“Yes?”
The door opened to reveal Heston.
“
I have prepared a box with all of the clothes, ma’am. Do you wish to see them before I pack them away?”
I looked to the cook opposite me.
“
Do excuse me Mrs. Rooksmith,” I searched for some words I could offer to replace my own lack of emotion but could find none. “I am grateful to you for your loyalty to my father.”
She rose from the chair and, without another word, she left.
I returned my attention to Heston.
“
I will be up presently.”
I waited until he was gone before I opened the drawer to my father’s desk again. I looked through the same contents but, finding nothing, I followed Heston out of the room and mounted the stairs once more, disappointed. It was not until I was at the top of the stairs that I realised that I must enter my father’s bedroom again in order to view the suit. As I stood in the doorway, I was grateful to see that the curtains were drawn wide and the room was already showing signs of being packed away. The bed has been stripped and there was no sign of my father within it. I walked into the room, my head angled away from the bed, ignoring the ghost of the image in my mind in which my father is sprawled like a science experiment. Heston was hunched beside my father’s wardrobe against which he has hung a smart black mourning suit. On a dress horse he has pressed a shirt. He was just putting a touch of polish to some already shiny black shoes as I approached him from behind.
I noticed with surprise that the shoes Heston held in his hands were smaller than I remember
ed. My father was tall, as tall as John in his prime although more recently he had begun to take on a slight stoop. John’s shoes were much bigger and it fazed me that I had never noticed before. Heston did a double take before rising to attention.
“
Ah, Mrs. Bancroft, I hope that this is in order.” His knees clicked loudly in the expanse of the near empty room. The lack of personal effects did little to deaden the creak and I remember again that Heston was quite old himself. It struck me that Heston had been close to father. His personal butler, his dresser, his aide. Surely Heston of all people should have known my father’s secret.
“
It is your father’s best suit. It is fairly new….”
He stopped. It was new because it had been brought for my mother’s funeral.
“
Thank you Heston.” For the second time, I was compelled to reach out and touch his sleeve. It was out of character for me and I sensed immediately that he was uncomfortable with the gesture. Yet it was the only thing I could think of to do or say.
“
Will that be all Madam?”
I withdrew my hand and nodded, looking away from him; eager to ask him what he knew but not to hear his reply. I waited to hear the door close behind him before I screwed up my eyes with my fingertips rubbing away the images of my father. The way he looked at my mother’s funeral, so vulnerable and shaken by the loss of her. I took up the sleeve of the suit hanging limply in front of me and held it to my face. I was instantly transported into my father’s arms and there, in the comfort of his scent, I wept for the first time since his death.
As the trap pulled away from Amersham Station, Elizabeth felt her mood darken yet further. The dull train journey alongside Cribbs, who could barely contain her excitement about leaving the city for the first time, was an endurance of her patience. The fact that the scenery passing them by showed little promise of excitement, further deepened her sense of despair at such a forced exile. She had endured her father’s lecture about reputation and order with a sense of boredom and, of course, had expected some form of punishment. Knowing that she was his darling, she had been confident that whatever he had had in mind she could escape, by means of her expert persuasion. This was something she had cultivated since she was a little girl and Agnes, no matter how hard she tried to emulate her, was unable to exert the same influence. She had therefore been rather shocked when, on the matter of her punishment, her grim faced aunt had been ushered to the fore, and Elizabeth was less impressed when she found out what the old girl had in store for her.
A summer break at the Fearncott country finishing school and
, no less, she was expected to babysit for the runt of some man the old woman had her claws into! The nerve of her! Who did she think she was? As unlike her father as was possible to be, Aunt Georgina was a sly and vindictive woman who clearly resented Elizabeth. She had never been a fan of her mother, that much was clear. Choosing to either criticise her or ignore her completely, their relationship had always been strained. Despite being a ridiculous notion, Elizabeth chose to blame her aunt for her mother’s death. It was unfair, but Elizabeth despised her aunt for the obvious hold she had over her father.
Elizabeth’s face was contorted into an ugly grimace as
, eventually, the trap made a turn off the main road, through an entrance gate and up a long, cedar-lined driveway. The warm sunshine that dappled through the tall canopy could do little to lift her mood. On the contrary, the play that the light made in the dusty air before them reminded her of only a few days ago when she was seated alongside the strangely enigmatic Avery Silver. As the long drive swept beneath them, she thought on that afternoon and tried to recall the way Avery had looked at her, and she instantly felt the same rush of heady breathlessness he had imbued her with. She was curious about how he made her feel and had been hoping to feel it again. When she had left with an irate Cribbs later that afternoon, they had pledged to meet again very soon and she was furious to find herself here in the country, with no way of sending him word. There was to be no pleasure for her this summer and would do her utmost to make life miserable for everyone.
“
Cribbs! Do wipe that ridiculous smile off your face. You look like a halfwit,” she snapped. The face of the young maid fell immediately and she turned to look in the other direction, as Juniper Hall appeared through the foliage at the crest of the drive.
The sandstone house, reflecting the bright light of the summer sun, appeared as though it were ablaze. The many windows sparkled like diamonds set in a great golden casket and Cribbs couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming out loud.
“
It’s beautiful, aint it!”
Concealing her own admiration at the wealth of her aunt’s estate, Elizabeth merely breathed a sigh of disdain and returned to look the way that they had come, imagining London at the end of the long drive. As the trap rattled to the bottom of the grand stone steps, a stable-hand took hold of the lead horse and drew them to a stop. The driver leapt from his seat and readied the steps, standing back to allow the two women to step down. At the entrance to the house stood Georgina Fearncott, dressed in a pale lilac dress imprinted with delicate spring flowers. As was usual, her silvery hair was pinned tightly and, despite the gentle breeze, remained perfectly in place. In the drab surrounds of their London home, Elizabeth always felt Georgina’s large and colourful presence out of place. Here, Elizabeth noted with displeasure, she seemed entirely congruous.
“
Elizabeth!” her aunt called abruptly, barely concealing her dislike of the girl. “Don’t dawdle, dear. Come on.”
Turning on her heel, she disappeared into the house and Elizabeth stalked after her, followed by Cribbs. Leaving the warmth of the day and stepping into the house, Elizabeth tried to take in her surroundings. The dark wood floor was well polished and led up to an impressive first floor galleried landing. The long walls were adorned with elaborately framed oil paintings and each frame contained a similarly seated portrait of a dull-faced man, each possessing a hooked nose of varying proportions. No doubt, these were ancestor’s of the late Sir Fearncott. Glancing at them, Elizabeth thought what good fortune it had been that her aunt had never managed to have a child with him. With her crumpled face and his ugly beak, the poor thing would never have faced daylight! Smiling to herself, she climbed the stairs after the fast receding shape of her aunt.
“
I have put you on the second floor above my own bedroom. Our guest will be in the room beside yours.” The old woman turned to see Elizabeth meandering up the stairs behind her and Cribbs still standing in the hallway below.
“
You, girl!” Georgina bellowed. “Fetch Miss Greenwood’s bags and follow on!” She turned a cheerless smile on Elizabeth and admonished her on behalf of the dawdling girl. “We haven’t all day, have we, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth matched the shallow beam of her aunt and nodded her agreement.
“
Quite, Aunt Georgina.”
As the old woman turned to proceed along the second floor corridor, Elizabeth poked a tongue at her back. The room, to which she was shown, was twice the size of her own and larger even than Agnes’, the latter point giving her cause to feel somewhat smug. She wandered to the large windows to see what view she had been given. The room was at the back of the house and faced South and Elizabeth could see only the kitchen garden and a sunken walled garden, at the bottom of which there was set a wrought iron gate. Through the thick summer foliage of the trees, she could only just make out the rooves of a handful of houses in the distance. Compared to London, the green space and the beautiful countryside, erupting with colour, should have been refreshing, but Elizabeth saw nothing in the view but a long and dull summer ahead. She turned from the window, her aunt watching her carefully.
“
It’s beautiful,” Elizabeth enthused, her eyes staring coldly into Georgina’s. “Thank you for inviting me to spend the summer with you, Aunt Georgina.”
The old woman cocked her head to one side and considered her niece.
“
This is no holiday, Elizabeth,” she started. “This is a punishment for your ill-chosen excursions and, though your father may not see what you are about, I certainly do.” She paused, allowing the frankness of her words to sink in. “I, for one, know what you seek, Elizabeth, and you will not find what you are looking for here. I will be keeping a close eye on you, my girl, and if you want to find your way back to London, you had better watch your step. I had forgotten how the country air agrees with me and I may consider staying longer than the summer.”
Elizabeth’s unblinking stare was met by a cold smile from her aunt as she added, ‘And I fancy I may prefer some company, if I intend to stay.’
Elizabeth’s heart sank as the meaning of her aunt’s words sunk in.
“
Ah, there you are.” Georgina broke off her stare and stepped to one side, allowing Cribbs to deposit two of Elizabeth’s cases at the foot of the bed. A butler followed close behind with a large trunk.
“
I will let you get settled in then.” She turned and bustled out of the room. “Tea on the terrace in one hour, Elizabeth,” she threw over her shoulder. The butler closed the door behind him and Cribbs started to open the cases.
“
Well, she don’t get no happier does she?” remarked Cribbs, and the first genuine smile of the day played on Elizabeth’s lips before she sullenly undid her bonnet and flung it at the bed.
“
Don’t unpack everything, Cribbs. I don’t intend staying for very long.”
~o~
Just over an hour later, Elizabeth prowled out on to the terrace where Georgina was waiting. The girl’s lateness, albeit slight, had not gone unnoticed by Georgina but for the time being remained unchallenged. Their relationship would be about gaining ground from one another, little by little. For the moment, Georgina was prepared to let Elizabeth win the smaller battles.
“
Well, I am pleased to see you are changed into something a little more suitable for tea than the last time.” Now they were equal. “Your father probably told you the reason why you are here, Elizabeth. Accustomed as I am sure you could make yourself to a period of leisure in the country, I need not remind you that this sojourn is not a holiday.” Georgina raised an eyebrow daring Elizabeth to speak or to argue. Elizabeth stared defiantly at her aunt but kept silent. At no sign of any interruption from Elizabeth, Georgina continued.
“
Yes, well. Ahem, we have a little job for you. You will recall the widower that I was talking to you of a few months ago, Toby. A fine man. Lost his wife ten years ago. He is a partner in a law firm and is highly regarded and well thought of. Since the death of Walter, I have been quite lonely. This estate is quite large and troublesome. It is not something a woman should manage alone.”
Elizabeth managed not to speak up. Her aunt’s ability to outstrip men half her age in both acuity and wit was widely recognised. The running of this estate was well within her capability.
“
Toby is endowed with his own wealth and a proven business man. He is well suited for my needs and it is likely therefore that we shall be wed in the autumn.”
Elizabeth wondered whether the poor unsuspecting Toby was aware of his future with Georgina and if he had yet posed the question. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. She was as amused at her aunt’s portrait of herself as a widow of poor means as she was intrigued by the prospect of a wedding. This had not gone unnoticed by the astute Georgina who immediately added.
“
It will be a small affair and unlikely to hold any interest for you.”
Elizabeth enfolded her arms back into the confines of her lap and within her perfect ladylike posture there lurked a sulky child.
“
So,” Georgina continued “Have I spoken to you of his daughter?”
Elizabeth feigned interest and considered the question pretending to recollect any such mention.
“
I don’t believe you have, Aunt Georgina,” she responded, politely
“
Alice Silver? I must have told you of her.”
Elizabeth frowned trying to recall if she had heard mention before of the girl. Her immediate thought was of Avery and she wondered, hopefully, if this girl might be a sibling or a cousin.
“
You know her?” Georgina asked.
There was little that got by the old woman who had noticed the flicker of surprise register across the young girl’s face.
“
No, Aunt Georgina. The name is merely familiar but I do not know any Alice Silver.”
Satisfied, Georgina continued.
“
Who you know, Elizabeth is of no consequence to me. But in this instance, what you know is of great use. Alice, sadly, has been without female influence for many years. She is beyond the brink of womanhood and has very little etiquette. If she is to form part of this family, which of course is my wish,’ she inclined her head towards Elizabeth, it was a gesture that included Elizabeth, ‘she will need to learn to behave in a more refined manner.”
Elizabeth almost choked on her tea. Was she right in thinking that her aunt was asking for her to teach someone else how to behave? Given the conversation of a week ago, this indeed seemed rather farfetched. This girl must desperately require some finishing if she was being engaged for the task. Georgina too, paused to see what effect these words would have on Elizabeth. Consummately educated, the girl merely raised one eyebrow and inclined her head in ascension
“
You will find that this is an altogether appropriate situation for both of you. Alice is in great need of the right sort of tutelage if she is to find herself a husband and you,” she raised her voice and glared at Elizabeth pointedly, “are in great need of responsibility and censorship. Of course, much of this I would undertake myself but I have a wedding to organise and an estate to manage. You will find, within these grounds and these walls, Juniper Hall is a perfectly adequate space to undertake this task.”
Having satisfied herself that Elizabeth had not objected to the plan nor had shown any great enthusiasm, Georgina allowed a disdainful smile to creep out across her face. Elizabeth watched in silence, as her aunt then reached across the table and took a slice of cake.
“
Aren’t you having any? Quite right, too. I suppose you can ill afford any more weight around your hips.”