Lord Ilchester's Inheritance (12 page)

An image of Gideon in a transparent shirt which clung to his manly torso filled her head with unexpected thoughts.

‘Saffy, Saffy, you are wool-gathering. We asked if you were going to come down today after Doctor Smith has come.’

‘I beg your pardon, David, I did not sleep well last night. I have every intention of joining you in the garden later, even if I can’t play, I can watch you do so. Perhaps Uncle John will allow some of the boys an hour or so off, so you can have another game of rounders, or perhaps cricket this time?’

‘We can push you in the bath chair, Uncle said we can as he doesn’t need it anymore. All you have to do is get downstairs.’ Tom pointed at the two walking sticks leaning drunkenly against the far wall. ‘Are those for you to walk with?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, my ankle is so much better I am sure I can manage with those to lean on.’

Doctor Smith pronounced her well enough to leave the daybed but warned her against overtaxing herself as this could lead to permanent damage to the ankle. Reluctantly she agreed to be wheeled around by her brothers and they thought this was a lark.

Uncle John was reclining on a comfortable armchair, his feet on the padded footstool, in the shade of a spreading oak tree on the lawn and seemed remarkably pleased to see her.

‘Your young man has departed, however, he left me a gracious note thanking me for my hospitality and confirming that he and his family will be coming to our house party to celebrate your twentieth name day. How are the arrangements progressing, my dear?’

The rest of the day passed swiftly and there was no time to think about Gideon, or why he had left without saying goodbye, indeed, why he had left before everybody was up. She would ask him when he came – if she got the opportunity to speak to him alone.

Everything was in hand for the garden party and she was confident the housekeeper, the butler and estate manager were quite capable of arranging matters from now on. Invitations had been written to their neighbours and these would be delivered over the next day or two.

If these were accepted it would mean that two other families would be staying at Canfield Hall alongside the Ilchesters. She was eagerly anticipating being able to meet some young ladies of her own age, there were three girls accompanying their parents – and two gentlemen.

Once her ankle was fully restored she intended to make sure her brothers were competent swimmers. She had also given instructions that the punt and both the rowing boats should be inspected and refurbished so they would be available to any of the guests who might wish to use them.

The croquet lawn was being carefully tended to by the head gardener, and the necessary equipment to play a game of cricket had been discovered in the attic. She and her uncle were discussing this after dinner a week after Lord Ilchester had gone.

‘I have watched a cricket match once before, Uncle, it was most agreeable. Do you think we might have an impromptu match between Canfield Hall and the village? There is to be a tug of war, so why not a cricket match?’

‘An excellent notion, I shall speak to Jarvis. He has little to do now that I am more mobile, organising this will keep him busy.’

‘Will our house guests take part, do you think?’

‘Absolutely. I shall appoint Lord Ilchester as captain. He seems like an athletic man.’

An image of this gentleman filled her head and she nodded in agreement.

Chapter Twelve

Gideon had ample time on his return journey to consider his options with regard to his emotional entanglement with Sapphire. At eight and twenty he must be considered more than ready to set up his nursery with a suitable young lady. Mama had already suggested several likely candidates amongst the latest crop of debutantes, however, none of them had stirred his senses in a way that Sapphire had.

After enjoying a leisurely and tasty breakfast he returned to the barouche. He stretched his legs across the well of the carriage and, closing his eyes, enjoyed the feel of the June sunshine on his face. Sapphire was not the sort of young lady he had envisaged marrying – not that he had given the matter of great deal of thought up until this point. Somehow he had always supposed he would select a dainty, blonde, quiet, well-mannered girl who would make an excellent mother, whilst allowing him to be the master in his own home.

How had a young lady who was so different from his expectations stolen his heart? Sapphire was above average height, rounded in all the necessary places, with vibrant, chestnut hair. She was certainly not quiet, nor well-mannered, and if he married her he would be constantly challenged. She was as far from submissive and obedient as any woman in the kingdom. But he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that no other would do for him.

The carriage rocked alarmingly as one wheel dropped into a pothole and this jerked him from his reverie. His coachman called a cheery apology from the box and the journey continued. Gideon realised they were already trundling through his land – he would be home within the hour.

One thing was for certain, he must not let his family know he had decided to marry Sapphire Stanton. It was going to take a deal of wooing and sweet-talking to convince the lady in question that she was ready to give up her freedom. She would protest about leaving Canfield Hall, but he could put in a tenant who would take care of the place until the boys were old enough to live there on their own. Mr Bishop would also come to Ilchester Abbey and join the family; the place was more than big enough to accommodate a dozen extra residents and still have room to spare.

Satisfied with his decisions he hastily checked his neckcloth was neatly arranged, his Hessians were spotless, and that there was no dust or debris on his immaculate topcoat. During the next three weeks he must review his home – see what needed updating with a view to bringing his bride and her family to live there. Not a man to procrastinate, he was determined to make Sapphire an offer whilst at the house party and intended to arrange his nuptials before the end of the year.

That she would most definitely object to his suggestion did not deter him in the slightest. When he made up his mind he always achieved his objective, and he was sure that persuading the woman he loved to distraction to marry him, would be a simple and enjoyable matter.

*

The day finally dawned for the arrival of the first of the house guests. Indeed, their baggage and servants were already here. Sapphire was making a final tour of inspection with the housekeeper, Mrs Banks. ‘The house is almost unrecognisable from the one I arrived at a few months ago. Everything is sparkling, freshly painted and refurbished.’

‘It does you credit, Miss Stanton, to have organised everything so quickly. As you know, I’ve been here since Mr Bishop bought the place, but it has never looked its best until now.’ Mrs Banks opened the door to the fourth guest apartment. ‘I am putting Sir Joshua and Lady Jamieson in here, miss, and their two young ladies in the chamber next to them.’

‘I have no need to inspect anywhere else, Mrs Banks, I am delighted with everything I have seen this morning. I believe Lord Ilchester and his party will be the first to arrive, they should be here by mid-afternoon. Then you must expect, Sir Joshua and Lady Jamieson and their daughters, and lastly the Forsyth family. I am glad that their two sons are to accompany them or we would be desperately short of gentlemen. As they have the furthest to travel they might not be here until just before dinner time, so Cook must be prepared to delay things if necessary.’

Mr and Mrs Forsyth were acquaintances of her uncle, but he had not seen them for some time. They had not been on the list that Gideon had left.

As she was returning to the ground floor her brothers appeared with their nursery maid in tow. ‘We can ride properly now, Saffy, Ned says we can go with you next time you take Star out.’ David arrived at her side smelling distinctly of the stables.

‘That is excellent news, boys, I’m sure Lord Ilchester will be impressed by your progress. I am going to check the boathouse and the boats, and look at the new jetty that has been built. Do you wish to come with me?’

‘Yes please,’ Tom said hopping from one foot to the other. ‘Now we can swim properly can we go down to the lake by ourselves?’

‘Absolutely not. However, you may go if Meg is with you, but you must not take a boat out or go in the water unless I am there.’

Although they were both confident swimmers, until they were older and had developed more than a doggy-paddle to propel themselves along, she wasn’t allowing them to swim unsupervised.

The boathouse had been limewashed and scrubbed, the two rowing boats and punt had been varnished and fresh upholstery put in place. Satisfied everything was perfect, Sapphire returned to the house. ‘You must go upstairs and wash and change, boys, I want you spotless and on your best behaviour when our guests arrive.’

It was a shame that none of their visitors were bringing any younger children with them. Uncle John had explained that parents generally left their youngest progeny in the care of their nannies and nursemaids when making visits – only adult children accompanied them.

‘Tomorrow will be much more fun for you both. You have my permission to help with setting up the outside events for my name day garden party. There will be a hog roast, a tug of war, a cricket match as well as a Punch and Judy show.’

‘Tom said there will be stilt walkers and fire-eaters too, Saffy. Are they going to come?’

‘I sincerely hope so, they are definitely booked. And as it is such a special occasion, you will be allowed to remain up until dark to watch the fireworks and the dancing. The only thing that could spoil the event is if it rains.’

Tom pointed to the marquee that had been erected for this eventuality. ‘We can go in that big tent if it’s wet, and anyway we don’t mind the rain, do we David?’

His twin agreed and they ran off chattering about everything they intended to do tomorrow.

Sapphire found her uncle relaxing on the terrace reading the newspaper. ‘How are you, my dear girl? You look positively blooming – all this excitement is obviously agreeing with you.’ He waved towards a chair and she took it willingly.

‘I am so looking forward to it, thank you so much for allowing me to have such an extravagant party when it is not even my majority I’m celebrating – becoming twenty years of age is neither here nor there.

‘However, I must own to be a little nervous about having such prestigious house guests here. Remember, Uncle John, I have never mixed in society before.’

He snorted and shook his head. ‘Stuff and nonsense, my girl. My sister was gentry and she will have brought you up properly. You have pretty manners, lively conversation and excellent deportment. There will be a no more beautiful, more intelligent or more eligible young lady present at your party.’

She stared open-mouthed at this unexpected praise. ‘Uncle John, thank you for your compliments, but I believe you are a trifle biased. And please do not mention that word again. I am not
eligible
, I have no intention of getting married in the foreseeable future as I could not be happier than I am now. Why should I give up everything I have here to start again somewhere else which might not be nearly as pleasant?’

He chuckled, but did not look convinced by her statement. ‘You say that now, my dear, but when you meet the right gentleman and fall in love, your tune will change, I guarantee it.’ His smile faded and he reached out and took her hand with a surprisingly strong grip. ‘You know how things are with me, and if you want to make me happy you will do as I ask and think about the future. The doctor said that worry and stress could aggravate my condition and I’m sure that you do not wish to do that. Knowing that you will be taken care of when I’m gone is all I want.’

It was impossible to withstand this plea even though he was using his ill health to manipulate her into agreeing to something she had no wish to do. ‘Very well, I give you my word that if I, by some miracle, meet the gentleman I wish to spend the rest of my life with, I will not let my personal feelings about leaving Canfield Hall stand in the way.’

‘Thank you, Sapphire, you have made my old heart glad.’ He definitely had a smug expression as he sat back and hid his face in his news journal.

She watched him fondly for a few minutes and then patted his arm and left him to read. Although he had manoeuvered her into a corner, on reflection she considered she was still at liberty to do as she promised and still remain with him and the boys at Canfield Hall. She would never marry without there being love on both sides – therefore, any gentleman who wished to marry her would naturally agree to live at Canfield. After all, would it not be his intention to fulfil her every wish?

There was little left for her to do apart from change into something more elegant before the first guests arrived. She glanced at the tall clock in the drawing room and saw that there was at least another hour before she had to return to her chamber to get changed.

She would walk through the woods where it would be cool and pleasant under the green canopy. There was no necessity to inform anyone of her plans, she would not be gone long and every member of staff was busy about their designated tasks.

She retied the bow on her chip straw bonnet more securely and set off across the grass to the inviting shade of the trees. She had been walking for a while when she heard a strange cry. She froze, before recovering her equilibrium when she recognised the sound as that of an animal in pain.

The pitiful cry was coming from somewhere deep within the undergrowth and, ignoring the damage to her gown, she pushed her way forwards.

‘My goodness! You poor thing, don’t worry I shall soon have you free.’ Her comforting words appeared to soothe the matted creature spreadeagled on the ground. It was a dog of indeterminate ancestry and medium size. Somehow the unfortunate beast had become entangled in a bramble bush and, from the look and smell of it, had been there for some time.

‘There there, Saffy will soon have you free. Keep still, there’s a good dog, it is going to take me a little while to remove the briars for they are quite embedded in your shaggy coat.’

Fortunately she had worn gloves this morning, something she did not always bother to do, and these were helping to protect her hands as she carefully removed each strand of the vicious thorns. The dog licked her hand and his tail wagged a little, although he was too weak to do more than that.

By the time the animal was free she was filthy, her dress quite ruined and her arms severely scratched. This was of no matter to her, she was more concerned in rescuing the unfortunate creature and carrying him back to the house to be treated.

Eventually he was free and she sat back on her heels and encouraged him to stand. He made a valiant effort but his legs collapsed under him each time. ‘There is nothing for it, my boy, I shall have to carry you.’

She glanced ruefully at her dishevelled state and then smiled. ‘It is too late to worry about my appearance, this gown is quite beyond repair, so a little more grime and blood will be of no moment.’

The animal was surprisingly heavy and it took her several attempts to grasp him securely and then regain her feet. Although not a particularly large dog, he was somewhat bigger than she had anticipated. Slowly she reversed through the brambles and undergrowth until she had regained the path. The noxious odour coming from the wretched animal made her eyes water. No doubt he was riddled with vermin and she would need to burn her clothes.

‘There is no point in worrying about that, young man, I am beyond redemption. I shall carry you straight to the stables and oversee your bath myself. After that, and a good meal, I am sure you will be on the road to recovery.’

She prayed this was actually the case, she knew little about canines, her brothers’ was the first she had had any dealings with. She paused to catch her breath when she regained the path. It would probably be sensible to take the longer route and thus arrive at the stable yard from the tradesman’s entrance.

‘I fear I must go back the way I came, Shaggy, and risk being seen by the workmen in the park preparing for tomorrow. I hope I am strong enough to get you back safely.’

*

Gideon regretted his decision to travel inside the carriage with his mother and sisters within an hour of leaving Ilchester Abbey. The girls chatted constantly and his head was ringing with their silliness.

‘Please, Elizabeth, I have told you a dozen times that I am not sure who will be at Canfield Hall. I supplied Mr Bishop with a list of names and addresses, but have no notion if he invited all or none of them.’

His mother smiled at his sharp tone. ‘There is no need to be snippy, Gideon, your sisters are just curious to know who they will be mixing with over the next week.’