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“No one at Sagborough would believe that,” Julia said.
“But we are not at Sagborough any more,” Mama said patiently. “We will tell everyone that Camilla is here by invitation, that she will stay for two weeks or so, after which her father will come to collect her… or one of her brothers. Your father will write to Mr Weston tomorrow to explain this, and he will arrange that part of it. But for two weeks, Camilla will be our honoured guest, and that is where your help is needed.”
Julia had a dreadful sense of foreboding. “Whatpreciselydo you want me to do?”
“Take charge of her,” Mama said promptly. “We will put it about that the two of you are bosom friends — for you are much of an age, after all — and you must look after her, and keep her away from Rosie.”
“Rosie? Not Will?”
“Will can take care of himself,” Pa said, “but Rosie is an innocent, and I don’t want her having more to do with Camilla than civility requires. Angie, too, isn’t properly up to the mark yet. But you’re a sensible girl, Julia, and not likely to be distressed by Camilla’s ways. I hope she won’t expose you to anything shocking, but if she does, then she’ll be on her way home within the hour. She knows it, too, for your mama has told her in no uncertain terms that she’s to behave herself.”
“Will you do it, Julia?” Mama said, in anxious tones. “I don’t know what we shall be able to contrive if you will not.”
“Of course I will,” Julia said. “Anything to protect Rosie.”
“Exactly so!” Mama said. “The last thing we want at this moment is anything that mightcontaminateRosie’s reputation.”
“I don’t want to contaminate Julia’s reputation, either,” Pa said sharply. “Julia, this won’t be easy for you, and Camilla’s no walker, so it will mean curtailing your own exercise for a while, too.”
“It is only for two weeks,” Mama said, “and it is all for Rosie, after all.” She beamed happily at them all.
9: Morning Calls
Julia had never had a great deal to do with Camilla Weston before, although she had known her all her life, and they had danced past each other at innumerable assemblies and balls. Now it was her task to contain her, as Mama put it. It was Julia, therefore, who woke Camilla the next morning, saw that she had a cup of chocolate and washing water, and helped her choose a gown. When Camilla emerged, fetchingly if inappropriately dressed in flimsy muslin, Julia was waiting to show her the way to the parlour, where the ladies gathered before breakfast.
“How very pretty you look,” Julia said, with complete honesty. Camilla had none of Rosie’s ethereal beauty, or even Angie’s delicate looks, but she had a wholesome appeal all her own. With rosy cheeks, wide blue eyes, hair that fell in a mass of dark curls, and a well-formed figure, she had attracted a host of admirers before she had even left the schoolroom. It was a pity she was the fourth daughter, and none of the others able to give her a helping hand in society, but nevertheless she would probably have married well enough if she had been able to resist what Aunt Madge called‘fooling around with everything in breeches’.Usually, she added,‘Let that be a lesson to you girls’, but since she never spelt out exactly what the lesson was, they were none the wiser.
Allie had been a shade more explicit. “Just make sure that no gentleman steps out of line when he pays you attentions.”
Julia had never had a gentleman pay her attentions, or at least not beyond the easy flirtatiousness of the drawing room, so there had been no opportunity for one of them to step out of line, and she wondered sometimes what precisely that entailed. Not that she ever lost sleep over it. Having several sisters who were prettier and daintier and capable of wearing a gown for an evening without tearing a sleeve or dripping soup onto the bodice, she supposed it would never happen to her. She was the ungainly, clumsy one of the family, unlikely ever to inspire affection in a man’s heart. Her only attraction was her dowry of twenty thousand pounds, but whenever a suitor’s eyes gleamed avariciously in her direction, Pa would ask her if she liked the fellow, she would shake her head and Pa would see him off. It was precisely as she wished it.
Spending time with Camilla, however, gave her an opportunity to observe a different response from gentlemen. On Camilla’s first morning, Mama ordered the carriage and she, Julia and Camilla set out to visit as many of their acquaintances as could be managed. The first call was to the Manor, where Lady Plummer received them with cool civility, and Miss Plummer without interest. Lady Charles was indisposed, they were told. It was odd how often she was indisposed when they called. Sir Owen and his sons were not present, but his son-in-law was, and he was drawn irresistibly to Camilla.
Lord Charles Heaman was tall, thin and haughtily aristocratic, mentioning his brother the Marquess of Barrowford at every opportunity. Mama had great hopes that this illustrious personage could be a useful connection when they were in London, although Lord Charles had said or done nothing to encourage such ambitions. Whenever Julia had met him before, he had looked down his supercilious nose at all of them, even Rosie, that most demure of maidens. But something about Camilla gave him animation.
He bowed over Camilla’s hand, holding it for far longer than was necessary, and smirked at her in a manner that turned Julia’s stomach. Yet Camilla seemed to enjoy such attentions, blushing and lowering her eyes and giggling at every feeble witticism. It was astonishing. Julia was relieved when Mama stayed only for the prescribed fifteen minutes.
Their next call was to Mrs Reynell, the widow last seen floundering in the mud during the hunt. But she had received Julia’s letter, and was graciously pleased to be offered another abject apology.
“You will know better now than to wander about on hunt days, Miss Fletcher,” she said.
“Indeed I will,” Julia said genially. “Mr James Plummer is to advise me on which days I should avoid wandering.”
“Oh. Mr James Plummer? Not your brother? He is to take up hunting, is he not?”
Mama intervened smoothly. “He certainly hopes to, as soon as he has acquired some suitable horses. Our part of Yorkshire was less conducive to hunting, so he is excited to try what Hertfordshire may offer. Such an active young man, and he does love his horses.”
“And handsome, too,” Mrs Reynell said, her expression thoughtful. “He will have all the young ladies sighing after him when he goes to London, I make no doubt. He will be able to take his pick.”
Camilla sat up a little straighter, her lips pursed, but Mama said quickly, “Will has no plans to marry for some years. He is but six and twenty, and no need to set up his nursery yet.”
“Six and twenty? I had thought him older,” Mrs Reynell said, losing interest. Since she was herself at least thirty, despite the careful use of rouge and powder designed to conceal her age, Will was no doubt too young to attract her as a potential second husband.
Again, Mama rose after only fifteen minutes, and it was back to the carriage. Since she insisted on calling upon the ladies of Danes Green in strict rank order, they now passed through the village for the third time, this time sailing past the Manor gates to leave the straggling lines of cottages behind.
Not a hundred yards further on, they came across a man in muddy clothing carrying a gun, a bulging game bag slung over one casual shoulder. Mama’s gaze slid past him, but Julia knew him at once.
“Oh, look! There is Mr Plummer!” Rapping smartly on the glass, she waved enthusiastically and he looked up, beamed at her and— Well, he would have waved back, she was sure of it, but the carriage rolled majestically on its way and he was lost to view.
