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Chapter15
The new maid Lady Edith had hired for me proved to have a deft hand and a talent for elaborate hairstyles. Since James had left to see after Miss Northcott’s wellbeing, two dinners had passed at Chelton, and Fanny had managed to create increasingly intricate coiffures each night. As a person who did not enjoy drawing attention to myself, it had been a test in my comfort to go down to dinner with a tall, braided style, or an abundance of loops. I was certainly not fond of the loops.
I sat at my dressing table, wary of what tonight’s design would be. Orange light from the low-burning fire danced over my reflection, and I watched Fanny work with great efficiency. My antsy fingers rubbed gently over the note left behind by James, and I was eager for Fanny to take her leave so I could read it in privacy.
He had taken it upon himself to ensure that I did not miss learning one thing about him each night and penned his facts on folded slips of paper before he left, so I might select and read one each night while he was gone.
I found that I liked to read them before dinner, so I would have a little of him to take with me when I joined Henry and Lady Edith for the evening.
Not that dinner was the only time of day I spent with my mother-in-law. Nay, the entirety of each day had been consumed by lessons of varying types. How to manage menus and conundrums created by a sudden addition to dinner. How to discipline the maid caught peeking in Benedict’s drawer while she was meant to be cleaning his hearth—with firmness and grace, I happily learned. How to receive the caller that arrived unannounced far too early on Saturday morning—with cold dignity and reserve, despite the woman’s clear hunt for knowledge about the new addition to Chelton: me.
And lastly, how to elegantly pen dozens of invitations to what was bound to be the ball of the year in all of the lake district.
“I am finished, ma’am,” Fanny said, stepping back and holding her hands before her.
I tilted my head to the side and inhaled a soft breath. This was perhaps my favorite design of all. My strawberry blonde hair was curled with hot tongs and gathered high in an uncomplicated but beautiful arrangement. I wore a simple gown of dark green and smoothed my hands down the skirt while I waited for Fanny to leave me. She spent a minute moving the curling tongs to the edge of the hearth to cool and swept my unused hair pins into a pot on my dressing table.
“Thank you, Fanny. Enjoy your dinner.”
She bobbed a curtsy and left the room. I pivoted to face the fire and unfolded James’s note for today.
As much as I love Chelton, I have never known myself to dread leaving it for a time until today. I fear these five days will be an eternity, and I already look forward to returning to you.
Yours, etc.,
James
I leaned closer to the firelight and read the note over again. He had written this before embarking on the errand for his mother, and while it was not strictly a fact, I liked it far better than had he chosen to share his favorite horse or preference for beef over pork. My heart surged with affection, and I folded the paper and tucked it into my stays. Strange, perhaps, but I wanted to carry his words with me.
The antechamber for the dining room was dim this evening, and I found Henry alone when I reached it. He stood upon my arrival and helped me to a soft, tufted chair to await his mother.
“Have you finished the second volume yet?” he asked, referencing The Mysteries of Udolpho. He sat in a chair near mine and turned his attention fully to me.
I lowered my voice. “I fear your mother’s lessons have not permitted me time enough to devote to reading, and I am sorrowfully behind.”
“You are learning much, though, about the running of the house?”
I tried to look excited. “Yes. Though, the more I learn, the more it is made plain to me that I am woefully inadequate for the role. It is a blessing to all in this house that Lady Edith yet remains at the helm.”
Henry leaned back a little in his chair and regarded me curiously. “She will not do so forever, you know.”
“Of course, but for now it is necessary.”
“Perhaps. I do wonder though if you only think yourself inadequate because you have not allowed yourself to be so.”
I was saved from needing to answer this by Lady Edith’s entrance into the antechamber. She crossed toward us and stood near the fireplace—though the warmth of the day meant that the hearth stood empty. “It will be important to introduce you to as many families as we are able to tomorrow after church. That will prevent us from needing to deliver as many cards on Monday.”
“Of course, Lady Edith,” I said. I was happy with any arrangement that might cut something from our perpetual list of things to accomplish. It was going to be a trial enough simply to navigate the introductions—especially without James at my side. I shifted a little in my seat and searched for the words to explain my social inadequacies so my mother-in-law would be fully prepared for my weaknesses tomorrow.
The door to the dining room opened and dinner was announced, however, placing a necessary halt on my thoughts. I followed Henry and his mother into the room and took the seat to Henry’s left.
I felt his gaze on me, but set my focus to the ham on my plate. “Is tomorrow not the day of rest, Mother? Perhaps Felicity might require a break in the schedule as well.”
“I do not require her to work.” Her gaze flicked to me. “I only mentioned that introductions would be better accomplished following the service to save us from being forced to drive all over the county Monday.”
“Of course, but—”
“I am equal to the task, Henry. But thank you for your consideration.” I speared another bite of ham and pushed it around my plate. He had given me an entrance into this topic, and I needed to take advantage of it. I only hoped my racing heart did not reveal itself in my shaky voice. “It should be known, however, that I get rather nervous in company.”
