“Thank you, Pierce,”
said Eynsford, feeling a bit uncomfortable, although he no particular reason to
think Pierce or any of the staff had seen him with Letty. He hesitated.
“Was there
something else, my lord?” inquired the butler.
“No, not at all,”
responded Eynsford, who also left the house, his thoughts in turmoil.
The days after
Isobel's departure from London were quite trying for Lady Morgan. The weather
was hot, exacerbating her loneliness and discomfort, and making any effort seem
doubly difficult. Even the children were reluctant to leave the house for their
daily walk, and Letitia found their listlessness worrisome.
She reflected that
Isobel might well have been right; a change of scenery would do her good, as
well as depriving her of Dr. Wolfe's constant presence, and the children would
surely benefit by a change of air. She could not, however, consider going to
Scotland; she knew that Isobel and Francis would receive her and the children
with great pleasure, but she wished to not be running to her friends with every
problem.
Letty seated
herself with her account books at her elegant little desk and went to work. A
careful search through them revealed that a little judicious pruning of her
expenses would allow her to scrape together enough money to take the children
to the seaside for some weeks. In particular, the money she had set aside to
buy herself a few dresses for attending parties the following fall could be
sacrificed; the thought of attending functions at which she might encounter
Lord Eynsford seemed totally ludicrous.
The money was not
enough, of course, to go to a fashionable resort such as Brighton, but this was
no deterrent to Letitia; she considered the presence of fashionable society a
detriment rather than an asset. Ramsgate, she reflected, would be the very
thing. The people who went there were solidly middle-class and decidedly
unfashionable; exactly the type of people who would pay little attention to a
widow with small children who wished to enjoy the sea air.
In a short time
Letitia had made all her arrangements. Isobel's solicitor, Mr. Askworth, had
been only too happy to aid her in finding rooms to rent for two months, and he
had assured her that they were comfortable, airy, and inexpensive. Dr. Wolfe,
who had provided his opinion although it had not been asked for, had been
surprisingly agreeable about her decision, and Letty had refrained from arguing
with him when he told her that he was sure that some time at the seashore would
give her the opportunity to make the decision he was certain would make them
both very happy. He also approved heartily of her choice of Ramsgate, telling
her it was quite genteel. Thus, with the blessings of all concerned, Letitia
prepared to exit London, determined to forget the events of the past spring and
to drive the Marquess of Eynsford from her mind.
Two days before she
was to leave, she was in her parlor, reviewing a list of items to be taken and
those to be left in Kensington. She felt a small glow of pleasure that things
had proceeded so smoothly, and she also acknowledged that the activity had
allowed her to push the so attractive Marquess of Eynsford out of the forefront
of her mind. She missed him dreadfully, she acknowledged, but her inability to
resist his advances at the Exencour’s home had convinced her that it was best
to stay away from his lordship altogether.
She looked up as
the maid entered the room and bobbed a curtsey. “Begging you pardon, my lady,”
she said. “I know you told me to refuse you to the Marquess of Eynsford should
he call—”
Letty’s gaze turned
anxious. “He’s not here, is he?” she blurted out.
“No, my lady,” was
the response. “But the Marchioness of Eynsford is.”
Letitia’s eyes
widened in shock. “The Marchioness of Eynsford?” she repeated numbly. Isobel
had said nothing about the marquess marrying. Had he managed to find himself a
bride in the past week? And if he had, what could she possibly want with
Letitia?
“I would be most
grateful if you would agree to have a few words with me,” said a pleasant voice
from the hallway. A handsome older woman, with piercing blue eyes and very good
posture appeared in the doorway, a charming smile on her face. She was clad in
a remarkably elegant walking dress of plum silk twill. It sported a spread
collar made up high to the neck, and a bodice trimmed with banding
à la
militaire
, while the hem was deeply appliqued with patterns of palm fronds
made of the same fabric.
Letitia gave a gasp
of relief. As attractive as the woman was, she was clearly too old to be the
marquess’ wife.
The dowager moved
into the room as though she owned it. “If you don’t mind, Lady Morgan, I would
like to have a few words with you. Alone,” she added, glancing at the maid, who
reluctantly bobbed a curtsey and left.
Letitia stood up
and approached the dowager, a tense smile on her face. “How kind of you to
visit me, Lady Eynsford,” she said.
“But you are
wondering why I am here,” concluded the dowager.
Letitia hesitated.
“I don’t believe we have met before, have we?” she asked.
“No, we have not. But
after hearing so much about you from my son, I thought I would like to get to
know you.” The dowager smiled warmly at her.
Letitia tried not
to let her surprise show. “Please sit down,” she said, remembering her manners.
“Would you care for some tea?”
“No, thank you.” The
dowager seated herself gracefully on the settee.
Letitia did her
best not to think of the times she has sat with her visitor’s son on that very
piece of furniture. “Is there something I can do to assist you?” she asked,
sitting down across from the marchioness.
“Well, if you
wanted to make me very happy, you could marry my son,” was the reply.
Letitia gave a
quick shake of her head. “I am sorry to disappoint you, Lady Eynsford, but that
is impossible. I do not know what Lord Eynsford has told you, but your son and
I are not compatible.”
“He disagrees with
you most strenuously, as I am sure you know,” replied the dowager. “And it does
sound to me as though he has made a dreadful hash of this. Still, I was
wondering if you could find it in yourself to forgive him.”
Letitia took a deep
breath. “Lady Eynsford, I have no wish to offend you, but there can be nothing
between the marquess and me. I have made that quite clear to him.”
“I understand you
have,” said the marchioness. “Otherwise, I would not have had to come here.
Phillip behaved abominably, and I daresay he deserves that you should never
speak to him again. But as you are the first woman he has ever mentioned truly
caring for to me, and I had all but given up hope that he would find someone he
wished, rather than felt obliged, to marry, I could not let this go without at
least meeting you.” The dowager smiled gently. “You are very lovely, as Phillip
said.”
“Thank you,” said
Letty, a bit stiffly. “While I was honored by Lord Eynsford’s proposal, I fear
I cannot accept it. Because of his deception, which I presume he has described
to you, I cannot have the regard for him that I would wish to have for my
husband.”
“Yes, that was
terribly stupid of him, was it not?” said the dowager. She laughed slightly at
Letty’s surprised countenance. “I am very fond of my son, but I have no
illusions that he is always well-behaved around women. You have doubtless heard
the stories, so I need not repeat them. He is unused to being refused, and when
he could not meet you in the proper way, he chose a vastly improper path. But
that does not mean that his feelings are not now sincere. He is suffering a
great deal at the thought that he has hurt you—-and, of course, at the thought
that he might be denied something he wants very badly.”
Letitia eyed the
dowager with surprise. “Did he ask you to come here?”
“Lord, no. He would
doubtless scold me if he knew of it, though I don’t care a farthing for that. As
though he could order me one way or the other! No, I wished to meet the woman
he tells me he cannot do without.”
Letty looked away
and clasped her hands in her lap. “Lady Eynsford, while I wish I could help
you, you must understand my position. I am a widow and have small children. My
first marriage was not happy. While I am very lucky to have the support of good
friends, I am attempting to make my own way in the world. I believed I had a
friend in your son, and then it was revealed that he had been deceiving me in
every way. I cannot marry where I do not trust, and I do not trust Lord
Eynsford.”
The dowager gave
her a sharp glance. “If has proposed to you, it must be more than mere
friendship.” At the sight of Letty’s anguished face, she waved her hands
dismissively. “What, do you not believe he truly cares for you? My son
certainly does not come to me for advice when his casual amours go awry, and
yet he asked me what he should do when you said him nay. You fear he does not
love you, and yet since you are already friends, you have far more to build a
marriage on than most.”
Letitia blinked. Not
even Isobel had spoken to her so bluntly, and she had met this imperious woman
not a quarter-hour before. “I appreciate your plain speaking, Lady Eynsford,”
she said. “However, it does not seem to have occurred to your son, or to you,
or to my friends, that I must make my own decisions. While I realize the honor
your son has done me in proposing, the dishonor he did me is of far greater
concern. I do not say that I will never look on his suit favorably, but I
cannot be rushed, or harried, or talked into accepting him until I feel
comfortable making that decision.”
If Letitia expected
the dowager to be angered by this statement, she was disappointed, as that lady
smiled broadly at her. “Good for you,” she said with approval. “I didn’t think
you could be as meek as you seemed; Phillip never had a taste for
milk-and-water maids.”
Letitia reluctantly
smiled back. “Did you come here to see if you could provoke me?” she asked.
“I never mean to
provoke people, though I invariably do,” replied the dowager. “I have the knack
for it. My girl, I hope that you can, in time, forgive my oaf of a son. You
would be a most welcome addition to our family.”
Letitia dropped her
eyes. “I make no promises, Lady Eynsford. Indeed, until I said those words to
you, I had no idea that I might still entertain his lordship’s suit. I have no
formed intention to marry him.”
“Well, child, you will
have to come to a conclusion sooner or later. Phillip loves you, I believe, but
no man waits forever. He owes it to his name to marry, and if he cannot have
the woman he wants, I will see that he marries someone acceptable.”
“If we are to
continue to speak plainly, I will tell you that a man who cannot wait is a man
who cannot have me,” said Letitia firmly. “A cause of his troubles is that he
could not wait even a few months to meet, and forced his presence on me when I
was ill prepared.”
The dowager rose. “I
see that you have yourself well in hand, and have no need of advice from me. Please,
my dear, know that you can call on me if you are in need of anything. My son is
a very great fool, but for once he has made a wise decision. I can only hope
that you forgive him and make me, and not just my son, happy.”
Letty rose as well,
a bit confused. It seemed as though the ruder she was to the marchioness, the
more pleased that lady became. “Thank you, Lady Eynsford,” she said. “I will
bear it in mind.”
The dowager
startled her by dropping a kiss on her cheek. “See that you do. You young
people have no idea how tiresome you are with your emotions and pride. Think
well before you let this slip away.”
The marchioness
swept out of the room, leaving Letty confused and doubtful. Until her visitor
had pried out of her that she might reconsider Eynsford’s offer, she had felt
completely sure that the marquess was banished from her life. But now it seemed
that had been deceiving herself, and her resolve was not as firm as she had
imagined. She remembered the embrace they had shared in the Exencour’s house,
and flushed. She had thought it was only her body that had betrayed her that
day, but perhaps her heart had been involved as well.
She sighed. She
would leave in two days for Ramsgate with the children, and would spend a
pleasant holiday there. If Lord Eynsford truly wished to marry her, he could
wait for two months before renewing his suit.
Letty put all
further thoughts of the marchioness and her son behind her for the next two
days, and soon had the satisfaction of departing Kensington for Ramsgate with
her children and Violet, the nursery maid, in a hired chaise. As they slowly
clattered out of the busy city and into the countryside she sighed with
satisfaction at the notion of a few weeks of seaside quiet.
Letitia was pleased
with the rooms she had rented in Ramsgate. They were small yet comfortable, and
there was little likelihood of meeting anyone
tonnish
enough to remark
upon her living arrangements. Society spent its summers in Brighton or at their
country seats, and no one with any pretensions to fashion appeared in Ramsgate.
This pleased Letitia, for she knew very well that not only was she unlikely to
meet the Regent, the gossipy Lady Jersey, or the censorious Mrs.
Drummond-Burrell, but she could also be assured of not encountering the
Marquess of Eynsford.
A week after their
arrival, when the children were well settled, she wrote to Isobel to tell her
of her change of address.
“Dear Isobel,”
she wrote,
“I know that you
will be surprised to hear from me at this address. The heat in town became
unbearable, and the children were sorely affected by it, as was I. Through some
juggling of my funds (I have become remarkably able with mathematics and am
very proud of my talent) I managed to find enough money to bring us here to
Ramsgate for a month or two, to escape the worst of the summer heat. I know you
will take me to task for not coming to Scotland, but I did not feel capable of
supporting the social obligations that must attend upon visiting you and Lord
Exencour, especially when Lord and Lady Glencairn are in such close proximity. Do
give my love to dear Harriet when you see her; I miss her greatly.
I am glad to be
away from the city, as I am sure you will understand. I will return in the
autumn and resume my life with a clearer head and the new perspective that a
change of scene brings. I think with some time away I will forget my
distressing memories of Kensington and recall only the healing qualities of the
Gardens and the pleasure I feel in being able to care for
myself and my
children on my own.”
Letitia paused a
moment, her pen hovering over the page. She wished to assure Isobel of her
wellbeing, but she also hoped to prevent her from attempting to further
Eynsford’s suit. And yet she did not want to offend Isobel by implying that she
might clumsily attempt to bully her friend into an unwanted match. She put her
pen to paper once again.
“I know you are
concerned about me, but please feel assured that all is well. I am not such a
ninny as to dwell on what has happened and I consider the whole lamentable
episode to be a thing of the past, as surely as is Alfred. I am sure you will
understand this.
Enjoy your summer
and do not worry about me; I find the sea breeze very refreshing and the change
of venue a great pleasure. The company is certainly not fashionable, but at
least I am not importuned by bishops and solicitors. Please give my
affectionate greetings to your husband. I will write again soon.
Letitia “
Letitia reread the
letter, sighed, then sanded and sealed it. She knew that Isobel would write
back quickly, scolding her for not coming to Scotland, but also understanding
her need for solitude and time to think. However, Letty was not entirely certain
that she wished to be alone with her thoughts. She had been quite sure that,
given the perfidies of the Marquess of Eynsford, Mr. Markham would be easily
forgotten. But somehow he persisted in her thoughts. She remembered not so much
his extraordinary beauty, although that lingered in her mind, but rather the
concern in his blue eyes and the warmth of his smile. Letitia shook her head
impatiently.
“What nonsense,”
she murmured aloud. “As though I need nothing more than someone with charm and
good manners!”
She resolutely put
Mr. Markham out of her mind, and had Violet prepare the children for a walk. Emily
and James were thriving in the sea air and would enjoy a stroll along the
shore, while Letitia felt she too would benefit from a breeze that might blow
the remnants of Mr. Markham’s presence from her mind.
The children were
ushered into the room, and Letty looked at them with pleasure. James was
growing quickly, and it was clear he would be a very handsome boy. Her daughter
was still unformed, all chubby arms and rosy cheeks, but Letitia was pleased
that Emily resembled her. For a moment it seemed that Emily was a bit flushed,
but the little girl’s forehead was cool, and she seemed to have boundless
energy. Letty took their hands and they were walking out the door, when she
perceived a gentleman coming up the steps to the building.
“Good morning,
Letitia,” he said, and Letty started.
“Goodness!” she
exclaimed. “Bainstall! Whatever are you doing here?”
“I have come to
speak to you, dear Cousin, because I am alarmed at reports I have received of
your activities.”
“My activities?”
said Letitia. “You make me sound very busy, Cousin. Who, pray tell, has been
reporting on my actions to you?”
“Do not be
offended,” said Bainstall. “You know that I act only from motives of concern,
as does Dr. Wolfe. He felt that I should know of the problems you have gotten
into; I can only say that you should be grateful for his interest in you.”
“Ah, yes,” said
Letitia. “Dr. Wolfe, the gentleman you have chosen as my next husband. Do you
not think I might have been consulted in this matter?”
“I saw no reason to
consult you when the advantages of the match are so obvious,” replied
Bainstall. “I believe you to be a sensible woman, despite your occasional
frivolity, and Dr. Wolfe is of a fine family, with a respectable fortune and a
sober turn of mind. A woman in your circumstances, all but penniless and with
small children, cannot afford to be finicky in these matters.”
Letitia took her
children's hands and marched down the steps. Bainstall turned and walked with
her. There was a brief silence.
“What makes you
think that I wish to marry again?” asked Letitia. “I am managing quite well on
my own.”
“It was all very
well for you to say you will not marry again when the pain of Lord Morgan's
death was still fresh,” said Bainstall. “I appreciate a widow's sorrow. But
some time has passed, and you must be aware that a woman alone is not natural. You
have managed to get yourself into a great deal of trouble in the past months.”
“I am in no trouble
that I can think of,” said Letitia. “I made an error of judgment in trusting
someone, but no harm has come of it.”
“No harm!”
exclaimed Bainstall. “You dismiss this very lightly, upon my word. You are very
lucky that a great deal of damage was not caused by your thoughtless behavior,
and that Dr. Wolfe was not driven away. Your acquaintance with Eynsford, whose
reputation when it comes to the ladies is questionable at best, was most ill
advised. That the bishop still wishes to wed you is a blessing indeed.”
“You are in great
haste to see me married, Cousin,” observed Letitia. “Surely you recall that my
husband has not yet been dead a year?”
“There is no need
to announce the engagement until the year is up, and then you can be swiftly
wed,” replied Bainstall. “There will be no comment about that. Your
circumstances are well enough known for the necessity of a second marriage to
be recognized.”
They had reached
the strand, and Letitia looked out towards the water. She let go of the
children's hands and urged them to play, watching as they ran towards the
water, laughing merrily.
“It would seem that
the world knows a great deal about how I am placed,” she said rather sharply. “If
you think that Dr. Wolfe is such a catch, why do you not champion Lord Eynsford
as well? He is far wealthier and vastly more important.”
Bainstall laughed.
“Eynsford was amusing himself, Letitia,” he said. “That man will not wed a
widow with children. He will never make you an offer.”
“But he has,”
answered Letitia coolly. “Did not Dr. Wolfe inform you of that as well as every
other detail of my life to which he is privy?”
Bainstall turned to
her, a look of astonishment on his face. It gave Letitia a small thrill of
enjoyment to see the baron, customarily totally composed, so astounded.
“Do you mean to say
that the Marquess of Eynsford has offered you marriage?” he asked. “Then why
are you here, living in rented rooms? Surely you should be at Milverton?”
“I said he
proposed, I did not say I accepted,” responded Letitia.
Bainstall sat down
heavily on a convenient bench. “Do you mean to say that you turned down Lord
Eynsford?” he demanded. “What sort of folly is this? He is as rich as Croesus,
Letitia!”
“And just a few
moments ago he was a hardened libertine with suspect motives,” observed
Letitia. “Surely you would not wish me to marry such a man?”
“That he had the
grace to propose after placing you in such an awkward situation, surprises me
very much,” said Bainstall. “But that you did not accept is astounding. Letitia,
he is the greatest catch in England. His past reputation by no means makes him
an undesirable
parti
.”
Letitia hunched a
shoulder and turned from him. “I will not marry where I cannot trust, nor will
I marry where I cannot love. Thus, I will not be marrying Lord Eynsford or Dr.
Wolfe,” she said firmly.
“I see that you are
far more foolish than I had believed,” said Bainstall. “If you will not marry
Eynsford, which I will tell you is a great piece of folly, then you must marry
Dr. Wolfe.”
“I am not obliged
to marry anybody,” said Letitia. “I am managing quite well on my own.”
“You will very
quickly come to grief if you persist in this way of thinking,” responded
Bainstall. “It pleases you to play at being independent, but it is obvious that
you are incapable of taking care of your own affairs. Your behavior since your
removal from Morgan Park to Kensington has led you from one folly to another. I
beg you will allow me to take you in hand and see what I can do to repair your
situation.”
“You would repair
my situation by selling my son’s inheritance and marrying me to a man I do not
care for,” said Letitia. “I do not choose to do either.”
The baron shrugged.
“You are obstinate, Letitia. Obstinate and ungrateful. I have done my best to
aid you, to give you good advice and, by finding you a suitable husband, to
provide you with the elegancies of life, and you thwart me at every turn. Now
you have turned down, without consulting me, a proposal of marriage from one of
the richest and most eligible men in the kingdom. You should think well on your
folly. I will call on you tomorrow; if you have not made up your mind to listen
to me I will wash my hands of your affairs. You will not have me to turn to
again.”
Letitia raised one
hand to her throat. Despite her protestations of confidence and her dislike of
her cousin’s meddlesome ways, it was frightening to think that she might be cut
off from the only family she possessed. She didn’t want to depend only on
Isobel, nor did she wish her children to be raised without knowing their relatives.
But then the image of Dr. Wolfe arose before her eyes and she was able to
respond quite levelly.
“I am sorry you
feel this way, Cousin. While I value you as my kinsman, I cannot take advice
that I do not think would make me happy.”
Bainstall gave her
a small bow. “I hope you reconsider, Letitia,” he said. “I wish only your
well-being.” He turned and walked away while Letitia gazed after him, a worried
look in her eyes.
James came running
up then and grabbed her hand.
“Mama,” he said, “is
Cousin Charles coming back?” he asked.
“He will call on us
tomorrow, Jamie,” said Letitia in a calm voice.
“I don’t like him,”
said James. “Does he have to call?”
“He is your cousin,
and is concerned for you, Jamie,” responded Letitia. “You must try to like him.”
James looked
doubtful. “Mama, I don’t think Emily is well,” he said. Letitia looked across
the sand to where Emily sat. She did appear very fatigued, and Letty ran over
to her. The child smiled at her, but the slight flush Letitia had noticed
earlier was greatly heightened and her eyes were very bright. Letitia scooped
her up in her arms, frowning as she felt the little girl’s forehead.
“We must get Emily
home,” she said to James. “Come along.”
“Will she get
better soon?” asked James.
“Of course she
will,” said Letitia firmly. “We must get a doctor to come and see that she is
properly taken care of.” She hurried back to her rooms, a great deal more
concerned than she wished James to know.
By the next morning
it was clear that Emily was a very sick child indeed. The doctor had shaken his
head over her and spoken of typhus, and now Emily burned with fever and nothing
would comfort her.
When Bainstall came
to call, he was surprised to have to wait some time for Letitia to appear, and
even more startled when she entered looking not at all like her usual collected
self. She wore an old gown that showed signs of having been considerably
crumpled, and her hair was escaping in small wisps from its severe style. It
was evident that she had slept little, if at all, for her eyelids were heavy
and her eyes touched with red.