Enchanted Summer: (Regency Romance) (7 page)

“Oh, dear Uncle,” said Celia, “thank you so much. Your house and the grounds are wonderful.”

“Good, good,” said Worth. He looked exceedingly pleased as he pressed Celia’s hand. Then he glanced furtively at the windows of the house and a frown crossed his brow. Celia followed his gaze and saw that Caroline stood at one of the second floor long windows and was staring down at them.

Uncle Worth must be afraid Caroline might witness their affectionate greeting. Celia was certain that allowing the Meades to live at Rook’s end had caused him a lot of strife with his children. She could see it in the haggard look on his face. He was not a man made for confrontation, and it must be a great strain on him to oppose his family in order to help the Meades.

The following morning they had a visit from Lord Shelton’s daughters. A fire was lit in a small parlor that adjoined the dining-room. Caroline and Sylvia as well as the Meade ladies visited for an hour with them.

Lady Ellen had come to invite everyone to a small dinner at Shelton Hall two days hence. Julia and Caroline talked by themselves while her younger sisters, Mary and Sally, chatted with Margaretta and Bella.

Lady Ellen came to sit by Celia and they chatted about the Meades’ impressions of their new address.

Finally, Ellen, as she had asked Celia to call her, asked Celia to show her some of her paintings and Celia directed her to her rooms upstairs.

“I do hope we shall become friends,” said Ellen, as they walked up the stairs. She reached impulsively for Celia’s hand, pressing it in friendship.

“I hope so too,” said Celia and she told her of her walk the day before in the woods. However, she was too shy to mention the picnic with Robert.

“You’re welcome to walk in our woods whenever you want,” said Ellen, anticipating the request. “I’ll tell our gamekeeper. My brother Robert is always too busy with work to go hunting. Here we are,” she said, as they reached the door, “I warrant you, it’s nothing to be too proud of. I need painting lessons from a real master. What I have is not—”

“Oh, this watercolor,” said Ellen, “it’s lovely!”

“I’m so glad you like it,” said Celia, beaming. She was always grateful when someone showed appreciation for her work.

“The sky is so low on the horizon,” said Ellen, looking intently at the painting, “It really sets the mood of a brooding, still moor. Did you paint from life?”

“I have not had any opportunity for visiting the moors; it was just from my imagination. I have seen paintings of moors at other times. I suppose they just stayed in my mind.”

“It is amazing then, that you can capture such a mood even without copying a scene from life. Do you think perhaps I could I accompany you some time?” asked Ellen, “You will be able to copy from the countryside and the woods around here. I should so like to see you paint!”

“Yes. I would like that very much!” Celia acceded quickly. How eager she was to have a friend in the area and how impossible she had thought that would be before, considering Caroline’s attitude. Yet now, this sweet girl, Lord Merrick’s sister, was now offering her friendship! How happy Celia felt as she showed Ellen the rest of her watercolors and drawings. Celia asked Ellen if she would pose for a drawing and was rewarded with a fast reply. “Yes, of course. Oh dear Celia, I would so love that!”

CHAPTER 7

The following day Celia started the sketching of Ellen’s likeness. The two girls sat under an old oak at the edge of the meadow when Lord Merrick met up with them, and called out a greeting.

The girls made a pretty picture as they sat with their skirts billowing around them on the pale green grass. They looked up in surprise, and Ellen exclaimed at sight of her brother while Celia felt a stirring of excitement run through her.

* * *

The caressing way in which the sun fell on Celia’s face and hair was not lost on Robert as he greeted each in turn, his hand lingering on Celia’s.

“I was making the rounds of the woods with Landrew when I saw you from across the meadow,” he said by way of explanation for intruding on them. “I thought I might cross over and…”

“Do sit, dear,” said Ellen quickly, “and tell me how my sketch is coming along,” she said, rescuing her brother from too much explanation.

“We were about to stop work and have our picnic, Robert. Won’t you join us?” she added.

“I…” Robert turned to Celia, to see if the idea was as welcome to her as it was to him.

Celia said nothing at first, after her quiet greeting but continued to work on her drawing. But Robert saw a soft smile grazing her lips and a thrill shot through him.

Then Celia turned her full gaze on him and echoed Ellen’s invitation. Robert looked directly into her eyes. The memory of their time together the day before came back to him and he felt that Celia’s thoughts were also on their meeting. How wonderful that he could enjoy her company again, and in almost the same spot as the day before.

“I’m sure there’s enough food here for the three of us,” Ellen said. “You must take a rest from your work, Celia. We have the whole afternoon; no use tiring yourself.”

Celia helped Ellen to spread the cloth and arrange the napkins and plates. Both Robert and Celia were quiet while Ellen kept a steady stream of chatter.

Robert mused that Celia had learned more about Ellen and her studies than she had found out until now because poor Ellen, burdened with the problem of keeping up the conversation was hardly helped by him and Celia. He was intensely aware of Celia and he felt that she felt his presence just as much as he did hers.

Ellen told Celia that she belonged to a literary circle and mentioned certain authors. Celia looked up in surprise at Robert. Robert could tell she was curious as to how he viewed his sister’s friends.

“I’ve been their guest a few times,” Robert told Celia. “I had to be certain Ellen was not involved with any objectionable persons.”

“I don’t mind you checking up on me, Robert.” Ellen said amiably. “I wish you would join my group.”

“No thanks,” Lord Merrick said with a laugh. “I’ve enough to do with Parliament.”

“I hope you will come to London with me, Celia. I do so want to introduce you to them,” she added.

“As you can see, Miss Meade,” said Robert, “my sister is a bluestocking.”

“Our house in St. James stays open year around, not just for the Season, Celia,” added Ellen, ignoring her brother’s words. “Robert fills in our father’s seat in Parliament and he has other business in London. I often tag along with him. Now I shall drag you with us, to see what Lady Caroline Lamb is up to, among other things,” she laughed.

Robert realized that Ellen was doing everything possible to throw him and Celia in each other’s company. How wonderful that he had an ally in his sister Ellen. With two conspiring to bring them together he and Celia had a better chance than with just his effort alone.

But Lord Shelton, having been told that both Robert and Ellen would be gone for three days on a trip to London became extremely upset about it.

“You can’t both of you leave me alone for three or four days. I will not stand for it!” He was addressing Lord Merrick as Lord Merrick walked behind the footman who was wheeling Lord Shelton to the back terrace where Lord Shelton took the air each morning if the sun was out. Lord Merrick had insisted on this when his father would have stayed in bed, instead, complaining that he was restricted to his bed.

“Dr. Kinny has agreed to visit you twice a day, Papa,” Lord Merrick assured him. “You will be well-cared for. I must go to London for an important vote in Parliament and Ellen has need of some fashion items she can only obtain in London.”

“Bah! You’re both just doing this to get me in a state. Why can’t one of you stay with me? Why must you both leave at once?”

“You have three other daughters beside Ellen, Papa,” Lord Merrick pressed on, suppressing a sigh of fear that his little outing with Celia might be disrupted. He and Ellen had planned it with great care. The hardest thing, they thought, was that Celia would agree to go with both of them to London. Then Ellen had the idea to include their Aunt Lavinia. Celia had readily agreed once Aunt Lavinia had been included.

Lord Shelton tried to stand up from his three-wheeled Bath chair and Robert hurried to hold him down lest he harm himself. He wished he could install a leather strap across the Bath chair to hold his father down while they moved him about for he was always doing this and making either Robert or Ellen gasp that he should someday harm himself by falling head first from his chair to the floor. But he doubted his father would allow the strap.

Lord Merrick had purchased a chair each for downstairs and for his bedroom, for him to be wheeled about the lower and upper floors.

“Either you or Ellen must stay with me. I order you to do that, Robert,” his father insisted, as a footman placed a serviette on his chest and started to feed him. Lord Shelton’s limp left arm lay useless by his side and although he could move his right hand and hold things with it, the effort was too much for his dwindling strength.

Robert instructed his father’s footman, Will, to wheel his father to the back terrace which was pleasantly sunlit. He then took his leave of him.

* * *

Caroline glanced at the mirror which revealed her in her new sky blue habit. She smiled at the thought that she looked her best in the costly attire as her maid put a fresh handkerchief in Caroline’s reticule and placed the matching short cape about her mistress’ shoulders.

“It’s ever so pretty, Miss Caroline,” Dora said of the new habit. “And becoming to your eyes!”

“Go see if John is coming,” Caroline said, ignoring Dora’s words. She checked the reticule to make certain there was a comb and a few hair pins inside and reaching for her whip she walked down the hall just as John and Dora were coming up to meet her.

The groom rode at a respectful distance from Caroline as Caroline headed to the Shelton estate where she was to meet with Julia for their morning ride. But she was early, for she intended to speak with Lord Shelton while Julia finished with her grooming.

When the butler opened the door for Miss Caroline Delaney, Caroline told him that she was a bit early because she needed to speak with Lord Shelton. She was aware that Lord Merrick was away for a day, so she did not expect to run into him. It was with his father that she had business today.

“Lord Shelton is in the back terrace, taking the sun, Miss Delaney,” Dorlan, the butler, told her, confirming what her spy had confided to her.

“Would you direct me to Lord Shelton while I wait for Lady Julia, Dorlan?”

“Yes, Miss Delaney,” said the butler and his granite countenance revealed none of his thoughts.

Once she had greeted Lord Shelton, who was surprised at his visitor, Caroline hurried on to what had brought her to her meeting.

“Lord Shelton,” she said as Lord Shelton glanced curiously at her, “I came a little early for my riding outing with Lady Julia and I asked Dorlan to direct me to you for I was anxious to see how you fared, my lord.”

“Ah—bah—well, as inconvenienced as always and unhappy that Robert and Ellen are both to leave me for a few days. I have stated repeatedly to them that they must not both leave at the same time!”

“I understand completely, Lord Shelton,” Caroline said, instilling softness to her voice. With a glance at the terrace door, looking out for Julia, she moved a chair closer to him and sat. “I have found out that Miss Meade is the reason they are both leaving together to London, Lord Shelton. Miss Meade has insisted on it.”

“Upon my word, why would the chit do so? What business does she have in this? And who
is
Miss Meade,” he added. “I did not understand fully what her connection is to your family when she was introduced to me.”

“Miss Meade is a poor relation, Lord Shelton. She and her family begged Mr. Delaney to take them in, and they have disrupted our household since the first moment they arrived! They squandered the trust fund that Celia’s father left them and now must live on what they beg from my father!”

“Why has your father allowed himself to be bamboozled this way?” asked Lord Shelton.

“Intrigue is Miss Meade’s main talent, Lord Shelton,” Caroline told him. “But I beg you not to disclose what I told you to your son. You see, Miss Meade has put her sights on your son and is doing everything in her power to trap him in her net.”

“Upon my word,” Lord Shelton said again. “How can I be of service to you, Miss Delaney?”

“You must not allow your son to fall into Miss Meade’s clutches, Lord Shelton. But I beg of you, please don’t let him know that it was I who alerted you of the danger!”

“I will keep your confidence, Miss Meade, and thank you for your trust in me. Have no fear, I will put a stop to Miss Meade’s machinations!”

“I feel better already, Lord Shelton,” Caroline said in a low voice as she stood up, moved her chair back to where she had found it and called a greeting to Julia, as she heard her friend calling out for her.

* * *

Once back home, Celia, locked away in the privacy of her studio, basked in recalling the wonderful morning she had spent with Robert and Ellen.

But Celia was in a quandary. On the one hand she enjoyed Ellen’s company and was very happy to have at least one friend in the neighborhood, for she and Ellen were alike in many ways. Celia had never had a friend who thought of things besides balls and dresses and rides around the park. But the price of this too enjoyable company was too high. Celia felt sinking more and more into an attraction towards Robert that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Though she was successful in keeping herself from thinking of Robert, he was always just at the edge of her mind, increasingly coloring all her actions and the way she felt each day.

Yet each time she considered it she again came up against a wall. There was just no way to avoid the fact that Caroline considered Robert her personal property. A shudder coursed through Celia—where would this lead?

One afternoon when the rain was keeping Celia to her room her mother came in to tell her that Uncle Worth had asked her help in organizing a ball that was to be held in mid-summer. Worth, she told Celia, had given her the list of guests and they included many people from Bath, as well as the families in the surrounding countryside. Apparently, although Aunt Solace had died a year and a half before, Caroline had convinced her father that she would wear lavender, in keeping with custom but that a year and a half was enough of a mourning period.

The idea caught Celia by surprise. Such a thought had never crossed her mind. Although the huge manor did not have a ballroom the great hall had the proportions for holding at least forty couples dancing at once. She felt a surge of excitement. To dance with Robert!

Celia had received an invitation from Ellen to accompany her and Robert to London a few days before and Celia had happily agreed. Lord Merrick had to be present for an important vote in Parliament and Ellen needed to do some shopping. She told Celia she would make her very happy if she would agree to accompany them. They would spend three nights and four days in London.

How could she say no to something that held so much allure? But in the back of her mind there was the nagging little voice that told her Robert would be with them countless hours once his duties in Parliament were met. It was obvious Ellen was trying to bring Celia and her brother together.

A swirl of happiness in her chest made her sigh with joy.

Aunt Lavinia would accompany them so that the journey would be all that was proper.

“And your father agreed for both of you to leave at the same time?” Celia asked Ellen. She was surprised, for she had seen how clinging Lord Shelton was toward both Ellen and Robert.

“Oh, it wasn’t easy for Robert to convince him,” Ellen said with a shake of the head. “He had to convince Lord Shelton’s sister, Aunt Agatha, who lives in the next county, to spend the days we are away with him. Poor Aunt Agatha,” said Ellen, “Papa will have her running around all the time we are away, getting him this and that from the village. You cannot imagine, Celia, how different Papa is from how he was before his illness. You would not have known him now had you known him then.”

“Illness of such devastating nature changes people,” Celia.

Caroline could not invite herself to be one of their party as she had nothing in common with Ellen and had never been her friend. It was Julia who was Caroline’s best friend. Julia was a girl easily swayed by flattery and had not the perception to see that Caroline’s friendship was little more than her wish to be a close companion to someone who would bring her in closer contact with her object, which was to be mistress of Shelton Hall.