The Perfect Bride: A Regency Romance, page 10
‘Not you, dear Coz. I can’t imagine you being frightened by anything or anyone.’
They were in his private rooms set well away from the main apartments of Masham Court, at the end of a long corridor that housed the muniments room and the gun room.
This was the first time she had been inside these private rooms where Cedric spent much of his time painting and cataloguing his butterflies and other species of small wildlife, so that this visit was a revelation, making her realise that until now she had seen only a small part of his work: the occasional picture hanging in one of the salons, books filled with sketches and neatly written descriptions of each species.
But here, the work seemed to take on a life of its own as she was permitted to study the exquisitely detailed paintings and drawings that lined the walls or lay scattered across the many desks and tables ‒ some finished, some little more than a brief sketch of a wing fully open or part of a body.
‘Oh, Cedric! I hardly know what to say!’
‘Very little, I hope,’ he had returned swiftly. ‘Only a few people have been beyond that door, and that’s how I want things to remain.’
‘Has your mama not seen all this?’ Serena queried.
‘She has never really taken much interest. Oh, she acknowledges that my paintings are really rather fine. I believe she has one in her bedchamber.’ His smile had a wry quality. ‘Cedric’s little hobby, she calls it.’
Serena was outraged by this lack of true appreciation. ‘But is there not some natural history society who would be interested?’
He shrugged. ‘Probably. But I don’t want a lot of strange people tramping round the place. What I do, I do for my own pleasure, so not a word to anyone, eh?’
‘If that’s how you want it,’ she agreed as he led her toward the door. ‘Though it does seem an awful waste.’
‘Not to me. Now, you haven’t seen round the stables yet. Come along and say “good morning” to Starlight. The poor fellow hasn’t had much exercise since we came back.’
The stables, like every other part of Masham Court, were vast, incorporating numerous vehicles ‒ everything from the grand travelling coach to gigs and phaetons, to a waggonette for use on the estate. Many of the stalls were filled with carriage horses of all kinds, but right at the far end were several thoroughbred riding horses. Starlight, hearing his master’s voice, thrust his head out with a welcoming whinny.
‘There you are, old fellow,’ Cedric said, fondling his ears as the gelding butted him playfully before dipping his head toward the young duke’s pocket. ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’ He brought out an apple, which disappeared in a trice.
‘It’s time we did something about finding you a mount,’ Cedric said. ‘None of these are really suitable. What do you think, Hurly?’ He turned to the head groom who hovered nearby. ‘Know of anyone hereabouts with a horse suitable for a lady? Something well behaved, but with a bit of go in it.’
‘Matter o’fact, Y’r Grace, I might just know of an animal as would suit Miss Fairburn a treat,’ said Hurly, who had taken an instant liking to the duke’s young lady. ‘Colonel Malpas, over near Micklemirsh, had a couple of four-year-olds he was lookin’ to sell when I was over that way last week ‒ a bay, and a nice-looking grey filly. I can ride over there this afternoon ‒ bring ’em back, so you can give ’em a look if he still has ’em ‒ or Y’r Grace might care to drive Miss Fairburn over there yourself, bein’ as it’s a bonny day.’
‘A splendid idea, Hurly. We’ll go this very afternoon, eh, Serena?’
‘Lovely.’
The duchess did not think it a splendid idea, however. ‘I had hoped that Serena’ ‒ the name came out with an effort ‒ ‘would go through the arrangements for next weekend with me. I daresay she has had little or no experience of entertaining and cannot therefore begin too soon to learn what is involved in planning even the most informal of occasions.’
Her Grace’s habit of talking about her as if she were not present was beginning to irk Serena. ‘You are more than kind, ma’am,’ she said politely, but firmly. ‘I do realise I have much to learn, but a few hours here or there can surely make little difference? The days are rapidly growing shorter. We shall not have many more as perfect as today, and the fresh air will do Cedric so much good, don’t you think?’
‘I doubt I’ve ever seen anyone roll Mama up quite so adroitly,’ Cedric chortled as he drove them along the country lanes in a beautifully appointed phaeton, a sprightly black gelding between the shafts. The hedgerows were thick with berries, while above them, the mellow sunshine set the trees ablaze with every shade from gold to brown to red.
Serena was impressed with the way Cedric handled the ribbons and said so.
‘So I should hope,’ he said with a grin. ‘Darcy taught me, and he’s a devil of a taskmaster. Mama didn’t care above half for the idea of my indulging in anything of an energetic nature, but by the time she found out, I was well on the way to being an accomplished whip. Can’t hold a candle to my cousin, of course.’
Serena remembered the way Lord Lynton had controlled his lively pair as they swept out of the gates at Mountford Grange in a cloud of dust. It was, as she had grudgingly admitted at the time, a brilliant exhibition of skill.
‘I doubt his lordship cares to be bested by anyone,’ she said, and the tone of her voice made Cedric cast her an amused look.
‘There are few who would attempt it. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But you mustn’t be put off by his manner. He’s been devilish good to me.’
Cedric pulled back a little on the reins. ‘That’s the Malpas place up ahead if I’m not mistaken.’
Colonel Malpas greeted them warmly, and in a very short space of time Serena had succumbed to the coquettish advances of Smoke, a beautifully behaved grey with a full swishing tail and soft doe-like eyes. Her only riding habit had grown shabby with use and had several times been let out at the seams. A present from Grandmother Bradshaw, it was of brown broadcloth, the jacket beautifully cut, with a black velvet collar and matching buttons. Her hat was black and low-crowned, and she had recently ornamented it with a soft brown scarf.
No one seemed to notice its shortcomings, however, least of all Smoke, as she cantered round the field in perfect harmony with the animal, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, before returning to Cedric and the colonel, glowing with pleasure.
‘She is a darling horse,’ she said, parting from her with reluctance, though the colonel promised that his head groom would bring her over in the morning. ‘And you are a good, kind man. I shall be well and truly spoiled if you mean to carry on at this rate.’
He threw her a quick smile. ‘Well, you’ll have to get used to it, m’dear, for I’ve only just begun. Don’t think I’m not aware of how long you’ve carried that family of yours, with your mama being the way she is. It seems to me, you are well overdue for a little spoiling.’
She felt momentarily guilty as she realised that she hadn’t thought about them once in the last few hours. But it had been such a perfect day it would be foolish to spoil it now. The family wouldn’t begrudge her a little happiness.
The sun was a huge mellow ball that gilded the whole countryside as they approached Masham and saw a little way ahead a lone figure in a pale blue riding dress, sitting on a fallen tree trunk, shoulders drooping in dejection.
As they drew near, Serena exclaimed, ‘Why, she is but a child! Whatever can she be doing out here on her own?’
‘Taken a toss, by the look of it.’ Cedric brought the phaeton to a halt, secured the reins, and jumped down.
At their approach the girl raised her head, and hair like spun gold shimmered in the setting sun as it tumbled about her shoulders. Serena heard Cedric catch his breath. And small wonder, for though young, this was no child.
The face lifted up toward him was nothing short of angelic in its purity of line from wide brow to sweetly pointed chin. Huge sea green eyes, thickly fringed, glistened with unshed tears, and more tears trembled like dewdrops on the pale curve of her cheek.
In that instant, before a word had been said, Serena knew that Cedric had fallen hopelessly, helplessly in love.
Chapter Nine
Serena’s dismay and the jolt to her pride swiftly gave way to practicalities. As she hurried across, Cedric was already bending over the girl, speaking gently to reassure her, exhorting her not to be afraid.
‘I am Cornwell, and this is my fiancée, Miss Serena Fairburn. Pray, tell us how we may help you. Are you hurt in any way?’
‘How kind,’ she murmured, a catch in her soft voice. ‘I am not hurt, but I feel so very foolish.’ Even white teeth closed on a full, tremulous lower lip. ‘I was riding alone ‒ something Papa has expressly forbidden me to do ‒ when a rabbit shot out of the hedgerow right into Midnight’s path! He is by nature the gentlest of animals, but in his fright he reared and unseated me, then galloped off down the road. When he arrives home without me, Papa will be in such a taking …’
‘Well, that is soon remedied,’ Serena said bracingly as the voice began to tremble once more. ‘You have but to tell His Grace where you live, and he will have you home in a trice.’
‘His Grace?’ Her eyes opened very wide. ‘Are you a duke?’
She sounded so surprised that Cedric laughed, and a faint pink flush stained his cheeks. ‘I am aware that I don’t look in the least like one. But that cannot be helped. May we have the pleasure of knowing who you are?’
‘My name is Melissa Glenville. My father is Sir Lionel Glenville.’
‘The magistrate?’ Cedric exclaimed. ‘I’m sure he used to be a friend of my father’s. I did not know he had a daughter. Why have I never seen you before now?’ It was almost an accusation.
Miss Glenville’s gold-tipped lashes fluttered down to veil her expression, but a delicate blush stained her cheeks. ‘I have been away at school for several years. My mother died when I was quite small, and Papa could not bear the house without her, so he let it and moved to another part of the country. I had a governess until I was thirteen, when we moved back here,’ the breathless explanation continued. ‘And that was when Papa thought I should learn to mix with girls of my own age and sent me to a seminary for young ladies near Bath.’
Serena thought it time to end the touching exchange and said briskly, ‘Well, I think we should return you to your father without further talk, before he resorts to sending out a search party.’
She rescued Miss Glenville’s hat, which had fallen behind the tree trunk, a handsome blue confection with a curling feather. And then rather wished she had been less accommodating, for as the young girl arranged it with almost careless ease upon her golden locks, the sweeping brim framed her face so delightfully that Cedric could not tear his glance away.
One could hardly blame him. No man could remain unmoved in the presence of such exquisite loveliness. Nor was it Miss Glenville’s fault that Serena herself was left feeling suddenly shabby and clumsy. She had never envied Emily her fragile beauty, and until this moment had never wished to be the kind of young woman that gentlemen rushed to protect. So she was quite unprepared for the searing shaft of jealousy that suddenly pierced her through. Oh, Heavens, she sighed. What a coil!
They were obliged to travel the short distance to the Glenville residence in the closest proximity, with Miss Glenville crushed between Serena and the duke. But, after an initial moment of embarrassment, she prattled away happily, showing no obvious ill effects from her tumble as she regaled them with her future plans.
‘I was too young to make my come-out last year, but by next spring I shall be almost eighteen and my Aunt Constance, who moves in all the best circles, has promised faithfully that she will present me then.’
‘And shall you like that?’ Serena asked.
‘Oh, yes. I know I shall!’ the younger girl replied, sounding very like Emily. ‘The girls at school talked about little else, and it will be such fun to have lots of nice clothes and go to balls and Almack’s. Actually being presented will be quite terrifying, of course, but … Oh, do pray slow down, Your Grace, for we are almost there.’
She indicated a pair of stone gateposts set back and almost concealed by shrubbery. They swept through and round a bend in the long curving drive. Ahead of them a splendid Tudor building came into view, fronted by a wide courtyard where a great deal of frantic activity was to be observed, with several grooms on horseback wheeling about and a large white-haired gentleman, very red in the face, issuing orders from an open carriage as they prepared to set off.
‘There is Papa!’ Melissa exclaimed. ‘Oh dear, what a state he is in. I do hope he will not be too angry with me!’
But it soon became clear that her doting parent was so relieved to find his child restored to him unharmed, that empty threats were the most he could manage as he alternately hugged and scolded her.
‘Wicked puss!’ he exclaimed. ‘You almost gave your poor papa a seizure when Potter came running to tell me that you had gone riding alone and that Midnight had come home without you! It will be bread and water for you tonight, mark my words!’
‘Oh, Papa!’
‘Never mind “Oh, Papa”. Now, make your thanks to His Grace and his young lady, and then you’d better go and tell Nurse, who is in such a state, and has had you dead and buried a dozen times by now, I shouldn’t wonder.’
‘I do indeed thank you, my lord Duke,’ Melissa said, eyes demurely lowered. ‘And Miss Fairburn, too. I am sorry to have given you so much trouble. You have been most kind.’
‘It was no trouble, dear young lady. I am only happy that we came along when we did,’ Cedric assured her with a shy gallantry. ‘I hope we may meet again soon.’
‘So kind,’ she whispered, and curtsied, and hurried into the house.
‘Well, now, Your Grace,’ boomed the magistrate jovially. ‘So you’re Rupert Rufford’s son. I was at Eton with y’r father, y’know. A long time ago that was, though we kept up the friendship on and off until m’wife passed away.’ He sighed and shook his head. ‘Still, it don’t do to keep looking back. I’m a poor host. You must both come in and allow me to thank you properly.’
‘You are very kind, Sir Lionel. Any other time, we would be happy to accept, but my mother likes to dine at seven o’clock precisely …’
‘Say no more, Your Grace. I well remember Elvira’s passion for punctuality.’ Sir Lionel cleared his throat. ‘Just allow me to say that I can never adequately thank you for bringing my little girl safely home. I daresay you will think me an overindulgent parent, but Melissa is all I have, you see. She is but seventeen and so like her dear mother …’ He took out a large red handkerchief and blew his nose.
‘I understand. But all’s well that ends well, sir, and we were only too happy to have been in the right place at the right time, were we not, Serena?’ Cedric glanced at her, hesitated and added, ‘Perhaps, if you have no objection, I will call tomorrow, to ascertain that Miss Glenville has suffered no ill effects.’
‘By all means, Your Grace,’ boomed the magistrate, his joviality restored. ‘We shall be honoured to receive you.’
They drove for some time in silence. Serena knew all too well where Cedric’s thoughts were, and her own were in a state of confusion. She reminded herself yet again that any man would have to be a block of wood to remain unmoved by such a vision, and Cedric, with his love of beauty must succumb more readily than most. She also told herself that infatuation was almost always a transient emotion, but a swift glance at her fiancé’s profile was not reassuring.
‘Well, that was all very satisfactorily concluded,’ she said as brightly as she could manage, to break the silence. ‘How fortunate that we happened along when we did.’
‘Yes.’ Cedric’s voice betrayed the depth of his anxiety. ‘I don’t care to think what might have been the outcome, had some unscrupulous character been before us.’
‘No, indeed. Such a bewitching creature must inevitably subject any man to temptation,’ Serena agreed, wilfully rubbing salt in her own wound.
He made no answer, but his silence was answer enough.
The duchess was not pleased that dinner had to be kept waiting while her son and his fiancée changed, though her manner mellowed slightly during the course of the meal upon hearing Sir Lionel’s name mentioned.
‘Good gracious, I haven’t seen Glenville for years. Odd, really, when one remembers that he lives but a few miles away. When your father and I were first married, he came here quite often with Grace, his wife ‒ not a brain in her head, but an acknowledged beauty and an impeccable pedigree. Could have looked as high as she liked, but it was love at sight with the two of ’em.’
The duchess shook her head. ‘Poor Grace died tragically young, not long after y’r father, and Sir Lionel went away for a while. Came back about six years ago, and it was soon after his return that he was made a magistrate, but though he was y’r father’s friend, our acquaintance was never renewed.’ The duchess looked up. ‘The child take after her mother, does she?’
‘Almost certainly,’ Serena generously conceded.
‘She is exquisite,’ said Cedric simultaneously.
She looked from one to the other. ‘H’m. Well, I shall invite them for dinner one evening during the family’s visit. The Saturday, I think. Speaking of which, Serena, I would like to go over some menus with you and Cook tomorrow morning. And we must check some of the other arrangements. I hope you have nothing planned?’
‘Nothing specific. My lovely new horse will be arriving sometime during the morning …’ Was it only this afternoon she had first seen and chosen Smoke? It seemed like a year. ‘But I do not have to be there to meet him,’ she concluded reluctantly.
‘I should hope not, indeed,’ the duchess declared with some force. ‘Duty before pleasure. I learned that lesson at my mother’s knee and have never forgotten it. I hope you will make it your watchword, too. Now, about this secretary of Charlotte’s ‒ so pretentious of her, for what she can possibly want with a secretary, I’m sure I don’t know. She says he is the only son of a Sir Rodney and Lady Bickerstaffe, who has fallen on hard times due to his father’s losing his entire fortune through bad investment. Such carelessness in the father does not exactly inspire confidence in the son. But then, Charlotte never had a grain of sense. Apart from which, I daresay it feeds her ego to have a baronet’s son for secretary.’
