Her Saving Grace (6 page)

Although
May and June were traditionally the busiest months of the London Season, for various reasons, not everyone could decamp to Town and there were still more than enough wealthy families to hold events.

Held on
Lanford Green, May Day was one of the few daytime events, although there would also be a ball in the evening and unusually, everyone in the town was invited to the daytime festivities.

Organised with the old traditions in mind, the day began with a recital by the St Mary’s Church Choir, in the courtyard outside the church. After that, the May Queen, usually a girl from a good family who was
at or nearing marriageable age, led a procession of people through the town and to the Green, where she presided over the afternoon’s events.

Once
at the Green, the children danced around a May Pole, local businesses (mainly eateries and craft shops) sold their wares from tables and although the tradition was dying out, Lanford still had its own troop of Morris dancers, who performed at intervals throughout the afternoon.

Most of the lower classes were unable to miss work for such an event
, but some factories closed their doors for the day and the lower middle classes, those with an education and a profession, were usually able to attend. Of course, only the truly wealthy of the middle classes, would be allowed to mingle with the aristocracy and entrance to the marquee was guarded, to make sure that no one had to mingle with ‘undesirables’. The lower classes had no marquee and had to make do with the shade of the trees.

The
evening ball was held in the assembly rooms, and it was considered a great honour to be invited to attend by the patronesses. Damaris knew that the mother of her friend, Elizabeth, was one of the assembly patronesses, therefore a verbal invitation from the daughter would probably be enough to ensure entry. However in the event, Elizabeth’s mother
did
send a messenger around that morning with an invitation.

Everyone knew that Lilly Paddington was
Damaris’ companion, and Elizabeth would even have been able to confirm that for her mother since she had spoken with Lilly the day before, so it rankled slightly that the invitation was for Damaris ‘and Guest’, rather than naming Lilly.

Damaris knew that Lilly wasn’t of her social class and
whilst she was middle class and educated, her parents weren’t wealthy enough to allow their daughters entry into the upper echelons of Society. Damaris also knew that she shouldn’t let these petty judgements get to her but she had been removed from Society for so long, that she knew it would be a chore to mind all their silly, and sometimes offensive, rules.

Knowing that she didn’t have the temperament to socialise all day,
Damaris attended only the afternoon events, so that she could become reacquainted with a few people before the ball that evening.

She was sorry not to be wearing
her usual black; it had become something of a uniform, but since this was a celebration of summer and since she wished to appear open and approachable, she had allowed herself to be dressed in a claret shade. Besides, black would look far too out of place amongst the white and pastels of the other ladies.

Their driver helped her and Lilly down from the carriage and Damaris took a deep breath, before walking
with purpose towards the marquee on the north side of the Green.

Everyone stared as she strode passed but Damaris kept her head high and ignored them.

“Smile!” Lilly hissed under her breath.

“Pardon?”

“Smile! You’ve got a face like a slapped arse!”

Damaris couldn’t help but smile at that; for all the refinement that Lilly had been taught while employed by her family,
the working class roots of her grandparents still showed now and again. Damaris actually liked many of her sayings, since they were so much more pointed than the polite yet moderate insults of the upper classes.

She linked her arm through Lilly’s and relaxed a little, telling herself that this wouldn’t be as bad as she imagined. She wasn’t facing a firing squad after all, just a social event, albeit her first in years.

“Mari!”

She turned to the
woman who had called her name.

“Eliza
!” She was surprised at the happiness she felt upon seeing her friend and the hug she gave Elizabeth was genuine. “You look so different!” she exclaimed as she pulled away.

“Well, it has been a while. I’m married now.”

“I remember you told me of your engagement. I’m sorry that-”

“Nonsense,” Elizabeth cut her apology off before she could offer it and turned to Lilly. “Do you mind if I steal her away for a while, Mrs Paddington? We have so much catching up to do.”

“Of course not,” Lilly smiled. “I think I’ll find a table in the marquee to settle at.”

Damaris knew that
she would settle with the nannies and governesses. As used to mixing with the upper classes as she was while acting as Damaris’ companion, Lilly was happier among the servants.

Elizabeth s
lipped her arm through Damaris’ and they began a leisurely stroll around the Green, taking a wide berth around the marquee.

“Before you are overcome with well-wishers, let me quickly say how very sorry I am about your father.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you all right?”

“I am. Oddly, I’m pleased to know what happened, now I just need to discover why.”

“Is that why you returned?”

Damaris gave her friend a sad look. “I know I’m an awful friend.”

“Oh, hush!” Elizabeth chastised. “True friends don’t need constant contact and that’s all we’ll say on the matter.”

Damaris smiled, remembering how she had always liked Elizabeth’s easy and forthright manner.

“Then yes, that is why I returned.”

“Any luck?”

“No,” Damaris sighed. “But it’
s early days.”

“I’ll keep my ears open for you, in case I hear anything that might be relevant.”

“Thank you and if I may be so bold, I’m specifically interested in anyone who may have seen him riding out on that Sunday, as well as any unusual observations from the preceding few weeks.”

“Understood,” Elisabeth smiled. “So, are you still reading Greek Philosophy?”

“Oh no, you know how I am; always flitting from one subject to another.”

“Only because you read everything
on any given topic so quickly,” Elizabeth teased. “So what interests you these days?”

“Well, you will think this terribly unladylike but before I came here, I was studying
the laws of motion.”

“Oh, such as?” Elizabeth looked confused.

“Heliocentricism.” When she saw that her friend still looked puzzled, she explained further. “The movement of the earth around the sun.”

“Oh, you mean like Galileo?”

“Yes, he’s one of the men who proposed that theory but his work has been much improved upon since then, by the likes of Copernicus, Keppler and of course, our own Isaac Newton.”

It seemed clear that Elizabeth had little interest in science. “Do you enjoy it?” her friend
asked.

“It keeps me occupied.”

Elizabeth frowned at such an odd response but she rallied none the less. “Well, as long as it gives you pleasure, that’s all that matters.”

Damaris didn’t comment again. “And life here is treating you well?”

“Very well,” Elizabeth smiled. “I’ll introduce you to my husband later.”

“Do I know him?”

“I don’t believe so. He’s the second son of a Scottish Laird.”

Unlike Damaris,
whose family had no wealth but two sons, Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of a wealthy family but they had no male heirs to pass the family’s wealth to. The match that their eldest daughter made was therefore of vital importance. Of course, it wasn’t uncommon in such cases for the parents’ choice to be more important than the child’s, but Damaris hoped that her friend’s forthright nature had seen off any suitors who were more interested in her estate than her wellbeing.

“And do you care for him?”

“Very much,” Elizabeth smiled. “He is quite the handsomest man I have ever met, and he is ever so genial. I’m sure that in no time at all, you will love him as I do.”

Damaris gave her friend a wicked grin. “Not exactly as you do, I hope?”

Elizabeth giggled. “Oh, Mari, you are bad.”

“
Lady Wellesley, Lady Wellesley!”

The women turned to see a short, stout lady, who was waving
at them and doing her best to rush without running.

“Oh well, Eliza, it was fun while it lasted,” Damaris lamented.

“Never fear, dearest, I shall call on you soon and we will have hours to chat and reminisce.”

Damaris gave her friend a brave smile, then they
turned to the lady, who was about to come within hearing distance.

“Oh,
Lady Wellesley, how lovely it is to see you here again. I declare, our town hasn’t been the same without your radiant image about the place.”

“Thank you, Mrs Sanders. I have to admit, I have missed the many familiarities of
Lanford.” ‘
Although not many of the people
,’ she silently added.

“I was so sorry to hear the news of your father, but then with
him so long missing, we could hardly expect anything else. I never believed for a moment that he had run off; he was such a responsible gentleman.”

“Indeed, he was.
Did you know my father well?”

“Oh no, not really. Which is to say, no more than most. But I recall that he was always a very reliable man, always kept his word.”

“He did.” Damaris realised that Mrs Sanders didn’t know anything useful, so moved the conversation on. “I hope you have been well?”

They resumed
walking around the edge of the Green.

“Oh yes, very well. My o
ldest three daughters are now married to fine young men, only my son, Arthur remains unattached. He is very pleased to know that you are back in town and told me to ask you for a dance this evening, if you are attending.”

Whilst
aristocratic by birth, Mrs Sanders’ family had little wealth and she had long been hoping to marry all her children off to wealthy individuals, hence before her marriage to a Wellesley, Mrs Sanders and her children had hardly given Damaris the time of day. Now that she was a wealthy widow however, that had changed.

“Then I shall save him one of the cotillion
s.” If she recalled correctly, Arthur Sanders had never liked cotillions. “I must claim surprise at his interest however; why in six months out in Society before my marriage, I don’t believe I had two dances with him.”

Eliza
beth elbowed her gently in the ribs by way of reproach.

Mrs Sanders waved her comment away. “Well he is very much looking forward to rectifying that.”

The rest of the afternoon passed in a similar fashion and Damaris had never shown such interest in maypole nor Morris dancing in her life, but since it would be rude to interrupt someone enjoying the displays, these were her only few moments of respite.

At four o’clock she’d had her fill of socialising and finding Lilly, they headed h
ome. Once safely in the confines of the carriage, Damaris leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

“It will get easier,” Lilly tried to console her.

“If anything, it is worse than ever,” she lamented. “Not only am I out of practice, everyone seems to have a son who is just dying to see me again, or meet me, or dance with me. I am honestly not sure for how much longer I can hold my tongue.”

“From what I was hearing, you didn’t do much holding this afternoon.” Though she was sympathetic, her tone was slightly disapproving.

Damaris opened her eyes and sighed. “Then it is a good thing that people are willing to forgive a rich widow an awful lot.”

Lilly shook her head
. “Did you at least learn anything about your father?”

“Nothing of consequence,” she confessed, her gaze drawn to the carriage window. “I think it is probably the men that I shall learn the most from, they are less inclined to spread idle gossip and rather more likely to have had dealings with him.”

“Well, I think you did very well today, my dear.”

Damaris looked at her, surprised.

“I know it can’t be easy for you, and I’m sorry if I sounded a little harsh earlier.”

Damaris smiled; the praise meant a lot coming from
Lilly.

***

Damaris’ evening gown was a deep blue, which flattered her eyes but she was not best pleased with it. The empire line silk dress was cut very low and her short corset had to be tied so tightly, that she almost felt as if her bosoms were under her arms.

The sleeveless robe worn over the dress was a darker shade of blue, had an
empire line bodice which fastened under the bust with a bejewelled clasp, was gathered at the rear with a slight train, and was embroidered with glass beads and metallic spangles, which would catch the candle light.