Sally James (8 page)

“Confound him
and
Mr Knowle,” she whispered to herself, when at last she had to prepare to join her father for dinner. Now she was at least certain she could never accept Mr Knowle’s offer, since he could think such things of her, and she attempted to drag her mind away from these matters by taking an especial interest in her father’s work.

The following week was a busy one. There seemed to have been a spate of dinner party invitations in the district, mostly because of Sir Ingram’s presence, Mary suspected, and she was forced to meet him at several houses and watch him apparently on excellent terms with Belinda, who seemed to be preening herself on her conquest. They also met a couple of times when out riding, and once again at the manor. The proposed visit to Mr Wyndham had not yet taken place, and Mary did not know whether to be pleased she did not have to entertain Sir Ingram, or sorry that he should appear to neglect her father.

Mr Knowle kept discreetly in the background for a few days, and then called again on Mary, pleading with her to forgive him, protesting he had never meant to accuse her of unladylike conduct, and saying he would wait a lifetime if only at the end of it Mary would make him happy.

Mary tried to make him understand it would not do, and she could never consider marriage with him. He chose to think she was still offended and made it clear he would continue to hope, and would go to his new parish in the confident expectation that she would eventually join him there.

These problems were then thrust into the background as Caroline, free for more than a week from her headaches, suddenly suffered three in as many days, and did not recover from this attack as swiftly as she had always done before.

One morning Mary was in the garden picking flowers when she saw Arthur approaching. Fearing that Caroline was again ill, she ran to meet him at the gate.

“How is she? Not ill again, I trust?”

“No, fortunately. But I wanted to see both you and your father.”

Mary led him into the house and fetched her father from his study, and then Arthur explained the reason for his visit.

“The doctor has said he thinks the headaches are from some nervous disorder, and he recommends a course of treatment at Bath. I cannot leave the farm for more than the few days necessary to escort Caroline to Bath and see her installed there, and I was hoping, Mary, that you would agree to go with her. She will leave the children at home, naturally, for she could not be bothered with them if she were ill. But she will need company. There is a much older cousin of hers there, but they have a very small house and could not have her to stay. She must take rooms and would like you to go with her. You are her greatest friend. Will you do this for her?”

Mary shot an anxious look at her father. Much as she wanted to help Caroline, she had him to consider. He was smiling at her, however, and nodding.

“Yes, of course you must go, my dear. It will be a change for you, and you and Caroline will enjoy the company there. Do not worry over me. I have been thinking for some time I would like to pay a visit to Oxford and see my old friend Anthony Drake. I did not wish to leave you, however. This solves the problem for us both.”

Mary laughed in relief. “Then tell Caroline that of course I will be delighted,” she told Arthur. “When does she intend to start?”

“In two days, if that is not too soon for you. We shall make the journey by easy stages, for fear that the driving affects her. Can you be ready? Of course we will delay it if you wish.”

Mary assured him she could be ready, and he departed, satisfied, while she began to sort through her wardrobe, enlisting Susan’s help with her packing, and trying to organise at the same time her father’s plans for his journey, which he proposed to start on the day after she left.

On her last evening Mr Wyndham called her into the study, and carefully unlocking the box in which he kept a store of coins, he handed her some bills and a rouleau of gold coins.

“I have not done all I could to introduce you to society, my dear,” he said slowly. “I have been selfish, and for years mourned your mother too deeply to take any thought of pleasure. Then I became set in my ways. Arthur and Caroline will pay your main expenses, naturally, as you are their guest, but you will need money to buy some fashionable clothes. Take this, and when you need more, write to me at Oxford. Yes, I insist. I can afford it, for I have not spent all my income these last years. Enjoy yourself, my child.”

Touched, Mary kissed him, and left on the following morning in high spirits, conscious of a lightening of her heart as she left all her problems behind.

Chapter 5

They made the journey in easy stages and Caroline suffered no recurrence of her headaches. Mary’s first sight of Bath as they descended into the valley made her exclaim with pleasure.

“What a delightful setting! I never realised it was like this!”

They stayed for two days at an inn while Mr Grafton was busy inspecting lodgings. He discovered suitable ones in Queen Square and on the following morning took Caroline to see them. She was content with the view over the square and also the fact that it was close to the Pump Room, the Baths, and the Assembly Rooms. Her only regret was that as soon as they were settled in Arthur must return to Appleacre.

“Let us hope you will soon be well, my love, and then we need not be parted again,” he comforted her. “I will make every effort to come and see you for a few days whenever I can spare the time from the farm.”

On the next day, having seen them installed, he departed, and in order to take Caroline’s mind off his going Mary suggested they begin to explore the town. They found much to please them, especially in the shops in Milsom Street, and Mary made several purchases in order to refurbish her wardrobe. When they returned to their lodgings they dined early and spent a peaceful evening sewing new braid and ribbons to their gowns.

Caroline was to begin treatment on the following morning, and after walking with her to the Baths Mary declared she intended to do some more shopping. They had brought Susan with them to act as maid to them both, since she would have had nothing to do at home, and Caroline’s maid had been left behind to help take care of the children. She and Mary spent the next hour selecting muslins and silks which were to be made into gowns. Mary sent Susan home with the parcels at length, and strolled towards the Pump Room where she had arranged to meet Caroline.

Entering this magnificent room she looked about her with some awe. Her experience of public buildings was limited to the few assembly rooms near her home, and these in no way bore comparison with the room she now admired. Lofty and spacious, it was elegantly decorated and furnished, and the old woman handing the glasses of medicinal water to the visitors did so with the gracious air of a duchess condescending to serve wine to her guests.

As well as the room itself, the throng of visitors merited attention. There were many elderly ladies, some of them dressed in styles which would have adorned girls fresh from the schoolroom, but which did worse than nothing for them, and some dressed in the outlandish fashions of their own girlhood which they had refused to abandon. Mary found it hard to decide which looked the more ridiculous.

Although most of the inhabitants of the Pump Room at this hour were women, there were a few men, and Mary’s eye was immediately drawn to an exquisite posturing on heels too high for him. His coat was padded so that his shoulders appeared twice as broad as his waist, which was exaggeratedly pinched in. His coat was of a sickly hued pink and his pantaloons of a darker shade, matched by the leather boots with the high heels. As lie twirled about to address another of the group surrounding him, she saw that his shirt points were too high to permit his head alone to turn, and then her glance fell to his hands, flashing fire from the several rings he wore, and holding an elegant short cane with which he was gesticulating in order to emphasise a point.

“Isn’t he a fright?” Caroline asked, coming up to her and seeing what held her attention.

Mary laughed. “Are there many like him? If so I shall be hard put to it not to laugh in their faces!”

“He’s the best I’ve seen so far,” she was informed. “But come across and meet my aunt and cousin. They live in Bath, and I had intended to call on them this afternoon, but they are here now.”

Mary was introduced to a friendly, middle aged woman, Mrs Wright, and her son Jonathan, who was about her own age, and then to several people sitting with them.

“Caroline, my love, it is so nice to see you, though I do hope your illness is soon cured. It is a pity that I could not have offered you a room, but as you know we have very small lodgings. I must introduce you to my friends, though, and you will not lack for company while you are here.”

She did as she had promised, and soon Mary and Caroline were swept into a whirl of parties. On the first occasion they attended a ball at the Assembly Rooms, they saw again the exquisite who had been such a source of amusement in the Pump Room. He did not appear to dance, probably because he was corseted so tightly that he could not bend, Caroline speculated laughingly, neither did he spend his time playing cards. Instead he paraded round the room, graciously acknowledging acquaintances, and remaining to talk with them for a while.

It was when Caroline was going with her partner to the tea room and had to pass behind him that the accident occurred. Just as Caroline was next to him he stepped backwards with an extravagant gesture, and the silly little heel of his shoe caught in the hem of Caroline’s gown and tore it. She uttered a cry of dismay, and the dandy, who had heard the sound of the rending material, swung round to extricate himself from the disaster, full of profuse apologies for his carelessness.

“Madam! It is that I am so clumsy! A million apologies! I pray you accept the most humble abasement of your servant! What in the name of the goddess of beauty can I do to repair the damage I have wrought? But tell me, and I will fly to the moon and back for you!”

Torn between laughter and annoyance, Caroline retorted that it would be more appropriate if he had needle and thread, and to her astonishment he delved into the pocket of his coat and produced these items.

“Oh, that I should not have thought of it for myself. I am
imbecile,
truly! But I beg that you will accept these from me as a small gift, slight recompense for having discommoded you. I am unlikely to need them for myself in any event this evening, and I can instruct my good Yves to replace them before I next venture into the world!”

Caroline, choking with laughter, escaped, and regaled Mary with her imitation of this ridiculous encounter when they returned to their lodgings.

“He is an utter fool, Mary, and his fake French accent sends me into whoops! I wonder who on earth he can be?”

They were to find out the following morning for when, as was their custom, they met in the Pump Room, the dandy was there and the moment he espied Caroline he made a beeline for her, drawing considerable attention to them both as he forged his way through the strollers and came to rest before her.

“Madam, again I crave your gracious forgiveness for my incredible stupidity last night. I do hope that your gown - so delightful a gown, truly - is not ruined utterly beyond repair?”

“Oh no, I was able to stitch it,” Caroline responded coolly, not anxious to prolong the meeting. He had other ideas, however.

“I believe I have seen you with my friend, Mrs Wright. Am I correct? Then pray allow me to introduce myself. As an old friend of your friend you will not, I feel sure, take it amiss of me to do so.

“Madam, your humble servant, Rodney Morris!” he concluded with a flourish.

Mary’s eyes widened in astonishment. That was the name Matthew had mentioned as a friend of Teresa’s mama. Without waiting for Caroline to introduce her she spoke.

“You must know Mrs Standish, I believe?”

“Indeed I do have that honour.”

“Is she still at Cheltenham, do you know? And her daughter?”

He shook his head. “No, they arrive in Bath later this very day. But how is it that you know so much, Miss - er - ?”

“I beg your pardon. I am Mary Wyndham. My friend, Mrs Grafton,” Mary hastily introduced them. “I understand that they stayed with an aunt?”

“Indeed, you are correctly informed, Miss Wyndham. I begin to discern a way out of this so strange a maze. You are, I take it, a connection of Mr Matthew Wyndham?”

“His sister, yes, but how is it that they come to Bath?”

“They will be with us all soon if nothing goes amiss on the journey. It is simple enough, for the good lady, Mrs Leigh, decided that the treatment at Cheltenham was not for her as successful as she expected, and she determined on removing herself and her guests to Bath. I volunteered to come in advance and secure a house for them, and I am happy to say that I have succeeded in my little mission. Your brother, he escorts the ladies, and I have no doubt that you will soon be reunited with him.”

“I see,” Mary said slowly, wondering whether this incursion into fashionable Bath society was quite what Sir Ingram had envisaged when he had banished Teresa to stay with her aunt.

“I have no doubt we shall meet with them soon,” Caroline said briskly. “And now, Mr Morris, if you will excuse us, I have some purchases to make.”

Eventually they escaped from his bows and apologies and were able to discuss this new development.

“You might have an ally in Mrs Standish,” Caroline suggested. “That is, if you wish to encourage the match.”

“I am not at all sure that I do,” Mary confessed. “Teresa was amiable enough, and she appeared to have been shockingly repressed by Sir Ingram, but she is the first girl Matthew has fallen in love with, and it did happen decidedly quickly. I had far rather they waited a few months to be sure it is a lasting attachment.”

“Do you believe all the things she told you?”

“She possibly exaggerated her tales of ill treatment, and as for the attempts on her life - they
could
have been accidents - I cannot think she told deliberate lies, and if it were a tenth as bad as she claimed it were bad enough. I wonder if her mother is really so incapable as Sir Ingram suggests?”