Lily had not been sure what to expect, but the lady who stood before her had been nowhere in her imagination. She was more petite than Lily and hardly seemed a lady who could control the sort of horses that pulled a phaeton. Her copper curls wound charming circles round her features and her expression was all cheerful friendliness.
“Miss Darlington,” Lily said, guiding her to a sofa. “How kind of you to come and see me.”
“Nonsense,” Miss Darlington said. “Cassandra recommended you highly and so I must make myself known to you as soon as I could.”
“AndImust thank you for the lovely things you sent to me in Surrey. I presume Cassandra told you I did not have the means to outfit myself in such a fashion.”
“Yes, of course she did,” Miss Darlington said. “Though you need not thank me again, your letter was quite sufficient. In any case, I was delighted to throw myself into the scheme—my father is very generous and I never know what to do with the money he gives me. That is, unless it’s about the purchase of a horse. By the by, is your aunt nearby? I wonder if she would allow you to go on a drive, it is a very fine day and the park will not be crowded at this hour.”
“In your phaeton?” Lily asked in some wonder.
“Yes, indeed in the phaeton. You are not to worry over it, I’m a capital whip.”
Before Lily could respond to that particular comment, Mrs. Hemming came into the room. “Ah, it is so,” she said. “Rainier told me a lady was here. Miss Darlington, well! Look at you! Those curls are the color of a copper roof. Before it goes green, you understand.”
Lily’s eyes widened at this assessment of Miss Darlington’s hair, and dearly hoped the lady was not easily offended.
Miss Darlington only laughed and hopped up in an energetic fashion to make her curtsy to Mrs. Hemming.
“I wonder, Mrs. Hemming,” Miss Darlington said, “if you would allow Lily to go on a drive. I find it is so conducive to conversation and the day is particularly fine.”
“It would be in a phaeton, Aunt,” Lily added, to be certain her aunt understood the real circumstance.
“In that phaeton just outside?” Mrs. Hemming asked.
“The very one,” Miss Darlington said.
“But there’s only a boy holding the reins. Goodness, did you drive it? Do you mean to drive my Lily in that contraption?”
“Just so,” Miss Darlington said.
While her aunt considered this unique proposal, Lily hid a smile.Shemight think it unusual, but it was clear as day that Miss Darlington viewed it the most commonplace thing in the world.
“I am her guardian while she is here,” Mrs. Hemming said to herself. “I must be careful on that front. On the other hand, there is no use denying the fineness of the day, I was just out there myself. This is a bit of a muddle.”
“I can assure you, Mrs. Hemming, I am a very experienced whip and exceedingly sensible. There will be no racing down streets or chasing coaches or all that nonsense the gentlemen get up to. Further, my tiger can be counted upon to be averitabletiger if we run anywhere near trouble. He is my father’s own and well-armed.”
This, for reasons only known to Mrs. Hemming, seemed to sway her opinion.
“I will agree to the scheme, as long as a carriage with two grooms follows behind. Lily, send word to your stable that you have need of them. There, I think that is a fine solution. I do not like to say no to a pleasant scheme, but I do not like to say yes unless everything is comfortably arranged.”
Miss Darlington appeared delighted. Ranier, barely containing both his disapproval and alarm, said, “I will take the liberty of sending one of the footmen to the stables. The carriage will arrive shortly.”
Lily’s carriage trottedto the doors before a half hour was up. When she had arrived to London, she had taken Ranier’s advice that she might depend upon Mr. Thurber when selecting a carriage house. His stables were nearby, he was a reliable sort, and he only hired the most competent and respectful grooms.
Lily stepped outside, tying her bonnet, and nearly staggered. She was certain Cassandra had said Miss Darlington drove a conservative little phaeton, but that was not what was before her.
It was an exceedingly tall vehicle, with enormous wheels on the back, painted a bright yellow with black trim. It was light-boned but towered above her to such a degree that she wondered how it did not tip over. It was pulled by two fancy greys who pawed the ground when they caught sight of their mistress. The whole set-up looked suitable for a member of the Four-in-Hand.
“She’s new,” Miss Darlington said, gazing lovingly at her vehicle. “A Hooper High-Flyer. Goodness, I had a time of it convincing my father to buy it.”
Miss Darlington lifted her skirts with one hand and deftly pulled herself up to the driver’s seat with the other. Lily walked round to the other side, not having the least idea how she would mount.
Fortunately, one of the grooms who had come with the carriage raced ahead of her with a box to step on. Miss Darlington reached down for her hand and in a trice she was up. Lily felt as if she had just ascended a dizzying height. The ground seemed very far away.
Both grooms had appeared amused to hear that their carriage was to proceed empty and follow behind a lady whip, but that amusement had speedily disappeared when they’d watched Miss Darlington mount with ease and with no help from them. Then of course, there was her fierce-looking tiger hanging off the back, who seemed to find nothing amusing.
They set off, Lily clutching at the side of the phaeton as they rolled down the street. She slowly began to relax as she watched Miss Darlington expertly weave around stopped carriages, men on horseback, hackneys, a street sweeper, and lumbering wagons hauling supplies to one place or another.
