Carver rose to his feet with her. ‘I am so very pleased to see you back, my dear. If you have any further questions, if there is anything I can help you with, you have but to say the word.’

  Adela shook his hand. ‘Thank you very much, Mr Carver. You will likely grow tired of my endless requests for help before the month is out and regret making that offer.’

  ‘Nonsense, my dear. I can see that you are very capable and probably easily able to run rings around me.’

  Chapter Three

  Ezra stood at the side of his aunt’s drawing room, watching as it filled with her elegantly attired guests. Lady Blenkinsop’s idea of an intimate dinner ran to a table for twenty-four. Ezra was inordinately fond of his intelligent and perceptive aunt, and he could usually be persuaded to attend her gatherings, but otherwise avoided society at play as much as politely possible. It was inevitable that potential brides were pushed at him whenever he did sally forth. He would be a duke one day, was wealthy in his own right and considered handsome. Ezra grunted, wondering if there was any such thing as an ugly, rich, entitled gentleman.

  It became tedious fending off some of the more determined chits, none of whom stood a chance of holding his interest.

  He noticed Lady Gantz and her daughter the moment they walked into the room. Lady Adela was taller than average, and her light brown hair had been fashioned in a simple style that suited her face, drawing attention to her full cheeks. She appeared interested rather than intimidated by the splendours of the occasion, as evidenced by the alertness in eyes that were as brown as her hair.