Journey's End (Marlbrook) (13 page)

Laura remained oblivious to Lord Henry's antics, and unaware that she had erected yet another barrier in her relationship with her sister.

Sarah acted elated, girlish giggles concealing her hostility.  Unlike Laura, she could see through Lord Henry’s game.  They were identical
,
she and
he
, and she applauded his technique.

As for her irksome sister, she earned no such admiration or praise.  Laura had thrust her into the background for the last time.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
- Games

Lord Henry’s return brought about change.  Normally sedate servants reacted to the man with fervour, as he breathed life into a stagnant household.

Laura tried her best to understand her master.  A man awash with faults and exploits worthy of note, as indeed most under stairs attested to, he had become their main source of conversation.  There were days when Laura wondered what they had ever discussed prior to his arrival.  However
,
she had come to understand the relevance of his homecoming, the meaning deeper than that of a son merely returning home.  Lord Henry and his bride-to-be heralded a new era for Marlbrook.  Their wedding would ensure the continuation of a lineage and cement the positions of the staff.  The ultimate result was an economic one.  To a countryside bereft of work
,
the prospect of prolonged employment warranted celebration.

Cosseted in her drawing room,
Lady
Catherine
grew impatient
to impart her news
to Laura
.  “My son is to be honoured with a modest dinner, and I have decided to surround myself with company that will not irritate me
while I partake of food
.”

“Is Lord Henry’s
fiancé
e
to join him?”

“No. However
,
the guest list includes Laura Jennings and her sister. You have my blessing to attend.”
  Had she been so inclined, Lady Catherine might have
taken pleasure
from
her
creative
delivery.
  S
uch an invitation was unheard of in social circles, but then Lady
Catherine
did not always stay in tune with her peers.  The event was dated to take place before the first wave of houseguests arrived for the summer.

Laura could count on one hand the
number
of social occasions that she had attended during her lifetime, and those, she reluctantly had to admit, included funerals.

“Sarah,
we
are surely
blessed to be given this opportunity
.
”

“My father always included me when he entertained
,
”
Sarah
replied
, thus
effectively
ending the conversation.

Lord Henry sat alone in his study, a glass of whiskey in his hand.  He was proficient in the art of deceit.  He had manipulated his mother in order to procure his own end, and Lady
Catherine
remained unaware of his subtle prompting.  At the conclusion of the dinner party, Laura would share his bed.

Laura
lingered
in front of the mirror.  The girl
,
with eyes sheltered against the world had departed, replaced by a woman eager to participate in life.  Her hand reached out and touched her face as if sampling the significance.  She was content and her image confirmed her satisfaction.

Laura’s
dress, donated by Lady
Catherine
, moved in unison with
her
, the fabric owning a colour that walked hand in hand with her eyes.  Her hair shimmered, having undergone a lengthy brushing.  No adornments embellished Laura, the night lights would undertake that task.

Sarah had spent her days in preparation and her nights crippled by rage, when her endeavours had not gone as she desired.  Her room verified her efforts.  Clothes decorated the bed and floor.  Hairpins and face powder adorned the dresser
.
P
retty baubles lifted the lid of her painted jewellery box
,
the trinkets joining the disarray.  She too appeared before the looking glass, and knew it would take an exceptional man to refuse an offer when packaged like this.  She too, smiled.

Sarah peered over her shoulder as Laura entered her chamber.  Envy reared and blistered.  Laura beckoned to her to hurry, but Sarah made no move.  Sarah was appalled by the sight of her sister standing in the doorway.  Somewhere along the way
,
her older rival had acquired beauty and
Sarah
had not realised it until now.

Laura and Sarah were not the first to enter the dining room.  Two gentlemen, one of stout proportions and the other tall and thin, were positioned
near
Lord Henry, the three engrossed in deep conversation.  The unidentified men were the only
other
additional dinner guests on the invitation.

The chamber mesmerised the new entrants.  Row upon row of candles brightened the night, bestowing a dreamlike glow on everything they touched.  However, spellbound or not, Laura silently scolded herself for their late arrival.  All eyes were focused upon them, as they completed their walk to the far wall.

Sarah maintained a polite distance from her sister
,
allowing Laura to precede first.  No one would ever denounce her for a lack of decorum.  Hostility absented itself.  Tonight
,
Sarah bathed in the compliments she read in the faces around her
;
in particular
,
Lord Henry’s that
she examined with care.

Lady
Catherine
sat upon her chair as though it were her throne, her black cane complementing the colour of her gown.  She condoned her son completing the introductions alone.
 
“Laura!”  The thunderous proclamation silenced the occupants of the room.  “I must insist upon your company. Come
,
girl
,
and sit by me.”

Despite the unnecessary attention her summons had commanded, Laura was grateful to her ally.

Lady
Catherine
took Laura under her wing.  “Do you not think that our distinguished
,
but somewhat crumpled
,
guest, Mr D’eath, is in need of a manservant
?
”

Laura chuckled.  Lady
Catherine
misbehaved, and under her influence Laura would soon regain her composure.

Lord Henry Marlbrook, as decreed by the majority, had matured into a princely man, one used to getting his own way.  His mastery was obvious to those he indulged in conversation.

The two male additions to the household were of an older age group, distinguished but somewhat rumpled in appearance, looking oddly as though they had trekked a great distance to be here.  An equal number dined.

Her Ladyship enjoyed playing the role of antagonist.
 
“My son tells me that you have travelled to distant shores and looked upon sights that we mere mortals cannot invoke due to our uninformed intelligence. This is an e
xtraordinary claim Mr D’eath?”

In all
,
Mr D’eath appeared to be a grubby little man with an egg
-
shaped belly protruding from his centre.  He took
great
pleasure in his superior intellect and opposed his hostess without qualm.

“I concede to your scorn, Lady
Catherine
;
however
,
there are wonders in this world that are beyond the bland and predictable.  For those who have never witnessed the miracles
,
it may be too difficult
for them to raise in imagination.

And so it began.  Tales of strange and enigmatic lands
fuelled
thought and resulted in the manufacture of aspirations.  Laura hung on Mr Death’s every word, suspended by the descriptive narrative from which her journal would later profit.

Mr D’eath, a Doctor of Anthropology, as well as his understudy Mr Cartwright, belonged to the London Society of Anthropologists.  Recently returned from
Egypt
, it appeared that Mr Cartwright’s sole function hinged on his ability to unconditionally agree with every phrase Mr D’eath uttered.  Mr D’eath, on the other hand, relished the attention and assumed the primary role of conversationalist. 
Moreover
,
aside from his unfortunate name linking him with his profession and making one have to stifle the occasional bout of mirth, he remained unchallenged.

Sarah coveted the life of the rich.  Dressed to entice
,
she too thrived on attention, and since Lord Henry was still obviously smitten with Laura
,
she decided to amuse herself elsewhere.  Sarah understood that the novelty of her sister’s virginal appeal had yet to wear off.

Sarah chose Mr D’eath as her benefactor.  “Mr D’eath, I have yet to experience travel abroad
,
but after hearing such tales
,
I am now convinced that I shall not sleep for dreaming of such wonders.”

“Why
,
my dear,
you are a beautiful young lady, and I should not forgive myself for your loss of sleep.  Come, I have many more accounts if you
are
interested
?
”

Sarah became Mr D’eath’s focus.  The child displayed an eager intellect and had an appetite for enlightenment.

As the night progressed
,
Laura withdrew from the general company
,
observing the gathering in relative isolation.  Her wistful frame of mind was attributable, in part, to the
Madeira
she had sampled.  However
,
her serenity did not endure.  Lord Henry
was attentive and by her side.

“My Lord!”  Startled by his
L
ordships sudden appearance, what remained of Laura’s drink leapt about in her glass.

“May I extend my compliments, ma’am, on your appearance.  I can state with some accuracy that you would be perceived as a rival in any of societ
y
’
s
social circles,” Lord Henry said, as he pursued Laura’s eyes committing them to his.

“Thank you, my
L
ord. While I am bound by courtesy to accept your civility, I am afraid you do me no favours.”

“Pray inform me, what woman is not keen to hear praise
on
her appearance?”

“Do you not think, sir, that it is rather pitiable that we judge a woman
solely
on her beauty?”

Lord Henry tried to categorise the woman but could not.  Instead
,
he provoked her further.

“Madam
, y
ou do me a great injustice. Surely the obligation to charm is at the very centre of a gentleman’s structure, and to dispute a man’s right to express those beliefs is an extremely harsh conclusion.”

Laura immediately regretted the severity of her response and set about correcting her error.

“My Lord
, p
lease believe me when I declare that I had no intention of offending your honour. My statement was made in ignorance, and I must sincerely apologise for ever bringing your conduct into question.”

Laura’s explanation at an end, Lord Henry recognised a familiar feel to the situation.  He smiled an enthusiastic smile, as it dawned on him that he actually liked this whippet of a woman who disregarded his title and vowed to be unimpressed by his flattering approval.  Remarkably, rather than annoy him, her rejection aroused his interest further.

“If you are sincere, then you are indeed a rarity among women. I know of no other that does not crave the praises of men or solicit the stolen, hateful glances of other beautiful woman. But tell me, for I am eager to know more, how is a woman to acquire her contentment if not fed by the compliments of men?”

“Your question is effortless to answer, my Lord. I judge you based on your thoughts and actions, therefore why would I not grant myself the same consideration?”

Lord Henry enjoyed Laura’s banter but recognised that he could not remain in her company for long.  She was an intelligent woman and would eventually guess his true design.  Laura guaranteed far more than he had originally envisaged
.  H
e let go of his contrived outcome for this night’s work, conscious that
an
opportunity would not present itself.