Page 20 of A Figure of Love

Although Serena had not been to the schoolroom during her last visit it was easy enough to guess where it was located. Like the rest of the house, the rooms had been furnished and decorated. Unlike the rest of the house, somebody had done so with sense and good judgment. The furniture was all of good quality and sturdy. Oliver’s room had large windows that would let in a nice amount of light, as did the schoolroom itself.

“And this is Madame Petit’s room,” Jessup opened a door that led out of Oliver’s small dressing room.

Both Serena and Nounou paused in the doorway. The room was small but cozy, luxuriously decorated in shades of rose, gold, and rich chocolate brown. The bed’s canopy was a lovely garden tapestry and the entire suite was far beyond what a nurse or governess could expect.

Nounou remained uncharacteristically silent so Serena spoke. “Why, this is a charming room, Jessup.”

Jessup’s heavy lids were too low to see the direction of his gaze, but Serena would have sworn he was watching his French nemesis.

Serena left Nounou and Oliver to settle in and followed Jessup back to a suite of rooms not far from the ones she had occupied before. Her trunks already awaited her and a young girl was unpacking them.

“Susan will see to your personal needs while you are here, Mrs. Lombard.”

Serena could tell by the infinitesimal tightening of Jessup’s mouth that he’d noticed her lack of a lady’s maid and would not permit such a thing to stand while he was in charge.

“Thank you, Jessup. Hello, Susan.”

The girl flushed and bobbed a curtsy.

“Would you care to have a bath before you eat, madam?”

“I’ll just change and freshen up. I don’t think Oliver will be awake much longer, so perhaps I will bathe after we have eaten our evening meal.”

Jessup bowed and took his leave.

∞∞∞

Later that night Serena realized she was far too anxious and excited to sleep. After tucking in Oliver and reading him a story she decided to do a little exploring. In spite of the house’s rather fantastical external appearance the layout was quite logical: a central section containing a grand entryway, a wing with kitchens, laundry, and servant quarters, and another wing for family.

Every part of the house she had seen was scrupulously clean and ridiculously well-lighted. When she had asked Jessup about the excess of candles, he’d said it was on Mr. Lockheart’s explicit instructions.

“But there are even candles in the rooms people rarely use.”

“Yes, madam. And they are to remain lighted all night when he is here. He has indicated I might extinguish whatever candles I choose in his absence. His London house is lighted thus at all times—in case he might make an unexpected appearance.” He’d hesitated a moment before continuing. “Mr. Lockheart is a very easy master, but there are a few areas in which he is rigid. He is excessively fastidious about his person and surroundings. I have found it best to always leave any items exactly where he places them.”

Serena had understood his meaning. She was to live here, but not to treat it as her own property.

As if he had heard her thoughts Jessup added, “He is only so precise about his own quarters and the area in the library he uses as his study.”

Yes, Serena had seen his desk and the area around it; it had been an oasis of calm. So, his own tastes were naturally elegant. Serena thought his house would have been far more appropriately decorated if he had trusted his own neat and simple style rather than Sandy’s.

She decided to explore the common rooms first and then investigate the family quarters.

The library she had seen and would explore in far greater detail in the months to come. Her heart actually palpitated when she thought about Leonardo’s journal and all the other treasures yet to be discovered.

In addition to the library there were three sitting rooms, although one was small enough to deserve the name parlor. Serena decided it would be the room where she would spend her evenings with Oliver. The thick carpets and fireplaces at both ends of the room ensured it would be warm and cozy in the fall and winter months.

There was a music room with a piano her friend Portia would salivate to play and Serena made a note to herself to mention it in her next letter to her friend.

The dining and breakfast rooms she had already seen. To the rear of the house was a billiard room, compete with untouched accouterments. Serena had a difficult time imagining Mr. Lockheart engaging in anything so frivolous as billiards.

On the upper floor were only bedchambers. The first four Serena looked were pristine and untouched in appearance. The fifth door opened to a room different from all the others. This could have been the cell of a monk. She closed the door behind her and lighted three of the candles on a large branch beside the door. The room was utterly stark, no artwork, no tapestries such as hung in her room and even in Nounou’s.

The room’s only furniture was a bed and two nightstands. The bed was a massive four-poster with no canopy, its four posts giant squares with no decoration other than inset metal rings. The bedding was white linen. The floor was entirely without rugs, the wood so dark it was almost black. In the dressing room the clothes were stored with such precision it looked as if a person had measured the gaps and spaces with a ruler. Footwear and folded garments were likewise exactly placed. The room seemed to contain an entire wardrobe and Serena realized he probably did the same thing in all his houses, eliminating the need to do a great deal of packing other than nights he might be forced to spend in hotels or inns.

Every item was flawless and new-looking, four pairs of top boots, two pairs of Hessians, all polished to a blinding shine, not so much as a speck of dust to be found.

She fingered the exquisite silk of a dull pewter banyan, easily imagining him garbed in such a garment. Either he or his valet had impeccable taste, and every waistcoat and coat had been chosen to complement his coloring and physique.