Lord Sidley's Last Season (10 page)

“No doubt he is that much closer to expiring after the
exertion,” Marian observed glumly.

“But I had it that he was never even ill abed,” Edgar
said, “and came on here days ago. He must have a few
more weeks in ‘im… ” He fell silent as they pulled into
a curved gravel drive.

Aldersham was a revelation. Marian had anticipated a
ruin, a building that would in some manner reflect the
various tragedies that had befallen the Sidley family. But the house itself, an expansive, three-story Elizabethan
stone with tall mullioned windows, impressive gabled
wings and attic dormers, was magnificent and welcoming
at once. In the afternoon light the ancient stone glowed
with gold highlights. Scaffolding enclosed one farther
wing, though workmen were absent at the moment, and
the grounds were clearly under reconstruction. But the
estate had not been abandoned, as Marian had supposed.
All the glorious windows sparkled, and to one side of the
house a well-tended rose garden, perhaps Lady Adeline’s
pet, exhibited attentive, continuous care.

“You see, children?” Edith breathed as the carriage
stopped in front of the entrance. “Aldersham is still
something to admire.”

Standing before the house in the drive, Marian gazed
up at the old gray stone, which, viewed at close quarters, supported subtly-colored lichen. She wheeled to
view the enclosing lawns, woods, and prospects. Her
eagerness to explore made her giddy.

Inside, the house did not disappoint. Being some
centuries old, it had inevitable oddities in the size and
shape of rooms, the evenness of plaster, and the spacing of steps and lintels. But all lent charm, and the
many leaded windows permitted an astonishing amount
of light, which Marian would never have anticipated in
such an old place.

“Must have cost them a fortune,” Edgar muttered,
tilting his head to survey the two-story high glass in a banqueting room off the hall. “No wonder Sidley’s looking for an heiress,” he added, which comment sufficiently doused Marian’s enthusiasm.

She and Katie were shown to their bedrooms and large
sitting room above, with a northerly view of a gently
sloped valley and nestled village. Katie was at first disposed to object to the room, until Marian pointed out that
it would be cooler during the increasingly warm June
days. And the light-the light was clear and generous
through a doubled front of windows. When Marian noticed that a dressing table sat at a somewhat awkward angle away from the windows, she wondered if Lord Sidley
had requested the space cleared, in the event that she
might wish to work in the room. She was convinced of it
when the manservant brought in their trunks and, without
any direction from them, placed Marian’s paint box beneath the windows.

It was almost six. They were told that dinner would be
served in an hour. As they oversaw some unpacking and
changed out of their travel clothes, Marian was grateful,
as she had never been before, for Edith’s insistence on
gifting her with a wardrobe, even for the short stay in
town. Without her new belongings, she would have felt
much at a disadvantage. As it was, she knew the other
guests’ garments would easily eclipse even her precious
lutestring gown, which she had donned only once
before-three weeks ago for the Osbornes’ rout. Again
she pointedly reminded herself that she did not signify.

“You look beautiful, Katie,” she said as the maid finished dressing her cousin’s glorious hair.

“I do hope to make an impression,” Katie confided,
turning from a seat at the dressing table to face her. “In
a smaller group such as this, he must see me at my best.”

“It is a very select group,” Marian cautioned.

“I am convinced it is solely for appearances, to satisfy
his old aunt. I have every expectation, Marian.” With a
sigh of contentment, Katie eyed her critically. “You look
very well, though I do wonder that Mama had you select
such a gown. You will have few opportunities to wear it.”

“I am wearing it now,” Marian countered, though the
comment was-unintentionally, she knew-hurtful. She
forced a smile. “And perhaps I shall wear it soon againat your wedding.”

Katie smiled back at her reflection in the glass. “I am
delighted with Aldersham! So fine a site. And the improvements should not take long.”

“The improvements?”

“Only those most necessary, of course. But you must
agree, the place is fusty beyond bearing. So many smallish rooms! I must look closely when we go down, but I
know I shall wish to add decorative work to the walls,
and more drapes about all the windows. One feels like a
fish in a bowl! And all the dreary stone shall have to be
covered by stucco, of course. You’ve such excellent taste,
Marian, I know I will be wanting your help.”

No, Marian objected silently. By the time you are destroying Aldersham, I shall hope to be at least a hundred miles away.

When they went down to join the company, Marian
was at first concerned that the group looked too large;
she wished only to retreat for the entirety of the stay. But
as she and Katie made their way into the drawing room,
she realized that she belonged to the extensive Formsby
party, which, with four, was larger than any.

Lord Sidley was absent, which prompted Marian to
recognize how much she had wished to see him again,
and to see him in health. But his friends Lord Vaughn and
Lord Benjamin were in attendance and being most solicitous with Edith and another older lady who could only be
Sidley’s aunt. Marian thought Lady Adeline’s features
striking, feminine yet strong. Though her hair was graying, it had obviously once been as dark as her nephew’s.

Aunt Edith beckoned them over. “Adeline, you know
my daughter, Katherine.” Katie bobbed. “But you have
not met my young cousin, Marian Ware”

“Miss Ware” Lady Adeline acknowledged Marian’s
curtsey. “Edith tells me she was most fond of your
mother. A Satterthwaite, I believe?”

“Yes, ma’am. And a Ware”

“I understand you favor her.”

“I’ve been told so, my lady”

“You must forgive Sidley, Miss Ware. I believe he intended to present you to me, but as you see, he is not yet
down.”

“No doubt he had no wish to disappoint his guests, ma’am,” Marian said, and Lady Adeline’s eyebrows
rose expectantly, “by dressing in too much haste”

Lady Adeline smiled. “I suspect you have the right of
it, Miss Ware” She looked her up and down. “You are
an artist.”

“Yes.”

Again Lady Adeline smiled. “I hope you shall find
Aldersham to your liking.”

“Aldersham is splendid, my lady. And inspiring. I hope
to paint the grounds”

“Sidley speaks of having you draw his portrait.”

“He claims so, yes, my lady”

“If he claims so, Miss Ware, you may depend upon
its eventual accomplishment. You do not mind?”

“I am honored”

“I imagine he is the one so honored,” she said kindly.
“Would you be troubled were I to observe you?”

“Not at all-if it does not distract Lord Sidley.”

“The day I manage to distract Sidley, my dear, I shall
consider myself to have succeeded in life.” As she
laughed, Marian smiled in surprise. She had not anticipated that Lady Adeline Pell would be so frank. “Now I
must let you be introduced to the rest of our guests, Miss
Ware, but I look forward to speaking with you further.”

Marian moved on with Katie and Edgar to greet Rebecca Harvey and her rather too obviously pleased parents. Lord Benjamin, hovering nearby, paid enough
homage to the girl to present some nature of challenge
to a smitten Edgar. Though Becca seemed unmoved by either gentleman’s flattery, Marian and Katie still exchanged glances.

“This will not be to Mama’s liking,” Katie whispered
as they moved on to the next group of guests. “You’ve
heard her comments on Mrs. Harvey…

“I am certain it is just a temporary flirt, Katie. Edgar
has been impressed with several young ladies even during the few weeks I’ve been in town”

“Oh, but the Harveys!”

“Please, Katie. Not here”

By the windows looking out to the rose garden, Sir
Philip TinckneyDwight stood with his daughter, Delia,
and a young couple, the Pooles, unknown to Marian and
Katie. They learned that the Pooles, brother and sister,
whose parents had been off in India many years, lived not
far from Aldersham. As Katie conversed with them, Marian was once again struck by Delia’s perfection. Though
clearly not as pretty as Katie, Delia had a calm, courteous manner that was elegant. Indeed, the word countess
came instantly to mind, as though the word were stamped
across her features and her future. And Sir Philip, a distinguished man of height and lean good looks, acted as
though Aldersham were already a second home.

“Miss Ware,” he said pleasantly, “I have heard much
of you from my friend Lord Lascelles, who supports the
Royal Academy.”

“That is most kind of him, sir. I thank you.”

“Had Delia shown an ounce of talent in that direction, I’d have been delighted.”

“I am certain Miss TinckneyDwight has many other
talents,” Marian said.

And Delia acknowledged the compliment with a smile.

“I play the harp,” Katie offered rather too eagerly.
“Do you play an instrument, Miss TinckneyDwight?”

“The pianoforte, Lady Katherine. But I do not play
nearly as well as Miss Poole here, who is a proficient. I
much prefer vocals”

“Perhaps we might have some music one evening
from the ladies,” Richard “Dicky” Poole said to Sir
Philip. “In fact, the convenience of a trio suggests Sidley planned it.”

“Here, we might ask him,” Sir Philip said.

And Marian turned with the rest of them to note
Lord Sidley’s entrance.

She had anticipated that he would again dress to the
nines, as she had last seen him on the day after Katie’s
ball. But he surprised her. This evening his garb was quieter but no less refined, a superbly tailored black coat
and trousers and a pewter-colored waistcoat. His complexion was almost as pale as his cravat, but his smile,
and the diamond pin at his throat, sparkled.

Marian was fascinated to watch how quickly the three
separate groups in the drawing room gathered as one
about Lord Sidley. The attraction was not merely that
of a host, for she recalled the sensation he had caused
at the bookstore and at Katie’s ball. She watched his
eager guests and wondered how she should paint such
effortless appeal; she wondered if it would reveal itself on a flat canvas-if she were even capable of capturing
so immaterial an attribute. Close on that thought came
another that was wildly reassuring; others reacted to
Lord Sidley just as she did-she was not the only one
susceptible. So when he briefly caught her gaze and
smiled, she did not crumple to the floor.

He tapped his cane against that floor and addressed
Lady Adeline. “My dear aunt, why have we no carpet?”

“You’ll recall we ordered a new one, Sidley, due within
the week. You thought it more fitting for a blue room.”

“Ah, yes. Well, my friends, what do you think of
watered silk upon old Aldersham’s walls?” He waved at
the drawing room walls. All agreed that the subtle color,
obviously just applied, was most appropriate.

“But, Lord Sidley, as the floor is bare, perhaps we
might have dancing in here?” Katie boldly voiced the
request.

“Indeed, Lady Katherine, a charming idea. Though I
believe our numbers-ladies over gentlemen, that isare somewhat uneven, particularly as my steps have
proved the same”

Again Marian felt his quick glance, but she looked
away.

“We were just discussing, Sidley,” Richard Poole said,
“that some of the ladies might provide us with music.
M’sister might play the pianoforte.”

“Admirable, Dicky. But then who should play the piano when I wish to dance with Miss Clara?”

“I might do that for you, my lord,” Delia offered.

Sidley smiled at her. “I do not plan to trouble any of
my guests with furnishing entertainment, but the offer
is most kind, Miss Delia.”

And Marian, hearing his tone and gauging his smile,
thought Katie must resign herself to failure.

Katie, however, clearly had no thought of surrender.
She insisted on remaining at Sidley’s side, even as he
moved to greet each of his guests individually, and she
seemed to believe her greatest rival was Rebecca Harvey. This despite evidence that Becca was no more partial to Lord Sidley than she had been to Edgar or Lord
Benjamin.

“I fear Katie has not read this correctly,” Edith whispered softly to Marian. “Do see what you can do to
prevent-” She stopped and sighed. “My dear Marian,
I suspect there is not much any of us might do”

“It is the first evening, Aunt. Katie will settle. You
shall see”

“Ah, but Marian, these first impressions are everything!” She went to speak with the Harveys, which cost
her an effort, but an effort that Marian was proud to see
was not at all apparent.

Clara and Richard Poole drifted to her spot by the
hall door. “What do you think of Aldersham, then, Miss
Ware?” Dicky asked.

“It is most impressive. I had heard some talk in town
that the estate had fallen to ruin. So you can imagine
my astonishment.”

“‘Tis true the estate has weathered some hard times,” Dicky said. “But even before his return, Sidley arranged
for improvements. His aunt used to spend half of each
year here and plans to do so again.”

“You know it well, then, Mr. Poole?”

“We live but five miles away, Miss Ware. And I was
at school with Sidley’s older brother, Simon. Clara and
I visited often, before the many tragedies that have beset this family.”

Noticing how troubled Clara Poole looked, Marian
attempted to engage her by asking if she had been in
town during the spring. “Not at all. I was … I was indisposed much of this past season,” she said softly.

“M’sister was most attached to Simon Pell, Miss
Ware,” Dicky Poole explained. “His loss was very difficult for everyone. Lee-that is, Lord Sidley-idolized
his brother. It has made his situation that much more
painful, as you can imagine.”