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CHAPTER14
True to his word, Frederick kept his eye on Eleanor. She received a letter from him the very next day after her tea with Lady Clay and the Dowager Duchess, inviting himself and their mother to Lawson Manor. Eleanor could hardly think of a reason to refuse their coming for a visit and she found it rather inevitable. She wasn’t entirely certain, but she thought if she wrote back to Frederick and told him now was not a good time for a family visit, he might endeavor to come anyway.
Eleanor spoke to Henry about Frederick’s proposition, and he said if it would please her to host her family for a fortnight, he would be happy to welcome them as well. She had wanted to confide in him and admit that she’d reallyrather not see her brother or mother, but as the Dowager Duchess was present at the time, she could hardly say such things publicly.
Eleanor dressed very carefully for dinner that night with the help of her lady’s maid. She knew that Frederick, especially, would be scrutinizing her every move, as well as the Dowager Duchess, and she didn’t want to disappoint anyone. She disliked feeling as though she were on display, but there was little she could do in the matter. As her lady’s maid cinched the stays just a notch tighter than usual, Eleanor took her last deep breath of the evening, preparing herself for whatever might lay ahead.
When Eleanor entered the dining room, Henry stood and greeted her with a warm smile. He even walked to the end of the table and offered her his hand. He bent and brushed his lips over her gloved hand, and she felt a blush heat her cheeks. He escorted her to the seat opposite him and she wished that they were not observing formalities that evening. She had become accustomed to sitting near him during these meals. Now that she was on the other end of the table, she felt as though he were so very far away. As his was the only face at the table that looked upon her with anything other than annoyance, she longed to be near him.
The dinner began and for the first few moments, everything was going swimmingly. Eleanor’s mother and the Dowager Duchess engaged in conversation about the types of flowers that were currently in bloom and Frederick asked Henry about the horses he had sent on Eleanor’s behalf. That left Eleanor free to listen attentively and eat her vegetables which Cook had done to perfection. They were soft and easy to chew, and Cook had applied butter liberally to the carrots, which Eleanor enjoyed greatly.
But before Eleanor could become too comfortable, her mother glanced in her direction and frowned. “Why aren’t you eating, darling?” She asked, looking down at Eleanor’s plate.
Eleanor was flummoxed by the question, as she had been in the middle of raising a piece of roast potato to her mouth. She dropped her fork calmly and then looked at her mother. “I am enjoying this meal quite a bit, Mother.”
The Dowager Countess of Barrow craned her neck to inspect Eleanor’s plate and her eyes widened in shock and dismay. “You’re not eating the roast quail.”
“No, Mother,” Eleanor said, clearing her throat. “You may recall that I do not sample the meats.”
“But it is so delicious,” Eleanor’s mother said with an appreciative nod at the Dowager Duchess of Lawson. It was polite to compliment the lady of the house on the food that was served, but Eleanor didn’t think her mother had to point out that she wasn’t eating it. The praise would have gone much further if her mother had just saidsheliked eating the quail.
Frederick gave his sister an icy stare. She dropped her head to her plate and resumed eating the roast potatoes. She hoped that by ignoring the situation, it might go away. She was wrong. Frederick continued to glare at her and then he shifted towards the Dowager Duchess of Lawson and said quietly, “You’ll have to forgive my dear sister. She’s not always so obstinate, I assure you.”
Eleanor scowled at her pile of potatoes.
Obstinate. Why is everyone else allowed to choose what they wish to eat, but I am made to feel like a criminal for selecting what I want?
Henry poked his fork into his carrots, popped one in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and then said with relish, “The carrots are particularly good this evening. Don’t you think so, Your Grace?”
Eleanor glanced up at him and gave him a grateful smile. He hadn’t exactly changed the subject, but he had certainly made it less awkward. “Yes, they are superb,” she replied.
Henry’s grandmother cleared her throat delicately. “Lord Barrow,” she said, addressing Frederick, “tell me of your property. I do not believe I have been to Barrow Hall in many years.”
Frederick began chuckling before he spoke. “We would be delighted to welcome you to Barrow Hall at any time. Since Eleanor has left us, we find ourselves with a great deal more space and completely devoid of obnoxious animals.”
Eleanor’s mother giggled at her son’s miserable joking attitude. “Really, Frederick. You must not say such things about your sister and her pets. You know how she adores them, and it will hurt her feelings to think that you are glad to be rid of her and her animals.”
Frederick turned toward Eleanor then and gave her a sour smile. “I apologize for any offense I may have caused.”
Henry’s grandmother added her own barb to the conversation. “I must admit I am relieved to know I’m not the only one who thinks there are too many animals about this place.”
“Grandmother!” Henry said at once, his tone scolding.
“I was merely agreeing with the Earl,” his grandmother replied, cutting her meat into a very thin slice, and popping the small morsel into her mouth.
Henry gave Eleanor an apologetic look down the length of the table. She shook her head slowly and then allowed her shoulders to slump. She looked down at her plate of vegetables, which moments before had seemed so appetizing, but now looked limp and soggy. She pushed her plate away and stood at once.
“Please excuse me,” she whispered and then hurried from the room. As Eleanor fled up the stairs, tears stung her eyes. She felt foolish dressed in her favorite gown, with her hair done in a stylish fashion. She had spent hours preparing for this dinner with her family, hoping to show them how well-adjusted she was to her new life, and prove that she could bring honor, rather than shame to their name. But in a matter of moments, that illusion had been wiped away. Her mother and brother saw her as nothing more than a frivolous young woman and that was the only way they would ever see her.
Eleanor raced into her room and flung herself upon the bed. Her cats were nowhere in sight, which was rather upsetting as that meant they were roaming about elsewhere in the manor.
There’s no telling what Frederick will do to one of my poor babies if it happens to be sitting atop his bed.
Eleanor resolved to stand up and go see if she could seek out her pets when a small knock sounded on the door. She assumed it was her lady’s maid, coming to help her undress for the evening. As she had fled the dining room in such a flurry, she knew that she had made a terrible racket climbing the stairs and slamming the door in her wake. So, it made sense that her lady’s maid would know she was ready to retire for the evening.
Wearily, Eleanor called out, “Come in,” and the door creaked open a very little. The top of Henry’s head appeared, with his dark brown locks leading the way. Eleanor was startled by his presence.
“It’s me,” he said softly, not opening the door entirely. “I wanted to check on you, but I won’t come inside completely without your permission.”
